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Welcome to National Pat Yourself on the Back Day.
In college football circles, it doesn’t get any bigger than the first Wednesday of every February. All the hard work, all the sleepless nights, all the promoting and promising, all the plane-flying and car-driving, well, this is the day where all of that pays off. Whether it legitimately does with wins on the field or the continuing positive evolution of a program remains to be seen. But, for now, coaches across the country can sit down, take a deep breath, exhale and bask in the reality that so many teens to young men bought in to what they were selling. As signed letters of intent flood fax machines at universities from all levels, most outside those huddled masses in conference rooms with pens, pads, chalk boards, snacks and unhealthy supplies of caffeine really don’t grasp what a big deal this is. But those inside do. Which is why it’s OK to give them a little slack on all the self-congratulatory handshakes, fist pumps, hoots and hollers. Put it this way, push comes to shove, their jobs are on the line by whatever talent “haul” they bring in this time each year. Oh, the affects from it will not be felt, pro or con, for a while. But, make no mistake, how coaches fare in the recruit-to-recoup vetting process, the ultimate compensation goal being success on the field leading to more money, job security and, frankly, interest in the school and its grid program. The catch? The process is a fluid one. A blue-chipper today may be a bust tomorrow. Or a transfer realizing he wants to take his skill set elsewhere, perhaps the school he ditched in the first place after being wowed by another’s sales pitch. Then again, some no-star recruit may blossom into a better player than the five-star kid picked up by the chief rival. Or a walk-on ultimately blows away both. It happens. Don’t think so? Look no further than this past season’s sack leader at the FBS level, Penn State defensive end Carl Nassib. Not even being the younger brother of an NFL quarterback was enough to convince the Nittany Lions to offer him a full ride coming out of high school. He was seen as, oh, a little lean. Now, he’s a sure-fire draft pick this coming April. Still, with all the talent-evaluation out there and the services and sites that provide it, most coaches and their staffs have a pretty good idea of how well they did or didn’t do today, in relation to how that projects into the days, months and years ahead. But the proverbial pat on the back is coming regardless. Because all the work for this incoming class is finished. Next up, spring ball, followed by summer camp and the season. With work being put forth toward cobbling together next year’s incoming class the entire time … in order to earn another round of pats on the back. - Jack Kerwin | ydkjack1@gmail.com |
As signed letters of intent flood fax machines at universities from all levels, most outside those huddled masses in conference rooms with pens, pads, chalk boards, snacks and unhealthy supplies of caffeine really don't grasp what a big deal this is. But those inside do. NATIONAL RANKINGS
1. Florida State | ACC
2. Alabama | SEC 3. Louisiana State | SEC 4. Mississippi | SEC 5. Ohio State | Big Ten 6. Michigan | Big Ten 7. Georgia | SEC 8. Clemson | ACC 9. Auburn | SEC 10. Texas | Big 12 11. Southern California | Pac-12 12. Florida | SEC 13. Stanford | Pac-12 14. Notre Dame | Independent 15. Tennessee | SEC Source: ESPN RELATED |
PERSONAL INVESTING
Perhaps it would make more sense to deal with some financial broker when it comes to backing certain entities, but when you claim degrees from two schools and have passion for their football programs, well, you know the rest. So, the following is a quick take on National Signing Day 2016 for my teams.
TEMPLE OWLS
The “big” news leading up to Wednesday was Temple losing 3-star recruit Dae’lun Darien to in-state rival Penn State, the 6-4, 205-pound wide receiver from Baltimore flipping from his verbal commitment just two days prior to NSD. But, really, Owls head coach Matt Rhule and his staff have the pulse of their team down pat pretty good, recognized and admitted a weakness and went after filling it in a major way. That was evidenced with 8 of the 21 signees Wednesday being DBs, with half of them being at least 3-star recruits. It remains to be seen whether 6-5, 195-pound athlete Branden Mack, out of nearby Cheltenham High, will be utilized in the secondary as well. Regardless, Temple needed more depth there, not to mention speed, and was able to check off both with this group. In addition, the Owls landed a big-time, pro-style QB prospect in Anthony Russo, who played at suburban Philly Archbishop Wood, after he decommitted from Rutgers following a coaching change there. SEC power LSU was hot after Russo when he spurned the Scarlet Knights, but he never wavered from Temple once he chose it. RB Tyliek Raynor, from Philly’s Imhotep Charter, could be a game-breaker down the road for the Owls after choosing them over Arizona. |
ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI
Might as well just call the school 3-Star University, as Wednesday saw 17 of the 22 signees fall into that category. Granted, fellow Big Ten schools are typically battling it out over 5-star kids, but there is something to be said for building a talent base with tons of quality, if not great, players. Oddly, the last-minute purging of the roster by transfers probably paved the way for Bill Cubit and Co. to nail down so many. That is an enticing proposition to offer 17-, 18- and 19-year-olds kids, the chance to play right away at a power-5 conference school … because so many spots are available. Kudos to the head coach and his right-hand man/offensive coordinator/recruiting chief/son Ryan for pulling off such a strong finish to the 2016 recruiting campaign when just days ago it seemed ready to blow up in their faces. LB De’Le Harding appears to be the cream of the crop, choosing Illinois over Michigan, and will have a legit chance to start as a freshman with veterans Mason Monheim and T.J. Neal departing. The most interesting may be Tre Nation, the nation’s No. 2-ranked FB prospect who played high school ball right in reigning national champion Alabama’s backyard. DL Kenyon Jackson is the son of former Oklahoma All-American and six-time NFL All-Pro TE Keith Jackson. |
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