Boyd: six of eight Bison in NFL from MN

Pompous Elitist

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What’s more, the success of North Dakota State suggests that there may be more untapped upside in the state’s lower-ranked talents than you might guess. There are currently eight Bison in the NFL, and six of them came out of Minnesota. Yet only one of those players was even given a rating by 247Sports.

As a coach who was recruiting some pretty good lower-ranked players to the MAC, Fleck might be better than most at identifying under-recruited, in-state talent.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/2/20/14612068/pj-fleck-minnesota-head-coach
 

Most of the Dakota Schools are filled w Minnesotans! NDSU has had a roster of mostly MN kids during its incredible run. Fleck needs to get the program to the point where a PWO offer from MN is more valuable than a scholly to a Dakota school.


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What’s more, the success of North Dakota State suggests that there may be more untapped upside in the state’s lower-ranked talents than you might guess. There are currently eight Bison in the NFL, and six of them came out of Minnesota. Yet only one of those players was even given a rating by 247Sports.

As a coach who was recruiting some pretty good lower-ranked players to the MAC, Fleck might be better than most at identifying under-recruited, in-state talent.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/2/20/14612068/pj-fleck-minnesota-head-coach

Why is he bringing this up in an article about the Gophers? It's not as though those guys were recruited by the Gophers and went to NDAC instead. These guys were available to be recruited by any FBS school in the country, and they all passed. So why is he singling out the Gophers? Is he going to post this in articles about every other FBS team as well? This "point" gets brought up all the time, and it's stupid. Yes, the way to win Big Ten championships is to stick your neck out and recruit guys not wanted by any other FBS team, let alone any other Big Ten team. That'll get the fans all tingly.
 

Anyone can pick these guys up, they didn't....

I doubt the NDSU folks had these guys pegged as NFL players when they started either.
 

I'd love to see his data sources on that too. From what I can tell, there were six NDAC alums on NFL rosters at the end of the 2016 season, and four were from MN. Here are those four:

Joe Haeg (http://247sports.com/Player/Joe-Haeg-91631?PlayerInstitution=175922) - 245 lb. OT coming out of HS at Brainerd. I couldn't even find a Rivals profile. He probably had an NDAC offer and no others.

Billy Turner (https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/27473) - Underrated stud coming out of HS, would've committed here if offered, couldn't have gotten into school here if we had offered. Other offers were UND, UNI, and Illinois St. Fortunately for NDAC, our admissions standards are slightly higher than "can fog a mirror".

Marcus Williams (http://247sports.com/Player/Marcus-Williams-85653?PlayerInstitution=148936) - Billy Turner story, part 2. I can't find a Rivals profile for him either.

Ramon Humber (http://247sports.com/Player/Ramon-Humber-76405?Institution=13748) - I can't find a Rivals profile for him.

So out of the four NDAC alums in the NFL, we have four guys with zero FBS offers, two of whom couldn't have qualified here academically. Great analysis!
 


Good calls on Turner and Williams dpo. I seem to recall academic issues as well. I'm not going to crap on the success the Bison have had, but they can take a few flyers on the academic front that the Gophers can't. If Kill had been in place when Turner was being recruited, he may have lobbied the admissions office harder and had some luck with them, but that's all conjecture on my part. I got the impression that after his first couple of classes, Brewster lost interest in butting heads with admissions.
 


Most of the Dakota Schools are filled w Minnesotans! NDSU has had a roster of mostly MN kids during its incredible run. Fleck needs to get the program to the point where a PWO offer from MN is more valuable than a scholly to a Dakota school.


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There is really no point where a PWO to the U is normally going to be viewed as better than a scholarship to NDSU. Maybe if NDSU went into the tank and sucked. But it doesn't matter how good the U gets. Most PWOs don't see much PT. NDSU is putting guys in the NFL and winning championships, why would most kids want to ride the bench at the U and pay to do so, when they could get PT and Exposure for free?
 

Billy Turner (https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/27473) - Underrated stud coming out of HS, would've committed here if offered, couldn't have gotten into school here if we had offered. Other offers were UND, UNI, and Illinois St. Fortunately for NDAC, our admissions standards are slightly higher than "can fog a mirror".

So out of the four NDAC alums in the NFL, we have four guys with zero FBS offers, two of whom couldn't have qualified here academically. Great analysis!

I think the Jeff Jones situation refutes that. We will take a kid right down to the NCAA minimum requirements for a scholarship which are the same minimums for all DI schools. For walk ons we use standard admittance minimums, and on that we are definitely higher.
 



There is really no point where a PWO to the U is normally going to be viewed as better than a scholarship to NDSU. Maybe if NDSU went into the tank and sucked. But it doesn't matter how good the U gets. Most PWOs don't see much PT. NDSU is putting guys in the NFL and winning championships, why would most kids want to ride the bench at the U and pay to do so, when they could get PT and Exposure for free?

This us exactly how I feel too. Probable bench time in MN vs almost guaranteed playing time at NDSU.... if this players had gone to the U I'd guess maybe only 1 of them would have made it to the nfl.
 

What’s more, the success of North Dakota State suggests that there may be more untapped upside in the state’s lower-ranked talents than you might guess. There are currently eight Bison in the NFL, and six of them came out of Minnesota. Yet only one of those players was even given a rating by 247Sports.

As a coach who was recruiting some pretty good lower-ranked players to the MAC, Fleck might be better than most at identifying under-recruited, in-state talent.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/2/20/14612068/pj-fleck-minnesota-head-coach

Doesn't really have anything to do with Fleck, Kill and Claeys had a pretty good track record of putting two star recruits in the NFL, and they plucked the greatest half back in the history of Fargo high school football, who has since transferred to UND.Pint is us siging underrated "Mac level" recruits didn't stop the Bison from winning. I know it's early, but Fleck doesn't seem to interested in this year's crop of in state athletes and I am sure a lot of them will go to the likes of NDSU, SDSU, UND, UNI etc
 

Billy Turner would have had zero academic issues out of HS. Kill would've had him in scholarship l. Brewster came late and offered a greyshirt. Knocking ones athletic ability is one thing. Don't make something up regarding one's academics.
 

Billy Turner would have had zero academic issues out of HS. Kill would've had him in scholarship l. Brewster came late and offered a greyshirt. Knocking ones athletic ability is one thing. Don't make something up regarding one's academics.

How do you know Kill would've?
 



There is really no point where a PWO to the U is normally going to be viewed as better than a scholarship to NDSU. Maybe if NDSU went into the tank and sucked. But it doesn't matter how good the U gets. Most PWOs don't see much PT. NDSU is putting guys in the NFL and winning championships, why would most kids want to ride the bench at the U and pay to do so, when they could get PT and Exposure for free?

Point taken... but if we're really in the mix for big ten championships every year, etc. stories like Blake Cashman, I think Ayinde, the kicker, etc... the underrated guy given a chance to earn it in the bigtime. Let's face it... FCS is just not the bigtime no offense. And for the better ones well at least we should be able to get to a point where a gopher offer is just a no brainer v NDSU


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So, the state of Minnesota needs a school to step up to FCS... It's a shame that talented players, if they don't get any attention from the Gophers, have to leave the state to play D1 football. As has been pointed out, repeatedly, NDSU is stocked mainly with MN kids.

So, which school steps up? One of the state schools like Mankato or St. Cloud? UMD is part of the University system, maybe it would be easier for them to make the jump.
 

Most of the Dakota Schools are filled w Minnesotans! NDSU has had a roster of mostly MN kids during its incredible run. Fleck needs to get the program to the point where a PWO offer from MN is more valuable than a scholly to a Dakota school.


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The program is to that point. We have been very successful with PWO the last few years and it should improve under PJ.


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People need to stop with this NDSU stuff. We aren't the only school that missed on those guys and the whole we need Minnesota kids shtick is old. If we offered those same kids but they were from Wisconsin or Iowa, everyone here would complain about offering low ranked guys.
 

Point taken... but if we're really in the mix for big ten championships every year, etc. stories like Blake Cashman, I think Ayinde, the kicker, etc... the underrated guy given a chance to earn it in the bigtime. Let's face it... FCS is just not the bigtime no offense. And for the better ones well at least we should be able to get to a point where a gopher offer is just a no brainer v NDSU


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A gopher scholarship offer is a no brainer 9/10. Gindorf wasn't swayed, but that was last minute. They are choosing the best of the FCS. And it might not be the big time, but the nfl doesn't seem to mind. A lot of kids simply can't afford/don't want to turn down a free ride.
 

Anyone can pick these guys up, they didn't....

I doubt the NDSU folks had these guys pegged as NFL players when they started either.

All the credit in the world to the great "coach up' the Bison staff obviously can do. They are winners and get the most out of their players. The great majority of these kids would like to go to the BIG or any of the other power 5 conferences. Some kids cannot qualify to get into the U of M.
 

So, the state of Minnesota needs a school to step up to FCS... It's a shame that talented players, if they don't get any attention from the Gophers, have to leave the state to play D1 football. As has been pointed out, repeatedly, NDSU is stocked mainly with MN kids.

So, which school steps up? One of the state schools like Mankato or St. Cloud? UMD is part of the University system, maybe it would be easier for them to make the jump.

This isn't something that really needs a solution...
 

Interesting to see what happens next year at NDSU with their OC going to Iowa as the offensive line coach. I think he was their chief Minn. recruiter.
 

Interesting to see what happens next year at NDSU with their OC going to Iowa as the offensive line coach. I think he was their chief Minn. recruiter.

If we go by that article it might be a chance for the Gophers to pick up a windfall of intelligible / zero star players!
 


I will say there is one I think Gophers should of offered and did not and that is Zach Vraa. I don't understand why they didn't offer him. Former mr football Minnesota now is NDSU all time leading receiver with 5 championships
 

I will say there is one I think Gophers should of offered and did not and that is Zach Vraa. I don't understand why they didn't offer him. Former mr football Minnesota now is NDSU all time leading receiver with 5 championships

Maybe considering our WR situation, but man WRs from high school to college walk this razor's edge.

I think it is very possible to just dominate as a WR in HS, and be just garbage in college. Just one of those odd positions.
 

I'd love to see his data sources on that too. From what I can tell, there were six NDAC alums on NFL rosters at the end of the 2016 season, and four were from MN. Here are those four:

Joe Haeg (http://247sports.com/Player/Joe-Haeg-91631?PlayerInstitution=175922) - 245 lb. OT coming out of HS at Brainerd. I couldn't even find a Rivals profile. He probably had an NDAC offer and no others.

Billy Turner (https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/27473) - Underrated stud coming out of HS, would've committed here if offered, couldn't have gotten into school here if we had offered. Other offers were UND, UNI, and Illinois St. Fortunately for NDAC, our admissions standards are slightly higher than "can fog a mirror".

Marcus Williams (http://247sports.com/Player/Marcus-Williams-85653?PlayerInstitution=148936) - Billy Turner story, part 2. I can't find a Rivals profile for him either.

Ramon Humber (http://247sports.com/Player/Ramon-Humber-76405?Institution=13748) - I can't find a Rivals profile for him.

So out of the four NDAC alums in the NFL, we have four guys with zero FBS offers, two of whom couldn't have qualified here academically. Great analysis!

:clap:
 

Maybe considering our WR situation, but man WRs from high school to college walk this razor's edge.

I think it is very possible to just dominate as a WR in HS, and be just garbage in college. Just one of those odd positions.

Yeah. I know it is easy to say in hindsight too we should of offered him.
 

Ok the first thought that came to my mind when thinking about this was,


HOW MANY ZERO STAR recruits from Minnesota did NDSU have to recruit over the years to find FOUR hidden gems???

NDSU, outside of their occasional game vs an Iowa or a Kansas St, plays far weaker competition week in and week out, and as good as they are, can probably play more backups at the end of games, probably suffer fewer injuries, and can take several players that otherwise wouldn't academically qualify to play at the U. So they can afford to take chances on lesser recognized recruits and can afford to take projects that need time to mature and grow and gain confidence and time to be coached up.

My guess is NDSU plays a lot of seniors each year. Players who can't make it big at NDSU probably don't think transferring out will help them, so why not stick it out and be able to be a part of a Natl Title winning team even if they have to sit on the bench. Whereas kids on the Gopher team who aren't happy with playing time, may feel that transferring to another program can get them more playing time, and may help out their chances of being noticed. So when they can wait 3-4 years before needing a player to give starter like contributions, that helps those projects by giving them more time to develop.

A place like Minnesota, for various reasons, more often probably needs freshman and sophomores to give starter like contributions. So UMn can't afford to take a bunch of projects, of which only 1% will pan out and end up in the NFL.



Someone brought up Jeff Jones? Well, a Gopher coach going out of his way to get ONE player, who wasn't even close to a ZERO star recruit, through some hoops so that he can play, is far different than getting multiple ZERO star recruits into the program.


Another example of some idiot trying to make an issue out of something that is pure nonsense.
 

I think the Jeff Jones situation refutes that. We will take a kid right down to the NCAA minimum requirements for a scholarship which are the same minimums for all DI schools. For walk ons we use standard admittance minimums, and on that we are definitely higher.

Huh?
 

Not that we can really control it, but it would be nice to let the BCS and D2 kids know that if they have great success at their small school, the U is open to having Graduate Transfers come in and compete for playing time if they want to improve their chance at getting drafted or getting an invite to NFL training camps as an undrafted free agent. Would play to our strength of having NFL team here and potentially turn the fact that we've got some of the strongest FCS and D2 football programs in the country in our neighborhood into an advantage. Sconie can't do that with their D3 in-state programs.
 




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