#HarbaughEffect: #1 Player in California to visit 3/13

Submitted by Bodogblog on

5* LB Caleb Kelly to take an unofficial visit March 13th.  He is 100% crystal ball'd to Oklahoma, but they have a serious lack of Harbaugh.  Like they don't even have one Harbaugh. 

http://michigan.247sports.com/Bolt/Michigan-Will-Host-Calis-Top-Player-…

This per Steve Lorenz twitter per Steve Wiltfong twitter, the latter of which also says California 4* QB KJ Costello may visit Michigan this week.  Very high on USC, Stanford, and Michigan.  An ominous "decision could come at any time" is included.  Though he's visited Ann Arbor before, so he could in fact be leaning to Michigan.  Perhaps visit Michigan + decision at any time means good things?  

http://247sports.com/Board/30/Contents/Loaded-weekend-on-tap-at-the-Pyl…

 

Justjoshnya

February 28th, 2015 at 9:49 PM ^

Great to hear! Hope we can not only start getting these west coast kids to visit but to also commit! I feel like Costello committing would open up the Californian flood gates. Work your magic Jimmy!

xtramelanin

February 28th, 2015 at 9:50 PM ^

says a boatload about sincere interest.  he's paying his own way.  he wants to talk to some people here.  this is a good thing, a very good thing.

GoBlueInIowa

February 28th, 2015 at 10:45 PM ^

Really dumb rule - I think the cut off should be something in the spring of their junior year. Makes sense to allow officials during spring break/summer than during their fall semester and football season. Seems like allowing them starting the spring of their junior year would have a less negative impact on their education.




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JonnyHintz

February 28th, 2015 at 11:30 PM ^

I can see why they do it though. I mean schools would probably prefer to be able to bring the kids in and enjoy the Gameday atmosphere and see the campus on a fall Saturday afternoon with all the fans going wild. That's going to attract the recruit more than visiting campus during spring break or summer when the campuses are fairly dead. If a kid gets all of his official visits done (they only get 5) by June, schools will lose out on presenting that gameday atmosphere to the kids.

I think a rule could be implemented where the recruits get to use 1 or 2 officials starting in the spring of their Junior year. Then use their remaining starting in the fall of their Senior year. Still allowing for 5 total, and if they don't use them in the spring, they roll over to the fall. Still giving schools the gameday experience with the kids, while still allowing kids with early commit timetables to see schools across the country if they so choose.

CorkyCole

March 1st, 2015 at 11:06 AM ^

I see what you're saying, and I agree with a lot of it. However, there are still a lot of kids that want to make their college choice prior to their senior year, and that number seems to continually grow year after year. Some schools just have to be crossed off the list because of the fact that they can't afford to visit (especially with family).

I think that the kids who want to see that gameday atmosphere and make those late decisions are still going to do that whether or not they have the opportunity to check out the campus on an official before their senior season. I don't think the timelines for a decision of many recruits will actually change much with earlier official visits, but it will give recruits and their families who want to make those earlier decisions a real good look at the schools they are truly interested in no matter the required distance traveled. Some families have the money to do those things on their own, and some don't.

LSAClassOf2000

February 28th, 2015 at 11:51 PM ^

Strangely but not surprisingly perhaps, the sole exception to this rule is men's basketball. If you're being recruited for that, you can start taking official visits after January 1st of your junior year. The NCAA specs out what may and may not happen on official visits right down to the use of transportation as well, which is morbidly amusing. 

Danwillhor

March 1st, 2015 at 4:53 AM ^

Michigan always grabbed a kid or two from Cali & if they didn't they came in 2nd for the services of a lot of Cali kids. I'm barely 30 and it seems that until around the mid-2000s we went away from our national footprint & focused on Florida/Ohio as far as out of state. I'm talking recruits we had a legit shot at. We used to attack the Midwest but always go hard in Cali, Washington, Texas, Louisiana & random Southern states. Most times we pulled a kid from those areas even if one from each or couple. Michigan can't truly compete without Cali, The South, Texas & the Carolina/Virginia areas. I'm glad we're going back hard.

rob f

February 28th, 2015 at 10:16 PM ^

Harbaugh!

TBH, Coach Hoke did a darn good job of recruiting, from his first full class until everything unraveled beyond repair mid-season this past year and several players decommited from what looked to be the makings of a top-15 class.  But Hoke's classes tended to be much more from the Midwest than the nationwide net Coach Harbaugh has been casting so far. 

It's Harbaugh's version of the four-corner offense, recruiting from all four corners of the country and all points in between.

Blau

February 28th, 2015 at 10:36 PM ^

This on many levels!

Both Harbaugh and Durkin have said that the foundation for future teams is here right now. And Harbaugh even thanked Brady on TV during NSD for not leaving the cupboard bare. I have yet to hear the standard "coach needs 3-4 years to recruit his players" because 1. Brady had decent to great classes and 2. The schemes are more easily adjustable to players strengths.

I have no doubt the Harbaughing is upon the college football nation but I'll be happy to see Hoke's recruits, atleast for the next year or two, finally get the correct coaching and development that changes the culture to one of winning championships instead of watching them from home. Harbaugh über alles!

Cold War

March 1st, 2015 at 12:31 PM ^

Then allow me to be the first to give you a version of "coach needs 3-4 years..." The cupboard isn't bare, but it also isn't filled the the type of players Harbaugh will recruit, nor have they been developed as he would.

I just hope expectations for 2015 don't get too high. We were 5-7 in a mediocre conference last season. A 7-5 season wouldn't thrill me, but it wouldn't be particularly surprising or disappointing. 

MAccLA

February 28th, 2015 at 11:29 PM ^

When Hoke came on board, it was expected that he would recruit California hard. It wasn't just because he coached at San Diego St; it was because he helped recruit a lot of talent from California while he was an assistant coach at UM--just a few examples include Tom Brady, Charles Drake, Courtney Morgan, and Zach Kaufman. All of those guys were very high on Hoke when he was hired, which makes the lack of  focus on Cali recruiting so confusing.

rob f

February 28th, 2015 at 10:45 PM ^

and his measurables.  I'm not convinced his paws are big enough or that he's tall enough to be able to see over the linemen.  On the other hand, he looks to be plenty quick, apparently has good reading ability, and is more than willing to study the playbook.

CoachBP6

February 28th, 2015 at 10:17 PM ^

Wonder what the 100% crystal ball prediction to OU is about. Seems like someone either has inside info or just tossing out a wild ass guess. KJ Costello come on down!!!

AZBlue

February 28th, 2015 at 10:48 PM ^

This is indeed the purpose of Costello's visit. if he clicks with Harbaugh and the staff he commits on the spot. He tried to commit to Hoke and then got beat to the punch by DeWeaver and does not want this to happen again. The big question is whether the staff takes Peters if he still wants to commit after Costello.

alum96

March 1st, 2015 at 1:54 AM ^

@bluebots,

Also said in East Lansing and Columbus when kids committed to Hoke.

Just a funny comment in a glorious glass house...

There is something to be said for sustained excellence.  Committing to Oklahoma now is like committing to Carr at any point in the 00s.  I would assume you would not be scratching your head at why kids commited to Michigan in 2003 would you?