Ugh, Sean Foster de-commits from Minnesota

or you can follow the people who work for the recruiting services and get the same information as they retweet. I've never followed a recruit. You don't need to.

Me neither. I'm not going to judge those who do, but I'm not comfortable with it for myself.

I hope we don't go wholesale back to the smaller linemen/extreme zone blocking scheme. You still have to play smashmouth and you need big guys to do that. The Mason/Browning/Shaw system had some huge OTs (Kuppe, Ainsle, Melander to name a few) so I'm trying to figure out why we'd move away from a talent like Foster.
 

or you can follow the people who work for the recruiting services and get the same information as they retweet. I've never followed a recruit. You don't need to.

I dont follow recruits. Have followed them on occasion if they become a Gopher
 

Kid doesn't want to be here, screw him. I also don't buy the bull**** that we willingly parted ways. Nobody is dumb enough to tell a four star recruit that we don't want you.
 

Kid doesn't want to be here, screw him. I also don't buy the bull**** that we willingly parted ways. Nobody is dumb enough to tell a four star recruit that we don't want you.

He does want to be here though. Or did before last night at least.
 

Kid doesn't want to be here, screw him. I also don't buy the bull**** that we willingly parted ways. Nobody is dumb enough to tell a four star recruit that we don't want you.

This is the U of M. So, it's possible.
 


The Poljan decommit actually hurts more for me. Webber's was the worst though and was easily my favorite commit.
 

This is the U of M. So, it's possible.

Well, to be fair, would you really want a coach that kept a recruit that didn't fit the scheme because he was rated highly on the services?

What's curious to me is that you make a move like this without waiting for the new coach. In other words, does it make sense for a defensive coordinator to be scouting OLs? I get that the approach and scheme is changing, but odd to just assume Foster can't fit.
 

I saw a report somewhere (Yahoo?) the Gophers are now after Terell Lucas (sp?), a DE from Florida? Was he on Kill's radar, too?
 

Well, to be fair, would you really want a coach that kept a recruit that didn't fit the scheme because he was rated highly on the services?

What's curious to me is that you make a move like this without waiting for the new coach. In other words, does it make sense for a defensive coordinator to be scouting OLs? I get that the approach and scheme is changing, but odd to just assume Foster can't fit.

Looks like they are playing all of this by ear - which is a dangerous way to go about it. Hope I'm wrong.
 



So all college athletics coaches are creepy and weird? And all college admissions representatives, for that matter? What about pro sports scouts, particularly for sports like basketball and tennis? Are they also creepy and weird?
That's part of their job. I was referring to fans who become so wrapped up in the lives of children that they are stalking facebook pages and twitter, and becoming emotionally invested in decisions of kids who might have nothing to do with the college team. It's weird.

Exactly. Plus, the holier-than-thou "creepy and weird" distinction is a pretty arbitrary line to draw given that we're all fans of teams comprised primarily of underage individuals.
What teams are those? I'm pretty sure everyone in the college game is an adult.
 

This should always be the attitude regarding recruiting. Following high school kids closely is a creepy and weird endeavor.

I always love this argument.

When they're 18 and playing for your favorite college team, it's by all means OK to obsess about them constantly. But do it when their only 17 and in high school, and *that* makes it "weird" or "creepy."

This is right up there with the people that log on after a particularly devastating loss and chastise people for "taking sports too seriously" as some of the dumbest messageboard commentary that you will every see.
 

Well, to be fair, would you really want a coach that kept a recruit that didn't fit the scheme because he was rated highly on the services?

What's curious to me is that you make a move like this without waiting for the new coach. In other words, does it make sense for a defensive coordinator to be scouting OLs? I get that the approach and scheme is changing, but odd to just assume Foster can't fit.

Perhaps this means that the new coaches have been selected, but maybe can't be announced because their current school(s) are still playing. I can't believe Claeys would be cutting ties with a 4 star recruit on his own without some input from the new OC.
 

I always love this argument.

When they're 18 and playing for your favorite college team, it's by all means OK to obsess about them constantly. But do it when their only 17 and in high school, and *that* makes it "weird" or "creepy."

This is right up there with the people that log on after a particularly devastating loss and chastise people for "taking sports too seriously" as some of the dumbest messageboard commentary that you will every see.

+17
 



Good thing we're keeping the coaching staff in place.
 

Did Walker Lee Ashley play both ways? I think he still has some eligibility left.
 


What teams are those? I'm pretty sure everyone in the college game is an adult.

Iowa had a linebacker that started a few games as a 17 year old in 2013 or '14. He was 16 when he enrolled in school.

So for the record, you think obsessing about 19 and 20 year olds is perfectly cool and not weird or creepy behavior for a grown man to engage in in any way?
 

Looks like they are playing all of this by ear - which is a dangerous way to go about it. Hope I'm wrong.

What if Claeys wants the Castillo kid from Missouri and sees potential for the kid to be a DT or OL? Foster is 6'8" and can only play one position.
 

Iowa had a linebacker that started a few games as a 17 year old in 2013 or '14. He was 16 when he enrolled in school.

So for the record, you think obsessing about 19 and 20 year olds is perfectly cool and not weird or creepy behavior for a grown man to engage in in any way?
What's kind of creepy is your implication that people obsess over 19 and 20 year old for reasons other than being fans of a football team.
 


This is why I didn't enter the fold that a lot did with the
"i'm glad Limegrover is gone" rhetoric, because I felt it would
have HUGE implications. It already cost us two recruits, including
a 4-star OT that we cannot just replace. We cannot.

1) After Kill's departure, Limegrover's offenses played VERY well,
at the level I had hoped for all year, despite injuries. Limey's O
outplayed Claey's defenses, which cost us a lot of games. I know,
injuries, we were out 3-4 o-lineman all year, he found a way.

2) If you ask the University to hire you for continuity to save
recruits, you don't fire the ******* OC and lose two recruits.
(more to come? highly likely. goodbye Snelson? bank on it)

Claeys comes off to me just as stubborn as Kill, probably
more so now... Firing Limey was a huge mistake. He sealed his fate.
 


A first time ever Head Coach, fires a longtime OC (before a bowl game, likely),
I slowed my response under the impression he he HAD TO HAVE a better
more balanced OC ready to hire this week. Nope.
Our first time ever Head Coach is now going to try to go out and hire one with
a lot of much better programs going out to do the same, and the chances we
find something better than Limey......good friggin' luck.

Someone mentioned leaving it all and come back in February. Hibernation sounds
about right...this program just continues to make bad decisions. With this, we'll
never get above Iowa or Wisconsin. We just wont..
 

This is why I didn't enter the fold that a lot did with the
"i'm glad Limegrover is gone" rhetoric, because I felt it would
have HUGE implications. It already cost us two recruits, including
a 4-star OT that we cannot just replace. We cannot.

1) After Kill's departure, Limegrover's offenses played VERY well,
at the level I had hoped for all year, despite injuries. Limey's O
outplayed Claey's defenses, which cost us a lot of games. I know,
injuries, we were out 3-4 o-lineman all year, he found a way.

2) If you ask the University to hire you for continuity to save
recruits, you don't fire the ******* OC and lose two recruits.
(more to come? highly likely. goodbye Snelson? bank on it)

Claeys comes off to me just as stubborn as Kill, probably
more so now... Firing Limey was a huge mistake. He sealed his fate.

It's pretty much a direct reversal of what most everyone on this board thought. More than a few mouths must be on the floor.
 

It's pretty much a direct reversal of what most everyone on this board thought. More than a few mouths must be on the floor.

I honestly enjoy everyone's optimism, that were going back to the Rose bowl in a year or two...(for the last 12 years), but I just don't see
this program getting to where we deserve it to be. Even hit & miss programs like NW end up in Pasadena every 20 years or so...
My only suggestion, is that everyone hop in the Earth Ascent Vehicle, and come back for splash down in the South Pacific.
 

I honestly enjoy everyone's optimism, that were going back to the Rose bowl in a year or two...(for the last 12 years), but I just don't see
this program getting to where we deserve it to be. Even hit & miss programs like NW end up in Pasadena every 20 years or so...
My only suggestion, is that everyone hop in the Earth Ascent Vehicle, and come back for splash down in the South Pacific.

Last year was the ceiling for this program.
Our goal is to get to 8 wins and think it's spectacular.
With only the non-conf games in the future, we should be happy with 5-7. That's why we have Tracy Claeys where other Big Ten schools get Harbaugh, Dantonio, Urban Meyer.... you know... actual head coaches. Coaches that players might actually want to play for.
 

He seemed to be coming here mainly because of Kill, so not super surprising. If the in state kids start bailing, then we have a problem.

That's uplifting! I thought we here on GH were supposed to only trash in-state kids. Thanks.
 

Well, to be fair, would you really want a coach that kept a recruit that didn't fit the scheme because he was rated highly on the services?

What's curious to me is that you make a move like this without waiting for the new coach. In other words, does it make sense for a defensive coordinator to be scouting OLs? I get that the approach and scheme is changing, but odd to just assume Foster can't fit.


Yes I would. I'd find a way to fit him in.
 

I am officially starting to regret hiring of Claeys. If we knew we were going to lose 1/5 of the class within a few weeks we might as well searched for the best coach available. This hire had all the reasoning of keeping the staff together and keeping the "great" recrutiing class intact. Foster was in my opinion the best out of state recruit and to lose him is a huge blow
 

Recruiting is far from over. Limegrover wasn't a great recruiter. All this doom and gloom because a 4 star (OMG, 4 STARS). de-committed is a little overdone. 40/60 odds at worst that we get another OL that ends up being an equal or better player.
 




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