Geo's LifeWallet Sport Recruiting Buzz Twitter Space July 7, 2023

[bobbydigius]

So basically it’s Odom and J Jackson announcing soon, anyone else?

 

[Jaxcane4]

Norvell has been at FSU 3 seasons. This his is 4th. He had 2 losing seasons and a ok one winning 10 games with a bowl game. If u can be here saying that strategy is proven now, man shouldn't be arguing with you at this point. Everyone already seen that uan bipolar. Let them drop 2 early games and yall tunes will change again

Hopefully no one thinks they are playoff bound but I would be surprised if they don't make the ACC championship game. Its still to early to say anything is proven and I think longterm its not how you win a championship but at the same time I'm sure we all would be happy if we made the ACC championship by year 3 or 4.

 

[NorthEastCane]

Right. And there is more than one way to build a roster. FSU built through the portal, then doubled down on it with Travis back and looking to make a run after a top 10 finish. What they lack in HS recruiting, they’re trying to make up for in portal raiding, likely thinking if they win, HS will improve.

We were told trust the process, wins don’t matter, and now we are being told wins matter.

So…. Let’s ******* win…

No one ever said wins don't matter. They said, looking at the state of the roster and the culture, don't expect a quick fix. The way last year played out created a lot of recruiting headwinds the staff has to deal with. And it doesn't matter if much was self-inflicted, it matters how it's addressed.

 

[JgDaCane]

Minaya is a take 7 days a week. Russell is less of a take for me.

 

[CanefaninBuckeyeland]

Minaya is a take 7 days a week. Russell is less of a take for me.

I know the staff is saying all the right things as it relates to Russell, but I think his take was more of a strategic move to keep the pipeline flowing with some of the local high schools. At least that's how I took it.

 

[Damiencane86]

Right. And there is more than one way to build a roster. FSU built through the portal, then doubled down on it with Travis back and looking to make a run after a top 10 finish. What they lack in HS recruiting, they’re trying to make up for in portal raiding, likely thinking if they win, HS will improve.

We were told trust the process, wins don’t matter, and now we are being told wins matter.

So…. Let’s ******* win…

When did anyone say wins don't matter as it relatedto last season ? And if FSU takes a step back this year will their portal strategy still be as lauded ?

 

[bobbydigius]

Minaya is a take 7 days a week. Russell is less of a take for me.

I don’t like either and I don’t like Judd if he is QB1. The rest of the takes outside of Chance, Lightfoot, Pruitt and Riley are solid prospects.

 

[Page305]

No its makes sense. If say u have Miami, Ohio then Michigan, if the mom says eliminate the schools that are far away. Then u end up with Ohio and Michigan. Is that what happened? Who knows. Take everything with a grain of salt.

I get that... But what I'm trying to say is... The Mom absolutely knew before the visit how far Miami was. She didn't want her son far away from the jump. Maybe she informed the staff and Mario still tried to win her over. I guess I can't complain about that.

 

[bobbydigius]

I get that... But what I'm trying to say is... The Mom absolutely knew before the visit how far Miami was. She didn't want her son far away from the jump. Maybe she informed the staff and Mario still tried to win her over. I guess I can't complain about that.

Very possible she thought her son wasn’t going to actually choose Miami. She didn’t want to say no and hoped he would choose a different school on his own. Then the OV comes which was preceded by multiple UVs, the staff knocks it out the park and are ready to close and reality hits her, she steps in now or never.

 

[Lance Roffers]

I think your "15-25" take is critical and oft overlooked.

Fortifying the lower layers with B and B+ caliber players will help the As and boost the team's performance in much greater ways than Cs will.

They'll be better positioned to get that "margin" play, that stop on 3rd and 2 when a C allows a full 2yd gain. That block on O for .5 secs longer that springs the RB to make the 3rd and 2. The extra 1 yd after the catch where a C drops it, or gets stopped in his tracks.

Miami has been forever now always those margins away from Ws.

++

 

[CaneBear0207]

I'm lost without some of the first names. Which Jackson? Who's CB Mitchell?

 

[Lance Roffers]

Minaya is a take 7 days a week. Russell is less of a take for me.

Allow me to explain my stance (which is totally cool to disagree with of course):

Russell is a versatile player (7T SSDE/5T,4i,3T) who is already a bull. I'm a succor for an edge-setting SSDE who can hold up inside as well. He has actual tape spilling a run vs. a puller, actual tape holding up a gap and a half technique, actual tape with a long-arm controlling a T and coming off for a tackle. He has actual tape with eyes seeing the ball on fakes (rather than blindly chasing the ball fake). He has legitimate production against very good competition at a school important to recruiting.

Add to it the fact that more than half of sacks come off of motor (just simply chasing and playing hard the entire play) rather than speed or straight beating an OL and I like him fine. I cannot speak to his character, but that came up immediately when I spoke to someone who does have an opinion on his character.

Players that surpass their measurables almost always do so because of play character and work ethic.

Minaya, I get the appeal. He's a straight butt-kicker. It's difficult to be consistent in your words 100% of the time because you could find me saying in the past that the #1 thing I want to see from any OL is domination of HS players in 1-on-1 plays. Minaya has that and Plazz doesn't really have that on tape.

The difference for me is that Minaya does not have the feet or movement skills I'd prefer, personally. I spoke in an earlier post about looking for traits that move success percentage from 30% to 35% etc. and one of them for OL that my research has found is movement skills in the short shuttle. Plazz has that on tape, whereas Minaya does not.

I view Minaya as a lower probability player, with Plazz and Russell a tick higher percentiles of positive outcomes and that's where I make my evaluation decision.

As everyone knows, I get some wrong (I'd be rich if I didn't). Let's hope I'm wrong on Minaya and you and others can give me a hard time about it in a few years.

 

[Lance Roffers]

I'm lost without some of the last names. Which Kackson? Who's CB Mitchell?

Jayden Jackson is a NT from IMG Academy. He's deciding soon between Texas and Miami. That oil money has been flashed to him.

Kendall Jackson is a 3T from the Gainesville area. Lesser rated by recruiting sites, but probably higher rated by the staff in all honesty, but they play different spots. Staff really likes him, but as a 3T he's a less rare body type and position to fill.

Jon Mitchell is a CB from the Jacksonville area. He goes to Mandarin, which is the HS that Plazz just transferred to. Miami is trying to make in-roads into Jacksonville after struggling in that area for years. He's a slot type CB (called Star by Guidry). Fast, shifty, feisty type player. Penn State and Northwestern are competition, though Northwestern is probably falling off after current events. Yikes.

 

[JgDaCane]

Allow me to explain my stance (which is totally cool to disagree with of course):

Russell is a versatile player (7T SSDE/5T,4i,3T) who is already a bull. I'm a succor for an edge-setting SSDE who can hold up inside as well. He has actual tape spilling a run vs. a puller, actual tape holding up a gap and a half technique, actual tape with a long-arm controlling a T and coming off for a tackle. He has actual tape with eyes seeing the ball on fakes (rather than blindly chasing the ball fake). He has legitimate production against very good competition at a school important to recruiting.

Add to it the fact that more than half of sacks come off of motor (just simply chasing and playing hard the entire play) rather than speed or straight beating an OL and I like him fine. I cannot speak to his character, but that came up immediately when I spoke to someone who does have an opinion on his character.

Players that surpass their measurables almost always do so because of play character and work ethic.

Minaya, I get the appeal. He's a straight butt-kicker. It's difficult to be consistent in your words 100% of the time because you could find me saying in the past that the #1 thing I want to see from any OL is domination of HS players in 1-on-1 plays. Minaya has that and Plazz doesn't really have that on tape.

The difference for me is that Minaya does not have the feet or movement skills I'd prefer, personally. I spoke in an earlier post about looking for traits that move success percentage from 30% to 35% etc. and one of them for OL that my research has found is movement skills in the short shuttle. Plazz has that on tape, whereas Minaya does not.

I view Minaya as a lower probability player, with Plazz and Russell a tick higher percentiles of positive outcomes and that's where I make my evaluation decision.

As everyone knows, I get some wrong (I'd be rich if I didn't). Let's hope I'm wrong on Minaya and you and others can give me a hard time about it in a few years.

I'd never give you a hard time Lance. I respect what you have to say. I'm just a sucker for a mauler from the Northeast. I think Minaya has a real toughness to him that stood out to me on tape. Footwork & quicks can be improved. Size & toughness. Not so much. I'm not saying I'm sky high on him bc I do see what you see on him. I just think theres lots to work with.

 

[CaneBear0207]

Jayden Jackson is a NT from IMG Academy. He's deciding soon between Texas and Miami. That oil money has been flashed to him.

Kendall Jackson is a 3T from the Gainesville area. Lesser rated by recruiting sites, but probably higher rated by the staff in all honesty, but they play different spots. Staff really likes him, but as a 3T he's a less rare body type and position to fill.

Jon Mitchell is a CB from the Jacksonville area. He goes to Mandarin, which is the HS that Plazz just transferred to. Miami is trying to make in-roads into Jacksonville after struggling in that area for years. He's a slot type CB (called Star by Guidry). Fast, shifty, feisty type player. Penn State and Northwestern are competition, though Northwestern is probably falling off after current events. Yikes.

Do you think there's any traction with Jon Mitchell?

 

[Angry Ibis]

Just pointing out the inconsistency of some tharlt criticize every 3 star takes while at the same time praising Semenhole Prison Mike for his 3 star takes. Others are like consistent are I can respect that.

The inconsistency goes both ways and if anything the lack of consistency here since Mario walked in the door has been one of my main points of contention.

 

[Angry Ibis]

No one ever said wins don't matter. They said, looking at the state of the roster and the culture, don't expect a quick fix. The way last year played out created a lot of recruiting headwinds the staff has to deal with. And it doesn't matter if much was self-inflicted, it matters how it's addressed.

There were absolutely some saying Mario would hit either way. They’ve changed their tune now seeing the environment and head winds.

 

[WeBallinBoyz]

Allow me to explain my stance (which is totally cool to disagree with of course):

Russell is a versatile player (7T SSDE/5T,4i,3T) who is already a bull. I'm a succor for an edge-setting SSDE who can hold up inside as well. He has actual tape spilling a run vs. a puller, actual tape holding up a gap and a half technique, actual tape with a long-arm controlling a T and coming off for a tackle. He has actual tape with eyes seeing the ball on fakes (rather than blindly chasing the ball fake). He has legitimate production against very good competition at a school important to recruiting.

Add to it the fact that more than half of sacks come off of motor (just simply chasing and playing hard the entire play) rather than speed or straight beating an OL and I like him fine. I cannot speak to his character, but that came up immediately when I spoke to someone who does have an opinion on his character.

Players that surpass their measurables almost always do so because of play character and work ethic.

Minaya, I get the appeal. He's a straight butt-kicker. It's difficult to be consistent in your words 100% of the time because you could find me saying in the past that the #1 thing I want to see from any OL is domination of HS players in 1-on-1 plays. Minaya has that and Plazz doesn't really have that on tape.

The difference for me is that Minaya does not have the feet or movement skills I'd prefer, personally. I spoke in an earlier post about looking for traits that move success percentage from 30% to 35% etc. and one of them for OL that my research has found is movement skills in the short shuttle. Plazz has that on tape, whereas Minaya does not.

I view Minaya as a lower probability player, with Plazz and Russell a tick higher percentiles of positive outcomes and that's where I make my evaluation decision.

As everyone knows, I get some wrong (I'd be rich if I didn't). Let's hope I'm wrong on Minaya and you and others can give me a hard time about it in a few years.

Great breakdown, appreciated reading that. I’m a anti-Russell guy myself given the plethora of national talent readily available across the D-line, of which Miami is supposedly in it for a sizable portion of…but it’s not like I’m actively rooting against him. Offer list is extremely lackluster as well, and I’d attribute it to his size. Hopefully you and the staff are correct, we all should hope so as Canes fans.

Like you said, Minaya and Plazz both have traits that are intriguing, and lack in other departments. Their ratings are relatively fair, and probably will remain in that mid 3-star range. Won’t question Mario and Mirabal’s takes until there’s a valid reason to, so I’m curious as to how they come along after getting acclimated to college ball (Plazz in particular starting with high school coaching).

I’m in the minority here but I’m also not a huge Dylan Day fan and would much rather have Mincey and Patterson as the safety takes. Given how meh the depth is in the secondary, we’re not in a position to tell a top 150 prospect that he can’t play corner, even though he projects better at safety. I know Day is assumed to be destined for the nickel spot, but eh…curious to see how his senior season goes and improvements he makes. And I understand the school he plays at is great to plant seeds for future guys.

 

[Angry Ibis]

When did anyone say wins don't matter as it relatedto last season ? And if FSU takes a step back this year will their portal strategy still be as lauded ?

Every team should be evaluated as they go.

Why wouldn’t FSU?

 

[JHallCanes]

1. With Zo in place, they’ve started running it more like a pro room. What I mean by that is they’ve emphasized eyes on players and talking with them in person.

Having to “look” the part is becoming more important than under previous staffs.

2. For the most part, I subscribe to the wisdom of the crowd as being true. Marketplaces- in aggregate- tend to outperform single entities in the long run. Several books have been written on it.

So, with that, my point is that overall, Miami isn’t going to beat the market SOLELY by trying to be smarter. Simply put, you need dudes. Dudes who have that vividness that your grandma could evaluate them. Watch Francis Mauigoa move at his size for an example.

Where you CAN beat the market is in single, individual pockets. The players 15-25 in your class. Emphasize edges, players who have traits that have proven to be 35% successful vs. 30% for their neighbors etc.

When I evaluate a Miami class (all I can do is speak for myself through my eyes), I would often say that “he would not be a take for me” on at least the bottom five players. Sometimes more.

Last year I had zero players I said wouldn’t be a take for me. This year I have one (Juan Minaya, but I acknowledge there is a dearth of tackles in 2023).

Winning against like-minded peers is all about finding edges. Variance will come into play and there’s nothing you can do about it, but having sound process in place might result in one extra key player per class than your competitors without that process. This might not sound like a lot, but can be a razor margin that builds on itself over time.

To finally answer: I think there is evidence to suggest this staff will evaluate better than recruiting sites will (beating the market). Keep in mind recruiting sites utilize offers to shape their rankings more than they do film, which means you are evaluating better than your peers if you’re beating the market.

As far as development goes, I’m not sure I can say I have much evidence that they develop better than their peers. I DO think there is evidence they can develop better than their predecessors. You saw several players take massive steps forward under the staff last year without too many steps back.

Amazing post

Only thing I’ll add (not that anything needs added) is this is my long term hope with our recruiting. We can’t let dudes in our backyard get away. Not talking the 5 star elite kids that everyone wants, but the ones that we’ve missed because we’ve lacked the resources and effort to put in the work and find these kids.

We will always be able to land some dudes but we just gotta be better at making up for our lack of overall recruiting power by doing a better job in house. It will balance out the NIL and these bloodbath recruiting wars we are in with the elites. Mario is already doing a good job here I think.