Johnathan Ragoo commits

[mkAz]

GI is reporting that OT Johnathan Ragoo has committed to Minnesota. 6'7", 355 lbs.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/minnesota/football/recruiting/player-Johnathan-Ragoo-94653

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/recruiting/tracker/player?recruitId=69417&season=2010&action=upsell&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncf %2frecruiting%2ftracker%2fplayer%3frecruitId%3d694 17%26season%3d2010

[MinnMarchDTF]

Welcome to Gopher Nation, Jonathan!

[pharmacygopher]

Awesome. Welcome to Gopher Nation!

[JackiO]

If you watch his video on ESPN's recruiting link...boy oh boy does he ever need a lot of work. A good athlete to groom for a few years before he sees the field. Definite red-shirt.

[mkAz]

If you watch his video on ESPN's recruiting link...boy oh boy does he ever need a lot of work. A good athlete to groom for a few years before he sees the field. Definite red-shirt.Yep, he's going to need some time, you can't teach that type of size though. In Tim Davis I trust.

[sonnygarcia]

So did he have a Miami offer? Rivals says yes, but Scout says no? I would have a hard time believing a Miami area kid turned down the Canes for us? Not because it would be a bad persay, but because it wouldn't happen much. If he didn't, it looks like we are his only offer?

His measurables are awesome, hopefully strength and conditioning and the coaching staff get a hold of him and work him into his potential!!! Welcome aboard!!!

[Schnoodler]

Sweet. Welcome aboard Mr. Ragoo.

[gophergrad]

I think this is a big get for us. Ya he hasn't played a lot of football, but he's athletic and MASSIVE, can't teach that.

[pede0195]

I'd much rather have a guy like this as a Freshman than a Juco (reference: Wills).

[Bronko Nagurski Gopher]

GI is reporting that OT Johnathan Ragoo has committed to Minnesota. 6'7", 355 lbs.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/minnesota/football/recruiting/player-Johnathan-Ragoo-94653

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/recruiting/tracker/player?recruitId=69417&season=2010&action=upsell&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncf %2frecruiting%2ftracker%2fplayer%3frecruitId%3d694 17%26season%3d2010

for some reason i feel like eating spaghetti ;)

[JackiO]

I'm not sure if I'm just totally misjudging his videos but he looks REALLY slow. He gets beat off the edge a whole lot and looks completely lost whenever he is pass defending. He just sits there and does nothing about half the time. But, truthfully, if he can lose like 30 pounds and get some good coaching I think he could turn out to be a pretty decent o-lineman.

[SDGopherFan]

I've read a couple of different things on Jon over the past few hours that I haven't seen mentioned here yet. On the ESPN link provided on a different page than the first one that comes up Jon claims a Miami offer and had them in the lead at one point because they were the only offer he had. Also read he scored a 1200 on his SAT and has only been playing football for 2 years. Seem like a project but he will have time to develop.

[Go4]

scout says his offers were from Minnesota and Hampton. We have now gotten recruits over portland state and hampton in recent weeks.

[TCF=UnitedWeStand]

I like this get. We've recruited a bunch of supposed tackles in the last year, but it looks he is a "true" guard. I don't mind a little heaviness here. With the size we've recruited (a pre-req seems to be every O-Lineman has to be 6'5 plus), we're going to need some tall quarterbacks (Gray 6'4, Alipate 6'4 - seem about right).

I'd be more worried about another "project" tackle; of course any of these other recruits could move to guard, but I like getting a big guy like this and redshirting him (per pede0915)

[Gopherprof]

Jon did not have a Miami offer. Rivals is rarely wrong, but in this case they were. Miami was looking, but never offered, this confirmed by someone I know who scouts for the team.

That said, it's still a nice committ. We've got the scholarships to take a flyer on a big guy like Ragoo.

[GophersInIowa]

scout says his offers were from Minnesota and Hampton. We have now gotten recruits over portland state and hampton in recent weeks.

Rivals says he had an offer from Miami. Also, just because some players don't have a lot of offers right now doesn't mean they wouldn't have gotten more later on. There's still a lot of time left in the recruiting process and not all offers have been made.

[Gopherprof]

nm

[cheeseheadgophfan]

Mass kicks ass....welcome aboard Big Jon!!!

[50PoundHead]

He runs the 40-yard dash in 6.19 seconds. If he ends up at guard, there go the pulling plays. LOL.

If he plays inside, he should be able to knock some guys around.

This is what I like seeing. With lines, you shouldn't re-build as much as you re-load. Get some big athletic guys who are ready to go as juniors and keep slotting them in.

[Sotakid]

yes he did have a Miami offer. go back and read about it on Rivals. so that would mean we beat out portland state, hampton and miami. i like this commit. he is a project but i think with a little seasoning we could end up being a big time guard for this team

[DiehardGopher]

I believe he did have a miami offer. Also, I have a close personal almost-brother-like source that scouts for USC said they were close to offering. See, I can do it too.

[Gopherprof]

I believe he did have a miami offer. Also, I have a close personal almost-brother-like source that scouts for USC said they were close to offering. See, I can do it too.
*Shrug*

Believe it or not, doesn't really matter. I share what I hear and know.

But, if you want to look at it from another angle, why would Ragoo in his most recent interview not even mention Miami but go on about how he wanted an offer from Florida? How many players from Miami turn down a Miami offer, let alone for Minnesota? It happens, but it seems odd that he wouldn't even mention or consider Miami when his other offers were from Hampton and Portland State. Why wouldn't UCF offer? Or South Florida? Seems like a hell of a jump to make.

Things get mixed up in recruiting, maybe it was pulled, I dunno, but as of 3 weeks ago he did not have a standing offer from Miami.

[walleyedude]

Nice get here with another big guy. Welcome to the squad Ragoo!

[nsmike]

What ever it was, it was in the spring, Jonathan claimed that he had an offer in April. It was likely some sort of miscommunication of a conditional offer. Miami did have some interest at one time but the miscommunication likely created some bad blood. As it is he's fully qualified academically and well regarded by the recruiting gurus in the local papers down there. I say welcome to Gopher Nation Jonathan.

[Gophers507]

4.4 GPA....hmmmmm :rolleyes:

[Schnoodler]

You know what, I don't care. He's a 3* recruit and large. He's a good get even if he never cracks the starting lineup. I've had my eye on this recruit since he first popped up on our lists. I'm very happy to have him.

One more kid to strengthen the recruiting pipeline, and one more big body to raise the level of physical play on the practice field.

[EG#9]

6'7 is really tall for a guard, I would guess the coaches hope he sheds some weight and become a nice RT in a few years. I don't see the issue with him needing "time". Olineman should not play Big Ten football as a true freshman or even as a redshirt freshman unless their is an emergency. Where can this guy be 3 years from now? He seems like a "boom or bust" type with the bonus being that he is a good student so he should help with the team gpa, etc, and not hurt the "U" if he decides to transfer.

[nsmike]

4.4 GPA....hmmmmm :rolleyes:
There are two ways to get a 4.4, one is on a 5 point scale, the other is on an weighted scale for honors courses Worst case it's a 3.5.

[WAGopher]

ESPN says this kid has good hands and feet, which at his size tells me he could be a good one after a couple years in our conditioning program.

[bigtenchamps1899]

When I asked Johnathan from which schools he had scholarship offers he said Hampton and Miami, so unless he was lying, which I do not believe, he does indeed have a Miami offer.

http://minnesota.scout.com/2/881360.html

EDIT: Lest anyone think I was mistaken, he said "Hampton and UM" I asked him to clarify and he said Miami.

[amateurdwarftosser]

Get him a helmet! Welcome aboard.

[frozengopher]

We need to top this recruiting class off with an OT named Tommy Vermicelli. It would just be right.

[Bo Darville]

he is a project but i think with a little seasoning we could end up being a big time guard for this team

Would that seasoning be oregano?

[upchurch]

Just watch Iowa play and you can stop worrying about Rivals ratings. The important thing is how they play on Saturday after a few years of coaching and training. Neither Tow-Arnett was highly rated, and they are much better players than some of the top rated players we've had here who never contributed.

[Gopher4life15]

If this kid is such a project why is he rated a 3 star?

GOD HE IS HUGE

[Schnoodler]

yeah, either he's not as big a project as some are making him out to be or the top end on this kid is at the elite level.

[Gopher4life15]

I saw another post that said something to the effect of, that since we have so many scholarships this year that Brew can take flier or gamble on a kid like this. Could not disagree more. We are not at the point with the talent level on this team that we can give a scholarship based on hope that he turns out to be useful. Brew and Co. had to of seen enough in this kid to warrant a scolli. Every single scholli has to be used so carefully, no way we are just throwing them around and hoping we get lucky and hit on a kid.

[nsmike]

The Miami Hearld considers J. Ragoo one of the top seven linemen in South Florida. It also seems that a lot of teams come to S. Fla. looking for speed and defense so OL players can fly under the radar. To take one of the top seven players out of S. Fla. regardless of position seems like a no brainer.

[Gopherprof]

To help clarify my earlier comments, I messaged my friend again, here is his response:

"He had a offer early in the process. We were looking for about 5-6 OL in this class and he was among the 1st to get an offer (we sent out about 15 or so). But we didn't really recruit him as hard as some other guys and once we landed the targets we were really after (McDermott, Glenn) then Ragoo's offer went away.

He was a kid the staff was willing to take if he would come easily because they felt he has some upside. But the staff didn't want to have to waste resources going after him as a 5th/6th OL in this class when there were guys they liked more."

Again, take it for what it is worth, but the guy is pretty closely involved with Miami football.

Either way, to get a Miami offer at any point in the game is pretty impressive.

Also, I was the one that made the comment about taking a flyer on a player. I guess my response to that would be that every player is nothing more than a prospect, some are riskier than others, but nothing is a guarantee. He looks like a boom/bust type of guy, I don't view that as a bad thing when you've got 28 scholarships to hand out.

[Gophers507]

There are two ways to get a 4.4, one is on a 5 point scale, the other is on an weighted scale for honors courses Worst case it's a 3.5.

oh I see...

[Gopher4life15]

This guy seems to be an enigma, I mean 3 star rating, he is huge, and yet not very many offers? I still don't know what to think. :confused:

IN BREW I TRUST

[Sotakid]

he is a project because he has only played for a couple of years. if he is considered a top 7 OL in So. Fla than his upside is even bigger than i had hoped

[Schnoodler]

The team rankings have finally been updated. Mr. Ragoo has elevated us to #32 on Rivals. One place behind Iowa and three behind Michican State.

[Gopher4life15]

Mr. Ragoo . . . LOL that is funny!

I think for him instead of a pancake block it should be a meatball, as in "He just meat-balled that guy"

[Schnoodler]

i was trying to figure out how the meatball was going to get worked in. That's a good one.

[ConferenceChamp]

To help clarify my earlier comments, I messaged my friend again, here is his response:

"He had a offer early in the process. We were looking for about 5-6 OL in this class and he was among the 1st to get an offer (we sent out about 15 or so). But we didn't really recruit him as hard as some other guys and once we landed the targets we were really after (McDermott, Glenn) then Ragoo's offer went away.

He was a kid the staff was willing to take if he would come easily because they felt he has some upside. But the staff didn't want to have to waste resources going after him as a 5th/6th OL in this class when there were guys they liked more."


In recruiting circles, Magoo is known as the "Fritz Rock of south Florida OL's":D