Even if you take recruiting rankins as Gospel, you should still take May recruiting rankings with a grain of salt. Especially for guys in CT that do not get a lot of attention from recruiting services. The more exposure he gets, the more likely he is to climb in the rankings. (this all putting aside that i take rankings with a grain of salt anyways).
Harbaugh will prove to the most doubtful of us he has a clue on how to put a team together. As you said, he knows, better than you, he could bring in higher rated kids. Must be something about this one he likes. Hope he does o.k. with this coaching thing.
Actually, the aggregate of the recruiting class was my point. If we only had one or two other low-rated commitments, I wouldn't think twice about this. But he would be our 12th commitment for 2017, and the fifth rated below .8600 on 247. I arbitrarily picked that number as a range that's not close to four stars.
Yes, I understand that we need fullbacks and that you don't find them in the top 100. I'm encouraged that about this kid's MVP at the regional opening, so maybe Mason shouldn't be part of this conversation. But I'm still puzzled and disappointed that we accept commitments from as many lower-rated recruits so early in the process.
To say just trust the coaches ignores the fact that last year they took quite a few similar commitments early on and then had a mess when they decided later that they did not want some of them.
Put it this way: Compare our current list to Ohio State or Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame or Oklahoma and see if you think we're keeping pace.
When it is a Fullback / Blocky Catchy Type you have to trust Harbaugh over the recruiting sites. He may be a 3 star in general but could be a high 4 star to our system if that makes sense.
I understand wanting higher ranked players especially when it is a skill position player or a QB but you have to keep our system in mind when evaluating these Blocky Catchy types. Especially when they can play multiple positions.
to do both. Jim could easily start a recruiting site and no one would question his breakdown of the film, his analysis of what the kid has compared to others in his class, the best pro prospect, et. al.,
He's also proven he's a damn fine football coach, one of the best in the nation at any level. You have a man that, if he desired, could start a recruiting site and have instant recognitition as the best at what he does. That same guy is building a team and he is fully aware that sometime a 5* lber is not best complemented by someone else with a certain skill set that also makes him a high 4 or possibly a 5. Rather, in the team he desires, he needs this piece for a certain reason, as head coach, he knows fully well why. Others might not get it. Obviously, others do not. But he knows if he can get all the pieces he wants - for lack of better terminology, another 5* in team building, not individual break downs - he'll have a team capable of playing oh let's say with a team that on paper is 54 pts better than him. Everyone of those running recruiting sites laugh at him and ask, What the fuck is he doing?
Well he's goes out and does just that, beats a team 54 pts better than him on paper and not a point better than him on the field. Would you rather him take his talents and put them to evaluating players for the rest of the nation, or would you trust him to build our team the way he wishes? Afterall, you must remember he's evaluated all the others and chose this guy for a particular reason. I'm going to cut him a slack, know he hasn't earned it yet, but something tells me he's got a future in this game as the head man.
Didn't I read its his FIRST camp? That means he hasn't been rated properly, and/or the way you want, with the star system.. The players need to go to camps and events, to get evaluations, and then the stars follow.. correct? So your concern right now is moot.
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This is a good distinction, but EVEN THEN there's a lot more to it. Major programs have had lower rated recruits become stars. Some coaching staffs are better at catching those guys than others. How many 3-stars did MSU have drafted last weekend? Even programs like OSU and Alabama have had 3-star guys become major contributors and draft picks. Hell, many of our current starters were 3-stars including our three draft picks in 2016 (Glasgow was actually below that).
Why does this have to be a thing every time Michigan takes a commitment from a sub-4-star player?
He appears to have very good instincts and diagnoses plays very well/fast. Yes, he is the biggest and fastest guy on his high school field but I think the coaches see enough to work with.
Are not all D1 prospects the biggest and/or fastest and/or strongest players on their high school teams?
I'll give little on the level of competition narrative all day long. But, don't we only want the kids that are bigger, faster and stronger than everyone? I do not believe it should ever be a knock on a guy to be that baddest MF on the team, no matter the level competition or level of football.
As of this reply, my points were 1111.....This pleases me
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With the lack of numbers at FB, I would love to see this kid added to the class. He seems like a perfect fullback in this offense. And we probably need 1-2 fullbacks a year at least with how many that will see the field. I love this pick up...if it happens.
Even at FB he's pretty big. But he might be more of the FB/H-back that some of those guys play. He's almost TE sized.
Wasn't he just voted MVP of the NY Opening regional as a LB? Seems like that would include a lot of very good players. Where was Dillon's Opening regional? I thought that was also NY. I get the whole recruiting stars thing, but if he is the MVP over a bunch of other players, with that strong an offer list, perhaps he has a legitimate shot at LB? Any player that gets an invite to the Opening isn't a player that has no chance at succeeding with a big time football school...
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They were at the same camp - it was the NY/NJ Opening regional. People have said on here that Mason was the LB MVP (I haven't seen that linked to anywhere yet) but he was not invited to The Opening. 6 guys from that camp were, including Dillon, but Mason was not one of them. Being the MVP for your position does not mean you get the invite.
Still, being the LB MVP is certainly a good sign, especially since his LB skills are more of a big thumper, which does not show well without pads.
This post notes that Mason was one of 247's top performers on defense and references in that bullet that he won MVP honors, though without a link:
http://247sports.com/Article/New-Jersey-The-Opening-Regional-Top-Perfor…
He was the MVP of the linebacker position.
Yes there are concerns about level of competition, but elite coaches like Harbaugh or Meyer know how to scout talent.
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Regardless of perceptions of the level of competition.
I linked it at 9:23 AM...
I see the same thing over and over again with recruits like this with offers from Harbaugh. He is physical and has multiple Ivy League offers. One last note, Michigan will be one of the tallest teams in college football in a couple of years. Harbaugh loves tall defensive backs.
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