If you were hired to be the closer on football recruits

[Country Stylz]

See the bold text for your answer.

What's wrong with Fayetteville? Not enough clubs? Night life? I hear you guys have new skrip clubs and everything?

[Country Stylz]

1) Our football facilities rank behind Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Florida, LSU, and probably Tennessee and A&M when they get done. All those teams are in states that produce MUCH more talent than Arkansas. Whether a college down is "pretty" ranks pretty low on these kids radars when deciding where to go. All those teams except A&M have produced more draft picks than us in the last ten years. We've also produced 7 first rounders since we joined the sec, behind the big 6 and tied with south carolina.

Explain Ole Miss recruiting then. Kentucky...

[footballfan]

Explain Ole Miss recruiting then. Kentucky...

They hired a guy who could recruit. We haven't hired guys that recruit very well. In other words, with our disadvantages, we need to find someone who can sell ice to an eskimo to get great recruiting classes.

[SPAL]

They hired a guy who could recruit. We haven't hired guys that recruit very well.

In the recent past, this is true. I personally believe CBB and his staff will recruit better than we ever have. But even then, we still shouldn't expect any better than top 15... historically, it's just never happened in the modern era.

[Piggfoot]

Didn't the Ted Harrod case pale in comparison to other schools violations? Didn't we just overpay some athletes by a few hundred dollars? Auburn paid 180,000 for Cam Newton. Johnny Football is running around making thousands signing autographs. Nothing done to them. We have been getting screwed.

Yes that was our offense. But matters were made worse when Frank denied having a relationship with Harrod which wasn't true. He knew him more than being just a casual acquaintance. His denial to them brought sanctions and penalties far greater than I believe we would have suffered if he had been forthright with them. 
The violations you mention were committed apparently by people outside of the administration. Our violation involved our AD.

[footballfan]

In the recent past, this is true. I personally believe CBB and his staff will recruit better than we ever have. But even then, we still shouldn't expect any better than top 15... historically, it's just never happened in the modern era.

I'm hoping so. The SEC isn't getting any easier and we're gonna need some beasts to control the line like CBB wants.

[Al Boarland]

What's wrong with Fayetteville? Not enough clubs? Night life? I hear you guys have new skrip clubs and everything?

They have to pass a lot of other schools with just as good if not better night life. Not to mention schools with just as if not better facilities and tradition.

[hogsanity]

Explain Ole Miss recruiting then. Kentucky...

Look at how many of their top recruits either came from in state, or were legacies.  No way they get Nkimdechi last year if his brother was not already there. 

[Music City Hog]

Ive said it dozens of times:  It doesnt matter what we do.  We are who we are.  When we won 10 and 11 there was no difference in recruiting.  When we won 3 there was no difference in recruiting.  I am all for doing things differently because there is nothing to lose, but I really just believe our major limitations compared to other SEC schools will just mean we are who we are and it will be the same it has for the last however many years which emcompasses all types of seasons, coaches, etc.   Nothing or nobody has made any significant impact on Razorback recruiting. 

[Uncommon]

Ive said it dozens of times:  It doesnt matter what we do.  We are who we are.  When we won 10 and 11 there was no difference in recruiting.  When we won 3 there was no difference in recruiting.  I am all for doing things differently because there is nothing to lose, but I really just believe our major limitations compared to other SEC schools will just mean we are who we are and it will be the same it has for the last however many years which emcompasses all types of seasons, coaches, etc.   Nothing or nobody has made any significant impact on Razorback recruiting. 

I think it will change once we start winning games.  We have the facilities and coaching staff now to recruit on an exceptional level.  I mean we have Randy Shannon, Sam Pittman, and Clay Jennings.  Those guys can get it done.  Just need the wins.

[WizardofhOgZ]

The problem with this question/thread is that you're asking a bunch of computer keyboard jockeys to do something they have NO understanding of, nor experience doing.  It's like asking some random Aggies how to close the deal with a group of Super models.

#wasteoftime

AR has 5 recruits on the top of their board.  All of them have multiple offers from SEC, BIG12, ACC schools. All have the Hogs in their top 4.

what would your pitch be to our top 5 targets:

A 4 star DL from Anacoco, LA
A 5 star Safety from Benoit, MS
A 4 star MLB from Jackson, TN
A 4 star WR from Hugo, Ok
A 5 star RB from Lagrange, GA

How would you try to close the deal with those recruits?

[footballfan]

The problem with this question/thread is that you're asking a bunch of computer keyboard jockeys to do something they have NO understanding of, nor experience doing.  It's like asking some random Aggies how to close the deal with a group of Super models.

#wasteoftime

Are you saying I can't land a man???

[lefty08]

90% of which kids don't care about.

All good points. I dont think you have a clue MCH

[Music City Hog]

All good points. I dont think you have a clue MCH

Of course you don't

[Music City Hog]

I think it will change once we start winning games.  We have the facilities and coaching staff now to recruit on an exceptional level.  I mean we have Randy Shannon, Sam Pittman, and Clay Jennings.  Those guys can get it done.  Just need the wins.

Which is what everyone said when we were winning.  Oh I remember the dozens and dozens of threads following up those 10-11 wins seasons about how it will really impact recruiting.  The problem though?  It didn't. At all.

[870hogfan]

Which is what everyone said when we were winning.  Oh I remember the dozens and dozens of threads following up those 10-11 wins seasons about how it will really impact recruiting.  The problem though?  It didn't. At all.

Cause Petrino is no closer....

[Music City Hog]

Cause Petrino is no closer....

Gotcha

[Country Stylz]

Yes that was our offense. But matters were made worse when Frank denied having a relationship with Harrod which wasn't true. He knew him more than being just a casual acquaintance. His denial to them brought sanctions and penalties far greater than I believe we would have suffered if he had been forthright with them. 
The violations you mention were committed apparently by people outside of the administration. Our violation involved our AD.

Do you think the NCAA has kept a close eye on us since then? Maybe if we see the Big 5 separate from the NCAA we will be on a more level playing field?

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

1. "Are you wearing a wire? I do not consent to this conversation being recorded."

2. "Nothing we discuss here goes on social media, nor any items that I may "forget" and leave here at you home.

3. "I am very forgetful, my friends say I may forget that I arrived at a place in a brand new vehicle and forget that I ever even had it if I was excited enough about something. Especially, something about razorback football."

There is no such thing as fight club...

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

Cause Petrino is no closer....

Coffee is for closers...

[Rzbakfromwaybak]

Take a couple of big, tough looking guys with you... dressed in suits...& tell the kid & parents....

....."I'm a gonna make you an offer you can't refuse".....

[scruf]

If you want to win big, you have to recruit big. If you want to recruit big, you have to win big.

Look, I'm admittedly not an expert. Not even close, but I've noticed three things that the current staff is doing that the last two staffs did not:

1. Recruit kids with SEC-measurables. Across the board, the staff recruited taller, heavier, faster players. Remember when we had Marcus Monk (6'6") and the midgets? Hollister (6'4"), Wilson (6'3), and Edwards (6'6") are the tallest three receivers I can remember being on the roster at the same time. On defense, our corners are finally getting more length and how about the linebackers coming in, have you seen where Hackett (6'3") and Eugene (6'1") have already broken 230 lbs.? Randy Ramsey
is no slouch either, at 6'4", 222. Talent-wise, they're fairly comparable to players in past classes but you can't coach height and length.

2. Sign players that will qualify. Most of the kids that the current staff have inked on national signing day have actually shown up on campus. Both previous staffs had more than their fair share never step foot on campus, much less the field. I also haven't seen the proclivity for legal issues with Coach B's classes that we've seen over the last 10 or so years, as a result, the depth chart is starting to look more balanced. That should pay dividends in those tight, 4th-quarter contests.

3. Reach out earlier to sophomores and juniors, and their parents, in the recruiting process and get prospects on campus as soon as possible. There's a marked difference in the way this staff has done this over previous staffs. Also, the staff is getting a wide array of state, regional and national talent out to the summer camps.

Note: I feel like the current staff's use of social media is excellent, although to be fair, Coach Nutt didn't have that option (he probably would've actually excelled at it) and things like Twitter and Instagram weren't as big as they are now compared to when we had Coach Petrino.

[PonderinHog]

"Sell" Momma.

Also, don't sell the "steak."  Sell the "sizzle."

[southeasthog]

So what I gather is that with many of you there is no hope unless we start buying players.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Which is what everyone said when we were winning.  Oh I remember the dozens and dozens of threads following up those 10-11 wins seasons about how it will really impact recruiting.  The problem though?  It didn't. At all.

You are right, it "should" have made a significant difference. It didn't happen. Was that because it wasn't impressive that Arkansas had gone to the Sugar Bowl and Cotton Bowl and won 21 games in two years in the SEC, or because BP wasn't as involved in the recruiting as he was coordinating the offense, defense and special teams while he was here? Or maybe he thought he was a good enough HC that he could win without major recruits? Or just maybe he didn't have a real friendly personality in the living room with parents and recruits?

[southeasthog]

Each kid is different. We need to build a relationship and figure what will work the most. Some kids it will be selling the parents more. Especially momma. Other kids it will be playing time early. Next are the ones who you sell someone like Pittman putting guys in the NFL. This is where Shannon hasn't really brought in the players at LB I thought he would. The last ones are the ones you want to avoid if possible. The ones with their hands out. All it takes is the wrong one to get mad or think he can make something of of your shady activities to put the program in hot water.

[Fatty McGee]

Coffee is for closers...

Nice.  Lets just have Alec Baldwin motivate them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kZg_ALxEz0

[Music City Hog]

So what I gather is that with many of you there is no hope unless we start buying players.

There are other ways, but none more proven or utilized in this league.

[jkstock04]

Which is what everyone said when we were winning.  Oh I remember the dozens and dozens of threads following up those 10-11 wins seasons about how it will really impact recruiting.  The problem though?  It didn't. At all.

This is correct, after the Sugar Bowl loss the majority of this board said we would be catapulted in recruiting by the likes we had never seen..didn't happen. I felt at the time if we had won that game, and gotten some real respect it would have...but looking back now probably even that wouldn't have mattered much.

What I believe is that since we have been in the SEC, recruiting has always pretty much been the same. As others have noted, every once in a while there is an influx of in state talent which yields us to have a better than avg recruiting class.

Basically, by what I have seen...it doesn't really matter who our coach(es) are, recruiting is always going to be about the same here....so far with Bielema recruiting is on par with Petrino and Nutt. Our classes will avg probably 20-35 nationally, and (most importantly) rank in the bottom half of the SEC.  Going to take the right coach with the right scheme to win here. Diamonds in the rough and coaching players up needs to be our forte.

The only astrix in all this is teams like Tennessee and (now) Kentucky recruiting out of state so well. Why can't we do that? Tennessee hasn't been relevant in forever, but can still go all over the United States and pluck top talent. Eventually that's gonna pay off for them and they will be good again.

[scruf]

The talent is about the same with this staff but, so far, more of the kids that sign actually make it to campus (qualify) and then stay out of trouble (and on the roster). Huge difference.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

This is correct, after the Sugar Bowl loss the majority of this board said we would be catapulted in recruiting by the likes we had never seen..didn't happen. I felt at the time if we had won that game, and gotten some real respect it would have...but looking back now probably even that wouldn't have mattered much.

What I believe is that since we have been in the SEC, recruiting has always pretty much been the same. As others have noted, every once in a while there is an influx of in state talent which yields us to have a better than avg recruiting class.

Basically, by what I have seen...it doesn't really matter who our coach(es) are, recruiting is always going to be about the same here....so far with Bielema recruiting is on par with Petrino and Nutt. Our classes will avg probably 20-35 nationally, and (most importantly) rank in the bottom half of the SEC.  Going to take the right coach with the right scheme to win here. Diamonds in the rough and coaching players up needs to be our forte.

The only astrix in all this is teams like Tennessee and (now) Kentucky recruiting out of state so well. Why can't we do that? Tennessee hasn't been relevant in forever, but can still go all over the United States and pluck top talent. Eventually that's gonna pay off for them and they will be good again.

Not sure what you want JK. Our 2014 class signed 5 from Florida, we also signed kids from Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota and Arizona. I think this staff is doing a good job of reaching beyond the borders of Arkansas.

[jkstock04]

Not sure what you want JK. Our 2014 class signed 5 from Florida, we also signed kids from Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota and Arizona. I think this staff is doing a good job of reaching beyond the borders of Arkansas.

They prob are doing a good job, I have no doubt it's gonna be just as good as any of our previous coaches. I don't think this is an easy place to recruit to in the SEC.

What I was referring to was those teams ability to recruit seemingly blue chip talent out of state so well(more) compared to us.

[Hoggish1]

There is a reason why there are so few true ace recruiters and why they are so valued.... there is no answer to this question.

Every recruit is unique and will require a different approach.

The only thing that is almost certainly true is that no cute 'quick sell' things will work. The recruiter will have to find the hook or hooks for that recruit and build and build on it.

That is why a recruiter like Pittman is the thing that makes it work: from all accounts in the press and the quotes from recruits it appears that he has a unique ability to connect strongly with people.

This is it!

[BOAR_N2BWILD]

"we are in the people heppin business"

[hogsanity]

The only astrix in all this is teams like Tennessee and (now) Kentucky recruiting out of state so well. Why can't we do that? Tennessee hasn't been relevant in forever, but can still go all over the United States and pluck top talent. Eventually that's gonna pay off for them and they will be good again.

They may be signing "out of state" players, but how close to their campus are they, even though in another state? For Ar to sign a kid from Mississippi or LA, those kids are at least 300 miles away. Knoxville Tn is not that far from major cities like Atlanta.  I have not looked at Lexington's proximity to large cities in other states, but I think their recruiting will always be hit and miss, plus if their current coach has any success at all, he will be gone in a second given the chance.