New Commit? (Blake Muir)

[gforce021]

(Please do not copy premium information — i.e. information outside of a player's name, position, school, height, weight, stats, etc. — from the sites that charge for their information. Thank you.)

Both premium sites have reported that SMU has received a 2011 commitment from Australian Blake Muir, a 6-foot-5, 245-pound defensive lineman. He also had an offer from the University of Hawaii.

Blake Muir
DT/DE/TE #99
Kirrawee H.S. 2010
(Australia) Sutherland Seahawks
Height: 6'5.5", Weight: 246
40 yd: 4.88, 10 yd split: 1.62
Vertical: 34"
Bench: 185 x 21
Max Bench: 290
Hand Span: 9.5
Arm Length: 33"
COMBINE #81

Other offers: Hawaii

Secondary Sport:
Swimming: Freestyle & Breastroke Champion
Pan-Pacific Rep & National Title Medalist
-------------------------------

2009 Team and Defensive MVP

Camps & Clinics:
PIAA Combine 2009

Holds team records for season tackles and tackles for loss

[couch 'em]

Not too surprising, see the other thread. I'm curious what the coaches see in the guy though.

[PK]

Not too surprising, see the other thread. I'm curious what the coaches see in the guy though.

Perhaps...

Holds team records for season tackles and tackles for loss

[PK]

Wouldn't he be commit #18?

[ponyboy]

[Perhaps...

Holds team records for season tackles and tackles for loss

Not to bag on the guy -- I'm sure he's good -- but how hard can that be on an Australian team?

[Garret]

Here is a *lot* of information from someone who knows Blake well. It looks like if Blake goes to SMU he'll be starting in January instead of August so he'll go through Spring Practice.

In order to provide some clarity to all this, here is the situation as it stands.

* SMU offered Blake back in April and they were interested in bringing him in on a recruiting trip in.

* UH does not have a scholarship available until next August but starting school in January is too good of an opportunity to miss out on.

* Going to UH for the Spring semester will cost around $18,000 for Blake and he has been madly saving money so that it can happen.

* SMU can place him on scholarship in January as they have some available then.

* SMU has more than 15 commits for next year, our advice was that there may not be a scholarship still when he takes an official visit in Sept.

* The verbal commitment is non-binding, it does however allow him to go on the trip, find out more about SMU in person and then make a definite decision on what he wants to do. Both schools are aware of the situation.

* If Blake decides to go to UH, I can say fairly confidently that it will be because of Coach Shaw, his professionalism and candor and that there is some things that you can't put a dollar value on.

* So, as always in the world of recruiting, the story isn't complete until a player is signed and in school. You'll know more in a few weeks.

http://www.sportshawaii.com/sh/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=34963&p=434160#p434160

[cutter]

[Perhaps...

Holds team records for season tackles and tackles for loss

Not to bag on the guy -- I'm sure he's good -- but how hard can that be on an Australian team?

I thought the same thing. the parts of his highlight clip that I saw didn't seem as though the competition was that stellar, to my untrained eye. but, as always, I defer to the coaching staff's evaluation skills, which I think is stellar.

[SoCal_Pony]

the parts of his highlight clip that I saw didn't seem as though the competition was that stellar, to my untrained eye.

at least there were occasional bleachers in E.J Drewery's highlights

[cutter]

the parts of his highlight clip that I saw didn't seem as though the competition was that stellar, to my untrained eye.

at least there were occasional bleachers in E.J Drewery's highlights

you are correct.
yikes.......

[that's great raplh]

and a shotputter blocked 9 fgs?

[ozfan]

Guys I have lived in Australia for a long time now and am up on the sports in this country. The guys that make it in american style football come from the state of Victoria where aussie rules is the game and they make it as punters ( three in the NFL now) most go and try out after they have retired from AFL in Australia. Only one came from a high school to the UH and played for JJ that is the Dallas punter and he learned to kick playing asussie rule in HS. The gridiron leagues here are very weak. So do not get your hopes up.

[cutter]

Guys I have lived in Australia for a long time now and am up on the sports in this country. The guys that make it in american style football come from the state of Victoria where aussie rules is the game and they make it as punters ( three in the NFL now) most go and try out after they have retired from AFL in Australia. Only one came from a high school to the UH and played for JJ that is the Dallas punter and he learned to kick playing asussie rule in HS. The gridiron leagues here are very weak. So do not get your hopes up.

the released info says that he is from NSW (Sutherland area, I believe) not Victoria. any chance that might give slightly better hope that he will be a capable enough athlete for us?

[ozfan]

Guys I have lived in Australia for a long time now and am up on the sports in this country. The guys that make it in american style football come from the state of Victoria where aussie rules is the game and they make it as punters ( three in the NFL now) most go and try out after they have retired from AFL in Australia. Only one came from a high school to the UH and played for JJ that is the Dallas punter and he learned to kick playing asussie rule in HS. The gridiron leagues here are very weak. So do not get your hopes up.

the released info says that he is from NSW (Sutherland area, I believe) not Victoria. any chance that might give slightly better hope that he will be a capable enough athlete for us?

New South Wales is a rugby state, they have two pro AFl teams but the players on then or mostly from other aussie rules states. Hope the kid can cut it but do believe he is a work in progress.

[cutter]

New South Wales is a rugby state, they have two pro AFl teams but the players on then or mostly from other aussie rules states. Hope the kid can cut it but do believe he is a work in progress.

thanks.
I guess I'll rely on the coaching staff's outstanding ability to identify excellent players/potential and then to develop them. With only a few 'misses' thus far, I'm not worried.
I'm gonna guess that anyone coming from Australia is already realizing that they have some catching-up to do, so they'll arrive with a very good mindset open to excellent coaching. Besides, rugby is pretty brutal -- some/a few of those brutes should be able to translate well to football, I'm thinking. Maybe, the hope is also to open up a potential 'pipeline' from Down Under?

[cutter]

and a shotputter blocked 9 fgs?

that's true, but you're talking about an elite athlete that regularly faces international competition, in a sport that requires some degree of strength and agility.
I think, there's a bit of concern when you have another kid playing a 'foreign' game without consistent and challenging competition, and probably less-than-ideal coaching.
just relying on our coaches' eyes in seeing the 'diamond in the rough'.
hope and trust.