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Recruiting at ISU

O

oldwiseman

Well-Known Member
Oct 10, 2009
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I always hear, "why would anyone want to come to Ames, IA" when I read about our recruiting struggles. As someone who has been on a large number of college campuses and traveled extensively throughout the US, Ames and ISU have a lot to offer.

It's not all about scenery. If it was, recruiting would be a cake walk at schools like Colorado, San Diego St, Cal, and Miami. If you've traveled to other college campuses you would know that OU, OSU, Baylor (man Waco is truly awful) Texas A&M, and pretty much all of the Big Ten have similar "nothing to look at" campuses. But ISU does have a very nice campus, far nicer than Iowa, MN, or Michigan, and quite similar to Michigan State. Many of those schools play in the cold so that's a BS excuse too.

Tradition certainly plays in to things but remember this. We played and should have beaten Alabama in a bowl game not all that long ago and OU was down for years. Michigan sucks now. Baylor was rock bottom crap a handful of years ago. They aren't recruiting on tradition.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is when coaches, fans, etc. say things like "you can't recruit to ISU", I'm calling BS. I've seen a ton of the other schools in person. We have a lot to offer. We have top notch facilities, we have a great campus, and you get a good education here.

Sales is a skill and believe it or not a good sales person can make the kind of money CPR makes. But, to put it in business terms, CPR isn't hitting his quota to say the least and he needs to be put on notice. I think our coaches need some serious sales training. You can't just walk in the door and only get the recruits that think you are a swell guy. Tired of the excuses, learn how to match up the needs of the student athlete with the qualities we have to offer and close the damn deal!
 
For somebody to talks with so much emotion and passion, I'm surprised he doesn't recruit better.
 
There has to be something we don't realize when it comes to the football program. We've never been better than average. Never. Why is that? Even duke and Baylor got things figured out
 
I agree with everything you said OP. The one thing I'd point out that deserves consideration, though, is that while Ames does have a lot to offer, that may not be the perception of a kid from Cali, Fla, or TX...or anywhere farther away than a state out from Iowa. I hear it all the time. While it helps to get kids on campus, even that has proven to be a difficult sell, even when the trip is friggin FREE. Our recruiting game has to be stepped up in a big way. We need some top notch sales men, as you alluded to, that can conjure up a grand vision and impart that to some quality recruits.....oh yeah, and that can coach some football, too.
 
I agree that you can recruit to ISU. I'm just not sure Rhoads can. We've had plenty of high caliber players come here to play and go on to the NFL. Rosenfels, Moses, Wallace, Hobbs, Dobbins, Jackson, Bowen, Rubin, Osemele, and Klein are all proof that you can recruit high caliber players to ISU. The problem is that Rhoads can't recruit or develop these types of players. I would say that the recruiting under Rhoads is worse than it was under McCarney or Chizik.
 
Rhoads just flat out can't recruit. It's his worst trait. He's worse at recruiting than coaching the actual game and that's saying something.

The only time Rhoads has won was with Chiz's players.
 
Recruiting has not been great, but it has not been horrible. The real problem has been retention and injuries. If ISU had even half of the guys that are not available this team would be a lot better. There are certain positions where ISU is in pretty good shape: WR, RB, TE, even QB is at least serviceable. OL might be okay next year, as there appears to be some talent there, but time will tell on this. DL and LBers, at this point seems to be a train wreck. The DL should get a boost in numbers next year with RS guys and the injured JUCO guys, but time will also tell if this helps or not. LBers is the most discouraging position to me. I don't see any of the current starters that would start for another D-1 school. They have looked slow and lost the last two games. I fully understand that a lot of these guys are young, but unless there are a couple Jucos or RS studs to take these guys places, the defense will be horrifying again next year.
 
Hard to recruit when you are the laughing stock of the league. There are mid-tier programs who recruit better the ISU.
 
I agree with the OP.
I made a comment in the other thread: what are our coaches selling?
yes, ISU is a tough place to sell but why don't we become another Iowa in a sense that they can develop players to be NFL materials. KF's team usually are fundamentally sound. Yes, the could have bad losses, but they have players drafted in the NFL almost every year.
The other poster affirmed that we could attract Dobbins, Osemele, etc - all NFL players. What are our coaches selling right now? A chance to beat OU? Texas? Or a chance to grow and invest in your future as NFL player?
 
In the post-cyclone fanatic days, I've always found it fascinating to see how many fans actually think our recruiting is adequate. I had no idea people got so excited about 2 and 3 star recruits with minimal other BCS offers.

Solving the recruiting puzzle is the only way we ever win 6-7 games again. I just don't know how you assemble a coaching staff that can pull that off.

We need a lucky break with a stud QB. We need a healthy line. We need linebackers with a brain. We need D-backs taller than my wife. I just don't know how we can find that.
 
gogagig said:
For somebody to talks with so much emotion and passion, I'm surprised he doesn't recruit better.
Click to expand...

Campos, Lazard, Montegomery, and Bibbs are all pretty ****** recruits I guess.

One of those recruits even stated publicly he came here because of Rhoads.

Foot meet mouth.
 
I agree with the OP and have the same travel experiences. ISU is a great campus. I say, let's hire 2 young ex players, one in TX, another in FL who know the terrain, the coaches and let them scout for & sell Iowa State- build relationships with key coaches. Wouldn't cost that much to put 2 "salesmen" in those 2 states, especially if they already are natives to each state and work from home. Have them report to Ames Recruiting Coordinator each week, call sheets and all. The current method is NOT working. And for Cripes sake, ISU needs new commercials...if I see another "choose your Adventure at Iowa State" ad, I am gonna Yack!
 
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The problem is recruits see our product and are instantly turned off. He might be planting the seed to recruits but none of them are coming for harvest. I can't really blame them. Isu has alot to offer but not with rhoads at the helm
 
This is rather simplistic, but imo we have to be able to compete in the trenches, on both sides of the ball, in order to experience a consistent increase in success. I think ISU has to make it a priority to locate, land and develop some smart, hard working, big, strong kids willing to go to work everyday. It has to be our top priority, recruiting wise imo. Until then we will just continue to spin our wheels on ground where we've got no traction.
 
cyclones12321 said:
Biggest sales pitch he could spill right now is facilities, top fans in the country and playing time
Click to expand...

Exactly. So sell it, along with top educational programs, Hilton Magic, Indoor facility, Weight facility, tutoring facilities, strength and conditioning, travel direct flights from DFW, Houston, Atlanta (make it closer to home). Worth a try.
 
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Yes, as the aesthetics of college campuses go, ISU is not bad. It's looks and atmosphere are certainly not any worse than average, as universities go. But does aesthetics enter in to a 3-5 star college recruit's decision when he is picking his college? I doubt it is a deciding factor. It matters less what he can see and more what he can do. Can he win a national championship there? Can he win a conference championship there? Can he go to a January bowl game there? Can he be a part of a long and storied winning tradition? Can he get to the NFL from there? Can he go to the beach/mountains/desert/etc? Can he leave his winter coat behind with his parents? Can he go clubbing in the big city? Can he see an NFL/NBA game there? Have you said "yes" to many of these questions when you apply them to ISU?

ISU is a great school with great people in a safe, and relatively clean and affluent midwestern town. You will get a very good education there and if you have the talent and you work hard you have as good of a chance to get to the NFL from ISU as you do anywhere else. But is SNOWS here. We are surrounded by nothing but corn and bean fields. No oceanside beaches. No mountains. No top level professional sports. What does ISU have to offer a top recruit that any other power 5 conference school can't offer as well? Maybe less competition for a spot on the 1st team? If he had never been to the state of Iowa before and had no friends or family that had ties to ISU, why would Johnny 4 Star or Bobby 5 Star pick ISU over another power 5 conference team?

I apologize for the frankness, but c'mon. The truth is the truth.
 
Didn't some kid commit to Clemson over Auburn (or vis versa) because it had a Popeyes Chicken on campus?

Then it turned out the other school had one too, but it was closed during his visit.
 
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