We got our first campus invite

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

So, does your boy have a committable offer from anyone yet?

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

They went 5-5 on the year and didn't make the playoffs. Freshman year he went for over 1,100 yds rushing, last year he blew out his ACL and this year he split carries with the Senior RB. He got 116 carries this year for 500 yds. He didn't get a ton of receptions this year, but, when he did, he made the most of it. He had only 5 catches this year for 82 yards.

I am actually worried about the team next year. His coach, the first two seasons, had to resign after last season. His parents came down with cancer and he moved back to Alabama. They went 7-3 last year and were really rolling, then, they went and hired this clown who, I think, is in over his head. He's arrogant, stubborn and apparently doesn't like when the players ask him about adjustments about certain fronts they are seeing. I talked to some people in the area and apparently, he made a deal that if given the job, he would step aside if Coach Graham came back. Which sounds like a far-reaching theory, but, could explain why qualified candidates who had previous HC experience and success, were turned down for the job.

He actually even held some letters, from Jake and other players, that were sent to the school instead of our house. I talked to a friend of mine on the USF staff about that and he said that isn't normal protocol for most HS coaches. I mean some of these letters were from September/October and were asking Jake to fill out forms, etc. that we didn't send in till just last week cause he just didn't hand the letters out. So, we are thinking of changing schools as well. Partly because of the coach and the other part due to a lot of seniors leaving and the offensive line will be all new from the JV squad and I could see Jake just getting killed running behind an entirely new line. He had a brand new line this year and it was pretty ugly as well.

Send the kid to a private school if they will take him and promise him playing time.

If the coach is an idiot, get him out of there ASAP.

 

[BRUCE80]

Tough call on HS coaches...some are great at getting the word out and promoting their players to their college level contacts.....others like the one it sounds like your son is playing for are awful at it...even resentful of the players and the offers they get.

Get a highlight tape made for him and get it distributed to the schools he has heard from and some he is interested in...it can do wonders for him...you can also have him talk to his position coach who may be able to help him with the process as well.

Pretty cool man, good luck.

 

[RyanLeaf16]

Sorry to hear that, I hope it doesn't hurt his opportunities to play at the next level. My senior year we had a new coach, and it was his first head coaching gig. I loved playing for him, but he had no idea how to reach out to colleges and get/keep you on the radar.

We'd get letters and questionnaires sent to us and he'd occasionally forget to give them to us. Near the end of my senior year I was in his office and found a tape request with my name on it from Indiana, which he never sent back. I wasn't that upset since I wasn't really a D1 prospect anyway, other than a few unofficials to FCS programs I wasn't really recruited, but I at least would have liked to know everything possible was being done. There were better athletes than me who deserved more exposure and never got the amount of offers they should have.

That is exactly my feeling as well. I just want him to know what is possibly available and it allows him to get a gauge on what is a possible realistic landing spot so that he can manage his own expectations. When he finally gave him the letters he came home with probably 6-7 letters from Missouri and more from USF. USF wasn't that big of a deal since, as I said before, I am friends with one of the coaches, I can reach out to him anytime, but, it is more the principal of the matter. Plus, he missed out on some opportunities to visit other schools because he just never got the letters. I was kind of pissed. I talked to his position coach and he said that Jake may not have been given the letters because coach Perez thinks they can be a "distraction." I responded with "Well, as bad as this season has been, he could use one. Plus, it is not his job to determine what is right for Jake. Those letters are for him."

So, does your boy have a committable offer from anyone yet?

No offers. Just lots of letters and a couple of invites to visit for a tour/game.

Tough call on HS coaches...some are great at getting the word out and promoting their players to their college level contacts.....others like the one it sounds like your son is playing for are awful at it...even resentful of the players and the offers they get.

Get a highlight tape made for him and get it distributed to the schools he has heard from and some he is interested in...it can do wonders for him...you can also have him talk to his position coach who may be able to help him with the process as well.

Pretty cool man, good luck.

He is currently on HUDL.com, it is a great resource for uploading videos and it is great with editing (very user-friendly). Great site, because if anyone wants video, they can ask the coach or us and we can provide them the log-in to watch his video. Every game is uploaded and we can cut/edit anytime we wish. A lot of the HS in the area are using it and it seems to be growing. Really, it seems like this type of interface will be the new recruiting medium which can streamline the whole process.

As for the coach, he is just in over his head IMVHO. He is just stubborn and does not like questions or being questioned. Jake told me that they will be in offensive meetings and the players may ask "Coach, what should we do if they go to this front or show this coverage?" His response is always "Let's not worry about 'What-if's'." Huh? The whole fucking game of football is a what-if!

He tells the players all the time that the "scheme is there, you guys just aren't executing." His play-calling is absolutely mind-boggling. There was a play this season where he called for all "go" routes. The secondary was playing a good 10-15 yards off the line...quarterback was sacked on the play. Stuff like that is frustrating.

There is a lot of money that is waiting to be pumped into the program from the parents and we are just shut-out by the administration and coach. Just a very odd relationship between those groups.

 

[RyanLeaf16]

If you guys want to take a look, this is one of his highlight videos on Hudl.com

http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1407476/highlights/11816373

It should start playing automatically after a minute or so. It is pretty clear that he is a power-runner. He can get to top-level speed though. His current 40 has been clocked at 4.5. You can see it in one of the clips. A defender from Newsome has the angle on him and he still gets in the end-zone.

 

[Senser81]

He actually even held some letters, from Jake and other players, that were sent to the school instead of our house. I talked to a friend of mine on the USF staff about that and he said that isn't normal protocol for most HS coaches. I mean some of these letters were from September/October and were asking Jake to fill out forms, etc. that we didn't send in till just last week cause he just didn't hand the letters out.

I've had good coaches and I've had bad coaches in my athletic career, but I am amazed at how many head varsity football coaches are idiots. To me, it seems like that particular position is the most political, so sometimes you get the least qualified person coaching the team. I had better and more knowledgeable coaches as an underclassman than as a varsity athlete.

Anyway, which profile most aptly describes Jake?

Height: 5-9
Weight: 175
Speed: 4.41
Bench: 235
Squat: 445

or

Height: 5-8
Weight: 200
Speed: 4.60
Bench: 380
Squat: 570

 

[RyanLeaf16]

I've had good coaches and I've had bad coaches in my athletic career, but I am amazed at how many head varsity football coaches are idiots. To me, it seems like that particular position is the most political, so sometimes you get the least qualified person coaching the team. I had better and more knowledgeable coaches as an underclassman than as a varsity athlete.

Anyway, which profile most aptly describes Jake?

Height: 5-9
Weight: 175
Speed: 4.41
Bench: 235
Squat: 445

or

Height: 5-8
Weight: 200
Speed: 4.60
Bench: 380
Squat: 570

"All the Right Moves" lol.

I would say Jake is closer to 5'8" than the 5'10" that he likes to list himself as. But, he is around 190-200 pounds and the 40 would be 4.5-4.6. His bench is near 300 lbs., I don't know his squat though.

 

[Senser81]

I would say Jake is closer to 5'8" than the 5'10" that he likes to list himself as. But, he is around 190-200 pounds and the 40 would be 4.5-4.6. His bench is near 300 lbs., I don't know his squat though.

Is he mulatto? The reason I ask is because according to my NCAA 2007 game, those are the only two types of white HB recruits in college football.

 

[RyanLeaf16]

Is he mulatto? The reason I ask is because according to my NCAA 2007 game, those are the only two types of white HB recruits in college football.

No...lol

 

[NAHSTE]

The All The Right Moves jpeg is gold. GOLD.

My favorite line from that movie, is Tom Cruise's character to Craig T:

"You are just a typing teacher."

 

[Len B]

Senser killing it in this thread. NCAA 07 is an amazing game, tempted to go buy a PS2 and play it.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Just some tricks of the trade...

Get your kid out of that school and into one that will cater to his needs.

Make a highlight tape (a GOOD one) and post it on YouTube, post it on HUDL (you already did) and send it to the guys at scout.com, rivals.com, 24/7 etc. Since you are in Florida, if you need to, I can give you the contacts to some of the guys at those sites and in the recruiting game. Don't be afraid to post little 1-2m highlight tapes from each game...it just gives you the potential for more hits.

Secondly, this summer, he should be hitting up camps all summer long. Showcasing his skills against his peers. Look into camps at all of the in-state schools. Doesn't matter if it is Miami or Jacksonville U or FAMU...try and get him to as many as possible. Also, look for the independent showcases at like scout.com, etc. If he is looking at semi-local schools like GT, make sure he goes to their camp. Don't be afraid to send tapes to lesser schools in other areas. You are basically trying to market for scholarship offers.

Send your highlight tape to ALL of the schools. One disc, the best of the best, any and every school you can think of. Locally, hand deliver them. If not local, send them priority.

Don't be afraid to network. With coaches, recruiters, and even the recruitniks on the sites. You wouldn't believe how many recruits get offers because they hear about a player from X and Y. Don't be afraid to have the kid do interviews for the recruiting sites.

In summary, it is all about marketing. You are throwing out schools like GT and USF...those schools, even as middling FBS schools take the best of the best...you gotta be a helluva football player to get a scholarship from those schools. It doesn't seem like he is quite that level of player, but you can market him like one, but you gotta put in work for it...it won't just come naturally.

 

[RyanLeaf16]

Just some tricks of the trade...

Get your kid out of that school and into one that will cater to his needs.

Make a highlight tape (a GOOD one) and post it on YouTube, post it on HUDL (you already did) and send it to the guys at scout.com, rivals.com, 24/7 etc. Since you are in Florida, if you need to, I can give you the contacts to some of the guys at those sites and in the recruiting game. Don't be afraid to post little 1-2m highlight tapes from each game...it just gives you the potential for more hits.

Secondly, this summer, he should be hitting up camps all summer long. Showcasing his skills against his peers. Look into camps at all of the in-state schools. Doesn't matter if it is Miami or Jacksonville U or FAMU...try and get him to as many as possible. Also, look for the independent showcases at like scout.com, etc. If he is looking at semi-local schools like GT, make sure he goes to their camp. Don't be afraid to send tapes to lesser schools in other areas. You are basically trying to market for scholarship offers.

Send your highlight tape to ALL of the schools. One disc, the best of the best, any and every school you can think of. Locally, hand deliver them. If not local, send them priority.

Don't be afraid to network. With coaches, recruiters, and even the recruitniks on the sites. You wouldn't believe how many recruits get offers because they hear about a player from X and Y. Don't be afraid to have the kid do interviews for the recruiting sites.

In summary, it is all about marketing. You are throwing out schools like GT and USF...those schools, even as middling FBS schools take the best of the best...you gotta be a helluva football player to get a scholarship from those schools. It doesn't seem like he is quite that level of player, but you can market him like one, but you gotta put in work for it...it won't just come naturally.

Thanks for the input. I definitely would like the names to the guys at scout.com, rivals.com, etc. The only real headway we have made is having the video up on Hudl.com and having a friend of mine, on the USF staff, talk to some other college coaches about him. I agree about his level of talent as well. I have been trying to manage his expectations for about a year now, explaining that his offers may be from schools in the Sun Belt, MAC, etc.

If you want to PM me some names of contacts for those sites, I would definitely appreciate it. I have been communicating with bigcountypreps.com for most of this season, but, I do feel like we need to broaden our reach. Mrs. Leaf and I were talking last night about camps as well and she wants to send him to as many as possible, so we definitely have that on the agenda too.

 

[RyanLeaf16]

The trip was really exciting for Jake. However, there were some hiccups along the way. They lost a list of recruits names, so some of the recruits waited outside longer than others and missed part of the presentation FAU had prepared. Mrs. Leaf said she saw a lot of HS coaches with their athletes and coordinating trips so everyone could go together. We just handled ours on our own.

It was a good eye-opening experience for Jake, according to Mrs. Leaf. As a family, we have a better grasp on what to do/expect during trips like this. Jake thought the campus was top-notch, he liked the atmosphere and the new stadium was pretty impressive according to him.

 

[Villain]

opcorn:

 

[Senser81]

However, there were some hiccups along the way. They lost a list of recruits names, so some of the recruits waited outside longer than others and missed part of the presentation FAU had prepared.

"Lucky for us, Jake did not have a good time on his unofficial visit to FAU..."
--USF