Just not impressed with our recruiting efforts

[ClickClack]

most of you are not being fair...you need to look at this apples to apples. in recent years when we look at our commit list and see that many kids do not have offers, that has been during or after Sr. season....even close to or right atthe signing period.

Now, we have 10 commits in the first half of June! So much time for some of these guys to get some offers...and I think many will...specifically: Jeremy Johnson, Ricky Collins, Bordano, Swope and Nichols...

Lets hold off our judgement until the recruiting process furthers a bit...

[OC Mustang]

Comparing to the Cavan & Bennett eras, I am drawing a handful of conclusions about recruiting vis-a-vis Jones.

1) He really needed more wins last season than the one on the board. However, if SMU was going to have a dismal season, his first season was the right one to have it. Most folks gave him a mulligan.

2) In each of the Cavan and Bennett regimes, They had a single recruiting class, usually the first or second, that was a) full and b) fairly decent vis-a-vis stars. What killed both of them was their insistence on doing it "their way" by the Xs & Os and the subsequent "ouch" losing seasons early in their tenure. Subsequent recruiting classes took a dump. They did not adequately use the existing squad and try to make them form a basis for ongoing progress. Jones, IMHO, has done a better job of integrating the legacy team; however, his commitment to the Run & Shoot has had unintended consequences for an already struggling defense.

3) Those folks on the board that have pointed out that SMU needs Ws are not simply stating the obvious this time. If Ws don't happen, then I think Jones & Co put additional pressure on themselves for no reason. They have credibility...they way they keep it is to continue getting better.

SMU really needs a minimum of 5 wins this season. If we go .500 or better, I think Jones sits on his strongest case for recruiting improvement.

Just my opinion.

[PonyDoh]

Honestly, how are we getting 5 wins w/our current defense. We can't stop anybody, we can't cover anybody, and we sure as hell can't get to the QB. We're small, young, weak and slow.

Either we win in a shootout, or we lose going away. I don't expect any vast improvement until the entire roster is rebuilt. Unfortunately, its not being upgraded quickly enough. I'm not content relying on a system to overcome personnel flaws. Get better players, that simple. Right now, we're still recruiting against Stephen F Austin. 2mil a year is worth more then that.

Where are the black guys on staff? A lily-white staff is a problem @ a lily-white school.

[Alaric]

The original question was about "recruiting effort" If effort's what you're judging, you have to say the staff has worked very hard, offered some really highly rated prospects and evaluated a lot of not so highly rated kids.

The discouraging part is that no highly rated kids have committed. The unknown is the kids that have been offered that aren't highly regarded who have committed. We're really relying on the staff's judgement here. I'd love to see some of our top offerees commit but regardless, I don't think you can say these guys haven't put up a yeoman's effort so far.

[SMU2007]

Honestly, how are we getting 5 wins w/our current defense. We can't stop anybody, we can't cover anybody, and we sure as hell can't get to the QB. We're small, young, weak and slow.

Either we win in a shootout, or we lose going away. I don't expect any vast improvement until the entire roster is rebuilt. Unfortunately, its not being upgraded quickly enough. I'm not content relying on a system to overcome personnel flaws. Get better players, that simple. Right now, we're still recruiting against Stephen F Austin. 2mil a year is worth more then that.

Where are the black guys on staff? A lily-white staff is a problem @ a lily-white school.

Yea why aren't we trying to get 4 and 5 star guys on defense?? Geez I can't believe June hasn't thought of that!

It's hard to recruit quality players when your team sucks this badly. Hopefully the offense improves enough to get us some extra wins that'll bring in better recruits. To suggest that we need to just get better players -- well no [deleted] dude.

[PonyDoh]

Honestly, how are we getting 5 wins w/our current defense. We can't stop anybody, we can't cover anybody, and we sure as hell can't get to the QB. We're small, young, weak and slow.

Either we win in a shootout, or we lose going away. I don't expect any vast improvement until the entire roster is rebuilt. Unfortunately, its not being upgraded quickly enough. I'm not content relying on a system to overcome personnel flaws. Get better players, that simple. Right now, we're still recruiting against Stephen F Austin. 2mil a year is worth more then that.

Where are the black guys on staff? A lily-white staff is a problem @ a lily-white school.

Yea why aren't we trying to get 4 and 5 star guys on defense?? Geez I can't believe June hasn't thought of that!

It's hard to recruit quality players when your team sucks this badly. Hopefully the offense improves enough to get us some extra wins that'll bring in better recruits. To suggest that we need to just get better players -- well no [deleted] dude.

Lots of teams suck badly, but get a huge boost from a new staff. See Illinois a few years back, Duke last year, Wake before that, Vandy etc. Don't be the gonad that blames everything on losing, conference etc.

Ultimately, you get it done on the trail or you don't, excuses are for the weak. Jones can mask a bunch of things w/his system, but he needs far better athletes. Either he gets them, or we'll continue to suck. Simple concept that always holds true. Recruiting isn't all about Ws, its about relationships, playing time, facilities, chicks, vision, academics, support, location etc.

[PonyKai]

Ummm at Vandy Bobby Johnson took over in 2002 and promptly went 2-10, 2-10, 2-9, 5-6, and then 4-8. He got to 7-6 in his seventh year. In 2001 Woody Widenhofer went 2-9. How exactly is that a big boost from a new coaching staff? If you're referring to recruiting, in 2002 they signed 24 players, only 3 rated 3 stars. In 2003 they signed 22 players, 1 four star and 3 three stars. In 2004....20 recruits, 2 players rated a 5.5 or above. What boost...maybe I'm missing something. Actually, looking at Vandy's classes over the last seven years...none of them look good...especially to be competing in the SEC.

Illinois did get a real nice boost on the trail on Zook once he took over, but he's had the reputation of being a darn good recruiter. Their '08 and '09 classes after they reached the Rose Bowl really reflect that as well.

[NickSMU17]

Zook is also a darn good cheater...

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

"Ummm at Vandy Bobby Johnson took over in 2002 and promptly went 2-10, 2-10, 2-9, 5-6, and then 4-8."

Ooops looks like PonyDoh stepped in some doo-doo on
his all negative doom & gloom rant. But hey we all know PonyDoh
has a better track record & better football judgement than June Jones!

[Stallion]

Bobby Johnson has also averaged less than 2 wins a years in the SEC because of a lack of talented recruits and never had a winning record in the SEC because of the lack of talented recruits. Recruiting is relative to your competition. He did a great job last year but he ain't going anywhere in the SEC without better recruiting.

[PonyDoh]

Bobby Johnson has also averaged less than 2 wins a years in the SEC because of a lack of talented recruits and never had a winning record in the SEC because of the lack of talented recruits. Recruiting is relative to your competition. He did a great job last year but he ain't going anywhere in the SEC without better recruiting.

He's not going anywhere in the SEC b/c its Vanderbilt. The ceiling of that program is 6 or 7 wins, tops. They have a chance of being around that ceiling for the next few years, It may not have been the best example, but Illinois, Maryland, & Dook are all programs that saw an appreciable momentum boost from a new staff, despite poor records. They managed to win on the field and recruit better right away.

Ultimately, recruiting well and winning go hand in hand, but a change in regime of this magnitude, should help on the trail more then it has. That's all. At this point, I see the system, I just don't see the athletes. I know that will take some time, and I'm not impatient for results. I happen to think we'll be awful this year, and probably next as well. That's ok, if I know we are getting the horses to ultimately compete down the road. Just get some horses. Again, the last 3 verbals have two offers combined. You can say it's about the staffs evaluation, or that we prospected them before the rest, but that's a joke and I think most of you know it.

[PonyKai]

How about we wait until November, December, or even January to see how highly other programs think of them as recruits instead of before they even set foot on the field for their senior year. If they're sitting there in late January with about 10 other offers between the whole lot of them, then you can be concerned.

[Stallion]

how about posting the availiable information and adjusting analysis based upon new information received when and if those offers come in and after following their senior year. We were about to do that with Darius Johnson weren't we?

[George S. Patton]

Of these commitments, only Pope and O'Guin have offers from other schools. The others don't.

Yes, we have numbers and a lot of questions to go with them.

[PonyDoh]

Are people really saying 'wait till it's over to see what offers they have?' Do you guys consider this early in the recruiting cycle? Is this just a CUSA type mentality?

This is just so vastly different then the other program I follow, which is far from a world-beater, but a lower tier bowl candidate every year