Good enough to compete in C-USA, at least...

No RB, yet.....(not sure why a decent RB wouldn't look at our recent success with RB's and come aboard!)

Going heavy on defense, but Hop is a "D" guy and our "O" looks pretty set (except for RB, where we have a buncha Ito Back ups who have yet to prove they are anywhere near a 100 yard a game guy)

(12-20-2017 05:22 PM)eaglebeaver Wrote:  Good enough to compete in C-USA, at least...

No RB, yet.....(not sure why a decent RB wouldn't look at our recent success with RB's and come aboard!)

Going heavy on defense, but Hop is a "D" guy and our "O" looks pretty set (except for RB, where we have a buncha Ito Back ups who have yet to prove they are anywhere near a 100 yard a game guy)

We certainly need a couple of solid RB's in this class, but not sure where they'll come from. Maybe we can pull in Jarveon Howard from Columbia? Does anyone think we might try Keon Howard at RB?

On another note....TULANE is recruiting at a level I don't recall seeing recently. (I covered recruiting for the old EagleTalk for 5 years) They even took 2 3 star players from Mississippi. Both really good defensive players. They're also doing a much better job in Louisiana of getting good players. They have already signed 5 3 star players from Louisiana. That gives them 14 3 star players already, and ALL of them are high school kids! No JUCO's.
In contrast, USM has signed just 8 3 star players and exactly half of those are JUCO's. I have no issue with JUCO's, but I always prefer to see us get the HS kids. I know some of these kids will have three years of eligibility, so that makes me feel a bit better. I can't recall the last time TULANE has kicked our ass in recruiting...but it's sure happening this year.

So how has Tulane done this? New coaches? Is it the perception of the AAC being a better league? (I think this has some part in it). And of course the new stadium and New Orleans its self has something to do with it as well.

(12-20-2017 07:39 PM)Storm Wrote:  

(12-20-2017 05:22 PM)eaglebeaver Wrote:  Good enough to compete in C-USA, at least...

No RB, yet.....(not sure why a decent RB wouldn't look at our recent success with RB's and come aboard!)

Going heavy on defense, but Hop is a "D" guy and our "O" looks pretty set (except for RB, where we have a buncha Ito Back ups who have yet to prove they are anywhere near a 100 yard a game guy)

We certainly need a couple of solid RB's in this class, but not sure where they'll come from. Maybe we can pull in Jarveon Howard from Columbia? Does anyone think we might try Keon Howard at RB?

On another note....TULANE is recruiting at a level I don't recall seeing recently. (I covered recruiting for the old EagleTalk for 5 years) They even took 2 3 star players from Mississippi. Both really good defensive players. They're also doing a much better job in Louisiana of getting good players. They have already signed 5 3 star players from Louisiana. That gives them 14 3 star players already, and ALL of them are high school kids! No JUCO's.
In contrast, USM has signed just 8 3 star players and exactly half of those are JUCO's. I have no issue with JUCO's, but I always prefer to see us get the HS kids. I know some of these kids will have three years of eligibility, so that makes me feel a bit better. I can't recall the last time TULANE has kicked our ass in recruiting...but it's sure happening this year.

So how has Tulane done this? New coaches? Is it the perception of the AAC being a better league? (I think this has some part in it). And of course the new stadium and New Orleans its self has something to do with it as well.

Axe-ually stormie, conversely, we beat Tulame out for a buncha guys....and rivals has 9 3 stars out of 14 signees at USM, while Scout has us 8 3 stars outta 14, with a couple of those not yet rated. So no signs they overwhelmingly "out-recruited" USM...

I'm sure you'd agree I'd like my chances against Tulane any day o' the week (and twice on Saturday!), so I'd say our decades long love affair with JUCO talent has boded pretty well for us.

Now, being in the AAC may some day have a positive effect on them, but it hasn't really developed a better program yet....and they actually had some better teams in C-USA for a while, if you remember.

The Keon thingee to RB is a probably a good idea IF HE WOULD DO IT, stormie!

(12-20-2017 07:39 PM)Storm Wrote:  

(12-20-2017 05:22 PM)eaglebeaver Wrote:  Good enough to compete in C-USA, at least...

No RB, yet.....(not sure why a decent RB wouldn't look at our recent success with RB's and come aboard!)

Going heavy on defense, but Hop is a "D" guy and our "O" looks pretty set (except for RB, where we have a buncha Ito Back ups who have yet to prove they are anywhere near a 100 yard a game guy)

We certainly need a couple of solid RB's in this class, but not sure where they'll come from. Maybe we can pull in Jarveon Howard from Columbia? Does anyone think we might try Keon Howard at RB?

On another note....TULANE is recruiting at a level I don't recall seeing recently. (I covered recruiting for the old EagleTalk for 5 years) They even took 2 3 star players from Mississippi. Both really good defensive players. They're also doing a much better job in Louisiana of getting good players. They have already signed 5 3 star players from Louisiana. That gives them 14 3 star players already, and ALL of them are high school kids! No JUCO's.
In contrast, USM has signed just 8 3 star players and exactly half of those are JUCO's. I have no issue with JUCO's, but I always prefer to see us get the HS kids. I know some of these kids will have three years of eligibility, so that makes me feel a bit better. I can't recall the last time TULANE has kicked our ass in recruiting...but it's sure happening this year.

So how has Tulane done this? New coaches? Is it the perception of the AAC being a better league? (I think this has some part in it). And of course the new stadium and New Orleans its self has something to do with it as well.

Once we get the total number of scholarship players up to where it needs to be, we won't see the large amount of JUCO guys in the classes. I could be wrong, but I believe when Hopson got here we were in the range of 15 scholarship players short of the allowed amount.

(12-21-2017 09:28 AM)eagle04 Wrote:  

(12-20-2017 07:39 PM)Storm Wrote:  

(12-20-2017 05:22 PM)eaglebeaver Wrote:  Good enough to compete in C-USA, at least...

No RB, yet.....(not sure why a decent RB wouldn't look at our recent success with RB's and come aboard!)

Going heavy on defense, but Hop is a "D" guy and our "O" looks pretty set (except for RB, where we have a buncha Ito Back ups who have yet to prove they are anywhere near a 100 yard a game guy)

We certainly need a couple of solid RB's in this class, but not sure where they'll come from. Maybe we can pull in Jarveon Howard from Columbia? Does anyone think we might try Keon Howard at RB?

On another note....TULANE is recruiting at a level I don't recall seeing recently. (I covered recruiting for the old EagleTalk for 5 years) They even took 2 3 star players from Mississippi. Both really good defensive players. They're also doing a much better job in Louisiana of getting good players. They have already signed 5 3 star players from Louisiana. That gives them 14 3 star players already, and ALL of them are high school kids! No JUCO's.
In contrast, USM has signed just 8 3 star players and exactly half of those are JUCO's. I have no issue with JUCO's, but I always prefer to see us get the HS kids. I know some of these kids will have three years of eligibility, so that makes me feel a bit better. I can't recall the last time TULANE has kicked our ass in recruiting...but it's sure happening this year.

So how has Tulane done this? New coaches? Is it the perception of the AAC being a better league? (I think this has some part in it). And of course the new stadium and New Orleans its self has something to do with it as well.

Once we get the total number of scholarship players up to where it needs to be, we won't see the large amount of JUCO guys in the classes. I could be wrong, but I believe when Hopson got here we were in the range of 15 scholarship players short of the allowed amount.

I read that he has 11 sophomores this year, so there was an emphasis on JUCOs to fill in that class. The numbers were down when he came in. Part of that was Monken trying to fill in Eloss' talent drain with transfers whose eligibility ran out quickly.

Did we have some RBs decommit?

(12-21-2017 10:57 AM)SouthernMiss3613 Wrote:  Did we have some RBs decommit?

None committed

Don’t we have two RBs on roster now that were RSs this year. Must have some good young talent or are waiting on some guy that may not be signed by a P5.

We have the Maberry kid at RB but I read he recently tore his ACL and is looking at a 6 month recovery period.

(12-20-2017 07:39 PM)Storm Wrote:  

(12-20-2017 05:22 PM)eaglebeaver Wrote:  Good enough to compete in C-USA, at least...

No RB, yet.....(not sure why a decent RB wouldn't look at our recent success with RB's and come aboard!)

Going heavy on defense, but Hop is a "D" guy and our "O" looks pretty set (except for RB, where we have a buncha Ito Back ups who have yet to prove they are anywhere near a 100 yard a game guy)

We certainly need a couple of solid RB's in this class, but not sure where they'll come from. Maybe we can pull in Jarveon Howard from Columbia? Does anyone think we might try Keon Howard at RB?

On another note....TULANE is recruiting at a level I don't recall seeing recently. (I covered recruiting for the old EagleTalk for 5 years) They even took 2 3 star players from Mississippi. Both really good defensive players. They're also doing a much better job in Louisiana of getting good players. They have already signed 5 3 star players from Louisiana. That gives them 14 3 star players already, and ALL of them are high school kids! No JUCO's.
In contrast, USM has signed just 8 3 star players and exactly half of those are JUCO's. I have no issue with JUCO's, but I always prefer to see us get the HS kids. I know some of these kids will have three years of eligibility, so that makes me feel a bit better. I can't recall the last time TULANE has kicked our ass in recruiting...but it's sure happening this year.

So how has Tulane done this? New coaches? Is it the perception of the AAC being a better league? (I think this has some part in it). And of course the new stadium and New Orleans its self has something to do with it as well.

Coaching staff in place the same amount of time at both schools. Remind me which bowl the 3rd down punters are playing in?

RB is probably not a priority at the moment, but with Maberry going down we may sign one in February. There are just more pressing needs at the moment. I believe Tez, TRod and the crew can handle things next season.