forums

The Importance of Gerald Willis in Recruiting

Status
Not open for further replies.
423Hurricane said:
I always pull for an underdog. According to several of our coaches, GW is a completely different man after taking last season off to get his head on straight. Got to admire GW's acknowledgement that he needed to take a step back and re-focus his efforts on not only becoming a better football player, but, most importantly, a better man. Additionally, the coaching staff sticking with him, supporting him, and giving him every opportunity to succeed. I hope he has a monster season, not only for the team, but as a reward for all of his hard work and determination.
Click to expand...
Translation to recruits - If you do your part to be a good person and teammate, more so than field production, Coaches will give you every chance to succeed.
 
Advertisement
caneallday21 said:
I've lost count of how many lineman have had 1 great year and then killed it in workouts, combine, interviews and the coaches back them up. If GW does all of that and we kill it this year trust he'll have a great chance for the first 2 rounds
Click to expand...

I'll wait eagerly on your list of 5th year seniors who sparingly played, have had off the field problems, who were then drafted in the first 3 round. Listen I hope he and think he plays well, but no, he won't be drafted in the first 3 rounds.
 
Last edited:
Some good points were made but Willis playing well and getting drafted high won't stop kids from leaving early. Its been going on for years, do you really think this time things will change? It's hard to blame these kids sometimes. We don't know their family situation. It sucks for the ones that truly need to comeback and they end up going undrafted or drafted late and don't make the team.

As far as recruiting goes if he balls out and gets drafted fairly high I do believe it'll benefit us in DT recruitment.
 
SleepOnIt said:
This doesn't even make sense.
Click to expand...
It means that a lot of players are blocked or hurt the first couple years in college and then get their chance and excel in their senior year to go on and do well in the draft as well. If you’d like a list I’d gladly compile it. Hopefully that was cleared thsn the previous message.
 
Advertisement
BigBoi said:
Some good points were made but Willis playing well and getting drafted high won't stop kids from leaving early. Its been going on for years, do you really think this time things will change? It's hard to blame these kids sometimes. We don't know their family situation. It sucks for the ones that truly need to comeback and they end up going undrafted or drafted late and don't make the team.

As far as recruiting goes if he balls out and gets drafted fairly high I do believe it'll benefit us in DT recruitment.
Click to expand...
It’s happen for us more so than other schools because our teams have sucked in combination to bad outside advice. I think that culture was bred over the years here and became standard. A chance to win and better advice will begin to stop that.
 
PittsburghCane said:
It means that a lot of players are blocked or hurt the first couple years in college and then get their chance and excel in their senior year to go on and do well in the draft as well. If you’d like a list I’d gladly compile it. Hopefully that was cleared thsn the previous message.
Click to expand...

Thanks for clarifying. And yes, I'd still like your list of 5th year seniors who have played sparingly previously, had off the field problems, who were then drafted in the first 3 rounds.
 
Advertisement
Samson Doyo said:
So It was done by someone in less time, who was even more of an unknown? Did you go to FSU by chance? Really got your $$ worth. Bless your heart...

Go Canes!
Click to expand...

You're embarrassing yourself w/your lack of knowledge on how the NFL draft works. But congrats, good effort.
 
Last edited:
Samson Doyo said:
Please enlighten me. Lay down some knowledge. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Go Canes!
Click to expand...

Kid, you somehow thought by being a 5th year senior who finally impresses is somehow better in the NFL's eyes rather than a player producing earlier in their career. Just walkaway and say you don't know how it works. That's fine. That might not be your strength.
 
SleepOnIt said:
Kid, you somehow thought by being a 5th year senior who finally impresses is somehow better in the NFL's eyes rather than a player producing earlier in their career. Just walkaway and say you don't know how it works. That's fine. That might not be your strength.
Click to expand...

You’re missing the point pumpkinhead. All it takes is 1 year similar to Fairley. Fairley was a nobody prior to his 1 standout year and got drafter Rd 1. Those are facts. I really don’t like to disparage the “special” people of the world, but **** you’re f’ing dumb. Keep you arms inside the windows when you’re riding the little bus.

Go Canes!
 
Advertisement
Am I the only one that thinks that our DTs haven't gone early because they came out of HS as 3*? I'm not knocking them, but I think we should be concentrating on how well they did given that they weren't top recruits. I can't be the only one who remembers "can he play DT". We have literally been unable to land a top DT for years, so the fact that those guys have performed so well for us speaks highly of the staff and the work ethic of our players.

These guys played above the "potential" they showed in HS and I'm grateful for that. There's something to be said for them staying for their senior season, but the truth is that even where they were picked, they outperformed expectations coming in.
 
Samson Doyo said:
You’re missing the point pumpkinhead. All it takes is 1 year similar to Fairley. Fairley was a nobody prior to his 1 standout year and got drafter Rd 1. Those are facts. I really don’t like to disparage the “special” people of the world, but **** you’re f’ing dumb. Keep you arms inside the windows when you’re riding the little bus.

Go Canes!
Click to expand...

Got it. So you're saying you don't know how teams and the NFL evaluate players, the history of the draft for 5 year seniors who haven't shown any production (this yr would be the first), and have had off the field issues. I get it, you need to resort to juvenile insults because you're out of your depth.
 
DT is the grown man position. The age of the kid matters as much as his class. Since your nfl career can last long time in this position so leaving early should be less important.
 
Advertisement
PittsburghCane said:
Yo whats up fam first and foremost I hope you all are prepping for tailgate season in anticipation of an undefeated home slate. Make sure not to skimp on the tequila.

All jokes and formalities aside, there have been some really good conversations about the lack of viable examples in terms of players going high in the draft after being coached by this staff at certain positions. One of which, and very ballyhooed, is Defensive tackle. Nesta aside we have been doing extra evals to identify players further down the developmental pipe to fill out our recruiting classes. Much like the DB convo Coach Macho introduced, the DT position hasn't had a strong opportunity very recently to display individuals going day 1 or early day 2 in the draft that recruits can point to and say, "Hey Miami put 2-3 players at DT in the first/second/third round, I can go there, go high ain the draft and get paid." The closest would be Chad Thomas who went in the third and play sometimes at DT.

The biggest reason in my eyes to this is that most DTs that go high are usually seniors, and the two we sent last year were juniors, who, we all can agree, would have seen better paychecks staying for their senior seasons and going into the draft 2019.

Enter Gerald Willis. After reading the Q&A with Coach Richt in the PBP, where he mentions Gerald probably would have left as well had he not sat out last year, it dawned on me how important it is for recruiting that Willis live up to potential this year. Most importantly live up to his potential in his SENIOR year, rather junior. With his documented growing (up) pains at UF and UM, hes a more public example of the shortcomings of immaturity. I believe if he balls out and is able to get to rd2 or rd3, due to staying through his senior year purposely to mature himself, that it can go along way to: A) begin a proving ground for recruits to see us put that position high in the draft, and B) tell players that are here and are coming in the future, don't be like Norton and Mac and leave early to get drafted late, be like Willis, mature, stay full term and get drafted early. Just my thoughts. Pick apart and give your opinions fam. Bless up.
Click to expand...

Just got around to reading your post.

One of your best, if not the best, post ever.

It’s an idea I hadn’t seen floated here, if I’m not mistaken, ever.

Not only a great post, but your concept makes a **** of a lot of sense. It’s an idea with a ton of merit, and if it pans out, it’ll be a great recruiting tool to used not only for the University of Miami football program, but to be coached by a man of high character and integrity like Mark Richt. A man that truly cares for his players.

You hit this one out of the park.

Sounds like you like tequila, if I ever run into you, a bottle of a fine reposado for you, my compliments.
 
Last edited:
@SleepOnIt needs to sleep on it.

Literally.

As in Rip Van Winkle, for a couple of decades, sleep on it.

Because maybe by then, he won’t be such a sour **** and feel he needs to **** on a concept which is certainly possible. I mean something positive coming from the whole Gerald Willis experience is a real possibility, something good from it for all parties involved. Good things happen sometimes, ya know.
 
OriginalCanesCanesCanes said:
@SleepOnIt needs to sleep on it.

Literally.

As in Rip Van Winkle, for a couple of decades, sleep on it.

Because maybe by then, he won’t be such a sour **** and feel he needs to **** on a concept which is certainly possible. I mean something positive coming from the whole Gerald Willis experience is a real possibility, something good from it for all parties involved. Good things happen sometimes, ya know.
Click to expand...

Haha, I never said anything about not being good ending for everyone involved. I said it was ridiculous for anyone to believe he'd be picked in the top 3 rounds. They're not mutually exclusive. I hope he plays well. He probably will. I'm rooting for him. & he still won't be picked in the top 3 rounds.
 
SleepOnIt said:
Haha, I never said anything about not being good ending for everyone involved. I said it was ridiculous for anyone to believe he'd be picked in the top 3 rounds. They're not mutually exclusive. I hope he plays well. He probably will. I'm rooting for him. & he still won't be picked in the top 3 rounds.
Click to expand...

Seriously though.

A DT with his size, having a breakout season and then showing out with good combine measurables, NOT being drafted within the first three rounds?

Oh, it’s a definite possibility. Whether it actually happens? We have a whole season in front of us to go through.

But don’t say a breakout DT season can’t result in an NFL top 3 round draft pick. That’s just silly.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Advertisement
Back
Top