Will We Shift Our Recruiting Emphasis to the West, North and Northeast?

BamaMoon said:

Kirby is the newest thing since sliced bread in GA. But let's see what he does with this talent. That's the litmus test to recruiting. Can you get them, develop them and manage them?

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Alabama currently has 53 players in the NFL, that's almost enough for an entire NFL roster and we just sent 14 more to the combine. That's a staggering number and phenomenal recruiting weapon. While Kirby can certainly work on that, Saban has done it and any part Kirby claims he's had a hand in that , he has to also concede it was under the leadership of CNS . SEC coaches are repeatedly hammering the theory to recruits that "the train is coming to a stop soon" at Bama. However, with 5 titles in 9 years, and a revamped engine courtesy of hires......I think the train just found a new gear.

bamamick said:

Well, if you look at the coaches hired there looks to be a shift towards Louisiana and Texas, but there is no way we give up on Georgia completely. Too many great players there to not give it our best shot.

What is interesting is that this may be the best year ever in-state. State and UF picked up commits this weekend.

Rtr

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We’ve already been killing it in those areas the last 10 years too and especially in Texas the last few years. Since 2008 we’ve pulled 20+ Top recruits from each state.

Throw in 30+ more from the state of Fla and we’re going to be fine Ga or no Ga. In fact with FSU losing Jimbo, Fla constantly changes coaches, and Richt on the cusp of perpetually underachieving at Miami we should be able to get even more FLA recruits if we want them.

Basically just going by averages we are guaranteed 7 recruits a year from just TX, LA, and Fla alone. It’s amazing really how well we’ve penetrated those 3 talent rich areas.

I can’t wait to see Waddle(TX recruit)returning kicks this year.... that kid is absolute dynamite... It’s almost unfair that we can go over there and nab a recruit of that caliber!!!

Tideflyer said:

While you`re correct , I feel quite certain that Kirby Smart is in no way, shape or fashion volunteering that to recruits and would only attempt to do so in the vaguest terms, and then only if pressed.

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I'm sure hes not going to voluntarily give that info but I guess what I'm saying is he can't consciously take credit for any of that without remembering himself who the head coach was.

JTBama said:

I'm sure hes not going to voluntarily give that info but I guess what I'm saying is he can't consciously take credit for any of that without remembering himself who the head coach was.

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He also knows that he failed to do, in year #2, what CNS did.

I'm sure he's confident, but already in the back of his mind he knows he's not arrived until he starts winning NCs. And while the folks in Georgia are certainly excited and should be, if he signs another class or two like this past year and he doesn't cash it in with a NC, the boo birds will start flying around.

a Robert Foster quote [FONT=&quot]“I'm definitely happy with the way things worked out for me. At the end of the day, Coach Saban never lied to me. He promised me I was going to get
a degree. He promised me I would have a national championship, and I have a few. He promised me I would have a chance to play for a national championship, which he gave me. Everything that happened to my career here, I enjoyed it and embraced it because it was all a blessing. Now I get the benefit of doing something for my kids.”

Kirby promises playing time , Saban promises Championship [/FONT]

jambama1 said:

a Robert Foster quote [FONT=&quot]“I'm definitely happy with the way things worked out for me. At the end of the day, Coach Saban never lied to me. He promised me I was going to get
a degree. He promised me I would have a national championship, and I have a few. He promised me I would have a chance to play for a national championship, which he gave me. Everything that happened to my career here, I enjoyed it and embraced it because it was all a blessing. Now I get the benefit of doing something for my kids.”

Kirby promises playing time , Saban promises Championship [/FONT]

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Foster certainly sees the bigger picture

Tideflyer said:

Jam, sure is great to see you back!

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Thank you for the kind words. Have some extra time lately with Grad school Apps being done.

CrimsonEyeshade said:

To be fair, and based on the only two years we can go on, Kirby is doing the best Nick Saban impersonation since ... Nick Saban.

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So did Malzahn for a few years. AU, like UGA this year was a very veteran teams with enough talented young guys to get the NC and come up a little short at the end. Both teams were kind of a surprise. UGA will have a target on their back now and will be THE game for every SEC East team. Things are tough at the top of that mountain. Kirby has done great so far, but I'm not ready to crown him Nick Saban II yet.

TideFan in AU said:

So did Malzahn for a few years. AU, like UGA this year was a very veteran teams with enough talented young guys to get the NC and come up a little short at the end. Both teams were kind of a surprise. UGA will have a target on their back now and will be THE game for every SEC East team. Things are tough at the top of that mountain. Kirby has done great so far, but I'm not ready to crown him Nick Saban II yet.

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Neither am I, bud. My point is we can only judge him on his first two seasons. And they are almost identical to Nick Saban’s, even down to the recruiting gold rush. In fact, Smart’s team went farther in year two than our own.

From here on out, we agree: The bar gets higher every year.

CrimsonEyeshade said:

Neither am I, bud. My point is we can only judge him on his first two seasons. And they are almost identical to Nick Saban’s, even down to the recruiting gold rush. In fact, Smart’s team went farther in year two than our own.

From here on out, we agree: The bar gets higher every year.

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You are right that the results are similar, but the context is completely different. Smart inherited ~A- talent and ~B culture, Saban ~C- talent and ~C- culture. Also, Saban came within a 4th and 4 stop of the eventual NCs, with ~3 min left from winning the SEC West with the 5th best talent. They took the eventual #2 team in the nation to OT. They also beat 2 ranked teams. Yes, they collapsed after the Major Applewhite int that JPW threw before the half vs MSU, but it was obvious that Saban had things going in the right direction, having done a masterful job with 3 walk-ons starting on D, and having come within a whisker of winning the West. Kirby did nothing like that and had many UGA fans, as well as objective observers, wondering if Kirby was the guy. He had his "2nd year magic" with a mass of talented Jrs and Srs doing most of the work. Saban had the advantage of being a HC.

Kirby should do very well, he is sitting on a motherlode of talent, and he is driven and ruthless. But a lot is unknown. The first two seasons have cosmetic similarities, that is all.