You're right. The one meme will shed a MUCH more negative image of the program than the countless threads on 247, TSL, and here will. Or than people on twitter will.
Of course we could all just lighten up, have a chuckle and move on.
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The fact that the closest we've come to beating a #1 team was with Grant Noel at QB still blows my mind. That blocked punt was top 3 moments ever in Lane for me though.
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So what you are saying is People might be hearing Devyn Ford say I'm committing to Penn State and Virginia Tech? We just need to adjust the frequency in which it is said?
Also, can I stop paying these damn taxes on Tea to the Queen?
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I have seen no confirmation that it did or did not happen. Certainly someone on here or 247 has to have a source at the high school..j/k.
The timeline of the CBs and multiple RB offers this week from our staff highly suggest that the decision was made and communicated to VT sometime Monday.
Whether our coaches chose to take what amounts to a token visit yesterday probably would not have changed anything.
EDIT: see below.
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I couldn't agree with more.
It was pretty evident on who was going to be picked for quite some time this week with the new rb offers going out earlier this week.
I knew it was wrapped up.
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As a professional recruiter... let me just tell you this.... nothing is over until you have the person starts and he makes it past the 60 or 90 day mark.
This is the life of recruiting. Big hopes and dreams being smashed daily, and sometimes you have absolutely no control. You try to take as much control as possible, but at a certain point, you leave the decision up to the hands of another human.
I had a guy who I got 2 deals last week and the question was whether he would take one or the other. He even put his notice in at work. Management turned around and told him they were going to can the Project Manager he was working with because they had received multiple complaints from other sources including the owners AND match the increase in base pay I got him.
I was completely fucked! It's the life I live and any type of recruitment lives.
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Yes, there is very little chance a VT hat gets pulled today, but you are right...this isn't 100% over til December. There is some non-zero chance that things could change from now til then. It's probably not a strong chance but crazier things have happenesd.
Unfortunately, the likelihood is that a Twitter shitstorm is about to erupt that will only reinforce to Ford that he made the right decision and help close the door further.
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In this day and age though I have to believe that recruits know that no matter what school they pick, especially big time recruits, someone is going to be pissed when they make their commitment via an announcement and it's down to 2-3 schools.
Twitter wasn't created yesterday and they are all over it. They have friends that have gone through the same thing. This is where maturity (i know I know, 17 yr old) comes in to not hate the fan base because you catch some backlash from them after you spurn their school for another, especially when dragging it out like this.
Although I don't condone tweeting at recruits anymore than the next guy it happens. Hopefully the recruits understand the game they are in now. I'm sure Rivers got tons of hate mail after he de-committed from PSU to us.
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"After I saw him play, I knew he was special. I called Virginia Tech and UVA .... after freshman year, more offers come in. Virginia tech, etc.... Then the big dogs start coming in. Ohio States, Clemsons Georgias...."
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There's a 2 star RB whose only offer is from Jacksonville State that would be perfect for VT's offense. He has a stump for a left leg but that's a minor hindrance.
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Oh, for some reason I thought he said he wanted to go somewhere he can start from day one and be THE MAN. I know he did say he doesn't care about fancy facilities, etc. oh well
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Gotta think seeing Barkley go number 2 must be an adrenaline rush for prospective RBs. Hopefully we get the same kind of reaction from upcoming linebackers and DBs after seeing Edmunds. Good luck to Ford, he has one hell of a lot of competition out there.
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Just a shitty school to lose him to. Who knows why he chose them, not worth the cycles. I'll say this, I don't think RB's are game changers in Fuente's offense. It's all about the QB and receivers, with a back that can break the free hitter. This guy is good but he's no world beater imo. This hurts more because of what it represents, us being a tier 2 and PSU on the upswing.
Carry on everyone.
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That whole "then the big dogs started calling" comment was pretty brutal to hear. That's a giant FU to the VA schools. How many D1 prospects has that school churned out? May have just burned a bridge to the VA schools.
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We are not getting a major running back recruit until we have a back get major playing time and get drafted. Period. That causes a chicken and egg problem. All other schools have to say about us is that we took a 1000 yard rusher and turned him into a transfer. Also, regardless of extenuating circumstances, Marshawn Williams and Shai McKenzie didn't work out either. Recruiting is a tough high stakes game and other schools will use everything against us.
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Might sound good in theory but this isn't true. Penn State got Barkley without having a running back get drafted early in the previous 10+ years (Larry Johnson was the 30th pick in 2003. We had Kevin Jones, Ryan Williams, and David Wilson all get picked in the top 40 since then).
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One thing though....Ford's coach came across as a prick, but likely had a lot of input in where the kid ended up. The way he talked about VT before the "big boys" came calling should ring loud about how the program is perceived.
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When people talk about a kid's character, I really appreciate that. When that same kid chooses a school like PSU, I'm in awe of how much spin a good recruiter can put on a situation. I mean, high character and PSU don't exactly go hand in hand. I mean, they did until you realized that the grandfatherly coach was covering for a child molester and shaming victims into keeping quiet. I'm shocked they've been able to shed that image so quickly.
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is someone that was involved still a part of that program? that is the only scenario where i could understand this comment. obviously what happened is disgusting but its ridiculous to continue to throw these comments around as if going to PSU is somehow morally wrong or showing you don't care about what happened. i don't see the logic is discrediting a kids character because he chose to go to a school and play football for a program that has a dark past. PSU didn't molest kids, really shitty people who worked there did. aren't those people gone? if it came out that this exact same thing happened under Beamer's tenure would it be fair for people to act as if VT still has an issue even if we gutted the program and had new staff?
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When people talk about a kid's character, I really appreciate that. When that same kid chooses a school like PSU, I'm in awe of how much spin a good recruiter can put on a situation. I mean, high character and PSU don't exactly go hand in hand.
PSU recruits don't care about Sandusky; it literally does not affect them. If you have beef with the fanbase, that's one thing, but it's juvenile to insinuate that Ford has character issues because he decided to attend PSU. He was 8 years old when the story broke.
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Please re-read my comment. I am saying that Ford is clearly a high character kid and therefore PSU convincing him that their "tradition" of being a high character program would take that much more spin by the recruiter. I have nothing bad to say about Ford except I wish he'd picked us. I have no shortage of bad things to say about the PSU program.
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I can't speak for Ford or any other recruit, but I would just have a difficult time going through the recruiting process there after the tour of the locker rooms. I would have a very, very difficult time wanting to shower in the same facilities where that all happened, but I guess I must be in the minority there.
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Recruits just don't remember that. It was a decade ago. Ford was 8 years old at that time. The staff is completely different. These kids' memories go back 3 year tops.
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Just because you gut the personnel thought to be involved doesn't mean you've gutted the program's values, or lack thereof. I'm sure there are people still involved with the program who knew something wasn't right, but continued to drink the kool-aid.
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Not only have they been able to shed it, but the fan base never stopped supporting Paterno. He got off easy. He was told a coach was raping a child in a football facility and he did nothing.
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This fan base has been waiting for a huge class filled with 4 and 5 stars since the beginning of Rivals. Its not going to happen. But without question we should be getting more of the top 10 of VA than we are getting. We did do better with this in the past. There are the players like Vince Hall, Adibi, J. Lewis, Glennon, Royal, Randall, Victor Harris, Tyrod, Ryan Williams and maybe a few others that were VA top 10. There was also several others that we landed that didn't pan out or weren't big time stars. I think that is the difference between now and then. There is always going to be the ones that don't pan out, that's why we cant afford to only land one or two of the top 10 every year. Not only are we not landing these players, we aren't even getting a sniff from several of them.
We also aren't doing very well with the rest of the state. We got a total of 6 players from VA in 2016 and are left to fight for scraps in other states to fill out a class. Not saying scraps in a derogatory way. But schools that win, and have as much talent in their borders as we do, do a pretty good job of locking down their borders. If you believe we can win without players from VA, just go on 247 or rivals or whatever. Look at the recruits from the states that have schools consistently in the top 10 and see where those kids go. They all do a good job of locking down their borders. NC players go all over the place and their state schools suffer. Everyone says NC is close, but FSU, Clemneck and everybody else gets the first pick of those. When we were winning conference titles, we were doing it with VA kids. Our location hurts, but is not an excuse.
I don't know what the answer is or how to fix it, but it is the problem. BTW, we aren't doing bad on the field, but I think everybody wants to see us take the next step.
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We're also getting results from elsewhere, Georgia, Carolina, etc, mind you, I love, love, love to have a fence around the state, but the whole being close to home thing isn't the same as even 10 yrs ago. We got FaceTime, and Twitter, hell, you could be on the phone with your mom all day if you really wanted it. When the "big dogs" go elsewhere, so do we.
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I agree in part. I'll believe we'll have an awesome class when we actually sign one. Every year the next year is supposed to be it. Then kids lean elsewhere and we are left asking what happened and saying next year is the year.
It is what it is and we are who we are.
I do not however believe that our location hurts is in any way. Blacksburg is awesome. It's not like PSU is in some awesome site either. I don't know what people think it is about Blacksburg that people don't like. Sure some people are going to want to go to a school in a big city but that's not the only thing. Top recruits aren't flooding BC because it's in Boston or GT because it's in Atlanta. I believe the program weighs a lot more than location and in the end I believe that location is actually pretty low on the list unless you are saying location in terms of proximity to home.
In terms of top kids in the state, Twitter and the Internet has changed all that and made it much easier to put your film out their and to reach out to recruits. All the players you mentioned were before social media was really blowing up in recruiting. It's different times now and while I agree we need to close on top recruits in the state we also need to target top recruits in other states. Just as kids in VA may want to leave the state just to leave the state, the same goes for kids in other states.
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We say next year is going to be the big one because we truly are in the lead for the top recruits early on, but then the "big dogs start calling" as Ford's coach so eloquently put.
Man with the rumors that he was pushing Devyn to OSU and now it seems it turned to PSU, he is just as bad as the Thoroughbred coaches/mentors. It is almost as if he is trying to leverage himself into a college position.
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I don't mean location as in Blacksburg is a bad place to go. But it is a long drive from where a lot of the talent in the state is. I don't really think that's a big deal. But when you look at what is close to Blacksburg, you have NC which has some players but let's be honest there is a lot of competition there. If you beat out all 4 (5 inc ECU) in state schools, then you have Clemson all over it as well as Tennessee and USCe.
Also close to us is West Va, East Tenn and Kentucky. There's nothing there. We may get a player from one of those states every 5 years.
Then u have DC and Maryland. We have had some luck there. Mostly with 3 brothers, but there's not a whole lot there to begin with. You have to guess we are playing second fiddle to Penn State again there. And you are right Penn state is in a similar landscape to Blacksburg but they get the Penn players, NJ and DC/NOVA/Md. They have made their living from there.
The reason I say Va is because that's our best chance. It's loaded with players that can win national championships. Relationships should be built there. We have former players who coach at the high schools. There's tons of reasons.
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One last post on the Ford situation and then I'm done on the topic.
Up until the botched OSU trip, PSU was a distant 3rd. Devyn had been to PSU, he'd seen the campus, the facilities, he knew who Saquan Barkley was. There have been countless posts about how 'we don't have the money to compete,' or 'PSU just had the #2 player in the draft taken,' but that was not the case in this recruitment - neither was a surprise. Devyn had been to VT and PSU, and knew what he'd be getting at either.
We were outsold. There was a significant sales job and pressure to commit put on by the PSU coaching staff - something our staff didn't do, and hasn't done effectively. We've not been able to put the press on guys and get an early commitment. Getting guys on board early to help build momentum and help secure other players is something this staff has really struggled with, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better.
Franklin told Ford he was going to be the first black coach to win a national championship, which Devyn fell in love with. Whatever his sales pitch and closing effort is, Fuente has to get his shit together a bit and and not only sell, but close. It's really a shame to have a kid who had VT so far ahead be swayed to commit in a single weekend because we can't foster relationships between coaches, players, and other recruits as well as our competition. That is an issue that we can't blame on not having enough money.
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Except wasn't this a close race between anOSU and VT before? To me it seems it was always VT AND another team, as in he always was waiting for another bigger school to look better than Tech did to him.
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I mean I listened to what his coach said last night and disagree wholeheartedly with the sentiment that Tech was far outfront in his recruitment when the top schools came around.
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The coach's comments were disconcerting, but weren't really indicative of Ford's recruitment or recruitment process. His coach wasn't running his recruitment in anyway.
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Agree with Fireman. Ford basically used the "dating an average girl until the popular hot girl notices" tactic...and it worked. Also to say his HS coach didn't have any influence in the process is not realistic.
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I disagree. Ford wasn't ever waiting for someone to notice. He's a 5* back that had offers rolling in during his freshman year and had ~30 offers from basically every bigtime program during/after his sophomore year of high school. He's been a known commodity.
Also, I didn't say 'no influence' but his family was much more involved than some other cases, where the coach may play a larger role.
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If you've followed his recruitment, hasn't been a secret. It's weird to me you'd question this, as it's all been out there for months. Both his parents were in Tech's corner and had been through the whole process with him.
It wasn't money or Saquan Barkley that got him to go to PSU, it was a sales job by the coach and relationships helped foster with other recruits and players.
You said yourself that his family wanted Virginia Tech. But here's the challenge:
Ford said the presence of Asiedu and Slade sealed it for Penn State.
Franklin managed to attract a group of recruits that knew each other, and fostered those relationships. Using one recruit to convince another is a great way to recruit.
I can't fault Ford for going where his friends were. But you also can't use that to claim that there's some deficiency in the way Fuente handled the recruitment. He said himself that they're both quality programs.
At this point, it's crying over spilt milk. Time to focus our energies on getting the next one, not being a whiny, low-confidence fan base.
This was a close one for a top-notch player. I have no doubt we'll also win some of these. Just not this one.
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Franklin managed to attract a group of recruits that knew each other, and fostered those relationships. Using one recruit to convince another is a great way to recruit.
And taking that approach, building a family atmosphere, connecting guys who are from the same region, to recruiting isn't something that requires more money. We love to say we don't have the resources to compete, but little things that make a big impact can be done in Blacksburg too.
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My OP had stated he committed bc of a sales pitch. Not because of facilities, Saquan Barkely, or mountains of cash that PSU has that VT doesn't. A different, more effective form of recruiting got it done. Glad we're in agreement.
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I mean you can't really compete with Franklin saying "I'm gonna be the first black coach to win a National Championship." if that's what resonates with Ford. If he cares more about being on a team that has that specific potential then there is nothing you can do. Relationships aside, Fuente isn't black so he can't be the first black coach to win a National Championship. Shame that stuff matters imo.
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PSU did to the commonwealth of Virginia what Va Tech did to the state of North Carolina last year and the year before as far as recruiting a lot of talented kids that are all friends. I'd assume hit Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina hard and then just comb through Virginia, DC, Maryland, and Pennsylvania for a hidden gem or under recruited kid. 2 and 3 star kids in Florida are often times as good as a 4 or 5 star in other places but just overshadowed sometimes in my opinion. Virginia kids year after year give Va Tech the finger except for very few kids like Hunter. Now all these other RB's know they are second on our list and will know that right away they will also not get the Vick treatment and all the other BS we gave Ford.
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I know some people say that recruiting in state isn't any different than any other locality, but some people do identify with their home state. Plus aren't the scholarships cheaper in state?
Seems to me we do need to push harder in state, even if it means hiring someone who is connected in state as a coach.
I'd support that idea, anyway.
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I'd love to win Virginia every year but the truth is we never will. The kids do not identify with the state and all the 4 and 5 star except for a select few go for the popular schools. Maddy, Dadi, Cunningham, Ladler, Hewitt, and other Florida kids def. make their presence known on the field. Not every 2, 3 and 4 star from Va and other states do that.
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Finding a 'state identity' is going to be tough in VA, just because different regions vary so much culturally. It's not like Bama, or Louisiana, or Mississippi, Kansas, Nebraska, etc where the entire state is pretty similar. Virginia Beach, NoVa, and SWVA each have a unique identity. Plus, for a kid in NoVa, PSU is nearly equidistant from VT; not sure you can call that an 'in-state advantage' just because the recruit lives inside VA state lines.
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I often don't consider NOVA part of the state anyway, there are huge differences once you get to the Fredericksburg area. I made that drive down 95 the other day, and it was so obvious when I had crossed that line.
So yeah, agree completely here.
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Central Va is also different from the East and North part of Va. The whole state with all the military bases is so transient that most of these kids probably have family in other states or grew up in other states at some point in their life. Too many factors but recruiting is definitely not in our favor for whatever reason with in-state kids.
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The military is how I came to VA, as my dad served and then retired in the state. Not sure that it represents that big of a population though.
I think the big thing is that VA is so forward, with business and a lot of mindsets. So kids realize they have so many options and are used to seeing options. Have to remember that many of the NoVA counties are some of the richest, so I'm sure those kids have a lot more access that some kid in Floyd County. I went to high school in Prince George County, and I can tell you the resources I see these high schools have blows away what we had, expectations as well.
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Comments
Don't Tell me, Your phone, right?
shoot my computer doesn't even want to load that last thread anymore haha.
Ummm
Is this even necessary?
This thread, just sitting there, thinking a few Hail Mary's are going to reel the big fish in....
Good more space to vent
/s
"devyn ford nittany lion" anagrams to "dandy inventory of lint"
But "Devyn Ford Hokie" anagrams to "Drive Fond Hokey"
The last week in a nutshell
Someone needs to photoshop Franklin's face over the kids and Fuente's over the woman. I feel like it will get a lot o use over the next few years.
Yeah, what we really need is to make a new meme with our current head coach to paint a negative image of our program. That'll probably help things.
You're right. The one meme will shed a MUCH more negative image of the program than the countless threads on 247, TSL, and here will. Or than people on twitter will.
Of course we could all just lighten up, have a chuckle and move on.
I vote for moving on.
There's so much going on here. I can't stop watching.
or this
If that is the play I think it is....
The fact that the closest we've come to beating a #1 team was with Grant Noel at QB still blows my mind. That blocked punt was top 3 moments ever in Lane for me though.
Indeed it was!
At initial glance it looks like he's trying to do the Miyagi kick from the Cobra Kai series.
Can somebody ELI5? I didn't find anything in that massive last thread. Did he commit to PSU? Why is everyone whining?
VT was the leader until Ford visited PSU, then every crystal ball on 247 switched from VT to PSU. Announcement at 4pm today.
Damn I didn't realize this happened. LAME
Why else did you think this place has been on fire the last couple days?
It's been a hell of a week first we lose Devyn Ford, then the country is split over Yanny or Laurel, next it's the royal wedding
Its both. Adjusting frequencies will allow you to hear each. Its just whichever your ears perceive as dominant.
FFS, 1777 and 1812 happened so we don't have to do this anymore
So what you are saying is People might be hearing Devyn Ford say I'm committing to Penn State and Virginia Tech? We just need to adjust the frequency in which it is said?
Also, can I stop paying these damn taxes on Tea to the Queen?
Yeah, it might be from my ear training as a musician, but I can easily hear both Yanny and Laurel.
British politics is so much more interesting. Question time, parliament etc.
Seeing politicians yell and curse at one another from across a small room is how all political disputes should be settled. Most clever insult wins.
Boy I do not envy Penn State fans right now. All that expectation, so much potential for disappointment.
its ok, they're used to their innocence being taken away from them
Your comment made me feel like I need a shower
via GIPHY
Don't forget we are an engineering school
Your gifs have been on point this week.
How about a Headshot instead?
*savage*
this seems healthy
You know what you should do? Buy the season pass for Fortnite and complete the challenges!
dude im currently on match 48 of the showdown. i aint buying anything for this game
Yea well next time we play im doing this to you... http://xboxdvr.com/gamer/sharkbaithooha1/video/50889067/
Edit: too many damn attempts to embed. fuck it
What does paying for it do? I just started playing with some buddies and as far as I know the free game is the same?
You got my feelings all confused and what not. Are you hating on time or are you breaking things for my job security?
We are all watching the clock. No one likes doing that, so....
So he hasn't actually committed, so there's a chance, still, sort of.... Maybe?
No.
If that is the case I hope these threads are deleted immediately
VT coming out of the in home visit like...
That rat is enormous. Woof.
That's a cat you goofball.
Any info about the visit yesterday by our staff?
I have seen no confirmation that it did or did not happen.Certainly someone on here or 247 has to have a source at the high school..j/k.The timeline of the CBs and multiple RB offers this week from our staff highly suggest that the decision was made and communicated to VT sometime Monday.
Whether our coaches chose to take what amounts to a token visit yesterday probably would not have changed anything.
EDIT: see below.
"Penn State running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider was in to check on Ford at lunchtime. Virginia Tech was also in Thursday to check on him."
This is all I've seen from a quick google
I couldn't agree with more.
It was pretty evident on who was going to be picked for quite some time this week with the new rb offers going out earlier this week.
I knew it was wrapped up.
As a professional recruiter... let me just tell you this.... nothing is over until you have the person starts and he makes it past the 60 or 90 day mark.
This is the life of recruiting. Big hopes and dreams being smashed daily, and sometimes you have absolutely no control. You try to take as much control as possible, but at a certain point, you leave the decision up to the hands of another human.
I had a guy who I got 2 deals last week and the question was whether he would take one or the other. He even put his notice in at work. Management turned around and told him they were going to can the Project Manager he was working with because they had received multiple complaints from other sources including the owners AND match the increase in base pay I got him.
I was completely
fucked!It's the life I live and any type of recruitment lives.Yes, there is very little chance a VT hat gets pulled today, but you are right...this isn't 100% over til December. There is some non-zero chance that things could change from now til then. It's probably not a strong chance but crazier things have happenesd.
Unfortunately, the likelihood is that a Twitter shitstorm is about to erupt that will only reinforce to Ford that he made the right decision and help close the door further.
The Twitter shit storm would have happened to him from the Penn State side as well, if he chose us.
Sure, but then I wouldn't have cared.
In this day and age though I have to believe that recruits know that no matter what school they pick, especially big time recruits, someone is going to be pissed when they make their commitment via an announcement and it's down to 2-3 schools.
Twitter wasn't created yesterday and they are all over it. They have friends that have gone through the same thing. This is where maturity (i know I know, 17 yr old) comes in to not hate the fan base because you catch some backlash from them after you spurn their school for another, especially when dragging it out like this.
Although I don't condone tweeting at recruits anymore than the next guy it happens. Hopefully the recruits understand the game they are in now. I'm sure Rivers got tons of hate mail after he de-committed from PSU to us.
another one....put VT on CB and PSU on Lucy....Ford on the ball
She is wearing their colors.
Anyone know if we can view it online anywhere?
No.
Why give them the satisfaction?
OK, I might be a little bitter.
Any news on commitment video details?
This guy
Hopefully he just has a PSU hat on the table and says....Penn State. Then walks out.
"University of Penn State"
I would die if he said that....ha ha ha ha....would be awesome....at least give us that small victory Ford
FTFY
Only way to fix this recruiting battle is to beat them in 2020! And every other year we play them after that!
The most annoying part is that this just got a little bit more difficult to do.
You know what's sad is that Joe probably had to make a Devyn Ford announcement page just in case
Probably has tears on it.
Antonio Alfano just committed to 'Bama over Penn State, maybe PSU's world is about to crumble.
Yes, I know I am being petty
I told you he's sitting in front of the Hokie hat. Makes it even worse
IT'S 4:02....FINISH IT!!!!
so we not watching this at all?
https://t.co/QD7pq6g8yl Stream
yeah he ended that
Didn't even fool the little kid, who knew it was PSU before the event even started.
Local radio hasn't even mentioned him yet
Stream just ended.. Dont know whats going on
Is it over yet?
Hasn't announced yet
FSU!!!!!!
/s lol
This.....
https://t.co/D2dFJQbnxc New Stream Live now
Why would you guys do this to yourselves? I mean....seriously....masochists
...so where's the live stream?
Live stream (for those of us who are masochists): https://www.pscp.tv/w/1OdKrZBYOwwKX
Holy crap his coach is stealing the show and taking forever.....
Should qualify as torture.
That feel when Bud Foster has been recruiting him since 8th grade....
I'm watching it...I don't know why, but I am.
this is worse than polymer physical chemistry
I want to log in and type "you are" something else in the comments. Someone please do it. I'll give you a shrutebuck.
"This kid has been recruited since he was 14 by Virginia Tech, but he went to Penn State one weekend this spring and things just clicked..." /SARCASM
I'm hoping the coach doesn't go through every visit.
Oh Christ, I hope he didn't say that. (Not sure, because it was in quotes.)
alright this is taking forever....i gotta take my kids to the pool....literally...not a dump
This is brutal. Does this coach think anyone cares about his stories?
after virginia tech and the other local schools..."Then the big boys started offering, OSU, Auburn, PSU." FML
Who's announcing this decision? the coach or the player?
I hope someone...
You would think the Coach is about to commit...
Maybe the coach will commit to PSU and we get left with Ford.
we gonna miss the commit, everyone's battery going to die before it happens.
Alright everybody don't forget to be wary of the "bait hat" if he goes towards ours first or even if he picks it up.
Is there even a Penn State hat up there?
lol
in front of mom
Uh oh... did someone remember to call his mom?
Always the mom.
HEY COACH
PARAPHRASING HC Speech:
"After I saw him play, I knew he was special. I called Virginia Tech and UVA .... after freshman year, more offers come in. Virginia tech, etc.... Then the big dogs start coming in. Ohio States, Clemsons Georgias...."
So we just wait to offer a kid until other big dogs offer him...
via GIPHY
This camera man sucks. Is this normal?
well considering the camera man is a high school senior with an iphone
Looks like mom is wearing blue shirt with white dots.... signed, sealed, and delivered to PSU
Hey, coach...
Someone paste the ...well we're waiting gif!
The cameraman is going to pass out soon.
K bye
fuck
At least we still have Emma
it's psu
Well, BYE DEVYN FORD!
At least he had the courtesy to leak the information out in advance.
via GIPHY
He chose PSU
Gasp. Shocked. Awe. Didn't see that coming...
So the crystal balls weren't just people trying to get attention?
Regardless of the fact that he chose PSU, good luck to him!
*screams internally* .....well next man up!
I have no problem with Devyn's decision.
-Coleton Beck
Well this fucking sucks.
It's over now
From what I can tell, it was over a week ago.
I don't want to seem like a bad sport, but that coach sucks eggs.
I heard he likes blue cheese crumbles
Bleu cheese crumbles are delicious though
Yep. Was all OSU before they were nixed too..
French, you are correct, that coach is an asshat and I have people that van verify.
Guys just wait until next year. It looks like it's going to be the breakout year we've been waiting on.
There's a 2 star RB whose only offer is from Jacksonville State that would be perfect for VT's offense. He has a stump for a left leg but that's a minor hindrance.
Now I can officially move to the acceptance step of the grieving process...
Same story, different year. Shocker.
you mean he gave us the shocker?
exactly.
*****POP*****
I'm glad he picked PSU. Could you imagine how long he would talk to the media!? That was just his high school and he thanked everyone there.
Not everyone wants to start from day one and be THE MAN. We just learned that today. Some people just like to be in rotation and be the other guy.
I can tell you with 100% confidence this simply does not apply to Devyn.
Well, given the relative depth charts...
Aren't they in the run for a 5 star RB next year?
Yeah, Chris Tyree.
/s...but kinda not /s
Oh, for some reason I thought he said he wanted to go somewhere he can start from day one and be THE MAN. I know he did say he doesn't care about fancy facilities, etc. oh well
Gotta think seeing Barkley go number 2 must be an adrenaline rush for prospective RBs. Hopefully we get the same kind of reaction from upcoming linebackers and DBs after seeing Edmunds. Good luck to Ford, he has one hell of a lot of competition out there.
All the more reason to recruit some bigger, faster linebackers.
Just a shitty school to lose him to. Who knows why he chose them, not worth the cycles. I'll say this, I don't think RB's are game changers in Fuente's offense. It's all about the QB and receivers, with a back that can break the free hitter. This guy is good but he's no world beater imo. This hurts more because of what it represents, us being a tier 2 and PSU on the upswing.
Carry on everyone.
Yeah, we haven't had that consistently from anyone, or at least anyone who has gotten a considerable amount of carries in a competitive game.
that is very true. just pointing out it doesn't need to be #1 RB in country to do it.
It doesn't hurt.
Agreed
Remember how Mike Vick tweeted he was excited to watch Ford in Lane Stadium in 2020? Guess who VT hosts that season?
"REP YO STATE"
Unless someone flashes something shiny in front of your face. Then take the shiny.
Who said 'rep yo state'? this isn't the civil war.
On mobile so I can't embed. He even retweeted it a couple days ago.
https://twitter.com/tsunamiford/status/942047021103534080?s=21
That whole "then the big dogs started calling" comment was pretty brutal to hear. That's a giant FU to the VA schools. How many D1 prospects has that school churned out? May have just burned a bridge to the VA schools.
I hope the VT coaches have a word with that coach about it.
I'm just mad there will be no Ford puns.
"Ford couldn't Escape and Dax hit him like an F-150.."
We are not getting a major running back recruit until we have a back get major playing time and get drafted. Period. That causes a chicken and egg problem. All other schools have to say about us is that we took a 1000 yard rusher and turned him into a transfer. Also, regardless of extenuating circumstances, Marshawn Williams and Shai McKenzie didn't work out either. Recruiting is a tough high stakes game and other schools will use everything against us.
Not going to happen in Fuente's goofy running back system
Come on. How many times do we really have to go over this?
Might sound good in theory but this isn't true. Penn State got Barkley without having a running back get drafted early in the previous 10+ years (Larry Johnson was the 30th pick in 2003. We had Kevin Jones, Ryan Williams, and David Wilson all get picked in the top 40 since then).
One thing though....Ford's coach came across as a prick, but likely had a lot of input in where the kid ended up. The way he talked about VT before the "big boys" came calling should ring loud about how the program is perceived.
I didn't
haveget to listen to the comments, but I gleaned that his coach turned the occasion into a chance to market himself.I just want to escape, but I have like 150 things left to do so I really need to focus.
When people talk about a kid's character, I really appreciate that. When that same kid chooses a school like PSU, I'm in awe of how much spin a good recruiter can put on a situation. I mean, high character and PSU don't exactly go hand in hand. I mean, they did until you realized that the grandfatherly coach was covering for a child molester and shaming victims into keeping quiet. I'm shocked they've been able to shed that image so quickly.
It was so horrible they were able to instantly block it from their memories, as if it never happened.
is someone that was involved still a part of that program? that is the only scenario where i could understand this comment. obviously what happened is disgusting but its ridiculous to continue to throw these comments around as if going to PSU is somehow morally wrong or showing you don't care about what happened. i don't see the logic is discrediting a kids character because he chose to go to a school and play football for a program that has a dark past. PSU didn't molest kids, really shitty people who worked there did. aren't those people gone? if it came out that this exact same thing happened under Beamer's tenure would it be fair for people to act as if VT still has an issue even if we gutted the program and had new staff?
JoePa did what he did in order to perpetuate the program that he built.
If you want to claim the legacy of the program, you have to also acknowledge that part.
PSU recruits don't care about Sandusky; it literally does not affect them. If you have beef with the fanbase, that's one thing, but it's juvenile to insinuate that Ford has character issues because he decided to attend PSU. He was 8 years old when the story broke.
I neither insinuated nor said ANYTHING about Ford's character, so you're completely off base with that comment.
What I said was that the Penn State program is where it is because it's supporters didn't bat one eye over the scandal.
Whoops - I meant to respond to Hokie07ME's comment.
Ah, OK. Makes more sense in response to that quote, just not in response to my comment.
Still, I don't think he's talking about Ford's character, more the character of the program and how they don't mesh with what we know of Ford.
I do agree that the character of the program can change when you replace all the staff.
Please re-read my comment. I am saying that Ford is clearly a high character kid and therefore PSU convincing him that their "tradition" of being a high character program would take that much more spin by the recruiter. I have nothing bad to say about Ford except I wish he'd picked us. I have no shortage of bad things to say about the PSU program.
I can't speak for Ford or any other recruit, but I would just have a difficult time going through the recruiting process there after the tour of the locker rooms. I would have a very, very difficult time wanting to shower in the same facilities where that all happened, but I guess I must be in the minority there.
Recruits just don't remember that. It was a decade ago. Ford was 8 years old at that time. The staff is completely different. These kids' memories go back 3 year tops.
Just because you gut the personnel thought to be involved doesn't mean you've gutted the program's values, or lack thereof. I'm sure there are people still involved with the program who knew something wasn't right, but continued to drink the kool-aid.
Not only have they been able to shed it, but the fan base never stopped supporting Paterno. He got off easy. He was told a coach was raping a child in a football facility and he did nothing.
I guess MV7 won't be buying those 2020 season tickets...
This fan base has been waiting for a huge class filled with 4 and 5 stars since the beginning of Rivals. Its not going to happen. But without question we should be getting more of the top 10 of VA than we are getting. We did do better with this in the past. There are the players like Vince Hall, Adibi, J. Lewis, Glennon, Royal, Randall, Victor Harris, Tyrod, Ryan Williams and maybe a few others that were VA top 10. There was also several others that we landed that didn't pan out or weren't big time stars. I think that is the difference between now and then. There is always going to be the ones that don't pan out, that's why we cant afford to only land one or two of the top 10 every year. Not only are we not landing these players, we aren't even getting a sniff from several of them.
We also aren't doing very well with the rest of the state. We got a total of 6 players from VA in 2016 and are left to fight for scraps in other states to fill out a class. Not saying scraps in a derogatory way. But schools that win, and have as much talent in their borders as we do, do a pretty good job of locking down their borders. If you believe we can win without players from VA, just go on 247 or rivals or whatever. Look at the recruits from the states that have schools consistently in the top 10 and see where those kids go. They all do a good job of locking down their borders. NC players go all over the place and their state schools suffer. Everyone says NC is close, but FSU, Clemneck and everybody else gets the first pick of those. When we were winning conference titles, we were doing it with VA kids. Our location hurts, but is not an excuse.
I don't know what the answer is or how to fix it, but it is the problem. BTW, we aren't doing bad on the field, but I think everybody wants to see us take the next step.
We're also getting results from elsewhere, Georgia, Carolina, etc, mind you, I love, love, love to have a fence around the state, but the whole being close to home thing isn't the same as even 10 yrs ago. We got FaceTime, and Twitter, hell, you could be on the phone with your mom all day if you really wanted it. When the "big dogs" go elsewhere, so do we.
You just have to win, baby. Just have to win.
There is some rebuilding that needs to be done with the in-state recruiting, but it's worth the effort.
I agree in part. I'll believe we'll have an awesome class when we actually sign one. Every year the next year is supposed to be it. Then kids lean elsewhere and we are left asking what happened and saying next year is the year.
It is what it is and we are who we are.
I do not however believe that our location hurts is in any way. Blacksburg is awesome. It's not like PSU is in some awesome site either. I don't know what people think it is about Blacksburg that people don't like. Sure some people are going to want to go to a school in a big city but that's not the only thing. Top recruits aren't flooding BC because it's in Boston or GT because it's in Atlanta. I believe the program weighs a lot more than location and in the end I believe that location is actually pretty low on the list unless you are saying location in terms of proximity to home.
In terms of top kids in the state, Twitter and the Internet has changed all that and made it much easier to put your film out their and to reach out to recruits. All the players you mentioned were before social media was really blowing up in recruiting. It's different times now and while I agree we need to close on top recruits in the state we also need to target top recruits in other states. Just as kids in VA may want to leave the state just to leave the state, the same goes for kids in other states.
People just look for an explanation where there isn't one.
The misses seem huge, but overall, this program is still growing. It's going to take longer than any of us want.
We say next year is going to be the big one because we truly are in the lead for the top recruits early on, but then the "big dogs start calling" as Ford's coach so eloquently put.
Man with the rumors that he was pushing Devyn to OSU and now it seems it turned to PSU, he is just as bad as the Thoroughbred coaches/mentors. It is almost as if he is trying to leverage himself into a college position.
I don't mean location as in Blacksburg is a bad place to go. But it is a long drive from where a lot of the talent in the state is. I don't really think that's a big deal. But when you look at what is close to Blacksburg, you have NC which has some players but let's be honest there is a lot of competition there. If you beat out all 4 (5 inc ECU) in state schools, then you have Clemson all over it as well as Tennessee and USCe.
Also close to us is West Va, East Tenn and Kentucky. There's nothing there. We may get a player from one of those states every 5 years.
Then u have DC and Maryland. We have had some luck there. Mostly with 3 brothers, but there's not a whole lot there to begin with. You have to guess we are playing second fiddle to Penn State again there. And you are right Penn state is in a similar landscape to Blacksburg but they get the Penn players, NJ and DC/NOVA/Md. They have made their living from there.
The reason I say Va is because that's our best chance. It's loaded with players that can win national championships. Relationships should be built there. We have former players who coach at the high schools. There's tons of reasons.
Borders don't exist. There is no pride in staying in Virginia. Many kids want to stay close, but that isn't always in our favor either.
Hi all just showing up. Whats the haps?
Oh hell.
Hey, aren't you supposed to be at the Royal Wedding!?!?
He must have tweeted during he ceremony, as he waited for the bride and groom.
Pretty sure I spotted him behind George Clooney there for a second.
I was, didn't you see me?
can we start the all in on Chris Tyree thread?
All seriousness, I have no clue who any of our remaining targets are (all positions). I saw a ton of offers went out. Who are we going after?
A bunch of RBs who are (legitimately) going to be told by other coaches that we're only going after them because we missed on Ford.
One last post on the Ford situation and then I'm done on the topic.
Up until the botched OSU trip, PSU was a distant 3rd. Devyn had been to PSU, he'd seen the campus, the facilities, he knew who Saquan Barkley was. There have been countless posts about how 'we don't have the money to compete,' or 'PSU just had the #2 player in the draft taken,' but that was not the case in this recruitment - neither was a surprise. Devyn had been to VT and PSU, and knew what he'd be getting at either.
We were outsold. There was a significant sales job and pressure to commit put on by the PSU coaching staff - something our staff didn't do, and hasn't done effectively. We've not been able to put the press on guys and get an early commitment. Getting guys on board early to help build momentum and help secure other players is something this staff has really struggled with, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better.
Franklin told Ford he was going to be the first black coach to win a national championship, which Devyn fell in love with. Whatever his sales pitch and closing effort is, Fuente has to get his shit together a bit and and not only sell, but close. It's really a shame to have a kid who had VT so far ahead be swayed to commit in a single weekend because we can't foster relationships between coaches, players, and other recruits as well as our competition. That is an issue that we can't blame on not having enough money.
Except wasn't this a close race between anOSU and VT before? To me it seems it was always VT AND another team, as in he always was waiting for another bigger school to look better than Tech did to him.
He's a 5* back. There will be other bigtime teams looking at him. VT was the driver seat for the bulk of his recruitment.
I mean I listened to what his coach said last night and disagree wholeheartedly with the sentiment that Tech was far outfront in his recruitment when the top schools came around.
The coach's comments were disconcerting, but weren't really indicative of Ford's recruitment or recruitment process. His coach wasn't running his recruitment in anyway.
Agree with Fireman. Ford basically used the "dating an average girl until the popular hot girl notices" tactic...and it worked. Also to say his HS coach didn't have any influence in the process is not realistic.
I disagree. Ford wasn't ever waiting for someone to notice. He's a 5* back that had offers rolling in during his freshman year and had ~30 offers from basically every bigtime program during/after his sophomore year of high school. He's been a known commodity.
Also, I didn't say 'no influence' but his family was much more involved than some other cases, where the coach may play a larger role.
How can you possibly be in a position to assess this?
If you've followed his recruitment, hasn't been a secret. It's weird to me you'd question this, as it's all been out there for months. Both his parents were in Tech's corner and had been through the whole process with him.
It wasn't money or Saquan Barkley that got him to go to PSU, it was a sales job by the coach and relationships helped foster with other recruits and players.
http://www.fredericksburg.com/sports/north-stafford-running-back-devyn-ford-commits-to-penn-state/article_53deba3a-3bfe-58c9-bcda-5a223718cd0c.html
You said yourself that his family wanted Virginia Tech. But here's the challenge:
Franklin managed to attract a group of recruits that knew each other, and fostered those relationships. Using one recruit to convince another is a great way to recruit.
I can't fault Ford for going where his friends were. But you also can't use that to claim that there's some deficiency in the way Fuente handled the recruitment. He said himself that they're both quality programs.
At this point, it's crying over spilt milk. Time to focus our energies on getting the next one, not being a whiny, low-confidence fan base.
This was a close one for a top-notch player. I have no doubt we'll also win some of these. Just not this one.
And taking that approach, building a family atmosphere, connecting guys who are from the same region, to recruiting isn't something that requires more money. We love to say we don't have the resources to compete, but little things that make a big impact can be done in Blacksburg too.
Wait, now you're making my argument.
So "mission accomplished".
My OP had stated he committed bc of a sales pitch. Not because of facilities, Saquan Barkely, or mountains of cash that PSU has that VT doesn't. A different, more effective form of recruiting got it done. Glad we're in agreement.
Are we sure james franklin is black?
Only one way to determine this.
I find the reaction similar to the one produced by this
I mean you can't really compete with Franklin saying "I'm gonna be the first black coach to win a National Championship." if that's what resonates with Ford. If he cares more about being on a team that has that specific potential then there is nothing you can do. Relationships aside, Fuente isn't black so he can't be the first black coach to win a National Championship. Shame that stuff matters imo.
First hispanic?
First coach with a WWE belt?
So when he flips to VT before December signing, we're going to welcome him like nothing happened, right?!
Will be no room for him by that time
PSU did to the commonwealth of Virginia what Va Tech did to the state of North Carolina last year and the year before as far as recruiting a lot of talented kids that are all friends. I'd assume hit Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina hard and then just comb through Virginia, DC, Maryland, and Pennsylvania for a hidden gem or under recruited kid. 2 and 3 star kids in Florida are often times as good as a 4 or 5 star in other places but just overshadowed sometimes in my opinion. Virginia kids year after year give Va Tech the finger except for very few kids like Hunter. Now all these other RB's know they are second on our list and will know that right away they will also not get the Vick treatment and all the other BS we gave Ford.
I know some people say that recruiting in state isn't any different than any other locality, but some people do identify with their home state. Plus aren't the scholarships cheaper in state?
Seems to me we do need to push harder in state, even if it means hiring someone who is connected in state as a coach.
I'd support that idea, anyway.
I'd love to win Virginia every year but the truth is we never will. The kids do not identify with the state and all the 4 and 5 star except for a select few go for the popular schools. Maddy, Dadi, Cunningham, Ladler, Hewitt, and other Florida kids def. make their presence known on the field. Not every 2, 3 and 4 star from Va and other states do that.
I think its wrong to assume that it can't be a factor at all, or that VT can't ever win the state.
Finding a 'state identity' is going to be tough in VA, just because different regions vary so much culturally. It's not like Bama, or Louisiana, or Mississippi, Kansas, Nebraska, etc where the entire state is pretty similar. Virginia Beach, NoVa, and SWVA each have a unique identity. Plus, for a kid in NoVa, PSU is nearly equidistant from VT; not sure you can call that an 'in-state advantage' just because the recruit lives inside VA state lines.
I often don't consider NOVA part of the state anyway, there are huge differences once you get to the Fredericksburg area. I made that drive down 95 the other day, and it was so obvious when I had crossed that line.
So yeah, agree completely here.
Central Va is also different from the East and North part of Va. The whole state with all the military bases is so transient that most of these kids probably have family in other states or grew up in other states at some point in their life. Too many factors but recruiting is definitely not in our favor for whatever reason with in-state kids.
The military is how I came to VA, as my dad served and then retired in the state. Not sure that it represents that big of a population though.
I think the big thing is that VA is so forward, with business and a lot of mindsets. So kids realize they have so many options and are used to seeing options. Have to remember that many of the NoVA counties are some of the richest, so I'm sure those kids have a lot more access that some kid in Floyd County. I went to high school in Prince George County, and I can tell you the resources I see these high schools have blows away what we had, expectations as well.
Um...we made a small dent in North Carolina. UNC still took the top recruits in the state
Nope. Either NCST or VT won the state of NC recruiting.