Hawk Staff Aggressive Recruiting.

[MelroseHawkins]

I'm not sure it's always been like this, but every article on recruits from Rob consistently state that <paraphrase> "Iowa is the first to offer" and many are really catching the recruits off guard. I like it as Iowa has become more proactive recruiting than reactive which I suspect they were in the past. This seems to also be the case with basketball.

It's not always been like that at Iowa, correct? It's not that they are just offering underclassman 2-3 yrs down the road, it's that they are becoming the first school to extend an offer. Many who are currently 3* as underclassman could move up to 4 or 5* by their senior seasons, which would just be a bonus.

I like the aggressiveness and that they are establishing these relationships right away. Sometimes these long relationships pay off in the long run. Kelvin Bell seems to really relate with the young players and he seems to be killin' it out there.

Thank goodness they decided to recruit Florida and Texas much more again. I'm not sure who's boneheaded idea years past to not concentrate in FL or TX, but it was a horrible call.

Overall, I think Iowa's recruiting is really looking up at this moment.

 

[Hawk1960]

Agree completely. The old saying, "you snooze, you lose", certainly applies in recruiting these days.

 

[homes]

Good for them. Same for Fran, as posted in the basketball forum. You can't sign 'em if you don't offer 'em.

 

[Hawknigh]

How does this relate to BF's comments on the radio? It seems to imply a shift away from their traditional recruiting (and adopting an aspect of what BF criticized). I don't see it happening much, except for in-state kids who are clearly outstanding early in their high school careers.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

How does this relate to BF's comments on the radio? It seems to imply a shift away from their traditional recruiting (and adopting an aspect of what BF criticized). I don't see it happening much, except for in-state kids who are clearly outstanding early in their high school careers.

You don't see it happening much?? It's happening now! Are you reading Rob's articles on recruits. Everyday I read how they are offering underclassman and how Iowa was the first to extend an offer.

 

[Hawknigh]

You don't see it happening much?? It's happening now! Are you reading Rob's articles on recruits. Everyday I read how they are offering underclassman and how Iowa was the first to extend an offer.

Yes, I do see it, but I guess I hadn't really focused on it. Nonetheless, it does seem a bit ironic given BF's recent comments.

 

[HawkeyeWalker]

Yes, I do see it, but I guess I hadn't really focused on it. Nonetheless, it does seem a bit ironic given BF's recent comments.

You can recruit aggressively without being shady. I love BF going where he did in that statement. Recruiting will continue to become more brutal, but I contend Iowa can get more aggressive and still do it the right way.

I have no idea if nebby, minny, or isu is doing anything "wrong", but my guess is BF and his staff is getting the information from actual recruits on what they are being sold and promised.

 

[Hawknigh]

You can recruit aggressively without being shady. I love BF going where he did in that statement. Recruiting will continue to become more brutal, but I contend Iowa can get more aggressive and still do it the right way.

I have no idea if nebby, minny, or isu is doing anything "wrong", but my guess is BF and his staff is getting the information from actual recruits on what they are being sold and promised.

All teams make promises they can't keep. They do it whenever they have more offers than scholarships available.

It seems that BF was trying to taint the recruiting tactics of others while pretty much using the same tactics. If his comments raise serious concerns in the mind of recruits of the competition, then it could be considered brilliant. Recruiting is a cut throat business.

 

[koralakers]

out of over 60 P5 schools, there are only 6 or 7 schools who have offered LESS scholarships than Iowa. Only jNW in BIG

 

[ohhawk]

They are adapting to trends that have been happening for awhile. Some influence from new staff and support personnel in the last few years certainly would seem to be a factor in moving Kirk along in some of his ways as it relates to recruiting.

With Iowa recruiting you have to remember that you not only have to have talent but you have to fit as well . I doubt those throwing out 300 plus offers in the early innings of the recruiting season are that interested in fit. Most schools have one qualifier for their prospects........talent. Might explain our lower numbers with offers as well as receiving later verbals at times from those that needed to be assured of the fit after visiting other programs.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

If Iowa is going to be recruiting the cream of the crop kids they need to get in on them early. Iowa can't be the 9th team to offer a stud kid that OSU, Michigan etc offered already and just hope to charm them away. Iowa has to build early relationships that are hard to untangle. It's where they dropped the ball on Martin. Iowa deserved to lose him. They thought they could sit on their hands and keep looking around and come back to offering Martin later but by then it was too late. Others had came to the party and with his mind not having been made up yet late in the process Michigan was able to do what they did. If you identify a kid as a stud talent and fit then let them know and offer. Don't play games.

 

[taffaej]

Every recruiting article seems to involve coach Bell. He is getting after it. Hats off to him

 

[Hawknigh]

If Iowa is going to be recruiting the cream of the crop kids they need to get in on them early. Iowa can't be the 9th team to offer a stud kid that OSU, Michigan etc offered already and just hope to charm them away. Iowa has to build early relationships that are hard to untangle. It's where they dropped the ball on Martin. Iowa deserved to lose him. They thought they could sit on their hands and keep looking around and come back to offering Martin later but by then it was too late. Others had came to the party and with his mind not having been made up yet late in the process Michigan was able to do what they did. If you identify a kid as a stud talent and fit then let them know and offer. Don't play games.

Well said. It seems that the coaches are talking out of both sides of their mouths. BF is criticizing "Ames and Minneapolis," but actually making more early offers.

 

[FirstDownHawkeyes]

They are adapting to trends that have been happening for awhile. Some influence from new staff and support personnel in the last few years certainly would seem to be a factor in moving Kirk along in some of his ways as it relates to recruiting.

With Iowa recruiting you have to remember that you not only have to have talent but you have to fit as well . I doubt those throwing out 300 plus offers in the early innings of the recruiting season are that interested in fit. Most schools have one qualifier for their prospects........talent. Might explain our lower numbers with offers as well as receiving later verbals at times from those that needed to be assured of the fit after visiting other programs.

Ohhawk, I think you nailed it here. What BF maybe was trying to say is that if you get an Iowa offer, Iowa's really wants you because they know you fit into the system and culture of Iowa. That should mean something to a recruit and his family. That's doesn't mean you can't accelerate your evaluation process and offer more kids early. It just means you need to do the vetting for fit earlier in the process to have the offer hold the same meaning. That is what Iow is doing now. That having all been said, what ISU and Minny do is a just a different approach and BF was overboard with his rhetoric IMO.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

Well said. It seems that the coaches are talking out of both sides of their mouths. BF is criticizing "Ames and Minneapolis," but actually making more early offers.

I think the difference with what BF has been doing compared to what he's bashing the other schools for doing is just purely in the amount of early offers and how legit they are. He feels that ISU, MN, Neb all just throw out offers to tons of kids with no honest intent of standing by most of them if kids were to commit. Hence stringing kids along and dropping them if they get a 'better' kid to commit later. Iowa I think has one of the fewest amount of early offers out there compared to most schools.
I'm kinda torn on it. I'm not so sure there's not a middle ground here where offering a lot of them early may be good in not only getting your name out there as a school but putting your name in the kids ears early on. The tricky part is just the side of if where if that kid is willing to commit back how solid are you back? BF is trying to say Iowa is unique in that they aren't disingenuous like the other schools he'd mentioned... So we'll see

 

[Hawknigh]

I think the difference with what BF has been doing compared to what he's bashing the other schools for doing is just purely in the amount of early offers and how legit they are. He feels that ISU, MN, Neb all just throw out offers to tons of kids with no honest intent of standing by most of them if kids were to commit. Hence stringing kids along and dropping them if they get a 'better' kid to commit later. Iowa I think has one of the fewest amount of early offers out there compared to most schools.
I'm kinda torn on it. I'm not so sure there's not a middle ground here where offering a lot of them early may be good in not only getting your name out there as a school but putting your name in the kids ears early on. The tricky part is just the side of if where if that kid is willing to commit back how solid are you back? BF is trying to say Iowa is unique in that they aren't disingenuous like the other schools he'd mentioned... So we'll see

However, the offer is what starts the relationship for many recruits these days, especially 4-star recruits in SEC country. For some of them, it is an arms race. They tweet: "I want to thank God for my 19th Division 1 offer." If you want to talk to these guys, you pretty much have to make an offer.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

In recruiting a few things need to happen for you to break through and start landing multiple four star recruits.

1) You need to go to the hotbeds of high school football (Ohio, Texas, Florida).
2) You then need to sell your program to a high profile player (4 or 5 star) in that area.
3) You then encourage that high profile player to speak your Gospel and bring more highly rated recruits to you.
4) You then don't f@$# it up by sending your retarded coaches to keep them in the fold till signing day. Send the bright coaches who know what they are doing.
5) Allow players to visit other schools even while committed to you. If you have faith, you shall be rewarded.
6) Sign the highly rated recruiting class and win championships.

Therein lies the ballad of Eno Benjamin.

 

[Hawknigh]

In recruiting a few things need to happen for you to break through and start landing multiple four star recruits.

1) You need to go to the hotbeds of high school football (Ohio, Texas, Florida).
2) You then need to sell your program to a high profile player (4 or 5 star) in that area.
3) You then encourage that high profile player to speak your Gospel and bring more highly rated recruits to you.
4) You then don't f@$# it up by sending your retarded coaches to keep them in the fold till signing day. Send the bright coaches who know what they are doing.
5) Allow players to visit other schools even while committed to you. If you have faith, you shall be rewarded.
6) Sign the highly rated recruiting class and win championships.

Therein lies the ballad of Eno Benjamin.

Does this staff even want to compete for multiple four-star recruits? They seem to pride themselves on manufacturing NFL players from two- and three-star castaways or oversights.

 

[HuckFinn]

Well said. It seems that the coaches are talking out of both sides of their mouths. BF is criticizing "Ames and Minneapolis," but actually making more early offers.

This was not about how many offers went out early; its about whether those offers will be honored. Iowa says yes to that. Others? We shall see.

And, we have a new "brand" of coaches out on the recruiting trail now. The quality of the next couple of classes will provide some real insight into Iowa's recruiting program and if it has improved.

 

[MoseSchrute]

Does this staff even want to compete for multiple four-star recruits? They seem to pride themselves on manufacturing NFL players from two- and three-star castaways or oversights.

To be fair, it seems like we've taken fewer two-stars over the past couple of years. Maybe I'm wrong, though. I'd still like to get more 4's than what we do.