Chopping block

[Marbles90]

Are we getting coach-speak from Mora, or do his comments suggest an actual change in approach in recruiting? Let's hope we see some changes.

I got the feeling watching the press conference that maybe Mora was promised a chunk of $$ that could be ear-marked for bringing in talent. He came across like he was confident he could get his “dudes” where as just a few weeks ago, he made it seem like he couldn’t get the guys he wanted due to money. Or it could be just more coach speak. So who knows. But let’s hope it’s the former.

 

[Hoophound]

I got the feeling watching the press conference that maybe Mora was promised a chunk of $$ that could be ear-marked for bringing in talent. He came across like he was confident he could get his “dudes” where as just a few weeks ago, he made it seem like he couldn’t get the guys he wanted due to money. Or it could be just more coach speak. So who knows. But let’s hope it’s the former.

Definitely seems like something changed.

 

[Rich]

Definitely seems like something changed.

He outright said he can't get the quality of recruits he needs out of the high schools in UCONN's footprint, which I'm sure didn't go over well with CT high school coaches. But I took his remark to mean that our area kids are just not on par with the guys he saw running out of the tunnel for JMU. He seemed obsessed with their physiology-leg thickness, calves, overall just physical presence. That's code for 'our team is too small and slow'. Of course left unsaid was that BC does a pretty good job with the MA high schools, tho MA is probably more fertile than CT and that's damning with faint praise, let me tell ya. Difference seems to be that BC has a lot more luck getting kids in its area private schools to attend. UCONN gets virtually no love from its PSAC institutions; those kids seem to all run for Penn State, Michigan and Notre Dame with the odd recruit to the Southern P5s.

Of course he's not wrong. Still, though, I find it really hard to believe that he's going to be able to attract a critical mass of 'portal kids' to fill out the roster the way he wants to fill out the roster.

 

[Hoophound]

He outright said he can't get the quality of recruits he needs out of the high schools in UCONN's footprint, which I'm sure didn't go over well with CT high school coaches. But I took his remark to mean that our area kids are just not on par with the guys he saw running out of the tunnel for JMU. He seemed obsessed with their physiology-leg thickness, calves, overall just physical presence. That's code for 'our team is too small and slow'. Of course left unsaid was that BC does a pretty good job with the MA high schools, tho MA is probably more fertile than CT and that's damning with faint praise, let me tell ya. Difference seems to be that BC has a lot more luck getting kids in its area private schools to attend. UCONN gets virtually no love from its PSAC institutions; those kids seem to all run for Penn State, Michigan and Notre Dame with the odd recruit to the Southern P5s.

Of course he's not wrong. Still, though, I find it really hard to believe that he's going to be able to attract a critical mass of 'portal kids' to fill out the roster the way he wants to fill out the roster.

My comment was in regard to his general demeanor. He seems confident that he can get portal players. I think there’s been some commitment to getting NIL money for football in recent weeks. With just $1,000,000, you can pay 20 guys 50k per year. That will do it.

 

[Alum86]

He outright said he can't get the quality of recruits he needs out of the high schools in UCONN's footprint, which I'm sure didn't go over well with CT high school coaches. But I took his remark to mean that our area kids are just not on par with the guys he saw running out of the tunnel for JMU. He seemed obsessed with their physiology-leg thickness, calves, overall just physical presence. That's code for 'our team is too small and slow'. Of course left unsaid was that BC does a pretty good job with the MA high schools, tho MA is probably more fertile than CT and that's damning with faint praise, let me tell ya. Difference seems to be that BC has a lot more luck getting kids in its area private schools to attend. UCONN gets virtually no love from its PSAC institutions; those kids seem to all run for Penn State, Michigan and Notre Dame with the odd recruit to the Southern P5s.

Of course he's not wrong. Still, though, I find it really hard to believe that he's going to be able to attract a critical mass of 'portal kids' to fill out the roster the way he wants to fill out the roster.

You are not wrong. Spot on.

 

[JohnFSilver]

It’s much harder to recruit high school kids to UConn if they are sitting with a Michigan, penn state and other p5 offer.

High school kids, and the recruiting process is not mature. When you are in high school, you are told to get into the highest possible school you can go to, academically and athletically.

As a juco and a transfer. You are making a much more educated and targeted Desicion based on OT, fit. And academics .

 

[mikeinmanila]

Mora is right. UConn needs to establish a winning program ASAP. The quickest - and one could argue the most cost effective - way to get there is via the portal and junior college transfers. Once a winning program is established, we will have more opportunities to recruit a higher level of HS player from a broader geography. We simply don't have the luxury of bringing on a lot of developmental prospects and expect to compete with P4 programs anymore. That said, relatively speaking, UConn should benefit GREATLY from the portal (assuming it can get the commitment from key donors for funding).

 

[uconnyankee]

He outright said he can't get the quality of recruits he needs out of the high schools in UCONN's footprint, which I'm sure didn't go over well with CT high school coaches. But I took his remark to mean that our area kids are just not on par with the guys he saw running out of the tunnel for JMU. He seemed obsessed with their physiology-leg thickness, calves, overall just physical presence. That's code for 'our team is too small and slow'. Of course left unsaid was that BC does a pretty good job with the MA high schools, tho MA is probably more fertile than CT and that's damning with faint praise, let me tell ya. Difference seems to be that BC has a lot more luck getting kids in its area private schools to attend. UCONN gets virtually no love from its PSAC institutions; those kids seem to all run for Penn State, Michigan and Notre Dame with the odd recruit to the Southern P5s.

Of course he's not wrong. Still, though, I find it really hard to believe that he's going to be able to attract a critical mass of 'portal kids' to fill out the roster the way he wants to fill out the roster.

I just don’t get why a kid from CT would choose to play for Penn State, Michigan, or Alabama when they can play at UConn.

If Mora can’t get these kids to stay, next coach up!

Sarcasm meter should be flashing…

 

[ktuck911]

Mora is right. UConn needs to establish a winning program ASAP. The quickest - and one could argue the most cost effective - way to get there is via the portal and junior college transfers. Once a winning program is established, we will have more opportunities to recruit a higher level of HS player from a broader geography. We simply don't have the luxury of bringing on a lot of developmental prospects and expect to compete with P4 programs anymore. That said, relatively speaking, UConn should benefit GREATLY from the portal (assuming it can get the commitment from key donors for funding).

Seriously, it's about time...

 

[ktuck911]

It’s much harder to recruit high school kids to UConn if they are sitting with a Michigan, penn state and other p5 offer.

High school kids, and the recruiting process is not mature. When you are in high school, you are told to get into the highest possible school you can go to, academically and athletically.

As a juco and a transfer. You are making a much more educated and targeted Desicion based on OT, fit. And academics .

UConn's actually/should be a really good fit for a lot of JUCO/portal kids... Exposure opportunities aplenty... with solid facilities/resources.. we need recruiters/staffing to convince kids to take hold of an opportunity to become trend setters up in Storrs CT...

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Thought this thread would be about adopting Navy’s offensive scheme.

 

[JohnFSilver]

UConn's actually/should be a really good fit for a lot of JUCO/portal kids... Exposure opportunities aplenty... with solid facilities/resources.. we need recruiters/staffing to convince kids to take hold of an opportunity to become trend setters up in Storrs CT...

Agree. PT and Great facilities and a great school. It isn’t as tough a sell as you would think, but high school kids, and their coaches, are obsessed with their ranking and stars.

 

[Hamms30]

My comment was in regard to his general demeanor. He seems confident that he can get portal players. I think there’s been some commitment to getting NIL money for football in recent weeks. With just $1,000,000, you can pay 20 guys 50k per year. That will do it.

Sounded to me more like someone who is hamstrung by red tape and is sick of trying to come up with politically correct phrases to explain why they're not winning while not throwing his players or the university that signs his paycheck under the bus.

Maybe a very frank discussion was had behind closed doors and he finally got some headway like you're thinking.

 

[Nostical]

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Mora going strong to the portal is Step Two. Step One is dismissing OC Charlton and bringing in an OC with a system that pushes the ball down the field—not to the sides. Then from the portal, grab the “right” QB for that system and a few O Linemen and receivers.
We can turn this program around. There are many examples out there. If Mora can sell, we can be a much different team next year.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Not a Dime Back?

Not even a nickel!

 

[RSTuthill]

I just don’t get why a kid from CT would choose to play for Penn State, Michigan, or Alabama when they can play at UConn.

If Mora can’t get these kids to stay, next coach up!

Sarcasm meter should be flashing…

This was precisely my reaction. Every kid will seek to play at the highest level they can as the prime motivating factor in their decision -- although now we have the complicating factor of NIL collectives. Secondary motivating factors, which sometime can be strong, will include the desire to stay fairly close to home so that friends and family can easily get to games.

So what is a reasonable goal for the program? Realistically, to get perhaps 50% of the CT kids who go FBS? In a good year maybe a skoche more? Maybe 50-50 CT publics-CT preps? Prep kids have a tendency to be older, more experienced, and drawn from much wider areas, but there are also a lot fewer of them. (Just guessing on the ratio as I have not done any research.)

 

[JohnFSilver]

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Mora going strong to the portal is Step Two. Step One is dismissing OC Charlton and bringing in an OC with a system that pushes the ball down the field—not to the sides. Then from the portal, grab the “right” QB for that system and a few O Linemen and receivers.
We can turn this program around. There are many examples out there. If Mora can sell, we can be a much different team next year.

Not a fan of the WR screens and the offense. Charlton’s plays are designed to get talent in space.

Issue is, his talent is inferior to the talent of the defense. So it goes nowhere. They need plays that require precise execution and, if it is down well, better potential. They gotta live and die on precision. Talent makes up for a lack of precision. UConn does not have that luxury.

That is the biggest issue with offense. Charlton plays like the talent is equal and that my guy will make their guy miss. No. That doesn’t happen.

 

[freescooter]

I agree with you, John. I also think they need the quarterback to run in both designed runs and on his own. There is no defense against the quarterback run is the saying in the NFL. It works in college too. You don’t need to go 65 yards every time. But it can be really demoralizing for the D on 3rd and 5 with everybody covered for the quarterback to break out for 6.

 

[Tdaley]

I agree with you, John. I also think they need the quarterback to run in both designed runs and on his own. There is no defense against the quarterback run is the saying in the NFL. It works in college too. You don’t need to go 65 yards every time. But it can be really demoralizing for the D on 3rd and 5 with everybody covered for the quarterback to break out for 6.

We all can agree with you on this point. Every team that we played this year got more production out of their quarterbacks running the ball than we have. Charlton, dialed up a quarterback designed runs during the first few games with some but not a lot of success. He has stopped calling those plays with good reason. Roberson has had very little success running the football.

 

[ktuck911]

We all can agree with you on this point. Every team that we played this year got more production out of their quarterbacks running the ball than we have. Charlton, dialed up a quarterback designed runs during the first few games with some but not a lot of success. He has stopped calling those plays with good reason. Roberson has had very little success running the football.

The weird thing about it though, we did see moments where TR did in fact run the ball well. Kinda wish he called his own number a little more after we get one of those "False Start!" "Ineligible man downfield", or worse, "HOLDING!" calls.. we're moving the crap out of the football and one of those calls just crews up our entire flow... Would've been nice to see a RPO that could've/would've/should've resulted in a nice chunk play (2-6) yards instead of running wide for no gain or throwing incomplete pass down field, wasting the down...

 

[CL82]

Not even a nickel!

Well, can we at least get a quarterback?

 

[Nostical]

Charlton plays like the talent is equal and that my guy will make their guy miss. No. That doesn’t happen.

Yes, the talent isn’t equal but It’s not just the discrepancy in talent. Bottom line, the plays that are being called are built into Charlton’s DNA—notwithstanding the talent. Even talented receivers need blocking on bubble screens. Next year, better talent will require a better play caller. My money is on Mora letting Charlton go.

 

[jdb50]

If we are going to win next season there is no one in CT high school that will make that happen. I don't see this as a diss to CT high school talent. We need bigger more physical players all around especially on the defensive back 7. Plus we need more help at RB for the schedule we are playing. The key to JUCO's will be admissions. Refer back to one reason Edsall left after the Fiesta Bowl.

 

[RSTuthill]

Yes, the talent isn’t equal but It’s not just the discrepancy in talent. Bottom line, the plays that are being called are built into Charlton’s DNA—notwithstanding the talent. Even talented receivers need blocking on bubble screens. Next year, better talent will require a better play caller. My money is on Mora letting Charlton go.

I am an agnostic on this question but I am inclined to think it won't happen.

 

[Dizzy21]

Yes, the talent isn’t equal but It’s not just the discrepancy in talent. Bottom line, the plays that are being called are built into Charlton’s DNA—notwithstanding the talent. Even talented receivers need blocking on bubble screens. Next year, better talent will require a better play caller. My money is on Mora letting Charlton go.

More than half the teams we played did not have a difference in talent. JMU did not have better talent for sure.