2012 4* WR Ricardo Louis signs with AU!

[Chaotic_zx 1,070]

Well I just came to see the meltdown. With Tubs at the helm, Auburn averaged #17 rated recruiting classes. Most of those never made it to school. One class or recruit will not kill Auburn. The OC hire is the most important thing. It needs to be a knockout hire regardless if we've ever heard of the person or not.

WDE my Auburn people. Calm down. Accept what you can't change and focus on the things you can. Support those that did stick with AU through this for those are the ones with great character.

[AUIH1 1,515]

Hiring the right OC is more important than any recruit we have on the board...there, I said it.  

^^This^^  We can win lot of games with we have if a right coordinator is hired...

The problem with this line of thinking is that it is assuming that whomever we hire as OC (or DC or RB coach etc) is so much better of a coach than our competition's that we can afford to not be competitive on the recruiting trail.  It is not reasonable to believe and frankly delusional to believe our coaching staff is head and shoulders above our competition in the SEC.  Us finishing out of the Top 10 while our competition is in the Top 5 is not being competitive on the recruiting trail and we cannot be consistently competitive if we recruit outside of the Top 10 while our main rivals are recruiting Top 5.  Unfortunately, that is reality.

Don't get me wrong.  It is more important that we hire a quality OC versus just making a hire just for the sake of hiring someone, but to dismiss falling behind in recruiting as no big deal is a mistake.

wde

I

but to dismiss falling behind in recruiting as no big deal is a mistake

^^ other than that what can we do right now by worrying over someone?

I certainly get what you are saying here because there is nothing we can do.  I am just saying that those who are quick to poo poo and indignantly say "All is Well and don't dare question Chizik" to those who have concerns (without being over the top with the sky is falling stuff) about the direction of recruiting or the program in the last 10-11 months may be whistling past the graveyard.  FWIW, I am not saying you are one of those posters, but there are several on this board and other boards.

wde

[keesler 5,961]

Well I say we don't hire an OC sense its not affecting recruiting

And you know this is why RL changed his commitment?   

Probably a part of it.  Also, a large part is that a former AU player is on the coaching staff at FSU and he has been known to hammer AU with negative recruiting.  Heck, RL said we "fired" Gus.  Where'd he get that from?

[auriptide 0]

I reported AUChristians but it looks like there are a lot of AU ppl following him (Zeke Pike, Caudle) as well as Bammers.

Regardless of affiliation, dude seems an idiot.

I think he is the same guy that had the fake Zeke Pike twitter page. All tweets sounded the same.

[kingofhill1 2]

One down class will most definately hurt big time. We have already lost a significant number of the ones we signed in 2010. If the 2012 class is not great we will be further behind the big boys.

[rockfordpi 91]

Good for him and good luck.  Hope he has the success he is hoping for.

I find it amusing that many of us get up in arms about someone "flipping" a commit when they have not signed any documentation committing them to anything.  I am more upset that I have not come up with the idea of tracking information of young athletes and report online what is happening with these prospective student athletes for money.

Being in sales, I get excited about getting a verbal agreement.  I also know that it doesn't mean a damn thing until I get a signed purchase order which will come on Feb. 1.  Until then, it's just all loud noise.

That being said, I am as addicted as everyone else to see what happens in the next hour.

Very good post. The NCAA needs to stop this circus and the NSD Circus, and all the people who profit it from it.

I wish they would make a rule that you could not offer a kid until XYZ date and then once offered, the kid could sign and it would be binding on both. However, I would give the recruit a 72 hour escape clause to back out after signing, but after he backs out, he can no longer sign with that school (that would eliminate high pressure tactics during on campus and in home visits)

Also, make the signing date back so far that schools would be taking a huge chance by offering guys before their senior season.

This whole "verbal commitment" thing needs to go away. There is no real reason for a recruit to make a public commitment prior to NSD, even if he is 100% sure where he is going. I mean the school can always back out on him, so all he is doing is obligating himself and putting his good name at risk for no real benefit to him. If he wants to commit, make a private commitment to the school.

Sorry, got off track, only wanted to say I agree with au1n04 above.

Actually the way it is set up with signed LOI starting on NSD, or starting classes in January, does that.  They just need to do away with the verbal commitment and the recruiting services, that is what makes a circus out of it.

The thing is, we have let ESPN and the recruiting people create, for their own advantage, the impression that NSD is some kind of deadline,  like it is THE DAY you must sign or the last day you can sign instead of it simply being the FIRST day you can sign a LOI.

By pushing NSD way back, it would do away with all the verbal commit business, if a guy is ready to commit and a college is ready to commit, then they both can go ahead and sign. No more RL or TJY situations and no more Justin Taylor situations.

[pologuy24 0]

I reported AUChristians but it looks like there are a lot of AU ppl following him (Zeke Pike, Caudle) as well as Bammers.

Regardless of affiliation, dude seems an idiot.

I think he is the same guy that had the fake Zeke Pike twitter page. All tweets sounded the same.

Yup.. I reported that one to twitter and it disappeared a couple of days later!

[keesler 5,961]

Good for him and good luck.  Hope he has the success he is hoping for.

I find it amusing that many of us get up in arms about someone "flipping" a commit when they have not signed any documentation committing them to anything.  I am more upset that I have not come up with the idea of tracking information of young athletes and report online what is happening with these prospective student athletes for money.

Being in sales, I get excited about getting a verbal agreement.  I also know that it doesn't mean a damn thing until I get a signed purchase order which will come on Feb. 1.  Until then, it's just all loud noise.

That being said, I am as addicted as everyone else to see what happens in the next hour.

Very good post. The NCAA needs to stop this circus and the NSD Circus, and all the people who profit it from it.

I wish they would make a rule that you could not offer a kid until XYZ date and then once offered, the kid could sign and it would be binding on both. However, I would give the recruit a 72 hour escape clause to back out after signing, but after he backs out, he can no longer sign with that school (that would eliminate high pressure tactics during on campus and in home visits)

Also, make the signing date back so far that schools would be taking a huge chance by offering guys before their senior season.

This whole "verbal commitment" thing needs to go away. There is no real reason for a recruit to make a public commitment prior to NSD, even if he is 100% sure where he is going. I mean the school can always back out on him, so all he is doing is obligating himself and putting his good name at risk for no real benefit to him. If he wants to commit, make a private commitment to the school.

Sorry, got off track, only wanted to say I agree with au1n04 above.

Actually the way it is set up with signed LOI starting on NSD, or starting classes in January, does that.  They just need to do away with the verbal commitment and the recruiting services, that is what makes a circus out of it.

Pray tell, just who do you think is going to get rid of the recruiting services?  They make millions of dollars because of the circus they've created.  They've established a niche that rabid football fans love (myself included.)

[keesler 5,961]

Good for him and good luck.  Hope he has the success he is hoping for.

I find it amusing that many of us get up in arms about someone "flipping" a commit when they have not signed any documentation committing them to anything.  I am more upset that I have not come up with the idea of tracking information of young athletes and report online what is happening with these prospective student athletes for money.

Being in sales, I get excited about getting a verbal agreement.  I also know that it doesn't mean a damn thing until I get a signed purchase order which will come on Feb. 1.  Until then, it's just all loud noise.

That being said, I am as addicted as everyone else to see what happens in the next hour.

Very good post. The NCAA needs to stop this circus and the NSD Circus, and all the people who profit it from it.

I wish they would make a rule that you could not offer a kid until XYZ date and then once offered, the kid could sign and it would be binding on both. However, I would give the recruit a 72 hour escape clause to back out after signing, but after he backs out, he can no longer sign with that school (that would eliminate high pressure tactics during on campus and in home visits)

Also, make the signing date back so far that schools would be taking a huge chance by offering guys before their senior season.

This whole "verbal commitment" thing needs to go away. There is no real reason for a recruit to make a public commitment prior to NSD, even if he is 100% sure where he is going. I mean the school can always back out on him, so all he is doing is obligating himself and putting his good name at risk for no real benefit to him. If he wants to commit, make a private commitment to the school.

Sorry, got off track, only wanted to say I agree with au1n04 above.

Actually the way it is set up with signed LOI starting on NSD, or starting classes in January, does that.  They just need to do away with the verbal commitment and the recruiting services, that is what makes a circus out of it.

The thing is, we have let ESPN and the recruiting people create, for their own advantage, the impression that NSD is some kind of deadline,  like it is THE DAY you must sign or the last day you can sign instead of it simply being the FIRST day you can sign a LOI.

By pushing NSD way back, it would do away with all the verbal commit business, if a guy is ready to commit and a college is ready to commit, then they both can go ahead and sign. No more RL or TJY situations and no more Justin Taylor situations.

ESPN and the recruiting services have given us what we wanted.  They've basically extended the college football season for us by making a huge deal out of recruiting. 

Just think how dead it gets around here when NSD is over.  we have nothing to do but wait for spring practice to start, then the dog days of summer. :'(

[DyeCampAlum 335]

Diggs. 

Wishful thinking, on good authority, or an explanation for what's just happened?

[DyeCampAlum 335]

Meanwhile, Scout just bumped us to #19.

[dpwspringer 0]

Pray tell, just who do you think is going to get rid of the recruiting services?  They make millions of dollars because of the circus they've created.  They've established a niche that rabid football fans love (myself included.)

The NCAA could, they could very easily end announcements of verbal commitments and they could do a lot of other things.  Right now, colleges cannot talk about hs players they are recruiting-- why couldn't they do the same thing with the recruits?  

I thought they did something along those lines with college recruiters and the recruiting services last year?

[AEAugirl 9,649]

I asked the other day if things with Diggs and Patterson were affecting Louis's decision, and I wonder if that could be the case.  Some players look at depth and competition at their position and weigh that heavily. 

[ArmchairAthlete7 21]

Meanwhile, Scout just bumped us to #19.

Probably because we have 15 commits. Rankings are useless untill everyone has signed. But scout has the worst player rankings of all the sites so I wouldn't look into theirs anyway.

[au1n04 0]

The National Cash Accumulation Association as well as Every Stupid Penny Now set of networks would never do anything to limit interest in the mighty dollar.

[AuburnTiger10 0]

I asked the other day if things with Diggs and Patterson were affecting Louis's decision, and I wonder if that could be the case.  Some players look at depth and competition at their position and weigh that heavily. 

When did Diggs and Patterson commit to us?  I must have missed that.

[DyeCampAlum 335]

Meanwhile, Scout just bumped us to #19.

Probably because we have 15 commits. Rankings are useless untill everyone has signed. But scout has the worst player rankings of all the sites so I wouldn't look into theirs anyway.

We weren't at #19 in December.

[JuniorAU 0]

I asked the other day if things with Diggs and Patterson were affecting Louis's decision, and I wonder if that could be the case.  Some players look at depth and competition at their position and weigh that heavily. 

When did Diggs and Patterson commit to us?  I must have missed that.

She didn't say that.

[NCTiger 0]

Hope we give FSU some payback as we finish out our class. If we are going to close strong we can't lose guys like this and or replace guys like this with a 3*.

War Eagle !

[ArmchairAthlete7 21]

Meanwhile, Scout just bumped us to #19.

Probably because we have 15 commits. Rankings are useless untill everyone has signed. But scout has the worst player rankings of all the sites so I wouldn't look into theirs anyway.

We weren't at #19 in December.

Because everyone else had around the same numbers we did. Now most schools have almost finished their classes and have 20+ recruits.

[Budapesttiger 2]

Meanwhile, Scout just bumped us to #19.

Hey Dye, We are not picked in any of the very early polls for next year either. I bet we don't stay that way. When some of the big cats we're after come home on NSD we'll be right back up there. No sweat.

[LP 23 0]

I wish him well. We got some big fish we need to get in our tank.

[AuburnTiger10 0]

I asked the other day if things with Diggs and Patterson were affecting Louis's decision, and I wonder if that could be the case.  Some players look at depth and competition at their position and weigh that heavily. 

When did Diggs and Patterson commit to us?  I must have missed that.

She didn't say that.

I was implying that depth can't be a factor if the players creating that depth haven't even committed.

[DyeCampAlum 335]

Because losing Yeldon and Louis didn't hurt us at all in those rankings.

By the way, guys, was just watching ESPN recruiting chat.  No love for us on Goldman, Diggs, or Patterson.  Saying we're in the race for each, but favored in none.

[bwillaub 0]

Sheesh!  Pity Party at Bird's house after NSD!  I'll bring the crow for all you Negative Nancys!

Losing RL is a tough one if it turns out to really happen.  If we do "actually" lose him on NSD, I won't be crying or whining about it.  I'll be celebrating all the fine young men who choose to wear the Orange and Blue of the AUBURN TIGERS!