Charles Fischer Administrator No. 1 Share Posted June 6 My Duck-Buddies...this is the time of year where it is fun to ponder and then reflect upon--your own musings. I noticed recently how my time spent keeping up with recruiting has dropped...a ton. I was surprised at myself not knowing anything about the Top-Ten defensive tackle, Tionne Gray, in the Spring Game from the recent 2023 recruiting class. I used to be consumed with recruiting, and now I hardly keep up with who is visiting, who we're recruiting, and now it has spilled off into the actual players after they signed! Why would I do that after 30 years of truly being so deep into it? My theory is that Dan Lanning is recruiting so well, and so deep--that I take an attitude of simply seeing who emerges from the stack of great talent assembled. In the old days--we were in on SO FEW great prospects, that I was watching for everything about that player, and followed his recruitment closely. Now we're in on so many--it is too much to keep up with! Now some would say that I'm spoiled, but that takes a while. I am darned grateful for all the good news we get that at times, seems overwhelming. Yet Dano has set a bar so high--it seems only the real recruiting junkies, or those who do it for a living are truly on top of it all. Now I will continue to follow it, but not to the degree as in the past. Has your time spent following recruiting changed? Come to OREGON! 1 2 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JabbaNoBargain No. 2 Share Posted June 6 This is macro versus micro for me, and mostly because of the portal. I absolutely pay attention to the overall picture and still get excited when we sign a 5 star, but I don’t even pay attention to the players names on the roster until the spring portal closes. With high school recruiting I’m even worse, “blah blah blah 5 star LB blahahblah blah” is what I hear. I've become a dog, only comprehending select words. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marsh No. 3 Share Posted June 6 In truth... I keep an eye on recruiting but I never remember the names. At least not long term. I usually look through and just pick up on generalities. I get excited to know how well we are doing and then hope to see these players make the rotation. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Moderator No. 4 Share Posted June 6 Back in the day, way back, you more or less learned who the newbies were when spring practice started. This was before myriad adults spent hours attaching stars to high school kids. Hours forecasting where the lads were going to play ball. Before an industry was created by adults calling high school kids going steady with a certain coaching staff 'Commits.' But up to a decade or so ago, if a young man signed on with Good Old U, the young man was stuck where he signed unless he was willing to sit out a season after transferring. Now, we have two dates when recruits can sign and 2 dates when recruits can transfer and be immediately eligible. And with players being paid via school-associated NIL collectives, recruiting is a year-round exercise that involves high school recruiting, re-recruiting players you already recruited, and portal picking opportunities. Roster management in college football today is coach crazy-making. And this is before universities will be paying athletes directly, in addition to athletes continuing to market their own NIL. Thus, I follow "recruiting" year-round. Especially knowing that no team without a Blue Chip Roster won a BCS or Playoff CFB title. It's as important to reel them in and keep them in the net as it is to coach them up. For me, it's easy to understand why Nick Saban pulled the plug and why Jim Harbaugh returned to the NFL. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Author Administrator No. 5 Share Posted June 6 I will admit that I pay attention to portal recruits than high school, because of the immediate impact they can make. Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanLduck No. 6 Share Posted June 6 I no longer pay much attention to potential recruits anymore. It's simply a casual observance now to give me something to read about the Ducks in the off-season. We've had huge roster turnover the last few years and so I've decided to wait until August each year to pay much attention to who's who. The portal has changed everything for me. Now, guys I was all excited about transfer out too. So it's wait and see for me. Plus, with Oregon now considered a top destination, every recruit will put us in their top "whatever". So making a top 4 or 5 is like, meh. It's a way to brag. The fact that Lanning & Co. are bringing in so many blue chips is utterly amazing. It's a whole new era in Eugene. Imagine how crazy recruiting will be after we win our first Natty! 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Hilarius Moderator No. 7 Share Posted June 6 I agree @Charles Fischer For me, it’s because in the past there were so few blue-chips interested in OBD, that anyone who had us as a finalist was a big deal. Now we have several blue-chip options at every position, so not much to worry about. And the portal is so fun because there’re all these great players I’ve never heard of. I especially love the transfers from obscure lower division schools. You know if DL and crew want them, they must be badasses. The portal doesn’t have as much hype as HS recruiting and the recruiting periods are way shorter. I often don’t even know someone has entered the portal until they’ve committed. 2 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Hilarius Moderator No. 8 Share Posted June 6 On 6/5/2024 at 7:08 PM, DanLduck said: Plus, with Oregon now considered a top destination, every recruit will put us in their top "whatever". So making a top 4 or 5 is like, meh. It's a way to brag. Great insight! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marsh No. 9 Share Posted June 6 On 6/5/2024 at 6:35 PM, Charles Fischer said: I will admit that I pay attention to portal recruits than high school, because of the immediate impact they can make. Also the name recognition helps. I knew who Dillon Gabriel was before he signed with Oregon. I didn't have to look too hard to find out some stuff about Evan Stewart as his name I didn't know right away. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kamikaze Kid Moderator No. 10 Share Posted June 6 Great points already addressed. I’d just add that Lanning seems to bring in great players that get it done time and again. Whether it’s a five star recruit, portal guy or a Juco kid, they almost always bring impact to the team. With so much successful recruiting, I just trust Dan to get it done. We don’t get them all but we don’t need to. It makes me care less about specific players. When the dust settles, they’ll be ready to compete with the best whoever happens to be on the team. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woundedknees No. 11 Share Posted June 6 I check in as much as ever, however... I have gotten more likely to select a couple sites to monitor (OBD being my primary place of residence), and tend to do less active posting than in my youthful exuberance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Hilarius Moderator No. 12 Share Posted June 6 Think of it this way… If Dante Moore had been a Helfrich recruit, we would have all been in breathless anticipation when he committed. Instead, I was excited about and focused on DG, and DM landed as an incredible bonus. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven A Moderator No. 13 Share Posted June 6 On 6/5/2024 at 7:08 PM, DanLduck said: Plus, with Oregon now considered a top destination, every recruit will put us in their top "whatever". So making a top 4 or 5 is like, meh. It's a way to brag. Agree 100%. I keep up with it, but that doesn't mean I listen to every pod cast or read every article I find. I pick and choose since until signing day, the fat lady hasn't sung and may have to shut up on portal day. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevada Dawg No. 14 Share Posted June 6 Recruiting is a year-round obsession in Athens, GA and will likely remain that way as Kirby Smart recognizes the value of stacking blue chip classes upon each other and developing his charges to fit his system. Little secret: Dan Lanning basically believes this as well. Portal additions tend to be expensive in monetary terms and are always a risk of not being a good culture fit, no matter how talented they otherwise might be. Kirby uses the portal to shore up positions of need, but because he recruits and develops so well, those needs are not extensive. So knowing his philosophy, I am typically well aware of who the very top recruits are in the current year by mid-March and know who Georgia is all in on. And you might be surprised if you are a star gazer how many high-star guys Georgia eliminates from serious consideration for culture fit concerns. Just another perspective on recruiting but I doubt it will ever change drastically as long as Kirby remains in Athens. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Author Administrator No. 15 Share Posted June 6 Ha! Talk about timing! The Athletic was noting the same thing in their surveys... 1 2 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augduck No. 16 Share Posted June 6 I am much more interested in recruiting because it's obvious Dan has a methodology and his BS meter (hope I can say that) is very finely tuned. His predecessors just looked at stars. I get the star gazing but a good recruiter digs in and looks for the little things. Dan said something awhile back that has always resonated with me because it's what I have relied upon for many years in my line of work, building relationships. And to further amplify that, a part of building relationships is listening for what someone DOES not say. I have heard from good sources Dan is 'very astute and in tune' given his youth. He clearly learned well from Nick, Kirby and Mike Norvell. I am sure there are others but those stand out obviously. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevada Dawg No. 17 Share Posted June 6 Yeah, I am not surprised by the survey results Charles posted. And for the fan that tends to obsess about high school recruiting and suffer angst over big "misses", paying little attention to incoming freshman saves a lot of recruiting grief. Having said that, I believe that championship teams are built from the ground up, and that this foundation is the rock on which nattys are built. Sure, a portal addition may be instrumental to helping a very good team improve their playoff stock. But overreliance of such additions, in my humble opinion, are a fool's errand when it comes to grasping brass rings. It could happen very occasionally, but not consistently. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marsh No. 18 Share Posted June 6 On 6/6/2024 at 1:17 PM, Nevada Dawg said: Yeah, I am not surprised by the survey results Charles posted. And for the fan that tends to obsess about high school recruiting and suffer angst over big "misses", paying little attention to incoming freshman saves a lot of recruiting grief. The portal kinda wiped away the pain of those misses. At least for top programs. As those in the top tier can usually get some big players from the portal whereas other teams won't. Granted those lower in the pecking order tend not to get those big recruits anyways. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haywarduck Moderator No. 19 Share Posted June 7 Without news from the weight room, have any records been broken?, freshman/scout team insight, do we even here about those guys anymore?, even real news from the fall camp, does anyone get to watch that actually reports?, it is hard to really sink your teeth into much about our future Ducks. I still remember hearing about a 3 star safety who was recruited, and signed at 16, and an assistant coach talked about him and said just watch this kid. He went on to redshirt, and then on to multiple super bowls. Before that he was second team All-American, started 51 straight games. I just don't get that kind of inside info, nor does it seem does anyone really. It is just star ratings, and too much disappointment. I do pine for the old days, and the Patrick Chungs! I would say it isn't so much that I am not paying attention, it is there isn't any unique news to ponder and wonder if the rumors about this new RB from Texas ripping up practice are true. Is it true the freshman qb from Sheldon throws the best ball the receivers have ever seen. Those kind of rumors just don't get out. I suppose we do get a depth chart, but that really isn't enough to get me going. The star rating system use to get me going, but the success rate is still iffy. Great question, and what I see on the field is about all I really get excited about. There are few I will be watching, but seems there isn't any real good info out there like there use to be. Back in the day, I tell ya! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marsh No. 20 Share Posted June 7 On 6/5/2024 at 10:32 PM, Nevada Dawg said: Recruiting is a year-round obsession in Athens, GA Watching some parts of each fan base makes me think that some fans like recruiting far more than the actual game. For me it feels me going in the off season. But for some all they seem to be interested is how many stars a player has and if they're interested in their team. Recruiting is important to every program but I always feel that is what coaches are getting paid to do so I personally don't try and get too worried about it. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevada Dawg No. 21 Share Posted June 7 Recruiting is fluid and a couple of things I like to see (and often do see) are breakdowns on the strengths and weaknesses of various recruiting targets and information from insiders on what seems to matter with individual recruits /where Georgia stands on these criteria. I follow all recruiting reasonably closely but don't obsess about wins and losses. With big "misses" I've learned the staff usually has a fallback option that is about as talented as the "miss" is. So why worry? Speaking about learning what I can about all recruits I'll ask about redshirt freshman Collin Gill that Georgia pulled out of the portal this afternoon from Oregon. I thought he would be a practice player and probable PWO but subsequently was told he was offered a scholarship. As Georgia did not recruit him out of high school, I am assuming that Kirby talked with Dan Lanning who put in some nice words for the kid. Anybody know any more? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marsh No. 22 Share Posted June 7 On 6/6/2024 at 10:16 PM, Nevada Dawg said: Speaking about learning what I can about all recruits I'll ask about redshirt freshman Collin Gill that Georgia pulled out of the portal this afternoon from Oregon. I thought he would be a practice player and probable PWO but subsequently was told he was offered a scholarship. As Georgia did not recruit him out of high school, I am assuming that Kirby talked with Dan Lanning who put in some nice words for the kid. Anybody know any more? That one was a surprise to me for sure. I assumed that Gill didn't make the rotation for the Ducks defense and that's why he opted to transfer. If that was fully the case then it's hard to imagine Georgia would be his landing spot. Also culturally Oregon and Georgia are going to be fairly similar, so culture rub really couldn't have been the issue. Maybe he wants to be closer to home. He is from Maryland, and Georgia is a LOT closer to Maryland than Oregon. I haven't seen anything that answers the question though. Seems difficult to imagine that Georgia is desperate for a safety, but maybe they are, you'd know better than me. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElPatoUO No. 23 Share Posted June 7 On 6/6/2024 at 10:16 PM, Nevada Dawg said: Speaking about learning what I can about all recruits I'll ask about redshirt freshman Collin Gill that Georgia pulled out of the portal this afternoon from Oregon. I thought he would be a practice player and probable PWO but subsequently was told he was offered a scholarship. As Georgia did not recruit him out of high school, I am assuming that Kirby talked with Dan Lanning who put in some nice words for the kid. Anybody know any more? I am surprised Georgia offered him a scholarship, to be honest. Last year there was some chatter of Gill making a few plays in camp and scrimmages leading up to last season, but there never seemed to be any indication he was on the verge of becoming a contributor. In my opinion, if the Oregon coaches were really high on him, they would have made more of an effort to keep him, rather than bringing in so many transfers to upgrade the secondary. I also think another young secondary player in the same recruiting class (Solomon Davis) may have shown more development than Gill, which could have possibly contributed to Gill moving on. Take all of these things I am saying with a grain of salt though. I don't have any inside info, these are just my thoughts from afar. Gill has always been considered a really good athlete, so it is definitely possible he could flourish at Georgia. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoGaDawg No. 24 Share Posted June 7 On 6/7/2024 at 1:57 AM, David Marsh said: That one was a surprise to me for sure. I assumed that Gill didn't make the rotation for the Ducks defense and that's why he opted to transfer. If that was fully the case then it's hard to imagine Georgia would be his landing spot. Also culturally Oregon and Georgia are going to be fairly similar, so culture rub really couldn't have been the issue. Maybe he wants to be closer to home. He is from Maryland, and Georgia is a LOT closer to Maryland than Oregon. I haven't seen anything that answers the question though. Seems difficult to imagine that Georgia is desperate for a safety, but maybe they are, you'd know better than me. GA has two players at safety that I would consider elite talents. Starks and Bolden. Bolden is a freshman though. Dan Jackson has experience and will likely be a big contributor. The others I’m kinda waiting to see, if I’m remembering correctly not much experience so we will see. So it doesn’t surprise me that GA is interested in picking up a safety. GA must like something about Gill. I’m sure Lanning and Smart have a good relationship so this is likely a good move for GA. One thing about Gill that GA probably likes is his size. No receiver loves the idea of a 220lb safety lurking somewhere in the field. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marsh No. 25 Share Posted June 7 On 6/6/2024 at 11:28 PM, SoGaDawg said: GA must like something about Gill. I’m sure Lanning and Smart have a good relationship so this is likely a good move for GA. One thing about Gill that GA probably likes is his size. No receiver loves the idea of a 220lb safety lurking somewhere in the field. Apparently he was in the Star role at Oregon. As the defenses are very similar I'd imagine that might be his fit for Georgia. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuc007 No. 26 Share Posted June 7 I follow, and I agree on recruiting. My problem is not apathy. It's the first thing I look for after results, like the girls splendid start in the NCAA track championships. Go Ducks ! Right now seems like a doldrum period. It's 3,4,5 weeks since a commit ? More than that, it all has become very frustrating to me. When I go to a site I'm told to go to another site then go sign in, then give my birthdate and then I hit a wrong key ? or something else and POOF the screen is gone. Even after paying for On3, I seem to be getting less than before. How about some straight forward info. OBD is good but it all seems like not enough information yet too much information. I'm sure getting old. I know. Quit complaining Chuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Author Administrator No. 27 Share Posted June 7 There is one major difference between the two sites Chuck… They actually get paid at On3, while everyone here volunteers their time for free to serve over a quarter million people who keep returning through the year to the OBD forum. 1 2 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marsh No. 28 Share Posted June 7 On 6/7/2024 at 7:12 AM, Chuc007 said: Even after paying for On3, I seem to be getting less than before. How about some straight forward info. On3 or scoopduck in particular? I know scoopduck has moved a decent chunk of weekly recruiting info to their podcasts, available on YouTube. Personally I find a 20-30 min video/podcast about recruiting to be a bit dull but they're out there. I tend to like that 5 min video on recruiting. I'll also say that this staff is really big game hunting this cycle. They are going big due to roster constraints. So not terribly surprising that we haven't had too many commitments. Higher ranked players usually take longer in the process. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevada Dawg No. 29 Share Posted June 7 It seems that some of David Marsh's suppositions about Collin Gill were right on the mark. A post this morning on the best free Dawgs site Talk'n Dawgs indicated that geography did play a role in the Gill transfer and that he will likely be groomed for the Star position at Georgia. I also know that Kirby Smart likes big, hard-hitting safeties. Thanks for your insights David. I hope that Collin can be the patient sort, however, as he has a couple highly rated guys ahead of him on the Star depth chart. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cartm25 No. 30 Share Posted June 7 On 6/5/2024 at 6:25 PM, Charles Fischer said: I take an attitude of simply seeing who emerges from the stack of great talent assembled. This has been my approach now as well. I used to get too excited about the juicy "rumors" (usually D-Lineman prospects the likes UO has never had before), only for them to pick a different school. I choose not to ride the emotional roller coaster anymore, and simply tune in when the dust has settled . . . which helps settle my resting heart rate, blood pressure, etc. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Washington Waddler Moderator No. 31 Share Posted June 7 On 6/6/2024 at 1:17 PM, Nevada Dawg said: Sure, a portal addition may be instrumental to helping a very good team improve their playoff stock. But overreliance of such additions, in my humble opinion, are a fool's errand when it comes to grasping brass rings. It could happen very occasionally, but not consistently. The effect of over reliance on portal talent reminds me of previous Seattle Mariner management that would put their $$ and effort into trading for aging, over price veterans rather than developing young talent. All it did was extend their dry spell from any appearance in The World Series. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JabbaNoBargain No. 32 Share Posted June 7 (edited) On 6/7/2024 at 12:31 PM, Washington Waddler said: The effect of over reliance on portal talent reminds me of previous Seattle Mariner management that would put their $$ and effort into trading for aging, over price veterans rather than developing young talent. All it did was extend their dry spell from any appearance in The World Series. Big difference being contracts in college football are all for less than a year and you can’t guaranteed lock anyone up for longer development. What the Mariners did was a choice. Edited June 7 by JabbaNoBargain 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marsh No. 33 Share Posted June 8 On 6/7/2024 at 12:31 PM, Washington Waddler said: The effect of over reliance on portal talent reminds me of previous Seattle Mariner management that would put their $$ and effort into trading for aging, over price veterans rather than developing young talent. All it did was extend their dry spell from any appearance in The World Series. I think Lanning is doing it right. He is using the portal to fill gaps on misses in recruiting while still focusing on the prep recruits. Dan Lanning Is the Best Recruiter in the Country | FishDuck FISHDUCK.COM Dan Lanning and company are the best recruiters in the country right now. Now, anyone who wants to go... Oregon will always need to use the portal because we don't sit in a recruiting hotbed. Georgia dips into the portal to fill some holes but they are really built almost purely on traditional prep recruiting. Oregon cannot be strictly prep recruiting because distance will always be a factor for some recruits and there just aren't enough talent players on the west coast. But with that said i do expect the portal recruiting to go down a bit the next few years. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Washington Waddler Moderator No. 34 Share Posted June 8 (edited) On 6/7/2024 at 5:01 PM, David Marsh said: I think Lanning is doing it right. I’d agree. It’s the Deion Sanders of the coaching world that make you wonder what sort of teams they’ll have further down the road. Edited June 8 by Washington Waddler spelling 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marsh No. 35 Share Posted June 8 On 6/7/2024 at 5:15 PM, Washington Waddler said: I’d agree. It’s the Deion Sanders of the coaching world that make you wonder what sort of teams they’ll have further down the road. I don't think there is much improvement over what Colorado will produce this season. Probably a bowl game and the middle of the Big 12. Colorado has a very good quarterback. Shedeur is a good player and just think how much more productive he'd be with a talented team around him. But he doesn't have that, he has a team of mercenaries. Their lines may improve a little but you can't build the line of scrimmage from the portal. You can add pieces but not build it from the portal. Let's for a second imagine that Sanders wins the Big 12 and makes the playoffs with Colorado, which feels unlikely. Is this team capable of taking down Oregon, Ohio State, Georgia? No. Oregon trashed them in Autzen last year. This Oregon team is probably better than last year's. Colorado may be better than last year's team. So maybe Colorado would score 14 points in a rematch. While Oregon puts up 50 and throws the 2s and thats whrn Colorado gets their points. We'll watch the Deon Sanders experiment. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
