Thursday: Signing day roundup
GETTING WHAT THEY WANT: Everybody who said they were going to play football at Virginia Tech and Virginia actually signed with Virginia Tech and Virginia yesterday, leaving both schools pleased with their haul.
TECH’S BUNCH: Tech’s class was ranked 22nd nationally by Rivals, tying for the third-highest ranking in program history. Rivals ranked the group third in the ACC. Andy’s done a terrific job covering every angle on this. Here are links to profiles on all 18 signees. Here are Frank Beamer and Bryan Stinespring talking about the class. And here is a roundup of everything.
UVA’S BUNCH: The Cavaliers’ class was ranked 27th in the nation and fourth in the ACC by Rivals. As Doug writes, UVa has added some nice size on the offensive line.
USUAL SUSPECTS: Florida State and Clemson were ranked 1-2 in the ACC by Rivals. After Tech and UVa, Maryland was fifth. Nine ACC schools were in the top 50 nationally; Wake Forest (58), Duke (67) Syracuse (71), Georgia Tech (86) and Boston College (88) were the only ones who weren’t.
BIG NUMBERS: VMI hopes it has landed its quarterback of the future in Al Cobb, who accounted for 104 touchdowns over three seasons at his Tennessee high school. Nappy has a look at the Keydets’ class here.
NOT AS FORTUNATE: Doug leads his college notebook with N.C. State losing the commitments of a couple of Virginians following the ouster of Tom O’Brien.
MORE RECRUITING: Robert has a roundup of other Timesland stars who are heading to college, including Pulaski County’s James King, who’s going to VMI.
BACK AT IT: The Hokies and Cavs return to the hardwood tonight. UVa hosts Clemson at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 (Cavs favored by 7.5), and the Hokies welcome Maryland at 9 p.m. on CW5 (Terps favored by 4.5).
LET GO: Former UVa star Chris Canty is among the players released by the Giants. The group also includes Ahmad Bradshaw, who scored the winning touchdown in last year’s Super Bowl. That should mean more action for Tech alum David Wilson.
BAD DAY: Disappointing start to World Cup qualifying for the U.S., which falls 2-1 at Honduras after grabbing a 1-0 lead.
IDENTIFY THE MOVIE
“Just stay out of my way… or you’ll pay! LISTEN to what I say!”
“Hey, why don’t I just go eat some hay, make things out of clay, lay by the bay? I just may! What d’ya say?”
February 7, 2013 - 8:14 AM
Nice to see the playing chances opened more for Wilson. It will be nice to see him succeed, especially on such a big media stage as NYC.
It will be interesting to see how the ‘new’ strategy of recruiting Ol on a more national scale will impact VT. I looked at several of the ACC schools, and they all seemed to recruit OL from just anywhere they could find them. It is nice to see VaTech finally embracing the same philosophy. I think Grimes can be a real closer.
I like your movie choices. I actually know all of these, as opposed to the country music.
Happy Gilmore
I think the Bradshaw release will mean more opportunity for Wilson in the short term, but it also means that the Giants will be drafting running backs this spring.
More than anything, however, the Giants cutting Bradshaw reinforces the modern notion that a running back is an easily-replaceable commodity in the NFL. Teams find cheap, young running backs late in the draft on an annual basis —- why pay $3 million for Bradshaw or draft Trent Richardson in the first round when you can pick up Alfred Morris in the 6th round & have him locked into a rookie contract for 3 years?
There has been a lot of talk about recruiting offensive linemen from outside the mid Atlantic but at yesterday’s press conference Beamer really emphasized his 6 hour rule. Will be interesting to see what happens over the next year.
I totally agree with RP. Just take a look at the article that Aaron linked. Canty, a DT, was due almost twice what Bradshaw was.
#2 RP, I had the same thoughts about that ‘good news’. The odd fact is that RBs in the NFL have become as much of a commodity as special teams players. It seems that the teams have determined, somewhat correctly, that you can pretty much plug in ANY running back for a 3-4 year period, then when his contract comes up for renewal, toss him aside. If he’s an All Pro, low ball him for another three years. The current crop of RBs seem like their total shelf life is about 6-7 years, IF they are a ‘superstar’. They’ve really been marginalized to some extent.
I remember the Giants would cut Ottis Anderson every year and then sign him back after clearing waivers. Somehow it saved them some cap room or something. Wonder if that is the thought here.
I see Tech basketball has been relegated down to station CW5-whatever that is. Anyway, I looked them up and on Comcast their stations are 5,16,214 and 805 in case anybody is still watching. I will be. I hope the RT will be able to keep Andy around. He is very good and I could see some bigger city newspaper coming after him to cover their college team. Just my opinion. Thumbs up to Beamer for firing 3 coaches and not losing a single recruit. In a related development, I saw Seth on TV last night-he seems to fit right in with the ESPN family.
Bobby Knight Seth ain’t………
True; but, they do have one thing in common.
#5: I saw that too. I don’t like that 6 hour rule much. I understand wanting family to attend but I cuts out most of Florida and Florida is a historic net exporter of football talent. USF and UCF couldn’t have programs if the players weren’t in-state. I just don’t know that 6 hours (I assume by car) is a wide enough net considering who else is within 6 hours to compete with (UGA, GT, Penn St., WVU, PITT, TENN, MD, UNC, NCS, USC, Clem, etc). Then there is the fact that our 6 hour zone overlaps with other SEC school’s 6 hour zone….
I would prefer we not advertise our limits.
It would be nice to think that the newly hired coaches would be allowed to recruit the areas where they have proven strengths, despite the handcuffs of geographic limitations. After all, that is using all their assets, and not setting them on a table because of arbitrary rules.
I understand and agree with focusing on a core region that revolves around the campus. I do think, though, that with zero restrictions on his recruiting budget, that Frank should consider expanding the net for certain players/positions. Time will tell if he does. Let’s hope the recognition comes that change is not always to be feared.
I see where golfer Dustin Johnson is dating Wayne Gretsky`s daughter Paulina. He and Wayne are partners in this weeks tournament at Pebble Beach. That led the announcers to show some pictures of Dustin and Paulina. Not hard to see how she got her nickname the Great Ones. Hopefully, Phil can keep it out of the Pacific and win two in a row.
Isn’t Gretsky’s wife like a former Playmate of the year or something?
She could have been, for sure but I don`t think so. She was a actress but I don`t think she ever won an Oscar either.
Where is Brent when you need him. Gawd….
Andy Staples has a great article on SI.com tonight about Ole Miss’s recruiting strategy. An impressive, “common sense” approach to recruiting where they targeted a group of top-tier candidates and worked hard to influence not only the player, but those around the player (one assistant coach sent over 800 facebook messages to one recruit, and over 400 to the recruit’s girlfriend!). I’ve been to Oxford and there are certain inherent advantages (most beautiful women of any school on the planet, plus a picturesque downtown and the best tailgating of anywhere in the NCAA), but it seems like the type of approach to recruiting that would work at most universities if carried out by the right group of coaches.
Here’s the link: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20130207/hugh-freeze-ole-miss-signing-day/?sct=hp_t11_a7&eref=sihp
Can someone make a shot? PULEAZZZZE!
How is Grimes gonna recruit his area of western Pennsylvania and stay inside 6 hours from b-burg. Fly or ride with dale Jr ? C’mon man!
My bad. Google says it’s 5 hours and 14 minutes to Pittsburgh from campus. 5 LONG hours……
I hope some of JJ`s 5 recruits can shoot because wen Green and his 25 ppg leave things could get ugly. The guys are hustling and playing some defense I will say that. Cassell looks half full or half empty-depending on how you look at it.
@Ralph, VT should have offered Andrew Rowsey at Rockbridge HS, that young man can fill it up.