I will be posting my annual analysis about one week after Wednesday's signing day. I have been receiving a ton of data lately and at a high level, here is how it's beginning to shape up. Still early though but I'm seeing some very average classes overall compared to recent years.


Doing Really Well
Temple & Miami. Both had a lot of early committments and now both schools are trying to fend off other MAC and mid-level BCS schools against their incoming talent.

Doing Well
Kent State (RB Sal Battles from Y'town is a huge get), EMU (QB/DB Juandez Brown Cincinnati is a major find), CMU (solid and balanced class to date) & WMU (ditto)

Quite Average to Date
Ball State, Akron, Toledo, BG, Ohio

Not Much Info Yet
Buffalo & NIU

Nick, what do you think of the the CB, Josh Pleasant who verballed KSU recently?

If landing four of Scout.com's top 100 OG (two of them had offers from Illinois) and a *** JUCO QB is "average"....BGSU will take average every year.

If getting five three-star recruits is average ... UT will take it.

harry23 Wrote:If getting five three-star recruits is average ... UT will take it.

Just from what I've read so far, I'd say the Rockets are doing a little better than "average". Maureen Fulton in today's Blade

Karl Wrote:

harry23 Wrote:If getting five three-star recruits is average ... UT will take it.

Just from what I've read so far, I'd say the Rockets are doing a little better than "average". Maureen Fulton in today's Blade

Let's talk about it after the LOI's are signed.Right now it really doesn't mean too much.

Karl Wrote:

harry23 Wrote:If getting five three-star recruits is average ... UT will take it.

Just from what I've read so far, I'd say the Rockets are doing a little better than "average". Maureen Fulton in today's Blade

Rivals.com says best in the MAC.

utpotts Wrote:

Karl Wrote:

harry23 Wrote:If getting five three-star recruits is average ... UT will take it.

Just from what I've read so far, I'd say the Rockets are doing a little better than "average". Maureen Fulton in today's Blade

Rivals.com says best in the MAC.

Rivals is not fully updated. They were missing many of NIU's recruits until a few days ago and they still don't have all of our recruits. I'm sure the same can be said for other MAC schools.

epasnoopy Wrote:

utpotts Wrote:

Karl Wrote:

harry23 Wrote:If getting five three-star recruits is average ... UT will take it.

Just from what I've read so far, I'd say the Rockets are doing a little better than "average". Maureen Fulton in today's Blade

Rivals.com says best in the MAC.

Rivals is not fully updated. They were missing many of NIU's recruits until a few days ago and they still don't have all of our recruits. I'm sure the same can be said for other MAC schools.

The way that rankings work, NIU is going to be very low in the rankings. It's a problem with the way rankings work. NIU doesn't have very many scholarships to fill, but unfortunately the way that rankings work that hurts them. It doesn't seem fair, but it is just the way it works.

Toledo only had 3 or 4 commits listed on Rivals until about a week ago. They still don't have a wide receiver listed for Toledo even though he is committed, and he is a 3 star recruit. If they add him to Toledo's list they will have 5 three star recruits for Toledo and 4 others with 5.4 ratings......which is 1/10 of a point less than a three star recruit.

rocketfootball Wrote:

epasnoopy Wrote:

utpotts Wrote:

Karl Wrote:

harry23 Wrote:If getting five three-star recruits is average ... UT will take it.

Just from what I've read so far, I'd say the Rockets are doing a little better than "average". Maureen Fulton in today's Blade

Rivals.com says best in the MAC.

Rivals is not fully updated. They were missing many of NIU's recruits until a few days ago and they still don't have all of our recruits. I'm sure the same can be said for other MAC schools.

The way that rankings work, NIU is going to be very low in the rankings. It's a problem with the way rankings work. NIU doesn't have very many scholarships to fill, but unfortunately the way that rankings work that hurts them. It doesn't seem fair, but it is just the way it works.

Toledo only had 3 or 4 commits listed on Rivals until about a week ago. They still don't have a wide receiver listed for Toledo even though he is committed, and he is a 3 star recruit. If they add him to Toledo's list they will have 5 three star recruits for Toledo and 4 others with 5.4 ratings......which is 1/10 of a point less than a three star recruit.

The only problem is if you commit to Toledo you lose two of those stars!

IamQ Wrote:

rocketfootball Wrote:

epasnoopy Wrote:

utpotts Wrote:

Karl Wrote:

harry23 Wrote:If getting five three-star recruits is average ... UT will take it.

Just from what I've read so far, I'd say the Rockets are doing a little better than "average". Maureen Fulton in today's Blade

Rivals.com says best in the MAC.

Rivals is not fully updated. They were missing many of NIU's recruits until a few days ago and they still don't have all of our recruits. I'm sure the same can be said for other MAC schools.

The way that rankings work, NIU is going to be very low in the rankings. It's a problem with the way rankings work. NIU doesn't have very many scholarships to fill, but unfortunately the way that rankings work that hurts them. It doesn't seem fair, but it is just the way it works.

Toledo only had 3 or 4 commits listed on Rivals until about a week ago. They still don't have a wide receiver listed for Toledo even though he is committed, and he is a 3 star recruit. If they add him to Toledo's list they will have 5 three star recruits for Toledo and 4 others with 5.4 ratings......which is 1/10 of a point less than a three star recruit.

The only problem is if you commit to Toledo you lose two of those stars!

Not really. Two players have moved from a 2 star to a 3 star on Rivals after committing to Toledo. Also, one player moved from 2 star to 3 star on scout after committing to Toledo.

rocketfootball Wrote:

IamQ Wrote:

rocketfootball Wrote:

epasnoopy Wrote:

utpotts Wrote:

Karl Wrote:

harry23 Wrote:If getting five three-star recruits is average ... UT will take it.

Just from what I've read so far, I'd say the Rockets are doing a little better than "average". Maureen Fulton in today's Blade

Rivals.com says best in the MAC.

Rivals is not fully updated. They were missing many of NIU's recruits until a few days ago and they still don't have all of our recruits. I'm sure the same can be said for other MAC schools.

The way that rankings work, NIU is going to be very low in the rankings. It's a problem with the way rankings work. NIU doesn't have very many scholarships to fill, but unfortunately the way that rankings work that hurts them. It doesn't seem fair, but it is just the way it works.

Toledo only had 3 or 4 commits listed on Rivals until about a week ago. They still don't have a wide receiver listed for Toledo even though he is committed, and he is a 3 star recruit. If they add him to Toledo's list they will have 5 three star recruits for Toledo and 4 others with 5.4 ratings......which is 1/10 of a point less than a three star recruit.

The only problem is if you commit to Toledo you lose two of those stars!

Not really. Two players have moved from a 2 star to a 3 star on Rivals after committing to Toledo. Also, one player moved from 2 star to 3 star on scout after committing to Toledo.

Stars are a joke and so was my Toledo comment

IamQ Wrote:

rocketfootball Wrote:

IamQ Wrote:

rocketfootball Wrote:

epasnoopy Wrote:

utpotts Wrote:

Karl Wrote:

harry23 Wrote:If getting five three-star recruits is average ... UT will take it.

Just from what I've read so far, I'd say the Rockets are doing a little better than "average". Maureen Fulton in today's Blade

Rivals.com says best in the MAC.

Rivals is not fully updated. They were missing many of NIU's recruits until a few days ago and they still don't have all of our recruits. I'm sure the same can be said for other MAC schools.

The way that rankings work, NIU is going to be very low in the rankings. It's a problem with the way rankings work. NIU doesn't have very many scholarships to fill, but unfortunately the way that rankings work that hurts them. It doesn't seem fair, but it is just the way it works.

Toledo only had 3 or 4 commits listed on Rivals until about a week ago. They still don't have a wide receiver listed for Toledo even though he is committed, and he is a 3 star recruit. If they add him to Toledo's list they will have 5 three star recruits for Toledo and 4 others with 5.4 ratings......which is 1/10 of a point less than a three star recruit.

The only problem is if you commit to Toledo you lose two of those stars!

Not really. Two players have moved from a 2 star to a 3 star on Rivals after committing to Toledo. Also, one player moved from 2 star to 3 star on scout after committing to Toledo.

Stars are a joke and so was my Toledo comment

Too bad you're joke turned out differently than you expected. It isn't often any MAC school sees stars go up like that.......that's no joke.

As a whole, the MAC seems to be doing a great job recruiting for the class of 2008. I'd love to see the league make up some ground on the likes of the WAC, Conference USA and the MWC in the overall conference recruiting rankings.

axeme Wrote:Nick, what do you think of the the CB, Josh Pleasant who verballed KSU recently?

An Ole Miss article on Rivals from today talks about adding Pleasant
to their recruiting class if their schollie numbers work out.

The Golden method is catching on, get 29 verbals and when some don't work out you have some on standby and pry them away from the verbal they had elsewhere.

Polish Hammer Wrote:The Golden method is catching on, get 29 verbals and when some don't work out you have some on standby and pry them away from the verbal they had elsewhere.

Glad to see you've found a new thread to spread the hate. Exactly which recruits did Temple "pry away" who gave verbals elsewhere?

Nah didn't mean Temple takes others recruits outright, the Golden method is taking 30+ verbals for the 25 LOIs you have, but indirectly they are by overextending themselves, thanks for the - anyway!

Polish Hammer Wrote:Nah didn't mean Temple takes others recruits outright, the Golden method is taking 30+ verbals for the 25 LOIs you have, but indirectly they are by overextending themselves, thanks for the - anyway!

And I'm still waiting for some sort of explanation as to what your issue is with this recruiting strategy. Here's what I've pieced together so far:

- You think it's not fair that Temple has so many scholarships to give
- You think Coach Golden "dumps" players from the team/runs kids out of the program
- You think 25+ Temple kids didn't make the grade
- You’re a "bit alarmed"
- You don't think kids should change their minds
- You think Coach Golden is duping kids into signing with Temple, only to pull their scholarship offer for no reason
- You think it’s obvious how we can sign so many players and still be under the 85 scholarship threshold
- You’re not happy with two-star recruits
- You think there is an agenda against Kent State and its recruit rankings
- You think so many Temple verbals never make it to campus
- You like Rivals rankings better than Scout rankings
- You don't think Temple's recruiting class is "great"
- You think Temple is prying recruits away from other schools ("the Golden method")
- You think none of Temple's top recruits will ever make it to campus
- You think Temple is "overextending" itself

Help me take all of these observations and shape them into one complete point here, because for the life of me I can't figure out your issue with Temple. Based on the above, it seems like you think Temple recruiting is bad for a) the student athletes, b) the conference, c) the individual MAC schools, d) the NCAA, and e) the state of college football as we know it.

Please explain (preferably in 500 words or less).

Oh, and thanks for returning the favor with the negative comment - the term "moron" really makes for a compelling argument. I guess you're nobody unless somebody thinks you're a moron on here.

tchaump Wrote:And I'm still waiting for some sort of explanation as to what your issue is with this recruiting strategy. Here's what I've pieced together so far:

- You think it's not fair that Temple has so many scholarships to give

Not fair? never said that, only it's a mystery how they can continue to sign 30+ guys every year and still be under the 25/year and 85 total limits.

tchaump Wrote:- You think Coach Golden "dumps" players from the team/runs kids out of the program

If he didn't then where else did they all go?

tchaump Wrote:- You think 25+ Temple kids didn't make the grade

Again, if they didn't, then where else did they all go?

tchaump Wrote:- You’re a "bit alarmed"

Mr. Redundant, again it's alarming so many recruits vaporized.

tchaump Wrote:- You don't think kids should change their minds

Again, kids changing their minds is not the issue, it's teams continuing to go after them after they've given their verbal commit.

tchaump Wrote:- You think Coach Golden is duping kids into signing with Temple, only to pull their scholarship offer for no reason

Again Mr. Redundant, 32 kids sign yet 25 or less show up, where did they go?

tchaump Wrote:- You think it’s obvious how we can sign so many players and still be under the 85 scholarship threshold

Wow, seems like deja vu all over again!

tchaump Wrote:- You’re not happy with two-star recruits

When did I ever say that?

tchaump Wrote:- You think there is an agenda against Kent State and its recruit rankings

Again, when did I ever say that?

tchaump Wrote:- You think so many Temple verbals never make it to campus

Once again, where else are they? If they all made it to campus then again how can they be under 25/year and 85/total? You can't have it both ways!

tchaump Wrote:- You like Rivals rankings better than Scout rankings

When did I ever say that?

tchaump Wrote:- You don't think Temple's recruiting class is "great"

And you said it's "amazing" LOL!

tchaump Wrote:- You think Temple is prying recruits away from other schools ("the Golden method")

Nice click & paste and misuse of my words to fit your agenda, the Golden method was getting 25-32 or ever more verbals for 25 LOIs.

tchaump Wrote:- You think none of Temple's top recruits will ever make it to campus

I never said "none", but please show me where they all show up.

tchaump Wrote:- You think Temple is "overextending" itself

2007 - 30
2006 - 29
2005 - 29
2004 - 31
2003 - 29

That's 148 scholarships for the 5 year span and they're already at least 26 this year with several more offers waiting....nah that's not overextending themselves at all. Thanks for trying to convey everything that "I think", you truly are magical, but next time try to stick to the facts.

tchaump Wrote:You can't spell "Golden" without "God"...

Wow! Are you serious?