Boston College Football Recruiting Pitch
by bblaqus on Feb 4, 2012 2:58 PM EST
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PrintThe point of this post is not to defend Spaz, but to seriously consider objectively what ails BC recruiting and how do you fix it. So here is my question. What do you pitch to these 4 and 5 star, heck even 3 star recruits, that choose to play elsewhere? Or is the problem something else...for example, lack of recruiting experience or a limitation on where BC recruits? Let's hear your best pitch.
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Recruiting strategy = Location, Location, Location
BC hasn’t signed players from Texas since Jagodzinski left — 2008 Clyde Lee, Donte Elliott and Ugo Okpara.
Why?
Almost feels like the program is making a concerted effort not to recruit Texas, one of, if not the most important recruiting territory in the country. Are there no Jesuit Catholic high schools with solid football programs in the state? What about Jesuit HS in Dallas?
Spaz’s recruiting classes are becoming less and less varied geographically over the years. This year we pulled in 6 from New Jersey, 3 from Massachusetts, 2 from Virginia, 2 from Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Quebec.
That is a mistake.
BC should be trying to establish relationships with the best Catholic high school football programs nationally, not Northeastern-ly. Look what happens when you establish a pipeline like St. Xavier in Cincinnati — Luke Kuechly, Sean Duggan, Steven Daniels, Nick Larkin and others.
This should be the same blueprint for Jesuit High in Dallas, Don Bosco, Bergen Catholic and other Catholic HS in Florida, Texas the Midwest and the Mid-Atlantic.
Editor, BC Interruption
Well...
one of the first things that I noticed a few years back when I started following BC football was that it appeared that their roster was largely constructed from a few regions, or sub regions is more like it. You should apply for the job.
O’Brien really opened up the Midwest, particularly Cincinnati, with his ties to the area and establishing those relationships. And recruiting is ALL about relationships.
For as much crap as Jags got re: whether he liked recruiting, Jags and Logan did a good job recruiting the Mid-Atlantic and the Southeast, pulling kids out of Maryland (Haden), Virginia (Castonzo) and Florida (Harris, Holloway). I think having a guy like Logan on the staff, with ties to the Carolinas, was good for recruiting.
There doesn’t seem to be any geo focus to Spaz’s recruiting. No method to the madness.
With no strategy combined with having the top 2 kids in the state from CM head to Ohio State = disaster.
Editor, BC Interruption
As for the pitch ...
As ATL noted the other day, BC’s football world is very small. Beat Florida State, Clemson, Maryland, Syracuse, N.C. State and Wake Forest and you are likely in the ACC Championship and have a shot at the BCS / Orange Bowl. The ACC is not the SEC, Big 12 or even the Big Ten. It is a very winnable conference.
Location is important. I’d play up the fact that you’d be spending four of the best years of your life in one of the best cities in the country.
Also academics and Catholicism, if applicable. Getting a degree from a good school after your playing days are over. From this year’s class, Bobby Wolford originally committed to BYU because he liked the honor code / religious aspect, but as a Catholic, was always waiting for an offer from BC. Need to target more guys like this.
The history and tradition of BC football are also important to push. The Flutie Heisman, Matt Ryan, ranked #2 in the country, Art Donovan, big boy bowls in the 1940s, etc.
However, the sales pitch will not be effective if the program also doesn’t take steps to convince the recruit (and his parents) that BC is serious about investing and improving the football program. That starts with surrounding the players with the right coaches, but extends to facilities (an actual practice facility, anyone?), working round the clock to improve attendance (instead of working round the clock to come up with more excuses for attendance) and non-conference scheduling (get amped about BC-Stony Brook in ’13!).
Editor, BC Interruption
As far as negative recruiting goes
BC absolutely must play up the fact that the ACC is a stable football conference when recruiting against UConn, Rutgers, the Big East and even Notre Dame.
Coaches tell recruits whatever they want to hear. Temple coaches were telling them the Owls would be back in the Big East. L’ville coaches telling them they’ll be playing in the Big 12.
Stability is a KEY component to the sales pitch. Even against Notre Dame, where the prospect of continued football independence seems a bit shaky.
Editor, BC Interruption
A Huge Window Of Opportunity Was Missed This Year!
Also BF hit the magic cord…Ya gotta go where the talent is and we missed 2 right under our noses at Catholic Schools and others in Mass!
BC is MIA in Texas, California and other major recruiting grounds?
Remember those 2 incredible back to back plays Nick Larkin made in the OT versus Clemson and saved the game!
That was something!!!
Compare BC’s 2012 class geo distribution to Notre Dame’s 2012 class:
Texas
South Carolina
Illinois
Indiana
Florida
North Carolina
New York
Ohio
Virginia
Washington
California
New Jersey
Nevada
Notre Dame recruits nationally. BC seems to recruiting more and more regionally. Not a good trend.
Editor, BC Interruption
And the Irish pluck 4* DB Elijah Shumate out of NJ and Don Bosco Prep. With BC’s relationship to the Toals and all the Bosco ties, we should be reeling it in with Bosco guys — #1 ranked HS football team in the country.
No reason we shouldn’t be in the living room of every 3* and 4* recruit from Bosco, St. Xavier (Cincinnati), BC High, Catholic Memorial, Jesuit HS (Dallas). We should also be leveraging the school’s relationships with former BC players that went to these schools or have kids that now go there.
Editor, BC Interruption
Look Spaz was tired, coaching is an exhausting job.
Writer at BC Interruption SBN's Boston College Eagles blog
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lmao@Spaz was tired.
You guys wore him out! He reads this stuff.
but...
Mark Blaudschun does. I’m fuggin with you. To be honest, I’m not sure Spaz can read Xs and Os let alone content including the entire alphabet and punctuation.
Spazoo Runs to the Phone Booth Outside of Yawkey
Like Paulie Sorvino in Goodfellas.
Urban Meyer is god damn everywhere!!!!!
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