Gophers football: Battle for state’s best prospects getting tougher - TwinCities

Iceland12

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 12, 2008
Messages
24,349
Reaction score
2,243
Points
113
Trying to get a Mormon kid named "Smith" to turn down BYU would be a tough job indeed. :cool: Could explain the lack of other offers.

"The Gophers’ two-year streak of keeping Minnesota’s top-ranked football recruit at home will receive a stiff test this year in Rosemount offensive lineman Jacob Smith, who’s committed to Brigham Young University but has yet to sign his letter of intent.

Then again, maybe the Gophers already have the top in-state player in the 2018 class; pundits are split on who the state’s best prospect really is. One choice is Eden Prairie cornerback Benjamin Sapp III. He spurned schools such as Ohio State and Alabama to pledge to new coach P.J. Fleck in Dinkytown.

Others, however, have Smith atop the 2018 class. He, too, will be a tough get after accepting his first offer to the Utah private school that aligns with his Mormon faith. “I was excited to hop on that train and be a part of something great,” he said.

Rosemount coach Jeff Erdmann said some Big Ten schools, including Michigan and Michigan State, have come by Rosemount to inquire about Smith, but not Minnesota. BYU remains Smith’s only offer, but the door appears ajar.

Asked if he’d like to see more interest from the Gophers, Smith said, “I would like to see interest just in general.”

http://www.twincities.com/2017/06/2...le-for-states-best-prospects-getting-tougher/
 

It's really strange that we haven't offered this kid yet, especially since we are in need of OL.
 



It can be a huge waste of time unless the kid is a total homer for your school. Lots of times they change their minds during their mission. So you waste time and resources on a kid that you have to wait two years on and then basically re-recruit them coming off their mission. It just happened for Oregon State. A good move by PJ.
 


It can be a huge waste of time unless the kid is a total homer for your school. Lots of times they change their minds during their mission. So you waste time and resources on a kid that you have to wait two years on and then basically re-recruit them coming off their mission. It just happened for Oregon State. A good move by PJ.

A move shared by ever other BCS Head Coach too.
 

How difficult is this to understand?

He's Mormon.

He's wanted to go to BYU since he could walk and talk.

Why waste the time recruiting him, even for a second?
 

How difficult is this to understand?

He's Mormon.

He's wanted to go to BYU since he could walk and talk.

Why waste the time recruiting him, even for a second?

Read the O.P. huh? :)
 

It can be a huge waste of time unless the kid is a total homer for your school. Lots of times they change their minds during their mission. So you waste time and resources on a kid that you have to wait two years on and then basically re-recruit them coming off their mission. It just happened for Oregon State. A good move by PJ.

Why not at least make an offer and tell him the offer will still be there in 2 years? If the kid is going on his mission right out of HS , then when he finishes, you start the recruiting process. Really not wasting too much time if you do that and show the kid some interest.
 



He may not have to serve depending on his "readiness". During their missions, they are only allowed phone calls to their families while on a mssion twice a year usully on Christmas Day and Mother's Day. The rest of the time letters or emails only. There is the case of Steve Young.

The Surprising Reason Steve Young Didn't Serve a Mission (and It Has Nothing to Do with Football)
http://www.ldsliving.com/The-Surprising-Reason-Steve-Young-Didn-t-Serve-a-Mission/s/82995

His Great-Great-Great Grandfather Found the Mormons' Promised Land:
http://people.com/archive/his-great-great-great-grandfather-found-the-mormons-promised-land-now-steve-young-is-scoring-tds-there-vol-18-no-19/
 

Why not at least make an offer and tell him the offer will still be there in 2 years? If the kid is going on his mission right out of HS , then when he finishes, you start the recruiting process. Really not wasting too much time if you do that and show the kid some interest.

If the kid really wanted more interest he'd attend a Gopher camp like all the other top in state recruits did including Alston.
 

If the kid really wanted more interest he'd attend a Gopher camp like all the other top in state recruits did including Alston.

I don't disagree with that, and have no real issue he isn't being recruited. That said, the current approach seems to be to offer nearly everyone, so its a bit confusing that they haven't at least offered, if not to recruit him, for optics in recruiting others later.
 

" At BYU’s, he injured his ankle but played through it.

“They offered him at the camp,” Erdmann said. “They liked what they saw. They liked his toughness and working through the issues and he accepted on the spot. It’s a really good fit for him.”

Erdmann said Smith remains committed to BYU. “There have been a lot of people that still have interest, even though he’s still committed,” he said.

That’s where Smith’s recruiting becomes a delicate situation. “These colleges are reading between the lines, saying, ‘Why would we pursue you in such a hard way knowing that you are a Mormon committed to BYU?’ ” Burns said.

247sports.com considers Smith’s vow to BYU to be a “hard” commit.

Smith added, “I’m verbally committed to BYU, but I’m respectful to coaches from other schools and offers and everything. I’m not a jerk or anything; I would be respectful and considerate of any other thing that comes my way.”

In the meantime, Smith wants to hold down his ranking as the top Minnesota prep football player in the 2018 class.

“I think it’s truly honorable,” he said. “I think it’s great that people are looking at me this way. It makes me want to work harder and prove them right.”
 



I think Sapp will be number one in the state when it's all said and done. Since Kill took over we've done a good job of closing the borders. With the exception of Smith seems like Fleck is getting everyone in this class. The last time we lost out on a recruit I wanted was the kid who went to Arkansas
 

I think Sapp will be number one in the state when it's all said and done. Since Kill took over we've done a good job of closing the borders. With the exception of Smith seems like Fleck is getting everyone in this class. The last time we lost out on a recruit I wanted was the kid who went to Arkansas

Smith and Alston.
 

If the kid really wanted more interest he'd attend a Gopher camp like all the other top in state recruits did including Alston.

Why?
He already has an offer that he likes AND he's the top rated player in the state. He doesn't need to sell himself to anyone at this point. Schools have to sell themselves to him. Still see no harm in giving the kid an offer and no reason why one hasn't been extended.
We offered Logan Richter without him attending a camp and he wasn't rated in the top 10 of the state prior to the offer.

Let me also say, I like what PJF has done so far with recruiting. Just find it odd not to offer the top kid in the state of MN who also happens to play at a position of need, OL.
 

Why?
He already has an offer that he likes AND he's the top rated player in the state. He doesn't need to sell himself to anyone at this point. Schools have to sell themselves to him. Still see no harm in giving the kid an offer and no reason why one hasn't been extended.
We offered Logan Richter without him attending a camp and he wasn't rated in the top 10 of the state prior to the offer.

Let me also say, I like what PJF has done so far with recruiting. Just find it odd not to offer the top kid in the state of MN who also happens to play at a position of need, OL.
He says he wants more interest from teams so why wouldn't he attend team camps? Clearly coaches don't value him as the best player in the state if he only has one offer from anywhere. He didn't even attend junior day.

Just trying to help with some advice if he wants more interest and offers.
 

According to 247 he has camped at multiple schools, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Purdue, and Iowa State.
 


Smith and Alston.

Is Alston your nephew or something along those lines? You seem to push for him on every thread while others seem to feel he's too small or too slow to fit Flecks scheme.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

According to 247 he has camped at multiple schools, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Purdue, and Iowa State.

I'm beginning to wonder how accurate 247 is with camp attendance. Seems like there's many assertions about kids not attending certain camps despite 247 claiming their presence. Does 247 get a list of potential campers from the school prior to the event or a list of confirmed attendees afterwards?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Yup, and posted the same thing in the other thread about this guy last week.

Then the Pioneer Press was probably waiting for your opinion before they posted their story...;)
 

According to 247 he has camped at multiple schools, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Purdue, and Iowa State.

All of those, I believe, were in 2016. His last camp that summer was at BYU, where he was offered and then committed to them.
 


Asked if he’d like to see more interest from the Gophers, Smith said, “I would like to see interest just in general.”


He sounds upset that other schools aren't still courting him. Well, then why did he commit a year ago?
 


Asked if he’d like to see more interest from the Gophers, Smith said, “I would like to see interest just in general.”


He sounds upset that other schools aren't still courting him. Well, then why did he commit a year ago?

I'm sure he could figure out how to get interest if he really did want it. Assuming coaches think he is good.
 




Top Bottom