zipsoutsider Posted August 24, 2016 Report Share Posted August 24, 2016 Our ninth verbal commitment: Malik Wooldridge 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kangaroo Posted August 24, 2016 Report Share Posted August 24, 2016 Ohio.com with a little more info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zipsoutsider Posted August 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2016 8 minutes ago, Captain Kangaroo said: Ohio.com with a little more info I really liked reading this: Quote “Malik has been one of our better leaders this off-season,” Wattley said. “He is a hard working and very talented kid with big play potential. I know Akron has recruited him as an athlete. They will see where they can use him at the most. “He is a kid with great character and great determination. He is solid in the classroom and I think he will carve a niche for himself at the University of Akron, probably sooner rather than later. He is definitely a gamer.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZachTheZip Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 5 hours ago, zipsoutsider said: Our ninth verbal commitment: Malik Wooldridge Ninth local verbal commitment. Bowden has done something that hasn't been done in a long time: get D-I level kids from Akron to stay home. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipgrad01 Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 It never sits good with me when a high school coach hits the intangible assets from the jump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue & Gold Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 10 hours ago, Zipgrad01 said: It never sits good with me when a high school coach hits the intangible assets from the jump. True. But I will say that, ever since the Zips have started this pipeline from STVM, I've seen STVM play a couple times a year over the past three years, and have heard Malik's named called... a lot. He's one of those players who always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zipsoutsider Posted August 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 (edited) 14 hours ago, Zipgrad01 said: It never sits good with me when a high school coach hits the intangible assets from the jump. Just because the article quotes those things doesn't mean they were the first things the coach said, it just means they were the quotes the journalist selected. Same with TV or radio. Edited August 25, 2016 by zipsoutsider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K92 Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 3 hours ago, zipsoutsider said: Just because the article quotes those things doesn't mean they were the first things the coach said, it just means they were the whites the journalist selected. Same with TV or radio. I think there is a joke in here waiting to be cracked. At the very least, a smart-ass comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zipsoutsider Posted August 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 Ha! What an epic typo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kangaroo Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 From pure football perspective, it's exciting to have a kid that's one of the best athletes on a local state championship caliber HS program coming to UA. From an overall perspective – We’ve had a lot of transfers coming into the Program with some baggage. Bowden seems to have an uncanny knack for getting these kids to make the most of their second chance, which is great. But that type of “mercenary” player can’t be the Program’s backbone. The backbone should be the 4- or 5-year kid. But you couldn’t get too many of that player type coming off a couple 1-11 seasons (and the ones that weren’t 1-11, weren’t much better). Jatavis was obviously a 4-year kid that saw through the bad records and recognized the potential of the Program and Staff early-on. But he was special. If you coach at any level, it’s rare that you get a kid that’s one of the best athletes, and also the toughest competitor and a leader. That package just doesn’t come along too often. This kid’s on-the-field resume is solid. That Coach Wattley speaks so highly of his character and leadership tells me he’s also got something the other kids don’t. I look forward to great things from him in the future. The caliber of UA football recruit is rapidly trending upward. In recruit’s eyes we’re now being viewed as a winning program where, if you perform, you will also get a good look from the NFL. Bowden and Amato have done nothing to make me doubt they can identify the talent necessary to run with the big dogs in the MAC. I love it. The season can’t start fast enough for me! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 20 minutes ago, Captain Kangaroo said: From pure football perspective, it's exciting to have a kid that's one of the best athletes on a local state championship caliber HS program coming to UA. From an overall perspective – We’ve had a lot of transfers coming into the Program with some baggage. Bowden seems to have an uncanny knack for getting these kids to make the most of their second chance, which is great. But that type of “mercenary” player can’t be the Program’s backbone. The backbone should be the 4- or 5-year kid. But you couldn’t get too many of that player type coming off a couple 1-11 seasons (and the ones that weren’t 1-11, weren’t much better). Jatavis was obviously a 4-year kid that saw through the bad records and recognized the potential of the Program and Staff early-on. But he was special. If you coach at any level, it’s rare that you get a kid that’s one of the best athletes, and also the toughest competitor and a leader. That package just doesn’t come along too often. This kid’s on-the-field resume is solid. That Coach Wattley speaks so highly of his character and leadership tells me he’s also got something the other kids don’t. I look forward to great things from him in the future. The caliber of UA football recruit is rapidly trending upward. In recruit’s eyes we’re now being viewed as a winning program where, if you perform, you will also get a good look from the NFL. Bowden and Amato have done nothing to make me doubt they can identify the talent necessary to run with the big dogs in the MAC. I love it. The season can’t start fast enough for me! Not to take away from what you are saying, but wasn't Akron Jartavis only option if he wanted to play FBS ball? Him signing with Akron and becoming the player he became is more of a testament of Bowden seeing something in him that nobody else did. It's great finding players like that, but it's impossible to hit on enough of those guys to fill an entire roster. Bowden has already admitted that he uses "Free Agency" to supplement the talent that his recruiting classes lack. Before Bowden we were getting FCS talent recruits. Now we are getting G5 talent recruits. To take that next step we need to get the 3* and occasional 4* recruit that currently decides to leave NEO to go play for Purdue, Indiana, Illinois, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kangaroo Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 1 hour ago, kreed5120 said: Before Bowden we were getting FCS talent recruits. Now we are getting G5 talent recruits. To take that next step we need to get the 3* and occasional 4* recruit that currently decides to leave NEO to go play for Purdue, Indiana, Illinois, etc. I have two comments: 1.) We are already getting P5 recruits. Quite a few of them. They just have a stop at the P5 school before attending UA. 2.) I agree that we need that level of 4-year P5 recruit to go to "the next level." But there are multiple levels you first need to ascend: Level 1 - You absolutely suck. Zips status - Completed. Level 2 - You are competitive, but either don't know how to win, or don't have the athletes to win. Zip status - Completed Level 3 - You begin beating like-talented, and less-talented teams. However, you're note quite ready for prime time. You're bowl eligible. Zips status - Completed Level 4 - You compete for championships. You beat upper-tier, like-talented MAC teams at home, and go 50/50 with them on the road. Zips status - In process Level 5 - You've "arrived." You consistently play for MAC championships and expect 9+ wins per season. You expect to beat lower-tier P5 programs. You begin wooing some lower-tier P5 recruits straight out of high school. Zips status - Not yet started Level 6 - You outgrow the MAC and move to a P5 conference. Zips status - Not yet started. We have completed Level 3. The "Next Level" for the Zips is Level 4. Everyone wants to skip levels, but it isn't possible. Actually it is...only in the negative direction. Hire Rob Ianello and you go directly to Level 1. After the Zips lost highly-competitive games to OU and CMU at home last season, I wasn't pissed off. For the first time in the history of InfoCision I watched the Zips play solid football against a solid opponent. After those games, we went on our late-season tear and the rest is history. That point in time reminded me of a Winston Churchhill quote: "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." For the Bowden era, the beginning has ended. Do the Zips complete Level 4 this year? I hope. The Level 5 teams like NIU and Toledo look like they're having a lot of fun. I want a piece of that action. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kangaroo Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 34 minutes ago, kreed5120 said: Not to take away from what you are saying, but wasn't Akron Jartavis only option if he wanted to play FBS ball? Him signing with Akron and becoming the player he became is more of a testament of Bowden seeing something in him that nobody else did. Since Jatavis committed without even taking an on-campus visit, I think it is safe to say he saw something in Bowden, Amato and the Zips that few other HS recruits at that time did. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zipsoutsider Posted August 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 Captain Kangaroo : +1 for last 3 posts. Stated very well. To see 9 local, talented kids excited to commit to UA this early is a miraculous turnaround from where we were. Convincing kids on a promise of, "We are turning things around, be a part of it." is not an easy sell in the age of instant gratification. These players, whether they play in the league or not, have learned some valuable life lessons from investing themselves into longer term goals and watching it pay off over time. I look at kids like Justin March, Jatavis Brown, Cody Grice and others that stuck around to be a part of it and have to think it must be gratifying to them to see the program turn the corner. We are all hoping that this is indeed the year we are battling for a conference title. "Audacity" seems to be the word that TB is using to challenge the players with this year. I like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 That is what I was getting at. We need to eventually get the P5 talent straight out of high school instead of relying 100% on "free agency". I understand it is a process and if I came off sounding like I'm demanding they get these guys tomorrow, I'm not. We kind of just now are getting to the point where we are getting the pick of the litter in NEO for MAC caliber talent. Overall I've been very pleased as I've seen continuous improvement from this program under Bowden. Unfortunately Bowden had to inherit a program at step 1, as you put it, instead of step 3. Otherwise there is no doubt in my mind he would have this program at least at step 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue & Gold Posted August 25, 2016 Report Share Posted August 25, 2016 46 minutes ago, kreed5120 said: We kind of just now are getting to the point where we are getting the pick of the litter in NEO for MAC caliber talent. I've been a diehard Zips fan since 1993. I've waited 22 years to see this happen. God bless Bowden. And Amato. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.