Shaq Thompson is a Dawg!
Woo-hoo - I know seeing Zach Banner commit to USC stings a great deal, but rejoice Husky fans - we just landed the #1 Safety prospect in the country!
4 months ago
kirkd
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Beat me to it!
Have a rec! Woohoo!!
Wow very surprised
but very excited at the same time!
by Jonathan Brakke on Jan 30, 2012 10:15 PM PST reply actions
Shaq Attack!!!!!!
When one door closes…the other opens.
I think Sark is even a little surprised.
@CoachSark Steve Sarkisian
??! ??! ??! ??! ????!!!!!!!!!!!!
According
According to Biggins when AA and Shaq talked AA was for Oregon
by PurpleHeart on Jan 30, 2012 10:23 PM PST up reply actions
heh, that's awesome
I wonder if Sark was genuinely surprised?
Funny thing is, I half think Shaq had already told Sark but was originally thinking of still waiting until Wednesday to announce, but that Sark encouraged him to publicize it tonight to take some of the sting away from Banner’s announcement.
Sark may have encouraged it
Not so much to take the sting away from the Banner announcement, but to perhaps influence other recruits who might be wavering.
Either way, great news for the Dawg defense!
Χάρις
by MichiganDawgFan on Jan 31, 2012 12:14 PM PST up reply actions
could be
As much as anything, I think Shaq was ready to be done with the process and to stop getting hounded by the press and fans.
But yeah, I could definitely see Sark encouraging Shaq to make his decision public last night as a counter to the bad news about Banner.
On Bob's chat
they just talked about the fact that if Shaq wanted to participate in the schools ceremony, he had to announce last night instead of waiting to do a big announcement on TV.
God Damn Was it Close
Greg Biggins @GregBiggins
When Shaq and AA talked, it was Oregon for both, he even bought a hat and engraved his name, then had second thoughts and told AA he was UW
Greg Biggins @GregBiggins Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
Text from Shaq- “It was where my heart was at, 2nd highest grad rate, love the coaches”
There's the woof, and its a big one
WOOOOOOOFFFFFFFFF!!!!!!!!!!!!
by thecassino on Jan 30, 2012 10:26 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Welcome to the Husky Nation Shaq Thompson!
Shaq Thompson
by Udubb on Jan 30, 2012 10:27 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Is it just me
Or does anyone else see a little Milli Vanilli??? I’ve thought it but never said it. All kidding aside, I couldn’t be happier!
one request amid the celebration
Let’s please not use this as an opportunity to go troll CGB.
by kirkd on Jan 30, 2012 10:28 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Of course not.
We’ll just troll ATQ. ; )
by Coach Owens on Jan 30, 2012 10:28 PM PST up reply actions
Promise
I will not troll CGB, but I will enjoy a cup of their tears. Nom, nom, nom! Tasty
Hahahah
I just told my girlfriend “One sec, gotta go suckle on some tears”
by PurpleHeart on Jan 30, 2012 10:31 PM PST up reply actions
Cup? H*ll, why not a few gallons?
their tears are so cheap and plentiful . . .
/sarc off
Which I really don’t understand, as it’s a great school, with great weather, a really good head coach & a pretty darn good team which has underperformed a little.
Gosh, if we had had such an attitude a few years ago we all woulda slit our wrists, yet we were able to hang on and see the sun rise again.
by HuskyInExile on Jan 31, 2012 12:08 AM PST up reply actions
I never do that
to opposing team websites. It’s not the way I get down. I hope all Husky fans act accordingly and are respectful unless provoked!
by datboyeddiep on Jan 31, 2012 5:57 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
They could come from the moon for all I care now
At this point, I don’t care if the talent comes from in-state, California or Azerbaijan. Talent is talent when it all is said and done. Welcome to the pack Shaq!
by CgHawk360 on Jan 30, 2012 10:28 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Love his style.
Shaq kept it simple. Simply tweeted his choice, rather than making a huge deal and arranging a press conference for himself. Welcome aboard!
by anupam on Jan 30, 2012 10:31 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Well to be fair
this is like his third time committing somewhere
He basically decided to go with Armstead to Oregon then changed his mind when he went on the trip
This was all Tosh
Ah, I see.
This appears to bode well for future UW recruiting.
by Carl Shinyama on Jan 30, 2012 10:45 PM PST up reply actions
All Tosh, or is it possible he actually took a long look around at where he would
be living for a few years?
by HuskyInExile on Jan 31, 2012 12:09 AM PST up reply actions
Thompson has said a lot of things to different people during this recruiting period that I don't take at face value. That's called being a highly impressionable 18 year old.
I will take what was being said for for 9/10 of the recruiting period over the story at the end. It was Cal and then everybody else before Tosh left.
I will take multiple secondary sources confirming the same narrative during the entire season over the final comments of an 18 year old kid who was completely overwhelmed by sudden changes in the two last two weeks of his recruitment
But hey if it’s that important to you…..
Where do you think those sources were getting their info?
Stop presenting your opinions as is they’re facts.
Plus, there are some pretty good secondary sources that would disagree with you.
Nobody has been closer to this than Joe Davidson, and he wrote that Washington was always a close second to Cal.
"Nobody has been closer to this than Joe Davidson"
This is flat out wrong. There were a number of different people who were involved in the process from Cal’s perspective (until Tosh left) and informal advisory role during the final weeks that had much more access to Shaq and his family
all of kids
Say a bunch of “stuff”. Not Shaq, he has been very open and honest.
by CODawg on Jan 31, 2012 11:56 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Welcome Shaq!
So glad to see at least 1 one these big recruits come to UW.
by SacramentoSeahawk on Jan 30, 2012 10:37 PM PST reply actions
Lindquist and Miles are big recruits as well.
by wyte_lightning on Jan 30, 2012 10:39 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
While they're nice.
I’m glad we got a big recruit at a position of actual need.
by Coach Owens on Jan 30, 2012 10:42 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Sure.
But neither Miles or Lindquist are needed this year since we have Price for at least another year. Shaq’ll be a starter and contributor from day one.
by Coach Owens on Jan 30, 2012 10:46 PM PST up reply actions
Would you rather UW didn't get commits from them because they don't need either for this year?
What about after Price is done? Would you rather get commits from from highly regarded quarterbacks then?
by Carl Shinyama on Jan 30, 2012 10:49 PM PST up reply actions
That's not what I'm saying at all.
Just that it’s nice to get a player who’ll contribute right away like ASJ and Williams last year. QBs are nice but having two of them as the headliners of your class when you already have a strong QB in place is kind of disappointing.
by Coach Owens on Jan 30, 2012 10:54 PM PST up reply actions
I never said that you said that.
I was actually asking you what your preference was.
by Carl Shinyama on Jan 30, 2012 10:55 PM PST up reply actions
It’s much better to get them early so they can redshirt and learn the system. Also, QBs rarely go an entire season without some sort of injury (minor or major), as we’ve seen the last couple of years, so always better to have depth.
Agreed
To have experienced depth at QB is huge. Our roster is going to be stacked behind Price for the next few years.
by datboyeddiep on Jan 31, 2012 5:59 AM PST up reply actions
No...No....make no mistake
Miles and Lindquist are two “elite 11” type talents that don’t come around often…at least as a package that brings so many intangibles and unintended positives with them… we will be in a very unique position moving forward having all barrels loaded for years! Now, add Shaq and these new coaches and I can see instant upgrade and depth developing…This is a huge get for Sark and Co! “Double-Dawg Woof”!
How much will this affect decisions in the coming days
I hope it gives us the CRED we need with those remaining on the fence. Are we in a quiet period the rest of the way or can the staff make calls? If they can, we have to believe they will try and use this news to sway them.
I believe the dead period means no in-person visits.
I think calls are still allowed. Could be wrong though.
You are correct.
Calls, emails, texts… just nothing face-to-face.
by wyte_lightning on Jan 30, 2012 10:46 PM PST up reply actions
Thanks for the clarification fella's
Hopefully it helps make some guys think harder about their decisions. Gotta believe it will
well...
…if I had any doubts about Jordan Payton, I don’t now. I’d be very surprised if Payton doesn’t join Shaq at the UW. And we all but know Kenny Walker is going to be a Dawg. Could Jaydon Mickens tip to us now too?
I dunno
Not getting Banner is going to sting for a long, long time. I’m still not over losing out on Schilling and DeCastro…
sure, but I expect him either way
Getting Brostek would certainly help make this OL class respectable. But it could have been awesome.
Sunshine Pumper
I am optimistic that the new hires have addressed the recruiting problem and will pay further dividends – sure we are hurt this year and losing those recruits is obviously bad but there comes a point where we need to move forward with the guys we have.
For me, that day is Thursday. We can still hold the coaches accountable for failures on recruiting or successes but Thursday we need to 100% support the team. We missed on players in the pass and the program is still here. It isn’t ideal to miss out on all of these top prospects but in the end, we have to move on and accept that mistakes were made – the guys directly responsible for them were held accountable.
Sark has responded to the situation – he let it slide too long I think in part due to the friendship with Holt but we are going to get this done. UW is on the right path – there will be bumps in the road, the staff is young and there has been so much damage to the program, but we will be BACK!
by PurpleHeart on Jan 30, 2012 11:02 PM PST up reply actions
Wow, Shaq reference to grad rate
really makes me like the guy even though I’ve never seen him play.
by Skeptical Dawg on Jan 30, 2012 11:00 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
he sounds like a really good kid
Check out this blog post from Joe Davidson, the local High School beat reporter on Shaq:
http://blogs.sacbee.com/preps/archives/2012/01/shaq-thompson-d.html
Not only is he a terrific player, he sounds like a really classy kid that will be a great representative for the school.
Tweet from @sb_joedavidson (sports reporter from the Sacramento Bee)
Shaq is an INCREDIBLE runner in the open field,a big-bodied blur;so,don’t be surprised if he takes some handoffs at UW & returns;electrifies
by wyte_lightning on Jan 30, 2012 11:06 PM PST reply actions
Wrong.
Oregon doesn’t sell to recruits, they buy them!
by Skeptical Dawg on Jan 30, 2012 11:08 PM PST up reply actions 6 recs
Thank the lord
He didn’t fall for the “sports marketing” program and “Nike business connections” scam that Uncle Phil runs out of that school.
Armstead fell for it, thanfully Thompson expects more that English taught with popup books and different pretty costumes every week.
by Regent Denali on Jan 30, 2012 11:36 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Sure hope that's not true.
That kind of scandal hurts the entire conference.
by HuskyInExile on Jan 31, 2012 12:12 AM PST up reply actions
watching his highlights running the ball
makes me wonder if putting him at safety would be a waste
7 ways!!!
he could also be cheerleader, drum major, and call the play by play at the same time!
Eight cheers for irrational enthusiasm!
if you are feeling generous, you might consider sending a pint of that to our distant cousins at CGB . . .
by HuskyInExile on Jan 31, 2012 12:14 AM PST up reply actions
even if it's 50-50...
…I’d rather he play defense. It’s about time we start putting our best athletes on that side of the ball…
Ideally, your best athletes are on both sides of the ball :)
by Carl Shinyama on Jan 30, 2012 11:57 PM PST up reply actions
yes and no
The thing about defense is it’s inherently more reactive, so that’s the argument for putting your best athletes there.
With Wilcox's attacking defense...
Hopefully we’ll soon be having offenses react to us :)
He is an incredible safety
best player on the field at the Army game imo
3 all pac 10 safeties
Sample, Parker, Thompson, Add Beaver into the mix and our secondary is looking very good for the future
Sample might slide to CB
CB Trufant
FS Thompson
SS Parker
CB Sample
Lot of speed and talent there
cyler miles
per condotta, he is solid with UW and will sign wednesday
Image sums up this Dawg's reaction perfectly!
by Skeptical Dawg on Jan 30, 2012 11:31 PM PST reply actions 8 recs
That about sums up my reaction!
I came on here to see Banner break my heart but instead I don’t even care Banner chose USC. I’ll rejoice in this one. Welcome to the Dawg pack Shaq!
by datboyeddiep on Jan 31, 2012 6:02 AM PST up reply actions
WOW- from CGB
3) Lupoi started coaching defense at around the same age as Jerry Sandusky, and we know how that will turn out…
If only things could be that karmic…
“To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is
research.”
by Auricursine on Jan 30, 2012 11:00 PM PST
That is just wrong on so many levels…
this may be one person
But he should be banned for that
by CODawg on Jan 31, 2012 12:03 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
grabbing Shaq & keeping Miles make this Recruiting Class official!
…let’s grab Brostek for a little Husky lineage karma and I’m satisfied.
I expect next year’s class to be bonkers, like Top 10 in the nation bonkers!
GO HUSKIES!
Payton too.
1:30 tomorrow he makes his decision public.
by Regent Denali on Jan 31, 2012 3:41 AM PST up reply actions
Could Brostek
be the bandaid that covers the wound so the clusterfu@k that was created by Willingsham with former UW players can finally start to heal?
by onewoodwacker on Jan 31, 2012 6:56 AM PST up reply actions
I feel for Cal...
Then again, no, I really don’t. I mean sure, as a fan it’s a letdown but everyone should let kids make their choices and then root for the guys who wear your colors. I try not to follow recruiting for that very reason, I just want to see the guys who show up in the spring, not the guys who thought about coming here once. GO DAWGS!
by I'mSureI'veSeenWorse on Jan 31, 2012 12:51 AM PST reply actions
a hint
when you look at the hi-lite links, look for some where he was a junior. There’s a bunch of clips with him playing in the same backfield as Sample. There are plays where the two future dawgs sandwich a receiver. Great stuff.
The guy is a difference maker, no matter where he lines up.
I love the smell of roast duck in the morning..,
https://twitter.com/bcondotta/status/164122745184075776
Talk about fail.
by Regent Denali on Jan 31, 2012 5:32 AM PST via mobile reply actions
Poor Representation of a Fan
I hope that person is not all Duck fans because that would be a poor representation with tweets like these
“There are more black players at #Oregon than black students. #goducks”
“Last year we got black mamba. Today we got black monstah. Luv it when black athletes come play at our all white university. #oregon”
“Today a fine black athlete committed to leave his ghetto to come to our all white university. How does Chip Kelly do it? #goducks”
Are those real tweets?
Do those jerks realize that shit can be traced to them. Their future employers will be able to read those ignorant comments. I mean, kids love social networking, the use it more than I do, but do they realize how much it can affect their lives? What can of idiot wrote that? No I don’t think all Ducks are like that, just some stupid a hole!
by datboyeddiep on Jan 31, 2012 9:33 AM PST up reply actions
Those are real!
https://twitter.com/#!/oregonfootball2
Check it out for yourself
that is clearly a troll pretending to be a Duck fan ... and it is most likely a UW fan
…and he’s a poor representative of our fan base.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
That was my first thought too.
Tacky.
And now, for my very elaborate and college-educated plan!'
Please say it ain't so.
Guess I’m naive . . . and I’ll never understand CGB . . .
by HuskyInExile on Jan 31, 2012 8:02 PM PST up reply actions
Welcome to the Dawgs!
This really got my day rolling in the right direction. Banner hurt but it seems healed already. Let’s go Huskies!
Dear Oregon Trolls:
Today is “Terrible Truth Tuesday” and our good friend Mark Emmert and his minions at the NCAA Enforcement are about to oversee a BIG change in your world. In case you missed it, the theme of his last press release a few days ago was: “CHEATING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED”!
I predict that the NCAA is going to inform Oregon that there is NO question Willie Lyles was acting as a “Representative of Athletics Interest” for the University of Oregon and as such he and UO committed severe recruiting violations.
Sing it again Paul: “…Bang, Bang Maxwell’s silver hammer came down on her head!…”
Keep talking.
Lets try to not antagonize the water fowl.
UW Dawg Pound - SBN Seattle
by John Berkowitz on Jan 31, 2012 7:14 AM PST up reply actions
I like the idea of stirring up the waterfowl and watching flap, just not this way.
NCAA sanctions are so often draconian & capricious (yeah, memory lane to me; our dawgFather was teated very badly) that I have trouble warming to seeing anyone get whacked that is not obviously guilty of current rules.
by HuskyInExile on Jan 31, 2012 8:06 PM PST up reply actions
Exactly
thing is…a lot of those duck guys are our friends.
UW Dawg Pound - SBN Seattle
by John Berkowitz on Jan 31, 2012 10:12 AM PST up reply actions
Somebody should wash your mouth out with soap!!!
The things you let come out of your mouth . . . .
"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
+1
Only duck I like is Daniel Tosh
by CODawg on Jan 31, 2012 12:09 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Didn't he go to school in Florida?
The woman who plays Dee on Always Sunny went to Oregon, I think. She’s pretty cool.
by huskies2010 on Jan 31, 2012 12:36 PM PST up reply actions
So we are now at 20 commits:
If we are taking 26 then my “wish” list goes like this:
DE Dylan Cozens
DT/OL Shane Brostek
OLB Moana Ofahengaue
CB Brandon Beaver
CB Randall Goforth
WR Jordan Payton
I like it!
makes our recruiting class that much sweeter. I still wonder, where are we in terms of national ranking? I guess we will know tomorrow for sure.
by datboyeddiep on Jan 31, 2012 7:01 AM PST up reply actions
Would have LOVED to see us sing a LT and a High School DT
but it wasn’t in the cards this year – though Nathan Dean could certianly develop into that future LT.
That being said – I REALLY like OLB Moana Ofahengaue from Utah. I wanted to see us pick-up Jared Afalava because I think he is ready to play now, but he chose Nebraska over us or Washington High School OLB Jacob Tuivaiave. This 6-4/250 monster is committed to WSU and IMHO is the unquestioned “over-looked” player in the State of Washington this season.
That said, Moana is the next best thing! The potential of the 6-4/205 Ofahengaue is un-deniable, but he will need a year to get ready.
by onewoodwacker on Jan 31, 2012 7:12 AM PST up reply actions
I expect some Plan B surprises
The coaches have been all over the place so I expect that they have a couple of surprises in store to round out the class.
UW Dawg Pound - SBN Seattle
by John Berkowitz on Jan 31, 2012 7:16 AM PST up reply actions
No problem
Here is the link. If we manage to land Brostek (2 star on rivals), Beaver (4 star), Payton (4 star), and Mickens (4 star) we will likely finish with a top 20 recruiting class.
Yeah
I was kind of shocked myself. Is it one of these cases that he has been SOOO quiet in his recruitment that he has been overlooked a bit?
that, and...
…playing on the Big Island limits his exposure. Hawai’i is already a bit off the radar, and if you’re not playing on Oahu against the powerhouse programs like St. Louis, you can get lost in the shuffle.
Just woke up, this is fantastic news.
Figured he was gonna announce on signing day, but this is an awesome surprise to wake up to.
What a swoop!!
I took the liberty of fine tuning a scouting report excerpt from Golden Bear Lair this past summer:
Shaq Thompson wouldn’t be just a great pickup, but he would be the crown jewel of a class that is shaking up to be loaded with talent for Cal UW. Shaq also would instantly upgrade the secondary for Cal UW which despite some great serviceable players has been lacking depth for a while. This guy could take a great downtrodden defense to a whole other level. He probably will certainly wont commit to Cal in the end (he did it before), but all Cal fans should not take this guy for granted. Thank the College Football Gods that Syd’Quan went to Cal because otherwise, we might have had slim chances of landing one of the top players in the nation rooting for one Thompson was better than none!
Bark for Sark, mosh for Tosh, do whatever you gotta do dawg fans. This is a huge moment for the program!
by C Dubya on Jan 31, 2012 9:00 AM PST reply actions 2 recs
Drama, drama, drama . . . .
Welcome to Husky Nation Shaq! I am excited to get an elite athlete for the defensive side of the ball and disappointed at not getting the in-state BEEF for the offense.
That being said, College football fans & recruiting = junior high boys & girls. "She loves me? She hates me!! She loves me?!?!? She hates me!! SHE LOVES ME!!!!!!! GET A LIFE.
"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
Let's Keep it Positive - We only want True Huskies!
Negativity hurts recruiting. Plus taking shots at kids making the most difficult decision in their lives is bad karma…
by 206 on Jan 31, 2012 9:53 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
Good point...Only Real Dawgs Need Apply!
Sark and the little bit of “mad scientist” in him are sure to create some amazing monsters out of this guy! His highlights are so amazing that he may redefine the “wildcat” into “The Wild-Dawg”!? HUGE GET FOR THE DAWGS!!! I"m sticking with my optimistic high-end expectations for defensive improvement! Now….Bring in some late quality Beef !
when
Can I get my Thompson jersey? After my week this is the kind of good news I have needed. Thank you to all the members for helping me stay informed.
by CODawg on Jan 31, 2012 12:13 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Lucky me . . .
I have a few #7 Husky jerseys in my collection. I hope he doesn’t mind that it has my last name on it.
"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
They're still selling Montana jerseys I think...
Good luck getting a Thompson one =/
oh, and for angry Cal fans...
…according to Joe Davidson, the Sacramento Bee sports reporter that’s been on top of the Shaq and Armstead recruiting stories, when Lupoi joined the UW staff it was Sark that took over recruiting Shaq.
So much for all the Cal fans’ bluster and whining about how “unethical” it was of Lupoi to continue recruiting Shaq after changing jobs.
Man I love Sarkisian's ability to recruit
I’m always confident when I hear that Sarkisian is handling certain recruits. UW should almost always be in the running for the plauers they are targeting if Sarkisian is involved
by Carl Shinyama on Jan 31, 2012 12:46 PM PST up reply actions
Me too...I'm still hoping for some more "plowers" too!
This has been a crazy recruiting roller coaster ride since the Alamo Bowl…no? I love it with the latest and greatest getting on board! Bring me some more beef!
by gliderdawg on Jan 31, 2012 2:17 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Sark is great, but I worry that he may be stretching himself too thin.
Hope he proves me wrong.
by HuskyInExile on Jan 31, 2012 8:15 PM PST up reply actions
With the current coaching staff's reputation as being tireless recruiters..
I am not sure your fears are concretely founded, since it would likely means Sarkisian has more dynamic recruiters taking a load off of his shoulders.
by Carl Shinyama on Jan 31, 2012 8:20 PM PST up reply actions
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