Ross announcement coming this weekend...

[ShadasRevenge]

Perhaps you would enlighten me on what we should be talking about on this August evening when absolutely nothing Hawkeye related is going on except this.

I'm not calling anyone out, I just find it somewhat comical. Between this and off-topic, there are 4 different threads about it. In the end, the kid is going to do what he thinks is best for his future.

 

[SheagleHawk]

Lazard tweeting big news tomorrow. Apparently friends with Ross. Not sounding good. If he flips I won't blame him, buts it's yet more chitty news involving Iowa football. Which is getting quite old.

 

[fsanford]

Lazard tweeting big news tomorrow. Apparently friends with Ross. Not sounding good. If he flips I won't blame him, buts it's yet more chitty news involving Iowa football. Which is getting quite old.

I am guessing Lazard is just having some fun with Iowa fan's emotions right now. He could very well know, but the big news could be Ross spurns the most successful football program in the country to stay at Iowa. A pretty cryptic message really.

 

[NeilDiamond]

This is a total you know what measuring contest. Makes no diff if this kid comes to Iowa as they will always have great OL guys. This recruiting has gotten to be a sick thing. What is this teenager going to deal with if he does not choose the home school?

 

[HerkeyHawk]

 

[BigD]

I hope he stays on board with us as he could be a PART of the resurgence of the Iowa offense and send a message to BAMA......up yours I'm a hawkeye!!! I want to think the one tweet from a source possibly related to his high school's AD that that indicates he still is leaning Iowa's way. The AD I am sure is in touch with his parents and coaches and I am sure touched bases with them right after his visit to BAMA. I know I am using that same logic I used when saying Woodbury would go with the HAWKS and I hope it works out this way again.

 

[theboat]

This is why I don't follow recruiting.

 

[whammer33024]

I don't want to lose anybody. If Kirk can't keep a top kid in the state, that grew up an Iowa fan, and plays the position Iowa routinely sends to the NFL, then the state of the program is worse off than everybody thinks.

i think you're being overly dramatic here. the girl in high school you've always wanted to date comes calling, of coure you're going to be excited and commit to her. but then jessica alba(or any other ridiculously attractive famous chick) comes calling and all of the sudden you're questioning your commitment. its not that ridiculous of a scenario and it doesn't really have all that much to do with the state of the program. it has everything to do with the state of the alabama program.

i understand he's from iowa, grew up an iowa fan and the iowa program is on the downswing right now...but the kid still committed to iowa. that says a lot. now that THE program has come calling, its completely understandable he's on the fence. when the biggest football dynasty comes calling you at least listen if not join.

can't blame kirk or iowa for this one. blame alabama for winning national championships all the time

 

[hawkdrummer1]

Exactly. Look at last year. We lost two starting o-lineman and the next 2 dudes came in and it was like nothing changed.

Yeah, we still sucked.

I don't care what position the guy is, you want a player of his caliber.

 

[JonDMiller]

Iowa definitely wants him and getting him is far better than not. I agree with the notion that losing him is a perception hit that Kirk and Co don't need right about now.

All this said, if he 'chooses' Iowa again this weekend, and Iowa goes 4-8, we'll go through this again in the winter. Perhaps the only logical reason I would advise him to commit right now, since he is torn, would be so that he had a ride if he gets hurt this season. He doesn't appear to be ready to make up his mind and there is NOTHING wrong with that.

But I would say this isn't the end of the line even if he does commit

 

[PackHawk]

All this hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing over where a 17 (18?) year old kid decides to go to school. Maybe when he does make a decision, there can be 5 different threads about at the same time, because merging them into one thread would be too easy.

Don't be so dense. People care because big time recruits can make programs. This isn't creepy or comical, it's fans caring about whether or not a good player joins the team or not. Simple as that.

 

[Clark]

Don't be so dense. People care because big time recruits can make programs. This isn't creepy or comical, it's fans caring about whether or not a good player joins the team or not. Simple as that.

Big time quarterback recruits can make programs. I hope Ross chooses Iowa and I believe he'll be a future pro but he's not making or breaking Iowa.

 

[HawkIMalaise]

18 year olds are easily impressed. Saban walks and talks like he has a 10" tool. He carries himself in a way few coaches do and it is reflected in the success of the Alabama program. Call him an *******, cocky, a *****, facts are facts. If we lose a lifetime in state hawkeye fan to Alabama, it speaks volumes about Kirk consistent inability to keep top talent at home. This is what separates him from all of his peers in the same salary range. Kirk acts like Mary has his balls in her purse all the time. Saban not so much.

 

[trj]

Lets face it guys, this isn't about position of need at all. Like others have said, Iowa can easily reload on OL. It's one of the positions Iowa loads up on. No, this is not about need, it's about perception. This is about Iowa keeping their #1 prospect. It's about the coaching staff showing that even in low times they can still bring in top talent, especially in-state talent. It's about the perception between Iowa and ISU. One program has momentum, one is stuck in the mud. One program not only has convinced their top target to ignore the big guys, but they convinced him to become their lead recruiter. The other program has a top recruit that has a stiffy for the other guys. If Ross bolts, recruiting wise we will still be OK. However the damage to perception will not fade so easily.

Are you actually buying into that?

 

[imported_ankle23]

Big time quarterback recruits can make programs. I hope Ross chooses Iowa and I believe he'll be a future pro but he's not making or breaking Iowa.

of course no one player makes or breaks a program. RP could come to Iowa and have an injury prone career. But if you are saying that guys like Bulaga, Reiff, etc are a dime a dozen (like people seem to insinuate when talking about OL and Iowa in these threads) and don't make the difference that a skill player makes, I think that is crazy talk.

Just look at what happened with Iowa last year when the two starting OTs went down for the year. You might have a star RB, but without a hole, he's going nowhere. Flip side, if you have a monster OL, a true freshman and redshirt freshman can look like stars, even if one is constantly self-medicating, and the other is banging everything in sight.

 

[NCHawker]

Ya, Iowa can reload..... because Iowa's OLines have been sooooo stout...take a look at how well Iowa has stacked up in rushing yards among Big Ten teams over the last 20 years. Hawks definately need all the help they can get.

 

[trj]

of course no one player makes or breaks a program. RP could come to Iowa and have an injury prone career. But if you are saying that guys like Bulaga, Reiff, etc are a dime a dozen (like people seem to insinuate when talking about OL and Iowa in these threads) and don't make the difference that a skill player makes, I think that is crazy talk.

Just look at what happened with Iowa last year when the two starting OTs went down for the year. You might have a star RB, but without a hole, he's going nowhere. Flip side, if you have a monster OL, a true freshman and redshirt freshman can look like stars, even if one is constantly self-medicating, and the other is banging everything in sight.

lose 6 straight because 2 starting OL went down or because bullock/weisman weren't healthy for a good chunk of the season?

 

[HoundGuy]

I'm sorry, at this point his choice, his word, means nothing. He supposedly already chose.
Yet he kept looking, and now he is going to choose again?
Until he signs the LOI, it means nothing except the kid wants some spotlight...some more spotlight, I should say.

 

[hwk23]

of course no one player makes or breaks a program. RP could come to Iowa and have an injury prone career. But if you are saying that guys like Bulaga, Reiff, etc are a dime a dozen (like people seem to insinuate when talking about OL and Iowa in these threads) and don't make the difference that a skill player makes, I think that is crazy talk.

Just look at what happened with Iowa last year when the two starting OTs went down for the year. You might have a star RB, but without a hole, he's going nowhere. Flip side, if you have a monster OL, a true freshman and redshirt freshman can look like stars, even if one is constantly self-medicating, and the other is banging everything in sight.

I agree with you here. I think the last 4 star skill player we got (that stayed thru his SR year) was Keenan Davis and he wasn't exactly a huge difference maker. True last year wasn't his fault but he did drop a lot of balls, so he contributed to the fiasco. I think we have far better results with 4 star OL on average.

 

[ShadasRevenge]

Don't be so dense. People care because big time recruits can make programs. This isn't creepy or comical, it's fans caring about whether or not a good player joins the team or not. Simple as that.

Maybe "creepy" is the wrong word, but I think a lot of 30+ year olds (which is this boards key demo) are spending WAY too much time thinking about where this kids goes to college.