M commits aim for top class over individual rankings
MGoBoard Hero (judging from the available user tags?) and security blanket TomVH has a great piece on WolverineNation (ESPN Insider, obviously, but seriously get the Magazine when it's on sale to get the year of Insider) about Michigan commits preferring recognition for their entire recruiting class as a whole, rather than high individual rankings. Probably a good call for a group that's courting the #2 and #4 guys out there, but as TomVH asserts,
[T]he commitments have already taken grasp of Bo Schembechler's famous quote: The team, the team, the team.
(The class, the class, the class?)
Pretty impressive that five guys who have been hearing that they're each among the top 150 HS players in the country can keep that in perspective and focus on the success of the whole team. It's easy to love the way the staff recruits!
April 19th, 2013 at 12:39 PM ^
but I'd just like to say that I like it a lot that all of our classes have this super-school spirit now. It helps a ton in recruiting, and it's going to pay dividends on the field
April 19th, 2013 at 12:41 PM ^
Funny you should say that. I'll always remember sitting in one of my HS classes as a Senior, some time in late 1991 or early 1992 (about 20 years ago), and scouring the sports page of the Freep, looking for UM football tidbits. Well, I had to look hard; as I recall, they were in the back, in the "fine print" among all the betting lines and such.
Anyway, I remember seeing that they'd landed some kid from CA named Amani Toomer and some TX kid named Mercury Hayes.
There were no big ranking services or anything of that ilk, so all it meant to me was that we got a couple of guys with strange names. No "Hello:" post, no muppets, and Kate Upton wasn't born yet AFAIK.
I was also a senior that same year and my buddy actually ordered Tom Lemmings recruiting journal out of Illinois, which I believed was published for college coaching staffs. (We were crazy Michigan fans and as you stated, there wasn't much information to be had off season.) As far as I know, he was the only guy covering this stuff year round at that time and he had both Amani & Mercury way up on his rankings.
However, in the regular papers, there was not talk of ranking or how they rated nationally except that (as you said) they were from out of state and had crazy names. Michigan, I believe had a great recruting class that year under Moeller, but that information was so much harder to come by for the regular fan.
When remembering back, it is amazing to see where this process has come and how it has progressed in 20 years.
I was also a senior that same year and my buddy actually ordered Tom Lemmings recruiting journal out of Illinois, which I believed was published for college coaching staffs. (We were crazy Michigan fans and as you stated, there wasn't much information to be had off season.) As far as I know, he was the only guy covering this stuff year round at that time and he had both Amani & Mercury way up on his rankings.
However, in the regular papers, there was not talk of ranking or how they rated nationally except that (as you said) they were from out of state and had crazy names. Michigan, I believe had a great recruting class that year under Moeller, but that information was so much harder to come by for the regular fan.
When remembering back, it is amazing to see where this process has come and how it has progressed in 20 years.
I was also a senior that same year and my buddy actually ordered Tom Lemmings recruiting journal out of Illinois, which I believed was published for college coaching staffs. (We were crazy Michigan fans and as you stated, there wasn't much information to be had off season.) As far as I know, he was the only guy covering this stuff year round at that time and he had both Amani & Mercury way up on his rankings.
However, in the regular papers, there was not talk of ranking or how they rated nationally except that (as you said) they were from out of state and had crazy names. Michigan, I believe had a great recruting class that year under Moeller, but that information was so much harder to come by for the regular fan.
When remembering back, it is amazing to see where this process has come and how it has progressed in 20 years.
April 19th, 2013 at 12:45 PM ^
But don't you need a lot of guys with high individual rankings to have the #1 class as a whole?
I laughed a little bit, because it is a little oxymoronic. By increasing their ranking with good showings and a good season, that would in turn increase our TEAM ranking. I get that they mean by going out and getting other top guys its about the team, but in this case focusing on yourself would be helping the team too. Of course none of this is objective
i'm not sure how they think they will get the number 1 class since a few of them are nit even doing camps. i thought i saw that cole and ferns are not doing many or any camps this summer.
In terms of the overall team rankings quantity of recruits plays a big role. I usually look at average star per player. USC last year is a good example. On rivals their class for 2013 was ranked 13th. However, their average star per player was 4.42. Texas A&M was ranked 11th but their average star per player was only 3.35. A&M brought in 31 recruits while USC only had 12.
Obviously, you want more than 12 recruits but if UM only signs around 20, their class will be ranked pretty high but they probably won't be ranked #1 because there will be schools that have good classes but sign 25-28 kids.
April 19th, 2013 at 12:48 PM ^
ALL of the recruits belong to us! Sounds like the coaches are doing an awesome job of finding kids more concerned with college and surrounding themselves with talent, rather than getting kids who are focused on the NFL futures they may or may not have. Really like these kids attitudes.
April 19th, 2013 at 12:58 PM ^
of kids brought in by Hoke are amazing. Not saying anything about former staffs, just noting how high character the last few classes seem.
I miss having Tom around here. Tom: ESPN sucks. Come back. I love the new guys here - and absolutely don't want them to go anywhere - but I miss those "TomVH: ..." board topics.
Tom is still just as much of a class act and still offers awesome articles and updates. If you don't already, get insider. TomVH is worth the $. I don't like ESPN either but I enjoy reading his stuff.
If you do get insider, just read the articles, do not read peoples comments on them. That is why I love this site so much more than ESPN, the readers over there are turrible.
Agreed, Tom is still very good based on following him on Twitter. If you don't want ESPN but are considering paying for one of the sites, I'd recommend 247 - just signed up because of Lorenz and features like the crystal ball. Happy with it so far, especially since the first 30 days are free.
Not that it matters, but Michigan doesn't really have a chance to land the #1 overal class according to services since this will be a small class. Pretty much impossible with 16-17 guys.
Lets shoot for #1 in average star rankings then!
Especially since we seem set at K, P, FB, and LS.
If Brian's estimate of 20 is correct it'd be feasible, but still pretty hard to pull off.
Had USC held their class together last year, they would have ended #1 overall with a low # of players. They had what, 5 top 50 guys decommit?
Add Peppers, Hand, McDowell, and other top 100 guys, there is a good chance. Obviously it would be extremely tough, but possible.
Please refer to USC 2013 pre-explosive diarrhea.
And just throwing it out there, but the "16-17" is what they have available right now - there is potential for a bigger class if (when) attrition happens.
I will also state that all recruiting sites rank classes differently, so some sites are a lot tougher to grasp that #1 spot with a smaller class than others.
THERE IS A CHANCE I SAY.
EDIT: What WoodChuck said.
Yeah, you need high individually ranked players to comprise a top class, but the way they are using "top class" is indicating more than just a numbered ranking.
How many highly ranked classes don't pan out? They get to campus and not that many contribute, they burn out, they don't work together.
It's good to see that their focus isn't on how many stars one player is racking up on Rivals, and more on how successful this class can be come time for the season.
I think this is great to move from hoping to be a top 10 class to wanting to be the best. Never hear a team hoping to finish "top 2" in the BigTen. We all strive to be the best, why should the 2014 UM Football recruting class be any different?
Go Blue!
I would think every class wants to have their class be ranked #1. I will assume that this article was more about how they want to get the best group of guys possible together so that they can reach maximum success together. With such a small class this year I am not too worried about how the team ranks, but would love to see Michigan land a few real difference makers at possitions of need. Harris could be one of those. Hand and Peppers could too. Things are headed in the right direction and it is important for that to continue until the success on the field starts showing up.
Slight highjack: Are we kidding ourselves with Hand? 18 of 20 staff at 247 predict Hand to VT. That is a pretty high percentage for a player we are feeling like we have a legit shot at.
Perception is everything.
Rankings don't have a perfect 1:1 correlation to college success (I seem to remember an analysis of recruiting stars vs. performance).
However, the perception that the best want to play for Michigan is huge.
So, getting the #1 class is a big deal....however, not as big a deal as on-field performance and national media exposure.
How many schools who went 8-5 (a hard 8-5 if that is such a thing....) can attract such high profile recruits? I can't think of many. The perception is something special is happening in A2. That gets kids on campus and that's where the magic happens.