This is a fun read: http://247sports.com/Article/Behind-the-scenes-of-the-2014-recruiting-cy....
We weren't the only ones to lose a commit to UVa because of their relationship with the Thoroughbreds.
Four-star wide receiver Jamil Kamara was a similar instance informing Wisconsins staff of his intentions that he was going to commit and sign with them. He told the Badgers late this past fall. So much so that Wisconsins staff placed his name on its commit board.
The local connections through his Thoroughbreds 7-on-7 team proved to be too much in the end and Virginia won for the four-star receiver.
Isaiah McKenzie wasn't happening...
Four-star wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie told Brian Kelly during a late January in-home visit that he was coming to Notre Dame. Then, he and the Irish parted ways once the offer from Virginia Tech showed up last Wednesday and Notre Dame told him there was no spot for him unless he took his final official visit to South Bend. He was set to sign with Ole Miss upon returning from the Virginia Tech official until the Georgia offer arrived at 3:30 p.m. Monday. His connection with his teammate, four-star RB Sony Michel, and the support system in place in Athens for him proved to the ultimate deciding factor.
Comments
Well I guess one good thing with LOLuva getting these "thoroughbred" recruits - they spend all their life hearing how great they are, it'll give them a good dose of humble pie.
#teampie.
#TeamPie
I love both of you
#teamcake #omnom
No one wants a slice of humble cake.
I stopped paying attention to Kamara when he named his top 3 and VT was not on it.
I double stopped paying attention to him when he insinuated that winning didn't matter. What a Hoo!
Almost downvoted you for insulting the kid, but then I realized you were simply telling the truth.
I feel the same way, I cant wait for VT to beat these 5 Star kids 4 years in a row. Remember when ELI HAROLD #1 recruit 2011 was telling everyone "were changing the program around." Yeah hows that 2-10 season feeling, and how does it feel to lose to VT yet again. This trend has got to change sooner or later, maybe once we get our Indoor facility completed. Weve got to Win a big game that were not expected to win to get these kids attention.
It pains me to say this, but basically ANY big game we play in.
"We're not expected to win any games." -Coach London
"We play 3 bowl games a year" - Mike London
Once the indoor facility is done we should host a 7-on-7 championship game or something and help them realize what a great football university looks like.
I'll be disappointed if we ever get within a mile of a 7-7 team
I'm almost certain that it is a violation of some sort to host these games or tournaments on campus. Could be wrong though.
Don't think so. As long as they're not charging for it, it'd be like just another VT prospect camp.
Unless it has changed, they are banned
http://www.forbes.com/sites/bobcook/2012/01/17/ncaa-bans-7-on-7-high-sch...
ahhhh, so forget that idea!
I don't like saying negative things about 18 year olds, but as we learn more about the Joystiq, God am I happy he won't be coming to Blacksburg. Now granted this is all hearsay, but from everything I have read/heard, he sounds immature, self-centered, and flippant as all hell. I don't want that type of character in the locker room - that persona divides a team and pollutes team spirit.
As the great Charles Barkley once said, "I could be wrong, but I doubt it."
Eventually we are going to have to put aside the "I don't want anyone like that on our team" excuse if we ever expect to win a national championship, unfortunately.
See...I don't think we have to. We were there before without it, but lost after losing a few key players in the game.
We can get there again, and win it.
How do you know everyone was a stand-up person, though? We had more players dismissed from the team throughout that era than we've had recently.
That was also before the new age of technology in recruiting. Now that we can actually see the attitudes of the players in their day-to-day lives, I think the perception of who's good and who's bad plays a little too much into people's reactions to recruit decisions.
They may not have been completely, but back then when players got booted from VT, it wasn't big news. It was, borrowing from West Wing, thrown out with the trash.
The recruiting policy didn't change from then until now. As far as I know, we didn't have fake boosters, fake classes, paid teachers for passing grades for football stars, or anything like what other schools have gotten in trouble for.
I'm not 100% sure, but I think we also didn't have the 5 star recruits, or even a whole mess of 4 star recruits at the time.
Maybe I'm having the wrong argument. If I am, I apologize. But "We had more players dismissed from the team throughout that era than we've had recently," seems to say it best. The one's that acted out too much, or weren't with the program got the can. You may recruit them thinking one thing, and learn later that's not the case, particularly during a time when behaviour and thoughts aren't out there for everyone to see. It's different now, and, even in trying to give kids the benefit of the doubt, or an opportunity to mature, they'll still get canned by Frank...maybe a little too late sometimes (as in CJ), but it's not like he lets that slide on his team.
Think Saban would put up with a PD? He is all about team and efficiency. You don't do your job right and you don't play.
Saban does what he needs to do to win. Thing is, he can pick and choose who he wants on his team because it's already set for the next 3-4 years. VT doesn't have that luxury.
Then there's this little insight as to how Mike London evaluates talent, courtesy of the Daily Progress. Mike London on new OL signee Steven Moss:
Ok, so we should expect to see CML hanging out in bowling alleys? Perhaps a recruiting letter to Earl Anthony will be coming soon? (Earl....YOU!) Does he check to see what kind of scores the kids are putting up? (Sorry kid, you're just not picking up enough 8/10 splits). It's a whole new world out there, folks.
Coach London's Bowl'O'Rama:
'Hoo Warmups:
Maybe he's just trying to get back to a "bowl game." I'm not sure he's clear on what that actually is...