2008 Recruits

[jacksfaninne]

Re: 2008 Recruits

IMO what the coaches and Tom Osborne are telling kids to come there and walk on is boardline wrong as far as ethics. Only in Nebraska would giving up a full ride and probably playing for at least 2 or 3 years, and instead walking on, paying full price and never play or maybe play 1 year make sense to anyone.

SDSU is sitting in a great spot to pick off a bunch of these transfers, considering they don't have to sit out a year. Especially the ones Stig and boys have already recruited. They will remember them and I can't wait to chuckle when kids figure out just how much BS was tossed their way every year on Feb. 06th from Osborne and Bo.

That's the way Osborne ran it all the years he was head coach. I've heard him and several former players talk about the walk-on program a lot in recent weeks. I don't buy that it's unethical. Osborne and the players consistently say that nothing is promised, whether you're a walk on or on full scholarship. You have to earn everything you get in the program. That's why a lot of the former players say that the walk on program was the heart and soul of the football program under Osborne. Former players -- most who were on scholarship -- say that when they came into camp and saw how hard the walk ons worked and how dedicated they were to the program, they were almost embarrassed into making sure they worked even harder. They all say the deemphasizing of the walk on program by Callahan was a huge reason the program lost its heart. I guess it remains to be seen whether rebuilding the walk on program will bring back success.

This columnist tries to explain it. This kind of sums it up:

"Bottom line: The walk-on program gives the Huskers a unique edge — an advantage warm-weather schools in highly populated areas lack. That’s integral for dear old NU. So, recruit a bunch of Joel Makovickas and Derrie Nelsons and John Parrellas and Adam Treus, and have their ungodly energy and want-to rub off on those megastar scholarship recruits. It’s a proven formula.

But here’s a key: Treat all the players the same, scholarship or no scholarship, like Nebraska used to do."

Heck, I think we'd like to see the Jackrabbit football program reach a point someday where players would turn down a scholarship somewhere to walk on with us. Sounds like it's already happening with the three blue shirts we picked up. According to Terry V., all three had scholarship offers elsewhere.

[JimmyJack]

Re: 2008 Recruits

That's the way Osborne ran it all the years he was head coach. I've heard him and several former players talk about the walk-on program a lot in recent weeks. I don't buy that it's unethical. Osborne and the players consistently say that nothing is promised, whether you're a walk on or on full scholarship. You have to earn everything you get in the program. That's why a lot of the former players say that the walk on program was the heart and soul of the football program under Osborne. Former players -- most who were on scholarship -- say that when they came into camp and saw how hard the walk ons worked and how dedicated they were to the program, they were almost embarrassed into making sure they worked even harder. They all say the deemphasizing of the walk on program by Callahan was a huge reason the program lost its heart. I guess it remains to be seen whether rebuilding the walk on program will bring back success.

This columnist tries to explain it. This kind of sums it up:

"Bottom line: The walk-on program gives the Huskers a unique edge — an advantage warm-weather schools in highly populated areas lack. That’s integral for dear old NU. So, recruit a bunch of Joel Makovickas and Derrie Nelsons and John Parrellas and Adam Treus, and have their ungodly energy and want-to rub off on those megastar scholarship recruits. It’s a proven formula.

But here’s a key: Treat all the players the same, scholarship or no scholarship, like Nebraska used to do."

Heck, I think we'd like to see the Jackrabbit football program reach a point someday where players would turn down a scholarship somewhere to walk on with us. Sounds like it's already happening with the three blue shirts we picked up. According to Terry V., all three had scholarship offers elsewhere.

You can't fault an 18-year-old for pursuing a dream to play for Nebraska. If it doesn't work out, there will be plenty of opportunities for those kids to get their educations and play football somewhere.

[propar80]

Re: 2008 Recruits

You can't fault an 18-year-old for pursuing a dream to play for Nebraska. If it doesn't work out, there will be plenty of opportunities for those kids to get their educations and play football somewhere.

I'm not faulting the Kids at all for their decision to go after their dream, heck I would hope for nothing less from my kids someday, but I do have to wonder what is being promised or not promised by the athletic dept. down there. I hope I'm wrong, for the student-athletes sake.

Go Jacks!!

[collegewatcher]

Re: 2008 Recruits

I'm not faulting the Kids at all for their decision to go after their dream, heck I would hope for nothing less from my kids someday, but I do have to wonder what is being promised or not promised by the athletic dept. down there. I hope I'm wrong, for the student-athletes sake.

Go Jacks!!

You are wrong. The walk on program at UNL has operated very successfully for years, and I have not seen a whole lot of them transfer to SDSU, or UNO, or anywhere else. I have also not seen any kids claiming they were lied to or led down a primrose path. This year UNL took a few more walk ons than usual because the program had been downsized in recent years and they wanted to get the numbers back up. USD, UNO, and SDSU, and probably others, lost recruits because of this.

Walking on with a program that you love is a very noble thing in my mind. We have had lots of them over the years. Have you wondered what the kids that have come to SDSU as walk ons are "being promised or not promised" by our athletic department? Do you not think that some of these guys could have gone to DSU or DWU and gotten a scholarship and gotten to play more or sooner? It happens at every level, and there is nothing unethical about it, at least not at UNL or SDSU.

[jackrabbit1979]

Re: 2008 Recruits

I think this is in error. From what I understand, the Jackrabbit Guarantee is just that, a gaurantee that the qualified student will get a minimum of $1000 in scholarships from SDSU. If he/she gets a $500 talent scholarship, the Jackrabbit Guarantee will fill in the other $500. If he/she gets $1000 in talent scholarships the Jackrabbit Guarantee is already met and the JG does not have to further fund that student's scholarship. Thus, if a student athlete is awarded $1000 or greater in athletic scholarships, no Jackrabbit Guarantee money will go to that student because the athletic scholarship is paid first.

Secondly, the Deans of the various Colleges are expected to participate heavily in fundraising to pay the Jackrabbit Guarantee for their respective students. If you are an SDSU alumnus you are probably familiar with the fundraising phone calls placed at your Dean's directive. Even the coaches of non-scholarship athletes are probably expected to make some effort to raise Jackrabbit Guarantee funds.

SDSU's Jackrabbit Guarantee was a huge success when it was first announced. It is now a smaller guarantee than USD's Promise Scholarship or NSU's Wolf Pact scholarship. Expect the solicitation calls and letters to heat up as SDSU has to play catch-up with the competing schools.

It's not in error. The JG money that athletes get comes from the University, and then their athletic dollars and scholarship add on top of that amount. Same with any other academic scholarship that student athletes might get like Jack JD noted with his example. I do think though, that even though the money is not coming from the Athletic Department or a specific team, that scholarship is still counted against the number they can award. It just saves the team and AD some money in their scholarship budget.

And the JG is still a huge success. It's attracting more students then ever and was the mold that all the other scholarship programs like it were formed from. It just so happens that SDSU hasn't had to increase its award yet, like USD and NSU have, to attract the students the university needs.

[propar80]

Re: 2008 Recruits

You are wrong. The walk on program at UNL has operated very successfully for years, and I have not seen a whole lot of them transfer to SDSU, or UNO, or anywhere else. I have also not seen any kids claiming they were lied to or led down a primrose path. This year UNL took a few more walk ons than usual because the program had been downsized in recent years and they wanted to get the numbers back up. USD, UNO, and SDSU, and probably others, lost recruits because of this.

Walking on with a program that you love is a very noble thing in my mind. We have had lots of them over the years. Have you wondered what the kids that have come to SDSU as walk ons are "being promised or not promised" by our athletic department? Do you not think that some of these guys could have gone to DSU or DWU and gotten a scholarship and gotten to play more or sooner? It happens at every level, and there is nothing unethical about it, at least not at UNL or SDSU.

I'll concede that I'm wrong, and I'll just wait and hope you're right.

Go Jacks!!

[BTownJack]

Re: 2008 Recruits

I believe the Jackrabbit Guarantee, guarantees $1000 to all students meeting this criteria. If the student is receiving $1000 dollars (or more) from somewhere else, they won't get the $1000 from the Jackrabbit Guarantee pot.

For example a student gets a $2,000 academic scholarship from his/her college (ie engineering, arts & sciences, etc.) This student also meets the requirements for the JG....this student would only receive the $2,000 not the extra $1,000 from the JG.

This is correct when talking stictly about academic scholarships. When combined with athletic dollars though it is in addition to their academic money.

[joeboo22]

Re: 2008 Recruits

I'll concede that I'm wrong, and I'll just wait and hope you're right.

Go Jacks!!

It doesn't matter I still think something is wrong when they are inviting way over the amount that can participate..... I'm all for a strong walk-on program but when you are inviting 140 kids to fall camp something has to give...... Its not NAIA football, its D-I, there recruiting class was top-25 and yet they invite 40+ kids to walk on..... Somethings has to break.... How can you even give a preferred walk on to that many kids when you know over half of them CAN'T make the team even if you want them to......

[Jacks#1Fan]

Re: 2008 Recruits

All that "walk-on" means is that the school is not going to offer you a scholarship to come there, but will allow you to try to make the team. If a player believes he/she can successfully compete to get on the team, regardless of who they are competing with for spots, then I say they get a chance to live their dream.

I don't like it when we lose somebody to UNL in those circumstances, but the wise thing is for the coaching staff to leave that walk-on in a positive way that says, if things don't work out, we're always there for you.

Walking-on is not for everybody and a number of our recruits decided to accept a scholarship from us as opposed to an offer to walk-on for a larger program. And several have opted to walk-on with us instead of taking a scholarship from a smaller program. And some walk-ons DO realize their dreams.

[collegewatcher]

Re: 2008 Recruits

It was interesting that the coach down I-29 complained about UNL walk ons, but I have not heard any of our coaches do that. Nice to see Stig taking the high road on this, as he always does. Over the years we have also lost guys to Iowa, Iowa State, and Minnesota and their more limited walk on programs. It happens all the time.

[JackJD]

Re: 2008 Recruits

If we are not losing recruits to Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska, then we are not talking to the right kids. [The other day, Coach Bohl at NDSU made this basic point when asked about losing recruits to other schools...he worded it better than I did when he said something like the following: if we get all the recruits we're after, then we're not after the right recruits.]

So, we're going after the right guys and we're getting most of them but we won't always get all of them.

[BTownJack]

Re: 2008 Recruits

The other day, Coach Bohl at NDSU made this basic point when asked about losing recruits to other schools...he worded it better than I did when he said something like the following: if we get all the recruits we're after, then we're not after the right recruits.

That is a great quote...you've got to try, and try really hard, with these type of kids that could go higher.

[NDSUstudent]

Re: 2008 Recruits

I wouldn't worry about it. We didn't get everyone we wanted to but hey that's football. Both of our coaches know what they are doing and they take the best approach possible in every situation. I know wins mean A LOT for determining a good coach but our programs have great coaches not just good. It is the things like losing recruits, losing games, or something else when the real character of a coach comes through. Our programs will be dominate for years to come. No worries.

[Jack4Life]

Re: 2008 Recruits

Has anyone heard if we had any late letters come in? Are the coaches still out trying to find someone that may have fallen through the cracks?

[BTownJack]

Re: 2008 Recruits

Has anyone heard if we had any late letters come in? Are the coaches still out trying to find someone that may have fallen through the cracks?

This was a snippet in Terry's blog of the Men's BB game last night:

Since you can’t get enough football recruiting news, the phones were ringing off the hook today inside the HPER. Kids, prep coaches and college coaches were all calling to offer tips on who is still available. Keep in mind SDSU played only one true freshman last year (Cole Brode) and he wasn’t locked up until after National Signing Day.

(read more)