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Post by mavsman53 on Jan 24, 2021 16:36:18 GMT -6
DE Zion Granville commits to Illinois St
K Collin Kieschnick commits to UIW
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Post by bogeyman on Jan 24, 2021 19:25:38 GMT -6
Just wondering if our new WAC affiliation is a new point in recruitment? I'd think there would be extra interest generated since the "brand" is such a known positive. Has intetest picked up?
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Post by rc on Jan 24, 2021 19:31:23 GMT -6
Great question and hopefully one of the reasons we moved to the WAC I would think (one of several.) I would enjoy any feedback from anyone who knows if this has shown up as an incentive in recruitment. I see the posts about athletes choosing other schools (quite often schools I have known quite a bit about) and I am a bit puzzled. Maybe their mom or dad graduated from there.
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Post by mavsman53 on Jan 24, 2021 20:02:13 GMT -6
I don't think that we can know that, honestly. Listen, we were a bad 1-5 football team this year. Here is the best example I can give. Kansas is in the Big 12, yet they are terrible at football. So they will get some solid recruits each year, but regardless, most years they are at or near the bottom of that league.
Recruiting often comes down to building relationships with players. It also comes down to fit. We must remember we are a Christian university. For some players, that isn't what they want to be a part of. Rarely does it have to do with a family member going to that school.
I was telling Jamin earlier today, I really like how ACU has set up recruiting. Coach Bacarrini is now recruiting the majority of offensive players. Coach Williams is recruiting most of the defensive player. At the same time, Coach Curlee is looking at the transfer portal. Grad Assistant Kleiman is looking at the 2022 class. It doesn't mean that other coaches aren't recruiting, but now there is a set plan.
All that to say, until we start winning, it is going to be challenging to beat out SFA, Sam, Lamar and others for recruits. Yes, we will win some from time to time, but at the moment it is an uphill climb.
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Post by wildcatter on Jan 24, 2021 20:05:12 GMT -6
Well the staff probably doesn’t have past this season guaranteed so they better coach up what they have pretty darn hard or else I’d expect the powers that be find something to energize this WAC move.
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Post by mavsman53 on Jan 24, 2021 20:40:30 GMT -6
Wildcatter, I agree. It doesn't necessarily have to be a winning season, but if it is anything like 2020 changes will be made
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Post by rc on Jan 24, 2021 20:43:48 GMT -6
I don't think that we can know that, honestly. Listen, we were a bad 1-5 football team this year. Here is the best example I can give. Kansas is in the Big 12, yet they are terrible at football. So they will get some solid recruits each year, but regardless, most years they are at or near the bottom of that league. Recruiting often comes down to building relationships with players. It also comes down to fit. We must remember we are a Christian university. For some players, that isn't what they want to be a part of. Rarely does it have to do with a family member going to that school. I was telling Jamin earlier today, I really like how ACU has set up recruiting. Coach Bacarrini is now recruiting the majority of offensive players. Coach Williams is recruiting most of the defensive player. At the same time, Coach Curlee is looking at the transfer portal. Grad Assistant Kleiman is looking at the 2022 class. It doesn't mean that other coaches aren't recruiting, but now there is a set plan. All that to say, until we start winning, it is going to be challenging to beat out SFA, Sam, Lamar and others for recruits. Yes, we will win some from time to time, but at the moment it is an uphill climb. I agree with you. The comment about a mom or dad was a bit of a joke. Our won-loss record surely makes recruiting difficult. We will get some recruits due to our Christian heritage but if there is not a clear vision or path to show how coming to ACU is going to lead to an enjoyable and winning experience, then there are other choices. I like what you shared about the assigned responsibility of coaches, that sounds like an improvement. I always thought recruiting was more than half of most winning teams. My point is selling the value of the college athletic experience including the post graduation value of one's education should put us in a great position. Admittedly I know mostly about the scientific, pre-medical, and engineering/technical fields, but these are outstanding at ACU. In my opinion we do not have a peer in the Southland but maybe NMSU is a contender in the WAC due to its links to Los Alamos and being a state's STEM-type university. But I know there are outstanding athletes who choose the fields I am talking about. The odds of becoming professional athletes are not that great but gaining credentials for a great career while playing sports at a competitive university should be a compelling and attractive story if the recruit has any desire to study such fields. I am biased of course because ACU can and does have some amazing programs and the Christian environment adds great value in my opinion. N.B. I wish Sydney Shelstead's story was better known. She was a really fine woman's basketball star, but when pursued and hired into the technical/engineering world, she is a super star. Her big employer has hired several more ACU students after learning what Sydney could do. Now they recruit ACU graduates (even pre-graduates) for talent just like our coaches recruit athletes for talent. |
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Post by mavsman53 on Jan 25, 2021 12:45:41 GMT -6
We are now 9 days away from signing day. The staff is trying to grab 1-3 transfers on the OL. If they succeed, these will be massive additions. Players can transfer in our out at anytime, so though it is possible a transfer or 2 could be announced next Wednesday, at the moment, there is nothing imminent to report....yet
As far as HS players, here are a few names to watch. This does NOT mean we will get commitments from all of them. Shoot, we might not get a commitment from any of them, but these appear to be the guys that have the most interest in ACU.
WR MJ Singleton-Whitfield from Lubbock Monterrey; 5'9, 170, has an ACU offer
WR Jaddai Henry, Hebron, 6'4, 192
OL Garrett Slider, Dawson, 6'4, 285
OL Hunter Smith, Rockwall Heath, 6'6, 300
CB Brian Mayes, Houston Heights, 6'0, 170, has an ACU offer
CB Nahamani Harris, San Antonio Corner Stone Christian, 6'2, 185, has an ACU offer
CB Shon Stephens, Bakersfield College, 6'0, 182, has an ACU offer
S Jack Patterson, Kerville Tivy, 6'2, 165, has an ACU offer
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Post by bogeyman on Jan 25, 2021 13:19:11 GMT -6
I know that it has been intimated that we are set at RB's but I continue to disagree. We need a big back, one that can take the wear and tear that college football gives out. Anthony Smith will help and Dobbins impressed last year but White is a question mark (health and willingness to take a hit). Walton may work himself into the line up and may not. Who is left--frankly, I've been impressed with Conrad Perry's energy--not sure why he doesn't see the field more often (is Conrad still with the team?), but 5 RB's at this level is just cutting things razor thin. Am I missing someone else? Do we have offers out to any others? Are we looking to the transfer portal for a back?
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Post by mavsman53 on Jan 25, 2021 20:12:03 GMT -6
OL Caedmon Carter, who had a PWO from ACU, commits to UMHB.
Fort Worth Christian CB Houston Buckner picks up a PWO. He is listed at 5'11, 180
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Post by jCat on Jan 25, 2021 21:20:20 GMT -6
I know that it has been intimated that we are set at RB's but I continue to disagree. We need a big back, one that can take the wear and tear that college football gives out. Anthony Smith will help and Dobbins impressed last year but White is a question mark (health and willingness to take a hit). Walton may work himself into the line up and may not. Who is left--frankly, I've been impressed with Conrad Perry's energy--not sure why he doesn't see the field more often (is Conrad still with the team?), but 5 RB's at this level is just cutting things razor thin. Am I missing someone else? Do we have offers out to any others? Are we looking to the transfer portal for a back? I do think our coaches have talked to some other backs in the transfer portal, but I think the current focus is around the offensive line. We have a lot to offer to these players, as we've already proven that lineman can transfer from ACU into strong division 1 programs. I truly hope some of these guys will step up to the challenge of becoming Wildcats. If they choose to come here, they'll be in a healthy, competitive environment and they'll face quality teams. If they transfer laterally to another FBS program they run the risk of getting lost in the shuffle, and many of those teams don't have the hard nosed desire to run the ball that ACU has. And the other huge disadvantage for players from Texas is they'll be far away out of state (in many cases far across the country). In this pandemic-crazed time, I'm not sure any parent welcomes the idea of their son being in a new place 1,000 miles from home, trying to work with new coaches, and settling in with new classes. Why not simplify things? |
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Post by mavsman53 on Jan 26, 2021 17:27:58 GMT -6
Pretty interesting commit from last night- QB Casen Olson from Waynoka, Oklahoma commits as a PWO. Olson is listed at 6'1, 180. Why is it interesting? Because he played 8-man football.
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Post by jaminthebody on Jan 26, 2021 17:57:38 GMT -6
Pretty interesting commit from last night- QB Casen Olson from Waynoka, Oklahoma commits as a PWO. Olson is listed at 6'1, 180. Why is it interesting? Because he played 8-man football. The Dallas Cowboys drafted a LB in the first round 3 years ago that played 8 man football. This could be a great addition. |
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Post by mavsman53 on Jan 26, 2021 18:33:12 GMT -6
Another PWO out to CB Logan Arnold from Austin Vandergift HS. Arnold is listed at 5'11, 175.
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Post by mavsman53 on Jan 26, 2021 19:33:07 GMT -6
S Brady Wolfe from Frienship HS receives a PWO. He is listed at 6'1, 188.
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