A.J. Dillon is just the latest Massachusetts star to take his talents elsewhere. The state's top-rated prospect verballed to Michigan Monday. Surprisingly this didn't generate the usual hand wringing among some fans. I don't know if people are resigned to lowly recruiting or if the rumors of Dillon being overrated calmed fears. But Dillon did have a BC offer and he did decide to leave. When that happens, it undermines Addazio's goal of building a wall around New England. I don't really care about "walls." What I want is for Addazio and his staff to use New England proximity to make better evaluations.
When was the last time a Massachusetts prospect who spurned BC really became a game changer for someone else? In general, even going back to the TOB days, if gossip got out that a guy was overrated, he usually doesn't amount to much elsewhere. I don't mind losing Dillon if Addazio wasn't high on him. The key to local recruiting is having better evaluations than teams from outside the region.
The idea of a wall plays well with fans, but who cares if guys leave the area? It works both ways. We get players from outside New England. Wanting to go somewhere new is natural for many 18-year-olds. I wish Dillon the best in Michigan, but I have a feeling we are not going to miss him. While he's done a lot to have me question aspects of his program, I am still going to trust Addazio on player evaluations.
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I'm a New England guy.... But If past experience is any indication, I would take a 3* player from NJ or OH over a 4* player from Mass any day and twice on Sundays.
Dillon was never coming to BC. Overrated or not, I think many felt he was bound for ND because of family ties, thus the muted reaction.
If there is a Mass guy to be upset about, it's Blake Gallagher who was an early verbal to Northwestern. Addazio will do fine in New England this year as he is in good position with a number of solid guys. He'll never get 100% of the offered guys from New England, and to date, has done well recruiting the area (over his first few years).
From a macro perspective, Massachusetts isn't as good this year as in years past. After Dillon and Gallagher, there is a major drop off. There is quite a bit of talent in CT this year, where Addazio is in good position (the guys from Cheshire Academy, Ben Mason from Newtown, Stueber from Darien).
One example of why BC needs football (or why we need to reinstate the draft) - not meant as a political endorsement of anybody - thank God the Cold War is over because I don't think our youth would be up to facing the Russians: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3506491/Emory-president-Students-scared-Trump-2016-chalk-signs.html
The only funny thing about that is to realize there is a big enough noodle out there who bothered to take the time in the middle of the night to write all of that in chalk all over the campus. I suspect his motivations were anything but political.
The Hispanic and black kids at Emory were so traumatized by the pro Trump chalk they needed safe zones. Pathetic.
ATL
Player evaluation is the key. We swim in the 3 star sea. So we really need to find the guys who fit the system, wherever they are.
Well said by a fan from a southern bigot state where the legislature just passed a anti- gay law that the gov had to veto to save the state from further embarrassment.
Trump is a bigot. Any attempt to chalk his name all over is an attempt to intimidate and agree with his evil ideas. Maybe it was overreaction from students, but then you are probably neither black nor Hispanic and have never been the object of acorn because of your race or national origin.
Please stay in our southern hate space and leave us alone.
We have enough fights on here just over BC sports, how about we keep it to that. I feel my BC sports safe space has been violated!
Oh God, Joseph. That bill was far from being bigoted or anti-gay, but way to spout the typical liberal talking points. Being an annoying apologist troll was bad enough.
You had a similar argument that it wouldn't hurt BC to lose Arthur Lynch. Would he have made a difference in those terrible seasons? Who knows? But the fact is is that he was first team SEC tight end. That hurts.
OP is making excuses again. Recruiting misses never matter - but you add it all up it ends with a roster of sub par players.
He conveniently overlooks the fact that strong programs get more than their share from their turf. Put differently no top 25 program sucks locally but offsets by getting outside recruits.
Bottom line is that Adazzio wanted him, he's from our back yard and we couldn't get him.
"If you build it, they will come". It worked for the Field of Dreams. Addazio can't build it whether it's a wall like Trump or a program. So, why should the recruits want to come? Bates can't build it either. BC is in real bad shape with a five year thirteen million dollar "white elephant".
"Blogger Georgia Eagle said...
The Hispanic and black kids at Emory were so traumatized by the pro Trump chalk they needed safe zones. Pathetic."
From the Governor of georgia"ycott the state if Deal signed the law.
“Georgia is a welcoming state. It is full of loving, kind and generous people. And that is what we should want,” Deal said during a press conference. “I intend to do my part to keep it that way. For that reason, I will veto House Bill 757.”
The bill would have prevented the government from taking action against organizations or people with “a sincerely held religious belief regarding lawful marriage between... a man and a woman.” It would have opened the door to all kinds of discrimination against same-sex couples. A state-contracted counselor, for example, could refuse to provide services to people in a same-sex marriage. Taxpayer-funded adoption and foster care agencies could refuse to place children in their homes. Government employees, a la Kim Davis, could refuse to file official forms for same-sex couples"
The original crap from the bigot had no place on this site. It is possible that recruits could see this bigotry and refuse to consider BC. If Bravebill likes bigotry more to one of those places that constantly tries to make laws condoning it.
This is when the administrator should delete off-topic comments.
Keep it to sports, maybe? Feel the Bern elsewhere.
Anyway, we have a 4 (pf) transfer coming in. That'll do it.
This is a sports blog. Many of us come here to escape the extremism and division of our country. Here, we are united by our love for BC sports. Speaking of that, how about Flutie, BC's all-time greatest ambassador, on DWTS? I am so fortunate to be old enough the remember BC's only Heisman Trophy winner.
EB
i just saw a clip of him on ESPN, it was embarrassing. I love the guy, but I think he's pulling a BC ACC approach w/ this thing. Just showing up for the dough.
Keep trolling Joseph.
Have heard many discussions about recruiting , but the bothersome part of Addazio is the number of transfers that he is continuing to bring into the program. That to me is more disturbing than the 3 /4 star argument. This year , it is another quarterback from Kentucky , an offensive lineman from Eastern Illinois , a fifth year transfer kicker and at least rumors of trying to get a transfer running back. They also appeared to have missed on recruiting an O-Lineman out of URI. That continuing trend is to me an indication that you are not "Getting it Done" on the recruiting trail. And please do not blame everything on the lack of facilities - Tom O'Brien recruited well and his recruiting of great offensive linemen led to the deserved moniker of "O" U. Despite this "Perceived" lack of quality recruiting , they should do very well this year due to the fairly "Soft Schedule" - Wagner - buffalo etc.
G
I'm a big backer of TOB, but Oline u preceded him by quite a bit. As to the transfers, if u have a need fill it. FSU did it last year at QB, Auburn did it w/ Can Newton, Wisc. w/ Wilson. I could go on and on, but u get the idea, if these programs, far superior to us can do it why not us?
Because for those programs, 5th year transfers are the exception rather than the rule. And BTW, nobody of Russell Wilson or Cam Newton's caliber is looking at BC. Dumb argument
Every year the AJC publishes a list of top 100 high school Georgia athletes and where they committed. To the best of my knowledge, only once has BC recruited ( Willis?) any. Assuming academic eligibility, you would think a few of these kids would like to get out of the South and be virtual superstars at a rebuilding program like ours. Do our coaches even try to recruit down here?
Every year the AJC publishes a list of top 100 high school Georgia athletes and where they committed. To the best of my knowledge, only once has BC recruited ( Willis?) any. Assuming academic eligibility, you would think a few of these kids would like to get out of the South and be virtual superstars at a rebuilding program like ours. Do our coaches even try to recruit down here?
Georgia Eagle - We have made offers to 12 kids in Georgia. One has committed to Clemson, the rest are undecided. If you go to the EA web site you can use their Recruit Search & Database function under the football tab and search for kids with BC offers in specific states. Its also an interesting tool to see who is out there by state if you elect not to specify a school and just look for kids with offers.
Thanks, Nap for the information. Very useful. Forgive my ignorance but what I don't understand is why wouldn't a three or four star Georgia kid see the opportunity of starring on a down in the dumps team like BC rather than be burried on the bench at UGA or Clemson?
GaEagle, this would require a longer answer than I'm willing to type, but the short of it...
BC has no cache here. Kids want to play at a pedigree program. That's the SEC and CU/FSU. Kids want their parents to see them play every Saturday. Good luck anywhere outside of Atlanta-getting those guys qualified, um, no. BC has pulled three or four guys out of two of the best private schools here. Kids grow up with this overwhelming buzz about the SEC 365/24. You know this. Plus, the elite guys want to play in the NFL. They feel that's easier with these programs. There just really is no comparison program-wise between BC and college football here. Anyway, BC has to win consistently over many yrs for this to change.
I agree with CT. Not totally sure of this but I bet the core curriculum requirements at BC also present something of a hurdle for some of these kids. Don't forget we do not offer a PE major (or other majors similarly designed for athletes at places in the SEC). Now you and I know that there are a sufficient number of low demand majors at BC for these kids - but they don't know that. So its a tough sell for our recruiters and requires us to focus on kids from good schools who have a little more on the ball and see the big picture. Therefore, its important for us to pay special attention to the RC high schools and the other private schools in the football states where you have a greater chance of finding kids interested in a broader experience with parents who feel similarly. When guys like Washington bring in a kid from a major public high school in these areas its really quite an achievement.
Well said, gentleman. Look no further than how GT struggles in the recruiting wars, and I'm quite sure they already have lowered the academic bar.
ccw
what's dumb is not playing the best guys you can get.
No Hoib. What's dumb is not having a plan to not have to resort to the 5th year transfer market to get the most valuable player on your team. You act like this is a repeatable recipe for success. Show me another successful program that's playing it's 2nd 5th year transfer in 4 years at QB.
Pretty esoteric question. We certainly won't become a successful program by losing more games. That's what happens when you don't play your best guys. Ala. won the title last year w/ a transfer. You seem the only guy on here knocking Daz for reacting to last years disaster w/ whole sale changes. Let's see how the season plays out and then we'll see if it was a mistake to bring in 5th yrs.
ccw
w/o even looking I stumbled upon a top program going back to back w/ transfers. Oregon. It's a big part of how it's done these days IMO. In your opinion what Oregon is doing is dumb.
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