Recruiting 2022 Recruiting Thread: Evers and CJ Smith Decommit

[Gator By Marriage]

It’s not just Donk, or myself, or a handful of others that highly value the recruiting services and their equally proven evaluations. It’s literally every team that has won a NC over the past few decades. Napier said as much in his opener, referencing the recruiting rankings of Alabama and uga and the fact that they played for the SEC the night before.
So to shift now into this “stars don’t matter” conversation is ridiculous.

I’ll repeat what I said prior to BN’s hiring, and again voiced last week. My concern is that we might be once again having to stomach an approach that is contrary to conventional wisdom out of “trust”. I say maybe, because it’s obviously way too early to say anything definitive. But we’ve gone from a complete identity change in ‘11, to a trust that somehow a coach is so good he can win with 2-3*’s in ‘15, to we don’t need to recruit because we can outscheme everyone in 2018, to now this. I don’t know why we have to complicate things. We know what works. So it’s frustrating to see and hear an approach that by his own admission may not make much sense at times and may take some patience. I don’t get why we can’t just be normal and do what UF does best.

Spurrier showed it can be done, as did Meyer. Yes they inherited better situations, but they also held on to guys like Baker, Haupt and Murphy who were marginal players that committed to the previous staff and were open to suitors after the change. It would’ve been easy to dismiss them. He didn’t. And much of the rest of that class were players that we’d targeted all year with Zook. He simply landed them and built off of it. Saban’s 2007 class was similar. Those guys know how to evaluate too, and both of them would’ve taken Gibson, Lightsey and probably Evers in their transition class, just from a perception standpoint.

I don’t think anyone is saying stars don’t matter, but I can appreciate the idea of wanting to evaluate the players yourself to ensure that both the player really is as good as everyone says and they fit what you want at that position. I’ve noticed that there are some guys the previous regime recruited who CBN wants to keep around - most notably the DT from OK, McClellan. The others, well who knows, right? I do think that if Napier thinks a kid won’t fully buy in, he doesn’t want them in O & B no matter how many stars they have.

The comparison to Saban taking over in ‘07 is not a fair one. ESD is a massive game changer for new coaches now. Saban had almost a full month to evaluate the guys who were committed; Napier has ten days. To make matters worse, many of his future staff members are still finishing their seasons (another issue Saban did not have to deal with).

Napier clearly has a vision and is fully executing it. For those of us on the outside, some of it is head scratching. It may all work out fine or it may not, but I agree with his approach. He’s convinced his plan will work and he is fully implementing it his way. It’s really the only way to go and I believe he’s enough of a man to own it either way.

 

[InstiGATOR1]

I fear our posters may not initially embrace CBN's recruiting. His repeated emphasis on evaluation suggests to me that his evaluation may frequently disagree with the recruiting services evaluation so beloved by donk and otbrrs.

Wasn't this the problem with Mullen? Really though this board wasn't around wasn't this the problem with Spurrier to some of the older star gazers here?

 

[soflagator]

It is risky.
But, if nothing changes, nothing changes. And, if you always do what you always did you always get what you always got.

You don’t need months of evaluations on a 4*WR from Orlando ranked #7 at his position nationally. You just don’t. Absolute worst case scenario he doesn’t work out. I’ll take my chances there over some of the other names we’ve offered in recent days.

Again, we’re not desperate for answers. We know what works. Neither Spurrier or Meyer purged a class and needed 3
months to watch film because the last guy sucked. The last 3 hires have brought their own version of “I know what I’m doing, relax”, all to their demise at our expense. We didn’t need to reinvent the wheel then and we don’t now.

 

[InstiGATOR1]

It is risky.
But, if nothing changes, nothing changes. And, if you always do what you always did you always get what you always got.

Yes, I believe that this is the complain with this hire. UF did the same thing again.

 

[oxrageous]

Yes, I believe that this is the complain with this hire. UF did the same thing again.

Quit posting.

UF did the complete opposite of the "same thing" again with this hire. If you can't see that there's no hope for you.

 

[InstiGATOR1]

I’ve noticed that there are some guys the previous regime recruited who CBN wants to keep around - most notably the DT from OK, McClellan.

He kept everyone 260 lbs or heavier and got rid of everyone less than 260 lbs, except the kicker. Whether that is right or wrong as you say only time will tell.

 

[Bernardo de la Paz]

Such hate.

I'm fully on board for purging the entire chatter. Every single one that ever interacted with us. We're poison to anyone we come into contact with.

Let's not get carried away.

 

[soflagator]

@Gator By Marriage

I know most here don’t subscribe to that stars idea. But AR insinuated it which was the basis of my reply.

Circumstances are obviously different. But that almost adds to the point. There are many things I like to do at my own pace. But if circumstances don’t allow, I adapt. I’d have no problem with this approach moving forward. But in addition to feeding guys like KS, Norvell and Mario ammunition to tell others that our program is falling apart(true or not it works), we’re now staring at either signing 10-15 under the allotment, or taking other fluff that may or may not work. I guess what I’m saying is we can’t blank here. So what I don’t want to see is is us swing and miss on two dozen big names and then add a lot of “but he fits” types in Feb while some spend the next 3 months how it’s ok. I still hope I’m pleasantly surprised.

 

[alcoholica]

I’m ok with giving a new approach a whirl if we’re stuck on a deserted island and trying to build a boat out of coconuts. But we’re not. We have the materials and the blueprints of exactly what to do. And to a slightly lesser degree what not to do. While I agree that what we’ve been doing hasn’t worked, as I’ve said, they also decided on a strategy that involves dismissing those blueprints and/or materials, insisting that their way would work. Now, don’t get me wrong, Napier’s strategy isn’t some lazy approach like that of the previous two and is much more noble in its nature. But it’s still a risky strategy that I don’t feel is necessary.

 

[backstop13]

I'm just disappointed we got Billy Napier and his well thought out documented plan, hiring actual legit recruiters, and starting to build an army of analysts as he promised instead of Brian Kelly aka Mullen 2.0 and his fake southern drawl and ghey dances with recruits to 30 year old country music...

 

[Gator By Marriage]

@Gator By Marriage

I know most here don’t subscribe to that stars idea. But AR insinuated it which was the basis of my reply.

Circumstances are obviously different. But that almost adds to the point. There are many things I like to do at my own pace. But if circumstances don’t allow, I adapt. I’d have no problem with this approach moving forward. But in addition to feeding guys like KS, NorveLLLL and Mario ammunition to tell others that our program is falling apart(true or not it works), we’re now staring at either signing 10-15 under the allotment, or taking other fluff that may or may not work. I guess what I’m saying is we can’t blank here. So what I don’t want to see is is us swing and miss on two dozen big names and then add a lot of “but he fits” types in Feb while some spend the next 3 months how it’s ok. I still hope I’m pleasantly surprised.

FTR - I fully admit that I don’t agree with how he’s handling this, but it’s all his call.

 

[t-gator]

I'll just say what everyone else is thinking: it may be time to let sofla go.

It's been a good run

 

[soflagator]

FTR - I fully admit that I don’t agree with how he’s handling this, but it’s all his call.

I’ll also add that you are dead on that he’ll own whatever outcome we have. He’s not a coward and is humble enough to admit it. I just don’t want him to have to. I want him to succeed here.

For that matter, I wanted Mullen to succeed here. If for no other reason than for my kids who’ve had to endure WM and JM and were finally enjoying games again. It infuriates me that a guy like DM literally refused to make this work and do great things here. I was 10 in 1990 and feel guilty that I experienced that while we’re fending of Samford and getting blown out by a coach making 50k at Usce. My time window is closing quickly.

 

[alcoholica]

Let me address the "Stars" issue. Yes they matter, just not as much as everyone thinks.

For example, Meyer was enamored with "stars". So much so that one of my friends was in charge of keeping the most recent rankings for him on a weekly basis. He literally went after the highest rated players. No regard to background, fit to scheme, just the highest rated players. It worked in classes like 2006, 2007 and 2010, but it failed many times too. Not going to look up specifics, but we all know we can pull up classes and find holes from kids never making campus.

And if you're going after low 4's or 3's, you have to know what you're dealing with and why they came up short. Did they not camp? New to football? Play multiple sports? Play offense and defense? Physical limitations, but still skilled? etc.

Keep in mind that the star system is designed to predict NFL success, not college success. You just have to make sure that you are on the right side of the percentages.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

I get it. My son is a junior at UF and he’ll graduate in 2023 probably never getting to share in great Gator football.

 

[GBHOR]

Spencer Rattler transfers to South Carolina: Former Sooners QB reunites with Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer

 

[gatorfan81]

Some of you guys need to take off your Kiffin glasses and realize we got one of the best coaches he's pulling elite recruiters and he's recruiting and building an infrastructure that will guarantee we are successful. If kids don't want to work hard and be champions that's on them. But I guarantee they will be trying to transfer in when they see our grass is truly greener.

 

[RiverRat]

My time window is closing quickly.

Give me a break

 

[YLGator]

So far so good. Loving the scorched earth approach. This year's class is irrelevant.

 

[oxrageous]

So far so good. Loving the scorched earth approach. This year's class is irrelevant.

Bingo. I even want the janitor who cleaned Mullen's office out on his ass, too. It's not personal; they have a disease and have to be excised. Mullen was the ultimate "super spreader".