So, REALLY, how bad is the recruiting?

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Jul 13, 2014
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I had to take a step back from myself out of the Misery Puddle this place has become in the last couple days and start to compile some facts and data.

Full disclosure, I'm not saying people shouldn't be concerned, I'm not saying everyone should say everything is lollipops and ice cream, etc. In the 2026 class, we've gone after a ton of big fish, and recently, we've missed on **** near every one of them. So, I get the mood, genunely.

Full disclosure #2...it's July. Again, see the point above, I get it. But until this class is signed, for the positives and negatives, let's just try to have some perspective.

Full disclosure #3....this does NOT take into account attrition, on-field performance once the kids arrive, etc. Obviously this is what it's all about, but right now, we're all smacking our wives around and kicking our dogs because the 2026 class is going to cause the collapse of Western Civilization, and obviously we have no idea how any of these kids will pan out. So this is purely recruiting rankings, which is all we care about in July for an upcoming class.

I looked at the last 3 classes, on the composite, and averaged them. Here is the average of the last 3 classes for every school up to where we stand.

1. UGA - 1.67
2. Alabama - 2.00
3. Texas - 3.33
4. Ohio State - 4.33
5. Oregon - 5.67
6. LSU - 7.33
7. Miami - 8.33
8. Oklahoma - 10.33
9. Notre Dame - 11.00
10. Florida - 11.00

18. FSU - 17.00

So there are exactly six schools in the entire country who have recruited better classes than Miami over the last 3 cycles. Only 7 schools have an average class ranking in the single digits over the past 3 cycles, Miami is one of them.

The mopery has even gotten to me a little bit in the sense that I'm starting to really examine Miami's recruiting ceiling. But look at this. Is there anyone here who thinks there's any coach on the planet we could have hired who would have us ABOVE UGA, Alabama, Texas, or Taint at this point? Show of hands? Who has a name for me that, if hired the same day Mario was, would have us in the top 4? I'm going with zero point zero humans. So....is this really that terrible? Genuinely, I was curious myself, it's been a long time since I looked at this data like this, so I wanted to see where we stood. This kind of reels me in a little bit.

Now, one final mope before I go, the 2025 class was the worst of the three. And 2026, RIGHT NOW, looks to be about the same. So again, I genuinely do get the pessimism. I don't think people are crazy for shaking their heads a little bit here. But let's use a tiny bit of perspective and look big picture. Let's see where this class ends up in December and we can go from there. Because though the 3 real cycles this dude has had here, #7 is pretty **** elite if you ask me. Every single one of those programs above us have been WILDLY more successful than we have in the past 20 years.
 
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I think what is more concerning is not the actual class rankings but missing for positions of dire need. The inability to accrue talent on a consistent basis along the defensive line especially along DT as well as missing out on the top local kids is the issue. On paper the overall average is decent. But even under previous coaches our overall average was decent as well.
 
Is there anyone here who thinks there's any coach on the planet we could have hired who would have us ABOVE UGA, Alabama, Texas, or Taint at this point? Show of hands? Who has a name for me that, if hired the same day Mario was, would have us in the top 4? I'm going with zero point zero humans.
This is exactly correct... for all the people wanting to "buy out" Mario, who do we think we're getting that's going to recruit better than #7 on average with the recent history of on-field results we've had? Is Kirby leaving UGA to come here?
 
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I think what is more concerning is not the actual class rankings but missing for positions of dire need. The inability to accrue talent on a consistent basis along the defensive line especially along DT as well as missing out on the top local kids is the issue. On paper the overall average is decent. But even under previous coaches our overall average was decent as well.

Fair, and I do see that point, but I don't think that's what's most concerning to most of the people *****ing. They just want to see Top 5 classes. Also, all positions are of dire need. So this isn't ****ting on your reply, I appreciate it and I don't think you're wrong. I'm just saying, to me, the mood recently has swung massively, and now we're talking about the next coach after Mario, he's a bridge, etc. etc. Why, exactly? 7 teams have out-recruited him since he got here, and he just had the best season we've had since the kids we're currently recruiting were born.

Also, since the #1 class for Randy in 2008, we have had a Top 10 class twice:

#10 in 2012
#8 in 2018

So, no, our recruiting under previous coaches wasn't as close to as good as it's been since Mario got here. Four top 10 classes in 17 years, and Mario has two of them.
 
Fair, and I do see that point, but I don't think that's what's most concerning to most of the people *****ing. They just want to see Top 5 classes. Also, all positions are of dire need. So this isn't ****ting on your reply, I appreciate it and I don't think you're wrong. I'm just saying, to me, the mood recently has swung massively, and now we're talking about the next coach after Mario, he's a bridge, etc. etc. Why, exactly? 7 teams have out-recruited him since he got here, and he just had the best season we've had since the kids we're currently recruiting were born.

Also, since the #1 class for Randy in 2008, we have had a Top 10 class twice:

#10 in 2012
#8 in 2018

So, no, our recruiting under previous coaches wasn't as close to as good as it's been since Mario got here. Four top 10 classes in 17 years, and Mario has two of them.
Added a class ranking column here just for some additional visuals. Conversations about evals and development are a different subject, but if we’re strictly talking about bringing in perceived talent, this idea that it’s not a huge improvement is ridiculous.

And I’m very much not a Mario guy. Give me a guy who brings a system ten times out of ten over a recruiter. But if we’re talking recruiting, let’s be consistent.

IMG_1316.jpeg
 
Fair, and I do see that point, but I don't think that's what's most concerning to most of the people *****ing. They just want to see Top 5 classes. Also, all positions are of dire need. So this isn't ****ting on your reply, I appreciate it and I don't think you're wrong. I'm just saying, to me, the mood recently has swung massively, and now we're talking about the next coach after Mario, he's a bridge, etc. etc. Why, exactly? 7 teams have out-recruited him since he got here, and he just had the best season we've had since the kids we're currently recruiting were born.

Also, since the #1 class for Randy in 2008, we have had a Top 10 class twice:

#10 in 2012
#8 in 2018

So, no, our recruiting under previous coaches wasn't as close to as good as it's been since Mario got here. Four top 10 classes in 17 years, and Mario has two of them.
Can you do a recruit points difference between Mario and the avg of past coaches?
 
Mario has a done a great job if you ask me. He just needs to change our Recruiting Philosophy. The Clemson model is what I called it.

Elite DBs and 2 Warrior DTs, Hybrid DE, Booker Pickett Type DE. Corey Flagg LBs.

3 Best WRs, Fastest RB, 2 OT, Developmental Gs and Cs. Game Manager QB.

How much would that be per class? I don't know.
 
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Lost me right here.
I mean Clemson literally won a Championship with White Boy LBs who you can't name right now. That year they smacked us in the Championship Game they had White Boys who literally wasn't that good. Just played smart Football.
 
I mean Clemson literally won a Championship with White Boy LBs who you can't name right now. That year they smacked us in the Championship Game they had White Boys who literally wasn't that good. Just played smart Football.

They've had some really good unheralded backers during their run, but the year they prison raped us in Charlotte was not one of those years. You're probably thinking of Spector and Skalski, they were young bucks on that team.

Their 2 main backers were Dorian O'Daniel and Kendall Joseph, neither of the lighter pigment and O'Daniel was a big recruit. That team was mainly made up of Wilkins, Ferrell, Bryant, Simmons....all freak talents and big time draft picks.

Enough about Clemson, though. **** Dabo.
 
I mean Clemson literally won a Championship with White Boy LBs who you can't name right now. That year they smacked us in the Championship Game they had White Boys who literally wasn't that good. Just played smart Football.
I’m really not about to spend any time debating whether Corey Flagg is/was anywhere near as good as Boulware or Skalski, nevermind the other linebackers on those teams.
 
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