InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
Next you're gonna talk about how Iowa has bad QB's...
KF and recruiting
- Thread starter Iceman
- Start date
Next you're gonna talk about how Iowa has bad QB's...
HawkGold
Well-Known Member
WE AGREE! Iowa has a very talented team.
HawkGold
Well-Known Member
Check out Wisky's resume this year and get back to us.
Fryowa
Administrator
Micah Hyde is going to Hawaii this year.
haha. Do you or did you ever have teenagers? Did they or do they always seem rational? hey 17 year old kid do you want to go to Miami or Iowa City or Los Angeles?
Two reasons why Iowa doesn't land a ton of big name recruits. As many have pointed out, the program isn't flashy. This isn't just playing style, but alternative uniforms as well. Kids love that stuff. But that's the smaller reason. The really big reason is the combination of demographics and geography. Iowa simply doesn't have a ton of high end HS players in state on an annual basis. So when Iowa goes into a living room, they are rarely recruiting with a "home field" advantage. Not to mention Iowa winters are not fun, especially for players coming from the south which is a bigger deal than some people would like to believe. Location matters. That doesn't mean that Iowa can't possibly ever expect to get a pack of highly rated guys to come here, it's just more of an uphill battle. To overcome that battle, you have to have a couple of things that set you apart as a program/institution and really the only thing Iowa has is their track record of turning guys into pros and turning young men in to grown men. Both of those things are really great things, but those alone haven't led to big returns on the recruiting trial in regards to landing the "big fish."
hawkeyebob62
Well-Known Member
Alabama, Wisconsin and a host of others totally agree.
hawkeyebob62
Well-Known Member
Yeah, you hear recruits say that all the time.
HuckFinn
Well-Known Member
There you go again. Stating solid, factual information will get you nowhere.
HawkPrdatr40
Well-Known Member
I firmly believe and have always believed that KF picks the kids the kids don’t pick us.
HuckFinn
Well-Known Member
Not buying this one, Homer. Iowa has made their living on solid to outstanding defense over the years with KF.
Good grief. Their opponents this year are averaging about 18 points per game, which in the day of the spread offense, makes us look pretty darn good. Take the high scoring OT with Iowa St. out of the scoring column and replace it with something reasonable, and we look even better.
Knight78
Well-Known Member
Micah Hyde was also a QB in high school, and was listed in the recruiting process as a QB. https://iowa.rivals.com/commitments/football/2009
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
Iowa's struggles with recruiting are multi-faceted. That's not to say our recruiting is terrible by any means, but at times has been less than desirable. I do sense an increased urgency and awareness about the importance of recruiting over the last 2-3 cycles, though.
1. Perception. This is easily the biggest barrier. "Iowa is nothing by cornfields and bad smells." "It's the perfect place if you love boredom." "No nightclubs, and the bars are filled with hicks in overalls." Make no mistake, competing programs are more than happy to perpetuate those stereotypes, even if just implicitly.
2. Geography. Pretty self explanatory. Many programs have literally double the amount of population within a 500 mile radius.
3. Lack of commitment to the process. I do think this is improving though. For many years I do feel that the staff was reluctant - almost to the point of willful stubbornness - to "think like a teenager." The best recruiters completely understand the importance of that.
4. Lack of "flash" on the field. Some of this falls back to perception, but you are not going to see a lot of highlight reels on ESPN including big plays from Iowa.
1. Perception. This is easily the biggest barrier. "Iowa is nothing by cornfields and bad smells." "It's the perfect place if you love boredom." "No nightclubs, and the bars are filled with hicks in overalls." Make no mistake, competing programs are more than happy to perpetuate those stereotypes, even if just implicitly.
2. Geography. Pretty self explanatory. Many programs have literally double the amount of population within a 500 mile radius.
3. Lack of commitment to the process. I do think this is improving though. For many years I do feel that the staff was reluctant - almost to the point of willful stubbornness - to "think like a teenager." The best recruiters completely understand the importance of that.
4. Lack of "flash" on the field. Some of this falls back to perception, but you are not going to see a lot of highlight reels on ESPN including big plays from Iowa.
ArvadaHawk
Well-Known Member
developmental programs attract developmental players. in other words, kirks recruiting niche IS the guy that doesn't have the top talent. I firmly believe we could (and i think actually are) attracting higher ranked kids. The issue has been playing the next in line who is mostly mistake free vs someone with more talent but perhaps isn't mistake free. The kids with talent that play 100 miles an hour don't want to wait 3 seasons to play 2.
Howler
Well-Known Member
Pretty simple actually, and I understand why no one feels comfortable saying it.
The University of Iowa is pretty white, and for a black recruit coming from a mostly black area, there may be some comfort and cultural issues. That's fairly typical. Even the football and basketball teams tend to be a majority white.
I'm not saying this is the reason, but I'm guessing it might be a reason.
The University of Iowa is pretty white, and for a black recruit coming from a mostly black area, there may be some comfort and cultural issues. That's fairly typical. Even the football and basketball teams tend to be a majority white.
I'm not saying this is the reason, but I'm guessing it might be a reason.
I think this is probably one of the most interesting points that I hadn't thought of. But I don't look at it as necessarily about the University of Iowa having a small black population, but more so about the surrounding community of Iowa City and the area around it having a mainly white population. The University of Alabama and University of Georgia for examples have the same or higher percentage of students that are white. Now I have never been to Tuscaloosa, Alabama or Athens, Georgia but I imagine they have more diverse populations than Iowa City, Iowa does so I think what you said does have an effect.
Some blacks see Iowa City as a way to get "out of" the type of culture they were raised in...violent, more dysfunctional...this would be a selling point...although one dare not mention it, I would guess.
I wonder how much "street vendors" continue to play in where a talented junior high or high school player ends up playing. There is a huge amount of cash in college sports, it isn't an educational entity anymore. "Street vendors" make relationships with young players and families and are paid in cash by schools who want the best athletes who are willing to "sell their wares" to them. I would guess this is quite common, and is something the NCAA and others who benefit from the system don't want to acknowledge or investigate...who wants to ruin the party???
So, if you are a somewhat above board coach, we assume Kirk to be, you will be outside the "street vendors" network of influence. If you want to play the game...you pay...and get early access to the best athletes and lock them up.
2*-3* athletes and late bloomers haven't been hawked by the "street vendors" and are often where programs like Iowa need to recruit.
When you are talking billions of dollars in the system...such things will happen...and without investigative authority...it goes on...perhaps self policed by coaches reporting it...but otherwise...it is what it is...little motivation to change it.
Louisville BB and the sewer that sustains it...is case in point...the tip of the iceberg that no one wants to take a look at...most of the time.
Plus...KF football is boring for talented WRs...that can't be overlooked or underestimated.
Recruiting seems to be more of a priority now...it takes work...work is hard...
My two cents...
I wonder how much "street vendors" continue to play in where a talented junior high or high school player ends up playing. There is a huge amount of cash in college sports, it isn't an educational entity anymore. "Street vendors" make relationships with young players and families and are paid in cash by schools who want the best athletes who are willing to "sell their wares" to them. I would guess this is quite common, and is something the NCAA and others who benefit from the system don't want to acknowledge or investigate...who wants to ruin the party???
So, if you are a somewhat above board coach, we assume Kirk to be, you will be outside the "street vendors" network of influence. If you want to play the game...you pay...and get early access to the best athletes and lock them up.
2*-3* athletes and late bloomers haven't been hawked by the "street vendors" and are often where programs like Iowa need to recruit.
When you are talking billions of dollars in the system...such things will happen...and without investigative authority...it goes on...perhaps self policed by coaches reporting it...but otherwise...it is what it is...little motivation to change it.
Louisville BB and the sewer that sustains it...is case in point...the tip of the iceberg that no one wants to take a look at...most of the time.
Plus...KF football is boring for talented WRs...that can't be overlooked or underestimated.
Recruiting seems to be more of a priority now...it takes work...work is hard...
My two cents...
I've said it on here before. I think after 2005 when he had a #11 class (Rivals) and a decent class in 06 (38th) and then had off the field troubles in 07, 08, 09. He was reluctant to take a chance on some marginal student athletes with talent and defaulted to; "let's get a quality kid and develop him". Pure speculation, I admit, but my theory anyway.
ArvadaHawk
Well-Known Member
folks, Iowa has black, white and brown developmental players. race has nothing to do with it. the 2 to 3 years it takes to "become the next in line" does have plenty to do with it.
