The Monday Dawg - First Edition

recruiting.blog.ajc.com/2015/02/09/new-r...ew-school-per-coach/

This kid thinks he is the greatest to ever play the game. Maybe he IS. But nobody - not even Herschel Walker, the greatest player in college football history - can win games all by themselves.

Roquan Smith - one Georgia Bulldogs fan hopes you go to UCLA, and hopes we see you in the playoffs (that is . . . IF you ever play a snap.) I'd love to see what Nick Chubb does to you.

Read that article also, I think he has some nerve expecting all collages to hold him a spot until he decides to grace them with his presence. What's to say after he declares the winner of his personal lottery that the day before classes start if some school sweetens the deal he want change his mind again. I hope that UGA pulls there offer. I thinks he has a big me attitude and we all know how that works out when your trying to play team ball.

OK, I'll bite!....I can certainly understand the compelling interests of any particular institutions fanbase. Setting that aside, what about the compelling interests of the athlete? Recruits commit and de-commit, that's a fact. Some institutions use unscrupulous tactics to win over recruits,...that is also a fact. The RS story is one of a few just this season. The difference being RS didn't sign the LOI.....I say, .....Good for him! What that left coast school was doing was down right under handed...

As far as waiting until Summer School.....Smart move! If we (UGA) wanted him a year, six months, two weeks ago...we'll still want him in June. If RS decides to go elsewhere, I wish him well....Won't be the first, nor the last recruit that didn't make it to the Classic City. The only reason THIS is news, is because no recruit ever dared to do it to college football....its rather commonplace in other collegiate sports.

Personally, I get a kick out of seeing the "little guy" turn the status quo on its ear! But that's just me....

NC_Dawg,

I agree, and would probably not sign a LOI, nor would I encourage my son to sign one either. However, I would also not flirt, nor would I allow my kid to flirt with schools. The LOI protects schools from having several committed scholarships that wind up not getting used.

Right now the system allows schools to "gray shirt" - something that should not be allowed either, and that can hurt the kids.

Ideally, schools would have a given number of scholarships they can provide, and the kids would have to either sign the LOI or risk not getting a scholarship. Over signing should simply not happen. <simply>

My point (which was made too "emotionally") is a very simple one. If the kid is this close to graduation and still has no idea where he wants to go, then I (and I speak ONLY for myself) hope he winds up somewhere else, and takes this kind of drama with him. That's all I meant.

There is a lot to agree with in NC_Dawg's post above.

Said in another thread that "maybe" I would stay away from too much talk about Smith.

All or many of us on this board have thoughts one way or the other about the Roquan Smith . . . . will call it an "issue" at this point.

From where I sit, Smith is clearly in the background in the recruiting process. His high school coach has stepped up, front and center. Appears to me that it is no longer a Smith "decision making process". High school coach is going further than "protecting" his young football star. High school coach is all about himself as I see it. Willing to discuss my point of view. High school coach has made some serious "I, me, my errors" for all in the media to crawl all over. AJC right now all over the "click parade".

Anyone think that Smith made the decision on the LOI development that is now front and center? Went to bed one night, awakened and came to the thought of making a decision later. Trying to read everything surrounding Smith's last decision, believe it to be heavily influenced by his high school coach. Some folks never get that 15 minutes of fame, when they do, it is all in the pool.

Simply put, it would be very hard for anyone to convince me that our defensive coaches do not understand the behaviors of 17 year olds. One of the highlights in my opinion of hiring the "Alabama Gang" was to adjust to modern day football. Coaches that "understand" the way young high school football players think. Did this newly hired group of defensive coaches leave that learned lesson in Alabama and Florida?

What bothers me is this . . . . nothing good will come out of this BS that Smith's high school coach is "displaying" through media outlets. Yes the media loves this, and they will continue to ride it until Smith's head coach "decides for himself" what is best for Roquan Smith.

My right to my opinions aired above.

Going back and reviewing this Roquan fiasco, Buc you are right as always.

Here is what the kid risks. If he decides not to sign the LOI, it's possible schools will have already had spring ball and found some 1 or 2 star kid who is really a 4 star kid (and student - that antiquated concept) and person, and will have already given that last scholarship to him. Our 85 are already filled - sorry kid.

Or, more likely, some OTHER kid, probably a "3 star" (whatever that means), will LOSE his scholarship to Roquan before school starts.

In the end, someone, somewhere, may be overvaluing Roquan and undervaluing a loyal kid who just wants to play while he's in school. It's that "3 star" (whatever that means) that I'm cheering for at this point.

Good for Roquan, if it works out for you. If not, too bad. I'm pretty satisfied that UGA is just fine with or without RS. I'm more excited about the OL recruits this year anyway.