Sleazy Signing Day Move

Submitted by JonathanE on December 17th, 2021 at 8:54 PM

Recruiting, like the meat industry is a dirty-nasty business which is best left without the consumer taking to close a look at how things are done. Still, I hope Michigan/Harbaugh never lowers themselves to this type of crooting non-sense.

On Saturday, December 11, 2021, Jaishawn Barnham, a 4-star linebacker from St. Francis in Baltimore, Maryland gave University of South Carolina coach Shane Beamer his verbal commitment. According to various articles, the family was decked out in South Carolina gear and Barnham talked about how South Carolina was the place for him. Ten minutes after that verbal pledge, Beamer received a telephone call letting him know that it was all a show to let Mike Locksley, the head coach at Maryland, make some headlines by flipping a big recruit on signing day.

Beamer continued to recruit Barnham and sure enough on Wednesday, Barnham flipped to Maryland.

I understand that coaches up and leave at a moment’s notice but it seems especially sleazy to verbally commit to a school just to flip on signing day for some headlines. I really wanted Locksley to succeed at Maryland even though I wasn’t really happy with the grudge he had over Gattis becoming the Offensive Coordinator at Michigan but I hope that Maryland and Rutgers improve so that they are not cakewalks. Crooting is a messy business but I hope that Michigan never dips to that level.

https://www.thestate.com/sports/college/university-of-south-carolina/usc-football/article256630436.html

 

https://www.outkick.com/shane-beamer-was-ready-for-the-recruiting-flip/

 

https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/terps/bs-sp-maryland-football-2022-national-signing-day-20211215-hlneh4zvrffibdhuejytca3rgy-story.html

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Qmatic

December 17th, 2021 at 9:22 PM ^

I’ve come to kinda accept Rutgers. They have been what is expected but look to be becoming somewhat competent at Basketball and not a tire fire at football. Maryland was supposed to be an immediate upper tier basketball team in the conference and despite pretty good recruiting they haven’t moved the needle at all. And they are basically Purdue success wise in football without the occasional flashy offense and upset 

Joined: 01/09/2013

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lilpenny1316

December 17th, 2021 at 9:33 PM ^

I hope everybody hangs 100 on Maryland while Locksley is there. 

And in terms of them being good, screw that. I'd rather MD and Rutgers be cakewalks and for Sparty to go back to the pre-Dantonio days. I wouldn't complain if we had only two tough conference games every year (OSU/PSU). That's what Bama has and UF/LSU before them and everyone fellates the SEC because they dominate in bowl season. If we take care of business this year, one year after OSU made the title game, the narrative about the B1G will change.

Joined: 11/19/2009

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Lakeyale13

December 17th, 2021 at 9:36 PM ^

You’re headed in the wrong direction if this is how you have to create a “buzz” around your program.  
 

What recruit watching that said “Holy Crap!  Maryland just flipped a kid from South Carolina!  Something special must me happening with the Terps program!!!!”  

Joined: 11/16/2014

MGoPoints: 27224

Blue@LSU

December 17th, 2021 at 9:39 PM ^

So many questions...

I wonder why the kid would go along with this. I image he just lost a ton of credibility in the eyes of coaches all across America. I hope for his sake he doesn't enter the portal during his college career. He might not get too many looks.

His HS coach must be mortified. I know St. Francis is a powerhouse nationally, but they would have to be afraid this would damage their reputation. (Maybe I'm off base here).

Locksley is the biggest loser here. This just makes him look like a dick. I hope every coach tries to hang 100 on him just out of solidarity with their fellow coaches. 

Joined: 11/04/2016

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901 P

December 17th, 2021 at 9:56 PM ^

And why tell the USC coach your plans? You could make this arrangement with the MD coach and never tell the other coach, and maybe that way it doesn't leak. I guess that's even more of a jerk move, but if you are already doing this then informing the USC coach as a "courtesy" doesn't really make amends. 

Joined: 01/12/2015

MGoPoints: 9976

901 P

December 18th, 2021 at 2:46 PM ^

After reading the articles it's a little unclear who informed the USC coach--it sounds like someone with knowledge of the situation, but not necessarily the recruit himself. So someone from his family, someone from his broader "camp," someone from Maryland--who knows? I agree with the other commenters here--the whole thing seems really weird and has a lot of missing pieces. 

Joined: 01/12/2015

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NittanyFan

December 18th, 2021 at 12:24 AM ^

Yeah, this story doesn't make a ton of sense - there are a few unanswered questions.

Another question - what on Earth sort of beef would Maryland/Locksley have going with South Carolina/Beamer anyway?  Yes, the 2 schools compete for a few of the same mid-Atlantic recruits, but they don't overlap that much and they aren't exactly recent rivals (their last head-to-head game was in 1971). 

If someone told me Locksley was pulling this stunt on Franklin (or vice-versa), I'd nod my head more.  Those 2 have a bit of a personal history w/ each other, they each have a history of doing eye-rolling things and they directly compete.  This one is just weird. 

Joined: 12/04/2012

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HighBeta

December 18th, 2021 at 12:34 AM ^

My read is that the kid plus his family were in on this bit of drama. My read is also that a third party tipped off the SC coach to what was about unfold.

If this report is strictly accurate? Tacky behavior which may come back to bite the player, his family, and the Terps. Not a good look for many people...

Joined: 10/20/2019

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MGolem

December 17th, 2021 at 9:54 PM ^

Why does any defensive player sign up to play for Maryland in the first place? It is clear they are clueless on that side of the ball. Maybe this guy should have spoken with the now departed Branden Jennings before flipping. 

Joined: 10/14/2010

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The Oracle 2

December 17th, 2021 at 10:02 PM ^

If true, it was a sleazy for a coach to ask a recruit to do it, but it was equally sleazy for the player to agree to participate. I wouldn’t want a kid who willingly went along with something like that.

Joined: 02/25/2018

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UM85

December 17th, 2021 at 11:58 PM ^

I understand the sentiment and I too would want to shy away from recruiting a possible character problem.

But out of curiosity, what if the kid is guaranteed to be a first team All American / 1st round draft pick in the NFL?  Would that change things?

If not, I applaud your convictions. 

Joined: 10/24/2017

MGoPoints: 10318

cbs650

December 17th, 2021 at 10:12 PM ^

I believe this is done by many schools but mainly via the silent commit route. Commit silently to school x but flirt with big name schools publicly so when you announce publicly it looks better that school X beat out school Y and Z for big time recruit A. 

Joined: 02/07/2011

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Grampy

December 17th, 2021 at 10:12 PM ^

Why would the kid let himself be talked into such a deceptive PR stunt?  If Locksley or his staff put him up to it as a condition for signing him, why would he ever want to play for that bag of dicks?  Why would he embarrass St Francis’s program, it was your platform and support?  I am guessing that there was money changing hands.  The whole thing stinks of baby poop.

Joined: 06/29/2012

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bsand2053

December 17th, 2021 at 11:13 PM ^

This level of pageantry is shitty but recruits do this on their own all the time.  Rayshaun Benny knew that he was flipping for months before he did so.  Hopefully it wasn't at the encouragement of Harbaugh but rubbin's racin' and shame on Tucker if he didn't realize that Benny's decision not to sign early was a major red flag

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