2017 recruiting

[ZachTheZip]

 

 

[LZIp]

Good to see Weiland commit. @Blue & Gold likes him and he seems pretty informed on local HS football. Gasser wasn't that impressive last year, IMO.

 

The Barto thing seems a tad odd. We are his only reported offer.

[zipsoutsider]

2 minutes ago, LZIp said:

Good to see Weiland commit. @Blue & Gold likes him and he seems pretty informed on local HS football. Gasser wasn't that impressive last year, IMO.

 

The Barto thing seems a tad odd. We are his only reported offer.

I wonder if he got homesick? It happens, seriously.

 

Gasser did a great job with directional punting but was a little short on leg and his height leaves little room for him in terms of handling a bad snap or field vision. I don't feel like he helped or hurt us, tremendously, last year.

[LZIp]

3 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

I'm not going to pretend to know how good this recruiting class is or isn't, but can we please quit trying to brag about a 6th place MAC finish? I'd hope we'd have our eyes set on something bigger.

Eh it is not bragging as I definitely want better. Just pointing out that the rankings clearly are not the end all be all. I also did not appreciate the mocking of us getting local recruits when I think some of them are quite talented. The local kids have also proven to be key members of the program.  At least we may not end up last in the MAC this year Imagine what coaches could do with middle of the road MAC recruiting classes??

Edited January 30, 2017 by LZIp

[LZIp]

1 minute ago, zipsoutsider said:

I wonder if he got homesick? It happens, seriously.

 

Gasser did a great job with directional punting but was a little short on leg and his height leaves little room for him in terms of handling a bad snap or field vision. I don't feel like he helped or hurt us, tremendously, last year.

Fair enough. I am probably spoiled from the Zach Paul years.

[kreed5120]

20 minutes ago, LZIp said:

Eh it is not bragging as I definitely want better. Just pointing out that the rankings clearly are not the end all be all. I also did not appreciate the mocking of us getting local recruits when I think some of them are quite talented. The local kids have also proven to be key members of the program.  At least we may not end up last in the MAC this year Imagine what coaches could do with middle of the road MAC recruiting classes??

Yeah, I mean WMU did have the #1 class 3 years in a row so even though it might not mean everything, it means something. Time will tell how good this recruiting class will be.

[Blue & Gold]

Joe Corner (Reggie Jr.'s cousin?) is going to Walsh.

That's a much better fit for him and (apparently) frees up a spot for us.

 

 

[LZIp]

9 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

Yeah, I mean WMU did have the #1 class 3 years in a row so even though it might not mean everything, it means something. Time will tell how good this recruiting class will be.

Interestingly enough their stud senior class that just graduated was ranked 7th (ours 8th) in 2013.Random - Manny Morgan was our 3rd highest ranked recruit, and a 3 star at that. WMU has some big holes to fill. It will be interesting to see how those top ranked recruits do.

Edited January 30, 2017 by LZIp

[kreed5120]

33 minutes ago, LZIp said:

Interestingly enough their stud senior class that just graduated was ranked 7th (ours 8th) in 2013.Random - Manny Morgan was our 3rd highest ranked recruit, and a 3 star at that. WMU has some big holes to fill. It will be interesting to see how those top ranked recruits do.

Their leading rusher and top 2 leading tacklers, not to mention several other starters, were part of their #1 rated 2014 class. I never said recruiting rankings mean everything. I however think it is silly to brush them off as meaning nothing.

Edited January 30, 2017 by kreed5120

[LZIp]

Appears that Lubin was not offered on his visit to MN this weekend. Crystal Ball prediction is still Akron FWIW. Don't think we ever got an official though, even though Minny and Iowa State did.

http://247sports.com/Player/Jeffrey-Lubin-91497

 

247 has Akron as Zaire Jacobs' favorite, but has him predicted to go to....FAMU?!?

http://247sports.com/Player/Zaire-Jacobs-92291

 

[zzx]

3 hours ago, LZIp said:

Appears that Lubin was not offered on his visit to MN this weekend. Crystal Ball prediction is still Akron FWIW. Don't think we ever got an official though, even though Minny and Iowa State did.

http://247sports.com/Player/Jeffrey-Lubin-9149

 

He probably wasn't offered since Minnesota added two more CB commits today.  So that means he may still choose Akron or Iowa State.

 

3 hours ago, LZIp said:

247 has Akron as Zaire Jacobs' favorite, but has him predicted to go to....FAMU?!?

http://247sports.com/Player/Zaire-Jacobs-92291

 

 

Jacobs visited FAMU this weekend. He may still choose Akron.

 

 

Edited January 30, 2017 by zzx

[wadszip]

4 hours ago, Buckzip said:

But I am sure everyone else's class is complete and listed. Right?

I know we won a bowl game with a lot of transfers on the roster.

 

If you haven't noticed, we still haven't won the MAC. Toledo is at or near the top yearly. N. Illinois is near the top most years and there are others. We were in a bowl game once and right back to under 500 the next year.

 

Our facilities are second to none in the MAC. There is no excuse not to get top 2-3 classes in the MAC every year.

I am on another board with a very well known recruiting analysis and I asked him about Akron.

He said "Akron is the best job in the MAC" He mentioned facilities, stadium, recruiting area, etc. Yet here we are.

 

It doesn't matter if we get local recruits if the top level local recruits are going elsewhere.

 

I know that rankings aren't the end all be all, but if you haven't noticed, the teams that have the highest average rating are usually the highest rated teams too. Are there misses each way?, Yes, But by far you can take it to the bank That a class of mostly 3* will end up better than a class with mostly 2*. There are always outliers but not a lot.

Those mythical MAC recruiting championships really did wonders during the J.D. Brookhart era.

 

I also find it ironic that in one post you make a snarky comment about the local guys that are being brought in, and then right above you talk about this recruiting analyst who says Akron is the best job in the MAC partly due to its local "recruiting area." 

 

It's easy to talk about out-recruiting Toledo and Northern Illinois and it's another thing to actually do it. Toledo only has 13 losing seasons in the past 50 years; Akron has 12 ... since 2000.

 

However, NIU is a program to look at and see how it is possible to turn things around. It's not like the Huskies were setting college football on fire before breaking through with a winning record in 2000 under Joe Novak. Since then, they've been to 10 bowl games, including an Orange Bowl (and went 10-2 in 2003 and didn't make a bowl.). They have now been a consistent league title contender.

 

Where is the parallel between NIU and Akron? This past year was the Zips' 30th season as an FBS program. Let's look at where NIU was in the 30 seasons prior to 2000 (when Novak finally had his first winning season at 6-5):

 

Overall: 130-195-5

Winning %: .393

Winning seasons: 7

League titles: 1

Bowl appearances: 1

 

And Akron's 30-year FBS history:

Overall: 132-211-3

Winning%: .381

Winning seasons: 8

League titles: 1

Bowl appearances: 2

 

Looks nearly identical. I'll take it one step further. Novak was hired at NIU in 1996, taking over a program that had went 11-22 the three previous seasons. Novak's record in his first four years was 8-36 (.190). He broke through in year five with that 6-5 record in 2000 and followed it up with another 6-5 record in 2001, making his record at that time 20-46 (.303). It wasn't until year seven when they finally broke through for an 8-4 season; then followed it up with seasons of 10-2 and 9-3, which got the ball rolling for NIU's current success (though Novak did take a step back after that, going 7-6, 7-6 and then 2-10 where he was let go after 11 seasons.) 

 

Terry Bowden took over in 2012 and inherited a team that had gone just 5-31 the previous three seasons (so he inherited a worse program than the bad one Novak did at NIU). Bowden, however, broke through with a winning record in year 4 ... overall record first four years was 19-30 (.387). Yes, the team took a step back this year after the season-ending collapse, but his five year record of 23-37 (.383) is still better than Novak's after five years at NIU ... 14-41 (.254). And as I mentioned, it wasn't until year 7 until Novak was able to put together an 8-win season. This is year 6 for Bowden.

 

My point is building a bad program into a good program takes time and it is definitely a building process. I think people need to have patience and see how the next couple of years play out (and Bowden has two years left on his contract). Plus, I think we are finally seeing him begin to build something with substance with this recruiting class (trying to lock up as much local talent ... you know since even the OSU recruiting guy says it's the best in the MAC footprint).

 

I'll end with this analogy: Bowden bought a dilapidated property in a neighborhood that has some promise; let's say Highland Square. Is it an elite area like Hudson (Big Ten/Ohio State), no. But it has enough going for it and enough character to make it up and coming. It also happens to be right next to a horrible neighborhood, Lane-Wooster (Kent ... lol). The first five years have been focused on making this property at least livable (replacing the copper pipes that were stolen, putting in a working furnace/hot-water heater, etc.). Still, the foundation needs work before it really becomes a decent place. That's where we are now with trying to secure the local talent. After that, hopefully comes the cosmetic stuff (redoing the bathroom/kitchen, buffing the hard-wood floors) that allows the place to reach its full potential. That's when, hopefully, you'll see local NEO talent who has offers from the top MAC schools and the lower to mid-tier Big Ten schools, begin to stay home; along with continuing to move up a couple of notches in places like Florida from getting 7th and 8th tier to the state's 5th and 6th tier talent.

 

Edited January 30, 2017 by wadszip

[Captain Kangaroo]

10 hours ago, LZIp said:

Good to see Weiland commit. @Blue & Gold likes him and he seems pretty informed on local HS football. Gasser wasn't that impressive last year, IMO.

Having attended roughly 20 Hudson games over the past 2 seasons I can say with 100% certainty - the Zips just received a major upgrade at the Punter position. 

 

If the Zip were pinned on their own 20 yard line on a 4th down last season, you knew Gasser was good for about 38 yards. Weiland is good for 48+. He's going to be a big help.

[LZIp]

Names to watch on National signing day coming up Wednesday:

 

Bubba Arslanian - LB, Aurora. COMMITTED.

 

Moris Lugo - LB, Miami Carol City. 247 has him committed. Scout has said he reopened recruiting a few months ago and FIU and Akron are the top schools still. Has 5 FBS offers.

 

Jeffrey Lubin, CB, Hollywood, FL. Supposed to be between ISU and Akron. Crystal ball prediction has him going to Akron. MN came on strong late, but it appears he will not get an offer. Has 6 D1 offers (3 of them P5).

 

Zaire Jacobs, S, St. Thomas Aquinas, Fl. Akron listed as favorite, but Crystal Ball has him predicted to go to FAMU(?!). Also has offers from Temple, Ball State, and MTSU.

 

Maxi Hradecny, DT, Austria. Reportedly has FBS offers from Akron, UMASS, and Kent St.

 

Am I missing anyone??

Edited January 30, 2017 by LZIp

[Blue & Gold]

[zzx]

10 hours ago, LZIp said:

 

Zaire Jacobs, S, St. Thomas Aquinas, Fl. Akron listed as favorite, but Crystal Ball has him predicted to go to FAMU(?!). Also has offers from Temple, Ball State, and MTSU.

 

 

Crystal Ball now predicting:

 

 Zaire Jacobs to choose Akron 100%

[zipsoutsider]

56 minutes ago, zzx said:

 

Crystal Ball now predicting:

 

 Zaire Jacobs to choose Akron 100%

In The Recruiting Huddle: Zaire Jacobs – St. Thomas Aquinas

 

[LZIp]

2 minutes ago, Zipgrad01 said:

Who cares? He looked like a D3 high school player anyway. Maybe we can upgrade now and go after a D2 looking high school kid. 

Arslanian committed in his place. Keep up.

[Captain Kangaroo]

PD - Bubba Announcement

[Zipgrad01]

On 1/29/2017 at 11:30 PM, wadszip said:

Those mythical MAC recruiting championships really did wonders during the J.D. Brookhart era.

 

I also find it ironic that in one post you make a snarky comment about the local guys that are being brought in, and then right above you talk about this recruiting analyst who says Akron is the best job in the MAC partly due to its local "recruiting area." 

 

It's easy to talk about out-recruiting Toledo and Northern Illinois and it's another thing to actually do it. Toledo only has 13 losing seasons in the past 50 years; Akron has 12 ... since 2000.

 

However, NIU is a program to look at and see how it is possible to turn things around. It's not like the Huskies were setting college football on fire before breaking through with a winning record in 2000 under Joe Novak. Since then, they've been to 10 bowl games, including an Orange Bowl (and went 10-2 in 2003 and didn't make a bowl.). They have now been a consistent league title contender.

 

Where is the parallel between NIU and Akron? This past year was the Zips' 30th season as an FBS program. Let's look at where NIU was in the 30 seasons prior to 2000 (when Novak finally had his first winning season at 6-5):

 

Overall: 130-195-5

Winning %: .393

Winning seasons: 7

League titles: 1

Bowl appearances: 1

 

And Akron's 30-year FBS history:

Overall: 132-211-3

Winning%: .381

Winning seasons: 8

League titles: 1

Bowl appearances: 2

 

Looks nearly identical. I'll take it one step further. Novak was hired at NIU in 1996, taking over a program that had went 11-22 the three previous seasons. Novak's record in his first four years was 8-36 (.190). He broke through in year five with that 6-5 record in 2000 and followed it up with another 6-5 record in 2001, making his record at that time 20-46 (.303). It wasn't until year seven when they finally broke through for an 8-4 season; then followed it up with seasons of 10-2 and 9-3, which got the ball rolling for NIU's current success (though Novak did take a step back after that, going 7-6, 7-6 and then 2-10 where he was let go after 11 seasons.) 

 

Terry Bowden took over in 2012 and inherited a team that had gone just 5-31 the previous three seasons (so he inherited a worse program than the bad one Novak did at NIU). Bowden, however, broke through with a winning record in year 4 ... overall record first four years was 19-30 (.387). Yes, the team took a step back this year after the season-ending collapse, but his five year record of 23-37 (.383) is still better than Novak's after five years at NIU ... 14-41 (.254). And as I mentioned, it wasn't until year 7 until Novak was able to put together an 8-win season. This is year 6 for Bowden.

 

My point is building a bad program into a good program takes time and it is definitely a building process. I think people need to have patience and see how the next couple of years play out (and Bowden has two years left on his contract). Plus, I think we are finally seeing him begin to build something with substance with this recruiting class (trying to lock up as much local talent ... you know since even the OSU recruiting guy says it's the best in the MAC footprint).

 

I'll end with this analogy: Bowden bought a dilapidated property in a neighborhood that has some promise; let's say Highland Square. Is it an elite area like Hudson (Big Ten/Ohio State), no. But it has enough going for it and enough character to make it up and coming. It also happens to be right next to a horrible neighborhood, Lane-Wooster (Kent ... lol). The first five years have been focused on making this property at least livable (replacing the copper pipes that were stolen, putting in a working furnace/hot-water heater, etc.). Still, the foundation needs work before it really becomes a decent place. That's where we are now with trying to secure the local talent. After that, hopefully comes the cosmetic stuff (redoing the bathroom/kitchen, buffing the hard-wood floors) that allows the place to reach its full potential. That's when, hopefully, you'll see local NEO talent who has offers from the top MAC schools and the lower to mid-tier Big Ten schools, begin to stay home; along with continuing to move up a couple of notches in places like Florida from getting 7th and 8th tier to the state's 5th and 6th tier talent.

 

He said getting the best local talent. The best guys still aren't going to UA. 

[Zipgrad01]

10 minutes ago, LZIp said:

Arslanian committed in his place. Keep up.

Hell... I hadn't even scrolled down that far yet, but I nailed it!! We did upgrade to a D2 guy!! Nice 

[Captain Kangaroo]

As the 2017 class nears it's completion, I want to thank Zach, Blue & Gold, zzx and Zipsoutsider for their outstanding contributions to the recruiting thread. As an independent site with no paid writers or budget, ZipsNation is what you make it. And you guys made it an excellent resource through your effort, time and Zips Football passion. I've never met any of you...probably never will...but I've very grateful for your above-and-beyond efforts to make this site as good as it can be. Zips fans both far-and-wide appreciate it. 

[LZIp]

11 minutes ago, Zipgrad01 said:

Hell... I hadn't even scrolled down that far yet, but I nailed it!! We did upgrade to a D2 guy!! Nice 

Hmm. i thought I recalled you saying you liked him actually.

[kreed5120]

What Captain said x100. I might be critical at times of our football program as I want our football to grow to a similar level of success as our basketball program and be a perennial MAC contender. Given the resources we have and where we are located I feel it can. That still doesn't mean I don't appreciate the information you guys provide.

Edited January 31, 2017 by kreed5120

[Zipgrad01]

4 minutes ago, LZIp said:

Hmm. i thought I recalled you saying you liked him actually.

I do!

 

he was just "actually" a D2 high school kid. Lol

 

I was not a fan of Barto at all. 

Edited January 31, 2017 by Zipgrad01
Clarifying