The Greatest 116th-Ranked Recruiting Class In History
by Sean Keeley on Feb 5, 2009 2:46 PM EST
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PrintOn paper, Syracuse had a horrible recruiting class. They're ranked 116th overall, worst in the Big East and one of the lowest-rated in Division 1-A. Possibly THE lowest depending where you look.
But you don't recruit college football players on paper. That would be silly. And they would be very flimsy and tear easily. So that's why Dougie Howser is so jacked up about his new guys:
"I was telling our coaches," Marrone said at his press conference Wednesday. "This is great, this is what you want. You want people to come back in on some of your recruits. It makes you feel better about your recruits and that you've gotten the right players."
Doug had all good things to say about his recruits. Including, some rather notable comments, including:
[Rishard Anderson] didn't play much his senior year, but we took him off what he did his junior year . . . and he was a tremendous player.
Let the record show I was an AMAZING first baseman in Little League in 1991. I keep waiting for the Mets to call. Not sure what the hold-up is.
[Zach Chibane's] got leadership ability and he's an ex-wrestler. We all know what type of football players these ex-wrestlers are.
We do? I have no idea what that means. Unless you mean he's liable to tear off his Syracuse jersey at any given moment to reveal a Rutgers one and then join Greg Schiano in stomping on Doug Hogue's leg while screaming something about SummerSlam. Cause if that's the case, I don't like it. Not one bit.
When you're looking for a wide receiver, what are you looking for? I'm looking for someone who caught the football.
Uh-oh. That was Gregism-esque, Doug. Let's not start down that road...
"Charley [Loeb] is someone who is 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds. He's one of the first people you want to get off the bus when the other team is looking across the field."
I assume he's wearing a prison jump-suit and snarling whilst doing this.
"I'm from New York City."
And I drive a Dodge Stratus!
What singled [Philip Thomas] out is that he can intercept the football and create turnovers. That's what we're looking to do on defense."
Are we sure someone didn't just re-write a Greggers transcript from last year?
"If you're a big guy and you've had trouble staying in shape over the years, [Andrew Tiller] is the guy you want to stand next to when he walks off the bus. You'll feel pretty good about yourself if you put on those extra pounds during the holidays."
Clearly, Doug Marrone and Mitch Browning have different views on the "big is beautiful" stance.
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I'm lazy - so I'll just repost what I wrote in the Post Standard forums
Now, would we love to have a class loaded with four and five star recruits? Of course we would. But that’s not really been the Syracuse model.
We’ve always succeeded when we’ve had good balanced classes (a couple of four stars, a lot of three and two stars), and our coaching staff was able to develop and “coach up” these players.
Robinson was not a terrible recruiter – he was a terrible coach. Marrone, with the hand he was dealt, put together as decent a class as could be expected, and I think he did a pretty good job with what he had to work with.
The real test will be how the team performs on the field, and how the recruiting “inroads” Marrone has made this time around pan out. If he really is building for the future – and that absolutely seems to be his mentality – then we could be in good shape.
If he’s able to achieve moderate success on the field next year with what he has, then the foundation he has laid this year with the high school coaches throughout the country should really start to bear fruit over the next couple of years.
Time will tell, but I like Marrone’s fire, his work ethic, and the way he has approached everything so far. I’m cautiously optimistic about the future of SU football in his hands.
"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998
Most are
I try to write once in a while, to have a dialog with the three or four non-trolls that frequent the site.
We are definitely outnumbered there.
"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998
I really do think...
…that if we can win 5-6 games next year, then Marrone and this staff will be able to use that (plus the foundation they hopefully have built this year with high school coaches and junior players) to recruit a solid 2010 class.
The jury is still out, obviously, but I really like the guy. I’m looking forward to next year. Of course, when Robinson was hired, I was looking forward to 2005…so I’m couching my optimism by by expecting the worst and hoping for the best.
"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998
hahahaha
I can’t get over this line…." when looking for a WR what are you looking for? someone who caught the football…"
really?
That’s so greggers.
In fairness
He probably just gone done watching tape of Lobdell. Between Lobdell, Rice Moss, and Tim Lane, poor Greggers had more dropped passes in his tenure than he even deserved.
Baby steps, folks.
The way I see it...
…I do not think this class should even count for anything. Let’s face it, Marrone went on blind faith on this players (for the most part) and they went on blind faith on him (for the most part).
The keys are:
Players that were destined to go elsewhere do they get some playing time or do they get a lot of pine. That will matter a lot if Marrone tries to go after other school’s players next season again.
5 DB’s, will any of them get some playing time, or not. That might be key if next season Marrone tries to load up on another position. Again, recruits look at that.
But most of all, does he win or not. If he does and the 14 players that were recruited have a good time in the season they will be the biggest advertising for him when they go back home. Say SU goes 6-6 or better and 4-5 of the recruits make it on to the field I am sure that the recruiting trail will be a lot easier for the coaching staff. If they go 4-8 or worst and not many recruits make it on to the field the recruiting is going to be as tough as it has been in the last 5-6 yrs.
AEM
"If you make every game a life and death proposition, you're going to have problems. For one thing, you'll be dead a lot." - Dean Smith
Wrestlers - I'll tell you what it means...
Actually, the Ex-Wrestler comment is a good one…
Wrestlers spend 1/3 of their time in the their sport on their feet, perfecting their balance, footwork, leverage techniques against their opponent.
Linemen that are also successful wrestlers usually have a higher level of balance, footwork and skill…
Some of the best D1A linemen, ends and tackles were also very successful wrestlers in HS.
For Context: Tim Green was a two time heavyweight wrestling state champion before he joined the orange.
handfighting is also another part
that makes wrestlers good football players. Getting inside on hands is one of the biggest skills of wrestling.
verbal jousting and sarcasm
u can be a wee bit cruel sometimes,i often wonder if u actually write for the national lampoon? i believe jim nance, was a heavyweght wrestling champion at su, before he ended up as fullback for the patriotis, pretty good , since i think he weighed like only 230 lbs, and that was before they restricted heavy weights to under 285 lbs. and not only tim green, but i think all the front four.. that defeated the nebraska shmucks at home, when they were ranked numero uno, destroyed the corn shuckers whole championship hopes, all the “4 wheel drive” defense front, had wrestled heavyweight in hs. interesting for me, since i wrestled in hs, and the brighter more gung ho types, from the football team, were also on the wrestling teams they were much more think out side the box" the typical guy on the basketb all team. also reggie kinlaw, from boomer sooner, and i think curley culp were also ncaa heavy weight wrestlers. of course, way back when, kenlaw was a 6’2", 250 lb middle guard, and culp was from az state? 2 time ncaa champ at 6’1",265 lbs at middle guard. but they definatley whated really quick down lineman. ron simmons at free shoes university- i think at middle guard, two time all american, was only 6’1" and 243 lbs..
Well.......
I hope there is quality because there certainly is not quantity. If 3/4 of these guys redshirt then Big D will have to make a silk purse from last seasons collective sows ear. He needs to do a Drew Brees makeover on Messers Dantley & Robinson ETAL.
Nothing Is Fool proof if you have the right fools.
hand to hand combat at its best.. or ah.. worst?
actually , some of the sas types, other commando types, are instructed in how pencils, rolled up newspapers.. car keys, can be totally lethal to areas like the eyes and throat. naturally, the scots are without doubt head and shoulders above the far east karate types when it comes to head butting.. and ye ould elbows and knees bit" and since your average amerikaner soldaten is almost always bigger and stronger then the opposing number from the far east, they are always taught to knee us gi’s in the groin.. and we are always taught to turn sideways.. and go from there..etc…
whats so great about drew brees?
just another in a long line of cheezy purdue qbs.. tho i gotta admit, he was a forerunner of the mighty mite ala dougie" murfs or whatever u want to call the guys playing at kansas and missouri now.. shoot, at least they dont stand there all day long waiting to make ah" the reads".. like arob and serving as a tackle dummie .. the latest in wanna be nfl offense".. according to guys like wannstead, grob, and of course mr miracle genius at ND-weis..
Do you follow the NFL at all?
Drew Brees is a top 5 QB easily. He almost broke Dan Marino’s passing record this past year. You don’t do that by being “cheezy.” He might be shorter than most Qbs, but he kicks a lot of ass. He can put the ball anywhere on the field with pinpoint accuracy. As for “making the reads”, that’s kind of necessary. That way you don’t stare down one receiver and throw a bunch of interceptions. If you tell me you wouldn’t want Brees as the QB for your team, I think maybe you don’t really know anything about football.
And really, the point being made was that Drew Brees struggled for a couple years, then had a huge turnaround to become a bonafide elite QB. The same would need to happen with ARob or Dantley for us to be comfortable at QB.
wrestlers
from what i know, football coaches really like the wrestler bit, since as the other guy, said, it helps out the big guys with footwork..use of hands.. using weight and learning quick first moves.. and for sure, its like boxing.. u know u have got a total body work out" as these gym types postulate, after spending time wrestling or boxing..
grob as JIM MORA"
the coach at the saints, can u please.. please put that biere’ ad from say , its stored maybe at u tube, jim mora with the beer ad.. its like the absolute.. statement on distorted speech. and we have suffered thru masters of twisted syntax, including pasqualbongna and GROB!
i know nothing... nothing! unter-officier/feldwebel SHULTZ!!!!
and no,i dont follow then nfl football.. why are u even bringing up this crap about the nfl on a acollege football website? and in once case, at least they are improuving, the nfl, since they never acttually gave doug" a chance in the nfl. and up til a few years ago, they would have never given mcnabb, vick, or brees a chance either.they would all have been turned into like defensive backs like bill hurley. hey, your west coast offence, and statue un co orindinated drop back offense and qb , as well as a wonderful" nfl product, grob, with 2 super bowl rings, really were a great sucess here at su , were they not? and u tell me, how davy boy wannstead.. wih all the talent he has amassed at ole pitt.. and of course, playing just like the the grown ups" in the nfl.. i think vs oregon state , they did not even score a point the whole game? how can this be? how can a bona fide genius like weise.. end up with such a terrible record in the c ollege ranks? bu to be honest, its kinda boring to l iston to all these really old as the hills arguments ..here is what i say: if u serius think.. that syracuse football team is ever, gonna challenge LSU or USC head to head.. and win, both teams playing like your favorite nfl wanna be team.. u s hould go see dr phil.. not a way in the way, we are ever gonna beat those guys, unless we resort to subtrevuge and trickery.. and finase, sorta like boise state over boomer sooner. i mean, its laugable, to ever think.. we are gonna be a sucess playing power i and drop back lets be the trojans" of the east football. we might win consistantly vs say temple or ub , bu t never the big dogs. we were very competative with the big dogs.. i very well remember us beating clemson, colorado.. ohio state.. etc, playing with run throw opton qbs. its kind a ovious, folks like still did not get your nose rubbed in the doo doo enough with 4 years of the grobmeister, nfl teams love to play stupid stuff like the prevent defence" the dink pass west coast- never take a chance.. and enact silly rules so their statue qbs dont get hurt in the pocket and can intentionally ground the ball all the time. u explain to me.. why that shmuck at purdue, got his freaking butt handed to h im every year by a michigan or osu defense. and also explain why your heros from the nfl.. grob .. weise and davy boy wannstead are pretty much total failures in college football? cause, un like u and some of the others, i am not a self apointed experten"-non?
I never called myself an expert.
I just find it preposterous that you would claim Brees isn’t great. It doesn’t take an expert to know that he is an elite QB. And since the point you responded about Brees was referencing Brees’ NFL career, not his college one, I commented on his NFL career. And if you paid attention to the NFL you would know that the team Brees plays for and the team Marrone came from, the Saints, runs an offense that is anything but the dink and dunk West Coast. So fear not. Also, the NFL has been giving “running” QBs chances for quite some time. Fran Tarkenton, Steve Young and Randall Cunningham are a few notable ones that come to mind.
As for your shmuck comment: Brees had over 11,000 passing yards and 90 TDs with a .611 completion percentage in 4 years time at Purdue (and was a starter for only 3). Are you saying you wouldn’t take those numbers?
I don’t even really know who you are yelling at because quite frankly I never brought anything up about option QBs. I simply pointed out that being an excellent passer and having the ability to look off receivers is not a bad thing. Regardless of a QBs ability to run. You don’t want a pro-style offense, well you won’t be getting one with Marrone. Take a look at the offense Marrone and Payton created in New Orleans. West Coast it is not. Marrone and his OC have said more than once that a varied, multiple attack is their plan. Just because our QB doesn’t run a 4.3 doesn’t mean we won’t be shifty.
Drew Brees a defensive back LOL
I like the NFL way more than college football. To your point there is no parity in college football the same teams are around every year, partly because of the BCS. In the NFL any team can turn around and go to Superbowl. Also I don’t think it is required to be great in college football in order to make it in the NFL. You have to have smarts the NFL is not about ability at the QB position. Drew Brees is the truth man. Dude averaged like 300 yards a game. You can get your ass handed to you in college and still be successful on the pro level so your argument there doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. Studs in college like Joey Harrington, David Carr, Alex Smith all suck in the NFL.
Coaching in the NFL and coaching college is extremely different. It’s one thing to coach grown men who are millionaires and another thing to go and recruit and run a program. It is crazy to think just because someone was a good NFL coach it will translate over to college football. Same thing goes for college coaches taking a shot in the NFL…it doesn’t always work (ie. Bobby Petrino, Nick Saban).
jrsu1....
arent you the guy that wantedto vote me off the island????lol now you say
Coaching in the NFL and coaching college is extremely different. It’s one thing to coach grown men who are millionaires and another thing to go and recruit and run a program. It is crazy to think just because someone was a good NFL coach it will translate over to college football. Same thing goes for college coaches taking a shot in the NFL…it doesn’t always work (ie. Bobby Petrino, Nick Saban).
part of a good arguement against marrone, not trying to spark that conversation again……but, with what you just wtore you must have doubts about dig-doug…..maybe not doubts but reservations i guess is a better word
My case.
I had my doubts about Doug. The day they announced it I was pissed, I was a Turner GIll guy and on that day and the next week I probably would have stood right next to you yelling don’t eat the Orange snow.
BUT…Doug Marrone has impressed me thus far. I’m saying he is working hard and doing much better than I expected. Plus he surrounded himself with college coaches that had success at some point (I know your argument is look what they did last year). I’d argue look at the situations they were in.
Yes I know full well that NFL coaching doesn’t translate to the college game sometimes but this guy has come in on a mission it seems like. I think what we all have been trying to tell you is no one is yelling Big East Championship or BCS Bid next year just because of what Marrone is doing. We are all impressed and hopeful that he turns it around at some point. You have been overly critical. If people were jumping around saying he’ll lead us to a championship I’d be in the same boat as you, but I do think given some time, he’ll be a good coach.
tiller=shmuck
and i still think guys like him, and frank beamero" are jerks.. they way they ran up the score in both those games vs su. its really no class at all, at least i will say one thing about pas qualbongna, he tryed to graduate as many of the kids as possible, and cept for a couple of those games with mcnabb vs miami, he never ran up the score, and miami, like nebraska, and oklahoma, deserved every bit of pay back. but i think the most interested i wo uld be is trying to remember if purdue won any big 11 championships in his 4 years.to be honest, i am not dumping on the guy, as far as i know, he was rejected and ignored his home state because he was a doug flutie" type of qb.. i think the crisis thing now a days, is finding a qb who can thow on the roll out , opton type of guy, i got to be honest, i have no idea of what goes on in the nfl, i have not followed it in years. i object to pro athletes huge salarys in baseball, basket ball, football. and many of them are extremely poor role models for youth. tho the ones living postive lives, u dont ever hear of their good deeds. its simple..if u got a qb that can be a rattlesnake 2 ways, with his feet and arm, that is the ultiminate. and doug flutie, at 5’11",180lbs? played football a long time, college, canadian cfl, and nfl, retired at what, 42? pretty much, the ballyhooed fast" defenses never did catch him for the most part. one thing for sure, i would rather be running out of bounds, do the 3rd base slide, whatever, then be arob in the wco pocket"..i actually felt sorry for not only him, but his parents.. the grobster , with one of those coaches after apple white or whatever, actually had a su qb , doing some kind of bunny hop" in the pocket. sheer travesty for a school that was known for playing qbs who passed off the opton.
Wrestling
The wrestling comment was a reference to Arthur Jones, our star DT, who happened to be a NYS wrestling champion.
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