OL and WR recruiting eval

[JasonB]

I think we all agree the OL and WR are struggling. As has been pointed out previously, the last time we graduated our entire OL was Bennett's last season, where we couldn't score despite returning the QB and all skill position players and had the 4 down disaster at Rice.

So, let's take a look at OL and WR recruiting for the years that should give us Seniors and Juniors and see what happened (listed name, position, recruiter according to Rivals)... Feel free to add thoughts, they are off the top of my head .

I am not sure who the "evaluators" were who decided to go after the different players, but we can see that from the OL recruited, only 3 out of the 16 have made any impact, and one of those 3 struggles. There are a ton of misses here, so whomever does our OL evaluation has done a poor job. Klemm's name actually isn't on here very often because he was really only associated with the last class on this list; his other recruits were underclassmen. It seems like Burns, McKnight and Reinbold were responsible?

As for WR, 13 recruits, and all 4 current starters fall into this list. 2 never did anything, 1 injury issue, and then 4 of the highest rated recruits had grade issues and weren't here for long, if at all. The other two (loftin and holyfield) are backups. Odum and Reinbold were the ones recruiting here, and it seems like there are just a lot of risks taken for academics who never got in, or just trying to get some athletes who might be hidden gems.

All-in-all, it seems like our WR eval and OL eval was pretty poor for several years.We may have taken too long to do something about it. I know for evaluation, they have people responsible for postiions, who bring players to the larger group, and the larger group decides who to offer. We made a pretty quick move to change the evaluation procedure at OL, by bringing Klemm in after 2 years, but it seems like we waited too long to modify the WR evaluation, and that is probably on Jones as the head of the organization.

2008:
Boyd - OL - Burns - never played
Jimmy Chase - OL - ?? - never playerd
Drewery - WR - ?? - never played, switch to LB at one point
Emshoff - OL - ?? - never played
Free - OL - ?? - starter this year, struggling
Huahulu - OL - ??? - I think recruited by McKnight? Moved to DL, showed promise, and transferred.
Loftin - WR - ?? - solid backup
McJunkin - OL - ?? - Solid starter
Nwongwu - OL - ?? - Never played
Robiskie - OL - ?? - Never played

2009:
Atchinson - OL - Odum - nothing
Collins - OL - Reinbold - Solid player
Favreu - OL - McKnight - Never seen field
Fontana - OL - Reinbold - Horrible injury
Franklin - WR - Reinbold - never seen field
Holyfield - WR - ?? - 3rd string outside WR
Hughes - OL - Reinbold - Never seen field
DJ - WR - Reinbold - Supposed to be good, but tons of drops this year
Joubert - WR - Odum - switched between CB and WR a few times, never saw field
McDade - WR - Odum - flunked out, showed lots of promise
Miller - OL - McKnight - showed nothing

2010:
Collins - WR - Mason - had to go JUCO
Duhe - OL - Klemm/Reinbold - never saw field
Gottschaulk - OL - Klemm - Looks solid
Guinyard - WR - Odum - buried in depth chart, bad knee injuries
Holman - WR - Suan - Starter, but struggling
JJ - WR - Mason, Morrison - Starter, but struggling
Londy - WR - Odum - JUCO I think?
Thompson - WR - Mason - Starter, but struggling

[Rebel10]

It seems like Burns, McKnight and Reinbold were responsible?

I guess QB isn't struggling? Since Burns, McKnight, and Reinebold are not on the current staff this deflects any major responsibility on current staff members. Good June supporter tactic. OL is okay and of the offensive it is the least of our concerns. So no we don't all agree the OL is struggling. We are at WR and QB. But since June personally recruits QB's I guess he can't be blamed.

[davidpaul123]

I don't agree that the OL is struggling, in fact they are playing pretty well and gave Gilbert time in this game. You can make the case that OL recruiting has been bad on account of the number of Fr in the 2 deep this year.

In terms of WR, at this point I would take people who can catch the ball.

[ponyinNC]

Recruiting is the biggest problem IMHO. Whether we go to a bowl this year or not, I am very very concerned about playing in the Big East. Watching June on the sidelines and listening to his post game presser, it just seems as though he has completely CHECKED OUT. And that mentality is noticeable on the recruiting trail.

Maybe that is why our staff isn't snagging recruits?? They know JJ is gone so why bother??

[JasonB]

I don't think JJ is checked out. I think he is completely frustrated. Anyone who saw GG at practice this fall saw a really good QB. JJ feels like he finally has a QB and things still aren't working out.

JJ had mentioned previously that if they could find a good JUCO QB to come in here they would have done it immediately. They just couldn't land one in recruiting. None of the recruits they have been able to land so far have been 5 star guys fresh out of high school who could redshirt a season and then come in and play.

I don't think anyone expected that. I think what people expected was that the staff would be able to evaluate QBs the way they did at Hawaii, and pull in some really good players. BLM wasn't good while he played here, but he was also judged way too early in his college career. Same with Padron - he didn't have enough high school starts for anyone to expect him to shine right way; he was a project, someone you would like to redshirt and sit in the system until their Junior year. Kaiser got sick and then never showed anything; who knows if he could have been any good otherwise, but he was pretty well regarded coming out of school.

The QB recruiting has gotten better as time has gone on and we have won. Preston was a good recruit to land, has a great personality, is a very good leader, and will be solid I think as he matures with the system. Birchum was the best regarded recruit we have landed since June arrived, and he shows all the tools in practice.

Gilbert is essentially the JUCO transfer that June wanted the first two years. It is unfortunate that he hasn't played the well in games, but he obviously doesn't have a lot of help around him. Next year we will have some redshirt Frosh and sophomores that should be able to help out at WR and OL. And I think we will be set really well at QB with Gilbert, RS Sophomore in Preston and a RS Frosh in Birchum.

There is no way we dump Jones after this season, IMHO, even if it continues to go poorly. Three straight bowls buys you one bad year. Next year, he would have to do well, however. And that is going to all come down to whether or not the changes made in recruiting have paid off. Ace (Klemm), Joseph (Morrison), Lasecki(Klemm), Reich(Klemm), Sims, Weeks(Klemm), Briggs, Chamagua, Deither(Reinbold), Lagasse (Hill), Myers, Rice(Suan), Stewart(Reinbold), Walling.

I think history has shown that true frosh are not going to come into either position and do well. So the players that turn the thing around offensively are going to need to already be on campus.

Deiter and Stewart both look like they will be players; I think Reinbold's biggest recruiting issue was going after a bunch of guys who didn't make it into school or flunked out. And for those Klemm fans, we are going to find out a lot about his recruits next year. Gottchaulk will be one tackle, Lasecki the center, and Reich and Weeks will both be in the running for the other tackle.

[03Mustang]

Looking at the likely schedule next year we're going to struggle to win more than 3 games under any circumstances without Line, Hunt, JG, T Reed, and DJ3. He better figure something out fast.

[SMU 86]

What concerns me about next year is that we lose our entire starting D line. We have not really recruited to well at NT. I hope we get a big NT this year that can play. If we lose this year JJ could be gone next year like JAsonB is suggesting because it will be tough next year. BUT we will not lose this year we will win a weak CUSA.

[Rebel10]

Not worried about OL because SMU has this so called super duper OL coach hired in Coach Palcic. OL is doing decent now anyway. The concern is the skilled position players which JJ has not recruited well. Will SMU ever get a change of pace RB in the SMU backfield? This recruiting class has a bunch of under the radar players. I hope they workout in the BE.

[ReedFrawg]

Not worried about OL because SMU has this so called super duper OL coach hired in Coach Palcic. OL is doing decent now anyway. The concern is the skilled position players which JJ has not recruited well. Will SMU ever get a change of pace RB in the SMU backfield? This recruiting class has a bunch of under the radar players. I hope they workout in the BE.

I thought Gilbert threw the ball well. Some really good throws in tight spaces...your WRs were pitiful. Given te conditions I was actually impressed with GG.

[ReedFrawg]

Not worried about OL because SMU has this so called super duper OL coach hired in Coach Palcic. OL is doing decent now anyway. The concern is the skilled position players which JJ has not recruited well. Will SMU ever get a change of pace RB in the SMU backfield? This recruiting class has a bunch of under the radar players. I hope they workout in the BE.

I thought Gilbert threw the ball well. Some really good throws in tight spaces...your WRs were pitiful. Given te conditions I was actually impressed with GG.

[sbsmith]

Not worried about OL because SMU has this so called super duper OL coach hired in Coach Palcic. OL is doing decent now anyway. The concern is the skilled position players which JJ has not recruited well. Will SMU ever get a change of pace RB in the SMU backfield? This recruiting class has a bunch of under the radar players. I hope they workout in the BE.

Mr. Super Duper needs to get his guys to run block because our best offensive weapon can't do much with 4 guys in his face the second he gets the ball.

[H-E-B Mustang]

Not worried about OL because SMU has this so called super duper OL coach hired in Coach Palcic. OL is doing decent now anyway. The concern is the skilled position players which JJ has not recruited well. Will SMU ever get a change of pace RB in the SMU backfield? This recruiting class has a bunch of under the radar players. I hope they workout in the BE.

I thought Gilbert threw the ball well. Some really good throws in tight spaces...your WRs were pitiful. Given te conditions I was actually impressed with GG.

If you thought Gilbert threw the ball well, you were not paying attention. Yes, there were some drops by the receivers. But, his passing accuracy was woefully inadequate.

[sbsmith]

Not worried about OL because SMU has this so called super duper OL coach hired in Coach Palcic. OL is doing decent now anyway. The concern is the skilled position players which JJ has not recruited well. Will SMU ever get a change of pace RB in the SMU backfield? This recruiting class has a bunch of under the radar players. I hope they workout in the BE.

I thought Gilbert threw the ball well. Some really good throws in tight spaces...your WRs were pitiful. Given te conditions I was actually impressed with GG.

He struggles with hitting receivers in stride, definitely not a crisp passer. Had the same problem at Texas. Hailed as an elite practice player but it has never translated over to the games.

[SMU_Alumni11]

Not worried about OL because SMU has this so called super duper OL coach hired in Coach Palcic. OL is doing decent now anyway. The concern is the skilled position players which JJ has not recruited well. Will SMU ever get a change of pace RB in the SMU backfield? This recruiting class has a bunch of under the radar players. I hope they workout in the BE.

I thought Gilbert threw the ball well. Some really good throws in tight spaces...your WRs were pitiful. Given te conditions I was actually impressed with GG.

He struggles with hitting receivers in stride, definitely not a crisp passer. Had the same problem at Texas. Hailed as an elite practice player but it has never translated over to the games.

Got to go with frog on this one, clear as day those WRs suck. Probably worst WRs ever to wear an SMU jersey. I say drop them focus on the young guys

[ghost]

good evaluation...in retrospect Jj parlayed an undefeated regular season and sugar bowl berth into the SMU job. If you go back and look at the scores of the games though it tells a much different story. Several of the wins against some of the worst teams in the country were nailbiters and he caught some bigger programs on down years. His ability to get the South Pacific linemen in there and a one-time hit with Colt and some good receivers paid off. Surprised at his lack of recruiting in Texas. Even Mack has found out you better work at it every day are you can be average real quick. Texas high school coaches and athletes and there fans have high expectations and will work hard for excellence so if you don''t have the same attitude then you are gonna have to go out of state. Notice on the TCU jumb intros the players picture ALONG with their high school coaches names? Too many ex nfl coaches who don't know you need to recruit these great high school coaches AND their parents/guardians and also stay in touch once on campus. Word spreads fast both negative and positive. Nobody wants to hear how great you were in the NFL, they want what is best for their kid and themselves. How many parents or high school coaches of the SMU players would June or his assistants recognize after a game and know their names enough to say hi...five or six maybe. As PAtterson says, you win championships with those second and third team players!