Hilliard Announces Top 5

[thejumper5]

It's not looking good for Iowa. Here are some recent quotes from Hilliard:

I'm glad the process is ending because it's time for me to be a recruiter. I'm excited to go out and get a class together that will hopefully be a top-three class nationally.

Where ever I end up I believe we'll have the number one class in the country.

[h=1]Five-Star Linebacker Justin Hilliard Reflects on Recruitment[/h]

 

[hoffahawk]

It's not looking good for Iowa. Here are some recent quotes from Hilliard:





Five-Star Linebacker Justin Hilliard Reflects on Recruitment

Yep, to OSU he goes.

 

[drew003]

I think he's been down to OSU and ND for quite some time. Shortly after he announced his Top 5 - he said two were the leaders.

I don't quite understand why every blue-chip thinks he has to play at a blue blood program. If the goal is the NFL, the NFL will find you. Plus, you get plenty a publicity at Iowa. And often times our depth chart is more amenable to early playing time, which leads to quick development.

But I'm the one that must be out of touch, because every true blue chip recruit since about 2005 has turned us down. I don't think we have landed a Rivals Top 100 player since Christian Ballard or Jeremiah Hunter.

 

[PCHawk]

It's not looking good for Iowa. Here are some recent quotes from Hilliard:





[h=1]Five-Star Linebacker Justin Hilliard Reflects on Recruitment[/h]

Maybe he's just extremely confident in his recruiting abilities.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

Yea the OSU boards are in a gloating frenzy.... This sucks. If he was a Buckeye fan all growing up and he wants to stay close to home it's hard to trump that with all OSU brings with it. But I figured if there ever was a snow balls chance Iowa could land a kid like him this was it. Oh well maybe he'll tweet something tomorrow more favorable to Iowa. Maybe something like "can't wait to be roomys with my brother".... Hey a guy can dream right?

Edit.... Allow me to get our hopes up....
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ampaign=iowa-hawkeyes-football?is_shared=true

 

[thejumper5]

I think he's been down to OSU and ND for quite some time. Shortly after he announced his Top 5 - he said two were the leaders.

I don't quite understand why every blue-chip thinks he has to play at a blue blood program. If the goal is the NFL, the NFL will find you. Plus, you get plenty a publicity at Iowa. And often times our depth chart is more amenable to early playing time, which leads to quick development.

But I'm the one that must be out of touch, because every true blue chip recruit since about 2005 has turned us down. I don't think we have landed a Rivals Top 100 player since Christian Ballard or Jeremiah Hunter.

Just double checked. Bulaga was actually the last one in '07. 8 straight classes without a top-100 player. Crazy.

 

[imported_ankle23]

Just double checked. Bulaga was actually the last one in '07. 8 straight classes without a top-100 player. Crazy.

iowa getting a top 100 player is amazing enough. think of all the premier programs in this country - heck, just in our conference. for iowa to get one of them - the stars have to be in the right alignment.

 

[22hawkeyes]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...om&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=tsandroid

 

[thejumper5]

iowa getting a top 100 player is amazing enough. think of all the premier programs in this country - heck, just in our conference. for iowa to get one of them - the stars have to be in the right alignment.

I don't know if I agree with that. Iowa went on a 4-year run ('04-'07) in which they landed a top 100 player each year. Since then, the Hawkeyes have been unable to land those top tier recruits. There are dozens of reasons why the change might have happened.

 

[thejumper5]

I don't know if I agree with that. Iowa went on a 4-year run ('04-'07) in which they landed a top 100 player each year. Since then, the Hawkeyes have been unable to land those top tier recruits. There are dozens of reasons why the change might have happened.

Just to follow up--If you count Matt Roth and Brandon Larsen, Iowa landed a top-100 player in 6 of Ferentz's first 8 (full) recruiting classes. If we assume that Hilliard goes elsewhere, Iowa will likely go 0 for the last 8 years. It would be really interesting to look at what happened following the '07 class to see that change.

 

[imported_ankle23]

I don't know if I agree with that. Iowa went on a 4-year run ('04-'07) in which they landed a top 100 player each year. Since then, the Hawkeyes have been unable to land those top tier recruits. There are dozens of reasons why the change might have happened.

just curious who those guys are? bonecrusher smith i assume is one.

a lot of it is proximity and fortune of being 'up' when other programs are down in said proximity. iowa had that during that time period.

 

[thejumper5]

just curious who those guys are? bonecrusher smith i assume is one.

a lot of it is proximity and fortune of being 'up' when other programs are down in said proximity. iowa had that during that time period.

2004: Kyle Williams
2005: Doering, Moeaki, Richardson, Christensen, Bailey
2006: Jeremiha Hunter
2007: Bryan Bulaga

 

[imported_ankle23]

2004: Kyle Williams
2005: Doering, Moeaki, Richardson, Christensen, Bailey
2006: Jeremiha Hunter
2007: Bryan Bulaga

probably a whole new thread on why top 100 recruits don't matter (in the big scheme at iowa) with your response! Out of the 8 you list 2 didn't play a snap, One played marginally in his career, mostly in his senior year, but graduated, one was glorified and did start for a time, but got overtaken by a 2*, two were monster type players who are program definers, and one was a good LB in a long line of pretty good LBs during this regime's tenure.

that being said, the '05 recruits came off the heals of a great iowa program and a definite down spike of schools like ND who recruit heavily the chicago area.

bonecrusher smith (williams) was proximity and who was willing to take a big risk with this guy.

the other person included roth and larsen. both proximity and timing. (iowa and illinois)

stars do need to align. top 100 players in the area and iowa being in a good position to grab them.

 

[drew003]

Our 8 year drought correlates with the rise of social media; wonder if there is any causation. The top recruits all know each other these days through the gazillion of "all-star" camps and through social media. Even a decade ago, kids at most might know a few kids in their area and meet some other top recruits in January All Star games--a month before signing.

Now the top recruits are friends with each, talk with each other social media, and often want to play together. I wonder if the interconnectivity makes it harder for Iowa, as Iowa is never going to get a critical mass of blue chips to commit.

Or maybe I'm thinking too much. 6 of the 8 on Jumper's list are from Chicago--so maybe we can only recruit Top 100 players within 3 hours of campus after multiple Top 10 finishes.

 

[daverhawk]

FWIW, based on offers like Florida St, Standford and Notre Dame, Matt Nelson has to be a top 100 recruit. Guess time will tell.

 

[YWinston]

iowa getting a top 100 player is amazing enough. think of all the premier programs in this country - heck, just in our conference. for iowa to get one of them - the stars have to be in the right alignment.

How many top 100 recruits, on average, come from the Big 10 area? 15? 20 tops?

This year, there are 18, if you include New Jersey and Maryland (which are tentative Big 10 areas at best). If you discount Maryland/DC and New Jersey, it's only 14 in the "classic" Big 10 area (none in the top 25).

Where are these kids committed? Four went south or west, four went to Ohio State, three went to their non-blueblood local school (including Lazard), two went to Notre Dame, and one went to Nebraska.

Only 5 Big 10 teams have a top 100 recruit, and only 2 have more than one. For perspective, 9 SEC teams have a top 100 recruit, and 7 of them have more than one.

 

[PCHawk]

Another thing is if a kid signs with iowa, then blows up his senior year, he will not move into the top 100. Where as if that same kid would have signed with OSU, he would have ended up in the top 100.

 

[thejumper5]

Our 8 year drought correlates with the rise of social media; wonder if there is any causation. The top recruits all know each other these days through the gazillion of "all-star" camps and through social media. Even a decade ago, kids at most might know a few kids in their area and meet some other top recruits in January All Star games--a month before signing.

I think this is a part of it. I think another part of it is the Big Ten being "down" the last 8 years, and I also think that KF and crew made some changes to the way they recruited following the major scandals involving true freshman in '06 and '07 (City Boyz and Everson/Satterfield).

 

[HawkeyeMHA]

Whar city boyz these days?

 

[hoffahawk]

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Jashon Cornell doesn't hesitate when telling the backstory.
You can feel the enthusiasm when he describes how he met Justin Hilliard during an unofficial visit at Iowa two years ago, how they've been friends ever since and how it isn't a coincidence that the two four-star defenders are announcing their college decisions at the same exact time Wednesday morning.

"I believe so," he responded when asked if the two were a package deal. "It isn't a for sure thing yet, but probably."

http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2014/06/itll_be_like_ray_lewis_and_ter.html