Recruiting Wars, McJimbers and the Gentleman's Agreement

Earlier in the week, an article was written on Cantonrep.com titled "Buckeyes-Spartans Recruiting War Heating Up". In it, the author goes on to make Pat Narduzzi sound like an angry ex who felt he's been cheated out of things that rightfully belong to him. Further, Narduzzi goes on to talk about a gentlemen's agreement which existed between Dantonio and Tressel that involved leaving recruits unpoached.

Actual photographic evidence of when this agreement was made. Tressel, McJimbers and Dantonio

Normally, this wouldn't be cause to write a post, Narduzzi makes Dantonio look like Matt Lauer in front of a mike so you can't take him too seriously. However, this all came up yesterday again in the introductory press conference for the new recruits. In a Detroit News article titled "Mark Dantonio says recruiting committed players 'unethical'" It contains transcript from yesterday's press conference referencing the Urbaning of former MSU commit Se'Von Pittman.

It didn't sit well with the Spartans coaches and a few days ago defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi spoke about a "recruiting war" beginning.

On Wednesday, the feelings hadn't changed, though the Michigan State coaches were careful not to single out any team or coach.

"I would say it's pretty unethical," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. "You ask people for a commitment, you ask for people's trust, ask for people to make a commitment to you, but then you turn around and say it's OK to go back after somebody else's commitment. That's a double standard.

"Everybody's got a job to do, there's a lot of pressure, but we're all grown men and we're trying to do a job, just like society today in every respect, whether it's a reporter or doctor or lawyer or somebody else. People are gonna try and do their job, they're gonna do what they have to do to get it done sometimes."

Look, I get that we're all pissed Meyer stole Pittman, but this seems over the top to me. Complaining about the poaching of an admittedly marquee recruit during your Signing Day PC seems petty. Pittman would have been a valuable addition to this class, but MSU will do without him as well.

I've never believed that Dantonio lives by this uber-ethical recruiting code as it pertains to committed kids. He may well have had a Gentlemen's Agreement with Tressel but both OSU and MSU fans can agree the greatest evil of the Big Ten lives in Ann Arbor. For Dantonio regarding committed kids, I've had the feeling that he'll put in a call and if they say no then he lets it go. Coincidentally, this is exactly what Meyer said yesterday.

"Sometimes they say, 'How can you go recruit a young guy committed to another school?'" Meyer said. "You ask a question, 'Are you interested?' If they say, 'No,' you move on. If they say, 'Yes, very interested,' then you throw that hook out there. If they're interested, absolutely [you recruit them], especially from your home state. Is it gratifying to take a guy from another school? Not at all."

Something tells me the process of saying no to Urbz goes a bit more like this though.

 I want to have Se'Von Pittman play football here. Call him and see if he's interested.

No Urbz. No Dice.

 Deploy the hookers and coke, ask if he's interested now.

No Urbz. No Dice.

Cars and tats?

No Urbz. No Dice.

Offer my heartfelt allegiance and this Simpsons Yo-Yo

Se'Von Pittman is on the phone.


What's always surprised me most of this adherence to an ethical code is that it is so counter to Dantonio's on the field attitude. On the field, Dantonio will gamble the whole game on a trick play because he knows he has a chance to play on the assumptions of others that a FG will be a FG and a punt a punt. Why does it surprise him so that someone would be willing to do the same thing in recruiting?

The class of 2013 needs to be man-by-man one of the strongest at MSU since he came here in 2007. MSU has enjoyed the on-field success of an elite program the past four years using elite recruits from the class of 2009 and 2010.  The classes of 2011 and 2012 are solid and 2012 is not far off from 2010 from a rating perspective, but if we want to continue having eleven win seasons and playing for Big Ten titles MSU needs to recruit at it's 2009 and 2010 level consistently.

In short, if Dantonio needs to ask a second time if a recruit means "No" when he calls, that's fine with me. Given the Urbaning of the Big Ten it's going to become part of what's necessary to win in November.

Pledge Week: Defensive Backs

Defensive back isn't a position of weakness for 2012, but particularly at corner MSU is a bit thin. This is probably as highly touted a class as we've had since 2010 at the position.

Demetrious Cox

Cox committed to MSU on 1/31/2012. He had a Single Redeemable Offer From Any School In The Country. For examples sake that includes Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, and Wisconsin. For an extremely detailed write-up on Cox click here. For a more concise version of the write-up stay right here. Cox was ranked a four-star recruit by all three recruiting services and was ranked as the 8th - 18th best safety prospect in the country depending on your recruiting service of choice.

On Spartanmag they have an article about Cox 'hitting too hard' something I didn't know could be done with clean hits. I thought about dropping a Jeremy Ware/Colin Sandeman joke, but NSD is a happy day for all CFB fans.



YouTubin'!

What's to love about this kid? Well he's fast. With all due respect to Leo's breakdown, he's the fastest kid I've watched yet while doing all these write-ups.Tremendous athletes can do tremendous things in the safety position once there learn where and when to be, Cox has that athleticism. On a more jokey note, you would think for all the money Terrelle Pryor made and the fact they went to the same high school that they would have been able to put some arrows in here so people could have some idea what they're watching. 

2012 Prognostication and Beyond: Redshirt in 2012 unless he doesn't want to be. With Jairus Jones, Kurtis Drummond and RJ Williamson all competing for Trenton Robinson's vacated safety spot I don't see him getting significant minutes over Drummond in particular who played a lot in 2011. Good candidate to replace Lewis when he leaves in 2013 as a starter in 2014.

Jermaine Edmondson

Jermaine Edmondson committed to MSU on 10/21/2011 over offers from Nebraska, Purdue and the MAC. He took a full five months longer than his teammate Se'Von Pittman to decide to come to MSU. That's totally ok, because when Urban Meyer called him the day he was hired he told Urbz he was busy washing his hair. Pittman went on to take an arrow to the knee and go scarlet and grey. Ranked a three-star prospect by all three recruiting services he'll either be a corner according to Scout and 247 or a Safety according to rivals. I think he ends up at corner, he fits the Chris L Rucker mold of a big corner who's good in run support.


Junior Highlights and YOUtube

Did I just get lucky that the first half dozen of these videos were straightforward? This video looks like it was directed by Michael Bay when he replaced his ritalin with speed. Edmondson looks plenty athletic enough to play the part and a pretty hard hitter. That's all I can get out of this. I'm going to go sit in a quiet dark room now.


2012 Prognostication and Beyond:Will play corner in college. Will redshirt in 2012 barring Angry Hating God type injuries at the CB position. Will see the field in 2013 after the departure of Johnny Adams.

Mark Meyers

Meyers committed to Michigan State over offers from the MAC and heavy interest from Nebraska and Illinois. Previously a Toledo Rockets commit, Meyers was able to get his grades in order and earn an offer to a Big Ten school. Ranked a three-star prospect by Rivals and Scout and two stars by 247, Meyers looks to contribute at the Safety position for MSU.






A Future Predictor of Success is YOUtube(Jr Highlights)

In this video it looks like Meyers got left to play centerfield and did exactly that. Which means he should pick up the Safety thing pretty quick because he was playing "read and react". "Read and react, that's what we play, Walter." "Shut the Fuck Up Donny." He has a good read on where the ball is going and good closing speed to get there and make a play. He doesn't appear to have elite speed but you don't need that if you know where the ball is going. Ask Eric Smith. Solid pickup.

2012 Prognostication and Beyond: There's kind of a safety logjam in progress for the next couple years. Certainly redshirts in 2012. Could see the field in 14 or 15.

Ezra Robinson

Robinson committed to MSU back in October over offers from Clemson, GT, Illinois, Duke and a host of Sun Belt offers. Ranked a three star prospect by all three major recruiting services Robinson will bring the patented SEC speed to the CB position for MSU. At 6'1 and 188 Robinson is another one of the big, physical corners that Dantonio likes to bring in and can lower the boomstick in run support. For an extremely detailed write-up check out Leo's stuff over at What Is Your Profession.


YOUtube

He has a 31 inch vertical. So that's nice.

2012 Prognostication and Beyond: Redshirts in 2012. Plays in 2014 or 2015. Will be excited to see some actual video of him someday.

Sorry guys, the available video on this guys was nowhere near as good as some of the other Position Groups, but all in all it should be a pretty good class.