(03-23-2023 08:10 PM)niu1980 Wrote:  

(03-23-2023 10:48 AM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  

(03-23-2023 10:23 AM)niu1980 Wrote:  

(03-20-2023 07:07 AM)BigChilla Wrote:  

(03-19-2023 12:48 PM)chihuskie Wrote:  Hammock was behind the eight ball on recruiting a coaching staff from day 1. It looks like he has yet to get out from behind that eight ball.
Argh!

He has a glaring weakness here. Very poor connections.

Plus - as far as talent evaluations go with ever darn aspect of this team…he’s terrible. A lot of swings and misses on his record.

So do you know this because all your coaching connections tell you Hammock who? You state it as a fact. So how do you know this?

Not agreeing or disagreeing with Big Chilla. But coaching connections is a far underrated aspect of the job.

Kill, Doeren, Novak, Carey all had entourages that followed them throughout their careers. Kill especially from his days at Saginaw Valley State. While they lose guys to other jobs, they had the luxury of plugging in new resources when needed, none of them had to start from scratch like Hammock did. As a result they gelled better from the get.

Offensively Hammock is doing good things. But I pray and hope that his staff gels even better on defense.

Hammock didn’t start from scratch. He had his staff put together when he interviewed for the job. You can argue if they were good choices or not but his connections allowed him to be prepared for the opportunity.

Yes I am stating it as fact because literally nothing is showing otherwise. The best part is you show up every few months to defend hammock with nothing to prove me wrong.

I love it. He had no connections and had to build a staff with what he had, and it is a poor staff. Did it get better? We shall see - but it’s not a good staff.

You state it like it’s fact he has connections - prove me wrong fam.

Our defense is horrific and I don’t expect that to change.

(03-23-2023 08:10 PM)niu1980 Wrote:  

(03-23-2023 10:48 AM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  

(03-23-2023 10:23 AM)niu1980 Wrote:  

(03-20-2023 07:07 AM)BigChilla Wrote:  

(03-19-2023 12:48 PM)chihuskie Wrote:  Hammock was behind the eight ball on recruiting a coaching staff from day 1. It looks like he has yet to get out from behind that eight ball.
Argh!

He has a glaring weakness here. Very poor connections.

Plus - as far as talent evaluations go with ever darn aspect of this team…he’s terrible. A lot of swings and misses on his record.

So do you know this because all your coaching connections tell you Hammock who? You state it as a fact. So how do you know this?

Not agreeing or disagreeing with Big Chilla. But coaching connections is a far underrated aspect of the job.

Kill, Doeren, Novak, Carey all had entourages that followed them throughout their careers. Kill especially from his days at Saginaw Valley State. While they lose guys to other jobs, they had the luxury of plugging in new resources when needed, none of them had to start from scratch like Hammock did. As a result they gelled better from the get.

Offensively Hammock is doing good things. But I pray and hope that his staff gels even better on defense.

Hammock didn’t start from scratch. He had his staff put together when he interviewed for the job. You can argue if they were good choices or not but his connections allowed him to be prepared for the opportunity.

https://www.sbnation.com/college-footbal...ule-roster

"Hammock is still completing his staff amid recruiting, but his first hire was inspired. He brought South Dakota State offensive coordinator Eric Eidsness, one of college football’s more interesting offensive minds, east."

Yeah, that doesn't seem to be case

(03-23-2023 08:50 PM)BigChilla Wrote:  

(03-23-2023 08:10 PM)niu1980 Wrote:  

(03-23-2023 10:48 AM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  

(03-23-2023 10:23 AM)niu1980 Wrote:  

(03-20-2023 07:07 AM)BigChilla Wrote:  He has a glaring weakness here. Very poor connections.

Plus - as far as talent evaluations go with ever darn aspect of this team…he’s terrible. A lot of swings and misses on his record.

So do you know this because all your coaching connections tell you Hammock who? You state it as a fact. So how do you know this?

Not agreeing or disagreeing with Big Chilla. But coaching connections is a far underrated aspect of the job.

Kill, Doeren, Novak, Carey all had entourages that followed them throughout their careers. Kill especially from his days at Saginaw Valley State. While they lose guys to other jobs, they had the luxury of plugging in new resources when needed, none of them had to start from scratch like Hammock did. As a result they gelled better from the get.

Offensively Hammock is doing good things. But I pray and hope that his staff gels even better on defense.

Hammock didn’t start from scratch. He had his staff put together when he interviewed for the job. You can argue if they were good choices or not but his connections allowed him to be prepared for the opportunity.

Yes I am stating it as fact because literally nothing is showing otherwise. The best part is you show up every few months to defend hammock with nothing to prove me wrong.

I love it. He had no connections and had to build a staff with what he had, and it is a poor staff. Did it get better? We shall see - but it’s not a good staff.

You state it like it’s fact he has connections - prove me wrong fam.

I spoke to Hammock and many in the athletics department as well as many of his assistants face to face. I don’t come on a message board spewing crap as if it is facts.

You asked me to back off and see what the season brings but yet you continue to come on here and tear down the program as if you have facts and are some type of expert.

What successful FBS program are you running? Are you an AD or a coach? When did you speak to someone directly with your concerns or are you just a message board person who likes to spread negative stuff but really has no interest in the facts or making things better?

(03-24-2023 07:19 AM)niu1980 Wrote:  

(03-23-2023 08:50 PM)BigChilla Wrote:  

(03-23-2023 08:10 PM)niu1980 Wrote:  

(03-23-2023 10:48 AM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  

(03-23-2023 10:23 AM)niu1980 Wrote:  So do you know this because all your coaching connections tell you Hammock who? You state it as a fact. So how do you know this?

Not agreeing or disagreeing with Big Chilla. But coaching connections is a far underrated aspect of the job.

Kill, Doeren, Novak, Carey all had entourages that followed them throughout their careers. Kill especially from his days at Saginaw Valley State. While they lose guys to other jobs, they had the luxury of plugging in new resources when needed, none of them had to start from scratch like Hammock did. As a result they gelled better from the get.

Offensively Hammock is doing good things. But I pray and hope that his staff gels even better on defense.

Hammock didn’t start from scratch. He had his staff put together when he interviewed for the job. You can argue if they were good choices or not but his connections allowed him to be prepared for the opportunity.

Yes I am stating it as fact because literally nothing is showing otherwise. The best part is you show up every few months to defend hammock with nothing to prove me wrong.

I love it. He had no connections and had to build a staff with what he had, and it is a poor staff. Did it get better? We shall see - but it’s not a good staff.

You state it like it’s fact he has connections - prove me wrong fam.

I spoke to Hammock and many in the athletics department as well as many of his assistants face to face. I don’t come on a message board spewing crap as if it is facts.

You asked me to back off and see what the season brings but yet you continue to come on here and tear down the program as if you have facts and are some type of expert.

What successful FBS program are you running? Are you an AD or a coach? When did you speak to someone directly with your concerns or are you just a message board person who likes to spread negative stuff but really has no interest in the facts or making things better?

Oh man you talked to Hammock and he didn’t say he sucked at finding assistant coaches!? Man, case closed. Awesome evidence.

I mean if Hammock and his staff didn’t tell you that Hammock has almost zero meaningful connections it must be true.

Lol, man you are a joke. I don’t run a program so I can’t comment on the worst attendance team in FBS? A team that went from first to worst? You are a joke. Tell me more about how great Hammock says he is though, would love to hear it! And would love to hear about your talks with the coaches on defense on how great their system is. LOL

Your post is maybe my favorite one of all time. Hammock can’t be awful. He says he’s not. Case. Closed. Lol

(03-24-2023 07:47 AM)BigChilla Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 07:19 AM)niu1980 Wrote:  

(03-23-2023 08:50 PM)BigChilla Wrote:  

(03-23-2023 08:10 PM)niu1980 Wrote:  

(03-23-2023 10:48 AM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  Not agreeing or disagreeing with Big Chilla. But coaching connections is a far underrated aspect of the job.

Kill, Doeren, Novak, Carey all had entourages that followed them throughout their careers. Kill especially from his days at Saginaw Valley State. While they lose guys to other jobs, they had the luxury of plugging in new resources when needed, none of them had to start from scratch like Hammock did. As a result they gelled better from the get.

Offensively Hammock is doing good things. But I pray and hope that his staff gels even better on defense.

Hammock didn’t start from scratch. He had his staff put together when he interviewed for the job. You can argue if they were good choices or not but his connections allowed him to be prepared for the opportunity.

Yes I am stating it as fact because literally nothing is showing otherwise. The best part is you show up every few months to defend hammock with nothing to prove me wrong.

I love it. He had no connections and had to build a staff with what he had, and it is a poor staff. Did it get better? We shall see - but it’s not a good staff.

You state it like it’s fact he has connections - prove me wrong fam.

I spoke to Hammock and many in the athletics department as well as many of his assistants face to face. I don’t come on a message board spewing crap as if it is facts.

You asked me to back off and see what the season brings but yet you continue to come on here and tear down the program as if you have facts and are some type of expert.

What successful FBS program are you running? Are you an AD or a coach? When did you speak to someone directly with your concerns or are you just a message board person who likes to spread negative stuff but really has no interest in the facts or making things better?

Oh man you talked to Hammock and he didn’t say he sucked at finding assistant coaches!? Man, case closed. Awesome evidence.

I mean if Hammock and his staff didn’t tell you that Hammock has almost zero meaningful connections it must be true.

Lol, man you are a joke. I don’t run a program so I can’t comment on the worst attendance team in FBS? A team that went from first to worst? You are a joke. Tell me more about how great Hammock says he is though, would love to hear it! And would love to hear about your talks with the coaches on defense on how great their system is. LOL

Your post is maybe my favorite one of all time. Hammock can’t be awful. He says he’s not. Case. Closed. Lol

You are right, case closed. Have fun! Go Huskies!

(03-24-2023 07:47 AM)BigChilla Wrote:  Lol, man you are a joke. I don’t run a program so I can’t comment on the worst attendance team in FBS? A team that went from first to worst?

There are so many factors other than hiring assistants that are involved in the attendance issue but this statement proves you are simply a Hammock hater, period. So go root for another program.
Your next statement "a team that went from first to worst" can also be factually reversed: We went from worst (0-6) to first" but you are too blind to acknowledge that.
In addition to the world of STF where extensions are not announced, which assistants were fired? No matter how bad you believe some of Hammock's hires have been they've managed to get other jobs.
Every coach puts together a staff based on people he either knows or else trusts when they recommend someone. I doubt that any of Hammock's hires came without a recommendation. It's not like posting on Indeed.com or ZipRecruiter.
You're entitled to your opinion and folks are also entitled to consider you a joke. Case closed. LOL

(03-24-2023 11:05 AM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 07:47 AM)BigChilla Wrote:  Lol, man you are a joke. I don’t run a program so I can’t comment on the worst attendance team in FBS? A team that went from first to worst?

There are so many factors other than hiring assistants that are involved in the attendance issue but this statement proves you are simply a Hammock hater, period. So go root for another program.
Your next statement "a team that went from first to worst" can also be factually reversed: We went from worst (0-6) to first" but you are too blind to acknowledge that.
In addition to the world of STF where extensions are not announced, which assistants were fired? No matter how bad you believe some of Hammock's hires have been they've managed to get other jobs.
Every coach puts together a staff based on people he either knows or else trusts when they recommend someone. I doubt that any of Hammock's hires came without a recommendation. It's not like posting on Indeed.com or ZipRecruiter.
You're entitled to your opinion and folks are also entitled to consider you a joke. Case closed. LOL

I was never “just a hammock hater” - and you can check my posts I have defended him quite often. I loved the hire.

The problem is seeing what he has done to the program.

And you are making my point for me, these hires are a direct result of his “connections” and they are terrible. Hell one guy lasted 3 days.

You sir are a joke. If you can’t be honest with what you are seeing that’s a you problem. This program is in awful shape. They are losing. Can’t hire coaches. Can’t keep coaches. Can’t seem to recruit or develop (you can pick which it is for all I care - are the players the issue or the coaches?)

There has to be something wrong. You don’t let Akron take your girl like that and have nothing wrong with your program. You don’t lose almost every scholarship back but Brown and not have at least *something* going on.

So you are the joke. You want to let this program keep burning and clap as it does? Fine. But don’t be butthurt when it is pointed out Hammock might be the problem here.

(03-24-2023 11:56 AM)BigChilla Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 11:05 AM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 07:47 AM)BigChilla Wrote:  Lol, man you are a joke. I don’t run a program so I can’t comment on the worst attendance team in FBS? A team that went from first to worst?

There are so many factors other than hiring assistants that are involved in the attendance issue but this statement proves you are simply a Hammock hater, period. So go root for another program.
Your next statement "a team that went from first to worst" can also be factually reversed: We went from worst (0-6) to first" but you are too blind to acknowledge that.
In addition to the world of STF where extensions are not announced, which assistants were fired? No matter how bad you believe some of Hammock's hires have been they've managed to get other jobs.
Every coach puts together a staff based on people he either knows or else trusts when they recommend someone. I doubt that any of Hammock's hires came without a recommendation. It's not like posting on Indeed.com or ZipRecruiter.
You're entitled to your opinion and folks are also entitled to consider you a joke. Case closed. LOL

I was never “just a hammock hater” - and you can check my posts I have defended him quite often. I loved the hire.

The problem is seeing what he has done to the program.

And you are making my point for me, these hires are a direct result of his “connections” and they are terrible. Hell one guy lasted 3 days.

You sir are a joke. If you can’t be honest with what you are seeing that’s a you problem. This program is in awful shape. They are losing. Can’t hire coaches. Can’t keep coaches. Can’t seem to recruit or develop (you can pick which it is for all I care - are the players the issue or the coaches?)

There has to be something wrong. You don’t let Akron take your girl like that and have nothing wrong with your program. You don’t lose almost every scholarship back but Brown and not have at least *something* going on.

So you are the joke. You want to let this program keep burning and clap as it does? Fine. But don’t be butthurt when it is pointed out Hammock might be the problem here.

Not sticking up for TH completely here, as I think he needs to tweak the way he coaches and we will see if he has this season, but losing coaches like that has happened to arguably 2 of the best coaches ever at NIU with PJ Fleck (Doeren) and Roy Manning leaving (carey).

As for the RB's leaving, I think someone else mentioned it, but don't think a lot of the guys cared for the old RB coach that went to Minn. Things should be a little different and really think TH should be more hands on with RBs.

I get not micromanaging, but players want to go to the NFL and he does have that great history for that position. There is no denying that between Wisconsin and the Ravens.

This will be TH make or break season IMO. Needs 8 or more wins to make it a successful season. I do think there is enough talent on this to make that happen. The offense will put up more points and if the defense take a marginal step forward from last, we will have a good year.

(03-24-2023 11:56 AM)BigChilla Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 11:05 AM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 07:47 AM)BigChilla Wrote:  Lol, man you are a joke. I don’t run a program so I can’t comment on the worst attendance team in FBS? A team that went from first to worst?

There are so many factors other than hiring assistants that are involved in the attendance issue but this statement proves you are simply a Hammock hater, period. So go root for another program.
Your next statement "a team that went from first to worst" can also be factually reversed: We went from worst (0-6) to first" but you are too blind to acknowledge that.
In addition to the world of STF where extensions are not announced, which assistants were fired? No matter how bad you believe some of Hammock's hires have been they've managed to get other jobs.
Every coach puts together a staff based on people he either knows or else trusts when they recommend someone. I doubt that any of Hammock's hires came without a recommendation. It's not like posting on Indeed.com or ZipRecruiter.
You're entitled to your opinion and folks are also entitled to consider you a joke. Case closed. LOL

I was never “just a hammock hater” - and you can check my posts I have defended him quite often. I loved the hire.

The problem is seeing what he has done to the program.

And you are making my point for me, these hires are a direct result of his “connections” and they are terrible. Hell one guy lasted 3 days.

You sir are a joke. If you can’t be honest with what you are seeing that’s a you problem. This program is in awful shape. They are losing. Can’t hire coaches. Can’t keep coaches. Can’t seem to recruit or develop (you can pick which it is for all I care - are the players the issue or the coaches?)

There has to be something wrong. You don’t let Akron take your girl like that and have nothing wrong with your program. You don’t lose almost every scholarship back but Brown and not have at least *something* going on.

So you are the joke. You want to let this program keep burning and clap as it does? Fine. But don’t be butthurt when it is pointed out Hammock might be the problem here.

You have to be right because you said so. You are obviously an expert. Thank God for message boards so you can share your expertise.

(03-24-2023 12:41 PM)niu1980 Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 11:56 AM)BigChilla Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 11:05 AM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 07:47 AM)BigChilla Wrote:  Lol, man you are a joke. I don’t run a program so I can’t comment on the worst attendance team in FBS? A team that went from first to worst?

There are so many factors other than hiring assistants that are involved in the attendance issue but this statement proves you are simply a Hammock hater, period. So go root for another program.
Your next statement "a team that went from first to worst" can also be factually reversed: We went from worst (0-6) to first" but you are too blind to acknowledge that.
In addition to the world of STF where extensions are not announced, which assistants were fired? No matter how bad you believe some of Hammock's hires have been they've managed to get other jobs.
Every coach puts together a staff based on people he either knows or else trusts when they recommend someone. I doubt that any of Hammock's hires came without a recommendation. It's not like posting on Indeed.com or ZipRecruiter.
You're entitled to your opinion and folks are also entitled to consider you a joke. Case closed. LOL

I was never “just a hammock hater” - and you can check my posts I have defended him quite often. I loved the hire.

The problem is seeing what he has done to the program.

And you are making my point for me, these hires are a direct result of his “connections” and they are terrible. Hell one guy lasted 3 days.

You sir are a joke. If you can’t be honest with what you are seeing that’s a you problem. This program is in awful shape. They are losing. Can’t hire coaches. Can’t keep coaches. Can’t seem to recruit or develop (you can pick which it is for all I care - are the players the issue or the coaches?)

There has to be something wrong. You don’t let Akron take your girl like that and have nothing wrong with your program. You don’t lose almost every scholarship back but Brown and not have at least *something* going on.

So you are the joke. You want to let this program keep burning and clap as it does? Fine. But don’t be butthurt when it is pointed out Hammock might be the problem here.

You have to be right because you said so. You are obviously an expert. Thank God for message boards so you can share your expertise.

No I am right because that’s what’s happening. He has very few useful connections. This is a D1 program and he can’t fill the staff by spring? Is it because he has too many candidates?

(03-24-2023 02:31 PM)BigChilla Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 12:41 PM)niu1980 Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 11:56 AM)BigChilla Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 11:05 AM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 07:47 AM)BigChilla Wrote:  Lol, man you are a joke. I don’t run a program so I can’t comment on the worst attendance team in FBS? A team that went from first to worst?

There are so many factors other than hiring assistants that are involved in the attendance issue but this statement proves you are simply a Hammock hater, period. So go root for another program.
Your next statement "a team that went from first to worst" can also be factually reversed: We went from worst (0-6) to first" but you are too blind to acknowledge that.
In addition to the world of STF where extensions are not announced, which assistants were fired? No matter how bad you believe some of Hammock's hires have been they've managed to get other jobs.
Every coach puts together a staff based on people he either knows or else trusts when they recommend someone. I doubt that any of Hammock's hires came without a recommendation. It's not like posting on Indeed.com or ZipRecruiter.
You're entitled to your opinion and folks are also entitled to consider you a joke. Case closed. LOL

I was never “just a hammock hater” - and you can check my posts I have defended him quite often. I loved the hire.

The problem is seeing what he has done to the program.

And you are making my point for me, these hires are a direct result of his “connections” and they are terrible. Hell one guy lasted 3 days.

You sir are a joke. If you can’t be honest with what you are seeing that’s a you problem. This program is in awful shape. They are losing. Can’t hire coaches. Can’t keep coaches. Can’t seem to recruit or develop (you can pick which it is for all I care - are the players the issue or the coaches?)

There has to be something wrong. You don’t let Akron take your girl like that and have nothing wrong with your program. You don’t lose almost every scholarship back but Brown and not have at least *something* going on.

So you are the joke. You want to let this program keep burning and clap as it does? Fine. But don’t be butthurt when it is pointed out Hammock might be the problem here.

You have to be right because you said so. You are obviously an expert. Thank God for message boards so you can share your expertise.

No I am right because that’s what’s happening. He has very few useful connections. This is a D1 program and he can’t fill the staff by spring? Is it because he has too many candidates?

I’m not an NIU fan, but I do enjoy MAC football and admittedly follow and pull for Akron since Joe Moorhead’s arrival. I watched the Zips before Moorhead, but could hardly finish out a game due the talent deficiency versus every other FBS team. My point in saying that is I have “no dog in this fight” but I have to agree that NIU is heading in the wrong direction. Outside of a few players, the 2023 class is probably the worst in the MAC.

When I watched Akron vs NIU last year, I saw the Zips whip NIU along the lines of scrimmage. NIU had the slowest defense I’d seen all year. Maybe NIU was beat up by that point? If not, that’s a real concern and I don’t see many, if any, players in this year’s recruiting class making a big difference. Undercuffler was the backup for Akron, not nearly as physically gifted as Irons, and still managed over 300 yards passing. Akron also had the worst rushing team in the MAC and rolled up 200 yards on the ground. To add insult to injury, Akron’s cornerbacks were probably the worst in the MAC and held NIU to 172 yards passing.

Recruiting is usually a good indicator where a program is headed. Most pundits were surprised by the success of South Carolina, Illinois, UCONN, and New Mexico State last year. They shouldn’t have been if they’ve been paying attention. Same could be said about Akron this year.

Take it for what it’s worth from an outsider looking in and follows recruiting closely. Feel free to disagree. I’m here for the discussion.

(03-24-2023 02:31 PM)BigChilla Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 12:41 PM)niu1980 Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 11:56 AM)BigChilla Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 11:05 AM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 07:47 AM)BigChilla Wrote:  Lol, man you are a joke. I don’t run a program so I can’t comment on the worst attendance team in FBS? A team that went from first to worst?

There are so many factors other than hiring assistants that are involved in the attendance issue but this statement proves you are simply a Hammock hater, period. So go root for another program.
Your next statement "a team that went from first to worst" can also be factually reversed: We went from worst (0-6) to first" but you are too blind to acknowledge that.
In addition to the world of STF where extensions are not announced, which assistants were fired? No matter how bad you believe some of Hammock's hires have been they've managed to get other jobs.
Every coach puts together a staff based on people he either knows or else trusts when they recommend someone. I doubt that any of Hammock's hires came without a recommendation. It's not like posting on Indeed.com or ZipRecruiter.
You're entitled to your opinion and folks are also entitled to consider you a joke. Case closed. LOL

I was never “just a hammock hater” - and you can check my posts I have defended him quite often. I loved the hire.

The problem is seeing what he has done to the program.

And you are making my point for me, these hires are a direct result of his “connections” and they are terrible. Hell one guy lasted 3 days.

You sir are a joke. If you can’t be honest with what you are seeing that’s a you problem. This program is in awful shape. They are losing. Can’t hire coaches. Can’t keep coaches. Can’t seem to recruit or develop (you can pick which it is for all I care - are the players the issue or the coaches?)

There has to be something wrong. You don’t let Akron take your girl like that and have nothing wrong with your program. You don’t lose almost every scholarship back but Brown and not have at least *something* going on.

So you are the joke. You want to let this program keep burning and clap as it does? Fine. But don’t be butthurt when it is pointed out Hammock might be the problem here.

You have to be right because you said so. You are obviously an expert. Thank God for message boards so you can share your expertise.

No I am right because that’s what’s happening. He has very few useful connections. This is a D1 program and he can’t fill the staff by spring? Is it because he has too many candidates?

This needs to move to Spayed and Neutered

(03-24-2023 04:07 PM)CoachPMac Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 02:31 PM)BigChilla Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 12:41 PM)niu1980 Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 11:56 AM)BigChilla Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 11:05 AM)uiniu57 Wrote:  There are so many factors other than hiring assistants that are involved in the attendance issue but this statement proves you are simply a Hammock hater, period. So go root for another program.
Your next statement "a team that went from first to worst" can also be factually reversed: We went from worst (0-6) to first" but you are too blind to acknowledge that.
In addition to the world of STF where extensions are not announced, which assistants were fired? No matter how bad you believe some of Hammock's hires have been they've managed to get other jobs.
Every coach puts together a staff based on people he either knows or else trusts when they recommend someone. I doubt that any of Hammock's hires came without a recommendation. It's not like posting on Indeed.com or ZipRecruiter.
You're entitled to your opinion and folks are also entitled to consider you a joke. Case closed. LOL

I was never “just a hammock hater” - and you can check my posts I have defended him quite often. I loved the hire.

The problem is seeing what he has done to the program.

And you are making my point for me, these hires are a direct result of his “connections” and they are terrible. Hell one guy lasted 3 days.

You sir are a joke. If you can’t be honest with what you are seeing that’s a you problem. This program is in awful shape. They are losing. Can’t hire coaches. Can’t keep coaches. Can’t seem to recruit or develop (you can pick which it is for all I care - are the players the issue or the coaches?)

There has to be something wrong. You don’t let Akron take your girl like that and have nothing wrong with your program. You don’t lose almost every scholarship back but Brown and not have at least *something* going on.

So you are the joke. You want to let this program keep burning and clap as it does? Fine. But don’t be butthurt when it is pointed out Hammock might be the problem here.

You have to be right because you said so. You are obviously an expert. Thank God for message boards so you can share your expertise.

No I am right because that’s what’s happening. He has very few useful connections. This is a D1 program and he can’t fill the staff by spring? Is it because he has too many candidates?

I’m not an NIU fan, but I do enjoy MAC football and admittedly follow and pull for Akron since Joe Moorhead’s arrival. I watched the Zips before Moorhead, but could hardly finish out a game due the talent deficiency versus every other FBS team. My point in saying that is I have “no dog in this fight” but I have to agree that NIU is heading in the wrong direction. Outside of a few players, the 2023 class is probably the worst in the MAC.

When I watched Akron vs NIU last year, I saw the Zips whip NIU along the lines of scrimmage. NIU had the slowest defense I’d seen all year. Maybe NIU was beat up by that point? If not, that’s a real concern and I don’t see many, if any, players in this year’s recruiting class making a big difference. Undercuffler was the backup for Akron, not nearly as physically gifted as Irons, and still managed over 300 yards passing. Akron also had the worst rushing team in the MAC and rolled up 200 yards on the ground. To add insult to injury, Akron’s cornerbacks were probably the worst in the MAC and held NIU to 172 yards passing.

Recruiting is usually a good indicator where a program is headed. Most pundits were surprised by the success of South Carolina, Illinois, UCONN, and New Mexico State last year. They shouldn’t have been if they’ve been paying attention. Same could be said about Akron this year.

Take it for what it’s worth from an outsider looking in and follows recruiting closely. Feel free to disagree. I’m here for the discussion.

Interesting. Though, it must be said, there are a lot of other factors besides just recruiting physically talented players. Where is their head, how are they coached, how do they develop, what schemes do they play in, who are the opponents, how do injuries affect the team. Those are just a few other factors. Some are under the control or at least influence of the head coach, and others only s lightly or even not at all.

(03-24-2023 04:45 PM)chihuskie Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 04:07 PM)CoachPMac Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 02:31 PM)BigChilla Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 12:41 PM)niu1980 Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 11:56 AM)BigChilla Wrote:  I was never “just a hammock hater” - and you can check my posts I have defended him quite often. I loved the hire.

The problem is seeing what he has done to the program.

And you are making my point for me, these hires are a direct result of his “connections” and they are terrible. Hell one guy lasted 3 days.

You sir are a joke. If you can’t be honest with what you are seeing that’s a you problem. This program is in awful shape. They are losing. Can’t hire coaches. Can’t keep coaches. Can’t seem to recruit or develop (you can pick which it is for all I care - are the players the issue or the coaches?)

There has to be something wrong. You don’t let Akron take your girl like that and have nothing wrong with your program. You don’t lose almost every scholarship back but Brown and not have at least *something* going on.

So you are the joke. You want to let this program keep burning and clap as it does? Fine. But don’t be butthurt when it is pointed out Hammock might be the problem here.

You have to be right because you said so. You are obviously an expert. Thank God for message boards so you can share your expertise.

No I am right because that’s what’s happening. He has very few useful connections. This is a D1 program and he can’t fill the staff by spring? Is it because he has too many candidates?

I’m not an NIU fan, but I do enjoy MAC football and admittedly follow and pull for Akron since Joe Moorhead’s arrival. I watched the Zips before Moorhead, but could hardly finish out a game due the talent deficiency versus every other FBS team. My point in saying that is I have “no dog in this fight” but I have to agree that NIU is heading in the wrong direction. Outside of a few players, the 2023 class is probably the worst in the MAC.

When I watched Akron vs NIU last year, I saw the Zips whip NIU along the lines of scrimmage. NIU had the slowest defense I’d seen all year. Maybe NIU was beat up by that point? If not, that’s a real concern and I don’t see many, if any, players in this year’s recruiting class making a big difference. Undercuffler was the backup for Akron, not nearly as physically gifted as Irons, and still managed over 300 yards passing. Akron also had the worst rushing team in the MAC and rolled up 200 yards on the ground. To add insult to injury, Akron’s cornerbacks were probably the worst in the MAC and held NIU to 172 yards passing.

Recruiting is usually a good indicator where a program is headed. Most pundits were surprised by the success of South Carolina, Illinois, UCONN, and New Mexico State last year. They shouldn’t have been if they’ve been paying attention. Same could be said about Akron this year.

Take it for what it’s worth from an outsider looking in and follows recruiting closely. Feel free to disagree. I’m here for the discussion.

Interesting. Though, it must be said, there are a lot of other factors besides just recruiting physically talented players. Where is their head, how are they coached, how do they develop, what schemes do they play in, who are the opponents, how do injuries affect the team. Those are just a few other factors. Some are under the control or at least influence of the head coach, and others only s lightly or even not at all.

We could also add culture, NIL, facilities, academics, training staff, etc, etc, etc. In the end it’s simple. The more dynamic and explosive players that are recruited the better chance of success. From there the players need to be developed. Everything else is an excuse of why the team or program isn’t winning. Only so many “diamond in the rough” type players can be in each class before there’s mostly just “rough” left.

(03-24-2023 05:20 PM)CoachPMac Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 04:45 PM)chihuskie Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 04:07 PM)CoachPMac Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 02:31 PM)BigChilla Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 12:41 PM)niu1980 Wrote:  You have to be right because you said so. You are obviously an expert. Thank God for message boards so you can share your expertise.

No I am right because that’s what’s happening. He has very few useful connections. This is a D1 program and he can’t fill the staff by spring? Is it because he has too many candidates?

I’m not an NIU fan, but I do enjoy MAC football and admittedly follow and pull for Akron since Joe Moorhead’s arrival. I watched the Zips before Moorhead, but could hardly finish out a game due the talent deficiency versus every other FBS team. My point in saying that is I have “no dog in this fight” but I have to agree that NIU is heading in the wrong direction. Outside of a few players, the 2023 class is probably the worst in the MAC.

When I watched Akron vs NIU last year, I saw the Zips whip NIU along the lines of scrimmage. NIU had the slowest defense I’d seen all year. Maybe NIU was beat up by that point? If not, that’s a real concern and I don’t see many, if any, players in this year’s recruiting class making a big difference. Undercuffler was the backup for Akron, not nearly as physically gifted as Irons, and still managed over 300 yards passing. Akron also had the worst rushing team in the MAC and rolled up 200 yards on the ground. To add insult to injury, Akron’s cornerbacks were probably the worst in the MAC and held NIU to 172 yards passing.

Recruiting is usually a good indicator where a program is headed. Most pundits were surprised by the success of South Carolina, Illinois, UCONN, and New Mexico State last year. They shouldn’t have been if they’ve been paying attention. Same could be said about Akron this year.

Take it for what it’s worth from an outsider looking in and follows recruiting closely. Feel free to disagree. I’m here for the discussion.

Interesting. Though, it must be said, there are a lot of other factors besides just recruiting physically talented players. Where is their head, how are they coached, how do they develop, what schemes do they play in, who are the opponents, how do injuries affect the team. Those are just a few other factors. Some are under the control or at least influence of the head coach, and others only s lightly or even not at all.

We could also add culture, NIL, facilities, academics, training staff, etc, etc, etc. In the end it’s simple. The more dynamic and explosive players that are recruited the better chance of success. From there the players need to be developed. Everything else is an excuse of why the team or program isn’t winning. Only so many “diamond in the rough” type players can be in each class before there’s mostly just “rough” left.

While I adamantly agree with what you're saying as far as NIU's recruiting, the "diamonds" are usually a bit of luck. Many of the greatest NIU players looked like nothing in their recruit class. I'd argue most MAC teams are comprised of the same talent for roughly 80% of their starters. It's those 20% of remaining players that become diamonds that make the difference btw winning and losing. NIU's issue is that it has found zero diamonds on D. Zero. And it's crippling. Those star players elevate everyone. A great rush end from one side helps free up the rusher on the other side. A great cover corner can force a QB to look mostly in one direction. Etc.

That being said, is NIU's inability to find diamonds on D rooted in Hammocks recruiting philosophy? Is he going after the wrong type players in terms of high athletic upside vs established size? Maybe. Has he recruited a diamond but not found the right position or scheme? Maybe. At this point our best bet is Hammock just dumb lucks his way into finding a Sutton Smith or Shawn Lurry.

(03-24-2023 05:46 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 05:20 PM)CoachPMac Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 04:45 PM)chihuskie Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 04:07 PM)CoachPMac Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 02:31 PM)BigChilla Wrote:  No I am right because that’s what’s happening. He has very few useful connections. This is a D1 program and he can’t fill the staff by spring? Is it because he has too many candidates?

I’m not an NIU fan, but I do enjoy MAC football and admittedly follow and pull for Akron since Joe Moorhead’s arrival. I watched the Zips before Moorhead, but could hardly finish out a game due the talent deficiency versus every other FBS team. My point in saying that is I have “no dog in this fight” but I have to agree that NIU is heading in the wrong direction. Outside of a few players, the 2023 class is probably the worst in the MAC.

When I watched Akron vs NIU last year, I saw the Zips whip NIU along the lines of scrimmage. NIU had the slowest defense I’d seen all year. Maybe NIU was beat up by that point? If not, that’s a real concern and I don’t see many, if any, players in this year’s recruiting class making a big difference. Undercuffler was the backup for Akron, not nearly as physically gifted as Irons, and still managed over 300 yards passing. Akron also had the worst rushing team in the MAC and rolled up 200 yards on the ground. To add insult to injury, Akron’s cornerbacks were probably the worst in the MAC and held NIU to 172 yards passing.

Recruiting is usually a good indicator where a program is headed. Most pundits were surprised by the success of South Carolina, Illinois, UCONN, and New Mexico State last year. They shouldn’t have been if they’ve been paying attention. Same could be said about Akron this year.

Take it for what it’s worth from an outsider looking in and follows recruiting closely. Feel free to disagree. I’m here for the discussion.

Interesting. Though, it must be said, there are a lot of other factors besides just recruiting physically talented players. Where is their head, how are they coached, how do they develop, what schemes do they play in, who are the opponents, how do injuries affect the team. Those are just a few other factors. Some are under the control or at least influence of the head coach, and others only s lightly or even not at all.

We could also add culture, NIL, facilities, academics, training staff, etc, etc, etc. In the end it’s simple. The more dynamic and explosive players that are recruited the better chance of success. From there the players need to be developed. Everything else is an excuse of why the team or program isn’t winning. Only so many “diamond in the rough” type players can be in each class before there’s mostly just “rough” left.

While I adamantly agree with what you're saying as far as NIU's recruiting, the "diamonds" are usually a bit of luck. Many of the greatest NIU players looked like nothing in their recruit class. I'd argue most MAC teams are comprised of the same talent for roughly 80% of their starters. It's those 20% of remaining players that become diamonds that make the difference btw winning and losing. NIU's issue is that it has found zero diamonds on D. Zero. And it's crippling. Those star players elevate everyone. A great rush end from one side helps free up the rusher on the other side. A great cover corner can force a QB to look mostly in one direction. Etc.

That being said, is NIU's inability to find diamonds on D rooted in Hammocks recruiting philosophy? Is he going after the wrong type players in terms of high athletic upside vs established size? Maybe. Has he recruited a diamond but not found the right position or scheme? Maybe. At this point our best bet is Hammock just dumb lucks his way into finding a Sutton Smith or Shawn Lurry.

Good questions. Without diving into schemes, which could open another can of worms, I’m going to stick to just recruiting in our discussion. As far as MAC recruiting goes, Ive gone through and watched every MAC 2023 commit highlight film. I work for one of the recruiting companies and have done my best to make sure every MAC player has a rating. (Although that is an upside battle at times.) I always watch the film first and then look at offers and stars second. When I say explosive and dynamic, I mean some guys jump off the film (or in person) and it’s easy to tell they are FBS caliber players. There were a number of players in NIU’s 2023 class that I had a hard time figuring out if they were actually offered or if they were PWOs. Too many players in this class had offers only from NIU. Or NIU beat only FCS schools for their commitment. Will a few of those guys pan out? Absolutely. But while other schools are stacking explosive players in this year’s class, or class on class, it’s going to be hard for NIU to compete on the field.

I haven’t paid as close attention to what NIU has done in the portal until this past year so correct me if I’m wrong, but Hammock has not hit on a high percentage of game changers, nor has he done the best job of keeping all of his top talent. Every team will lose someone they don’t want to lose, but it needs to be minimized.

(03-24-2023 06:21 PM)CoachPMac Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 05:46 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 05:20 PM)CoachPMac Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 04:45 PM)chihuskie Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 04:07 PM)CoachPMac Wrote:  I’m not an NIU fan, but I do enjoy MAC football and admittedly follow and pull for Akron since Joe Moorhead’s arrival. I watched the Zips before Moorhead, but could hardly finish out a game due the talent deficiency versus every other FBS team. My point in saying that is I have “no dog in this fight” but I have to agree that NIU is heading in the wrong direction. Outside of a few players, the 2023 class is probably the worst in the MAC.

When I watched Akron vs NIU last year, I saw the Zips whip NIU along the lines of scrimmage. NIU had the slowest defense I’d seen all year. Maybe NIU was beat up by that point? If not, that’s a real concern and I don’t see many, if any, players in this year’s recruiting class making a big difference. Undercuffler was the backup for Akron, not nearly as physically gifted as Irons, and still managed over 300 yards passing. Akron also had the worst rushing team in the MAC and rolled up 200 yards on the ground. To add insult to injury, Akron’s cornerbacks were probably the worst in the MAC and held NIU to 172 yards passing.

Recruiting is usually a good indicator where a program is headed. Most pundits were surprised by the success of South Carolina, Illinois, UCONN, and New Mexico State last year. They shouldn’t have been if they’ve been paying attention. Same could be said about Akron this year.

Take it for what it’s worth from an outsider looking in and follows recruiting closely. Feel free to disagree. I’m here for the discussion.

Interesting. Though, it must be said, there are a lot of other factors besides just recruiting physically talented players. Where is their head, how are they coached, how do they develop, what schemes do they play in, who are the opponents, how do injuries affect the team. Those are just a few other factors. Some are under the control or at least influence of the head coach, and others only s lightly or even not at all.

We could also add culture, NIL, facilities, academics, training staff, etc, etc, etc. In the end it’s simple. The more dynamic and explosive players that are recruited the better chance of success. From there the players need to be developed. Everything else is an excuse of why the team or program isn’t winning. Only so many “diamond in the rough” type players can be in each class before there’s mostly just “rough” left.

While I adamantly agree with what you're saying as far as NIU's recruiting, the "diamonds" are usually a bit of luck. Many of the greatest NIU players looked like nothing in their recruit class. I'd argue most MAC teams are comprised of the same talent for roughly 80% of their starters. It's those 20% of remaining players that become diamonds that make the difference btw winning and losing. NIU's issue is that it has found zero diamonds on D. Zero. And it's crippling. Those star players elevate everyone. A great rush end from one side helps free up the rusher on the other side. A great cover corner can force a QB to look mostly in one direction. Etc.

That being said, is NIU's inability to find diamonds on D rooted in Hammocks recruiting philosophy? Is he going after the wrong type players in terms of high athletic upside vs established size? Maybe. Has he recruited a diamond but not found the right position or scheme? Maybe. At this point our best bet is Hammock just dumb lucks his way into finding a Sutton Smith or Shawn Lurry.

Good questions. Without diving into schemes, which could open another can of worms, I’m going to stick to just recruiting in our discussion. As far as MAC recruiting goes, Ive gone through and watched every MAC 2023 commit highlight film. I work for one of the recruiting companies and have done my best to make sure every MAC player has a rating. (Although that is an upside battle at times.) I always watch the film first and then look at offers and stars second. When I say explosive and dynamic, I mean some guys jump off the film (or in person) and it’s easy to tell they are FBS caliber players. There were a number of players in NIU’s 2023 class that I had a hard time figuring out if they were actually offered or if they were PWOs. Too many players in this class had offers only from NIU. Or NIU beat only FCS schools for their commitment. Will a few of those guys pan out? Absolutely. But while other schools are stacking explosive players in this year’s class, or class on class, it’s going to be hard for NIU to compete on the field.

I haven’t paid as close attention to what NIU has done in the portal until this past year so correct me if I’m wrong, but Hammock has not hit on a high percentage of game changers, nor has he done the best job of keeping all of his top talent. Every team will lose someone they don’t want to lose, but it needs to be minimized.

Yes, this sort of echoes what people on this board are saying. But, now we are hearing it from an outside professional source in the business. Thank you for your comments.

The bottom line is that our recruiting sucks. We saw prior year recruiting deficiencies last year when some of our key players went down and had to be replaced with less than mediocre talent. The talent we have is just not deep. And, IMO, no one really stands out in this year’s recruiting. So, again, all we have is hope, but that is wearing thin.

(03-24-2023 06:21 PM)CoachPMac Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 05:46 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 05:20 PM)CoachPMac Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 04:45 PM)chihuskie Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 04:07 PM)CoachPMac Wrote:  I’m not an NIU fan, but I do enjoy MAC football and admittedly follow and pull for Akron since Joe Moorhead’s arrival. I watched the Zips before Moorhead, but could hardly finish out a game due the talent deficiency versus every other FBS team. My point in saying that is I have “no dog in this fight” but I have to agree that NIU is heading in the wrong direction. Outside of a few players, the 2023 class is probably the worst in the MAC.

When I watched Akron vs NIU last year, I saw the Zips whip NIU along the lines of scrimmage. NIU had the slowest defense I’d seen all year. Maybe NIU was beat up by that point? If not, that’s a real concern and I don’t see many, if any, players in this year’s recruiting class making a big difference. Undercuffler was the backup for Akron, not nearly as physically gifted as Irons, and still managed over 300 yards passing. Akron also had the worst rushing team in the MAC and rolled up 200 yards on the ground. To add insult to injury, Akron’s cornerbacks were probably the worst in the MAC and held NIU to 172 yards passing.

Recruiting is usually a good indicator where a program is headed. Most pundits were surprised by the success of South Carolina, Illinois, UCONN, and New Mexico State last year. They shouldn’t have been if they’ve been paying attention. Same could be said about Akron this year.

Take it for what it’s worth from an outsider looking in and follows recruiting closely. Feel free to disagree. I’m here for the discussion.

Interesting. Though, it must be said, there are a lot of other factors besides just recruiting physically talented players. Where is their head, how are they coached, how do they develop, what schemes do they play in, who are the opponents, how do injuries affect the team. Those are just a few other factors. Some are under the control or at least influence of the head coach, and others only s lightly or even not at all.

We could also add culture, NIL, facilities, academics, training staff, etc, etc, etc. In the end it’s simple. The more dynamic and explosive players that are recruited the better chance of success. From there the players need to be developed. Everything else is an excuse of why the team or program isn’t winning. Only so many “diamond in the rough” type players can be in each class before there’s mostly just “rough” left.

While I adamantly agree with what you're saying as far as NIU's recruiting, the "diamonds" are usually a bit of luck. Many of the greatest NIU players looked like nothing in their recruit class. I'd argue most MAC teams are comprised of the same talent for roughly 80% of their starters. It's those 20% of remaining players that become diamonds that make the difference btw winning and losing. NIU's issue is that it has found zero diamonds on D. Zero. And it's crippling. Those star players elevate everyone. A great rush end from one side helps free up the rusher on the other side. A great cover corner can force a QB to look mostly in one direction. Etc.

That being said, is NIU's inability to find diamonds on D rooted in Hammocks recruiting philosophy? Is he going after the wrong type players in terms of high athletic upside vs established size? Maybe. Has he recruited a diamond but not found the right position or scheme? Maybe. At this point our best bet is Hammock just dumb lucks his way into finding a Sutton Smith or Shawn Lurry.

Good questions. Without diving into schemes, which could open another can of worms, I’m going to stick to just recruiting in our discussion. As far as MAC recruiting goes, Ive gone through and watched every MAC 2023 commit highlight film. I work for one of the recruiting companies and have done my best to make sure every MAC player has a rating. (Although that is an upside battle at times.) I always watch the film first and then look at offers and stars second. When I say explosive and dynamic, I mean some guys jump off the film (or in person) and it’s easy to tell they are FBS caliber players. There were a number of players in NIU’s 2023 class that I had a hard time figuring out if they were actually offered or if they were PWOs. Too many players in this class had offers only from NIU. Or NIU beat only FCS schools for their commitment. Will a few of those guys pan out? Absolutely. But while other schools are stacking explosive players in this year’s class, or class on class, it’s going to be hard for NIU to compete on the field.

I haven’t paid as close attention to what NIU has done in the portal until this past year so correct me if I’m wrong, but Hammock has not hit on a high percentage of game changers, nor has he done the best job of keeping all of his top talent. Every team will lose someone they don’t want to lose, but it needs to be minimized.

Your observations match what we are seeing on the field. Even on offense where outside of RB the only explosive player Hammock has ever recruited is Trayvon Rudolph. And he held 4 other MAC offers. We are now counting on FCS transfer Kaspar Rutkiweicz and 1-offer Jalen Johnson to perform. Johnson is the only WR with buzz and we've never seen him play. All the other WR's we hope are "useful". TE's are 5 yards and a cloud of dust.

Hammock is mostly recruiting strong to decent up the middle. RB,QB,O-line, interior D-line, LB. Everything outside and deep are sub par athletes.

Thanks for the insights..

(03-24-2023 06:44 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 06:21 PM)CoachPMac Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 05:46 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 05:20 PM)CoachPMac Wrote:  

(03-24-2023 04:45 PM)chihuskie Wrote:  

While I adamantly agree with what you're saying as far as NIU's recruiting, the "diamonds" are usually a bit of luck. Many of the greatest NIU players looked like nothing in their recruit class. I'd argue most MAC teams are comprised of the same talent for roughly 80% of their starters. It's those 20% of remaining players that become diamonds that make the difference btw winning and losing. NIU's issue is that it has found zero diamonds on D. Zero. And it's crippling. Those star players elevate everyone. A great rush end from one side helps free up the rusher on the other side. A great cover corner can force a QB to look mostly in one direction. Etc.

That being said, is NIU's inability to find diamonds on D rooted in Hammocks recruiting philosophy? Is he going after the wrong type players in terms of high athletic upside vs established size? Maybe. Has he recruited a diamond but not found the right position or scheme? Maybe. At this point our best bet is Hammock just dumb lucks his way into finding a Sutton Smith or Shawn Lurry.

Good questions. Without diving into schemes, which could open another can of worms, I’m going to stick to just recruiting in our discussion. As far as MAC recruiting goes, Ive gone through and watched every MAC 2023 commit highlight film. I work for one of the recruiting companies and have done my best to make sure every MAC player has a rating. (Although that is an upside battle at times.) I always watch the film first and then look at offers and stars second. When I say explosive and dynamic, I mean some guys jump off the film (or in person) and it’s easy to tell they are FBS caliber players. There were a number of players in NIU’s 2023 class that I had a hard time figuring out if they were actually offered or if they were PWOs. Too many players in this class had offers only from NIU. Or NIU beat only FCS schools for their commitment. Will a few of those guys pan out? Absolutely. But while other schools are stacking explosive players in this year’s class, or class on class, it’s going to be hard for NIU to compete on the field.

I haven’t paid as close attention to what NIU has done in the portal until this past year so correct me if I’m wrong, but Hammock has not hit on a high percentage of game changers, nor has he done the best job of keeping all of his top talent. Every team will lose someone they don’t want to lose, but it needs to be minimized.

Yes, this sort of echoes what people on this board are saying. But, now we are hearing it from an outside professional source in the business. Thank you for your comments.

The bottom line is that our recruiting sucks. We saw prior year recruiting deficiencies last year when some of our key players went down and had to be replaced with less than mediocre talent. The talent we have is just not deep. And, IMO, no one really stands out in this year’s recruiting. So, again, all we have is hope, but that is wearing thin.

Wait, I thought the roster was loaded with talent…? At least that is the narrative from some of the posters on this board. NIU pro day was a ghost town, a third of the roster is walk-ons, and a number of guys on the roster had zero offers besides NIU. When was the last time NIU brought in multiple DIII players as transfers? Recruit class ranks have consistently been north of 100 in recent years…

All signs point to a big drop off in recruiting by NIU standards.