Recruiting Specifically, what has Mullen not done right?

[soflagator]

In my book you grab EVERYTHING you can get your hands on when it come to recruiting......

Unless you’re extremely destitute at a position(see our OL in ‘15), you give it your absolute best to land talent, but live with the fact that it’s a transition class and move on. Of course you take a filler or two, if for no other reason than to help perception of momentum. But taking a player at a place like UF, who you know isn’t going to contribute, simply for the sake of taking someone, is foolish. It’s a blueprint of what McElwain did in his classes and one of the reasons our roster is saddled with dead weight for the next 3-4 years. Is it conceding to an extent? Absolutely. But it’s also the same approach Meyer used in his 2005 class, and makes complete sense.

In short, your book sucks.

 

[rogdochar]

And once it's ironed out that UF is screwed by Mullen's hire, .... then what. At that stage how y'all want the fanship to act, to not act, to just shut up. Are we to be vaccinated against enthusiasm ? One group oozes opinion #1, another group expresses opinion #2 however #2 involves invalidating #1 ... why is that?.

 

[T REX]

I don't remember exactly who brought in whom either, and I'm too lazy to look it up too. But I did see a graphic on another site that indicated that DM had the highest avg. star rating of any UF transition class ever - including Meyers. And clearly, we got some strong talent this year, which is my primary point. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but JM didn't land any 5-stars over the last two years, and I'm not sure how many ever really considered UF in that time span. Also, it's tough to argue that the UF brand hasn't suffered thanks to the failure of the previous two HCs.

It also looks like the 5-star commits JM did manage to pick up for '19 are still strong possibilities to sign with DM and crew. And although we may well miss on some of the 5-stars that have already visited, or plan to, I still like the much more aggressive approach that DM is taking. Frankly, I agree that getting too excited at this stage may be ill advised, but it beats the hell out of the misery of the status quo. Realistically, anything that even resembles a competent, reasonably well-balanced SEC caliber team, will be a huge improvement over the garbage we've endured over the last several years.

You can't credit JM for helping in '19 and not give him credit for helping in '18. A bunch of kids were already committed when DM was hired. Can't have it both ways, sorry. The one thing I was actually giving JM credit was his recruiting was getting better. Again, why this need to make Mullen better than he really is at so many things? There's so much overcompensation going on...it's scary. He's doing an ok job so far and let's hope he continues to build on it.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

One the other had, I recognize that all the criticisms of Swamp Donkey etal that Mullen has not typically produced the kind of offense that will sustain him in this job are still valid. So I certainly understand people that worry.

So I understand the optimistic, I understand the pessimistic, and I remain in my wait and see stance..

There really arent any over the top pumpers except Boss usual nonsensical babble and Slevin's revisionist history (and I think he is just too young to remember the truth).

I find myself liking him and what he appears to be doing more than I ever imagined that I could. However, being a realist and someone who was here the first time, I know very well what this will likely be on thw field

 

[gatorkev85]

He’s done as well as anyone could have hoped at this point. He’s got everyone’s support (minus Kev, Omar and a few others)...until he loses his first game.

I support Mullen and what he's done so far minus some of the players he's taken so far in the 19 class. I've said several times I like him much more than Mac. I like how he's changed our S&C in just one off season, I credit him for pulling the 18 class together, I like his approach to what he's saying far. But his record at Miss St against the big schools, losing to South Alabama plus some of the players he's taken in the 19 class so far puts a lot of doubt in my head.

 

[Omar's Coming Yo!]

What kev said and donkey wrt to the passing(MSU avg 220 ypg and #72 under Mullen)game is correct. Mullen is politicking it up with the change is coming. I have valid concerns given his record, lack of QB development outside of Dak as a HC and these commits he's taking so far in his bump class. There's nothing we can do but hope for the best. It cant be worse than Mac.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Unless you’re extremely destitute at a position(see our OL in ‘15), you give it your absolute best to land talent, but live with the fact that it’s a transition class and move on. Of course you take a filler or two, if for no other reason than to help perception of momentum. But taking a player at a place like UF, who you know isn’t going to contribute, simply for the sake of taking someone, is foolish. It’s a blueprint of what McElwain did in his classes and one of the reasons our roster is saddled with dead weight for the next 3-4 years. Is it conceding to an extent? Absolutely. But it’s also the same approach Meyer used in his 2005 class, and makes complete sense.

In short, your book sucks.

Now let me show you how failed your logic is. You always grab as much talent-NOT FILLER- as you can because expecting complete roster balance in a first class is almost never going to happen. You build your team where you can for 2 reasons particularly in your first 2 or so classes. If you're a real coach you work around tailoring your team to fit it's strong points(think Meyer tinkering with the 2005&2006 offenses, or Saban 2008-2012)....Good coaches don't need a completely balanced roster to achieve year in and year out success. Yes it helps and is certainly needed to win NC's but If they lack WR's they incorporate more of a running game and alter their passing attack as well as move players to positions of need.....Yes, believe it or not players coming out of HS are very adaptable if they have size, speed and talent, interior offensive and defensive lineman are about the only areas where you can't do this, and depending on offensive approach maybe QB although there are ways of working around that too.
Coaching and talent are the 2 keys to success in modern CFB my friend ......Lets not lower the bar from 10th ranked classes over the 7 year suckage period to accepting 15th-20th ranked classes while making excuses about "waiting till next year" or whatever nonsense.....

 

[oxrageous]

Now let me show you how failed your logic is. You always grab as much talent-NOT FILLER- as you can because expecting complete roster balance in a first class is almost never going to happen. You build your team where you can for 2 reasons particularly in your first 2 or so classes. If you're a real coach you work around tailoring your team to fit it's strong points(think Meyer tinkering with the 2005&2006 offenses, or Saban 2008-2012)....Good coaches don't need a completely balanced roster to achieve year in and year out success. Yes it helps and is certainly needed to win NC's but If they lack WR's they incorporate more of a running game and alter their passing attack as well as move players to positions of need.....Yes, believe it or not players coming out of HS are very adaptable if they have size, speed and talent, interior offensive and defensive lineman are about the only areas where you can't do this, and depending on offensive approach maybe QB although there are ways of working around that too.
Coaching and talent are the 2 keys to success in modern CFB my friend ......Lets not lower the bar from 10th ranked classes over the 7 year suckage period to accepting 15th-20th ranked classes while making excuses about "waiting till next year" or whatever nonsense.....

You forgot to add . You're slipping.

 

[lizardbreath]

You can't credit JM for helping in '19 and not give him credit for helping in '18. A bunch of kids were already committed when DM was hired. Can't have it both ways, sorry. The one thing I was actually giving JM credit was his recruiting was getting better. Again, why this need to make Mullen better than he really is at so many things? There's so much overcompensation going on...it's scary. He's doing an ok job so far and let's hope he continues to build on it.

I was pointing more to the fact that DM will likely salvage most, if not all, of the very good class JM had building for '19, many of whom decommitted after the change at HC. JM gets little or no credit for those players if they sign with DM after backing off due to the firing. And as far as having it both ways is concerned, I don't remember ever saying that JM didn't have a good class coming in for '18 - until he self-destructed at mid season. Where we apparently can agree to disagree is that DM did a good job holding on to the bulk of the class while adding a number of really good commitments at the end. How that is being unfair to JM, while over-praising DM, is a mystery to me.

As I and others have said on occasions too numerous to mention, the hiring of DM was not a thrilling moment to me or many others. But actually giving credit, where it is actually due, requires a tip of the hat to DM for having saved a good to very good class in '18. His handling of the S&C quagmire, and the general malaise that had engulfed the program, deserves credit as well. This is not overcompensation, this is a recitation of widely accepted fact.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

You forgot to add . You're slipping.

Ok......... waiting till next year....to get all the good guys........ I hope Kirby, Saban, and Dabo start using this new age recruiting process.

 

[oxrageous]

Ok......... waiting till next year....to get all the good guys........ I hope Kirby, Saban, and Dabo start using this new age recruiting process.

I’m cringing with embarrassment for you, but you remain my favorite poster while I’m doing so.

 

[78]

What do Josh Harris, Alex Smith, Chris Leak, Tim Tebow and Dak Prescott all have in common?

Dan Mullen.

Please don't tell me the man is incapable of developing quarterbacks. He'll get an even better chance as head coach here.

I'll be the first to admit it if he falls flat on his face. I don't think that will happen.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Look before some start hurling boulders over my favorite new source of humor please understand I'm not bashing Mullen. I am a little skeptical and in "wait and see" mode. I've been the guy in the past who thought that Charlie Weis was going to bring us an unstoppable offense and also thought that Muschamp would eventually get around to putting a complete team on the field for the first 3 years he was here....I've been there so I know that sometimes we seek to make small steps look like the giant leap the program needs to get back into a top 10 program.....I'm not there right now.

If Mullen can manage 8 or more wins this season AND pull in a top 5 or 6 recruiting class I'll probably feel a little more warm and fuzzy.....Is that so wrong?

 

[oxrageous]

You don’t think the rest of us are in wait and see mode? Of course we are.

I thought it was a quality transition class under the circumstances, that’s all.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

What do Josh Harris, Alex Smith, Chris Leak, Tim Tebow and Dak Prescott all have in common?

Dan Mullen.

Please don't tell me the man is incapable of developing quarterbacks. He'll get an even better chance as head coach here.

I'll be the first to admit it if he falls flat on his face. I don't think that will happen.

Just as a matter of discussion, How will you feel if we are a 9 or 10 win team with good QB's that can't seem to get all the way to the top after 4 or 5 years? Say like MSU over the last several years.....Would you look to overall recruiting? Gameplanning? Offensive design? You seem to think he is a good QB coach but only the 2 UF guys won it all and they had stellar teams coached by an elite coach and recruiter.....

 

[Concrete Helmet]

You don’t think the rest of us are in wait and see mode? Of course we are.

I thought it was a quality transition class under the circumstances, that’s all.

It could have been worse that's for sure. Just remember Mac inherited 2 years of NFL quality defenses and brought in a 23rd ranked class which included two 5 stars and looked like a train wreck up till NSD. We won the East and 10 games 2 years in a row.....Muschamp took Urbans boys one Driskel interception in the UGA game away from winning the East and playing for a NC......These were 2 bad coaches but Mullen doesn't have NEARLY in the cupboard what those 2 had......In other words he gonna have to coach his a$$ off to get anywhere near the results those 2 Buffoons got in the first 2 years....Are we gonna be patient enough for this?

 

[78]

Too many unaccounted areas in your hypothetical. How good was the defense? Special teams? How many athletes did he surround the "good" quarterback with? Who did we lose to? How did we lose?

This just needs to play out.

 

[oxrageous]

It could have been worse that's for sure. Just remember Mac inherited 2 years of NFL quality defenses and brought in a 23rd ranked class which included two 5 stars and looked like a train wreck up till NSD. We won the East and 10 games 2 years in a row.....Muschamp took Urbans boys one Driskel interception in the UGA game away from winning the East and playing for a NC......These were 2 bad coaches but Mullen doesn't have NEARLY in the cupboard what those 2 had......In other words he gonna have to coach his a$$ off to get anywhere near the results those 2 Buffoons got in the first 2 years....Are we gonna be patient enough for this?

The last two coaches ran two of the most pathetic programs of all time. Mullen is overseeing a real football program again with players that are going to be stronger and significantly more prepared. I think the difference is going to be immediately obvious.

 

[B52G8rAC]

So, into the valley of death I go. I think Coach Mullen has done a great job in transition. I expect a football team conditioned to go 60 minutes at full speed. I expect the same graduation rate (or better) than the student body as a whole. I expect criminals to be run off campus. I believe offense sells tickets but defense wins championships. Gator coaches shouldn't need to sell tickets; the stadium should be full of Florida fans even if the record is 0-10-1. I couldn't care less if a single Gator ever plays in the NFL; college shouldn't be a D league for pros. My alma mater is not there to build muscle, but rather to build character and leaders.

 

[lizardbreath]

So, into the valley of death I go. I think Coach Mullen has done a great job in transition. I expect a football team conditioned to go 60 minutes at full speed. I expect the same graduation rate (or better) than the student body as a whole. I expect criminals to be run off campus. I believe offense sells tickets but defense wins championships. Gator coaches shouldn't need to sell tickets; the stadium should be full of Florida fans even if the record is 0-10-1. I couldn't care less if a single Gator ever plays in the NFL; college shouldn't be a D league for pros. My alma mater is not there to build muscle, but rather to build character and leaders.

Excellent post. Well reasoned and well said.