I have seen a lot of bitching about our recruiting class. That's everyone's right,I guess. But some of the things I have read have to make my head spin because some of the things are things that we have done in the past that didn't work- like recruiting "guys that really want to be at MSU". Many of those same people probably blast Croom for doing just that.
But anyway, here's what I think we have to and need to do to win in the SEC.
1. Emphasize recruiting in the state of Mississippi. If we're going to get a "special" player- like a future All-Pro QB- it's much more likely that we are going to get one if he's from Mississippi. Now, while I know those kinds of players are few and far between, they do come along in Mississippi to. We just have to make sure that we don't want to make Steve McNair into a cornerback. I think Mullen is doing a good job with this, and far better than Croom.
2. If we have a chance to go after a really good player, we need to try to get him. I think Newton falls in this category. There is certainly some risk that we may not get a player like that, but we won't get them if we don't try at all. Ole Miss has had some success going out and getting some transfers like Snead, and Ben Jarvus Green-Ellis. And no, no one owes Tyler Russell an apology as it was suggested on BDJ for us trying to get better as a team. You never know- if Bama has a RB that gets kicked off of the team, we may be able to land him and may be able to help us out. Just an example.
3. We need to find diamonds in the rough. I'm thinking about the Mississippi Delta when I say this. And I think Cordell Giles falls in this category. If Giles played at Madison Central, he would probably be Dandy Dozen. Now, we don't need an entire class of players like this, but taking a chance on a couple of guys is not a bad idea. And I think Favre falls in this category as well. There are some very good athletes in the delta that can be very good players if they're well coached. Like Micheal Spurlock, Ellis Wyms, and etc. They're out there, but we need to find them and get them to Starkville.
4. We need to use the JUCO system to fill holes. But we don't need to go overboard and sign a class of 13 or something ridiculous like that. Four would be my absolute max, and the exception being if we have a LOT of holes to fill, as is the case this year. And with the JUCO's, they better be able to come is and play right away. A guy like a Phillip Freeman is a waste in my opinion because they're only here for two years, and if they can't come in right away and play, we don't need them.
5. We need to go into Memphis and Louisiana and recruit at least one prospect from each state, and I would actually like to see us get at least two from each area. Again, I think we're doing that with Bohanna and Day from West Monroe. We need to keep that up. And on that same note, we need to find some players from California, Florida, Texas, and Georgia if we can.
I actually think Dan is doing this the right way. The fact of the matter is, unless Mississippi has a phenomenal senior class one year, we're probably not going to be in the top half of the SEC most years. Because of that, I think it's imperative to have a good coach that can develop players and is a good on the field coach in terms of play calling. Those two things are what is going to level the playing field for us and give us a chance to win in the SEC.
But anyway, here's what I think we have to and need to do to win in the SEC.
1. Emphasize recruiting in the state of Mississippi. If we're going to get a "special" player- like a future All-Pro QB- it's much more likely that we are going to get one if he's from Mississippi. Now, while I know those kinds of players are few and far between, they do come along in Mississippi to. We just have to make sure that we don't want to make Steve McNair into a cornerback. I think Mullen is doing a good job with this, and far better than Croom.
2. If we have a chance to go after a really good player, we need to try to get him. I think Newton falls in this category. There is certainly some risk that we may not get a player like that, but we won't get them if we don't try at all. Ole Miss has had some success going out and getting some transfers like Snead, and Ben Jarvus Green-Ellis. And no, no one owes Tyler Russell an apology as it was suggested on BDJ for us trying to get better as a team. You never know- if Bama has a RB that gets kicked off of the team, we may be able to land him and may be able to help us out. Just an example.
3. We need to find diamonds in the rough. I'm thinking about the Mississippi Delta when I say this. And I think Cordell Giles falls in this category. If Giles played at Madison Central, he would probably be Dandy Dozen. Now, we don't need an entire class of players like this, but taking a chance on a couple of guys is not a bad idea. And I think Favre falls in this category as well. There are some very good athletes in the delta that can be very good players if they're well coached. Like Micheal Spurlock, Ellis Wyms, and etc. They're out there, but we need to find them and get them to Starkville.
4. We need to use the JUCO system to fill holes. But we don't need to go overboard and sign a class of 13 or something ridiculous like that. Four would be my absolute max, and the exception being if we have a LOT of holes to fill, as is the case this year. And with the JUCO's, they better be able to come is and play right away. A guy like a Phillip Freeman is a waste in my opinion because they're only here for two years, and if they can't come in right away and play, we don't need them.
5. We need to go into Memphis and Louisiana and recruit at least one prospect from each state, and I would actually like to see us get at least two from each area. Again, I think we're doing that with Bohanna and Day from West Monroe. We need to keep that up. And on that same note, we need to find some players from California, Florida, Texas, and Georgia if we can.
I actually think Dan is doing this the right way. The fact of the matter is, unless Mississippi has a phenomenal senior class one year, we're probably not going to be in the top half of the SEC most years. Because of that, I think it's imperative to have a good coach that can develop players and is a good on the field coach in terms of play calling. Those two things are what is going to level the playing field for us and give us a chance to win in the SEC.
