Seems to be silent, I don't know if that's good or not

Brian, any details you can share with the public?

There were a couple new (to me) verbals announced on twitter over the weekend.

Josh Fenn OL from Lorain
and Jacquez Williams out of Jacksonville, CB/WR

Fenn is a walk-on, not scholarship. Jacquez Williams got his offer while visiting and committed. Another player committed this weekend but wants to keep his commitment private, so we'll get his name on signing day. I respect that in this day and age where everyone is all about hyping everything up, so I'm keeping it private for him.

JUCO DB Darren Kelley just committed to North Dakota State over Toledo......just a couple of hours ago. He said he really wanted to play for a national championship instead of a bowl game, even if it was just FCS.

Florida speedster Calvin Jackson had a top three of Akron, Iowa State, and Toledo. Yesterday he narrowed his choices to Akron and Toledo (he he he, sorry MC). Might not get his final decision publicly until Signing Day, but I believe he is telling both schools tonight.

There are some other possibilities, so there could be some surprises come Signing Day.

DB Alonzo McCoy just decommitted from Toledo about 2-3 hours ago.

Will be an interesting 36 hours or so for the coaching staff.

Thx Brian, I was told there was a really good RB/DB from Massillon Perry who committed to the Rockets, haven't seen it confirmed anywhere

The players name is Keishaun Sims, I had heard he committed to UT back in December

Is it true?

(02-01-2016 08:47 PM)Nick in Cleveland Wrote:  The players name is Keishaun Sims, I had heard he committed to UT back in December

Is it true?

Sims was named MR Football in Ohio if I am not mistaken. Haven't heard that he is committed anywhere, but he does have a Toledo offer.

somebody is actually considering Akron over Toledo?? Is Lebron James helping Akron recruit? I know Bowden is there and all - and they have improved, but they still get few fans in the stands - and you would be called a Zip...

Another board they're saying Sims is in Ames.

(02-01-2016 09:51 PM)eastisbest Wrote:  Another board they're saying Sims is in Ames.

Wouldn't surprise me if he was there over the weekend. But he can't be there tonight because a recruiting dead period started today and runs until Signing Day. Dead period means that in-person contact between recruits and coaches is not allowed.

(02-01-2016 10:11 PM)BrianNowicki Wrote:  

(02-01-2016 09:51 PM)eastisbest Wrote:  Another board they're saying Sims is in Ames.

Wouldn't surprise me if he was there over the weekend. But he can't be there tonight because a recruiting dead period started today and runs until Signing Day. Dead period means that in-person contact between recruits and coaches is not allowed.

Hopefully nothing more than a "better check out Ames just in case." Was it Ayeni recruited Hunt? Akron of course has the advantage of an established staff and closer to home. Toledo has done the best job developing RBs I think. All three Engineering schools. Any idea what major he's looking at? I'd hope that'd play some in his decision.

Is it just me or does it seem like we had a tough year recruiting...? Seems like Campbell really put the screws to his buddy.

Candle was hired because recruiting was prioritized over a more detailed hiring process. Seemed stupid to me at the time and unfair, still does. But it may yet work out. It worked last time because the coach leaving, though successful, apparently wasn't extremely popular. Not the same can be said this time. Candle has a bigger challenge than Campbell did four years ago.

(02-01-2016 09:31 PM)MotoRocket Wrote:  somebody is actually considering Akron over Toledo?? Is Lebron James helping Akron recruit? I know Bowden is there and all - and they have improved, but they still get few fans in the stands - and you would be called a Zip...

Absolutely and when was the last time Akron actually beat Toledo? Oops, nevermind

(02-01-2016 10:54 PM)eastisbest Wrote:  Candle was hired because recruiting was prioritized over a more detailed hiring process. Seemed stupid to me at the time and unfair, still does. But it may yet work out. It worked last time because the coach leaving, though successful, apparently wasn't extremely popular. Not the same can be said this time. Candle has a bigger challenge than Campbell did four years ago.

One thing to keep in mind though is that this recruiting class could have been completely destroyed if Candle was not hired and an outsider was brought in. Now, I'm not saying that just because of keeping a recruiting class together is a good reason to hire a coach. But, remember when Amstutz stepped down? Beckman came in from the outside and had to really work hard to put some sort of a class together. He managed to keep a couple of recruits on board, that was it. The rest were all brought in during late December and early January. There ended up being some good recruits in that class, but overall the class was not as good as his later classes and there were several guys that ended up leaving school early.

The fact that Candle has kept so many commits, especially in an age where more and more recruits are switching their commitments at the last minute, has a lot to do with the continuity of him stepping in after he recruited most of these guys in the first place.

Yes, there are guys decommitting, but that is happening all over the country. All MAC schools have had this happening, even Kent State who's only had a handful of commits to begin with. P5 schools are losing commits too. It's becoming a bigger and bigger problem with each passing year. There really needs to be an early signing period for college football.

(02-01-2016 07:49 PM)BrianNowicki Wrote:  Fenn is a walk-on, not scholarship. Jacquez Williams got his offer while visiting and committed. Another player committed this weekend but wants to keep his commitment private, so we'll get his name on signing day. I respect that in this day and age where everyone is all about hyping everything up, so I'm keeping it private for him.

JUCO DB Darren Kelley just committed to North Dakota State over Toledo......just a couple of hours ago. He said he really wanted to play for a national championship instead of a bowl game, even if it was just FCS.

Florida speedster Calvin Jackson had a top three of Akron, Iowa State, and Toledo. Yesterday he narrowed his choices to Akron and Toledo (he he he, sorry MC). Might not get his final decision publicly until Signing Day, but I believe he is telling both schools tonight.

There are some other possibilities, so there could be some surprises come Signing Day.

DB Alonzo McCoy just decommitted from Toledo about 2-3 hours ago.

Will be an interesting 36 hours or so for the coaching staff.

Great FCS program at NDSU, they were a 3 point winner over Youngstown.
Maybe someone should have told Kelley about Mt Union.

From a TV viewer perspective: FCS Championship 1.444 million viewers vs Marmot Boca Raton Bowl 2.000 million viewers.

Akron and UT have the nicest stadiums in the MAC. Akron just won their first bowl game. The Zips play in the easier division. I'm pretty sure athletic academics there are less in important and touted than at UT?

You might be able to play there sooner as a RB vs. UT with 3 seniors this upcoming season, Swanson as a Jr. and good RS Fr. behind him.

Players aren't watching themselves while they're playing for a "championship." It's going to be fun at any level and it's an interesting decision, but it's his to make. I've seen shallower. Hope he has a great career and a lot of fun. Maybe UT can schedule NDSU.

(02-02-2016 03:08 AM)eastisbest Wrote:  Players aren't watching themselves while they're playing for a "championship." It's going to be fun at any level and it's an interesting decision, but it's his to make. I've seen shallower. Hope he has a great career and a lot of fun. Maybe UT can schedule NDSU.

With playing BGSUX, the Rockets don't need another FCS level program on the FB schedule.

(02-02-2016 07:31 AM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(02-02-2016 03:08 AM)eastisbest Wrote:  Players aren't watching themselves while they're playing for a "championship." It's going to be fun at any level and it's an interesting decision, but it's his to make. I've seen shallower. Hope he has a great career and a lot of fun. Maybe UT can schedule NDSU.

With playing BGSUX, the Rockets don't need another FCS level program on the FB schedule.

(02-02-2016 07:31 AM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(02-02-2016 03:08 AM)eastisbest Wrote:  Players aren't watching themselves while they're playing for a "championship." It's going to be fun at any level and it's an interesting decision, but it's his to make. I've seen shallower. Hope he has a great career and a lot of fun. Maybe UT can schedule NDSU.

With playing BGSUX, the Rockets don't need another FCS level program on the FB schedule.

It does have one...... You forgot Eastern Michigan. Then again, EMU might be Division II.......