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[Carl Spackler]

I'm just going to agree to disagree and note that our head coach is more than familiar with characteristics, qualities and abilities of NFL players, and has made clear note that we've got a handful of such players on the roster, and are going to do a much better job of putting those kinds of players out on the field in larger numbers than we have before such that those NFL type and quality players are more the norm, rather than the exception.

I don't have an accurate count, but it seems to me that there could be as many as 30-35 new scholarship faces on this roster by 2012 from 2010. That's well over a third of the scholarship players turned over, and I guarantee you, that when those 85 scholarship players look around and size each other up, and they will, the ones that are still on board from 2010, will notice a big difference in the people standing around them in the locker room and running around and smacking into each other on the practice fields.

I'm psyched for football, it's not really that far away.

 

[businesslawyer]

In the ratings, it's not much different, so far, than what we've done in the past. Mid 60s. THere's still a lot can change there though over the next week.

But I think you're very much wrong when you line up the recruiting class on paper. #1, major, major difference is that we've got a very large number of kids that have been committed to UConn for many months now, commits that have been on board, since well before last season even started. #2. is the places we've gone and the competition we've gone up against in recruiting. We are stepping into the ring in places and with people that we have not been doing before.

I've mentioned this elsewhere too, it's become very clear that the incoming staff feels a need to upgrade competition immediately, and have specifically targeted upperclassmen, junior college players at a rate, and focus, that we haven't seen before. We've alos got more transfers IN to the program in just this one 2012 class, from other BCS level compeition, than we've had come in to the program from other 1-A programs in the last 15 years.

When you look at the level of athlete we're bringing in, there is a marked difference in physical characteristics, specifically in the WR, LB, and DB groups.

So, while the ratings are what they are, a very much disagree that the class we're bringing in is not really different from years past.

This coming year, is when we'll get a real good measure of where we stand recruiting wise with high school seniors, as it will really be the first full year cycle of players that have been in contact since they were juniors in HS, and the focus, I'm assuming, will be mostly on bringing in the high school kids, rather than building up the top end of the depth chart with older players.

Do you not understand that a broad statement, capable of being shown to be true or false, without doing the work is silly? You can look on a cite and actually tell me how much earlier the average commit was this year compared to others. But you just saying it's so -- jeez, thanks.

 

[businesslawyer]

Glad you posted this. Because honestly I've been hearing about how this year's class is the best ever, yet on paper it looks like the same old story.

In the interest of full disclosure, I think ranking recruiting classes before the kids graduate high school is one of the dumbest things in the world. But, if you're going to look at this year's class on paper (which is the only way you can view it), there's really not a lot of different from years past.

If we go 11-1 and play in the 2015 Orange Bowl then we can say it was one of the best ever. But until then......not seeing any significant difference whatsoever.

This is how I see it. It is, on paper, somewhat better. But I would expect P to do a lot better in this area, because the bar wasn't set hight nor has P shown he can overcome it by taking future NFL players who no one else wanted, like Beatty or Butler.

 

[sdhusky]

nor has P shown he can overcome it by taking future NFL players who no one else wanted, like Beatty or Butler.

I actually think that Dwight Freeney, Donavan McNabb, Ray Rice are better NFL players than Beatty or Butler.

 

[Palatine]

I actually think that Dwight Freeney, Donavan McNabb, Ray Rice are better NFL players than Beatty or Butler.

Actually, those three were more highly recruited than Beatty or Butler, which was the point.

 

[businesslawyer]

Actually, those three were more highly recruited than Beatty or Butler, which was the point.

Thank you. The point is not that I don't expect P to outrecruit Edsall in the eyes of the services. I do. Both because he plays the game better and because he is a better recruiter. I firmly believe that. But he will need to outperform Edsall at this because there are other things he won't be better at Esdall then. Different people have different strengths.

 

[metsfan2323]

Thank you. The point is not that I don't expect P to outrecruit Edsall in the eyes of the services. I do. Both because he plays the game better and because he is a better recruiter. I firmly believe that. But he will need to outperform Edsall at this because there are other things he won't be better at Esdall then. Different people have different strengths.

BL I think you are implying that P may not be as good at developing talent as Edsall. You might be right, you might be wrong, but for the sake of debate and not to be confrontational I think these players all had breakout years during their first year under P:

Lyle McCombs
Ted Jennings
Trevardo Williams
I Moore
Kevin Friend
Smallwood
Byron Jones
Blidi
Tymeer Brown
McEntee
McCummings

Obviously some of these guys probably would have had breakout years in 2011 if Edsall were still at the helm but my point is each showed significant improvement under P and its too early to say P won't be able to develop under the radar guys like Edsall did.

 

[sdhusky]

But he will need to outperform Edsall at this because there are other things he won't be better at Esdall then. Different people have different strengths.

So, they guy who highest height was getting to be about 35 in the country (and most years around 60) has mad skills that must be overcome in other areas by the guy who has finished multiple times in the top 10?

 

[whaler11]

Bobby Holik too

They got Sean Burke for Bobby Holik. Can't count that.

 

[ktuck911]

I actually think that Dwight Freeney, Donavan McNabb, Ray Rice are better NFL players than Beatty or Butler.

I was really getting this, but you lost me at Ray Rice...

 

[whaler11]

So, they guy who highest height was getting to be about 35 in the country (and most years around 60) has mad skills that must be overcome in other areas by the guy who has finished multiple times in the top 10?

Well if P wants to be considered a better coach at Connecticut than Edsall, doesn't he have to outperform him? Or should I give a crap that P had good teams at Syracuse years ago?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I'm just going to agree to disagree and note that our head coach is more than familiar with characteristics, qualities and abilities of NFL players, and has made clear note that we've got a handful of such players on the roster, and are going to do a much better job of putting those kinds of players out on the field in larger numbers than we have before such that those NFL type and quality players are more the norm, rather than the exception.

I don't have an accurate count, but it seems to me that there could be as many as 30-35 new scholarship faces on this roster by 2012 from 2010. That's well over a third of the scholarship players turned over, and I guarantee you, that when those 85 scholarship players look around and size each other up, and they will, the ones that are still on board from 2010, will notice a big difference in the people standing around them in the locker room and running around and smacking into each other on the practice fields.

I'm psyched for football, it's not really that far away.

Um.......ok? I hope you're right.

 

[whaler11]

I was really getting this, but you lost me at Ray Rice...

Rice was committed to Syracuse until they ran PP off and he switched to Rutgers.

 

[businesslawyer]

BL I think you are implying that P may not be as good at developing talent as Edsall. You might be right, you might be wrong, but for the sake of debate and not to be confrontational I think these players all had breakout years during their first year under P:

Lyle McCombs
Ted Jennings
Trevardo Williams
I Moore
Kevin Friend
Smallwood
Byron Jones
Blidi
Tymeer Brown
McEntee
McCummings

Obviously some of these guys probably would have had breakout years in 2011 if Edsall were still at the helm but my point is each showed significant improvement under P and its too early to say P won't be able to develop under the radar guys like Edsall did.

No, I wasn't. I'll have no opinion on that for a few years.

My point was that Edsall was horrific at recruiting in a manner that helped with the services. Part of that was offering the kids whom everyone else in your region was offering, and pursuing, and part of that was that Edsall wasn't good at winning recruiting battles. Period. What Edsall was extremely good at was finding kids who no one else was noticing and offering who were at the end of the day were better football players than more highly thought of recruits. I don't expect P to be as good as that simply because I think at this one thing Edsall was better than almost anyone. That he could produce more all-conference players and NFL draft picks than many of his Big East brethren with kids no one else wanted was, frankly, outstanding.

 

[HuskyBarker]

i think byran/lanier/marder/puyol/williams(was a 3* but rivals dropped him to 2) are the only 2* kids in this class across the board. we all know puyol is a top prospect at his position...

I know right! seeing how Puyol was the top player in his position in Fla. I would think he should be rated a 4* at least!

 

[uconnbill]

I know right! seeing how Puyol was the top player in his position in Fla. I would think he should be rated a 4* at least!

Wise guy I see. How about this kick by Puyol he is underrated by both Scout and Rivals from all the kicking clinics I have seen.