Has anybody else here been keeping up with our friends to the east? I'm not sure the official number but they now have anywhere from 14-16 commits including six recruits the last few days. I have never seen anything like it, at least not at Iowa.
Unreal Recruiting
- Thread starter sunnysideup
- Start date
They're at 15 total commits right now, with 7 of those commits coming in the past nine days. Ferentz was asked about the commits and said that they're trying to get their recruiting done early this year so that they can have as much time as they can coming up to get everyone adjusted to the new coaches and gameplans, etc.
This isn't a "us v them" thread. It's more of a "holy crap I have never seen this before" thread. 15 commits before July really is outside of the norm for the Hoks. Is this a product of culture change in recruiting or are they actually doing anything different to facilitate this?
It sounds like Kirk may be telling some of the recruits they have til a certain date to commit before they move on. As Taco said, they'd like to have the recruiting class wrapped up early so they may be doing this to help achieve that.
Exactly, it's an entirely different approach from what Kirk has done in the past. In the past, I've never heard of him giving kids a timeline to decide. Most interviews that have been done in past years with recruits, the recruits have stated that Iowa's coaching staff told them to take their time and visit as many schools as they can before making a decision. This year, there have been numerous recruits that have stated that Ferentz gave them X amount of days to commit and after that date, the offer is contingent upon whether another recruit commits and takes that spot or not.
This is going to be extremely interesting come the later part of the season. What I think you will see is an increase in the number of de-commits, which is going to become pretty frustrating. It seems like this is going on at many schools this year, and I think if the trend continues, we may be looking at an earlier signing day in the future. I know many coaches are already petitioning for that, so who knows.
I must have missed Kirk's comments on this particular topic...that could be that I missed it, but I usually read everything related to Iowa football on the web and have not seen that. That would be a foolish strategy, too; just trying to add numbers to hurry things along so a new staff can get more comfortable with the other stuff? That's basically cutting corners and mortgaging a bit of the future and doesn't sound at all like something Kirk would ever do.
After April, the staff doesn't do anything with the players until August. That makes no sense. Could there be some time sensitive offers? Possibly. However, the kids they are offering are still kids they are offering based on junior film evals and some camp evals...not fallbacks, in other words.
I just think the timeline for evaluating and offering kids has sped up in the sport in recent years, though this is off the charts by Iowa's history. The most commits they have had before the end of June in any Ferentz era year prior to this year's 15 (so far) was 7, in 2010.
There is no doubt the 'recruiting pace' in general in the sports has sped up and it will lead to more decommits.
I agree with you that it's a dangerous game. I'm just going off what I've heard from friends and seen on your very own site.
seen it from people posting what they think they know? I haven't seen Kirk's quotes on that anywhere. Perhaps I missed them
Think about it another way...Iowa is not one of the Top ten elite programs in the game....I dont think they have the sort of cachet to throw around related to several time sensitive offers.
He may not be saying that word for word, but based on a few of Iowa's commits to date, he has implied that concept to a few of them. I believe it was Welsh who was worried about a recent commit, and if I'm not mistaken was quoted saying something along the lines of "They told me they are on a timetable and told me I could take some time to think it over, but not too long. I've got to give them an answer."
I'm not sure if Kirk has said it or not, but I doubt he would admit to it. I couldn't remember the name of the poster that posted it and I'm not sure how credible they are, but I did heard a rumor over the weekend from a decent source that this could be happening.
You may not believe me, and it doesn't really bother me if you don't, but my source has been right on a number of things regarding Iowa and ISU over the past few years.
I believe ya Mackey. In fact, here's the quote, I found it.
Q: You had said going in that you probably would not commit on the visit. Were there any thoughts like that today or are you pretty set on waiting until the end of the summer?
WELSH: Well, they are on a timetable so I can still take some time to think, but probably not too long. I've got to give them an answer. I think I'll figure it out soon enough.
Tom Kakert also spoke with Sean Welsh on the night of his commitment, and here is what Tom posted a few minutes after the conversation:
ust spoke with Sean and he said he committed about ten minutes ago to the Hawkeyes. He said it was like the weight of the world was off his shoulders now and is very happy to be going to Iowa.
He said Iowa was his leader coming into his visit and felt great about his trip to Iowa City. He wanted to take a few days and get home and make sure about his decision. He also said that the Iowa coaches told him they would hold a spot for him until today and then if someone wanted to commit on the OL, they could. Felt a little pressure there, but he was completely comfortable with his decision.
He said Brian Ferentz did a great job recruiting him and he called Brian today to tell him the news and Brian quickly handed the phone over to his dad and said, I will pretend I didn't hear what you just told me. (laugh) Then he told Kirk the news and he was thrilled.
Super nice young man and Iowa will start him out at the guard position. Will have the story shortly.
ust spoke with Sean and he said he committed about ten minutes ago to the Hawkeyes. He said it was like the weight of the world was off his shoulders now and is very happy to be going to Iowa.
He said Iowa was his leader coming into his visit and felt great about his trip to Iowa City. He wanted to take a few days and get home and make sure about his decision. He also said that the Iowa coaches told him they would hold a spot for him until today and then if someone wanted to commit on the OL, they could. Felt a little pressure there, but he was completely comfortable with his decision.
He said Brian Ferentz did a great job recruiting him and he called Brian today to tell him the news and Brian quickly handed the phone over to his dad and said, I will pretend I didn't hear what you just told me. (laugh) Then he told Kirk the news and he was thrilled.
Super nice young man and Iowa will start him out at the guard position. Will have the story shortly.
Had some work to do. Just read that...it's an interesting strategy. I guess I circle back around to the notion that I don't think they are going to put out timelines for the sake of it...they are offering kids they have targeted early and getting a lot of them. Also, I think they are getting to the point now where the boat is getting pretty full.
I don't know that they can take all that many more commits the rest of the way this year, based upon who is slated to be on scholarship next year.
But iowa is the best offer that almost every one of these recruits has. You are beating out a lot of MAC schools for these kids.
I know I know, as soon as Nick Saban sees that kirkie is on somebody, he will fly in personally to offer. That wasn't aimed at you Jon, just one of the mensa candidate hawk fans that pollute this site.
Shocking...
OK jwr, lets go through this...I never worry about offers in football, because Iowa State will always end up on the short end of the stick with that everytime.
However, since 5fan decided to start a thread about how awsome your hawks are recruiting, and since they are after all iowa. A closer look at this record setting haul has to acknowledge who they have beaten out for these players.
Now, kirkie has a good track record of developing players, so I am sure they will be fine. BUT, for the vast majority of these kids, iowa was their best offer.
So in your estimation, kirkie beating out kent state means that the kid is a player, and CPR beating out kent state means that Iowa State is recruiting poorly.
Just want to make sure I understand...
