Recruiting "athletes"

Dano564

Fleck Superfan
Joined
Feb 26, 2013
Messages
10,135
Reaction score
2,906
Points
113
Can someone tell me if this works?
I know of past cases where we recruit QB's and they become great TE's.

But how about recruiting people who are generally listed as "Athletes".

Can anyone with a stronger memory than me tell me of any players we recruited as "athletes" who turned out to be pretty solid players?
My question is that if they haven't gotten to be pretty good at a token position in high school, how likely is it that they will come in and surpass someone else who has been playing that position for years?
 

Can someone tell me if this works?
I know of past cases where we recruit QB's and they become great TE's.

But how about recruiting people who are generally listed as "Athletes".

Can anyone with a stronger memory than me tell me of any players we recruited as "athletes" who turned out to be pretty solid players?
My question is that if they haven't gotten to be pretty good at a token position in high school, how likely is it that they will come in and surpass someone else who has been playing that position for years?

This guy is turning out to be pretty good.

https://247sports.com/Player/Tyler-Johnson-45912/high-school-76935/?Sport=1
 

when I see a guy identified as an "athlete," I read that as - has athletic ability, but coaches are not sure what position he would be best suited for.

I think the issue with previous "athletes" is that, for whatever reason, the coaches kept trying to move them around, instead of picking one position and letting them develop. With Tyler Johnson, I suspect he was always intended as a WR. As dynamic a player as he was in HS, he was not going to be a D1 QB. Maybe in a Georgia Tech-like system, but not in any conventional offense.
 


Yeah, TJ would be a prime example of this. Don't have any stats to back it up but I would not be shocked to find that there are a decent number of receivers, DB, and RB that played QB in high school but had no shot to play there in college.

Designating a guy as an athlete is basically the services way of saying they are not really sure where to classify the kid but he is a pretty good player.
 

when I see a guy identified as an "athlete," I read that as - has athletic ability, but coaches are not sure what position he would be best suited for.

I think the issue with previous "athletes" is that, for whatever reason, the coaches kept trying to move them around, instead of picking one position and letting them develop. With Tyler Johnson, I suspect he was always intended as a WR. As dynamic a player as he was in HS, he was not going to be a D1 QB. Maybe in a Georgia Tech-like system, but not in any conventional offense.

I remember there being some people that thought he would be a DB.
 



KJ Maye, Kamal Martin
 
Last edited:

Can someone tell me if this works?
I know of past cases where we recruit QB's and they become great TE's.

But how about recruiting people who are generally listed as "Athletes".

Can anyone with a stronger memory than me tell me of any players we recruited as "athletes" who turned out to be pretty solid players?
My question is that if they haven't gotten to be pretty good at a token position in high school, how likely is it that they will come in and surpass someone else who has been playing that position for years?

You know that this can be easily looked up, so you're clearly pushing some sort of agenda - but I'm not sure what that is/could be.

Tyler Johnson
Kamal Martin
Ko Kieft
Ray Buford
K.J. Maye
Eric Murray
Troy Stoudermire
D.L. Wilhite
Alex Daniels
 

You know that this can be easily looked up, so you're clearly pushing some sort of agenda - but I'm not sure what that is/could be.

Tyler Johnson
Kamal Martin
Ko Kieft
Ray Buford
K.J. Maye
Eric Murray
Troy Stoudermire
D.L. Wilhite
Alex Daniels

Also,
Rey Estes
Philip Howard
Josh Aune
 



You know that this can be easily looked up, so you're clearly pushing some sort of agenda - but I'm not sure what that is/could be.

Tyler Johnson
Kamal Martin
Ko Kieft
Ray Buford
K.J. Maye
Eric Murray
Troy Stoudermire
D.L. Wilhite
Alex Daniels

Not pushing an agenda.

Didn't feel like do the work.

Merry Christmas to you, DP.
 

Not pushing an agenda.

Didn't feel like do the work.

Merry Christmas to you, DP.

People that push agendas live in fear and always think others are as twisted as they are. Thanks for posting.
 

People that push agendas live in fear and always think others are as twisted as they are. Thanks for posting.

And some people just push agendas and get terribly sad when their transparency is called out.
 

If we are considering an "athlete" as a guy that played QB in HS or a different position then he played/plays in college or was thought to likely start off at another position in college

Maxx Williams
Kamal Martin
Tyler Johnson
Philip Howard
KJ Maye
Donovahn Jones
Ray Estes
Demarcus Williams
Duke Anyanwu
Kiante Hardin

And although we recruited Seth Green as a QB, Oregon, after he committed to them, they eventually changed their plans for him to be an "athlete" as well.
 
Last edited:



I just remembered that Kamal Martin was actually a QB commit to Eastern Michigan, just a fun fact.
 

You know that this can be easily looked up, so you're clearly pushing some sort of agenda - but I'm not sure what that is/could be.

Tyler Johnson
Kamal Martin
Ko Kieft
Ray Buford
K.J. Maye
Eric Murray
Troy Stoudermire
D.L. Wilhite
Alex Daniels

I wouldn't include Buford. Although he did play some WR, he played primarily CB in HS at Southfield and was always recruited as a CB.
 
Last edited:

If we are considering an "athlete" as a guy that played QB in HS or a different position then he played/plays in college or was thought to likely start off at another position in college

Maxx Williams
Kamal Martin
Tyler Johnson
Philip Howard
KJ Maye
Donovahn Jones
Ray Estes
Demarcus Williams
Duke Anyanwu
Kiante Hardin

And although we recruited Seth Green as a QB, Oregon, after he committed to them, they eventually changed their plans for him to be an "athlete" as well.

I know a lot of guys are brought in as QB's because they tend to be the best athletes, but generally they seem to be listed as a QB in that case.
I was more inquiring around "athletes" who weren't QB's.

I knew Maxx was a QB.
 

I know a lot of guys are brought in as QB's because they tend to be the best athletes, but generally they seem to be listed as a QB in that case.
I was more inquiring around "athletes" who weren't QB's.

I knew Maxx was a QB.

Maxx, Kamal, Tyler, Howard, Kieft and Anyanwu were never brought in/recruited as a QB and were never listed by recruiting sites or the gopher roster as QB's.

Donovahn Jones, Estes, Williams, Seth Green and MarQueis were recruited and started off as QB's though.
 
Last edited:

Demetrious Douglas is another one. Many thought he'd be a corner and he was a corner when committed to Oregon.

Nate Umlor too. HS QB and recruited as a TE.

Jerry Gibson was also an athlete and looks like Desmond Gant was listed as an athlete although I thought he was thought of as primarily a WR which he ended up being.
 
Last edited:


And some people just push agendas and get terribly sad when their transparency is called out.

You’re still stalking me 2 weeks later about this? And you still can’t even explain what my “agenda” was?
 

You’re still stalking me 2 weeks later about this? And you still can’t even explain what my “agenda” was?

Stalking you? I came to this board and commented. I know you followed me around and stalked me for about a week because you were so hurt. You commented on every post, crying.

JG, also, thanks for pretty much admitting your post was nothing but a passive-aggressive pout because you're still crying about that one comment. You're transparent and incredibly sensitive.

I won't comment on it again, but I am really sorry that I hurt your feelings. It's the holidays. Be happy big guy!
 

I wouldn't include Buford. Although he did play some WR, he played primarily CB in HS at Southfield and was always recruited as a CB.

Each of the players I included was listed as an ATH by 247, including Buford.
 


Demetrious Douglas is another one. Many thought he'd be a corner and he was a corner when committed to Oregon.

Nate Umlor too. HS QB and recruited as a TE.

Jerry Gibson was also an athlete and looks like Desmond Gant was listed as an athlete although I thought he was thought of as primarily a WR which he ended up being.

I don't think it's impossible that Douglas may still become a corner. We have several wide receivers ahead or potentially ahead of him with our recruits.
 

No mention of Hageman yet in this thread?
 

No mention of Hageman yet in this thread?
I am pretty sure he was recruited as a TE and then switched position. I think the OP was looking for players designated as "ath" when they were recruited.

Sent from my RS988 using Tapatalk
 

when I see a guy identified as an "athlete," I read that as - has athletic ability, but coaches are not sure what position he would be best suited for.

I think the issue with previous "athletes" is that, for whatever reason, the coaches kept trying to move them around, instead of picking one position and letting them develop. With Tyler Johnson, I suspect he was always intended as a WR. As dynamic a player as he was in HS, he was not going to be a D1 QB. Maybe in a Georgia Tech-like system, but not in any conventional offense.

I confused by this statement. Are you saying they moved players from position to position to position? I don't remember that happening at all. Maybe one or two in recent memory.

A lot of offensive skill player athletes start out as QB because a majority of HS coaches want their best athlete at QB. For a lot of teams its the only way they can compete. It's not their best position, its a position of need. That's it. Nothing more to read into it.
 

Can someone tell me if this works?
I know of past cases where we recruit QB's and they become great TE's.

But how about recruiting people who are generally listed as "Athletes".

Can anyone with a stronger memory than me tell me of any players we recruited as "athletes" who turned out to be pretty solid players?
My question is that if they haven't gotten to be pretty good at a token position in high school, how likely is it that they will come in and surpass someone else who has been playing that position for years?

Works as often as anything else. It's not that they aren't good at one position in high school, it's generally that they are such great athletes that they excel at multiple positions. They are just as likely to come in and surpass someone else as any other recruit.
 

It appears this happens fairly frequently. More often than I thought.

Thanks for the replies.
 

I don't think it's impossible that Douglas may still become a corner. We have several wide receivers ahead or potentially ahead of him with our recruits.

Phil Howard made that move so I think it is very doubtful DD changes...he certainly dialed in on special teams. I expect he gets more involved at WR next year.
 




Top Bottom