Utah 2014 Football Recruiting Discussion Thread

[ute4eva]

Looks like Utah picks up another 6'1 corner with 4.45 speed. It makes me wonder why these guys with such great measurables only rank 2 stars.

[Ute88]

Looks like Utah picks up another 6'1 corner with 4.45 speed. It makes me wonder why these guys with such great measurables only rank 2 stars.

Most likely, it's because Hughes didn't attend most, or any, of the camps that are used to evaluate the players and so the evaluators didn't have anything to use to rate him. Hughes has been said by one of the sources that I've read to have been the best player on the field when his high school, Legacy, played Bishop Gorman, and BG places quite a few players in mid- to high-Division I schools.

So he has quite the chance to develop into one of our diamonds-in-the-rough that we've had over the years.

[Homer Crimson]

I still can't believe the way they rolled out the DC announcement. Regardless of what you think about the hire, the timing was nuts. Kaelin Clay (juco kid) expressed concerns over twitter; I'm sure he's not the only one. Hopefully, when they look at DC's body of work they'll settle down.

[crazyute]

No talk of marcus williams? a committ on 12/30. not much in his other offers. boise is the best of the rest. a 6' WR.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/utah/football/recruiting/player-Marcus-Williams-134355

[Applejack]

With the talk that Jim Mora Junior might be the next coach at Texas, I wonder if any of the UCLA recruits might waver. Like us, UCLA is loading up on cornerbacks this year. Unlike us, they are getting highly recruited guys. But a couple of their DB commits made trips to the great state of Utah, only to later sign with UCLA. With as many DBs as the Bruins are signing (I count 7), I hope that a few of those guys realize that the cupboard is bare under the shadow of the everlasting hills.

[Diehard Ute]

With the talk that Jim Mora Junior might be the next coach at Texas, I wonder if any of the UCLA recruits might waver. Like us, UCLA is loading up on cornerbacks this year. Unlike us, they are getting highly recruited guys. But a couple of their DB commits made trips to the great state of Utah, only to later sign with UCLA. With as many DBs as the Bruins are signing (I count 7), I hope that a few of those guys realize that the cupboard is bare under the shadow of the everlasting hills.

ESPN is reporting Mora has turned Texas down and is staying at UCLA

[SeattleUte]

ESPN is reporting Mora has turned Texas down and is stating at UCLA

Of course. Jesus. He's not crazy.

[Applejack]

Of course. Jesus. He's not crazy.

C'mon, SU. Even with your official Pac-12 glasses on, even you have to admit that Texas is one of the plumb college football jobs: HUGE recruiting advantage, great school, great academics, tons of support, amazing facilities, and a HUGE recruiting advantage. Mora is a moran is he turned that down. UCLA will always be #2 in L.A.

[Hot Lunch]

Of course. Jesus. He's not crazy.

Sorry SU, Texas is a top 3 job in college football. Might be top 2 or even #1. I don't blame Mora for staying he has his reasons. Right now, he has a good thing going for him at Ucla. Even as good a job that Texas is, just like every other program in the country, there are many reasons why one wouldn't want to have that job.

[Utah]

Sorry SU, Texas is a top 3 job in college football. Might be top 2 or even #1. I don't blame Mora for staying he has his reasons. Right now, he has a good thing going for him at Ucla. Even as good a job that Texas is, just like every other program in the country, there are many reasons why one wouldn't want to have that job.

USC, Ohio St, Texas. Undisputed top 3 jobs. Michigan, Penn St, Alabama, ND are undisputed next tier (and ND is dropping). Everyone else is a couple notches below, at best.

[Damage U]

Someone posted this stat over on the PAC12 board. One year doesn't make a trend but maybe someone could slip this in front of Schultz.

2012 Stanford TEs had 93 catches for 1291 yds.
2013 Stanford TEs had 10 catches for 69 yds.

[Applejack]

Someone posted this stat over on the PAC12 board. One year doesn't make a trend but maybe someone could slip this in front of Schultz.

2012 Stanford TEs had 93 catches for 1291 yds.
2013 Stanford TEs had 10 catches for 69 yds.

...along with a photoshopped picture of Jake Murphy getting drafted.

[SeattleUte]

Sorry SU, Texas is a top 3 job in college football. Might be top 2 or even #1. I don't blame Mora for staying he has his reasons. Right now, he has a good thing going for him at Ucla. Even as good a job that Texas is, just like every other program in the country, there are many reasons why one wouldn't want to have that job.

Texas is a great job, but UCLA is as great an opportunity (maybe greater as it's in a better and more stable conference, a very hip location (granted so is Texas), is in the no. 1 recruiting location in the country (granted Texas may be next best), has a campus gorgeous second to none, etc.). The schools and programs are a lot alike, but the expectations are more under control at UCLA. It had one great year since then if my recollection is correct but the program is very uneven. Texas' tradition is not top tier.

Texas has a strong tradition but it doesn't touch Alabama's, Oklahoma's, USC's, Ohio State's or even Notre Dame's or Michigan's or Florida's. Until Texas' National Championsip in 1968 (bestowed by Nixon and occurring before integration was complete, with an essentially if not completely white team) Texas had no tradition and was in a parochial conference. Even since then Texas' program has been spotty. Texas' isn't one of the great traditions.

[LA Ute]

Texas is a great job, but UCLA is as great an opportunity (maybe greater as it's in a better and more stable conference, a very hip location (granted so is Texas), is in the no. 1 recruiting location in the country (granted Texas may be next best), has a campus gorgeous second to none, etc.).

Don't forget the weather in West L.A. Nowhere else can touch it.

[SeattleUte]

Don't forget the weather in West L.A. Nowhere else can touch it.

Yes, and the glitz. Pardon me but only the ignorant would think that UCLA is in any way inferior to Texas. And I love Austin, Texas' campus and culture, etc. It's like the Pac 12!

[Utah]

Yes, and the glitz. Pardon me but only the ignorant would think that UCLA is in any way inferior to Texas. And I love Austin, Texas' campus and culture, etc. It's like the Pac 12!

You serious Clark?

I get get the whole UCLA is a great place, but Texas is the cream of the crop. UCLA can't touch that program. Heck, I bet Texas pays their OC more than UCLA pays all their assistant coaches combined. One is a football school In the biggest football state, the other is a basketball school.

UCLA is a great place, but it ain't no Texas.

[SeattleUte]

You serious Clark?

I get get the whole UCLA is a great place, but Texas is the cream of the crop. UCLA can't touch that program. Heck, I bet Texas pays their OC more than UCLA pays all their assistant coaches combined. One is a football school In the biggest football state, the other is a basketball school.

UCLA is a great place, but it ain't no Texas.

We'll have to agree to disagree. But I say the proof is in the puddin', because UCLA has a coach that Texas wants but can't get.

[Utah]

We'll have to agree to disagree. But I say the proof is in the puddin', because UCLA has a coach that Texas wants but can't get.

Touché.

[concerned]

We'll have to agree to disagree. But I say the proof is in the puddin', because UCLA has a coach that Texas wants but can't get.

Sumlin did the same thing to usc. Same proof same pudding?

[Scratch]

We'll have to agree to disagree. But I say the proof is in the puddin', because UCLA has a coach that Texas wants but can't get.

And if a law job with better pay, hours, benefits, type of work, etc. opened up in a different city would you automatically take it? And if you didn't, would that mean that your current job is a universally better job? Mora's decision to stay at UCLA proves nothing regarding the relative quality of the two jobs.

[Utah]

And if a law job with better pay, hours, benefits, type of work, etc. opened up in a different city would you automatically take it? And if you didn't, would that mean that your current job is a universally better job? Mora's decision to stay at UCLA proves nothing regarding the relative quality of the two jobs.

The good news is, Utah is a better job than Tennessee, Penn St and ASU...

[Applejack]

And if a law job with better pay, hours, benefits, type of work, etc. opened up in a different city would you automatically take it? And if you didn't, would that mean that your current job is a universally better job? Mora's decision to stay at UCLA proves nothing regarding the relative quality of the two jobs.

Exactly. Does the fact that Baylor's coach isn't entertaining offers anywhere mean that Baylor is the best job in college football? I hope not.

Texas is built for success. Despite what SU claims, Texas has much more fertile recruiting than UCLA, because (a) the state of Texas produces more/better players than Southern California, and (b) Texas gets essentially any of the Texas athletes that it wants while UCLA plays second fiddle to USC, and loses a lot of recruits to Oregon, Washington, Oklahoma, etc. Look at UCLA's recruits this year (after a banner year) - good, not great. A lot of their athletes' second best offer was Utah.

Texas may not have the tradition of Alabama, but it sure as hell beats the tradition at UCLA.

But, if I were a coach, I'd stay at UCLA too, because I prefer the beach.

[mUUser]

..... (b) Texas gets essentially any of the Texas athletes that it wants while UCLA plays second fiddle to USC, and loses a lot of recruits to Oregon, Washington, Oklahoma, etc. Look at UCLA's recruits this year (after a banner year) - good, not great. A lot of their athletes' second best offer was Utah....

Oklahoma & the SEC might have something to say about that.

[Applejack]

Oklahoma & the SEC might have something to say about that.

Does Oklahoma steal Texas recruits? I just checked OU's 247 page and of their 7 Texas commits, none have a UT offer. I would bet that is the generally the case.

I don't follow SEC recruiting at all, and I'm sure Alabama and Florida steal Texas kids here and there. But, on the whole, I would wager that Texas does a pretty good job of keeping their kids in state. I'll bet their yield is outstanding.

[Applejack]

Oklahoma & the SEC might have something to say about that.

Sorry, I just geeked out on this:

Texas has offers out to 43 Texan recruits.
18 have accepted
4 are uncommited.

As for the committed players that jilted the Longhorns, they have gone to:

Louisville (wanna bet that he comes to Texas now that Charlie is coming?)
Northwestern
Baylor (2)
A&M (7)
Ohio St
Ole Miss
UCLA
Oregon
Alabama
LSU (2)
Boise (!)
TCU

So, Texas has basically a 50% yield on offers to Texans. That's pretty good. A&M is clearly the rival for signees along with random other top ten teams (Baylor, Ohio St, Oregon, bama).

I also noted that they offered 10 safeties and all but one are from Texas (yowza, so that's why our best safeties are always Texas kids). I would guess that they probably pulled a few of those offers once they got three safety commits.

[Applejack]

OK, time to update my tracking of top 15 in-state recruits. I still believe that Utah's path to success starts with locking down the top in-state talent.

1. Brian Mone-DT Highland - Michigan Commit
2. Dalton Schultz-TE Bingham - Still undecided. Top 4: Stanford, Notre Dame, Utah, UW. I think that UW is probably lower on the list now that Sark has left and Notre Dame just signed the #7 TE in the country (who is mormon - seriously, why are there so many good mormon TEs) so perhaps he might not want to go there or perhaps Notre Dame can't take two tight ends this class. With all that commotion and JakeMurph leaving for the NFL, this seems like the ideal position to get Dalton to Utah. Alas, I still think he's a tree on signing day.
3. Jackson Barton-OT Brighton - Utah Commit
4. Kenyon Frison-OT Granger - Utah Commit
5. Pita Tonga-DT Highland - Utah Commit
6. Allan Havili-DT Tooele - Utah Commit
7. Korey Rush-DE East - suddenly uncommitted. Apparently he's no longer a Sun Devil. I don't think he has a Utah offer.
8. Patrick Au - Offensive tackle, Snow - uncommitted with his only offer coming from Oklahoma(!). I've never heard of this guy. Are we after him?
9. Zac Dawe- DE Pleasant Grove - BYU Commit
10. Amone Finau - ATH Kearns - Utah Commit
11. Sky Manu - S, Brighton - uncommitted, no offers.
12. Isaiah Kaufusi - LB Brighton - Undecided (Offer from BYU, likely to be a Cougar)
13. Kyle Christiansen - DT, Mountain Crest - Utah Commit
14. Ola Tolutau - RB East - Wisconsin Commit
15. Pasoni Tasini - DE Snow - Utah Commit

Overall, I think Kyle is doing a great job of getting the best Utah kids. The most amazing thing about this list is how few in-state players are committing to BYU. The biggest change in recruiting in the Pac-12 is our ability to get the middle tier Utah guys. We still need to work on getting the blue-chippers like Mone and Schultz. Depending on who you ask, Barton or Frison might be considered blue chippers as well (please sign with us, Kenyon).

One other interesting note: Isaiah Nacua who plays DE at Timpview is a BYU decommit who is deciding between us and Arizona State (his brother plays for BYU, I believe). He would probably be ranked around 5th or 6th on this list, but 247 lists him as a Vegas recruit. Reilly leaving for the NFL might be good for recruiting him.

[SeattleUte]

And if a law job with better pay, hours, benefits, type of work, etc. opened up in a different city would you automatically take it? And if you didn't, would that mean that your current job is a universally better job? Mora's decision to stay at UCLA proves nothing regarding the relative quality of the two jobs.

But I took all this into account when I said he's not crazy. In any event, I don't think there's a better "job" in college football than UCLA. Certainly there are greater traditions than UCLA's, but no better job. But Texas' tradition most emphatically doesn't stack up to those of the ones I listed. Yes, UCLA has to compete with USC, Cal and Stanford for recruits (it ought not to be competing with Oregon or Washington). But Texas competes with the SEC, Oklahoma, etc. And California has 50% greater population than Texas. There isn't any city or any place in the South like Los Angeles or Southern California for being truly world class places.

[Viking]

Texas is a great job, but UCLA is as great an opportunity (maybe greater as it's in a better and more stable conference, a very hip location (granted so is Texas), is in the no. 1 recruiting location in the country (granted Texas may be next best), has a campus gorgeous second to none, etc.). The schools and programs are a lot alike, but the expectations are more under control at UCLA. It had one great year since then if my recollection is correct but the program is very uneven. Texas' tradition is not top tier.

Texas has a strong tradition but it doesn't touch Alabama's, Oklahoma's, USC's, Ohio State's or even Notre Dame's or Michigan's or Florida's. Until Texas' National Championsip in 1968 (bestowed by Nixon and occurring before integration was complete, with an essentially if not completely white team) Texas had no tradition and was in a parochial conference. Even since then Texas' program has been spotty. Texas' isn't one of the great traditions.

Now you're just trolling a certain UT PhD. But he is neither a Texan nor a lifelong longhorn (as am moi) so I will be the one trolled here.

Texas can't hold USC or Alabama's jock, but it has a great tradition

It has four post 1960 titles and only six other teams share that distinction. Michigan and Florida, two teams you mention, are not in that cohort.

Oh, it was 1969, not 1968, BTW.

I'm glad to see you are using national championships as a benchmark for tradition. Yes, 1984 was a long time ago. Yes, BYU has the commitment to football excellence of a Catholic all girls high school, but Utah would love to claim at least a share of a title.

[Scratch]

But I took all this into account when I said he's not crazy. In any event, I don't think there's a better "job" in college football than UCLA. Certainly there are greater traditions than UCLA's, but no better job. But Texas' tradition most emphatically doesn't stack up to those of the ones I listed. Yes, UCLA has to compete with USC, Cal and Stanford for recruits (it ought not to be competing with Oregon or Washington). But Texas competes with the SEC, Oklahoma, etc. And California has 50% greater population than Texas. There isn't any city or any place in the South like Los Angeles or Southern California for being truly world class places.

Comparing the way that Texas competes against those schools to the way UCLA competes against USC, Cal, and Stanford is absurd. Texas is the big dog in those recruiting battles, and UCLA can only hope to be a distant second in its own backyard. Texas would undoubtedly pay significantly more, and your likelihood of winning a championship is ridiculously better. There's no way to objectively look at this and determine that UCLA is the better job.

[Viking]

OK, time to update my tracking of top 15 in-state recruits. I still believe that Utah's path to success starts with locking down the top in-state talent.

1. Brian Mone-DT Highland - Michigan Commit
2. Dalton Schultz-TE Bingham - Still undecided. Top 4: Stanford, Notre Dame, Utah, UW. I think that UW is probably lower on the list now that Sark has left and Notre Dame just signed the #7 TE in the country (who is mormon - seriously, why are there so many good mormon TEs) so perhaps he might not want to go there or perhaps Notre Dame can't take two tight ends this class. With all that commotion and JakeMurph leaving for the NFL, this seems like the ideal position to get Dalton to Utah. Alas, I still think he's a tree on signing day.
3. Jackson Barton-OT Brighton - Utah Commit
4. Kenyon Frison-OT Granger - Utah Commit
5. Pita Tonga-DT Highland - Utah Commit
6. Allan Havili-DT Tooele - Utah Commit
7. Korey Rush-DE East - suddenly uncommitted. Apparently he's no longer a Sun Devil. I don't think he has a Utah offer.
8. Patrick Au - Offensive tackle, Snow - uncommitted with his only offer coming from Oklahoma(!). I've never heard of this guy. Are we after him?
9. Zac Dawe- DE Pleasant Grove - BYU Commit
10. Amone Finau - ATH Kearns - Utah Commit
11. Sky Manu - S, Brighton - uncommitted, no offers.
12. Isaiah Kaufusi - LB Brighton - Undecided (Offer from BYU, likely to be a Cougar)
13. Kyle Christiansen - DT, Mountain Crest - Utah Commit
14. Ola Tolutau - RB East - Wisconsin Commit
15. Pasoni Tasini - DE Snow - Utah Commit

Overall, I think Kyle is doing a great job of getting the best Utah kids. The most amazing thing about this list is how few in-state players are committing to BYU. The biggest change in recruiting in the Pac-12 is our ability to get the middle tier Utah guys. We still need to work on getting the blue-chippers like Mone and Schultz. Depending on who you ask, Barton or Frison might be considered blue chippers as well (please sign with us, Kenyon).

One other interesting note: Isaiah Nacua who plays DE at Timpview is a BYU decommit who is deciding between us and Arizona State (his brother plays for BYU, I believe). He would probably be ranked around 5th or 6th on this list, but 247 lists him as a Vegas recruit. Reilly leaving for the NFL might be good for recruiting him.


Long run, BYU is toast. No league. No coach. No balls. No future.

[UteBeliever aka Port]

OK, time to update my tracking of top 15 in-state recruits. I still believe that Utah's path to success starts with locking down the top in-state talent.

1. Brian Mone-DT Highland - Michigan Commit
2. Dalton Schultz-TE Bingham - Still undecided. Top 4: Stanford, Notre Dame, Utah, UW. I think that UW is probably lower on the list now that Sark has left and Notre Dame just signed the #7 TE in the country (who is mormon - seriously, why are there so many good mormon TEs) so perhaps he might not want to go there or perhaps Notre Dame can't take two tight ends this class. With all that commotion and JakeMurph leaving for the NFL, this seems like the ideal position to get Dalton to Utah. Alas, I still think he's a tree on signing day.
3. Jackson Barton-OT Brighton - Utah Commit
4. Kenyon Frison-OT Granger - Utah Commit
5. Pita Tonga-DT Highland - Utah Commit
6. Allan Havili-DT Tooele - Utah Commit
7. Korey Rush-DE East - suddenly uncommitted. Apparently he's no longer a Sun Devil. I don't think he has a Utah offer.
8. Patrick Au - Offensive tackle, Snow - uncommitted with his only offer coming from Oklahoma(!). I've never heard of this guy. Are we after him?
9. Zac Dawe- DE Pleasant Grove - BYU Commit
10. Amone Finau - ATH Kearns - Utah Commit
11. Sky Manu - S, Brighton - uncommitted, no offers.
12. Isaiah Kaufusi - LB Brighton - Undecided (Offer from BYU, likely to be a Cougar)
13. Kyle Christiansen - DT, Mountain Crest - Utah Commit
14. Ola Tolutau - RB East - Wisconsin Commit
15. Pasoni Tasini - DE Snow - Utah Commit

Overall, I think Kyle is doing a great job of getting the best Utah kids. The most amazing thing about this list is how few in-state players are committing to BYU. The biggest change in recruiting in the Pac-12 is our ability to get the middle tier Utah guys. We still need to work on getting the blue-chippers like Mone and Schultz. Depending on who you ask, Barton or Frison might be considered blue chippers as well (please sign with us, Kenyon).

One other interesting note: Isaiah Nacua who plays DE at Timpview is a BYU decommit who is deciding between us and Arizona State (his brother plays for BYU, I believe). He would probably be ranked around 5th or 6th on this list, but 247 lists him as a Vegas recruit. Reilly leaving for the NFL might be good for recruiting him.

What is the deal with Kaufusi? If he's a BYU guy and BYU's offered him, you'd think he'd commit. Are BYU/Kaufusi hoping he lands some other offers so as to "raise his profile"?

Losing the top 2 out of state kind of dampens things a bit. Shultz seems to be gone to Stanford. Although I'd love to see him at the U., I think the program has enough talent at TE that we'll be just fine there IF we get good line and QB play. With Dres and Scott coming back in addition to other offensive weapons, I think the TE is going to be an afterthought for defenses and will create opportunities for whomever is there.

[Viking]

Does Oklahoma steal Texas recruits? I just checked OU's 247 page and of their 7 Texas commits, none have a UT offer. I would bet that is the generally the case.

I don't follow SEC recruiting at all, and I'm sure Alabama and Florida steal Texas kids here and there. But, on the whole, I would wager that Texas does a pretty good job of keeping their kids in state. I'll bet their yield is outstanding.
OU has great success in DFW. Norman is actually a little closer to Dallas than Austin but since you just jump on Central Expwy and go north (with little traffic) vs going south through the heart of Dallas, Norman is actually about 25 minutes drive closer.

[UteBeliever aka Port]

Regarding Au, this is what I found sleuthing on the interwebs:

http://www.landthieves.com/board/archive/index.php/t-54486.html?

It would seem has had a non-commitable offer, whatever the hell that is. Seems as if the kid believes he is an OU recruit and has said he will go there, won't talk to anybody, but really doesn't have an offer from OU if OU finds some other OTs that they want.

His size reminds of of Carlos Lozano.

This site claims he is 6-10 and weighs 360. Sound familliar?

Snows website claims he is 6-8 and 376.

http://www.snowbadgers.com/images/2013/8/21/player_Patrick%20Au.jpg
(http://www.snowbadgers.com/images/2013/8/21/player_Patrick%20Au.jpg)

[U-Ute]

Word is 2* safety Anthony Milton (http://rivals.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/player-Anthony-Milton-146487) committed.

Decent offer list.

[sancho]

3* safety Andre Godfrey from Florida:

http://rivals.yahoo.com/utah/football/recruiting/player-Andre-Godfrey-135967

Had offers from Pac-12, Big-12, ACC, and SEC schools.

[Applejack]

3* safety Andre Godfrey from Florida:

http://rivals.yahoo.com/utah/football/recruiting/player-Andre-Godfrey-135967

Had offers from Pac-12, Big-12, ACC, and SEC schools.

I like both of these latest pickups.

I think the move from focusing exclusively on Texas for our defensive backfield to looking in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida is an interesting one. I'm not convinced that we can be competitive in recruiting the south, but apparently Kyle and Co. disagree.

[Damage U]

What is the story with Milton? Is he committed or not?

[UBlender]

What is the story with Milton? Is he committed or not?

Not committed.

[Diehard Ute]

Not committed.

Word is the coaching staff didn't accept his commitment

[LA Ute]

Word is the coaching staff didn't accept his commitment

Is he a character issue guy or something? If I once knew about him I've lost track.

[Diehard Ute]

Is he a character issue guy or something? If I once knew about him I've lost track.

That's the rumor, but I'm not sure.

There was also a rumor that he tried to commit via twitter

[UBlender]

That's the rumor, but I'm not sure.

There was also a rumor that he tried to commit via twitter

He did in fact tweet out earlier this week that he was committing to Utah. Utah had been actively recruiting him. It appears that either something just happened or Utah coaches just learned of something that has happened to turn them off. The insiders on the pay sites appear to know more, but won't divulge (which is probably for the best) and only say it is a sensitive issue. Gotta believe it is some sort of character or legal issue.

The good news is that with Andre Godfrey and some of the other safeties that Utah is after it appears that this "loss" can be overcome pretty easily.

[SeattleUte]

When can wee get a recruiting list that looks like this? Why is Todd Graham doing this and we're not?

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/school/_/id/9/class/2014

[sancho]

When can wee get a recruiting list that looks like this? Why is Todd Graham doing this and we're not?

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/school/_/id/9/class/2014

Well, ASU just played in the Pac-12 title game. That can't hurt. We had a 1-2 year window to make an early impact and grab peoples attention. That didn't pan out. Now we have to scrape and claw our way out of the basement.

[LA Ute]

Well, ASU just played in the Pac-12 title game. That can't hurt. We had a 1-2 year window to make an early impact and grab peoples attention. That didn't pan out. Now we have to scrape and claw our way out of the basement.

http://sportstwo.com/images/smilies/commentary/smiley-sigh.gif

[Applejack]

When can wee get a recruiting list that looks like this? Why is Todd Graham doing this and we're not?

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/school/_/id/9/class/2014

I blame the inversion.

[sancho]

Just saw this neat map. Check it out:

http://mode.github.io/blog/2014-01-16-football-hometowns/index.html#

[DrumNFeather]

Schultz to Stanford in a move that surprised nobody.

[sancho]

Schultz to Stanford in a move that surprised nobody.

May he lose many games and make many lifelong dungeons and dragons friends.

[Applejack]

Schultz to Stanford in a move that surprised nobody.

Disappointing, but entirely expected. Too bad he didn't even trip to the U.

[Homer Crimson]

I think even if he had been seriously interested in the U, on the offensive side, we are so easy to recruit negatively against right now.

[Homer Crimson]

Just saw this neat map. Check it out:

http://mode.github.io/blog/2014-01-16-football-hometowns/index.html#

Wow cool stuff- Dallas, Collin, Harris County TX, Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach FLA., San Bernadino, San Diego, LA, River Side, CA. Those places must be lousy with scouts/recruiters.

[Hot Lunch]

Frison just announced on twitter that he has de committed from Utah. That sucks.

[DrumNFeather]

Frison just announced on twitter that he has de committed from Utah. That sucks.

Should make for an interesting war room tonight on Utezone.

Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2

[U-Ute]

Jr OL/DL Sam Dalsasso of Corner Canyon high school is related to some friends of mine.

Whittingham visited him last week.

[Devildog]

Frison just announced on twitter that he has de committed from Utah. That sucks.

I don't know very much at all about recruiting... but I can't help but wonder if Dan Finn's departure contributed to this decision. I do realize OU seems to be recruiting him also.

[ute4eva]

Add Kenric Young to the list of commits. Fast / athletic WR out of Florida. Efforts in Florida seem to be paying off.

[sancho]

Efforts in Florida seem to be paying off.

That's the Dennis Erickson effect, right? Seems like that was at least one good personnel move for Whitt.

[Jarid in Cedar]

That's the Dennis Erickson effect, right? Seems like that was at least one good personnel move for Whitt.


This one is all Sitake. He has been recruiting him for 3 years. Utah was his first offer, and Kalani was his most consistent contact through the last 3 years.

[ute4eva]

I actually think it was Sitake. Prior to the PAC 12, Utah either doesn't have the budget or the name to pick up these guys. It seems Erickson had some vision to take them down there though.

[jrj84105]

Kalani has been building relationships in Florida and does a good job of selling the program to the kid, but I think we have come in second in a lot of these FLA/TX/CA battles historically because the kids' family, friends, coaches etc. still buy into the stigma about Utah culture. I think the Erickson star power (at least in Florida) is the antedote to the Utah stigma.

[Applejack]

Did we really lose Jeremy McNichols to Boise State? That's embarrassing, if true. We shouldn't be losing commits to Boise St.

[Utah]

Did we really lose Jeremy McNichols to Boise State? That's embarrassing, if true. We shouldn't be losing commits to Boise St.

Rumor is, we lost him because we asked him to grey shirt. If that's the case, then all is right in the world.

[U-Ute]

Rumor is, we lost him because we asked him to grey shirt. If that's the case, then all is right in the world.

My theory is that they got him addicted to meth. Allegedly.

[U-Ute]

Some morning tweets. I hope things work out like they want it to.

Donovan Isom:

S/O to my brother @AlfredSmith_ aka #TARZAN committing to Utah!!!!! Boy our offense will be something serious!!!! #Chemistry #ICEandTARZAN

Kyron King:

I'm going to Utah to offense going to be nice with @d_isom12 at QB and me and @AlfredSmith_ at the WR

[DrumNFeather]

Some morning tweets. I hope things work out like they want it to.

Donovan Isom:


Kyron King:

I would call this an encouraging commitment, let's hope we hang on to him.

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[Jarid in Cedar]

I would call this an encouraging commitment, let's hope we hang on to him.

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Johnson is killing it in Louisiana. He has proven to be an excellent recruiter.

[UTEopia]

Johnson is killing it in Louisiana. He has proven to be an excellent recruiter.

Right now it looks like he is doing a bang up job.I will withhold judgment on this until some of the players actually land on campus and perform in the program. Tom Lovat always signed 25 promising players and I only expect a few of you to know what the hell I am talking about.

[DrumNFeather]

Donovan Wilson!

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[Hot Lunch]

Donovan Wilson!

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Great get in Wilson tonight.

On the other hand, Sidney Jones de committed and is going to UDUB and Canty chose Wazzu over Utah.

[Hadrian]

Maybe we can get this guy (http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/west/post/_/id/13143/espn-300-dt-lealao-opens-his-recruitment?ex_cid=espnapi_public) instead of Canty.

[Applejack]

If you take away the Florida/Louisiana kids from our committed class, it looks terrible, almost apocalyptic. I hope these recruits stick around.

[DrumNFeather]

If you take away the Florida/Louisiana kids from our committed class, it looks terrible, almost apocalyptic. I hope these recruits stick around.

It makes me wonder if it is somehow easier to nab these kids from FL and LA because it is a brand new territory for the Utes to recruit in versus the Western states where they've got to build their brand as a Pac 12 team, not a MWC team transitioning to the Pac 12. In areas where we've never or rarely recruited, we can come in as another team in the Pac 12. When we come into some of these Western states, we still have a ways to go. I don't think there is any question that SLC has more to offer than several of the non-California Pac 12 cities, the coaches and frankly the marketing dept have to figure out a better way to increase that positive exposure and build our brand as a Pac 12 program. A winning season in 2014 sure would help.

[Utah]

It makes me wonder if it is somehow easier to nab these kids from FL and LA because it is a brand new territory for the Utes to recruit in versus the Western states where they've got to build their brand as a Pac 12 team, not a MWC team transitioning to the Pac 12. In areas where we've never or rarely recruited, we can come in as another team in the Pac 12. When we come into some of these Western states, we still have a ways to go. I don't think there is any question that SLC has more to offer than several of the non-California Pac 12 cities, the coaches and frankly the marketing dept have to figure out a better way to increase that positive exposure and build our brand as a Pac 12 program. A winning season in 2014 sure would help.

I like this. Winning cures all.

I wonder how big time the PAC-12 is getting. With Washington's coach getting in trouble for providing money for players, it makes you wonder if PAC-12 schools are starting to slip recruits a couple bucks here and there.

Honestly, maybe I'm up in the night here, but why else would a DE choose a coach with the Pirate 's defensive history and a town like Pullman over Whitt's history and SLC?

[Applejack]

It makes me wonder if it is somehow easier to nab these kids from FL and LA because it is a brand new territory for the Utes to recruit in versus the Western states where they've got to build their brand as a Pac 12 team, not a MWC team transitioning to the Pac 12. In areas where we've never or rarely recruited, we can come in as another team in the Pac 12. When we come into some of these Western states, we still have a ways to go. I don't think there is any question that SLC has more to offer than several of the non-California Pac 12 cities, the coaches and frankly the marketing dept have to figure out a better way to increase that positive exposure and build our brand as a Pac 12 program. A winning season in 2014 sure would help.

I too am confused about the (apparent) success we are having in FLA. It might just be a numbers game: there are SO many good players that the SEC, ACC, BIG-12 can't take them all so we can pick up the leftovers, whereas the Western talent that gets overlooked by USC/UCLA/UW/Stanford/Cal/Texas etc. is highly sought after by the other Pac schools.

I'm still mystified, however, about how you tell a Florida kid to come to a cold, mountainous state. But, we need that defensive talent infusion from somewhere: if Texas is closed, let's tackle the Sunshine state. :rockon:

[sancho]

Did we really lose Jeremy McNichols to Boise State? That's embarrassing, if true. We shouldn't be losing commits to Boise St.


Canty chose Wazzu over Utah.

Losing a kid to Wazzu is even more embarrassing than losing a kid to Boise State. BSU was a title contender just a few years ago, and Boise, unlike Pullman, is a nice place. Plus, Boise's coach doesn't dress up like a pirate and doesn't have a history of player abuse (I'm assuming that - I actually know nothing about Boise's new coach).

[DrumNFeather]

Losing a kid to Wazzu is even more embarrassing than losing a kid to Boise State. BSU was a title contender just a few years ago, and Boise, unlike Pullman, is a nice place. Plus, Boise's coach doesn't dress up like a pirate and doesn't have a history of player abuse (I'm assuming that - I actually know nothing about Boise's new coach).

Not nearly as embarassing as losing to Wazzu in the regular season (in any sport really). :)

[Utah]

I agree with Sancho and DrumNFeather. Losing to WSU is pathetic. That's the best way to put it.

I am really curious to see what happens this fall when we actually have depth. I want to see what happens the first time we lose a starter. I can't wait until Spring Ball. Every year, the team has looked better and better in Spring Ball.

[Applejack]

Which of our commits still have visits left? I see that Donovan Wilson is visiting TCU this week (that's bad news - they bad mouth Utah like no one else) and Tavaris Williams is visiting B.C. (it's weird to be competing with Boston College for recruits). I had heard Hobbes was visiting still, but can't find any info on that.

[Hot Lunch]

Honestly, Wazzu is the one school that we should be beating every time. It really is embarrassing that we can't beat Wazzu on kids.

[Big Kahuna]

Honestly, Wazzu is the one school that we should be beating every time. It really is embarrassing that we can't beat Wazzu on kids.

Signed U$C 2013 (in LA no less).

[SoCalPat]

Great get in Wilson tonight.

On the other hand, Sidney Jones de committed and is going to UDUB and Canty chose Wazzu over Utah.

So we got a kid to flip on Louisiana Tech. Please, tell me why I should care?

[SoCalPat]

I would call this an encouraging commitment, let's hope we hang on to him.

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What am I missing? He played two years at Langston before transferring to South Alabama.

I'm going to stop visiting this thread. It's too depressing.

[Hot Lunch]

So we got a kid to flip on Louisiana Tech. Please, tell me why I should care?

A handful of big schools were after him late including A&M. I understand he may have been a filler for them but the fact that big schools were getting in the game says something about his talent. I also watched some film on him that was posted on utezone and was impressed by what I saw. He also has a better offer list than a large majority of utah's commits. Overall, this Utah class is pretty pathetic.

[Applejack]

A handful of big schools were after him late including A&M. I understand he may have been a filler for them but the fact that big schools were getting in the game says something about his talent. I also watched some film on him that was posted on utezone and was impressed by what I saw. He also has a better offer list than a large majority of utah's commits. Overall, this Utah class is pretty pathetic.

I agree that he's a much higher quality player than we've been getting this year. When was the last time that we stole a defensive back-type player from TCU? It's been awhile.

While I'm not over the moon about this class, I don't think it is all that bad considering we are coming off two straight losing seasons. We have some good athletes coming in at WR and DB - that is always a plus, in my book. Add that to the Barton kid and we have some nice pieces. Now, I would love to cut about 1/3 to 1/2 of the bottom of the class, but when you are consistently 5-7, you have to sign some filler.

[concerned]

I agree that he's a much higher quality player than we've been getting this year. When was the last time that we stole a defensive back-type player from TCU? It's been awhile.

While I'm not over the moon about this class, I don't think it is all that bad considering we are coming off two straight losing seasons. We have some good athletes coming in at WR and DB - that is always a plus, in my book. Add that to the Barton kid and we have some nice pieces. Now, I would love to cut about 1/3 to 1/2 of the bottom of the class, but when you are consistently 5-7, you have to sign some filler.

Is it concerning that Barton seems to be the only offensive lineman in this class?

[UTEopia]

Is it concerning that Barton seems to be the only offensive lineman in this class?

Not really: 16 OL is about what you want on your roster. It certainly would have been nice to add Frison, but the numbers will work this year. Losing 2 seniors and with a large number of juniors (5) it will be important to have 3 or 4 next year to round out the numbers.
Pouvave Sr
Salt Sr
Aiono Jr
Albers Jr
Friel Jr
Poutasi Jr
Tuimauga Jr
Asiata So
Dileman So
Lutui So
Tevi So - moving over from DL
Uhatafe RsFr
Falemaka RsFr
Sefa Tanoi - returning missionary
Nua Poteki - returning missionary
Barton - Freshman

[sancho]

Is it concerning that Barton seems to be the only offensive lineman in this class?

Yes, every class should have 3-5 OL. Can never have too many OL, DB, or pass rushers.

[crazyute]

Is it concerning that Barton seems to be the only offensive lineman in this class?
The christiansen kid will be a guard. No way he is a DT at the next level. he doesn't have the movement skills to succeed there.

[Applejack]

The christiansen kid will be a guard. No way he is a DT at the next level. he doesn't have the movement skills to succeed there.

I'm not sure he can succeed at OL either, but here's to hoping!

[Applejack]

Last update on in-state talent before signing day. All of the big fish are fried, but some of the lower ranked kids might pick up an offer depending on what happens in the next two weeks.

1. Dalton Schultz-TE Bingham - Stanford Commit (and now the top ranked played in the state).
1. Brian Mone-DT Highland - Michigan Commit
3. Jackson Barton-OT Brighton - Utah Commit
4. Kenyon Frison-OT Granger - Undecided. It looks like Oklahoma, but Nebraska and ASU are still in the running. This one hurts.
5. Allan Havili-DT Tooele - Utah Commit
6. Korey Rush-DE East - Nevada Commit. Dropping down from ASU to Nevada. Something is up with this kid's recruiting - either he doesn't have the grades, or he's not that good.
7. Patrick Au - Offensive tackle, Snow - uncommitted with his only offers coming from Oklahoma(!) and Colorado. I've never heard of this guy. I'm skeptical - my guess is he is claiming Oklahoma in order to drum up interest from other places. If he were good, I would think the Utes would be offering a 6''9' 360 pound tackle in the middle of our home state.
8. Zac Dawe- DE Pleasant Grove - BYU Commit
9. Pita Tonga-DT Highland - Utah Commit
10. Amone Finau - ATH Kearns - Utah Commit
11. Sky Manu - S, Brighton - uncommitted, no offers.
12. Isaiah Kaufusi - LB Brighton - Undecided (Offer from BYU, likely to be a Cougar)
13. Kyle Christiansen - DT, Mountain Crest - Utah Commit
14. Ola Tolutau - RB East - Wisconsin Commit
15. Pasoni Tasini - DE Snow - Utah Commit

Losing Frison takes the in-state recruiting from "decent" to "pretty bad"; We only get one of the top 4 kids. The rest of the Utah commits other than Jackson range from decent (Havili and Tonga) to meh (especially the three guys that aren't in the top 15 - Tukuafu, Katoa, and Putuatu).
[/QUOTE]

[Diehard Ute]

Last update on in-state talent before signing day. All of the big fish are fried, but some of the lower ranked kids might pick up an offer depending on what happens in the next two weeks.

1. Dalton Schultz-TE Bingham - Stanford Commit (and now the top ranked played in the state).
1. Brian Mone-DT Highland - Michigan Commit
3. Jackson Barton-OT Brighton - Utah Commit
4. Kenyon Frison-OT Granger - Undecided. It looks like Oklahoma, but Nebraska and ASU are still in the running. This one hurts.5. Allan Havili-DT Tooele - Utah Commit
6. Korey Rush-DE East - Nevada Commit. Dropping down from ASU to Nevada. Something is up with this kid's recruiting - either he doesn't have the grades, or he's not that good.
7. Patrick Au - Offensive tackle, Snow - uncommitted with his only offers coming from Oklahoma(!) and Colorado. I've never heard of this guy. I'm skeptical - my guess is he is claiming Oklahoma in order to drum up interest from other places. If he were good, I would think the Utes would be offering a 6''9' 360 pound tackle in the middle of our home state.
8. Zac Dawe- DE Pleasant Grove - BYU Commit
9. Pita Tonga-DT Highland - Utah Commit
10. Amone Finau - ATH Kearns - Utah Commit
11. Sky Manu - S, Brighton - uncommitted, no offers.
12. Isaiah Kaufusi - LB Brighton - Undecided (Offer from BYU, likely to be a Cougar)
13. Kyle Christiansen - DT, Mountain Crest - Utah Commit
14. Ola Tolutau - RB East - Wisconsin Commit
15. Pasoni Tasini - DE Snow - Utah Commit

Losing Frison takes the in-state recruiting from "decent" to "pretty bad"; We only get one of the top 4 kids. The rest of the Utah commits other than Jackson range from decent (Havili and Tonga) to meh (especially the three guys that aren't in the top 15 - Tukuafu, Katoa, and Putuatu).


Saw some talk this morning that Frison was leaning back towards Utah.

An Oklahoma insider posted a few days ago he did not expect Frison to come to Oklahoma.

[Brian]

I heard on the Bill and Hans podcast with Dan Sorenson that Frison had a meeting with Utah coaches next week.

[Brian]

7. Patrick au - offensive tackle, snow - uncommitted with his only offers coming from oklahoma(!) and colorado. I've never heard of this guy. I'm skeptical - my guess is he is claiming oklahoma in order to drum up interest from other places. If he were good, i would think the utes would be offering a 6''9' 360 pound tackle in the middle of our home state.


Are the offer lists really self reported by the kids?

[Diehard Ute]

Are the offer lists really self reported by the kids?

For the most part yes.

[Applejack]

Saw some talk this morning that Frison was leaning back towards Utah.

An Oklahoma insider posted a few days ago he did not expect Frison to come to Oklahoma.


I heard on the Bill and Hans podcast with Dan Sorenson that Frison had a meeting with Utah coaches next week.

Wouldn't shock me. We could really use him and he's a Ute fan.

I assume that Utah coaches have done this already, but I would love to see some sort of analysis of kids that go out of state to non Pac-12 schools like Notre Dame, Nebraska, and Michigan. I would guess that a really high percentage of those kids end up doing nothing or transferring. Just off the top of my head the last few years has seen that Badger kid transfer from Notre Dame to BYU and Afalava leave Nebraska last month. We still love you Cooper Bateman!

[Applejack]

I love this picture below. Utah has a verbal from #50, Pita Tonga a Defensive tackle, who is holding hands with Brian Mone, a simply massive human.


http://img.deseretnews.com/images/article/contentimage/1209300/1209300.jpg

[chrisrenrut]

For the most part yes.

Because coaches can't disclose anything about offers or recruites until after they have an LOI, right?

[Diehard Ute]

Because coaches can't disclose anything about offers or recruites until after they have an LOI, right?

Yes. Can't even mention a name.

Now some recruits will show letters etc to these recruiting services to at least show some proof, others just tell the guy who calls them.

It's a big game and one that's easily manipulated

[Applejack]

High School coaches play a big role in the "offer list" as well. Most high school coaches are contacted by recruiting schools when an offer is made. Some coaches are honest about where a kid has been offered. But it is often in the coaches' interest to inflate that players' offer list.

[Diehard Ute]

High School coaches play a big role in the "offer list" as well. Most high school coaches are contacted by recruiting schools when an offer is made. Some coaches are honest about where a kid has been offered. But it is often in the coaches' interest to inflate that players' offer list.

Especially in an open enrollment state like Utah....;)

[crazyute]

I'm not sure he can succeed at OL either, but here's to hoping!
Why do you say this? At 6'4" 305 I would say he has the size already. coaching and strength can be added if he works.

[crazyute]

I love this picture below. Utah has a verbal from #50, Pita Tonga a Defensive tackle, who is holding hands with Brian Mone, a simply massive human.


http://img.deseretnews.com/images/article/contentimage/1209300/1209300.jpg
If michigan is smart they will move mone to guard.

[crazyute]

Are the offer lists really self reported by the kids?
Patrick AU offer from oklahoma has been pulled for almost a month now.

[Applejack]

Why do you say this? At 6'4" 305 I would say he has the size already. coaching and strength can be added if he works.

I don't think he's enough of an athlete. I could be wrong, we've turned middling recruits into NFL lineman before, but I doubt he has the athleticism to compete as a Pac-12 lineman


Patrick AU offer from oklahoma has been pulled for almost a month now.

What's his story? Why would the kid only get one offer (from OU!)? Is it a grades issue?

[Applejack]

This is a boring recruiting weekend for us, right? Most the guys on campus are (1) local and (2) committed. It feels very BYU-ish, which is not a good thing. Do we have any John Cullenesque long shots visiting?

[Jarid in Cedar]

This is a boring recruiting weekend for us, right? Most the guys on campus are (1) local and (2) committed. It feels very BYU-ish, which is not a good thing. Do we have any John Cullenesque long shots visiting?

There is a mystery player committed to another program

[DrumNFeather]

Is DJ Law still in play?

[Applejack]

There is a mystery player committed to another program

Frison?

[Applejack]

Is DJ Law still in play?

It is between us and Ole Miss, from what I can tell. But he visited a while ago.

[crazyute]

I don't think he's enough of an athlete. I could be wrong, we've turned middling recruits into NFL lineman before, but I doubt he has the athleticism to compete as a Pac-12 lineman

Well the good thing is you don't have to be a super athlete to play Guard. Just get yourself big and physical. something he already has 6'4" 305. Now he has to develop himself with coaching and technique. and obviously add more muscle mass to his body.

What's his story? Why would the kid only get one offer (from OU!)? Is it a grades issue?
Au is pretty slow footed. He also is a bit lazy in his work ethic and has gotten away with just being overly huge. He will end up going D1 but just at a smaller school like a toledo.

[Diehard Ute]

Rumor is Tolutau is the mystery

[DrumNFeather]

Rumor is Tolutau is the mystery

As a sign and send, no real impact if he flips, but what do people think of him as a player?

Speaking of East, whatever happened with Rush?

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[Applejack]

As a sign and send, no real impact if he flips, but what do people think of him as a player?

Speaking of East, whatever happened with Rush?

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Rush has committed to Nevada:moron:

[DrumNFeather]

Rush has committed to Nevada:moron:

Did we offer him? I feel like the coaches took a wait and see approach.

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[Applejack]

Did we offer him? I feel like the coaches took a wait and see approach.

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It's hard to tell with no inside info, but from what I can gather from the web, we never made an offer - I think he played hard to get with us while ASU was after him. I don't know what happened - my guess is that ASU got better recruits and he had nowhere to go. I assume we would have offered (and got him) at this point if we wanted him.

[concerned]

We never offered him because we thought he was a tweener, and not really suited for a 4-3 defense. ASU recruited over him, but he also got injured (leg I think) and missed the last 1/3 of the season plus playoffs. He is now starting on the bb team.

[Damage U]

Donovan Wilson decides to go for the cash with the aTm.

[Damage U]

I guess Utah isn't big enough for 2 Donovans on the same team.

[DrumNFeather]

Would be nice to be on the right side of one of these flips.

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[Diehard Ute]

Donovan Wilson decides to go for the cash with the aTm.

He still has time for another school.....since he's now committed 3 times to 3 schools

[sancho]

He still has time for another school.....since he's now committed 3 times to 3 schools

Well, I wish I could say I wish him the best...but I don't. May he ride the pine in the college station and lose eligibility when he fails his poultry science class.

[Crimsonute]

I am so with Kyle Whittingham. There should be an early signing day. For those who want to graduate early and play spring ball, and for those who want to be done with it. I'd guess if there were an earlier signing day, 50% of kids would sign. Less of a headache for coaches. If Frison commits, then the class will go up. With Wilson not coming, an offer will be extended to someone else. Hopefully the next 2* great like Eric Weddle, Zane Beadles, or Alex Smith.

[Applejack]

Donovan Wilson decides to go for the cash with the aTm.

Blast. I was excited about him.

Isaiah Kafusi will be going to BYU (no surprise there).

[DrumNFeather]

Anything interesting happen this weekend?

We're down to like what? 2-3 guys "potentially" still coming to us right?

[Applejack]

Anything interesting happen this weekend?

We're down to like what? 2-3 guys "potentially" still coming to us right?

My sense is we are done. Basically it's praying that we don't lose any other last minute flips. I suppose there is an outside chance that Frison or the kid from East might sign with us, but I'm not holding my breath.

[UteBeliever aka Port]

This may be a signing day where you choose to look the other way.

[DrumNFeather]

This may be a signing day where you choose to look the other way.

Well, we can't win 'em all...or any of 'em this year it seems.

[jrj84105]

Well, two things are hurting us- not winning and having a coach on the hot seat. At least one of those will get fixed next year.

[concerned]

Well, two things are hurting us- not winning and having a coach on the hot seat. At least one of those will get fixed next year.

Third thing--offensive merry go round. That will also be fixed one way or another.

[sancho]

Well, two things are hurting us- not winning and having a coach on the hot seat. At least one of those will get fixed next year.

As ridiculous as it is, this seems to be approaching a consensus opinion. Between the two possibilities, only winning is guaranteed to improve our recruiting.

There are four newish coaches in the conference with at 1 year's track record (Leach, RichRod, Dykes, McIntyre), only two have improved recruiting at their school.

[sancho]

Third thing--offensive merry go round. That will also be fixed one way or another.

This would be comical if it weren't so tragic. We finally get the long-term OC we want, get all the pieces in place, only to start all over again with yet another brand new system when everyone gets fired at the end of another 5-7 year.

[jrj84105]

First, I don't think nearly as highly of KW as a HC as most, and think that in the right circumstances we'd do well with a change. That said, not for a second do I think it's a good idea to let KW go next year with a 5-7 record while being competitive in most games.

We're still closer to being good than people think (just a QB away and I really like Isom), and most importantly KW would still be too highly regarded to let go. If KW and crew leave Utah with credibility intact, we'll see a scenario where KW gets a DC job in the PAC12* and Sitake gets a midmajor HC job* and they recruit from under our new HC completely hastringing our program. If KW goes, it needs to be at a point where he's damaged his credibility to the point where he can't hurt us more from outside the program than from within, even if that means we have to endure a 2-10 season. The last thing we need is more Gary Anderson's recruiting our limited recruiting pipelines to other programs.

*I'm calling it, Taysom Hill gets hurt early and BYU completely tanks this year putting Bronco on a hot enough seat that BYU would take KW or Sitake if Chris Hill is blind enough to let them go.*

[LA Ute]

First, I don't think nearly as highly of KW as a HC as most, and think that in the right circumstances we'd do well with a change. That said, not for a second do I think it's a good idea to let KW go next year with a 5-7 record while being competitive in most games.

We're still closer to being good than people think (just a QB away and I really like Isom), and most importantly KW would still be too highly regarded to let go. If KW and crew leave Utah with credibility intact, we'll see a scenario where KW gets a DC job in the PAC12* and Sitake gets a midmajor HC job* and they recruit from under our new HC completely hastringing our program. If KW goes, it needs to be at a point where he's damaged his credibility to the point where he can't hurt us more from outside the program than from within, even if that means we have to endure a 2-10 season. The last thing we need is more Gary Anderson's recruiting our limited recruiting pipelines to other programs.

*I'm calling it, Taysom Hill gets hurt early and BYU completely tanks this year putting Bronco on a hot enough seat that BYU would take KW or Sitake if Chris Hill is blind enough to let them go.*

I'm wondering if KW hasn't become an example of the Peter Principle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Principle). We'll know more after this season.

[concerned]

This would be comical if it weren't so tragic. We finally get the long-term OC we want, get all the pieces in place, only to start all over again with yet another brand new system when everyone gets fired at the end of another 5-7 year.

Here is the concern: when we entered in 2011, we were thought to contend for the division title. UCLA, ASU, Arizona, and WSU, among others, were in disarray. We have not achieved that. We had two good recruiting classes ranked in the 30's. This year looks to be about the equivalent of an MWC recruiting class, or a little better. One more class like that could be a death spiral. UCLA, ASU, and UA have blown past us. Maybe WSU is ahead of us too. Once you get lodged at the bottom it is hard to claw your way out, without a regime change that gives recruits a reason to buy into the program, as they have at all four of the schools. The offense has to get turned around quickly, or the recruits will turn it out. For me, the big concern is not another 5-7 record, but the trajectory of recruiting.

[jrj84105]

I'm wondering if KW hasn't become an example of the Peter Principle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Principle). We'll know more after this season.

I think about this occasionally with respect to our football operations. I think the "up or out" management solution works really well for operations that have a lot of positive institutional esteem and momentum. There are always tons of low-level people looking to get in on the ground floor and a high failure rate isn't enough to derail the system due to inherent advantages of the operation. It's the most effective way of going from solidly good to spectacular. If I were USC's AD, I would operate strictly on an "up or out" philosophy and wouldn't be shy about turnover.

Utah does not have the momentum or the inherent advantages to operate using this philosophy. I think an underdog has to find the exceptions to the Peter Principle. Who are the people who failed due to specific limitations unique to their situation and not necessarily because they weren't cut out for advancement? Those people get written off my the big players but are valid solutions for lateral movement.

There are a few guys I can think of who are exeptions to the Peter Principle.
1) BJ: BJ was promoted prematurely under a HC who has continuously had underperforming OC's. He apparently played up in support of his superior (DE) this past year and did pretty well in the role. I don't think BJ advanced to his level of failure so much as he got hit by a bad situation. If Utah's staff implodes, BJ could be a bigtime pickup at the OC level for somebody else.
2) KW: Can't hire an offensive coordinator to save his life. Has trouble hiring assistant coaches as well. Not a great recruiter. If KW were let go and a blue chip program (eg Florida) with inherent recruiting advantages and a long list of coaches who would kill to get their foot in the door were to hire him, he would excel by consistently running a clean program and making the most of the great natural talent.
3) Dana Holgerson: A very successful OC who appears to have reached his level of incompetence as a HC at WV. Upon further inspection, he arrived into a contentious mess with the HC trying to gather personal dirt to get him fired which resulted in an unanticipated HC promotion with a major stink to it. Coupled with a conference change and the difficulties entailed, there's a lot of room to entertain unique situational factors as a cause of failure. Could he come into a program with an inherent strength on defense including strong defensive coaching assistants and turn around a stagnant offense? I think he could. This is one example of a coach who is not IMO near the level of KW having the potential to be a better match for our unique situational needs.

[Utah]

Here is what we know: Whittingham is a great coach. He can coach an undefeated season, he can beat BCS teams regularly (when he has talent), and he is a top defensive mind. We also know that he has had a huge problem when it comes to the OC position. I personally think it looks a lot worse than it really is. I think his only blunder was promoting BJ to OC. I don't think anyone can fault him for hiring Chow, and I think DE was the right move and I think DC is an even better move.

I think Whittingham's biggest problem has been recruiting. I think he is an elite coach, and in the MWC, you can take decent, hardworking kids and coach them up. His biggest problem now is that he needs depth. The PAC-12 is too tough, too deep and plays too many conference games to only be one deep. You will have injuries every year, and massive injuries. It's football. He needs to recruit better.

The biggest question is:

1 - Can the offense recover from BJ

and

2 - Can they recruit enough depth to survive injuries.

This season will answer both those questions. We look like, for the first time in the PAC-12, to have depth. Not great depth, but depth. Also, we will see what DC can do with the offense. Remember, the last two years has been BJ running the show and that failed. This will be our first year with a clearly defined, clearly motivated, clearly in charge OC since Ludwig.

I think we have a season similar to OSU two years ago. I don't think we get to 9 wins like they did, but I think we compete in every game we play in, and we win 6-7 games.

Also, as much as everyone whines about how hard the schedule is this year, it's easier than last year. We drop BYU for Michigan, which is an even trade (maybe even better for Utah, because Michigan doesn't carry all the emotional baggage), and we get USC and Oregon at home LATE in the year. That will be huge for us. Ask Stanford what it's like playing in RES. And we will have the advantage of either a very, very, very experienced Wilson or a Manning/Cox who have started six games for USC including games against Michigan and UCLA and 8 games for Oregon.

[sancho]

We drop BYU for Michigan, which is an even trade

I don't think any person in the world outside of Provo would agree with that statement.

But I do like the optimism. A good season would do wonders for the team, the fanbase, the media, the recruits, and the coaches.

[Utah]

I don't think any person in the world outside of Provo would agree with that statement.

But I do like the optimism. A good season would do wonders for the team, the fanbase, the media, the recruits, and the coaches.

A 6-6 Michigan team that boasts wins over Central Michigan, Akron, Connecticut, Minnesota, Indiana and lost 6 of their last 8 games. Yeah, BYU would beat that team. Heck, if you give Utah that schedule, we are all praising Whitt as a great coach and DE is the end all be all to football.

This is not Lloyd Carr's Michigan team. This is an average football team, very much the same as BYU and Utah. The reason why I think this game might even be easier for Utah, is that Michigan is an average team, just like BYU, but doesn't carry all the emotional baggage that comes with the BYU game.

Do I think Utah beats Michigan? I don't know. Ann Arbor is a tough place to play. The Michigan/Utah game will be a game between two average BCS teams, much like a Utah/BYU game would be and a Utah win would not surprise me at all. Utah has a very, very good defense, and if Utah can score 24 points, they probably win the game.

For Utah, it is the same as last year. When they were averaging 38 points a game, they were 4-2 with a win over a top 5 program. When they were averaging 21 points a game, they were 1-5. If we can score 30 per game, we win most of those games.

[jrj84105]

1 - Can the offense recover from BJ



When the D struggles, a certain portion of the fanbase likes to blame Sitake while exculpating KW. But that scapegoating is nothing compared to what BJ receives. Every single one of KW's OC's has performed worse under KW than in other phases of their careers. Despite that glaring trend, the improvement in the offensive scheme between 2012 and 2013 was tremendous, and the Stanford game with an injured TW and Murphy was one of the best orchestrated offensive performances in college football last year. BJ will be around football for a long time, and if he has to leave Utah to excel, it will because KW squandered his talent through ill-timed promotions and demotions.

I'm calling my shot now. BJ will be the first Utah HC to win a PAC championship....


Unless Mullen comes back. Then it will definitely be Mullen :)

[Utah]

When the D struggles, a certain portion of the fanbase likes to blame Sitake while exculpating KW. But that scapegoating is nothing compared to what BJ receives. Every single one of KW's OC's has performed worse under KW than in other phases of their careers. Despite that glaring trend, the improvement in the offensive scheme between 2012 and 2013 was tremendous, and the Stanford game with an injured TW and Murphy was one of the best orchestrated offensive performances in college football last year. BJ will be around football for a long time, and if he has to leave Utah to excel, it will because KW squandered his talent through ill-timed promotions and demotions.

I'm calling my shot now. BJ will be the first Utah HC to win a PAC championship....


Unless Mullen comes back. Then it will definitely be Mullen :)

The crazy thing is, I do agree with what you say. I think BJ is a tremendous coach. He just wasn't ready. BJ is like the kid drafted out of HS into MLB. They send him down to A ball, he tears it up, there is an injury at the MLB level. They bring him up. He struggles big time. He is sent back down. A year and a half later, they call him up come July. He dominates, goes onto a big time career.

Whatever happens with BJ here at Utah, in 30-40 years he will retire a very rich man, with a lot of awards and a rich and rewarding coaching career.

[SoCalPat]

A 6-6 Michigan team that boasts wins over Central Michigan, Akron, Connecticut, Minnesota, Indiana and lost 6 of their last 8 games. Yeah, BYU would beat that team. Heck, if you give Utah that schedule, we are all praising Whitt as a great coach and DE is the end all be all to football.

Michigan had one win over a name program and the rest over dregs, just like Utah. Four of those six losses were by 4 points or less, including one that went 4 OT (Penn State) and another that easily could've gone OT (Ohio State). Michigan got to a bowl because it was able to schedule one more win in the non-con than Utah. I don't think BYU beats Michigan last year.

I will say this -- Michigan is probably a good indicator early on as to how good our defense is. UM was all over the map in terms of scoring points. It scored 95 points in its five losses (I took out the 4OT game vs. PSU) and that includes a 41-point game vs. OSU, or less than 20 per game. It scored just 21 against UConn, 27 against Northwestern (3 OT game) and 28 against Akron. Yet it topped 40 or more in regulation four times. If we're going to win, it would behoove us to hold Michigan to 24 or fewer points.

[sancho]

Michigan is probably a good indicator early on as to how good our defense is.

Would it really be a huge surprise if Michigan goes to the Rose Bowl next season? They are full of 4 and 5 star guys. It's just a question of putting it all together (and a question of QB). You can't always count on power programs to stay down.

[SoCalPat]

Would it really be a huge surprise if Michigan goes to the Rose Bowl next season? They are full of 4 and 5 star guys. It's just a question of putting it all together (and a question of QB). You can't always count on power programs to stay down.

Nope, and spot on the rest of the way. That alone makes the idea of BYU and Michigan being an equal trade silly because Michigan's potential is always greater than BYU's. Even in 2008, Michigan was a tougher out at 3-9 than a 10-3 BYU team was at our place.

[Applejack]

Nope, and spot on the rest of the way. That alone makes the idea of BYU and Michigan being an equal trade silly because Michigan's potential is always greater than BYU's. Even in 2008, Michigan was a tougher out at 3-9 than a 10-3 BYU team was at our place.

Michigan an even trade for BYU? So it's a guaranteed win?

[Utah]

Michigan had one win over a name program and the rest over dregs, just like Utah. Four of those six losses were by 4 points or less, including one that went 4 OT (Penn State) and another that easily could've gone OT (Ohio State). Michigan got to a bowl because it was able to schedule one more win in the non-con than Utah. I don't think BYU beats Michigan last year.

I will say this -- Michigan is probably a good indicator early on as to how good our defense is. UM was all over the map in terms of scoring points. It scored 95 points in its five losses (I took out the 4OT game vs. PSU) and that includes a 41-point game vs. OSU, or less than 20 per game. It scored just 21 against UConn, 27 against Northwestern (3 OT game) and 28 against Akron. Yet it topped 40 or more in regulation four times. If we're going to win, it would behoove us to hold Michigan to 24 or fewer points.

Other than you thinking Michigan beats BYU, you said the same thing I did. Congrats. Utah and Michigan are mediocre BCS teams. Again, I'm not saying Utah beats Michigan, but I don't anyone will look at it as a big upset if Utah wins. I don't get this "wo is me attitude" among Utah fans. We aren't as bad as everyone thinks we are.

Good job on trying to start an argument with someone that agrees with you. Do you realize that you basically took what I wrote and re-wrote it?

[justaute]

I really don't care what people "think" nor do I care what Whit has to say. Whit and the program just need to meaningful improvement on the field. Show me the results.

Whit didn't win the Sugar Bowl by himself. We had a decent OC, good DC, and many good recruits who also came from Meyer's era.


...We aren't as bad as everyone thinks we are...

[Utah]

I really don't care what people "think" nor do I care what Whit has to say. Whit and the program just need to meaningful improvement on the field. Show me the results.

Whit didn't win the Sugar Bowl by himself. We had a decent OC, good DC, and many good recruits who also came from Meyer's era.

If you think this Utah team isn't better than the one we entered the PAC-12 with, you're crazy.

I agree with Gemmell from ESPN: Utah right now, with a healthy Wilson, beats the 2008 team. Utah is much better now, much deeper now, and has better coaches than they have ever have. The problem is, the PAC-12 decided to spike as well.

Last year, there was only ONE game we had no shot at winning. ONE. We are that close. This is a solid team. Come this time next year, everyone will be as giddy as a school girl when it comes to Utah football.

Quit listening to the idiots on the radio, local print and who follow BYU.

[justaute]

Not sure how or why you'd infer that I think this Utah team is better/worse than the first Pac12 team. Not that it matters.

Again, I care only about the actual results. What Gemmell, Whit, and Utah Media have to say matters very little to me. btw...I don't listen to any idiots on the radio about Utah as I don't live there. Even if I did, I still wouldn't listen. I'm not a half-full or half-empty kind of guy. To me, it's just half. Until Utah shows me an improved result, the program is as good as its record indicates.


If you think this Utah team isn't better than the one we entered the PAC-12 with, you're crazy.

I agree with Gemmell from ESPN: Utah right now, with a healthy Wilson, beats the 2008 team. Utah is much better now, much deeper now, and has better coaches than they have ever have. The problem is, the PAC-12 decided to spike as well.

Last year, there was only ONE game we had no shot at winning. ONE. We are that close. This is a solid team. Come this time next year, everyone will be as giddy as a school girl when it comes to Utah football.

Quit listening to the idiots on the radio, local print and who follow BYU.

[SoCalPat]

Other than you thinking Michigan beats BYU, you said the same thing I did. Congrats. Utah and Michigan are mediocre BCS teams. Again, I'm not saying Utah beats Michigan, but I don't anyone will look at it as a big upset if Utah wins. I don't get this "wo is me attitude" among Utah fans. We aren't as bad as everyone thinks we are.

Good job on trying to start an argument with someone that agrees with you. Do you realize that you basically took what I wrote and re-wrote it?

Who said I agreed with you? You're saying Michigan for BYU is an even trade. I don't think it's that close at all. Michigan in Ann Arbor is a far superior test to playing BYU in Provo. Aren't you the one who said midseason that Utah would go undefeated with BYU's schedule? Michigan probably would've come close as well.

[DrumNFeather]

LOIs are rolling in from the guys in Florida and Texas so far today. Looks like they were able to hold on to Raleon Singleton, who I believe got a late push from TCU.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Well, it's already started today. Despite everyone's fears, we actually have some recruits sending their LOI into the Utah office. So far today, we've got Andre Godfrey, Kenric Young, and Tavaris Williams out of Florida. And Raelon Singleton out of Texas. Also there was a picture on Instagram last night of Lowell Lutolelei signing a LOI yesterday. Not really sure what that's about considering I'm pretty sure that he signed last year, right? Anyway, I hope Lowell makes his way onto campus and follows his brother's footsteps (except for the footsteps that went to JC) to many years of success as a Ute.

[Diehard Ute]

Brandon Gurney is reporting Frison picked Oklahoma.

You know one thing I think we often have to fight with local kids, that we forget, is wanting to get away from home.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

DJ Law to Ole Miss. Ute Zone has been absolutely worthless this year. I think they've missed on almost all of their predictions.

[DrumNFeather]

DJ Law goes to Ole Miss and Frison winds up at Oklahoma. Those two would've certainly helped this class, but oh well.

[Diehard Ute]

Well, it's already started today. Despite everyone's fears, we actually have some recruits sending their LOI into the Utah office. So far today, we've got Andre Godfrey, Kenric Young, and Tavaris Williams out of Florida. And Raelon Singleton out of Texas. Also there was a picture on Instagram last night of Lowell Lutolelei signing a LOI yesterday. Not really sure what that's about considering I'm pretty sure that he signed last year, right? Anyway, I hope Lowell makes his way onto campus and follows his brother's footsteps (except for the footsteps that went to JC) to many years of success as a Ute.

Lowell was originally going on a mission and thus couldn't sign. He changed his mind, was living with Star in Charlotte and now will be coming to play.

[Mormon Red Death]

ute central (http://utahutes.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/signing-day-14.html) for all the signings

[Applejack]

Well, it's already started today. Despite everyone's fears, we actually have some recruits sending their LOI into the Utah office. So far today, we've got Andre Godfrey, Kenric Young, and Tavaris Williams out of Florida. And Raelon Singleton out of Texas. Also there was a picture on Instagram last night of Lowell Lutolelei signing a LOI yesterday. Not really sure what that's about considering I'm pretty sure that he signed last year, right? Anyway, I hope Lowell makes his way onto campus and follows his brother's footsteps (except for the footsteps that went to JC) to many years of success as a Ute.

That's good news. Godfrey, Young, and Williams are probably the best prospects in this class other than Jackson Barton. I would have loved Frison. I wasn't expecting Law to come.

What's the story on Tolatau? Did he sign with Wisci? What about Amone Finau? I don't mind losing Tukuafu to Utah State (I doubt he would see the field at Utah), but Finau could actually contribute.

[concerned]

That's good news. Godfrey, Young, and Williams are probably the best prospects in this class other than Jackson Barton. I would have loved Frison. I wasn't expecting Law to come.

What's the story on Tolatau? Did he sign with Wisci? What about Amone Finau? I don't mind losing Tukuafu to Utah State (I doubt he would see the field at Utah), but Finau could actually contribute.

Last night on the radio, the Scout guys reported that Tolatau told Wisconsin Scout guys that he would sign with Wisconsin. fWIW

[DrumNFeather]

Looks like Utezone is having some trouble...on the biggest traffic day of the year. Yikes!

[Applejack]

Monte Seabrook (Safety from Florida) and Marcus Williams (Safety from Caliifornia) are in.

That means all of the Florida kids that hadn't flipped before yesterday are in. Congrats to Uncle Dennis - without the Florida kids this class would be an abomination.

[Applejack]

Last night on the radio, the Scout guys reported that Tolatau told Wisconsin Scout guys that he would sign with Wisconsin. fWIW

We really need to do some work on East High. We should be cleaning up there - instead they are signing with USU, Wisconsin, and Nevada.

[DrumNFeather]

Monte Seabrook (Safety from Florida) and Marcus Williams (WR from Caliifornia) are in.

That means all of the Florida kids that hadn't flipped before yesterday are in. Congrats to Uncle Dennis - without the Florida kids this class would be an abomination.

I like that we are getting some footing in that state, particularly since it appears we're backing out of Texas, at least a little.

[Hot Lunch]

Looks like Utezone is having some trouble...on the biggest traffic day of the year. Yikes!

I think it is Rivals itself that is having the issues and not just Utezone.

[DrumNFeather]

Donovan Isom is in.

[Applejack]

I like that we are getting some footing in that state, particularly since it appears we're backing out of Texas, at least a little.

And Lousiana: Donovan Isom (QB) is in, now we just need Hobbs (DB).

[Applejack]

I think it is Rivals itself that is having the issues and not just Utezone.

Bring the discussion here!

[sancho]

We really need to do some work on East High.

One more reason to dislike that place.

[Applejack]

One more reason to dislike that place.

Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?

[Applejack]

I just saw that Tolatau is cousins with Sione Pouha. I wonder if Sione (who was coached by Gary A) pushed him one way or the other.

[DrumNFeather]

There seems to be some confusion about DJ Law's commitment status, and this thing might not be over with him. I won't hold my breath, but it's interesting.

[sancho]

National media are fawning all over Stanford, ASU, and UCLA classes. The rich get richer...

[Utah]

1280 with in depth discussion on country music and 1320 breaking down hockey. #pathetic

[DrumNFeather]

National media are fawning all over Stanford, ASU, and UCLA classes. The rich get richer...


This will be a challenge year in and year out for us...and really, we're probably never going to top those guys in recruiting, but what Whitt & Co. have to do now is figure out the best way to narrow that gap. I think some of the recruiting in FL and LA is one way to solve it, but they still are going to have to pull the top in-state kids and win some battles in California.

[sancho]

pull the top in-state kids

This seems like the key to me. If we land Mone and Schulz this year, we are right up there in stars. Gotta get the locals.

[sancho]

Remember Aaron Sharp? That guy committed to us, then bailed for KState supposedly to be closer to family...ends up at UCLA.

Anyway, my probably incomplete list of teams where one-time Utah commits ended up: Wisc, USU, UCLA, A&M, Boise St. Good news is I have no problem rooting against that list.

[DrumNFeather]

Remember Aaron Sharp? That guy committed to us, then bailed for KState supposedly to be closer to family...ends up at UCLA.

Anyway, my probably incomplete list of teams where one-time Utah commits ended up: Wisc, USU, UCLA, A&M, Boise St. Good news is I have no problem rooting against that list.

I'm glad that the coaches had a solid backup plan with Isom, and that Sharp didn't lead us on for most of the year and flip at the last minute.

[sancho]

I'm glad that the coaches had a solid backup plan with Isom, and that Sharp didn't lead us on for most of the year and flip at the last minute.

Definitely...won't stop me from rooting against him at UCLA though.

DJ Law has sent his LOI to Utah.

[U-Ute]

That's good news. Godfrey, Young, and Williams are probably the best prospects in this class other than Jackson Barton. I would have loved Frison. I wasn't expecting Law to come.

What I'm seeing is speed, speed, and more speed.

Don't sleep on Isom. I think he's going to be good.

[Applejack]

This will be a challenge year in and year out for us...and really, we're probably never going to top those guys in recruiting, but what Whitt & Co. have to do now is figure out the best way to narrow that gap. I think some of the recruiting in FL and LA is one way to solve it, but they still are going to have to pull the top in-state kids and win some battles in California.

We can beat ASU, but not when they have a year like they just did. WINS.

I like the Deep South strategy too, but I worry about attrition. It seems like we always used to lose half of our Texas kids by their junior year-the kids missed humidity and sprawl. How many of the Florida kids will get homesick and transfer to USF? That's the big question for me.

[sancho]

Don't sleep on Isom.

I don't think that will be a problem. We have all pretty much pinned our Utah football hopes on this guy.

[DrumNFeather]

Definitely...won't stop me from rooting against him at UCLA though.

DJ Law has sent his LOI to Utah.


I'll wait until that is officially official to get excited about Law.

[Applejack]

Definitely...won't stop me from rooting against him at UCLA though.

DJ Law has sent his LOI to Utah.

Where are you seeing the info on Law? He's an academic risk, right?

[DrumNFeather]

We can beat ASU, but not when they have a year like they just did. WINS.

I like the Deep South strategy too, but I worry about attrition. It seems like we always used to lose half of our Texas kids by their junior year-the kids missed humidity and sprawl. How many of the Florida kids will get homesick and transfer to USF? That's the big question for me.

Yeah, that's a fair point...we won't see the fruits of this strategy , if any, for a few years, probably.

[LA Ute]

Crimson Club e-mail forgot to post two days ago (sorry):


Dear CCAF Member,
We are excited to announce the 2014 signing class for Utah Football. For the most immediate information please make note of the information below:
1. For the first announcement of signed NLIs, follow @utahathletics (https://twitter.com/utahathletics) on Twitter and #UtahNSD14.
2. Shortly after the tweet, we will post a bio and video on UtahUtes.com (http://utahutes.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/signing-day-14.html)
3. Kyle Whittingham's press conference is at 4 p.m. on Feb. 5. We will stream the press conference live click here (http://pac-12.com/videos/university-utah) to view it.
Thank you,
CCAF
Mark your calendars for the Utah Tailgate Challenge and Red & White spring game on April 19.

[LA Ute]

Nice tweet from Scout:


Dacorius "DJ" Law picked Utah over offers from Ohio State, Michigan State, Tennessee, Ole Miss, UCF and others.

https://twitter.com/AGorringeScout/status/389457200839548928

[DrumNFeather]

Nice tweet from Scout:



https://twitter.com/AGorringeScout/status/389457200839548928


It certainly would give this class a bump.

[LA Ute]

Isom is one big kid.

http://utahutes.cstv.com/allaccess/?media=431552

[justaute]

DJ Law to Ole Miss.

https://twitter.com/OleMissFB

[DrumNFeather]

DJ Law to Ole Miss.

https://twitter.com/OleMissFB

Sounds like there is some disagreement between he and his folks.

[U-Ute]

It certainly would give this class a bump.

Sadly, the tweet is dated October 2013.

*sad trombone*

[DrumNFeather]

Sadly, the tweet is dated October 2013.

*sad trombone*

What the...!

[U-Ute]

Isom is one big kid.

http://utahutes.cstv.com/allaccess/?media=431552

He is. And he can run too, but he's not a running QB.

One play in particular in his highlight reel stands out to me: at the :45 mark, he scrambles to the right and looks like he is going to tuck it and run, but finds a guy downfield and throws the ball for a touchdown. A lot of guys just tuck and run right there. He had the corner and could get some yards.

[LA Ute]

Sadly, the tweet is dated October 2013.

*sad trombone*

Whoops.

[Sullyute]

I am loving watching all of the videos of the newly signed kids. Despite not having many stars, I hope these kids come in with a chip on their shoulder and want to prove the world wrong. I also like seeing the pictures of the kids flashing the U. Go Utes!

[DrumNFeather]

How many sign and sends do we have with this class?

[Hadrian]

That particular tweet about Law is old, but there are still other sources (Brian Swinney, Don Haggard) on twitter reporting that he picked Utah. This might get interesting.

[Solon]

I'm wondering if KW hasn't become an example of the Peter Principle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Principle). We'll know more after this season.

Thanks for the link.
I always assumed the term "Peter Principle" was a knock on Peter for not measuring up to Jesus. (seriously). I mean, the guy was Pope! What more can you ask of him?!
Now I can rest easy knowing it's named after a needlenecked Canadian.

[jrj84105]

He is. And he can run too, but he's not a running QB.

One play in particular in his highlight reel stands out to me: at the :45 mark, he scrambles to the right and looks like he is going to tuck it and run, but finds a guy downfield and throws the ball for a touchdown. A lot of guys just tuck and run right there. He had the corner and could get some yards.

You nailed it. Isom is a little less mobile than Wilson, but his field vision and accuracy while moving out of the pocket looks better as a HS QB than Wilson's did at times in college. I would love nothing more than to see Wilson come back and be backed up next year by Isom. Both of those guys are very well suited to a physical spread offense.

[Scorcho]

DJ Law shows up on Ole Miss official site.

bummer

[justaute]

Which tweet? The one I posted appears to be tweeted a few hours ago by Ole Miss, stating Law is officially committed.

https://twitter.com/OleMissFB/status/431070380166356993/photo/1


That particular tweet about Law is old, but there are still other sources (Brian Swinney, Don Haggard) on twitter reporting that he picked Utah. This might get interesting.

[LA Ute]

I like Jon Wilner, and this is good perspective (https://twitter.com/wilnerhotline):


The 22 players who were named first-team all-conference in 2013.

Not one of them was rated 5 stars by both Scout and Rivals, and only one player was rated 5 stars by either of the two services (Stanford’s Skov, courtesy of Scout).

[Hadrian]

Which tweet? The one I posted appears to be tweeted a few hours ago by Ole Miss, stating Law is officially committed.

https://twitter.com/OleMissFB/status/431070380166356993/photo/1

https://twitter.com/BSwinneyScout/statuses/431108989607096320

https://twitter.com/DonHaggardBCP/statuses/431089369680576512

[Applejack]

Who are we still waiting on? Pita Tonga, Amone Finau, Brandon Snell, Kyle Christiansen, Casey Hughes, Travonne Hobbs, Howard Putuatu, Thor Katoa? That seems like a lot of guys still. Someone needs to wake up the Utah Polys.

[Mormon Red Death]

Who are we still waiting on? Pita Tonga, Amone Finau, Brandon Snell, Kyle Christiansen, Casey Hughes, Travonne Hobbs, Howard Putuatu, Thor Katoa? That seems like a lot of guys still. Someone needs to wake up the Utah Polys.

hobbs and hughes are in

[Scorcho]

Hobbs and Huges are Utes per tweet from Utah athletics

[DrumNFeather]

Who are we still waiting on? Pita Tonga, Amone Finau, Brandon Snell, Kyle Christiansen, Casey Hughes, Travonne Hobbs, Howard Putuatu, Thor Katoa? That seems like a lot of guys still. Someone needs to wake up the Utah Polys.


Snell is a 2015 due to academics, I believe.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Who are we still waiting on? Pita Tonga, Amone Finau, Brandon Snell, Kyle Christiansen, Casey Hughes, Travonne Hobbs, Howard Putuatu, Thor Katoa? That seems like a lot of guys still. Someone needs to wake up the Utah Polys.

Several of those guys are instant mission kids, so won't be signing anything. Apparently the term "sign and send" is no longer relevant. I know definitely Katoa, and I think Tonga, Finau and Christiansen...

[Applejack]

Snell is a 2015 due to academics, I believe.

So is he a one-and-done?

[DrumNFeather]

So is he a one-and-done?


That I'm not sure about. I feel like at the time it was announced, he had a redshirt available, so he probably doesn't sign until the JC signing period at the end of the year. Again, this is all going off memory.

[UtahsMrSports]

I still think we will end up with DJ Law.

[Homer Crimson]

I still think we will end up with DJ Law.

He wants the Utes, his folks want Ole Miss.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

I still think we will end up with DJ Law.

It sounds like he may not even be eligible. Hopefully everyone that signed today makes it to campus. Step #1!

[UtahsMrSports]

well, looks like we are waving the white flag on DJ Law. That stinks. The kid picks Utah, but his parents block his path? i guess you never know....

[DrumNFeather]

When does Spring Ball start?

[U-Ute]

Lowell Lotulelei is in.

[DrumNFeather]

Here's another burning question. At what point does this DJ Law issue work to his deteriment - that is, how badly does Ole Miss want a kid that doesn't want to go there?

[sancho]

Here's another burning question. At what point does this DJ Law issue work to his deteriment - that is, how badly does Ole Miss want a kid that doesn't want to go there?

Once he's on campus, he'll be happy wherever he is. That's the funny thing about college decisions. Everyone agonizes over them, but later on you realize that it doesn't really matter much.

[LA Ute]

well, looks like we are waving the white flag on DJ Law. That stinks. The kid picks Utah, but his parents block his path? i guess you never know....

It looks like this situation is so messed up that we may not know for a while what'll happen. Warring parents, academic issues, and probably even more.

[DrumNFeather]

Video of Law choosing Utah: http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/sports/video.html?clip=http://static.baynews9.com/newsvideo/bn9/web_video/NSD_WEB_HAINES_CITY.f4v&vtitle=BHSN:%20Haines%20City%27s%20D.J.%20Law%20si gns%20with%20Utah

This is going to be very interesting. I hope the kid ends up here. Someone else at the ceremony puts on a Utah hat, but I'm not sure who that is.

And here's a tweet:

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1955127006/twitter_logo_bigger.jpgBIG COUNTY PREPS ‏@BigCountyPreps1 (https://twitter.com/BigCountyPreps1) 20m (https://twitter.com/BigCountyPreps1/status/431169440227815424)
Just to clear up any confusion, Haines City RB DJ Law will sign with #Utah (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Utah&src=hash) His head football coach says #OleMiss (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23OleMiss&src=hash) is not an option. @BHSN (https://twitter.com/BHSN)

[justaute]

It's official. DJ Law is a Ute.

http://utahutes.cstv.com/allaccess/?media=431551

[mpfunk]

It's official. DJ Law is a Ute.

http://utahutes.cstv.com/allaccess/?media=431551

Of course, he is also still officially listed as a Rebel. He also has signed with a JC in case he does not qualify. Really weird situation.

[roseparkutes]

sounds like a mess. any word if he will qualify? if he don't qualify how dose that play in?

[sancho]

Anyway, my probably incomplete list of teams where one-time Utah commits ended up: Wisc, USU, UCLA, A&M, Boise St. Good news is I have no problem rooting against that list.

I forgot Oklahoma. I have no problem rooting against them either.

Nobody should ever play football at Oklahoma. If you can play there, you can play for other top programs that are actually in desirable locations.

By the same reasoning, nobody should ever go to Yale. If you can get in there, you can surely get into Harvard or Stanford or Duke or some other snooty school in a place that's nice to live in.

[Applejack]

I forgot Oklahoma. I have no problem rooting against them either.

Nobody should ever play football at Oklahoma. If you can play there, you can play for other top programs that are actually in desirable locations.

By the same reasoning, nobody should ever go to Yale. If you can get in there, you can surely get into Harvard or Stanford or Duke or some other snooty school in a place that's nice to live in.

If I were in charge of NCAA compliance (does that actually exist?) I would use logic and go after places that recruit WAY above their appeal to the average 18 year old. Oklahoma would be first on my list. Ole Miss might be second. UConn basketball too.

[UtahDan]

Why are people saying that Law may not qualify?

Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk

[mpfunk]

Why are people saying that Law may not qualify?

Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk

He also signed with a junior college today.

[DrumNFeather]

Why are people saying that Law may not qualify?

Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk

Regardless, there is a lot of time, if the kid is serious, he'll do what he needs to do.

Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2

[Mormon Red Death]

So we only signed 16? Who do we have coming back from missions? I hope there are couple of OL in there.

[Jarid in Cedar]

So we only signed 16? Who do we have coming back from missions? I hope there are couple of OL in there.


We pushed multiple players forward from the fall of 2014. Kids who didn't sign an LOI in 2014, but were on campus in the fall and were given scholarships. The ones off the top of my head

Siale Fakailoatonga (http://utah.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=125167)
Chase Dominguez
Andy Phillips
Stevie T.

[LA Ute]

Whit's presser today:

http://espn.kall700sports.com/kyle-whittingham-press-conference-2-5-14/

[Applejack]

So we only signed 16? Who do we have coming back from missions? I hope there are couple of OL in there.

That's a good question. Does anyone on here keep this list? Here's my list from memory/google (please correct where I mess up or suggest additions that are needed):

On a mission
Chase Hansen, QB (?) - left in January 2013
Austin Lee, Safety (in Tulsa) - is he home?
Harvey Langi, RB (in Florida) - left in July 2012
Vaha Vainuku, DT (?) - left in 2013, I think
Leroy Tanoai, OL - left in summer 2012

On a mission?
Filipo Mokofisi, LB/TE

Are they still with the team?
Sefa Tanoai, DL
Jordan Robles, OL
Vaha Vainuku, DL

[UTEopia]

That's a good question. Does anyone on here keep this list? Here's my list from memory/google (please correct where I mess up or suggest additions that are needed):

On a mission
Chase Hansen, QB (?) - left in January 2013
Austin Lee, Safety (in Tulsa) - is he home?
Harvey Langi, RB (in Florida) - left in July 2012
Vaha Vainuku, DT (?) - left in 2013, I think
Leroy Tanoai, OL - left in summer 2012

On a mission?
Filipo Mokofisi, LB/TE

Are they still with the team?
Sefa Tanoai, DL
Jordan Robles, OL
Vaha Vainuku, DL

Here is my list:
Sefa Tanoai (2010) OL 6’4” 265 Pleasant Grove; sign and send
Jordan Robles (2011) DE 6’5” 240 Desert Hills; sign and send
Harvey Langi (2011) RB 6’1” 220 Bingham - played true freshman year and left 7/12
Jake Jackson (2012) LB 6’3” 210 Carlsbad - sign and send
Vaha Vainuku (2012) DT 6’3” 295 East - sign and send
Nua Poteki (2012) OL 6’5” 310 Brighton - sign and send
Austin Lee (2012) S 6’0” 185 Alta - sign and send
Chase Hanse (2012) QB 6’3” 200 Lone Peak - redshirt freshman and left 12/12
Leroy Tanoai (2013) OL - committed but did not sign LOI

The year is the recruiting class. I don't think any of these kids have returned yet and other than Langi, Sefa Tanoai and Robles, I don't think any will be home until late summer. I don't expect that any will join the team this fall other than Langi.

Mokofisi did not go and was on the team last year.

[Applejack]

Here is my list:
Sefa Tanoai (2010) OL 6’4” 265 Pleasant Grove; sign and send
Jordan Robles (2011) DE 6’5” 240 Desert Hills; sign and send
Harvey Langi (2011) RB 6’1” 220 Bingham - played true freshman year and left 7/12
Jake Jackson (2012) LB 6’3” 210 Carlsbad - sign and send
Vaha Vainuku (2012) DT 6’3” 295 East - sign and send
Nua Poteki (2012) OL 6’5” 310 Brighton - sign and send
Austin Lee (2012) S 6’0” 185 Alta - sign and send
Chase Hanse (2012) QB 6’3” 200 Lone Peak - redshirt freshman and left 12/12
Leroy Tanoai (2013) OL - committed but did not sign LOI

The year is the recruiting class. I don't think any of these kids have returned yet and other than Langi, Sefa Tanoai and Robles, I don't think any will be home until late summer. I don't expect that any will join the team this fall other than Langi.

Mokofisi did not go and was on the team last year.

Thanks!

Langi is home?

[UTEopia]

Thanks!

Langi is home?

NO. July 2014.

[LA Ute]

Florida athlete D.J. Law signs with three schools and no one knows yet who gets him (http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/florida-athlete-d-j-law-signs-three-schools-021440664--ncaaf.html)
We’ve seen situations like this before where the player faxes his letter to one place and a disgruntled parent faxes a letter to another. In the end, it will all depend on the authenticity of the signature and the time the fax was received.


This is as interesting a situation as we've ever seen on national signing day. Let's hope no other schools come out of the woodwork claiming to have a D.J. Law signature.



My guess is that Ole Miss will just back off once he makes it clear he doesn't want to be there. I feel bad for the kid.

[LA Ute]

For anyone who's worried about this year's class, here's some perspective from Jon Wilner (http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_25068563/wilner-little-perspective-letter-intent-day):


...let's dispense with yesteryear and frame the situation in today's terms -- or as close as we can come to today:


The 22 players who were named first-team all-conference in 2013.


Not one of them was rated 5 stars by both Scout and Rivals, and only one player was rated 5 stars by either of the two services (Stanford's Skov, courtesy of Scout).


Most of the best players in the conference in '13 were 2- and 3-star recruits.


This isn't necessarily a criticism of Scout and Rivals.


It's the reality of the process: So much of a prospect's development depends on that which cannot be quantified: Work ethic and coaching (putting the player in the best position to succeed).


Here's the list, using an average of the two recruiting services...



The whole piece is worth reading.

[sancho]

For anyone who's worried about this year's class, here's some perspective from Jon Wilner (http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_25068563/wilner-little-perspective-letter-intent-day):



The whole piece is worth reading.

Wilner does this every year, and he always misses the point. Fact is, there is a strong correlation between recruiting 4 and 5 star kids and having success.

Matt Hinton gets it and writes this column every year:

http://www.footballstudyhall.com/2014/2/5/5382140/recruiting-matters-why-the-sites-get-the-rankings-right

Recruits are lottery tickets. The 5 stars pay off with 3:1 odds, the 4 stars pay off with 5:1 odds, and the 3 stars pay off with 15:1 odds. You want your class to have as many high probability tickets as possible.

One thing that does not matter is the team ranking once you get past the top 20 or 30. Once you are in the Utah, Cal, WSU, CU, OSU zone, they are pretty much all 3 star kids. Any ranking of the 40 or so BCS schools that fall into that category is arbitrary. But it is accurate to say that USC, UCLA, UW, AU, ASU, Stanford, and Oregon all have a much higher chance of being Pac-12 champions than we do based on recruiting.

[UBlender]

Wilner does this every year, and he always misses the point. Fact is, there is a strong correlation between recruiting 4 and 5 star kids and having success.

Matt Hinton gets it and writes this column every year:

http://www.footballstudyhall.com/2014/2/5/5382140/recruiting-matters-why-the-sites-get-the-rankings-right

Recruits are lottery tickets. The 5 stars pay off with 3:1 odds, the 4 stars pay off with 5:1 odds, and the 3 stars pay off with 15:1 odds. You want your class to have as many high probability tickets as possible.

One thing that does not matter is the team ranking once you get past the top 20 or 30. Once you are in the Utah, Cal, WSU, CU, OSU zone, they are pretty much all 3 star kids. Any ranking of the 40 or so BCS schools that fall into that category is arbitrary. But it is accurate to say that USC, UCLA, UW, AU, ASU, Stanford, and Oregon all have a much higher chance of being Pac-12 champions than we do based on recruiting.

I agree with everything you say. I see little difference between a class in the 30s and one in the 60s. Utah is penalized in the recruiting rankings because it has a small class. Still, Utah is initializing 25 players, but several of them are not counted in the recruiting rankings for various reasons. Several of these are some of Utah's best additions, like Tevin Carter, Lowell Lotulelei, Gionni Paul and Jason Fanaika. Rivals and Scout are not counting any of those players when giving Utah its overall star rating, yet those are some of Utah's most talented additions to the program.

I wouldn't argue that this is a great class for Utah and there were three decommits that I would have really liked to keep, but I don't see a ton of difference between this group and Utah's last couple of classes once you consider all players joining the program and not just those who signed LOIs yesterday.

[Mormon Red Death]

I agree with everything you say. I see little difference between a class in the 30s and one in the 60s. Utah is penalized in the recruiting rankings because it has a small class. Still, Utah is initializing 25 players, but several of them are not counted in the recruiting rankings for various reasons. Several of these are some of Utah's best additions, like Tevin Carter, Lowell Lotulelei, Gionni Paul and Jason Fanaika. Rivals and Scout are not counting any of those players when giving Utah its overall star rating, yet those are some of Utah's most talented additions to the program.

I wouldn't argue that this is a great class for Utah and there were three decommits that I would have really liked to keep, but I don't see a ton of difference between this group and Utah's last couple of classes once you consider all players joining the program and not just those who signed LOIs yesterday.

You are just saying that because byu killed us in recruiting this year. They went 6-0 head to head against us. I mean they are a full 2 spots ahead of Utah (http://insider.espn.go.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/classrankings) this year in the rankings. You should just realize that Utah is doomed! DOOMED!

[sancho]

I don't see a ton of difference between this group and Utah's last couple of classes once you consider all players joining the program and not just those who signed LOIs yesterday.

The difference is at the top. We have had a couple 4 stars in recent years, but we have just one of them this year. Everyone can rack up a dozen 3 star guys. Landing a few 4/5 star guys will be the difference between a 60 and a 20-30.

[LA Ute]

You are just saying that because byu killed us in recruiting this year. They went 6-0 head to head against us. I mean they are a full 2 spots ahead of Utah (http://insider.espn.go.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/classrankings) this year in the rankings. You should just realize that Utah is doomed! DOOMED!

I hear Bronco has said he is happy with the "diversity" in his class this year. Is that code for something?

[Applejack]

I agree with everything you say. I see little difference between a class in the 30s and one in the 60s. Utah is penalized in the recruiting rankings because it has a small class. Still, Utah is initializing 25 players, but several of them are not counted in the recruiting rankings for various reasons. Several of these are some of Utah's best additions, like Tevin Carter, Lowell Lotulelei, Gionni Paul and Jason Fanaika. Rivals and Scout are not counting any of those players when giving Utah its overall star rating, yet those are some of Utah's most talented additions to the program.

I wouldn't argue that this is a great class for Utah and there were three decommits that I would have really liked to keep, but I don't see a ton of difference between this group and Utah's last couple of classes once you consider all players joining the program and not just those who signed LOIs yesterday.

This is the first I've heard about Fanaika. When did he transfer? Can we get his brother too?

[LA Ute]

Wilner does this every year, and he always misses the point. Fact is, there is a strong correlation between recruiting 4 and 5 star kids and having success.

Matt Hinton gets it and writes this column every year:

http://www.footballstudyhall.com/2014/2/5/5382140/recruiting-matters-why-the-sites-get-the-rankings-right

Recruits are lottery tickets. The 5 stars pay off with 3:1 odds, the 4 stars pay off with 5:1 odds, and the 3 stars pay off with 15:1 odds. You want your class to have as many high probability tickets as possible.

One thing that does not matter is the team ranking once you get past the top 20 or 30. Once you are in the Utah, Cal, WSU, CU, OSU zone, they are pretty much all 3 star kids. Any ranking of the 40 or so BCS schools that fall into that category is arbitrary. But it is accurate to say that USC, UCLA, UW, AU, ASU, Stanford, and Oregon all have a much higher chance of being Pac-12 champions than we do based on recruiting.

I hate it when you burst my balloon that way.

[sancho]

I hear Bronco has said he is happy with the "diversity" in his class this year. Is that code for something?

Speaking of Bronco, David Shaw is the "we're more special than you coach" of the Pac-12:


Shaw said that, as was the case last year, there were only 80 high school seniors “at the most” whom his staff wanted and who could be admitted.

http://blog.sfgate.com/stanfordsports/2014/02/05/football-how-many-seniors-whom-stanford-wanted-could-be-admitted-shaw-80-at-the-most/

There is 0 doubt that the Cardinals would have admitted any 5 star kid who wanted to come.

[mpfunk]

Speaking of Bronco, David Shaw is the "we're more special than you coach" of the Pac-12:



http://blog.sfgate.com/stanfordsports/2014/02/05/football-how-many-seniors-whom-stanford-wanted-could-be-admitted-shaw-80-at-the-most/

There is 0 doubt that the Cardinals would have admitted any 5 star kid who wanted to come.

The big difference between BM and Shaw is that Shaw isn't full of shit. I actually think that Stanford does adhere to higher academic standards, because they have the luxury of having great recruits with high academics that want to be at Stanford.

The plain fact is that Stanford should never lose a recruit to another school. If my son had an offer to Stanford and was considering an offer to Utah, I would without a doubt encourage him to go to Stanford.

When Shaw says that they are better than everyone else and more special than everyone else, he is actually right.

[UBlender]

This is the first I've heard about Fanaika. When did he transfer? Can we get his brother too?

Fanaika transferred post-mission and sat out last season. He plays this season. Supposedly he looked good on the scout team and will compete for Trevor Reilly's spot. Technically we could get the brother since he never enrolled, but I doubt we will because, you know, Stanford.

[sancho]

The big difference between BM and Shaw is that Shaw isn't full of shit. I actually think that Stanford does adhere to higher academic standards, because they have the luxury of having great recruits with high academics that want to be at Stanford.

The plain fact is that Stanford should never lose a recruit to another school. If my son had an offer to Stanford and was considering an offer to Utah, I would without a doubt encourage him to go to Stanford.

When Shaw says that they are better than everyone else and more special than everyone else, he is actually right.


You are on the wrong site. Here's where you go to suck up to the Cardinals:

http://thecardboard.org/board/

Just like everyone else, Stanford lowers their academic expectations considerably for football players. Plenty of guys at Utah would be admitted to Stanford if the Cardinals wanted them. Shaw says that only 80 players nationwide are both good and smart enough for him. He's exaggerating by an order of magnitude.

I am glad I went to Utah. I ended up just where I wanted to be and had a great experience along the way. I would certainly be a different person had I gone to Palo Alto, and not necessarily a better one. I'm sure Stanford is fine, but there is nothing there that I can't get at other universities. On the other hand, there are some things at Utah that can't be found at Stanford (cultural, socioeconomic, and intellectual diversity, for starters).

I'm not sure how it happened, but Stanford has achieved a level of reverence in Utah (especially among Mormons) that even surpasses Harvard, Oxford, etc.

[UBlender]

The difference is at the top. We have had a couple 4 stars in recent years, but we have just one of them this year. Everyone can rack up a dozen 3 star guys. Landing a few 4/5 star guys will be the difference between a 60 and a 20-30.

Carter is a 4-star who is a member of this class, but they don't count him in the rankings because he was counted last year, but really he is a member of this class. I am also of the opinion that Tavaris Williams is a 4-star recruit who, at one time or another, had offers from Wisconsin, Florida, Georgia, Auburn and Oregon. Count those two four stars and several of the 3-stars who are joining the team in 2014 but did not count towards the recruiting rankings (LL, Fanaika, Paul) and you have a class that rates somewhat close to Utah's previous (maybe top 40-45 as opposed to top 30, but really what's the difference at that point?).

[mpfunk]

You are on the wrong site. Here's where you go to suck up to the Cardinals:

http://thecardboard.org/board/

Just like everyone else, Stanford lowers their academic expectations considerably for football players. Plenty of guys at Utah would be admitted to Stanford if the Cardinals wanted them. Shaw says that only 80 players nationwide are both good and smart enough for him. He's exaggerating by an order of magnitude.

I am glad I went to Utah. I ended up just where I wanted to be and had a great experience along the way. I would certainly be a different person had I gone to Palo Alto, and not necessarily a better one. I'm sure Stanford is fine, but there is nothing there that I can't get at other universities. On the other hand, there are some things at Utah that can't be found at Stanford (cultural, socioeconomic, and intellectual diversity, for starters).

I'm not sure how it happened, but Stanford has achieved a level of reverence in Utah (especially among Mormons) that even surpasses Harvard, Oxford, etc.

The value of a free education at Stanford surpasses the value of a free education at Utah in basically every way possible. I'm not a Stanford fan at all, but sometimes it is best to just acknowledge reality.

I don't think the education at Stanford is any better than the Ivies or Oxford, but here is the big difference for an athlete. At Stanford you can get a top notch education while still playing at the highest level of college football. It is a no brainer for any athlete that has the opportunity. Hell, I'm consider pulling a stunt like DJ Law's parents if my son was trying to pass up a Stanford scholie for anywhere else in the country.