Class of '26 Verbal Commits and Offers/Discussion

[Blue & Gold]

So we've got a verbal from a QB with offers from Syracuse, Alabama, Boston College, Colorado, Duke, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, Temple, UCONN, USC, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia among others...

 

and a verbal from a WR with offers from Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Miami, Mississippi State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, Pitt, Purdue, USF, Texas A&M, and West Virginia among others...

 

🧐

[Captain Kangaroo]

5 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

Perhaps just looking for an early opportunity to play that way he can cash in on NIL in 1-2 years.

I have to believe that's the MO for a lot of sub 4- or 5-star HS seniors. P5 programs are loading up on established transfers and stealing seasoned guys from G5's, so 3-star incoming Fr.'s need to go to the minor leagues for a year or two if they want to see the field (rather than redshirt, or see spot duty). Then they can ditch us.

[exit322]

3 minutes ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

I have to believe that's the MO for a lot of sub 4- or 5-star HS seniors. P5 programs are loading up on established transfers and stealing seasoned guys from G5's, so 3-star incoming Fr.'s need to go to the minor leagues for a year or two if they want to see the field (rather than redshirt, or see spot duty). Then they can ditch us.

 

That's the way this game is now.  So we may as well embrace it.

[zippy5]

21 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

So we've got a verbal from a QB with offers from Syracuse, Alabama, Boston College, Colorado, Duke, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, Temple, UCONN, USC, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia among others...

 

and a verbal from a WR with offers from Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Miami, Mississippi State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, Pitt, Purdue, USF, Texas A&M, and West Virginia among others...

 

🧐

Catdaddy will surely chime in but there's just no way those offers were all committable 

[MangoZip]

5 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

Catdaddy will surely chime in but there's just no way those offers were all committable 

Agree, he had to have very limited options when he committed to Akron. Those big offers likely came very early in the recruiting process and are non existent today. Many possible reasons - poor camp performance, high school film wasn’t as good as expected, grades, getting in trouble, coaching changes, etc., all possible reasons. Bottom line is that no kid is going to Akron if they had committable offers at Penn State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Miami, Georgia etc etc. It just doesn’t happen. 

[catdaddyp]

57 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

Catdaddy will surely chime in but there's just no way those offers were all committable 

@MangoZip hit on some of the possible reasons. I’m no longer involved in the recruiting scene, but if I had to guess, it’s probably either grades or that most of those offers aren’t actually on the table anymore. He also may have had someone in his ear telling him to go somewhere he can play early and be developed. Honestly, that’s some of the best advice a high school recruit can get in today’s setup if they aren’t already in line to receive a decent NIL package. Regardless, he looks like a playmaker and could see the field with some refinement. I also suspect he’s not really 185 lbs.

[Blue & Gold]

Kent's kicking our @$$ on twitter this morning. So far they've got 16 of these posts. We have zero.

 

[Captain Kangaroo]

2 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

Kent's kicking our @$$ on twitter this morning. So far they've got 16 of these posts. We have zero.

 

I blame JoMo. He should be engaging the community, Tweeting, Instagramming, recruiting 4-stars without a travel budget, schmoozing donors for NIL funds, tutoring players with sub 2.5 GPA's and singing the Zips fight song while cooking meals for the training table-less team on his Weber Kettle outside the Stiles Center.

 

JoMo must go.

[kreed5120]

We joke, but if we can't fundraise for a ~$3k-$4k training table what are we even doing playing FBS athletics? You would think that would be pocket change for someone like Kaulig.

Edited 5 hours ago by kreed5120

[Blue & Gold]

Got our first!

 

[ZippyDoo]

only thing I could find on Riggins was that he was top rated, he was considering Minnesota but he was not speaking publicly, however Akron may be top of his list if he was going G 5.  Probably playing time.  Come in play for one or two years and bounce.  Unless you are a true super stud you go to any of those Power 4 schools you aren't seeing the field for two or three years.  Come to Akron get on the field right away get that tape and go chase the dollars.

 

Akron is nothing more than JUCO.  That's it.

[LZIp]

2 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

Got our first!

 

Hopefully the delay is a result of us trying to secure a few more commits lol.

[catdaddyp]

 

 

[Blue & Gold]

Daunte Curtis is a new name

 

No, he's not. My bad.

Edited 5 hours ago by Blue & Gold

[catdaddyp]

 

[Blue & Gold]

 

[Blue & Gold]

 

[Blue & Gold]

That's 5 of our 10 verbal commitments.

[LZIp]

Wonder if there’s any chance we could get him back…

 

[LZIp]

35 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

That's 5 of our 10 verbal commitments.

Up to 7!

 

[catdaddyp]

32 minutes ago, LZIp said:

Wonder if there’s any chance we could get him back…

 

I’d love to see him back, but I doubt it happens. Another JUCO stop probably means grades are still an issue. 

[catdaddyp]

Smith-Ray decommited.

[Sergeant Zip]

30 minutes ago, catdaddyp said:

Smith-Ray decommited.

Apparently not 100000000000% committed after all

[zippy5]

Forever a Zip

[LZIp]

While I do like the guys we signed. 7 HS recruits is awfully underwhelming.