Question for the recruiting folks...
I looked at Tom's update and the comments in that thread and didn't see it mentioned. I asked the question there as well, but it has moved down the main page and doesn't seem to be getting many views because of that so my question hasn't been answered.
My question is in relation to Wilson. He wasn't mentioned in the update and is someone we had seemed to be making progress with. With all that is going on with the DB's and how quickly things are progressing with some of them I was wondering if anyone had any insight into what is going on with Wilson.
He is one of the few true safeties we have in our sights and I was hoping we would pick someone like him up (a guy who played the position in HS and is projected to stay there in college).
So, any information would be welcomed. Thanks!
I don't think you necessarily need to read anything in to that, it's just as likely that Tom just hasn't spoken to him recently, or nothing's changed since he has.
I don't have any further information on Wilson right now but I'd assume that if Tom had info good or bad, he'd have shared it.
My point is I don't want to read into anything which is why I posted. From all the TVH updates I have read Tom always mentions recruits on the radar and usually (even if there is nothing new) mentions them and says something like: "still in good shape here".
I was just wondering if it was an oversight or something had changed with him given all that is going on right now with DB recruiting. Thanks for your input though, as I have seen through various threads that you keep pretty up to date with recruiting to I respect your insight. Thanks again.
From what I have picked up on Rivals, they do not seem to think he will be a part of this class. In this class we will have Morgan, and a good shot at Standifer, two combo DB's who can play safety if needed. We likely lead for Gant as well. From last years class, we have Tamani Carter and possibly Raymon Taylor who can play S. Not to mention that we have Carvin Johnson, Marvin Robinson and Josh Furman as young safeties on the roster already.
I don't think a true safety is really much of a need. Sure you take them if you have a super on your hands, but it is far down on the list of team needs in this class IMO.
but have you seen our safety play the past few years?
Development for immediate help is going to come primarily from within. Most of the DBs, particularly at Safety, are very young.
I understand that he isn't going to fix anything now, but picking up someone that has played the position his whole career gives him a bit of a leg up on guys who have come in after playing RB, QB, WR, CB etc their whole career IME.
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I think that this discussion sort of highlights a common divide in recruiting philosophies.
One philosophy says that you recruit the best athletes available - so for DB, you get the bestr DBs out there, and then figure out who is going to play CB and who is going to play safety. Similarly, if there are great slots available, you take them, recognizing that they can ultimately shift to outside receiver, RB, corner or some other position of need.
The other philosophy is that you recruit specifically for position, and slot recruits in for the positions that they will play. Under this theory, one might prefer a 3* true safety to a 4* CB who can always be moved to safety.
Ultimately, both philosophies have their merits and both need to be applied with thought (as this staff seems to be doing).
but the kids that just signed havent even enrolled at the university yet.
Wilson would not be playing for us for at least a year, probably more since few kids come in and are immediate starters when we have recruited the position a lot in the last year, so there should be people from last years class that would be ahead of him on expeirence alone.
It sounds like the coaches really like Jarrod Wilson, which is why he got a very early offer even when his highly talented teammate didn't, but there are other guys who they like just as much (Standifer, Morgan, maybe Reeves) at S/CB who are showing more interest in us and are close to committing. We'll take Morgan and then the first to commit between Reeves and Standifer and probably be done at DB.
Like many said, we have a lot of young safeties on team, so it's not a major need. We'll go after two safeties in 2013 probably.
Everyone would be ecstatic, talking about his size, genes, etc. Now we think every player has to be a 5 star. Gant is a big kid and I think at worst he is a good special teamer, more likely a solid contributor. How many times in the past two years have we wanted someone big to play in the secondary.
We've got big kids in the secondary - Marvin Robinson and Josh Furman. Cam Gordon had good size, too, but was too slow.
I don't think Gant is much faster - if at all - than Cam Gordon.
I was surprised he didn't commit when offered
His teammate has major academic/eligibility issues and has to go to prep school. I don't think its about talent, ability, or how much the coaches like Smith - but more so about off-field stuff. That probably was the main factor in his recruitment, since Powers (their coach) probably knew that and told the coaches about the problem. If you read the interview with him (I think from TomVH) its clear that (reading between the lines) he's saying Smith probably wasn't going to fit at Michigan, but Wilson would. This even though Smith has a more impressive offer list.
Agree though that the coaches like Wilson and are in good shape at DB recruiting. They don't really need to take anyone so can just sit back and see who wants to come. Nice position to be in.
You're probably right about recruiting safeties in 2013, but we'll see. In a best case scenario Johnson and Robinson will be returning starters as Seniors, Gordon and Furman return as depth, and Carter, Taylor, and Morgan are the underclassmen waiting in line.
Ideally, safety and every other position is being recruited fairly uniformly across years and without regard for any pressing needs - just target high-end talent.
the staff is willing to take up to 5 DBs. The four you mentioned and Gant are the current projected prospects. I have to believe that this means they are expecting more transfers or they are just going to ignor the offensive side of the ball with the exception of Oline. This would mean 5 DBs, 4 LBs, projected 4/5 DEs and a minimum of 2 DTs giving us 15/16 on D. With 2 TEs and 2 OL already on board that doesn't leave room for anything else but OL if the class size is still projected at 22.
I was thinking the same thing about Wilson. As far as where we stood with him. I think he would be a great get at Safety. And would prefer him over Gant. I absolutely love Standifer but i think we should keep him at CB. We need a big CB, that is physical and has great ball skills. So i hope if he commits he could stay at CB and not have to move to Safety. Of course that all depends on how he develops at the next level.
Wilson has been pretty quiet about his recruitment, and he's only taken a visit to Tennessee (and maybe one to OSU). Things could still happen there, but Jarrod just isn't super focused on recruiting right now.