Mathis, who is visiting Nebraska, has apparently named a new leader. It shouldn't be too hard for the mgocommunity to guess which school it is.
It would seem that when Brian said:
Usual disclaimers about a long way to go apply. Mathis might be one of those kids who gets excited about everybody—he's already committed to and decommitted from($) Washington.
he was right on the mark...
April 14th, 2012 at 10:34 AM ^
I'd rather that he go to USC then commit to Michigan and decommit, or, worse yet, commit, come to Ann Arbor, and then eventually leave.
It would be great to get him, but I agree with your gut feeling that he'll end up staying close to home. It seems that the kids that love everywhere and have trouble deciding often pick the most comfortable choice close to home. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing at all... these are young kids going through a no doubt overwhelming process, and I would have felt most comfortable staying close to home at that age as well, particularly if there was no clear cut front runner.
It would be interesting to examine the attrition rate at schools who recruit more nationally. I think it's fair to say that recruits from far away are more likely to leave early than those close to home.
Anyway, I think it's good to have a more realistic lowering of expectations for Mathis... if he chooses Michigan, which he may still (still planning on an official), it will be a very nice surprise.
His positive impressions of UM and Nebraska have gotten the attention of other Cali kids like Su'a, Eddie Vanderdoes, Michael Hutching etc. Even if Mathis is an extremely impressionable kid with a short term memory, as long as he's raising the profile of B1G schools on the West Coast, I see this as a positive.
People on Twitter are bitching to Bosa alot about his tweet "Heading to that school up North." He had two other tweets in reply "Chill out!" & "I was just joking." I would tag but on mobile. I think our slim chance of ever getting him is gone & looks like Ohio is right in it..
Positive kid. Loves everywhere he goes. Enjoys his experiences, and is open minded..takes it all in, and imagines playing with all the guys he meets. Then when someone asks him what he thinks, he gushes all over it.
He probably really doesn't know exactly what he's looking for. I had no clue what I wanted when I was 17.
I would love to get him, but he needs to just go everywhere he needs to, and then decide.
I wish him luck.
He would be a great get for the 2013 class, of course, but it is nice to actually see a kid like Mathis just take it all in, make his visits, and seem to enjoy the experience as a whole rather than latch onto any one school right off the bat. To me, I think that means that, even if we're not it in the end, he'll make the best choice for him and he'll be more likely to stick with it, and that will only help him on and off the field - that's exactly what you want to see recruits do, I think. I wish him the best.
April 14th, 2012 at 11:02 AM ^
Us..
I was going to say something last weekend, but I thought I'd keep my mouth shut. When he said "I was going to commit, but I thought that was being greedy without seeing every other school", I knew he wasn't going to Michigan. For those of you that don't know, that's recruit speak for "Someone make a big deal over me!". Which good for him, that's the way it should be if f that's how he wants his recruitment to go. In my experience, it's the rare kid who says "he would've committed" or something to that degree, that actually goes to that school that he would've committed to. Most recruits are very vague, or give generic responses. Kids who do give the generic responses, is a sign of a kid who has solid adults and coaches around him.
April 14th, 2012 at 10:04 AM ^
Oh so you know where he is going since he isn't going to Michigan? Do tell....
April 14th, 2012 at 10:13 AM ^
If a gun were to my head, Slippery Rock if a gun were to your head.
April 14th, 2012 at 10:20 AM ^
I enjoyed that.
April 14th, 2012 at 10:29 AM ^
You're reacting out of anger that the kid isn't going to Michigan. He's right, that is recruit speak for "make a big deal out of me". I knew it then too. Please don't pretend like it doesn't happen, b/c it does all the time.
April 14th, 2012 at 11:02 AM ^
I can tell you what the weather is not going to be today. It's not going to snow, and be 20 degrees. Just because I can tell you what the weather wont be, does not mean I can all of the sudden tell you what the weather will be.
Similiarly in this case, just because RDT said Mathis isn't going to Michigan, doesn't mean RDT knows where Mathis is going.
April 14th, 2012 at 11:16 AM ^
Rdt knows where he is going no better than I do. The only known is that there is a long time until signing day and anything can happen. Rdt saying he isn't going to M is his speculation and nothing more. The kid could still Go Blue. FUN!
April 14th, 2012 at 11:57 AM ^
I know the kid can still go blue, and I was not trying to infer RDT has any insider information on the matter. I hope once he has taken all his visits, and after naming all his new favorite schools, he'll have time to settle down and think with his cousin Su'a, and ultimately decide where is best for them. Hopefully it's Michigan, but even if it's not, I feel Mathis is really just a luxury get for us at this point. Su'a is more of a position of need, but I still feel interior DL and WR are where this coaching staff should be focusing.
April 14th, 2012 at 12:54 PM ^
I would say the exact opposite about out needs. We already have Dymonte committed, and he is also a freak athlete at safety like Su'a. We only have one DE. The coaches are still recruiting multiple DEs, but no safeties besides Su'a as far as I know. That tells me they're looking at DE as more important at this point.
April 14th, 2012 at 10:15 AM ^
Loved every school after his visit. And we all know where he ended up. My early prediction is he doesn't leave Cali and probably ends up at USC.
April 14th, 2012 at 10:35 AM ^
Or Jordan Payton. But I'd hate to label a kid that way. It's still WAY early and he's not even a senior yet. Let the kid take it all in and make whatever decision is best for himself.
April 14th, 2012 at 10:20 AM ^
he will demand a different jersey number every week.
April 14th, 2012 at 10:22 AM ^
I'm shocked!
April 14th, 2012 at 10:25 AM ^
I don't care if he's 17 or 37, That's silly as hell. It's like the kid who's favorite candy is the one he's chewing on from his Halloween basket. Skittles, NO! NO! Milky Way, No! No! KIT KATS, ya thats it!! I like Coke, no Pepsi, no Coke. God forbid this kid ever tries drugs.
April 14th, 2012 at 10:34 AM ^
Maturity is clearly your strong suit.
April 14th, 2012 at 11:39 AM ^
you don't follow recruiting much? Not that all recruits say the samething...but this type of thing happens,more often,in recruiting. Enjoy the ride...
Edit: Hadn't read Bama's post,which pretty much echo's my sentiments.
April 14th, 2012 at 10:27 AM ^
Ok i have a perfect plan for this kid...Schedule a official visit the day before signing day
April 14th, 2012 at 10:52 AM ^
Forgive me, guru of all things high school.
April 14th, 2012 at 10:46 AM ^
Nebraska must have shown him their prized cow.
April 14th, 2012 at 10:56 AM ^
You got that right! Nebraska is in possesion of the Red Heifer!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_heifer
Some Christians believe that the Second Coming of Jesus Christ cannot occur until the Third Temple is constructed in Jerusalem, which requires the appearance of a red heifer born in Israel. Clyde Lott, a cattle breeder in O'Neill, Nebraska, United States, is attempting to systematically breed red heifers and export them to Israel to establish a breeding line of red heifers in Israel in the hope that this will bring about the construction of the Third Temple and ultimately the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.[7][
April 14th, 2012 at 11:54 AM ^
i always thought it was spelled "herford" and pronounced 'heffer'. but what do i know.
April 14th, 2012 at 11:07 AM ^
Yeah this makes me feel fairly certain that he's not coming to Michigan. Can't get em all
April 14th, 2012 at 11:12 AM ^
Is this an official visit to Nebraska or no? Even if it's not, the fact that it's their spring game and he's there for a whole weekend makes it understandable that the visit could be better than just popping into Ann Arbor before a combine. I'm not reading into his recruitment too much until after the officials. RDT makes a good point as well, which sucks because I was very excited about this kid.
April 14th, 2012 at 11:27 AM ^
Nebraska is the flavor of the week. When he takes his officials and then names a leader I will tune in, but he has proven the last couple weeks (which is fine by me, let him have his fun) that being his "leader" isn't anything to write home about in this stage of his recruitment.
April 14th, 2012 at 11:34 AM ^
This thread is why I don't follow recruiting intensely. You run into a bunch of people who get emotionally attached to 16-18 year old kids who almost never feel as passionately about colleges as their fans.
April 14th, 2012 at 11:47 AM ^
Cool story, bro.
April 14th, 2012 at 11:41 AM ^
But, but, but...
Plus
Equals
April 14th, 2012 at 12:13 PM ^
I knew from the first story that he was the kind of kid who likes the last school he's seen the most.
Whomever gets his final official visit and/or coaches in home visit will win this one.
April 14th, 2012 at 12:46 PM ^
I think people might be overeacting a tiny little bit to what is basically a headline. Lets hear what Joe actually said and then take it from there.
April 14th, 2012 at 12:55 PM ^
He's already committed to Washington (and decommitted), claimed he almost committed to Michigan on his visit to Ann Arbor, and is now claiming a third team is his leader. I don't think we really need to wait for more information.
The only thing to take away from this is that signing day is 10 months away.
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