Commit #9 - Nazir Williams

[Exit 4]

My guess, a lot of P5 kids are waiting to see what Diaco Football looks like. They are holding off on the commitment until they see 1/2 a season.

 

[BlueMAB]

Some of you get way too offended by people asking critical questions regarding verbal commits.

Everyone keeps going back to the stars and recruiting sites and says trust the staff - I don't think anyone being critical here is deferring to the sites.

I trust college football coaches on talent evaluation, so when we're pulling northeast kids and the BC, Cuse, Rutgers, Pitt, Maryland, and Temple staffs don't see anything it concerns me.

You think those staffs are just sitting at home while ours is the only one out there looking at kids? I don't.

I sure hope he knows what he's doing, because even though the conference situation sucks, there are some pretty good football teams at the top of this league.

You guys have valid concerns, and when you bring up other offers, and people respond with comments about recruiting sites, they're missing the point.

I just think it's way too early to hit the panic button. He could reel in all 4 star players, if he coached like Pasqualoni and Deleone it wouldn't matter.

Let's see what the class looks like in February.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

@WingU-Conn Valid points. I'm highly concerned, but the class is young and I love that we're mining Jersey more than in the past.

Just have to wait and see.

 

[Exit 4]

You guys have valid concerns, and when you bring up other offers, and people respond with comments about recruiting sites, they're missing the point.

I just think it's way too early to hit the panic button. He could reel in all 4 star players, if he coached like Pasqualoni and Deleone it wouldn't matter.

Let's see what the class looks like in February.

Bingo. Plus, some successful Sept football should help Diaco with those P5 kids sitting on the fence.

 

[rich1122]

He could get them to commit, he couldn't get them in. We looked good on paper, but when you look at those that actually made it at all or for more than a few practices, the ratings would be far less. Think of the kids we lost who never came, came for a cup of coffee, or left after 1 or 2 years. I've not done the math, but I would guess the list of those here is not much longer than those that never made it.

Now that I look back we had some no shows. Took many sent them to Jr College and they were never heard from again.

 

[Limbo Land]

Okay what I am excited about the most is not the number of people we have brought in ( we could bring in 9 trained seals and it would amount to squat). It is the intelligence with these kids that goes into building a championship team year in and year out that I am liking (AAC championships I am talking because we have to reach those heights first). Intelligence and the size is more a Notre Dame and Stanford model. Big kids who will grow and stay for 3-4 years and be beasts at the end once they start training. How often are we screaming at the TV for some play that never should have happened but the kid didn't have the patience not to throw the ball or stay to their assignment. I am not saying we don't have smart players just not quick when decision making comes into play.

We may have lost a lot in the 3 years but we also lost so many games close. Totally on Coach P and his Crony George! We did not have the mental toughness it takes to win the close ones. It all comes back to what has been instilled from childhood to what the coaches are preaching every day in practice. It is what is said in the halls of the training facilities. Coach D is bringing in guys who have the tools and who can be developed at a faster rate then all those who came before and as we build ourselves into a perpetual winner we will see those dumb star rankings grow to 3's and 4's.

 

[Sals Fan]

Why shop offers when you like and respect the Coaches and the direction in which the program is headed?

 

[businesslawyer]

I'm torn between two minds on this one. On one hand, I feel the same way that Whaler and others feel from the standpoint that we have 9 recruits verballed; all 2-star prospects, with very few other "P5" type offers. I was expecting that Diaco and Co. were going to expand our reach and be able to convince more highly rated recruits to come on board at this point.

The other side of the coin for me is that this has a very Randy Edsall-esque recruiting feeling (from the positive side), which means a bunch of athletic kids who flew under the radar and have chips on their shoulders. A nice number of those kids made their way to professional football after UConn.

Definitely some red flags here, but I'm hoping that through athleticism, desire, and some proper x's and o's (yes, PP, I'm calling you out with that last one), they will hopefully turn into some solid players...

Whatever anyone thinks of FHCRE, if this was his class I'd be thrilled. Because if he had 9 guys he was sure about this early, I have a track record to not care about other offers and stars because he showed me he could develop more than his share of NFL draft picks and all conference level players without ranking stars.

HCBD has a lot going for him, and no one is hoping for him to win more than I am. And if he can win the way FHCRE did -- without getting highly recruited kids -- more power to him. But so far, all we now is that he seems content to be filling the class with unpursued kids. So we'll have to see how it translates for him over the next 5 years.

 

[UConnDan97]

Whatever anyone thinks of FHCRE, if this was his class I'd be thrilled. Because if he had 9 guys he was sure about this early, I have a track record to not care about other offers and stars because he showed me he could develop more than his share of NFL draft picks and all conference level players without ranking stars.

HCBD has a lot going for him, and no one is hoping for him to win more than I am. And if he can win the way FHCRE did -- without getting highly recruited kids -- more power to him. But so far, all we now is that he seems content to be filling the class with unpursued kids. So we'll have to see how it translates for him over the next 5 years.

Consider me "cautiously optimistic"...

 

[CTMike]

I just think any evaluation of offers/stars/etc. is incomplete at this point. This will all change during their senior seasons. I'd say let's table this until signing day 2015 but this is the Boneyard so I know that won't happen.

They all have good size, we seem to have a good one in Balis who can optimize strength - then it's up to Diaco and staff to teach, and I'm much more optimistic at this staff's ability to do that than the last ones.

 

[cttxus]

Okay what I am excited about the most is not the number of people we have brought in ( we could bring in 9 trained seals and it would amount to squat). It is the intelligence with these kids that goes into building a championship team year in and year out that I am liking (AAC championships I am talking because we have to reach those heights first). Intelligence and the size is more a Notre Dame and Stanford model. Big kids who will grow and stay for 3-4 years and be beasts at the end once they start training. How often are we screaming at the TV for some play that never should have happened but the kid didn't have the patience not to throw the ball or stay to their assignment. I am not saying we don't have smart players just not quick when decision making comes into play.

We may have lost a lot in the 3 years but we also lost so many games close. Totally on Coach P and his Crony George! We did not have the mental toughness it takes to win the close ones. It all comes back to what has been instilled from childhood to what the coaches are preaching every day in practice. It is what is said in the halls of the training facilities. Coach D is bringing in guys who have the tools and who can be developed at a faster rate then all those who came before and as we build ourselves into a perpetual winner we will see those dumb star rankings grow to 3's and 4's.

Agree with this perspective. You only have to look as far as CC to know that smart players, players who make good decisions, can make a very positive difference, all other factors held constant. That was one of two big story lines of the 2nd half of last season. The coaching change also had a net positive impact but CC's decision making skills and leadership qualities were at least as important IMHO.

 

[UConnDan97]

Agree with this perspective. You only have to look as far as CC to know that smart players, players who make good decisions, can make a very positive difference, all other factors held constant. That was one of two big story lines of the 2nd half of last season. The coaching change also had a net positive impact but CC's decision making skills and leadership qualities were at least as important IMHO.

Not to detract from your point, but CC was a 3-star prospect who was rated the #1 recruit in CT. Not necessarily "apples to apples"...

 

[cttxus]

Not to detract from your point, but CC was a 3-star prospect who was rated the #1 recruit in CT. Not necessarily "apples to apples"...

CW and TB were also a 3-star recruits if I'm not mistaken. The point is that CW and TB were given their chances before CC was, and I'm guessing the former coaching staff wasn't making their decisions on that based on which of them had the best decision making skills, and we now know how important those skills were. I think most us us know CC didn't have the best arm of the three, didn't have ideal size or quickness, and didn't play particularly well in the spring game. He "compensated" for that by being smart, cool, calm and collected under pressure, and the results were very positive for the team in terms of the all important W-L record.

 

[sportsart]

In case people forgot, we are not in a P5 conference, so don't expect us to beat out P5 schools for recruits. Diaco and company have taken to the RE approach to recruiting and I expect better results than what RE produced.

If you look at the experience on this staff, it blows RE's staff out of the water. Throw in our new S&C coach and what we have is a staff that can coach up "diamonds in the rough".

If you read the story about Nazir having only played organized football for 2 years you'll see that he has only scratched the surface.

We used to go through this recruiting discussion every year when we were part of the BCS crowd. Times have changed. RE has proven there is a way to be successful recruiting the way Diaco is recruiting now.

I have much more faith in Diaco than I ever had in RE.

 

[gioff23]

This from Williams' coach - perhaps it makes people feel better about the waters we are swimming in

“I thought the good thing was communication with Naz, but not just on their end, it has to be reciprocal and he did a good job with that. The UCONN staff wasn’t badgering him, but they kept in touch. Rutgers was definitely a big player and Delaware really wanted him. Temple was in it, as was Buffalo. UCONN was really smart getting him up to campus early and he loved it. It was the total package for him and he is really at ease with his decision.”
In addition to the school’s Ellen mentioned, Maryland and Minnesota were also showing interest in Williams.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Consider me "cautiously optimistic"...

Dan, there is nothing caution about your optimism!

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

In case people forgot, we are not in a P5 conference, so don't expect us to beat out P5 schools for recruits. Diaco and company have taken to the RE approach to recruiting and I expect better results than what RE produced.

If you look at the experience on this staff, it blows RE's staff out of the water. Throw in our new S&C coach and what we have is a staff that can coach up "diamonds in the rough".

If you read the story about Nazir having only played organized football for 2 years you'll see that he has only scratched the surface.

We used to go through this recruiting discussion every year when we were part of the BCS crowd. Times have changed. RE has proven there is a way to be successful recruiting the way Diaco is recruiting now.

I have much more faith in Diaco than I ever had in RE.

Well...RE had some pretty damn good results. RE would have been amazing if he had better luck recruiting QBs. Imagine Dan O with some of the Lorenzen/Frazer teams. The only knock on RE was that the quality of recruits seemed to never improve even though UConn had more success.

I think BD will do great...and will hopefully exceed RE's results...but I wouldn't knock Randy too much for his recruiting and developing of talent.

 

[Srqhusky]

1 Bob Diaco has coached long enough to know talent he can develop. The New England Patriots win Super Bowls with players nobody wanted

2 We have Coach Balis who will increase the strength and explosive Ness of these kids and seems the kids are developing quickly with his methods

3. BD has millions on the line(future jobs) if he turns Uconn into a winner. I trust he can get it done with these kids

 

[tduconn]

RE had some good results with under the radar recruits but he had an advantage........he could tell his recruits they will be playing in a BCS conference, which gave him an edge with "under the radar recruits" that may have also had offers from MAC, C-USA, Sun Belt, MWC, WAC, or 1-aa teams, etc.

Diaco does not have the same edge......AAC is perceived by many to be in the same plain as the former non-BCS conference teams. In fact, some AAC conference teams are not rated as high as those in other non P5 conferences. Some athletes who may have been enticed to leave the foot print of other non BCS conferences may no longer see a possible advantage to do so, and may elect to stay closer to home to play.

Diaco has a tougher recruiting challenge than either RE or PP.....regardless of the skill level of the player. Although he is probably better equipped to handle the challenge than either RE or PP and their respective staffs.

 

[UConnDan97]

CW and TB were also a 3-star recruits if I'm not mistaken. The point is that CW and TB were given their chances before CC was, and I'm guessing the former coaching staff wasn't making their decisions on that based on which of them had the best decision making skills, and we now know how important those skills were. I think most us us know CC didn't have the best arm of the three, didn't have ideal size or quickness, and didn't play particularly well in the spring game. He "compensated" for that by being smart, cool, calm and collected under pressure, and the results were very positive for the team in terms of the all important W-L record.

Well, there's two different conversations caught in this post; one is that all three QB's on the roster are actually 3-star prospects, and the second is the success of one versus the other.

I think that the former is what we're all hashing out here, since all three QB's were very well regarded coming out of high school. The latter, well that discussion is best suited for another day and another thread.

But as ConnHuskBask said, my optimism has never ever been "cautious"! So I look forward to seeing Nazir in the NFL 5 years from now...

 

[huskymedic]

TDsTakeOct 24, 11:00pm via Twitter for iPhone
UConn commit Nazir Williams (@Nazatron7) caught 4 passes for 80 yards in a victory tonight. Underrated LB/WR prospect from South Jersey.

 

[huskymedic]

NHRJimFuller 9:45pm via TweetDeck
#UConn commit Nazir Williams on quite the roll with five sacks in Bridgeton (N.J.) High's last 4 games runwayramblings.blogspot.com/2014/11/uconn-…

>>Nazir Williams, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound defensive end/wide receiver at Bridgeton (N.J.) High, had a sack in Friday's 36-14 win over Oakcrest. During Bridgeton's current five-game winning streak he has five sacks, three quarterback hurries and 24 tackles. He also has 13 catches during the span.

As a senior Williams has 39 tackles, seven sacks and 24 catches for 348 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He will play his final regular-season game on Friday when Bridgeton hosts Middle Township.<<

 

[BNich]

Season high in receiving yards in playoff victory

http://runwayramblings.blogspot.com/2014/11/big-night-for-uconn-commit.html

 

[huskymedic]

Nazatron7 8:53am via Twitter for iPhone
On the road to Connecticut for my official visit #GoHuskies

ShawnBRivals 9:18am via Twitter for iPhone
#UConn commit Nazir Williams of Bridgeton taking his OV to Storrs today @Nazatron7

 

[ktuck911]

Nazatron7 8:53am via Twitter for iPhone
On the road to Connecticut for my official visit #GoHuskies

ShawnBRivals 9:18am via Twitter for iPhone
#UConn commit Nazir Williams of Bridgeton taking his OV to Storrs today @Nazatron7

(wiping the sweat off my forehead)