Don't Worry about Lack of Hoke Verbal Commitments

Submitted by Dreisbach1817 on

I know some people are getting antsy about Hoke & Crew not getting any commitments yet for this class.  Some are even begging for commitments from players that are possibly not even worthy of an offer just yet, just to get that first "Hello" off their chest. 

My Message - All we need is just a little patience.

To give you some perspective, Rich Rodriguez did not get his first "full year" recruit until March 28.  Brian Kelly's top 5 ND class of this past year didn't get its first commit until March 20.  Naturally, new coaching staffs need time to reach out, build relationships, and prioritize on players/positions.

With Jr day coming up on March 26, and a spate of visitors coming in before then, I see at least 2-3 commitments in March, with the staff having a huge April/May/June.

In particular, I'm interested in our DT recruiting.  Day, Valentine, Schutt, O'Brien (I see Godin as more of a DT/DE hybrid).  I'd love for us to land 2 of those first 4. 

Also, interesting that we hired Montgomery to recruit the Southeast.  Does he have big time connections down there?  He played at Iowa and coached most in the West and Midwest.  I'm curious how he will fair in SEC country.

 

 

PurpleStuff

March 12th, 2011 at 10:31 AM ^

These kids can't sign until almost a year from now.  With the new rules changing the offer timeline, there is also a reason for things to take a little longer than usual. 

Even being aware that Michigan doesn't have any commitments for next year's class (less than a month after this year's signing day) is probably an indication that you need a hobby (myself included, of course).

PurpleStuff

March 12th, 2011 at 11:57 AM ^

Not sure on the details, but I think the coaches aren't allowed to give written/official offers as early as they used to (not sure on the timeline though).  I remember someone on the front page writing about how now it is tougher to differentiate which offers are really commitable offers and which ones are more of an expression of interest (since none of them are official yet).

Magnus

March 12th, 2011 at 12:01 PM ^

Players used to be able to receive offers on September 1 of their junior year.

Now players can't receive offers until August 1 of their senior year.

For example, a Class of 2012 kid would have been able to receive an official offer on September 1, 2010 under the old rules.  Now he can't get an official offer until August 1, 2011.

samsoccer7

March 12th, 2011 at 10:32 AM ^

Are people worried about the lack of verbals?  There was a front-page post the other day comparing # of verbals with other teams with a similar recruiting profile, basically saying not to worry.  I'm not worried.  Why worry?

Magnus

March 12th, 2011 at 10:53 AM ^

Full disclosure: William Campbell committed several months prior to your March 28th date for the 2009 class.  However, he then decommitted once the 2008 season began and toyed with our emotions until the Army All-American Bowl. 

But yeah, there's no need to freak out.  And the first couple guys to commit in March of that year were Teric Jones and Isaiah Bell, neither of whom has made a significant impact at Michigan.  That's the difference between Rodriguez and Hoke so far.  Rodriguez offered mediocre guys really, really early.  With very few exceptions, Hoke has only offered elite prospects this early in the process.

Magnus

March 12th, 2011 at 2:36 PM ^

When you're talking about 122 of the top recruits in the entire country, then yes.  Who cares if they're not ranked or they're 3-stars?  Scout hasn't ranked that many players, and Rivals hasn't ranked any of them.  It's only mid-March.

I would be the first to tell you if Michigan was offering players who aren't very impressive.  But most of these guys are pretty damn good.

john22

March 12th, 2011 at 10:56 AM ^

think Coach Hoke and company will do just fine. We are in on a lot of top prospects,it just takes time. After we sweep are rivals this year,the recuirts will come.GO BLUE!!!

aaamichfan

March 12th, 2011 at 11:21 AM ^

"I know some people are getting antsy about Hoke & Crew not getting any commitments yet for this class.  Some are even begging for commitments from players that are possibly not even worthy of an offer just yet, just to get that first "Hello" off their chest."

This happens every year. We're talking about a large group of sexless nerds on the internet here.......they're gonna get antsy over stupid things.

bluesouth

March 12th, 2011 at 11:24 AM ^

Montgomery in the Southeast.  But I kinda like the def line coach recruiting in the SEC area for this reason.  SEC country is really rich in Def line prospects especially def tackles. 

Tater

March 12th, 2011 at 11:27 AM ^

The Michigan positive publicity machine is back in full force.  The people who sabotaged Michigan's efforts the last three years are helping the school again.  Hoke, while his W-L record and mind-set on offense may not inspire confidence, looks like he is a top-notch leader.

Hoke is the perfect front man for the current machine.  I am worried about the offense, but recruiting should be extremely good, especially this year.  Ohio is a goldmine this year, and their flagship school isn't going to get first pick anymore until their NCAA speculation is resolved.  The rest of the midwest is above average, too. 

In a great recruiting year for the midwest, Hoke's midwestern-ness will be an asset.  There are a few things about the new regime that have me extremely worried, but this year's recruiting class isn't one of them.  This should be a top ten class, and maybe a top five class when it's all said and done, solely on the strength of the midwest this year. 

The only thing that would help even more would be for "Dantonio to his dream job at TSIO" rumors to sabotage MSU's class. 

JimLahey

March 12th, 2011 at 11:55 AM ^

Agreed. Also, with the heartbreak we had last year involving several 5-star prospects, I don't really give a shit who commits a year early, it means nothing.

dennisblundon

March 12th, 2011 at 2:39 PM ^

The only benefit of an early commit is it builds a positive buzz and sometimes gets the ball rolling. In the grand scheme of things though, a commit in March doesn't mean jack shit. A lot can happen between now and signing day.

m83econ

March 12th, 2011 at 6:26 PM ^

If you are thinking that Michigan should be getting 5 star recruits, you have every reason to be worried for this year.  Given the lack of time this coaching staff has had to build relationships with the 2012 class, the lack of early commits probably means a year of 3/4 stars.  In fact, the lack of early commitments from highly rated Michigan players will result in 2 straight years of mediocre classes (i.e. fringe Top 25).