An eye on recruiting
by John Berkowitz on May 5, 2009 7:50 AM PDT
Email
PrintWith the close of spring practice, the Husky coaches move into a more relaxed phase of the year: the start of May evaluation period. Sarkisian, as with all head coaches, must remain home; however, all assistants are spending time on the road evaluating future Huskies.
This is also the time for a little fun as the annual coaches tour is underway across the State of Washington. If presented the opportunity, never pass on participating in one of these outings. It is a great way to get to know the participating Husky coaches.
As all functions put on by the Alumni Club, this one really stands out when the coaches get into it. With guys like Nick Holt participating, the results should be AWESOME for fans.
Back in the days before early verbals, this was also the time decisions were made on who a school was going to recruit. That timetable has been moved a bit. Washington--for example--already has seven prospects who have committed, a new record.
Based on the existing roster, Washington has room for only twelve recruits in the 2010 class. The coaches want to take at least twenty, so something has to give. Natural attrition already opened up enough room for the entire 2009 class, but the attrition may not be so "natural" next spring.
All eyes are on Skyline QB Jake Heaps, who may make his decision later this month. Insiders believe his decision boils down to UW and BYU. While many believe Heaps will stay home, having a sister on the BYU campus is also a big draw for Jake.
Should Jake choose BYU, the Washington staff have several other highly rated QB's near the top of their list. Jesse Scroggins from Lakewood, CA (whom Bob Condotta wrote a bit about today) is considered a near-equal prospect. Nick Montana is another name that has been mentioned in similar light.
Both Scroggins and Montana would be huge pick-ups. However, if you want regional bang for your buck, Heaps is the must have recruit from the State of Washington. The goal of every coaching staff is to keep the best home; Jake Heaps is clearly the best the Pacific Northwest has to offer.
Bellevue HS DT Julious Moore and Redmond HS OT Colin Porter are also a couple of local stars to keep watch. While I believe both are close to committing, neither are an absolute lock for Washington.
Porter is the son of a former Husky, so one might believe this could be a deciding factor. Moore seemed ready to pull the trigger earlier this year, but he is also getting attention from other Pac 10 schools.
Washington is at--or near--the top of the list for many of the West's best players. One hurdle the Huskies must clear is the team's on-field performance. The Huskies are far from a finished product at this point, though I expect them to play far better in 2009.
Should Sarkisian coax this team close to .500 this season, he may end up with the finest recruiting class Washington has ever seen on paper. It is then a reasonable assumption it won't take Sarkisian long to get this program turned around.
41 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
QB
Getting a highly rated QB is a must for this class and Sark is recruiting it perfectly.
If he sat back waiting for Heaps and Heaps goes to BYU, then we’d be up sh*t creek. YET, by recruiting Scroggins heavily he gives himself the chance to pull down at least one great QB prospect. In addition he puts a little heat on Heaps to decide earlier rather than later. He’s not too proud to lose Heaps (BYU is a big pull for him as an LDS guy) if he can pull down someone equally as talented.
I think we’d all love to see Heaps come here but as a 5 star QB even I would have a hard time deciding quickly about coming to a team that went 0-12 last year. I’m mentally prepared to have him come here or go elsewhere, although I’d LOVE to see him come here.
Especially since we're talking Quarterback...
…for a kid to have a chance at being mentored by Sark and Nuss is a pretty special opportunity. In my mind they are two of the best.
Washington Husky Football-1991 National Champions
i don't think 0-12 is a big issue right now
Kids think more about the now and the future then the past.
A new enthusiastic coaching staff erases most of the stigma attached to the old regime including the 0-12 record.
The most important thing in the mind of recruits will be how well the team performs this fall. If they can be competitive and win four or more games I think everything will begin to fall in place to finish off what already has started to be an exceptional recruting class.
Heaps is going to end up going where his heart is and I really think it will be Washington. I know it will be a close contest with BYU but I think the lure of playing in front of friends and family at home will be one of three deciding factors.
The second factor is being coached by Sarkisian and Nussmeir. If you are a promising QB you can’t ignore the fact that Sark has coached a string of Heisman candidates and first round draft choices. If your goal is the NFL Sark has proven himself to be a very capable tutor.
The third factor is Pac 10 vs MWC.
The PAC 10 as a member of the BCS is definitely prime time. While the MWC puts together some good teams it isn’t like you are playing the best every single week.
To be fair I don’t think BYU can offer the same type of coaching and competition Uw would offer.
Would you rather be preparing for USC, Oregon, Cal, and UCLA, or Utah, New Mexico, Colorado State, and Wyoming?
If you want to play on the big stage and stay out West you need to be thinking Pac 10.
I’m actually concerned that Tennessee is in the mix. Kiffin can be very persuasive and the only other coach perhaps more persuasive is Sark himself.
The exciting thing right now is that we’re high on the list of a number of recruits whose other offers are USC, UCLA, and Cal. If we even win 1/3 of those battles it will be great.
And I have to agree, 4 to 5 wins and we’ll be a top 15 class at least. But then again, after an 0-12 season I’m not making any more wins predictions for a long time.
I think a strong public campaign for donations for a new stadium would also help recruiting. Like you said, recruits look to the future, and nothing can beat a new stadium and facilities.
I think Tennessee is a legit player for Heaps. Actually, I can see good reasons for all the teams on his list. But the trump card for the UW (hopefully) is the fact that Heaps grew up rooting for the Huskies. That kind of attachment may be the thing that tips this in favor of the UW.
Looking at it from Heaps’ perspective, he has to feel pretty good about the quality of coaching he’d get at the UW, the competition and exposure in the Pac-10 would be plenty high for his pro aspirations, he’d be a local hero for staying home and his parents and friends would be able to see him play much more easily. His concerns would obviously be the fact that Sarkisian is unproven as a Head Coach and the UW is really struggling in football – if he wants to win and compete for championships, he might feel like that’s easier at other places.
Ultimately, I’m betting the UW will win out. But if not, I like the fact that Sarkisian has other options he’s pursuing.
Tennessee
i would say they would be in the top 3-4. It is a long way from home though. Kiffin doesn’t impress me at all.
by John Berkowitz on May 5, 2009 1:04 PM PDT up reply actions
Ditto on the MWC and out west competion
the AZ schools were in the original WAC, and after many years those schools formed the MWC. Both AZ schools had good and bad years in the WAC, depending on how they recruited. When they moved up, and I mean UP not ON, to the Pac-10, the level of recruits immediately was upgraded. I enjoyed watching the Utah bowl game last year, as well as Boise State the year before, but during years when these teams can compete with the Pac-10 teams, they dominate their won conference.
BYU will continue to have good teams, but they will never have the prestige, competition, and TV exposure of the Pac-10.
Utah and Boise
If they had to play the type of schedule UW, or USC play they would be pretty beat up by the midway point of the season. playing a tough opponent each week really takes a toll. I am not belittling Boise or Utah but just for example look what a poor UW team did last year against BYU.
by John Berkowitz on May 5, 2009 8:12 PM PDT up reply actions
You Absolutely Nailed It.
John,
I like your post here even better than your main article. And that too was very good.
Your three factors why Jake will eventually choose the Dawgs over BYU are really juicy meat. The stuff Dawg aficionados salivate over in recruiting analysis!
The first one, God vs. Family, I agree completely: “family” wins, hands down. The reason being….whoops I just had to dodge a lightening bolt! Better move on to factor two.
Here you’ve absolutely nailed it.
When I saw all those recent articles on how much Locker has improved in just 15 spring practices, I thought surely this has Jake’s full attention. These stories were a pure testiment to the coach prowess of Sarkisian and Nussmeir. Mind you, Locker’s an exceptionally gifted athlete, but so is Heaps. But young Jake has got to be wondering if Nussmeir can do so much for Locker in so short a time, what can he do for me?
All decisions involve ‘risk,’ which we wish to avoid, and ‘reward’ which we want to capture.
Heap’s ambition is to play Sundays. Coaches like these two can take him there. He’s just been an eyewitness to the proof in how they are literally transforming Locker.
Result: Jake sees his risk greatly diminished and the reward before his eyes. Particularly comparing it to a more unknown level of coaching ability at BYU.
And too true, the level of PAC 10 competition is nation-class; a stage where he can test and develop further what he being coached.
Jake’s a Dawg…I hope!
BYU
Bronco runs a tight program but the days of BYU being Quarterback “U” is in the distant past.
Name the last great BYU QB that wasn’t coached by Edwards and Chow?
by John Berkowitz on May 5, 2009 11:14 PM PDT up reply actions
The current one.
Hall is the real deal. He’s not going to be a great pro, but he is definitely a high-caliber college QB.
Yeah, you can argue that BYU hasn’t produced QB’s since Edwards and Chow. Another way to look at it is that Bronco Mendenhall is 1 for 1.
Besides, like the UW, BYU didn’t really ever produce “great” QB’s. Both schools produce very solid, very intelligent game managers that aren’t going to beat themselves.
All of the arguments for UW over BYU are true. But as of today, BYU is a top 25 (at worst) team with one of the easier tracks in the country to a BCS game.
QB
What if we took both Heaps and Scroggins? There is always the possibility that Heaps would commit and then take his two year mission with the LDS Church immediately leaving space for Scroggins. Would we then take Scroggins who could come in now and have two years experience on Heaps.
He looks a lot like Dad.
As a football player though he’s one of the better quarterbacks in the 2010 class. He’s not physically impressive, but he knows how to play the position, which isn’t surprising given his bloodlines.
He’s not Jake Heaps, but I don’t doubt he’ll become an All-Conference type player.
http://www.spartyandfriends.com/
Great prospect
He plays in one of the better programs in California. He obviously has been tutored pretty well.
by John Berkowitz on May 5, 2009 8:13 PM PDT up reply actions
Post Spring Depth Chart Surprise
CB - Justin Glenn or Matt Mosley or Anthony Gobern or Vonzell McDowell
WOW! I guess if you think of that as a positive, we have depth there. On the other hand, no one stepped up to take that job.
Another notable was Izbicki taking over the number one spot at TE.
Washington Husky Football-1991 National Champions
what does that mean for Adam long?
Is he no. 2 or no. 6 or in between?
by mynameisdavid on May 5, 2009 8:35 PM PDT up reply actions
Too close to call
Most of these competitions will continue till the last week of camp. When the JC;s arrive things will shuffle again.
by John Berkowitz on May 5, 2009 8:51 PM PDT up reply actions
I think Quinton Richardson was listed as a starter (CB)
on the other side with possibly Long backing him up. But yeah being that they listed four costarters on the one side, what does one make of that?
Washington Husky Football-1991 National Champions
I would read it this way – Richardson is solid right now as a starter, the four listed as “or” at the other spot are next on the list, and Long is behind those four.
Should be interesting to see what happens in the Fall when Gaisie arrives – I suspect the coaches figure he’ll be able to step right in and compete for a starting spot.
My inside source say Richardson has an attitude problem, but also has the potential to be an all Pac-10 player, but he just doesn’t care; he is lazy in workouts, and always has an excuse for being lazy (i.e. last year in the Apple Cup, he wasn’t injured, it was an excuse for poor play).
I got this info from my friend, who happens to be on the team and plays defense.
Thanks for the info. I’ll say this – if that’s really true (and not just borne of a personality conflict between your source and Richardson) then Q must really be a lot better than the rest of the CB’s. Because I don’t think Sark and Holt would put up with lazy work ethic and an attitude problem given that they are rebuilding this program unless he was clearly head and shoulders better than the other options.
Heaps
Someone should have Brockman talk to Heaps about the value of staying home if this hasn’t happened already.
Heaps is a real smart kid
He will make the best decision for himself whether it is UW or BYU.
by John Berkowitz on May 5, 2009 8:52 PM PDT up reply actions
LB and OL
LB and OL need to be targets in this recruiting class as well. We’ll be pretty thin after next year with both Butler and Savannah gone. The young guys (Mangum, Rousell) have potential, but they aren’t going to climb too high on the depth list this year with so much experience ahead of them.
And OL needs to be a priority every year. Just watching practice the starting 5 look good but if there are any major injuries it could be a little dicey.
LB and OL II
Huge needs at these positions if you read todays updated depth chart.
Butler, Tuiasosopo, Gage, and graduate. Only Foster returns. Dennison and Houston aren’t cutting it. Rousell has had problems off the field and is too small. They really need a strong LB class to supplement what is coming in this fall.
We all know about the OL problems and only strong recruiting classes and time will fix that. Perhaps they luck out and find some JC help that is ready to contribute but that is always a crapshoot.
by John Berkowitz on May 5, 2009 11:20 PM PDT up reply actions
LB
Still have Mangum who’s film looked good and Tucker comming in. Hopefully those two will be ready to contribute. Also, guy’s like Aieywa (sp), Forgerson & possibly Logan could move to LB. Logan is a big, fast, physical kid – it will be interesting to see where exactly he ends up.
I could definitely see Aieywa moving to LB. He’s very instinctual, quick, and a hard-hitter. He seems at times to be lost out at safety but he always lays down big hits.
I could also see Sark offering a JC linebacker or two sometime late in the recruiting process in November/December once evaluations are done.
Tripper?
I’ve thought he could be an option to move up to OLB too. Seems like he’s just too slow for the safety spot but might have the size & hitting ability to play linebacker. Thoughts?
Not sure on Tripper
He obviously had a tough year last year. Hard to tell what the kid is all about because he was pretty much just thrown in a starting spot after not playing for several years. We’ll know a lot more about him after this year.
I think Tripper gets too much heat from Husky fans – the guy is a walk-on who’s been away from the sport for several years. He’s clearly not Pac-10 material right now, and probably won’t be before he graduates, but it’s pretty damning to me that more of the scholarship guys on the roster last year weren’t ahead of him on the depth charts.
Tripper is there for free depth (given that he’s a walk-on), and we should leave it at that. I doubt moving him to OLB would make him more likely to add value to the team.
Pretty telling that in the 2 deep charts, among 2 nd year or more players
no Roussel, Wood, Sedillo or M Persley, so I would venture that they might be looking elsewhere soon.
Not so fast
Persley had a good spring and he is still in it. As far as Sedillo goes they don’t want to lose him or any other OL at this point. Roussel hasn’t done himself any favors this spring. You usually only get one chance to make a good first impression. He blew it with both Willingham and Sarkisian. Wood has been injured but he doesn’t look like a contender to me.
by John Berkowitz on May 6, 2009 10:06 AM PDT up reply actions
I was surprised that Noble isn't in the two-deeps at DT.
He’s a big boy, and I thought he was one of the better d-linemen for the white team at the spring game. He got fairly good push, and got deep into the backfield on a few plays.
Maybe Mathews has gained some weight, but he looks like an end, not a tackle. I don’t really know anything about Duncan.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
