The Official 2009 Football Recruiting Thread

[spartans17]

Great start to this recruiting class so far. Two top 10 instate prospects already committed, with 2 or 3 more as legit possibilities. If Dantonio could pull in Caper, Maxwell and Benton I'd be very impressed.

[pxalpha97]

I like the fact that Coach has not stopped recruiting, even though the 2008 class is wrapped up, he's already off to a great start for the 2009 class. Talk about commitment to building a program, 2 top in-state recruits and counting.

[Ocho Cinco]

Originally Posted by spartans17

Great start to this recruiting class so far. Two top 10 instate prospects already committed, with 2 or 3 more as legit possibilities. If Dantonio could pull in Caper, Maxwell and Benton I'd be very impressed.

Originally Posted by pxalpha97

I like the fact that Coach has not stopped recruiting, even though the 2008 class is wrapped up, he's already off to a great start for the 2009 class. Talk about commitment to building a program, 2 top in-state recruits and counting.

QFT

If we can have a 7+ win year this season, I think '09 will end up being a great class.

['86]

Originally Posted by Robbub

Someone else said it best - topic for a Michigan board... in case you haven't noticed the little Spartan helmets, this *is* a MSU board.

If you want to start a topic about that, go for it. I'm not going to clutter up MSU's 2009 Recruiting message board talking about UM's playstyle, coaches, etc.

By next fall this thing will be a terrible, cluttered mess. That's why this forum is good, threads for every player of interest. What's so bad about a slight digression regarding Michigan recruiting? Both of the Michigan posters are basically good guys, from what I've seen. A little talk back and forth between the two schools is helpful, for it is they we are competing against for these in-state kids. I think it's interesting, because our success recruiting against them is one of the better gauges of how we are doing. Actually, the in-state recruiting war is one of the better aspects of the whole recruiting drama- far better than all the talk about the last few mega-star holdouts waiting until five coaches visit their homes one last time the week before signing day so they can hold a press conference with the local TV news on hand when they reveal to all the world which lucky school will have the great honor of giving them a free education in return for their services...

Yeah, I'm more interested in who we try to take away from UM and vice versa, etc., etc.

[ERR]

Originally Posted by pxalpha97

I like the fact that Coach has not stopped recruiting, even though the 2008 class is wrapped up, he's already off to a great start for the 2009 class. Talk about commitment to building a program, 2 top in-state recruits and counting.

Even though I think it is safe to say that most of us were a little disappointed with the 2008 class, I still like the way Dantonio went about recruiting. Maybe we are starting to see it pay off. I really think he is building a foundation. JLS never did this, even if he had classes that were better than Dantonio's 2008. Going back and looking at the 2004 commit list, there really weren't that many contributors. I would not be at all surprised if Dantonio gets more from a lower ranked 2008 class than JLS got out of his best class.

Anyway, that was a long-winded way of saying that I like where Dantonio is taking us.

[nicho197]

Originally Posted by Tommyboy

-Per Spartan Mag

per multiple experts and sites

[nicho197]

Originally Posted by ERR

Even though I think it is safe to say that most of us were a little disappointed with the 2008 class, I still like the way Dantonio went about recruiting. Maybe we are starting to see it pay off. I really think he is building a foundation. JLS never did this, even if he had classes that were better than Dantonio's 2008. Going back and looking at the 2004 commit list, there really weren't that many contributors. I would not be at all surprised if Dantonio gets more from a lower ranked 2008 class than JLS got out of his best class.

Anyway, that was a long-winded way of saying that I like where Dantonio is taking us.

if people were disappointed then they are Just because we didn't get Ingram and Perry, that is no reason to be disappointed with a great class. get off the star infatuation.

[SpartanRocky]

Originally Posted by nicho197

if people were disappointed then they are Just because we didn't get Ingram and Perry, that is no reason to be disappointed with a great class. get off the star infatuation.

Bingo, what we got is a class full of contributors who can help and provide quality depth, the #1 reason we get rocked late in the season.

[FredLee]

Originally Posted by SpartanRocky

Bingo, what we got is a class full of contributors who can help and provide quality depth, the #1 reason we get rocked late in the season.

People need to realize that the 8 win mark comes due to quality depth, not because you have a 5* high school player on your roster

[nicho197]

Originally Posted by FredLee

People need to realize that the 8 win mark comes due to quality depth, not because you have a 5* high school player on your roster

right on!

[usual suspect]

Originally Posted by FredLee

People need to realize that the 8 win mark comes due to quality depth, not because you have a 5* high school player on your roster

but it helps to have your depth chart filled with 5* guys

[SpartanGA]

Comments on SM that MSU plans on taking *ONE* RB in this 2009 class..............

That raises the ante.

[EMSP]

Originally Posted by smithsonga

Comments on SM that MSU plans on taking *ONE* RB in this 2009 class..............

That raises the ante.

That at least balances the depth charts by class.....

[nicho197]

Originally Posted by smithsonga

Comments on SM that MSU plans on taking *ONE* RB in this 2009 class..............

That raises the ante.

yes it does, but if baker AND caper want to commit, how could they turn one of them down?

['86]

Originally Posted by nicho197

yes it does, but if baker AND caper want to commit, how could they turn one of them down?

I try to look at the coaches' perspective. There is exactly one slot being dangled in the faces of top RB recruits and the question is, 'who wants it?' That's got to be infinitely easier and enjoyable to them than kissing the butt of a top notch recruit late in the process, sitting with him at basketball games, visiting his home, calling him...sucking, kissing, slurping...

If a second great RB comes along, it's not because the coaches had to go through all that mess trying to make him come to MSU. If he comes along, he comes on the coaches' terms, whatever they may be. Take him? Likely. But, that's sssooo much easier than what they had to go through last year.

Think about Randy Shannon bringing his whole coaching staff (IIRC) up there to Detroit King trying to land a recruit who eventually went with Pete Carroll anyway. Randy Shannon has a wife, he has his own bed. I'm just saying, chasing after some of these young men must really suck.

[SpartanRocky]

Originally Posted by usual suspect

but it helps to have your depth chart filled with 5* guys

It's almost impossible to do that, I think the most any team had of 5* was 3 this year in recruiting.

I know what you mean though, it must be nice for UofM to replace 4* receivers with 4* receivers or whatever every year.

The problem with MSU was that after our starters there was very little quality behind them. In 2 years has us poised to have some good depth. We're going to be young next year, which means we'll have to rely on Hoyer and Ringer to get to another winning season. However, 2009 I look for us to have a very good team and challenge for the B11 title by 2010.

[Nals]

Originally Posted by '86

Think about Randy Shannon bringing his whole coaching staff (IIRC) up there to Detroit King trying to land a recruit who eventually went with Pete Carroll anyway. Randy Shannon has a wife, he has his own bed. I'm just saying, chasing after some of these young men must really suck.

Randy Shannon didn't need Perry like MSU or scum needed Perry. He recruited 7 guys from the city of Miami, including a bunch of studs from Northwestern. He in fact had one of the easiest recruiting jobs ever this year. Dade county was loaded, and he capitalized on that.

[DantonIzzo]

Originally Posted by '86

I try to look at the coaches' perspective. There is exactly one slot being dangled in the faces of top RB recruits and the question is, 'who wants it?' That's got to be infinitely easier and enjoyable to them than kissing the butt of a top notch recruit late in the process, sitting with him at basketball games, visiting his home, calling him...sucking, kissing, slurping...

If a second great RB comes along, it's not because the coaches had to go through all that mess trying to make him come to MSU. If he comes along, he comes on the coaches' terms, whatever they may be. Take him? Likely. But, that's sssooo much easier than what they had to go through last year.

Think about Randy Shannon bringing his whole coaching staff (IIRC) up there to Detroit King trying to land a recruit who eventually went with Pete Carroll anyway. Randy Shannon has a wife, he has his own bed. I'm just saying, chasing after some of these young men must really suck.

I couldn't agree more with all of this in theory, but man, if you have a shot to land two stud RBs like Caper and Baker in the same class and they both have serious interest in MSU, plans should be altered a little, don't you think?

From any and all indications, Baker and Caper both seem to be great kids who really like MSU and are Big Ten ready. If one of them happens to commit early, I wouldn't pull the plug on the other just because you want "class balance" or whatever. I realize the staff knows best -- it's just interesting to hear that they're telling these kids they're only planning on taking one RB.

[SpartanGA]

I am sure the strategy is offer ONE RB slot and offer the best guys...dangle it like a carrot and grab the most serious candidate. If the other candidate still wants to go to MSU, of course you let them but you dont necessarily have to recruit them as hard.

['86]

Originally Posted by Nals

Randy Shannon didn't need Perry like MSU or scum needed Perry. He recruited 7 guys from the city of Miami, including a bunch of studs from Northwestern. He in fact had one of the easiest recruiting jobs ever this year. Dade county was loaded, and he capitalized on that.

Wow, just lost a long write up to a Toshiba/Vista crash!!! I hate it, my Gateway doesn't crash but this Toshiba, all the time!

I was just commenting about what went into that one, single visit, let alone all the other contact they had. $chedule flight, hotel, rental car. Plan around this trip. Work up your speech to this particular audience. Go to the airport. Wait for flight. Fly. Look for rental car. Check in at hotel. Maybe do another in-home or whatever legwork is legal. Go to banquet. React in shock when you see Rich Rodriguez' ugly face crashing the party, exchange angry, awkward stares, give speech and schmooz, hotel, airport, ride home with wife. Now, multiply that by the number of coaches that attended. It really gets crazy, doesn't it?

Tressel, Mack Brown, Carroll, perhaps Shannon, some coaches sit right on top of most of their talent and will have it a little easier. Other programs like Nebraska, Arizona State, and now UM with us pulling in more top in-state kids, these guys have to sail the seven seas to find the right caliber of kids.

['86]

Originally Posted by DantonIzzo

I couldn't agree more with all of this in theory, but man, if you have a shot to land two stud RBs like Caper and Baker in the same class and they both have serious interest in MSU, plans should be altered a little, don't you think?

From any and all indications, Baker and Caper both seem to be great kids who really like MSU and are Big Ten ready. If one of them happens to commit early, I wouldn't pull the plug on the other just because you want "class balance" or whatever. I realize the staff knows best -- it's just interesting to hear that they're telling these kids they're only planning on taking one RB.

Yeah, if they are that good. I think you see my point though. Think of what the coaches went through last year to land Fred Smith as opposed to Mark Ingram. It's not that one is better, it's just that one was a whole lot more work and he didn't come here anyway.

Part of it may just be a sales technique giving them the sense that they could lose out if they wait. I say 'part of it', because the full-court press stops with one.