Stack When Abundant!

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Mar 15, 2013
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I know you have to recruit based on the numbers for any given position, but we should also stack talent at any position when there is a covey of talent available that year. For example OL next year in SoFL is loaded and so is LB. Stack up and cherry pick the next. Outside of maybe DL, no teams should have more talent stacked than the U because of our location, location, location!
 

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If you understand that it is a numbers game then stacking wouldn't make since. Ideally you want to have the correct numbers across the board. Then coach up what you got. Win with an older (mature) and veteran team. You do that then it won't matter when talent is high or low in your state because kids will see exactly what you will do with that talent.

"Stacking and Cherry Picking" is cool to say or write but hard to do if you don't win big consistently.
 
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Recruiting to Numbers can also get you in trouble... Miami is deep along both lines this year and next Barring Muhammed, Thomas and Willis leaving early...Same with the O-line ...so while you would like to take #'s at certain positions every year would you sacrifice taking a potential difference maker for a 5 year back-up just to keep your numbers...

Other than Southall at Dt Nobody left along both lines in this recruiting cycle, that have the potential to flip to Miami really stands out so do you take a guy just to put a peg on the board or do you roll the dice and take a skill position guy

Say if Wims and Davis want in who along the lines left do let one walk to take a marginal recruit that fills a need that you hope to coach up
 
[MENTION=13747]101bat[/MENTION] - We agree that recruiting by the numbers "CAN" also get you in trouble but this is often caused when you over recruit a particular position.

Now to answer your questions:

Should I sacrifice a potential difference maker for a 5 year backup just to keep the numbers? The short answer is "YES". If your numbers are correct across the board to include the right numbers per class then the loss of three lineman as you described would be ideal. Each kid should be recruited as a potential starter and after two years you should have a better idea of how much value they add to your team.

Do I take a guy just to put a peg on the board or do you roll the dice and take a skill position guy? "Yes" put the peg on the board with the best available player and coach him up. This is important because you can't just recruit your way to a championship at some point you will have to coach and your program as a whole will have to kick in and develope the young men into the stars that we want to see.

Do I take Wims and Davis or let one walk for a marginal recruit that fills a need that I hope to coach up? "Yes" I will take one and let the other walk. There is no guarantee either of them will do sh** at the next level. When you watch these films at the high school level the playing field is not equal. You really don't know what you got until they step on the field with their equals in size, speed, quickness etc...

There will be a hand full of guys at the college level that will get by with elite talent alone..... Everyone else will need to be taught technique, fundamentals of football, game prep and etc...
 
You always want to build depth and stacking classes isn't the way to do that. You don't pass up difference makers if they're available either though. So yes, there's some wiggle room there and the numbers will sort themselves out through the years with transfers and you also don't skip over positions because next year is loaded either.
 
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This. You always make sure you have room for a small handful of ELITE players, regardless of position, but never do you badly sacrifice depth or talent at any position by overloading say WR. If you have 4 WRs committed, and an ELITE player wants to come, you take him. If you need 3 WRs and you sign 7, it creates a problem elsewhere.
You always want to build depth and stacking classes isn't the way to do that. You don't pass up difference makers if they're available either though. So yes, there's some wiggle room there and the numbers will sort themselves out through the years with transfers and you also don't skip over positions because next year is loaded either.
 
Best thread title in a while.

I gotta put that quote up in the office for motivation.
 
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It works both ways. Ultimately you want balance and to fill needs, however if there is an extreme talent, you take him and make room, even if you don't need them. Never turn away top talent! In a perfect world you do both at the same time. I believe we start winning again, we will be able to do that without rarely leaving the immediate area.
 
[MENTION=13747]101bat[/MENTION] - We agree that recruiting by the numbers "CAN" also get you in trouble but this is often caused when you over recruit a particular position.

Now to answer your questions:

Should I sacrifice a potential difference maker for a 5 year backup just to keep the numbers? The short answer is "YES". If your numbers are correct across the board to include the right numbers per class then the loss of three lineman as you described would be ideal. Each kid should be recruited as a potential starter and after two years you should have a better idea of how much value they add to your team.

Do I take a guy just to put a peg on the board or do you roll the dice and take a skill position guy? "Yes" put the peg on the board with the best available player and coach him up. This is important because you can't just recruit your way to a championship at some point you will have to coach and your program as a whole will have to kick in and develope the young men into the stars that we want to see.

Do I take Wims and Davis or let one walk for a marginal recruit that fills a need that I hope to coach up? "Yes" I will take one and let the other walk. There is no guarantee either of them will do sh** at the next level. When you watch these films at the high school level the playing field is not equal. You really don't know what you got until they step on the field with their equals in size, speed, quickness etc...

There will be a hand full of guys at the college level that will get by with elite talent alone..... Everyone else will need to be taught technique, fundamentals of football, game prep and etc...



I agree with the best available if Butch Davis was doing the assessment or you have it rolling like Saban at Bama because his pond of best available is swimming with 4* physical talents
I trust coach Kool but along the O-Line and Searles I'm not sold I just don't want to take a marginal player just to have depth we need quality depth
 
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[MENTION=13747]101bat[/MENTION] - You have to trust that your coaches can evaluate talent. Then judge their evaluations by the kids that they try to bring in on OVs as options.

Now take the kid Latrell Williams for instance - before this staff was put together he was not a must get recruit for canes fans. Most people on this board was all in love with the most popular guys. This staff proved its competence in evaluating talent when it decided to recruit Latrell because they understand that they may miss on a couple of the top guys. When we all watched the film we were like **** he's not much of drop off (if any) from some of the guys that were wavering. You can bet your a** that those recruits that were wavering pulled up the hudle to see what our options looked like.

There is a ton of talent out there that will go to some of the weaker schools just because they never got recruited by a major program. As long as we have a coach that is not in love with just the top 10 guys and is willing to do the research on the next top 20, 30 or 40 players the a next available or so called "marginal player" is not as bad as it sounds.
 
[MENTION=13747]101bat[/MENTION] - You have to trust that your coaches can evaluate talent. Then judge their evaluations by the kids that they try to bring in on OVs as options.

Now take the kid Latrell Williams for instance - before this staff was put together he was not a must get recruit for canes fans. Most people on this board was all in love with the most popular guys. This staff proved its competence in evaluating talent when it decided to recruit Latrell because they understand that they may miss on a couple of the top guys. When we all watched the film we were like **** he's not much of drop off (if any) from some of the guys that were wavering. You can bet your a** that those recruits that were wavering pulled up the hudle to see what our options looked like.

There is a ton of talent out there that will go to some of the weaker schools just because they never got recruited by a major program. As long as we have a coach that is not in love with just the top 10 guys and is willing to do the research on the next top 20, 30 or 40 players the a next available or so called "marginal player" is not as bad as it sounds.

great post...

never understood how randy and goldens staff didnt understand the idea of having legit backup plans....not just some plan d guys...last minute offers.....countless s.fla guys they let roll because they just didmnt see the need to "recruit" and keep relationships open
 
[MENTION=1279]gogeta4[/MENTION] - Thanks.

To be fair to Randy I think the numbers were off on Cokers watch. As a result he had to play a lot of kids out of position and early due to over recruiting at other positions. When you can take a kid that played basketball and convince him that he can have a better professional career playing football after one year it shows you that he can evaluate talent and coach a player up.

IMO Golden didn't really buy into the Florida talent until the kitchen got too hot. When he did he seemed to just settle for the top guys and left himself open for the games at the end. When it was obvious that he wasn't getting those guys he wanted the research just wasn't there for a plan B or C guy nor the relationships.
 
[MENTION=10089]ThomasM[/MENTION] - I don't think you should slightly sacrifice depth either.

Using your example of 4 WR committed and an ELITE player wants to come:

If its a WR then I drop the 4th rated WR on my board in that class.

If its an ELITE player at another position other than WR then I'll drop the least rated player on my board at that position in that class.

If its an ELITE player and I have a position available because of a player transfer, injury, grades or under performance at that position of a prior class then I'll take him.

You accumulate ELITE talent by subtracting less talent or under achieving players at that position. Therefore, maximizing your available scholarship players that can play. To not do that is a waste of scholarships that will never get on the field.
 
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