Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Can BC's hardline recruiting stance backfire?

Rivals' Justin Rowland posted an interesting article on BC's old school recruiting policy. Rowland points out that in a world of social media and recruits flirting with everyone and wanting to take all their visits, BC's idea of committing and sticking is risky. In his first two classes Addazio only suffered one decommit. Yet watching Danny Dalton walk away this spring and seeing Anthony Brown drag his feet to committing has recruiting analysts and some fans questioning Addazio's aggressive stance.

I have no problem with Addazio wanting commitments to shut their recruiting down. It is aggressive, but it makes sense. All these kids are fickle and young and easily swayed. Hold them down any way you can to Signing Day. Because of who we are, it is easy to negatively recruit against BC. We also offer a very different experience on recruiting visits. Look at how Dalton second-guessed his commitment just based on the thought that Alabama was interested. Imagine if they had offered or he had visited. We sell a solid, proven experience and path. But teenagers can be seduced by the flash.

Some might think Addazio is hypocritical since BC actively recruits kids committed elsewhere. But I also don't fault him on that front. Everyone is doing it. BC needs to also.

As he gets more established and BC adds some new facilities, Addazio might not have to take such a hardline on visits. Until then, he needs to do whatever it takes and protect his recruiting classes.


3 comments:

CT said...

When you says kids can be seduced by the "flash," I worry that sometimes we get too married to the idea that the type of recruit who chooses Alabama over us quite obviously has his priorities mixed up. In some small way it sounds snobbish. In many instances, a kid who comes to BC would fit right in at a perceived football factory and vice versa. Not everyone, obviously, but there are plenty of kids who will never see the field at Alabama who would play at BC and never regret the decision to follow their own solid path, whatever that may be.

Big Jack Krack said...

Speaking of new recruiting realities, how about the disparity in cost of attendance stipends issue? This whole thing makes me sick in many ways. Even the SEC is trying to figure it out. Tennessee can give a recruit $5,666, while Kentucky can only give $2,284 in comparison. This is ridiculous - and I think I read that BC has established its stipend as $1300 through some full cost of tuition calculation.

We're at the bottom of the ACC in stipends - not surprising. This is not good, and just another disadvantage for our coaches on the recruiting trail.

I don't like stipends, but if we must have them, don't give one school a $4,000 advantage over another. It's pitiful how this was voted in.

Big Jack Krack said...

Why aren't these comments registering?