How can anyone doubt this staff's recruiting prowess..?

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

 After seeing article after article about what these kids can see being built in Fayetteville, and seeing the class that is developing this year. The proof that these guys are doing work is becoming more and more evident. I can't wait to see the product on the field next year. If our record improves as much as recruiting has we are in for a treat...

[Arthur pigby sellers.]

I guess you could doubt them due to our very poor recruiting rankings in the sec last year.
You could doubt them because of our failure to get any 4 star recruits at our biggest positions of need --LB and Safety.
That's just playing devils advocate.  I think if they can show some semblance of a improving team on the field then they will have a top twenty class next year.

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

I guess you could doubt them due to our very poor recruiting rankings in the sec last year.
You could doubt them because of our failure to get any 4 star recruits at our biggest positions of need --LB and Safety.
That's just playing devils advocate.  I think if they can show some semblance of a improving team on the field then they will have a top twenty class next year.

I can see your point about LB, but I also know defensive recruiting was a catch 22 last year. CBP carried a reputation of being unconcerned with defense that he tried hard to overcome, but never could shake. Unfortunately, that carried over to the field and into recruiting last year. I do think CBB identified and corrected some issues that needed to be corrected in his staff. Primary was hiring a DC from the NFL and apparently handing him the reigns...

[CDBHawg]

The talk is great, yes.

But signed LOI's and success on the field are going to be the proof needed.

[pillowhog]

Um we werent even top 30 in recruiting....

[redeye]

I guess you could doubt them due to our very poor recruiting rankings in the sec last year.
You could doubt them because of our failure to get any 4 star recruits at our biggest positions of need --LB and Safety.
That's just playing devils advocate.  I think if they can show some semblance of a improving team on the field then they will have a top twenty class next year.

Is it just me or do we never offer many linebackers?  The last time I looked, we've offered a few very good ones this year, but not many.  While this position has been a problem for years, it seems like we never even try to address it, because it doesn't seem like we ever offer many linebackers.  I'm sure there's been some strategy that I don't understand, but it seems like with Shannon coaching linebackers that we'd not only be after more, but also signing more of them.

Having said that, I'm very pleased with how this staff is recruiting.  I was looking at past recruiting classes recently and one of the big things that hurt us was having so many 2 star players and low 3-stars.  Some of those are going to be overlooked players, but we often seemed to have more then we should.  This staff isn't doing that so much.

[Wildhog]

Is it just me or do we never offer many linebackers?  The last time I looked, we've offered a few very good ones this year, but not many.  While this position has been a problem for years, it seems like we never even try to address it, because it doesn't seem like we ever offer many linebackers.  I'm sure there's been some strategy that I don't understand, but it seems like with Shannon coaching linebackers that we'd not only be after more, but also signing more of them.

It's driving me INSANE. 

[ZERO]

Um we werent even top 30 in recruiting....

We finished #29 (Rivals), #30 (247sports), and #33(Scout) in the three services.



Edit: We didn't do really good last year, but we didn't do terribly. I think we only had two players under 3* or something like that.

[Wildhog]

FWIW, I think we had a couple of extremely underrated signees out of Florida.  It was actually a pretty solid class.

[ARtillahog]

Um we werent even top 30 in recruiting....

We finished #29 (Rivals), #30 (247sports), and #33(Scout) in the three services.



Edit: We didn't do really good last year, but we didn't do terribly. I think we only had two players under 3* or something like that.

Haha

[Razorhawg09]

We finished #29 (Rivals), #30 (247sports), and #33(Scout) in the three services.



Edit: We didn't do really good last year, but we didn't do terribly. I think we only had two players under 3* or something like that.

We're number 29!!!!

[trashcan maN]

Is it just me or do we never offer many linebackers?  The last time I looked, we've offered a few very good ones this year, but not many.  While this position has been a problem for years, it seems like we never even try to address it, because it doesn't seem like we ever offer many linebackers.  I'm sure there's been some strategy that I don't understand, but it seems like with Shannon coaching linebackers that we'd not only be after more, but also signing more of them.

Having said that, I'm very pleased with how this staff is recruiting.  I was looking at past recruiting classes recently and one of the big things that hurt us was having so many 2 star players and low 3-stars.  Some of those are going to be overlooked players, but we often seemed to have more then we should.  This staff isn't doing that so much.

I think alot of the kids that project as SEC LBers are probably not playing LB in high school. You have to project that a kid will put on 20-30 lbs while he's in college, so the kids with the speed and athleticism to play LB in the SEC are just as likely to be playing safety in HS as LB.
Take a look at how many S each SEC school offers per year.

[ZERO]

Lol. I was hoping for #20-#25, myself. I was disappointed in the finish, as well. But we went 3-9 and we're off to basically the best start imaginable this year. If we can somehow keep it up, we could have a spectacular class for '15.

I'm just trying to stay upbeat, and last years class wasn't TERRIBLE.

[Grizzlyfan]

What you can say about Bielema is that he very good at recruiting to the kind of play that he wants to institute.  ie. fantastic oline recruiting.  The high stars on the oline is the thing that boosts the rankings.  Other than Collins you can't really point to a big-time difference maker outside the oline.  2015 class may be different.

[ricepig]

What you can say about Bielema is that he very good at recruiting to the kind of play that he wants to institute.  ie. fantastic oline recruiting.  The high stars on the oline is the thing that boosts the rankings.  Other than Collins you can't really point to a big-time difference maker outside the oline.  2015 class may be different.

Jackson is the #5 DT, so that's not bad.......

[Wildhog]

Jackson is the #5 DT, so that's not bad.......

I think he meant 2013 guys that were immediate difference makers on the field.

Which is kind of disingenuous, because true freshman difference makers are few and far between.

[Razorhawg09]

Hunter Henry?

[Wildhog]

Hunter Henry?

Wish they'd have gotten him the ball more.  But yeah, kid's a stud.

[bennyl08]

I think we did very well at WR and CB with this class. The OL obviously got some strong new players, and then Peavey Jackson, and Hedlunk look pretty good. Can't say I am too excited about the other players, but it was still a good class that besides LB, really hit some areas of need. Really need those LB prospects to work out though as the bulk of that position is graduating this year.

[Wildhog]

I think we did very well at WR and CB with this class. The OL obviously got some strong new players, and then Peavey Jackson, and Hedlunk look pretty good. Can't say I am too excited about the other players, but it was still a good class that besides LB, really hit some areas of need. Really need those LB prospects to work out though as the bulk of that position is graduating this year.

I think Ramsey's gonna turn some heads.

[Tejas_Pete]

0 - 8 in SEC, class ranked in bottom third of SEC. Forgive me for being in wait and see mode.

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

I think I missed my own point in the OP... LOL!

I am seeing something different obviously than many of you. I see improvement each year in recruiting. I also see them building a beast.

[tophawg19]

my only problem was that we didn't close strong at the end and missed on too many that we had an inside track on .

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

my only problem was that we didn't close strong at the end and missed on too many that we had an inside track on .

So last year...   

[bennyl08]

I think Ramsey's gonna turn some heads.

I've heard people say that, and I hope so. It's just really hard for me to see it based on his highlight video. All he does is use his speed to get by blockers and make a sack, and that is pretty much the entirety of the videos. At 210, that's not going to work in college given that I haven't seem him get off a HS block yet. He just avoids the block altogether. However, as an OLB, we will probably be using him more in the mold of Nelson/Rasner, so he will be doing entirely different things than what was previously asked of him (I think he played CB his junior year in HS?). What are his instincts like? Does he have any toughness to him? Can he get off blocks? Can he change direction? All questions that his senior tape doesn't really show, just him running a slightly curved path to the qb.

[redeye]

I think alot of the kids that project as SEC LBers are probably not playing LB in high school. You have to project that a kid will put on 20-30 lbs while he's in college, so the kids with the speed and athleticism to play LB in the SEC are just as likely to be playing safety in HS as LB.
Take a look at how many S each SEC school offers per year.

Yea, I think you're right, but it doesn't seem like we offer that many safeties, either.  According to 247, we've offered 9 LB's and 9 safeties, compared to 16 RB's, 15 WR's and 7 TE's.  We may be targeting plenty, but it just seems like we never offer many and we're always short at the position.

0 - 8 in SEC, class ranked in bottom third of SEC. Forgive me for being in wait and see mode.

You should always be in wait and see mode, even if our class is in the upper third of the SEC.  Since online rankings began, Arkansas has probably only had 1-2 classes in the upper tier of the SEC, so this one is nothing unusual for us.  And yet, we've had a lot of success, including 3 SEC-W division championships.

[jkstock04]

After seeing article after article about what these kids can see being built in Fayetteville, and seeing the class that is developing this year. The proof that these guys are doing work is becoming more and more evident. I can't wait to see the product on the field next year. If our record improves as much as recruiting has we are in for a treat...

Thus far with recruiting Bielema has been right on par with how we usually do.

[OnTheHillHogFan]

I've heard people say that, and I hope so. It's just really hard for me to see it based on his highlight video. All he does is use his speed to get by blockers and make a sack, and that is pretty much the entirety of the videos. At 210, that's not going to work in college given that I haven't seem him get off a HS block yet. He just avoids the block altogether. However, as an OLB, we will probably be using him more in the mold of Nelson/Rasner, so he will be doing entirely different things than what was previously asked of him (I think he played CB his junior year in HS?). What are his instincts like? Does he have any toughness to him? Can he get off blocks? Can he change direction? All questions that his senior tape doesn't really show, just him running a slightly curved path to the qb.

Ramsey was over 220 on his official. Several recruiting guys and people I know that are around the team said he was bigger than any of the LB's they brought in.

[Hawg_Thai'd]

I'm with ya, Tusk. I can see it too. I think that Coach is doing things with the players behind the scenes that are going to make the overall product better. Just because we didn't recruit LB's doesn't mean that we don't have LB's. CBB and Coach Smith will have their defense and the players to fit that system. We will do better this year. We will get more of our target recruits this year also. We were recruiting some top recruits this last year and we were in the top 2-3 for a lot of them. Ok, we didn't get them. But we did go 3-9, so that didn't help much. We will not have a repeat and the recruits this year will see what is being built.

[RNHog]

Um we werent even top 30 in recruiting....

We AREN'T and WILL NEVER be Bama, LSU, OR FL with recruiting. Too lilly white in Fayetteville for blue chips to go up there. Fayetteville is good for a person who likes men skinny jeans and for folks to pretend they are "outdoorsy".

[redeye]

I'm with ya, Tusk. I can see it too. I think that Coach is doing things with the players behind the scenes that are going to make the overall product better. Just because we didn't recruit LB's doesn't mean that we don't have LB's. CBB and Coach Smith will have their defense and the players to fit that system. We will do better this year. We will get more of our target recruits this year also. We were recruiting some top recruits this last year and we were in the top 2-3 for a lot of them. Ok, we didn't get them. But we did go 3-9, so that didn't help much. We will not have a repeat and the recruits this year will see what is being built.

I think we're already signing players with better offers.  When Nutt was here, it seemed like we were beating non-BCS schools for most of our class and now the opposite seems to be true.  Maybe the recruiting services are just doing better at adding offers, but while we may not be signing more 4-5 star players, those with 3 stars seem to hold better offers and likely have better numerical ratings.

I'm sure some of you will call me "Sunshine" and think I'm being overly positive, but I'm being very honest about this.  Despite the criticism for Nutt, he signed some great players, but the bottom of his classes left us without depth.  We wanted to believe that Petrino was doing better at building depth, but I'm not sure that he did much, if any, better.  Now look at Bielema's latest class and it's hard to find any players that don't look like they'll contribute one day.

[Steef]

We AREN'T and WILL NEVER be Bama, LSU, OR FL with recruiting. Too lilly white in Fayetteville for blue chips to go up there. Fayetteville is good for a person who likes men skinny jeans and for folks to pretend they are "outdoorsy".

Some of us actually like our State....our campus....and our school and its values.

The schools you named would welcome you.

Hint....change your shirt first.

[RNHog]

Some of us actually like our State....our campus....and our school and its values.

The schools you named would welcome you.

Hint....change your shirt first.

Not sure how you gathered that I hate my state. But the sad truth is, we will NEVER out recruit those schools due to where the campus is located.

I actually do cheer for FLorida. Love me some gators.

[HogsOfAnarchy]

Not sure how you gathered that I hate my state. But the sad truth is, we will NEVER out recruit those schools due to where the campus is located.

I actually do cheer for FLorida. Love me some gators.

Stop talking. Your either a hog or a gator not both. I think your confused.

[Grizzlyfan]

The subject of the post was recruiting.  If you look at Bielema's two classes OVERALL the dominant strength of the classes was oline.  And looking back at Wisconsin that is obvioulsy his strength.

[RNHog]

Stop talking. Your either a hog or a gator not both. I think your confused.

Pretty sure I'm both.I just know how to be realistic.

[Steef]

The subject of the post was recruiting.  If you look at Bielema's two classes OVERALL the dominant strength of the classes was oline.  And looking back at Wisconsin that is obvioulsy his strength.

Bet Tyler Wilson would have appreciated that.

Bet JWill and Alex DO appreciate it.

[Hawg_Thai'd]

Bet Tyler Wilson would have appreciated that.

Bet JWill and Alex DO appreciate it.

I think if some of the fans will be patient and let CBB do his thing, we will all appreciate what he is doing (minus a select few who will never be happy). He is starting to put the peices together and build a strong unit on both sides of the ball.

[urkillnmesmalls]

Anyone besides me remember watching Shawn Andrews just pancake people?  At times, I would watch him block rather than the ball.  It didn't even seem fair at times what he did to people. 

THAT is what BB is trying to do here.  Develop the trenches.  If you control the LOS, you at least have a chance to win games.  If you don't...you see what happened to us against Bama from 2008 to present.

Maybe it won't be enough to get it done in the SEC, but there is never anything wrong with getting better in the trenches.   

[urkillnmesmalls]

I think if some of the fans will be patient and let CBB do his thing, we will all appreciate what he is doing (minus a select few who will never be happy). He is starting to put the peices together and build a strong unit on both sides of the ball.

Hey...I'll play devil's advocate on this one...why not?  For YEARS now we have heard about can't miss prospects from everyone from our coaches, to our media.  I'm waiting to see improvement this season, and to make some noise in 2015.  It does appear that we're gaining on it, and in the face of our recent struggles, it seems like a HUGE positive that we could recruit as well as we did with success in 2010. 

Maybe with some success next year, we'll have some LB's get wind of our struggles to get some top kids in here, and they'll want to come join the parade with the thought that they can play right away.  Hope springs eternal.  Oh...I forgot, I was supposed to be playing Devil's advocate.   

[whosiskid]

Wasn't it the main guy from 247sports.com who said we had one of the better recruiting classes in 2013 because we addressed areas of need unlike Florida,  which brought in highly ranked players in positions they were already strong in?

I liked our 2013 recruits.  There were several 2012 recruits I was pretty confident would never contribute.  I don't feel that way about this year.

[Wildhog]

Wasn't it the main guy from 247sports.com who said we had one of the better recruiting classes in 2013 because we addressed areas of need unlike Florida,  which brought in highly ranked players in positions they were already strong in?

I liked our 2013 recruits.  There were several 2012 recruits I was pretty confident would never contribute.  I don't feel that way about this year.

They said that about the 2014 class, I believe.  I want to say it was Jeremy Crabtree?

[bennyl08]

Stop talking. Your either a hog or a gator not both. I think your confused.

If you are both, would that make you a hator?

[RNHog]

Razor gator.

Got on my gator basketball shorts now! Ha

[onebadrubi]

We AREN'T and WILL NEVER be Bama, LSU, OR FL with recruiting. Too lilly white in Fayetteville for blue chips to go up there. Fayetteville is good for a person who likes men skinny jeans and for folks to pretend they are "outdoorsy".

WOOOOOO, you mean if we wear our fayettchille to devils den and the elk we aren't outdoorsy! 

haha I agree and love your comment! 

[hawgmasta]

They said that about the 2014 class, I believe.  I want to say it was Jeremy Crabtree?

It was for sure the 2014 class and I'm pretty sure your right on Jeremy Crabtree.

[RNHog]

WOOOOOO, you mean if we wear our fayettchille to devils den and the elk we aren't outdoorsy! 

haha I agree and love your comment!

I wouldn't wear that Gayettechill crap if my life depending on it.

[Wildhog]

I wouldn't wear that Gayettechill crap if my life depending on it.

I'd wear anything if my life depended on it.

[Tony Sloprano]

Wasn't it the main guy from 247sports.com who said we had one of the better recruiting classes in 2013 because we addressed areas of need unlike Florida,  which brought in highly ranked players in positions they were already strong in?

So we like the overly smart recruiting writers when they say good things about our classes but they are idiots who don't know anything when they rank our classes low.

Is that the gist of it ?  lol.............

[Razorhawg09]

I wouldn't wear that Gayettechill crap if my life depending on it.

^^someone didn't get a bid. You mad bro?