Final Thoughts on Signing Day
by BSD on Feb 4, 2009 3:11 PM EST
in Recruiting
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PrintIt wouldn't be signing day without drama. I didn't expect anyone to decommit and pull a shocker on us, and thankfully I wasn't disappointed. All 22 kids that had given verbal pledges stuck to their word, though a few of them took their sweet time in faxing in their letters which always causes some uneasiness. Especially when you're talking about kids that previously decommitted from other schools like Darrell Givens and Shawney Kersey. But everything went smoothly in locking up the kids we knew we had.
But there were obviously some disappointments. Getting Jim Noel would have been nice. He has a rare combination of size and speed that gives him the tools to be a physical shutdown corner. But we already have six defensive backs in this class so we're ok there. Jelani Jenkins chose Florida over Penn State. Disappointing, yes. But program crushing? No. You can't fault a kid for signing with the team that won two out of the last three national championships. And we're loaded with linebackers with Mike Hull already verbally committed for 2010 so we're ok there.
But the big news of the day was the late commitment from Delaware wide receiver Justin Brown. There were a lot of rumblings all morning that he was going to pull a last minute change of heart and go to Rutgers, but ultimately he went with the good guys. The 6'3" 210 lb Brown will make a fantastic addition to the Spread HD offense.
So overall it was a good class. Was it a top five recruiting class? Who knows? What makes a top five recruiting class? A bunch of stars handed out people who devote their lives to chasing down 17 year old kids for interviews and pictures? Whatever.
Ultimately Penn State addressed their needs which were quarterback, offensive line, wide receiver, and defensive backs. What really impresses me about this class is the versatility. They got a lot of kids they can move around and try at different positions like Derrick Thomas, Curtis Drake, and Nate Cadogen. In all we brought in 13 speed guys to make up the wide receivers and secondary. We brought in six guys to mix and match on the offensive line which was another significant need. We also landed one of the nation's top kickers to take over for Kevin Kelly.
Quarterback was a major need even before Pat Devlin decided to transfer. We landed a good one with Kevin Newsome, but if there is one complaint with this class it's that we didn't get another quarterback to give us some depth. Going into 2009 with only two scholarship quarterbacks, one of whom will be a true freshman, makes me nervous. I wish we could have brought in a second tier kid just to give us some depth. Getting two quarterbacks in 2010 will be essential. We already have one with Paul Jones having verballed.
I'm really excited to see what some of these guys can do. I think we'll see a lot of them on the field right away in 2009. Justin Brown, Curtis Drake, Devon Smith, Darrell Givens, Gerald Hodges, Kevin Newsome, Anthony Fera, Shawney Kersey, Sean Stanley, Stephon Morris, and Malcolm Willis all have an excellent chance to play right away. This is truly a great class that will ensure Penn State remains competitive in the Big Ten for years to come.
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Confuscius says again!
Confuscius says…
man who drops watch in toilet have sh*tty time…. but in this case WHOOO HOOO!
Just made my day! Note the following prediction by a famous analyst:
"three to fours years from now we will see Jelani Jenkins in the National Championship Game with the Gators going up against Penn State. I predict a nice stiff arm to the chops on All-American Jenkins by All-Big Ten PSU receiver Justin Brown after catching a slant route across the middle for a TD in the 4 QTR to win the game."
Concern about QB depth
This is the part where you post the goofy McGloin picture.
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it."
Our biggest recruit
Not letting LJ Sr. go
by celebritygrundel on Feb 4, 2009 3:20 PM EST reply actions
My only question
I wonder how the JayPa/JoePa haters are spinning this?
“ARRRRGHHH! WHY DO WE RECRUIT WHITE LINEBACKERS insted OF jENKINS? When have white linebackers ever been good at Penn State? WE NEED athletes!”
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it."
simple
how many of the top kids in PA went to PSU? How many of the top kids from NJ went to PSU? We used to clean up in the northeast, now we get the left overs….and yet we STILL get the few not rated or single star kids on scholarship every year.
Average class. We just fell another step behind the big boys. FAIL.
Nicely done
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it."
by ReadingRambler on Feb 4, 2009 4:50 PM EST up reply actions
I’m not agreeing but that is a valid argument assuming we definately “used to clean up the north east”
Via scout, which has been kinder to our recruits than rivals:
of the top 10 PA recruits in 2009, we got 2. Ohio State got 2, Pitt got 4, and Michigan and Wisconsin each got 1.
Now look at N top 10: We got 2, Notre Dame 3, Pitt 1, Cal 1, Mich Rutgers and Tennessee each 1.
Now look at Maryland: We got 1, Maryland 3, and the rest were spread 1 a piece between Ohio State, Miss, Stanford, WVU, Nebraska, and… uh… Florida…
Virginia is the same as Maryland: we get 1, the rest go to in-state and the “big boys”
Compare that to Ohio: 8 of the top 10 are Ohio State commits. Now they don’t have to compete in-state with another D-1A school, but it is what it is.
"We hugged as grown men do. It was a great moment. Then, it was business as usual." -- LJ Sr.
Right.
I think Ohio actually has the most D1A programs of any state. 8 if I remember correctly…not sure if I could name them all, should be good trivia for someone smarter than me.
Toledo, Akron, Miami, Cincy, Ohio State, Ohio, Bowling Green, Kent State,
by stonewall435 on Feb 4, 2009 10:58 PM EST up reply actions
No spin necessary
Joe doesn’t recruit. He is the head coach. That’s a problem. I like this class, but I can’t help but think it could be even better.
Thanks!!!
for keeping us up to date all day. It made it much easier to follow while at work!
GO STATE!
Can we get a siren for Brown?
I mean, I’m excited…
Okay. Just this once.
--
Mr. Bob Dobalina
by Run Up The Score on Feb 4, 2009 8:48 PM EST up reply actions
Justin Brown is a big, big deal
Hopefully he can learn plays quickly so he can be out there in Sept.
No offense to the other receiver corp, of course ;)
Thanks for the coverage guys
Just wondering, will you post a recap of your projected recruiting needs to what we actually brought in? Or did you do that prior to signing day?
Like the depth here
Reminds me of 2006 with that HUGE class of linemen. Even with attrition, HUB brawls and some Shanky McShankering, that class set up this season’s run. It’s looking the same way with WR and DB this year. There’ll be some attrition, but the depth and competition will pay dividends in a few years. I just hope next year LJ brings in a bunch of linemen since the ’06 ranks are thinning due to NFL departures.
Class is ranked 15th in ESPN and not ranked at all by Rivals... I smell a rat
by celebritygrundel on Feb 4, 2009 3:32 PM EST reply actions
Rivals
29th? Why is there such a disparity between Rivals and Scout with our class? I didn’t look too closely but I don’t think any other school has that big of a gap.
HA!
Rivals categorically hates Penn State. When the Big Ten comes up, it’s Ohio State, Michigan, and “who the fark cares”. Ohio State is projected every season to win the Big Ten.
This upcoming recruiting class I’m going to be doing a mini-study of how a commitment to PSU affects star ratings. It’s my hypothesis that Rivals intentionally drops our commit’s ratings once they verbal.
"We hugged as grown men do. It was a great moment. Then, it was business as usual." -- LJ Sr.
well they do technically win the Big 10 every year (even when they lose it)
that non-tiebreaker sucks… still pisses me off a bit
I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member
by TheMightyErik on Feb 4, 2009 5:12 PM EST up reply actions
I'm working on a spread sheet right now
With all of our incoming recruits, their info from scout and rivals, when they committed and who else recruited/offered schollies. I am just interested to see how it all pans out.
like I said, I’m interested in exposing some type of bias toward our players, but the difficulty will be in finding a control group with a similar sample size. I’m thinking Pitt would be excellent since we’re after the same recruits and in the same area. It will take some work but hopefully I can copy paste prospect rankings from the pages directly into spreadsheets.
"We hugged as grown men do. It was a great moment. Then, it was business as usual." -- LJ Sr.
After that article by Morelli?
Your surprised that rivals doesn’t even have us ranked? When the head of the PSU page of Rivals writes an attack article criticizing one of the best players to ever play for PSU, you can’t expect them to give our recruits any respect.
Scout ranks
us #9! top ten class
We are not normal...WE are Legends...We are PENN STATE!
by hawaiipennstatefan on Feb 4, 2009 3:34 PM EST reply actions
Jim Noel
"He has a rare combination of size and speed that gives him the tools to be a physical shutdown corner. "
Physical shutdown corner? I’m sorry, you’re going to have to explain what you mean by that. I thought corners were supposed to play 10 yards off the receiver.
WR corps
Brett Bracket 6-6
Derek Moye 6-5
Graham Zug 6-2
James McDonald 6-2
Chazzzz Powell 6-1
Justin Brown 6-3
Christian Kuntz 6-4
I understand now… DC wasn’t overthrowing his receivers, he was just practicing for 2009.
I don't suppose...
that somewhere in the Big Ten there’s a DB named ‘Fish’?
There is a tractor in the parking lot, West Virginia license EIEIO. Your lights are on.
Tall Kuntz sound(s) hot.
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it."
by ReadingRambler on Feb 4, 2009 3:41 PM EST up reply actions
Chastity Belt
potential problem – Christian Kuntz may be morally opposed to being open. Also potential for a joke about receiving in the slot. Here’s to lots of balls going to Kuntz.
Phew! I’m spent… I’m sure he’s used to the ribbing by now, and hopefully he understands we’ll all actually be rooting for him harder (maybe I’m NOT spent!) because of his name.
Welcome to the 117th dust-up between the Snortin' Swine of Springfield A&M and the Springfield University Nittany Tide!
Big, dirty Kuntz.
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it."
by ReadingRambler on Feb 4, 2009 3:42 PM EST up reply actions
"Our Kuntz...
is bigger than your [insert phallic name from opposing team]"
There is a tractor in the parking lot, West Virginia license EIEIO. Your lights are on.
Come to Penn Staaaaate!!!
Where you can come inside the biggest beaver, and see some Kuntz
by The JuggerNitt on Feb 4, 2009 3:48 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
WINNER!
…but shouldn’t it be ‘are belong to us’?
There is a tractor in the parking lot, West Virginia license EIEIO. Your lights are on.
I forgot what it was exactly
But it’s the spirit that counts!
by Mr. Rosewater on Feb 4, 2009 3:51 PM EST up reply actions
Well, technically
I think it should be ‘All your Kunt are belong to us’, but that’s just going too far.
There is a tractor in the parking lot, West Virginia license EIEIO. Your lights are on.
interesting graph
I guess it’s hard to say we don’t develop talent anymore
by celebritygrundel on Feb 4, 2009 3:54 PM EST reply actions
look
if this guy is gonna steal my idea and go back in time to write this article…well I’m just gonna have to ask for the keys to his time machine.
by The JuggerNitt on Feb 4, 2009 4:03 PM EST up reply actions
Recruiting rankings vs. performance chart
One thing stands out in this chart: USC, OSU, Texas, Florida are in a different class than the rest of the schools from 2005-2008. They consistently pull in the top recruits and they consistently perform well on the field. Penn State does very well with the recruits it gets (recruiting class rank averages 21st and the winning percentage ranks 9th). As great as it would be to be in the upper echelon, at least we’re not ND (recruit rank 9, winning % = worse than 40th) or Michigan (recruit class 3rd, winning % 38th).
I just have the feeling that we’re getting closer to getting those big name recruits to “come to Penn State”.
"The sea was angry that day, my friends." G. Costanza
well if you look at this year's class compared to last years
I’d have to proclaim that that commercial was a raving success!!!
by The JuggerNitt on Feb 5, 2009 1:38 PM EST up reply actions
Anyone
else absolutely disgusted by the lack of humility in some of these kids. I’m fine having the conference to announce, if i was a high profile athlete, I would enjoy this day. However, to talk smack, do the lame hat thing or simply act like you are already an all american senior is incredibly annoying. I am glad that this type of kid is rarely involved with PSU. There is a very sharp difference between being cocky and confident.
Again, I understand they are 16-18 years old, but I know that I understood the idea of class and humility by the time I was a high school senior.
Only one PSU player did that to my knowledge
5-star recruit Antonio Logan-el. As far as I’m concerned, what he did to the fans at the ESPN zone in Baltimore was deplorable. Last I heard he was kicked off the squad at i-aa Towson.
Here you go
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/27/AR2006012700081.html
On top of the things discussed in the article, he did an elaborate hat exercise where he pulled out the hats of potential schools and dropped them on the floor, then left Maryland and PSU on a table, only to pull on the PSU hat and hold a smiling pic of him and JoePa.
Side Note
Thanks for reminding me of another reason why ESPN is a simmering pot of liquid crap…the ESPN Zone chain of “sports bars”. My bachelor weekend was in Baltimore and a guy from work recommended my party catch this year’s Purdue game at the ESPN Zone.
You want a $12 burger that just came straight from the Bubba Burger box? How about an $8 Coors Light pisswater beer? You want an ungracious staff, constantly reminding you of the $10 per patron per hour spending requirement on game days between making wise ass remarks? You want a neck cramp from having your head turned to one side for the entirety of a football game because the tables you’re at are arranged perpendicular to one wall that contains all the TVs? Then by all means, check out ESPN Zone in Baltimore.
It’s like the assholes at ESPN caught wind that some PSU fans were coming and made sure they did everything they could to make it a lousy experience.
Luring recruits with my new "Posting HD" scheme since '08.
I went there for 15 minutes for a beer — the staff was rude, the place was poorly laid out, and above all it just dripped with “tourist trap”. We checked it out to watch a Ravens game and decided it would be a nightmare.
instead we found a nice bar in fells point 15 minutes away with staff that was extra-friendly, awesome food, cheap drinks, and very well laid out. We had a blast.
"We hugged as grown men do. It was a great moment. Then, it was business as usual." -- LJ Sr.
Too bad they didn't tell you about Hooters
less than a 5 min walk from there.
by Screen Name 20 on Feb 4, 2009 7:07 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah
That coworker’s opinion on anything has been null and void since that weekend. He’s lucky he didn’t get a neckpunch…from Zug.
Luring recruits with my new "Posting HD" scheme since '08.
Glory Days
Awesome bars in Baltimore area for sports watching. Like 20 different channels at a time and those speaker deals where you can tune into the game you want and listen.
JoePa in '09
I'll agree, I've been to the Glory Days in
Frederick and had a good experience.
pinkertonpark.com - you owe yerself a laugh.
OK. I'm washed out from all this.
But I saw a bit of interesting trivia as I scanned some of the sites…Ole Miss signed 37 kids! I don’t know what that means, only that really seams like an awful lot. Good night, Chet.
Trend
Seems to be a growing trend that a team signs well over the 25 schollie limit and unceremoniously cuts the upperclassmen that are buried on the depth chart or encourages them to transfer. There are two ways to look at it. One, the kid isn’t performing and isn’t working hard enough to deserve a scholarship. Or two, the program is pulling the rug out from under the kids that have lost their “new recruit smell” over the past few seasons in favor of the latest shiny bluechipper or project kid with upside. I kind of trend towards the last one.
The scholarship limits were put in place to keep teams from hogging all the recruits. It seems that some coaches are always looking for ways to bend the rules to get as many kids as they can.
Luring recruits with my new "Posting HD" scheme since '08.
Might take a while
and a lawsuit, but I think you will find that schools are going to be forced to honor scholarships for the entire time a kid is at that school (up to 5 years).
JoePa in '09
That
Will never happen. Athletic scholarships are awarded on a year-by-year basis to protect both the school and the kid.
For the school, it allows an out if the kid end up having legal issues, quitting, bad attitute, academic issues, etc… Athletics scholarships are almost always honored to the end if a career-ending injury occurs.
For the kid, it gives him a chance to leave if they want. Releases are granted all the time for kids that don’t like the school, the coaches, are homesick, whatever. If a school has to honor all four years of a scholarship, they have the leverage to not allow the kid to go anywhere without paying for it out of pocket. That wouldn’t be fair to the many kids using athletics as an avenue to get a degree they normally wouldn’t be able to afford.
haven't there been cases
where schools didn’t release a kid from scholarship? Maybe it is only in effect for a year or something? I recall Penn State not releasing the QB who went somehere in Florida for a year, and then was the QB at Temple.
As far as the other situations you point out, well there could still be a way to do it. The schools should be allowed to stop honoring a scholarship if a kid:
- has legal issues
- quits
- breaks a certain team rules a certain number of times
- academic issues
- etc
Sure, I’m sure some schools would start finding ways around those rules (ie making up absurd team rules that no one could possibly follow, and only being lenient to the guys you want to keep, etc), but there could then be ways to enforce “good faith”.
Aside from the annoying aspect of teams “hogging” all the recruits, there’s also the other aspect that this could potentially ruin a kid’s life if they can no longer afford college.
I’m all for cutting dead weight, but if a kid is working hard for the team, but just not performing up to the athletic standards you had hoped, that shouldn’t be a reason to cut him.
by The JuggerNitt on Feb 5, 2009 9:28 AM EST up reply actions
Stupid training
Stuck in training all day without a smart phone to be sneaky, I missed out on all the fun.
I’m happy with the class. I’m definitely more of a kool-aid drinker than a chicken little though. Next stop Blue-White Game (With Mens Bball detours for the rest of the B11 season, B11 tourney, and hopefully some dancing in March)
"I'm driven by greatness" - Derrick Williams
And now
we enter one of the driest spells during the entire CFB calendar. At least the basketball team is playing well enough that we might get a game or two in the tourney.
And then . . . Blue-White. Here’s hoping for a sunny, warm, spring day.
not really -
if you care about PSUers in the NFL, the Combine is next week.
Spring practice begins March 25th -
it will be Blue/White (and the NFL draft) before you know it -
Plus, as you mentioned, there’s that whole “basketbally bracket tournament” thing – not football, but it can be distracting/interesting.
Does he recuit?
Looking through the list of recruits and who recruited them, Jay Paterno’s name does not show up…is he not involved in recuiting?
I don't know?
Maybe his duties have changed in recent years, but I recall his name being next to many a recruit in years past. Heck, I think one of his official titles was “recruiting coordinator” or something like that.
by The JuggerNitt on Feb 5, 2009 9:30 AM EST up reply actions
Jay Recruits
The coaches have different territories they recruit. Jay recruits Ohio. And pulling a top level kid out of Ohio is like trying to pull a golf ball through a garden hose. Every Ohio kid dreams of playing for the Buckeyes. So Jay is not a strong recruiter to begin with, and then when you put him up against that he’s not going to get much done. About the only pipeline we have to Ohio is Cardinal Mooney High School which gave us players like Mike Zordich and Brandon Beachum.
Mike
Black Shoe Diaries
Does Jay suck as a recruiter because he
is Jay or does he suck becasue he has the impossible task of pulling kids out of Ohio?
Some of the stories from last year pointed to Jay not returning phone calls and missing appointments – directly responsible for Michael Shaw looking elsewhere.
pinkertonpark.com - you owe yerself a laugh.
Probably some of both
Maybe if we had someone like Larry Johnson recruiting in Ohio we could snag some of that talent, and then Tressel wouldn’t have a top five recruiting class every year.
The stories of Jay’s incompetence are legendary, which makes me think we’ve kind of written off Ohio in assigning it to him.
Mike
Black Shoe Diaries
Would any of these legendary stories happen to not be premium articles on Scout?
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it."
by ReadingRambler on Feb 5, 2009 2:07 PM EST up reply actions
not articles
but stuff disclosed in message boards
Mike
Black Shoe Diaries
by BSD on Feb 5, 2009 3:56 PM EST up reply actions
Qb from Canada
I’m ignorant. Who?
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it."
by ReadingRambler on Feb 5, 2009 9:59 AM EST up reply actions
Myles Gibbon
— QB Myles Gibbon (6-2, 190), Vanier-Montreal, Canada: He set a record for touchdown passes in a season in Canada’s AAA Football League. He and his father drove 27 hours one way to make the official visit here in Mobile.
--
Mr. Bob Dobalina
by Run Up The Score on Feb 5, 2009 10:04 AM EST up reply actions
But you've never heard of South Alabama!
Yes, that’s true. Their first season will be 2009. I know that Myles’ father was excited about his son learning from Les Koenning.
They seemed like very nice people, so we wish them the best.
--
Mr. Bob Dobalina
by Run Up The Score on Feb 5, 2009 10:08 AM EST up reply actions
More expansion? Sigh.
I also saw on the ESPN bottom line that Butch Davis was looking to start up an FBS football program at Texas-San Antonio.
One more QB signing would have been nice.
I'm all for more expansion
Only because it’ll eventually get so big they’ll have to subdivide again, and we can maybe get a manageable # of teams in the top tier
by The JuggerNitt on Feb 5, 2009 10:24 AM EST up reply actions
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