Recruiting
I have checked out rivals.com and scout.com and check out some of the recruits comin in next yr and I really like some of them, such as the qb's. My only question to you all is why aren't we recruiting more offensive and defensive linemen? I mean we're on the short list for the #1 gaurd or tackle in the nation, but i couldnt really find anymore offensive line men that we were recruiting, and is there anymore news on Campbelle, is he leaning on recommiting, or is he lost, same with Newsome, is he gone for good?
I think that RR is doing a good job in that aspect of his job (especially at the skill positions) but you typically win and lose games in the trenches, so I'm really hoping he can pull some wizardry (like with snake oil and w/e else he used to get shaw)this recruiting year on some quality linemen.
Also regards to the d cordinator, he will probably be out of a job after this year, correct? So who does Rod want to bring in next year for that job? At the beginning of the year I personally thought he might be ok just on the fact that his d played well agaisnt USC last year, but they have sucked bad at times this year. So if he leaves im wondering to myself who are they going to bring in to coach the defense?
November 13th, 2008 at 1:48 PM ^
Right now they have three d-linemen (if you can't Campbell it could be four, more on that later).
They brought in at least six guys last year who all redshirted (I think) who will play O-line, I don't think they're too concerned about it. Especially since Will Campbell appears to have given them a silent commitment, but if it's true we wouldn't know about it until after signing day, hence 'silent.'
I've heard he (Campbell) projects more as an O-tackle than an interior D-lineman, but the nice thing about his versatility is that if they are thin at either line then he will help them there, and he's said he doesn't care which side of the ball he plays.
As far as I know, Newsome is gone for good. He was told by some NFL players that RichRod will not be able to help him get to the NFL, neverminding the fact that RR has done it before with less-touted QB's.
I think Shafer will be here next year. Not sure why, just a feeling. But if he is gone, I hope they go get the Baltimore Ravens D-coordinator (not that it would ever happen, but one can always dream.)
November 13th, 2008 at 2:04 PM ^
early wherever he goes. It won't be much more than 5 weeks or so until we find out where he's going i'd have to imagine
November 13th, 2008 at 2:00 PM ^
As said above, we had a huge class of O-linemen last year, all of whom redshirted, and we have no senior lineman as it stands. We have a commitment from Schofield, and we'll likely get another guy, Maybe Quentin, maybe Lewan, maybe another Omameh type who is a late bloomer.
We have 3 D-linemen committed, it's possible (likely?) we get another in Campbell, and Pearlie Graves is a DT we have a great shot at. That would be a pretty full class there.
Our biggest needs for this year, IMO, is CB. Although Booboo and Warren are both young, we have little as far as solid CB's after them. Getting a stud CB would a great addition, as well as one more solid S. Two of our safety pick-ups project more at OLB, plus the safeties we already have on campus are fairly weak.
Some feel we'll get another outside WR to replace the McNeal decommit, but this is less of a priority now with the solid commitments of the two studs from 2010.
November 13th, 2008 at 2:10 PM ^
So maybe I wasn't crazy for including Jeremy Jackson and Ricardo Miller in the conversation about wide receiver recruiting... Either that, or you're crazy with me.
November 13th, 2008 at 4:36 PM ^
That was a totally different point that you made. You said we didn't need another "slow" WR, like Jeremy Jackson. And I never said those 2 shouldn't be in the discussion, but that doesn't mean we won't take ANY receivers, just that it is now less of a priority.
Do you have to make a dickhead remark on EVERY forum?
November 14th, 2008 at 12:20 PM ^
Yes...yes he does.
November 13th, 2008 at 2:08 PM ^
We're recruiting several offensive linemen. Names off the top of my head are people like Marcus Hall, Chris Freeman, Taylor Lewan, Travis Bond, Quinton Washington... We have good chances with Freeman, Lewan, and Washington. As the above comment stated, we recruited 6 guys last year; all of them redshirted, and nobody is leaving.
That gives us the starting five + Dorrestein + McAvoy + 6 freshmen = 13 returning players on the OL (assuming everyone comes back and/or gets granted a fifth year).
It's somewhat true that Rodriguez hasn't put QB's in the NFL. I realize he hasn't really worked at powerhouses, but Shaun King was the best QB he produced, and he was a mediocre NFL player. Woody Dantzler was a receiver/kick returner, and Pat White will be the same type of player. None of Rodriguez's other WVU quarterbacks did anything after college, either. It's a fair criticism.
I think Shafer's future depends on these next couple weeks. After Purdue, I was ready to get rid of him, mainly because he moved to the 3-3-5, which I don't like. But he obviously realized that was a stupid idea and went back to the four-man line, which allowed two field goals. We'll see how Northwestern and OSU do. If they torch us like Purdue did, I expect he'll be gone.
November 13th, 2008 at 5:37 PM ^
If RR's NFL QB's are suspect what of Tressel? Quick, name the powerhouse NFL QBs that he has produced (please don't say that somehow Troy Smith is a better NFL QB than was Shaun King).
And Tressel has had a much better recruiting base from which to find said QBs.
November 13th, 2008 at 6:20 PM ^
I'm not arguing Rodriguez vs. Tressel. Neither one has had great success developing NFL quarterbacks. But if people are getting in Newsome's ear and saying Rodriguez won't prepare Newsome for the next level, they have a decent argument.
November 14th, 2008 at 11:22 AM ^
That's fine but then he shouldn't be looking at some of the other schools on his list either including OSU. that's my point. Plus, it's not like RR has started out with prototype NFL QBs and failed to develop them, it's just that his type of QB didn't often make it to the NFL in the past (that is changing somewhat) and he was not able to land the 4 and 5 star stud QBs (due at least in part to where he was coaching). In other words, if he started out with a Newsome, there is no reason to think that RR would develop him less than would other programs such as OSU that don't have an NFL QB track record either. And PSU hasn't exactly been an NFL QB factory either especially given all the talent and QBs that have gone through. If anything, PSU's QBs have sucked despite getting blue chip players.
November 14th, 2008 at 11:35 AM ^
On a slightly related note, there aren't many schools out there known for producing NFL quarterbacks. If you look at the starting quarterbacks, they're mostly from random places.
Favre - Southern Miss
E. Manning - Ole Miss
P. Manning - Tennessee
Brady - Michigan
Roethlisberger - Miami (OH)
Romo - Eastern Illinois
Campbell - Auburn
Garcia - San Jose State
Etc.
There are only a couple schools that could be considered modern quarterback factories (off the top of my head): Michigan and USC. Schools that you would expect to produce good pros (Miami, Oklahoma, OSU, PSU, Florida) haven't done much.
November 14th, 2008 at 12:01 PM ^
Kitna - Northern Washington...or Eastern Washington?..lol just kidding.
November 14th, 2008 at 12:56 PM ^
To be fair, I think the jury if officially out on whether RR can develop NFL QB's. In his time in DI, as far as I can recall, his QB's have been Shaun King, Woody Dantzler, Rashard Marshall, and Pat White.
I think we can agree that no coach on this earth would turn Pat White into an NFL quarterback. He's a running back, or he's a WR, plain and simple.
Woody Dantzler is 5'9". He WAS a successful passing QB in college, however - probably equally as successful as Henne.
Rasheed Marshall - was a 2-star recruit. I'm not sure we can hold this one against him.
King, as you noted, was a started in the NFL for some time.
I think it's telling that of the 4 QB's, two are currently WR's in the Arena league, and one is probably on his way.
November 14th, 2008 at 11:01 PM ^
Three straight top 10 finishes in the past three yars, three straight 11 win seasons. Played for the national championship in 89 and 96. Since 1999, WVU has lost 8 fewer games than Michigan, the winningest program of all. If WVU isn't now considered a powerhouse then the bar must be set pretty darn high. Also, a successful college QB doesn't necessarily make a successful NFL QB. When Michigan joins the NFL, they will need to start looking for "NFL" caliber QB's.
November 13th, 2008 at 8:48 PM ^
We have some great depth on the O-line next year. Word is it that Ricky Barnum and Dan O'Neill have really impressed the coaches, plus another 2 linemen will make a nice rotation that Rodriguez spoke about.
I agree with the above posts, we have 4 Safety commits but we need some CB's, maybe another LB.
November 14th, 2008 at 8:05 PM ^
Marshall6'1"-188lbs not really NFL size qb's.
November 15th, 2008 at 11:59 PM ^
I suck more than a whore at a penis party.
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