People who know me realize I'm a PROCESS guy. Signing a LOI is the last step (to keep things simple, but there is still the NCAA clearinghouse, EMU compliance, etc.) in what can be a very complicated process, as others have noted, esp. those with first hand knowledge.

First, there are h.s. recruits and a second group, JUCO, grad transfers, etc.

Second, there are two signing periods which are fundamentally different.

Here goes:

For H.S. players in the region (e.g., Midwest) EMU will have a handle of possible recruits as juniors. They are invited to attend games, and junior days. Most are within 300 miles of EMU, and many much, much closer.

Next are the summer camps. The EMU camps get the campers on campus which is an opportunity to learn and 'mutually assess' - both players and our program by the players.

This is then when much of the ground work has been laid. Some commit during the June camps. I was on campus in June 2018 when EMU had its camp. I met Devin Nicholson, who the following week, committed to us before uncommitting and committing to Missouri (he started for Mizzou this past season). Yes, we had and lost a possible star LB. Decommits happen as recruits get P5 offers.

Then are the OVs (official visits). Most of these are the first couple weeks of December. Recruits who have committed or possible commits visit for the weekend.

Next is the mid-December signing days.

Usually these are h.s. prospects, plus those on the team without a scholarship who will be given one (we had a few this year), plus any mid-year regular and JUCO transfers. There can also be h.s. early enrollees, which seems to be gaining popularity.

Usually if a recruit who has had an OV in December doesn't sign in December probably means he could be off the radar for whatever reason (recruit not sold on EMU, we might be stocked at his position, etc.).

Remember, this process is dynamic and not 1 : 1, one recruit and one school. EMU may have considered a number of WR recruits and they considered a number of schools.

Next is February (this is a long signing period):

Usually there are a small number of scholarships to give and many of the signees are PWOs (preferred walkons).

In January there are more OVs. These are recruits who have not previously had an OV.

They are the 'best bets' to sign. The staff knows by January who may not be coming back and what holes they need to fill. In some cases they have seen the early (January) enrollees and may already have good vibes about some 2020 recruits. This signing period is like 'musical chairs' - get your seat or be out of luck.

Hence JUCOs are big here. A JUCO is supposed to be 'plug and play.' He should be able to step in immediately and contribute. Not a development recruit.

Addendum:

I'm less sure about the process to scout JUCOs and h.s. players from other parts of the country (e.g., Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas, Georgia, Florida, etc.)

Also, I think Summer camps are for rising juniors and rising seniors.

(02-10-2020 06:58 AM)emu steve Wrote:  People who know me realize I'm a PROCESS guy. Signing a LOI is the last step (to keep things simple, but there is still the NCAA clearinghouse, EMU compliance, etc.) in what can be a very complicated process, as others have noted, esp. those with first hand knowledge.

[snip]

Next are the summer camps. The EMU camps get the campers on campus which is an opportunity to learn and 'mutually assess' - both players and our program by the players.

[snip]

Excellent summary! There are a couple points I'd like to add regarding camps. Camps come in various "sizes" and "shapes". Most schools host their own camps which are generally open to anyone who wants to attend, with potential recruits highly encouraged to attend by the coaching staff.

What many people don't realize is that there are typically coaches from other schools participating in those camps so that they have a chance to see some of the local flavor. That is one of the ways coaches from outside a region have an opportunity to discover talent they would otherwise not be aware of. I'm not sure how coaches are invited to participate, but they have a pretty strong network, and I'm sure it's a mutual, "You come to my camp and I'll come to yours," type thing. It was always interesting seeing the various coaches chasing down and lining up to talk to the guys they were interested in.

Then there are the sponsored camps, sponsored by the likes of Nike, Under Armour, and so on. These are large regional camps (300+ participants) where college coaches run the skill stations and have a chance to really check out a lot of guys in a two-day period. These are also open camps, but before open registration, they send out invitations to the top-rated players in the region. These were cool to attend because you got to see the best of the best, and your kid had a chance to see how he stacks up against that level of talent. It could be quite humbling, but also quite motivating. And again, the coaches were incredible to watch as they discovered players they had not been previously aware of.

There are also invite-only camps. These were the most interesting and the most intense because the coaches there were specifically interested in the players who were invited, and wanted to see how their interests stacked up against the rest of the field. The drills were pretty intense, and for the lineman, these camps always wrapped up with one-on-one o-line vs d-line competitions, working down to the best of the camp. It was exciting stuff, and I remember how Alex raised a few eyes in Cincinnati when he finished in the top five at one of these camps. He got a lot of attention after that from coaches who had never heard of him before.

The sponsored camps and invite camps are also video-recorded, and those videos are sent out to coaches who can't make the camps, so that further increases a player's visibility. Bottom line...the camps are a huge part of the recruiting process. Unless you are a consensus five-star, these camps are the way many guys are discovered by coaches beyond the 200-300 mile range.

(02-10-2020 10:32 AM)cidbearit Wrote:  

(02-10-2020 06:58 AM)emu steve Wrote:  People who know me realize I'm a PROCESS guy. Signing a LOI is the last step (to keep things simple, but there is still the NCAA clearinghouse, EMU compliance, etc.) in what can be a very complicated process, as others have noted, esp. those with first hand knowledge.

[snip]

Next are the summer camps. The EMU camps get the campers on campus which is an opportunity to learn and 'mutually assess' - both players and our program by the players.

[snip]

Excellent summary! There are a couple points I'd like to add regarding camps. Camps come in various "sizes" and "shapes". Most schools host their own camps which are generally open to anyone who wants to attend, with potential recruits highly encouraged to attend by the coaching staff.

What many people don't realize is that there are typically coaches from other schools participating in those camps so that they have a chance to see some of the local flavor. That is one of the ways coaches from outside a region have an opportunity to discover talent they would otherwise not be aware of. I'm not sure how coaches are invited to participate, but they have a pretty strong network, and I'm sure it's a mutual, "You come to my camp and I'll come to yours," type thing. It was always interesting seeing the various coaches chasing down and lining up to talk to the guys they were interested in.

Then there are the sponsored camps, sponsored by the likes of Nike, Under Armour, and so on. These are large regional camps (300+ participants) where college coaches run the skill stations and have a chance to really check out a lot of guys in a two-day period. These are also open camps, but before open registration, they send out invitations to the top-rated players in the region. These were cool to attend because you got to see the best of the best, and your kid had a chance to see how he stacks up against that level of talent. It could be quite humbling, but also quite motivating. And again, the coaches were incredible to watch as they discovered players they had not been previously aware of.

There are also invite-only camps. These were the most interesting and the most intense because the coaches there were specifically interested in the players who were invited, and wanted to see how their interests stacked up against the rest of the field. The drills were pretty intense, and for the lineman, these camps always wrapped up with one-on-one o-line vs d-line competitions, working down to the best of the camp. It was exciting stuff, and I remember how Alex raised a few eyes in Cincinnati when he finished in the top five at one of these camps. He got a lot of attention after that from coaches who had never heard of him before.

The sponsored camps and invite camps are also video-recorded, and those videos are sent out to coaches who can't make the camps, so that further increases a player's visibility. Bottom line...the camps are a huge part of the recruiting process. Unless you are a consensus five-star, these camps are the way many guys are discovered by coaches beyond the 200-300 mile range.

Excellent!!!!

I will simply say in college sports recruiting like pro scouting, if you can play they will find you, be it a small town 'up north', Canada, Sweden, etc. as well as Columbus, Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Texas, etc. etc. etc.

In the NBA they find 18 year olds in Australia, Africa, Israel, Europe, etc.

Some may agree or disagree with me, but the Internet age and the extensive scouting means schools like EMU won't be able to steal a hidden gem.

There are very few hidden gems any more for FB and MBB. Recruiting, scouting, etc. has changed greatly in my lifetime. This may sound crazy, but the old AFL (American Football League, started in 1960) had teams drafting college players by reading Street and Smith College Football Yearbook. True story. They did not scout games or combines or pro days, etc. (Back then the drafts were in either November or December).

Even in MBB, Earl Boykins wasn't a 'hidden gem.' He was a thin 5' 4" player whom all but two coaches PASSED ON because of his short height, and lack of muscularity (I think he got all the muscles at EMU).

So he was a 'recruiting mistake' that dozen of schools made. I remember talking to a member of the EMU staff on signing day and I asked about him (I was familiar with him from Bob Gibbons recruiting publications). I said, "Why?" (I remember him being listed as 5' 8" and we had Brian Tolbert at PG.) The coach told me, "He can play." I remember the famous quote of Ben Braun about Boykins, something to the ilk: He'll make us famous or make us look stupid. Quite frankly Earl looked more like a junior high school player.

Yes, it could play.

One other thing about recruiting which hasn't been touched on:

As indicated most high school player evaluation is doing probably during the player's junior year of high school including his summer camps before he begins his senior year of high school football.

As we all know, not all athletes develop physically and talent wise on the same calendar. Some will develop or grow in size during their senior year. By then a lot of recruiting decision have been made.

This is where some schools can steal a local kid, someone who came on during his senior year.

(02-10-2020 10:32 AM)cidbearit Wrote:  

(02-10-2020 06:58 AM)emu steve Wrote:  People who know me realize I'm a PROCESS guy. Signing a LOI is the last step (to keep things simple, but there is still the NCAA clearinghouse, EMU compliance, etc.) in what can be a very complicated process, as others have noted, esp. those with first hand knowledge.

[snip]

Next are the summer camps. The EMU camps get the campers on campus which is an opportunity to learn and 'mutually assess' - both players and our program by the players.

[snip]

Excellent summary! There are a couple points I'd like to add regarding camps. Camps come in various "sizes" and "shapes". Most schools host their own camps which are generally open to anyone who wants to attend, with potential recruits highly encouraged to attend by the coaching staff.

What many people don't realize is that there are typically coaches from other schools participating in those camps so that they have a chance to see some of the local flavor. That is one of the ways coaches from outside a region have an opportunity to discover talent they would otherwise not be aware of. I'm not sure how coaches are invited to participate, but they have a pretty strong network, and I'm sure it's a mutual, "You come to my camp and I'll come to yours," type thing. It was always interesting seeing the various coaches chasing down and lining up to talk to the guys they were interested in.

Then there are the sponsored camps, sponsored by the likes of Nike, Under Armour, and so on. These are large regional camps (300+ participants) where college coaches run the skill stations and have a chance to really check out a lot of guys in a two-day period. These are also open camps, but before open registration, they send out invitations to the top-rated players in the region. These were cool to attend because you got to see the best of the best, and your kid had a chance to see how he stacks up against that level of talent. It could be quite humbling, but also quite motivating. And again, the coaches were incredible to watch as they discovered players they had not been previously aware of.

There are also invite-only camps. These were the most interesting and the most intense because the coaches there were specifically interested in the players who were invited, and wanted to see how their interests stacked up against the rest of the field. The drills were pretty intense, and for the lineman, these camps always wrapped up with one-on-one o-line vs d-line competitions, working down to the best of the camp. It was exciting stuff, and I remember how Alex raised a few eyes in Cincinnati when he finished in the top five at one of these camps. He got a lot of attention after that from coaches who had never heard of him before.

The sponsored camps and invite camps are also video-recorded, and those videos are sent out to coaches who can't make the camps, so that further increases a player's visibility. Bottom line...the camps are a huge part of the recruiting process. Unless you are a consensus five-star, these camps are the way many guys are discovered by coaches beyond the 200-300 mile range.

FABULOUS! Thanks for sharing.

(02-10-2020 10:32 AM)cidbearit Wrote:  

(02-10-2020 06:58 AM)emu steve Wrote:  People who know me realize I'm a PROCESS guy. Signing a LOI is the last step (to keep things simple, but there is still the NCAA clearinghouse, EMU compliance, etc.) in what can be a very complicated process, as others have noted, esp. those with first hand knowledge.

[snip]

Next are the summer camps. The EMU camps get the campers on campus which is an opportunity to learn and 'mutually assess' - both players and our program by the players.

[snip]

Excellent summary! There are a couple points I'd like to add regarding camps. Camps come in various "sizes" and "shapes". Most schools host their own camps which are generally open to anyone who wants to attend, with potential recruits highly encouraged to attend by the coaching staff.

What many people don't realize is that there are typically coaches from other schools participating in those camps so that they have a chance to see some of the local flavor. That is one of the ways coaches from outside a region have an opportunity to discover talent they would otherwise not be aware of. I'm not sure how coaches are invited to participate, but they have a pretty strong network, and I'm sure it's a mutual, "You come to my camp and I'll come to yours," type thing. It was always interesting seeing the various coaches chasing down and lining up to talk to the guys they were interested in.

Then there are the sponsored camps, sponsored by the likes of Nike, Under Armour, and so on. These are large regional camps (300+ participants) where college coaches run the skill stations and have a chance to really check out a lot of guys in a two-day period. These are also open camps, but before open registration, they send out invitations to the top-rated players in the region. These were cool to attend because you got to see the best of the best, and your kid had a chance to see how he stacks up against that level of talent. It could be quite humbling, but also quite motivating. And again, the coaches were incredible to watch as they discovered players they had not been previously aware of.

There are also invite-only camps. These were the most interesting and the most intense because the coaches there were specifically interested in the players who were invited, and wanted to see how their interests stacked up against the rest of the field. The drills were pretty intense, and for the lineman, these camps always wrapped up with one-on-one o-line vs d-line competitions, working down to the best of the camp. It was exciting stuff, and I remember how Alex raised a few eyes in Cincinnati when he finished in the top five at one of these camps. He got a lot of attention after that from coaches who had never heard of him before.

The sponsored camps and invite camps are also video-recorded, and those videos are sent out to coaches who can't make the camps, so that further increases a player's visibility. Bottom line...the camps are a huge part of the recruiting process. Unless you are a consensus five-star, these camps are the way many guys are discovered by coaches beyond the 200-300 mile range.

I can relate a personal experience. There was a grandson of my then girlfriend who was a running back/track at a Tucson AZ high school and his senior year he racked up over 1,100 yards. It was a decent size school but no offers and his family was dirt poor. He decided to go to one camp at U of M and he saved enough from his part time to go. While at U of M camp they tried him at WR and he did very well. He got an offer from Wabash III and also Northwood based on his camp performance. He ended up at Northwood, played football all four years, honorable mention his senior year and track for four years. He graduated with little debt and was and is the only college graduate in that family.

(02-11-2020 05:17 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(02-10-2020 10:32 AM)cidbearit Wrote:  

(02-10-2020 06:58 AM)emu steve Wrote:  People who know me realize I'm a PROCESS guy. Signing a LOI is the last step (to keep things simple, but there is still the NCAA clearinghouse, EMU compliance, etc.) in what can be a very complicated process, as others have noted, esp. those with first hand knowledge.

[snip]

Next are the summer camps. The EMU camps get the campers on campus which is an opportunity to learn and 'mutually assess' - both players and our program by the players.

[snip]

Excellent summary! There are a couple points I'd like to add regarding camps. Camps come in various "sizes" and "shapes". Most schools host their own camps which are generally open to anyone who wants to attend, with potential recruits highly encouraged to attend by the coaching staff.

What many people don't realize is that there are typically coaches from other schools participating in those camps so that they have a chance to see some of the local flavor. That is one of the ways coaches from outside a region have an opportunity to discover talent they would otherwise not be aware of. I'm not sure how coaches are invited to participate, but they have a pretty strong network, and I'm sure it's a mutual, "You come to my camp and I'll come to yours," type thing. It was always interesting seeing the various coaches chasing down and lining up to talk to the guys they were interested in.

Then there are the sponsored camps, sponsored by the likes of Nike, Under Armour, and so on. These are large regional camps (300+ participants) where college coaches run the skill stations and have a chance to really check out a lot of guys in a two-day period. These are also open camps, but before open registration, they send out invitations to the top-rated players in the region. These were cool to attend because you got to see the best of the best, and your kid had a chance to see how he stacks up against that level of talent. It could be quite humbling, but also quite motivating. And again, the coaches were incredible to watch as they discovered players they had not been previously aware of.

There are also invite-only camps. These were the most interesting and the most intense because the coaches there were specifically interested in the players who were invited, and wanted to see how their interests stacked up against the rest of the field. The drills were pretty intense, and for the lineman, these camps always wrapped up with one-on-one o-line vs d-line competitions, working down to the best of the camp. It was exciting stuff, and I remember how Alex raised a few eyes in Cincinnati when he finished in the top five at one of these camps. He got a lot of attention after that from coaches who had never heard of him before.

The sponsored camps and invite camps are also video-recorded, and those videos are sent out to coaches who can't make the camps, so that further increases a player's visibility. Bottom line...the camps are a huge part of the recruiting process. Unless you are a consensus five-star, these camps are the way many guys are discovered by coaches beyond the 200-300 mile range.

I can relate a personal experience. There was a grandson of my then girlfriend who was a running back/track at a Tucson AZ high school and his senior year he racked up over 1,100 yards. It was a decent size school but no offers and his family was dirt poor. He decided to go to one camp at U of M and he saved enough from his part time to go. While at U of M camp they tried him at WR and he did very well. He got an offer from Wabash III and also Northwood based on his camp performance. He ended up at Northwood, played football all four years, honorable mention his senior year and track for four years. He graduated with little debt and was and is the only college graduate in that family.

Yes. It is all about exposure. If a high school athlete can get to a camp (doesn't need to get to a lot) he can get noticed.

To me some of these camps serve some of the same functions as practice week at the Senior Bowl for college seniors.

A WR can go up against a DB. OL and DL can do drills. Coaches can learn a lot even without pads.

(02-11-2020 05:17 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(02-10-2020 10:32 AM)cidbearit Wrote:  

(02-10-2020 06:58 AM)emu steve Wrote:  People who know me realize I'm a PROCESS guy. Signing a LOI is the last step (to keep things simple, but there is still the NCAA clearinghouse, EMU compliance, etc.) in what can be a very complicated process, as others have noted, esp. those with first hand knowledge.

[snip]

Next are the summer camps. The EMU camps get the campers on campus which is an opportunity to learn and 'mutually assess' - both players and our program by the players.

[snip]

Excellent summary! There are a couple points I'd like to add regarding camps. Camps come in various "sizes" and "shapes". Most schools host their own camps which are generally open to anyone who wants to attend, with potential recruits highly encouraged to attend by the coaching staff.

What many people don't realize is that there are typically coaches from other schools participating in those camps so that they have a chance to see some of the local flavor. That is one of the ways coaches from outside a region have an opportunity to discover talent they would otherwise not be aware of. I'm not sure how coaches are invited to participate, but they have a pretty strong network, and I'm sure it's a mutual, "You come to my camp and I'll come to yours," type thing. It was always interesting seeing the various coaches chasing down and lining up to talk to the guys they were interested in.

Then there are the sponsored camps, sponsored by the likes of Nike, Under Armour, and so on. These are large regional camps (300+ participants) where college coaches run the skill stations and have a chance to really check out a lot of guys in a two-day period. These are also open camps, but before open registration, they send out invitations to the top-rated players in the region. These were cool to attend because you got to see the best of the best, and your kid had a chance to see how he stacks up against that level of talent. It could be quite humbling, but also quite motivating. And again, the coaches were incredible to watch as they discovered players they had not been previously aware of.

There are also invite-only camps. These were the most interesting and the most intense because the coaches there were specifically interested in the players who were invited, and wanted to see how their interests stacked up against the rest of the field. The drills were pretty intense, and for the lineman, these camps always wrapped up with one-on-one o-line vs d-line competitions, working down to the best of the camp. It was exciting stuff, and I remember how Alex raised a few eyes in Cincinnati when he finished in the top five at one of these camps. He got a lot of attention after that from coaches who had never heard of him before.

The sponsored camps and invite camps are also video-recorded, and those videos are sent out to coaches who can't make the camps, so that further increases a player's visibility. Bottom line...the camps are a huge part of the recruiting process. Unless you are a consensus five-star, these camps are the way many guys are discovered by coaches beyond the 200-300 mile range.

I can relate a personal experience. There was a grandson of my then girlfriend who was a running back/track at a Tucson AZ high school and his senior year he racked up over 1,100 yards. It was a decent size school but no offers and his family was dirt poor. He decided to go to one camp at U of M and he saved enough from his part time to go. While at U of M camp they tried him at WR and he did very well. He got an offer from Wabash III and also Northwood based on his camp performance. He ended up at Northwood, played football all four years, honorable mention his senior year and track for four years. He graduated with little debt and was and is the only college graduate in that family.

What I like about your post and this thread is that it dispels the notion that there are 3-star caliber hidden gems sitting in Detroit or Columbus that we don't know about...

We know about them, other schools know about them, but will they come (to EMU)?

By the way I believe the coach at the time at Wabash in my story was Chris Creighton

(02-10-2020 10:32 AM)cidbearit Wrote:  

(02-10-2020 06:58 AM)emu steve Wrote:  People who know me realize I'm a PROCESS guy. Signing a LOI is the last step (to keep things simple, but there is still the NCAA clearinghouse, EMU compliance, etc.) in what can be a very complicated process, as others have noted, esp. those with first hand knowledge.

[snip]

Next are the summer camps. The EMU camps get the campers on campus which is an opportunity to learn and 'mutually assess' - both players and our program by the players.

[snip]

Excellent summary! There are a couple points I'd like to add regarding camps. Camps come in various "sizes" and "shapes". Most schools host their own camps which are generally open to anyone who wants to attend, with potential recruits highly encouraged to attend by the coaching staff.

What many people don't realize is that there are typically coaches from other schools participating in those camps so that they have a chance to see some of the local flavor. That is one of the ways coaches from outside a region have an opportunity to discover talent they would otherwise not be aware of. I'm not sure how coaches are invited to participate, but they have a pretty strong network, and I'm sure it's a mutual, "You come to my camp and I'll come to yours," type thing. It was always interesting seeing the various coaches chasing down and lining up to talk to the guys they were interested in.

Then there are the sponsored camps, sponsored by the likes of Nike, Under Armour, and so on. These are large regional camps (300+ participants) where college coaches run the skill stations and have a chance to really check out a lot of guys in a two-day period. These are also open camps, but before open registration, they send out invitations to the top-rated players in the region. These were cool to attend because you got to see the best of the best, and your kid had a chance to see how he stacks up against that level of talent. It could be quite humbling, but also quite motivating. And again, the coaches were incredible to watch as they discovered players they had not been previously aware of.

There are also invite-only camps. These were the most interesting and the most intense because the coaches there were specifically interested in the players who were invited, and wanted to see how their interests stacked up against the rest of the field. The drills were pretty intense, and for the lineman, these camps always wrapped up with one-on-one o-line vs d-line competitions, working down to the best of the camp. It was exciting stuff, and I remember how Alex raised a few eyes in Cincinnati when he finished in the top five at one of these camps. He got a lot of attention after that from coaches who had never heard of him before.

The sponsored camps and invite camps are also video-recorded, and those videos are sent out to coaches who can't make the camps, so that further increases a player's visibility. Bottom line...the camps are a huge part of the recruiting process. Unless you are a consensus five-star, these camps are the way many guys are discovered by coaches beyond the 200-300 mile range.

I said I did not know how EMU manages to SCOUT/recruit Florida, Georgia, etc.

So lets connect the dots. EMU sends asst coaches to camps in Georgia, Florida, etc. and does the evaluation and begins the recruitment process with letters, etc.

From there the recruitment can be done REMOTELY using 21st century technology, such as text messages, emails, video, letters, phone calls, etc. (e.g., video of the SAPC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkX1xA4Y...e=youtu.be ).

I assume coaching staffs/recruiting coordinators do like they did years ago: send a simple questionnaire to gauge interest and get information on the possible recruit (e.g., height, weight, DOB, GPA, position, test scores, coach's name, parental info, college major, etc.).

If the recruit doesn't return it, it is unrequited interest...

If the recruit does, then the recruiting relationship continues.

Using 21st century technology, the recruit can watch EMU games on various streaming media, as well as games on networks like ESPN channels, CBS SN, etc. (I saw every EMU game in 2019 without being in Ypsilanti).

If the player has the interest and means, he can take an unofficial visit.

(02-11-2020 06:48 AM)emu steve Wrote:  [quote='cidbearit' pid='16668010' dateline='1581348764']
[quote='emu steve' pid='16667613' dateline='1581335904']
People who know me realize I'm a PROCESS guy. Signing a LOI is the last step (to keep things simple, but there is still the NCAA clearinghouse, EMU compliance, etc.) in what can be a very complicated process, as others have noted, esp. those with first hand knowledge.

[snip]

Next are the summer camps. The EMU camps get the campers on campus which is an opportunity to learn and 'mutually assess' - both players and our program by the players.

[snip]

If the player has the interest and means, he can take an unofficial visit.

You can't underestimate the value of those unofficial visits, which in the way we experienced them, occur during the football season. Teams bring in 40-50 potential recruits per game to visit the campus, see the football facilities, meet the coaches, and soak in the gameday experience. I truly enjoyed doing these visits with Alex.

You'd arrive a few hours prior to gametime and they'd run you through facility tours, give you a chance to chat with the coaches, and put the players through some basic physical assessments (weight, height, armspan, hand size, vertical leap...no drills though), and lunch. Because of NCAA restrictions, since it's an unofficial visit, they had to charge us for the lunch (typically $5 a person for a simple box lunch).

Of all the unofficials we did, the one that sticks out the most to me was Virginia. We were there for their last home game of the season. The team only had 2 wins that season, but the stadium was packed! As full as it was and as fired up as the crowd was, you'd think they were undefeated. What a lesson in how big football is in the southern states (if you consider Virginia southern).

i bring this all up because for the players, their families, and the coaches, these unofficial visits are more important than the official visits. These visits are often a recruit's first trip to campus and first opportunity to sense the atmosphere of a program. With the new SAPC at EMU, that experience will be greatly enhanced versus those who visited before the SAPC. In my opinion, that facility is worth the cost just for the impression it will make on recruits. Now we need to get more butts in the seats on gameday so the gametime experience is there!

(02-11-2020 09:12 AM)cidbearit Wrote:  

(02-11-2020 06:48 AM)emu steve Wrote:  [quote='cidbearit' pid='16668010' dateline='1581348764']
[quote='emu steve' pid='16667613' dateline='1581335904']
People who know me realize I'm a PROCESS guy. Signing a LOI is the last step (to keep things simple, but there is still the NCAA clearinghouse, EMU compliance, etc.) in what can be a very complicated process, as others have noted, esp. those with first hand knowledge.

[snip]

Next are the summer camps. The EMU camps get the campers on campus which is an opportunity to learn and 'mutually assess' - both players and our program by the players.

[snip]

If the player has the interest and means, he can take an unofficial visit.

You can't underestimate the value of those unofficial visits, which in the way we experienced them, occur during the football season. Teams bring in 40-50 potential recruits per game to visit the campus, see the football facilities, meet the coaches, and soak in the gameday experience. I truly enjoyed doing these visits with Alex.

You'd arrive a few hours prior to gametime and they'd run you through facility tours, give you a chance to chat with the coaches, and put the players through some basic physical assessments (weight, height, armspan, hand size, vertical leap...no drills though), and lunch. Because of NCAA restrictions, since it's an unofficial visit, they had to charge us for the lunch (typically $5 a person for a simple box lunch).

Of all the unofficials we did, the one that sticks out the most to me was Virginia. We were there for their last home game of the season. The team only had 2 wins that season, but the stadium was packed! As full as it was and as fired up as the crowd was, you'd think they were undefeated. What a lesson in how big football is in the southern states (if you consider Virginia southern).

i bring this all up because for the players, their families, and the coaches, these unofficial visits are more important than the official visits. These visits are often a recruit's first trip to campus and first opportunity to sense the atmosphere of a program. With the new SAPC at EMU, that experience will be greatly enhanced versus those who visited before the SAPC. In my opinion, that facility is worth the cost just for the impression it will make on recruits. Now we need to get more butts in the seats on gameday so the gametime experience is there!

100% agree! Wetherbee was hired because of his marketing strengths!

This is an O/T from MBB to show how crazy evaluation and scouting is. Just never know who will develop and who won't... Toppin will be a NBA lottery pick in June. If he had gone to Monroe he would have been a teammate of Binelli.

"But less than four years ago, Toppin didn't have a single Division I offer when his high school career ended at Ossining High School. He could have attended Monroe College, a junior college north of New York City, but he was aiming higher. Instead, Toppin headed south to Mt. Zion Prep in Baltimore to do a prep school year.

At the time, Mt. Zion coach Rodrick Harrison thought college programs had likely missed the boat on Toppin."

(02-10-2020 10:32 AM)cidbearit Wrote:  

(02-10-2020 06:58 AM)emu steve Wrote:  People who know me realize I'm a PROCESS guy. Signing a LOI is the last step (to keep things simple, but there is still the NCAA clearinghouse, EMU compliance, etc.) in what can be a very complicated process, as others have noted, esp. those with first hand knowledge.

[snip]

Next are the summer camps. The EMU camps get the campers on campus which is an opportunity to learn and 'mutually assess' - both players and our program by the players.

[snip]

Excellent summary! There are a couple points I'd like to add regarding camps. Camps come in various "sizes" and "shapes". Most schools host their own camps which are generally open to anyone who wants to attend, with potential recruits highly encouraged to attend by the coaching staff.

What many people don't realize is that there are typically coaches from other schools participating in those camps so that they have a chance to see some of the local flavor. That is one of the ways coaches from outside a region have an opportunity to discover talent they would otherwise not be aware of. I'm not sure how coaches are invited to participate, but they have a pretty strong network, and I'm sure it's a mutual, "You come to my camp and I'll come to yours," type thing. It was always interesting seeing the various coaches chasing down and lining up to talk to the guys they were interested in.

Then there are the sponsored camps, sponsored by the likes of Nike, Under Armour, and so on. These are large regional camps (300+ participants) where college coaches run the skill stations and have a chance to really check out a lot of guys in a two-day period. These are also open camps, but before open registration, they send out invitations to the top-rated players in the region. These were cool to attend because you got to see the best of the best, and your kid had a chance to see how he stacks up against that level of talent. It could be quite humbling, but also quite motivating. And again, the coaches were incredible to watch as they discovered players they had not been previously aware of.

There are also invite-only camps. These were the most interesting and the most intense because the coaches there were specifically interested in the players who were invited, and wanted to see how their interests stacked up against the rest of the field. The drills were pretty intense, and for the lineman, these camps always wrapped up with one-on-one o-line vs d-line competitions, working down to the best of the camp. It was exciting stuff, and I remember how Alex raised a few eyes in Cincinnati when he finished in the top five at one of these camps. He got a lot of attention after that from coaches who had never heard of him before.

The sponsored camps and invite camps are also video-recorded, and those videos are sent out to coaches who can't make the camps, so that further increases a player's visibility. Bottom line...the camps are a huge part of the recruiting process. Unless you are a consensus five-star, these camps are the way many guys are discovered by coaches beyond the 200-300 mile range.

This is an actual example of what was discussed above.

Kent State is holding a camp May 31 and will have a lot of coaches there from FCS, FBS, etc. schools including a number of P5 schools.

https://twitter.com/TheOC_CoachLew/statu...94242?s=20

Some of those Group camps are good some are not so good depending on the organization of the school. Some are literally just money grabs and have been for 20-30 years. Like anything else a hs student athlete and parent need to do their home work before spending money on these camps. EMU has been running good camps since Creighton and Crew have been here.

(02-18-2020 01:03 PM)fanfrompowellspub Wrote:  Some of those Group camps are good some are not so good depending on the organization of the school. Some are literally just money grabs and have been for 20-30 years. Like anything else a hs student athlete and parent need to do their home work before spending money on these camps. EMU has been running good camps since Creighton and Crew have been here.

Agree and it behoves the school to put on a first rate camp.

Like an old expression, "It is the front porch to the football program." Whatever first impression campers get will be their most important image until they later have unofficial and official visit.

EMU has a great opportunity to put on a first rate camp/experience. They have the Convo to sign in the campers, have the box lunch, etc. and tour the SAPC.