Utah 2014 Football Recruiting Discussion Thread

[Jarid in Cedar]

We are off to a good start with in state players. There will be an ongoing debate on who is the best player in the state between Barton and Mone(committed to Michigan). From my POV, if I had to choose between the two, I would choose Barton every day of the week and twice on Saturday. Now that is not a knock on Mone at all as he is an outstanding player in his own right, but I look at it as a "value over replacement" discussion.

Utah has had good luck with DT's, finding hidden gems and developing some existing "Stars" into first round draft picks. So even if they ultimately cannot sway Mone out of his Michigan committment, we are very likely to find a very good DT and have them excel in our system. You could say that we already have proven this with Havili.

Offensive tackle, on the other hand, is as high a premium position as quarterback. It is shown in the NFL as well as college. Teams covet elite OT's at almost the same level that they do quarterbacks. The ability to take a B or B+ tackle and turning them into a high NFL draft pick is nowhere near as easy as it can be at other positions. This is mostly because the physical attributes of an elite OT are very hard to come by. You must be tall, big, but have great flexibilty and the feet of a ballerina. Compare this to say, RB, where you find almost every variance in height, weight, speed, etc imaginable, and can still have a very effective product.

I look at Jackson as the most valuable recruit that Utah has landed since I started following recruiting(2007).

[johnyrook]

I agree on Barton. Who do we think our next commit will be?

[Jarid in Cedar]

I agree on Barton. Who do we think our next commit will be?

I don't know. I think we may not see another one until after/during the "Elite" camp this June. I hope that it is Shultz, but I think he will not commit to us(if he does at all) until he can see how the TE is utilized in DE's offense.

[crazyute]

this was one of the reasons i was excited when we got zac lindsay to switch his commit to us. while he is more likely a RT he does the bring the intagibles that are required height (6'7"), length (long arms), and size (320lbs).

these two are signs of what we need to look for when going for tackles in the pac12. no more 6'3" guys. we need the length to go against the speed we see at this level week in and week out.

i also hope the uhatafe kid is every bit the 6'5" that he is reported at. unlike brenner who was said to be 6'4" but measured in at 6'2" at the shrine bowl. or tofaeono who was said to be 6'5" when we signed him but is now listed at 6'2". having long arms can combat the lack of height however in a lot of instances.

[Big Dave]

this was one of the reasons i was excited when we got zac lindsay to switch his commit to us. while he is more likely a RT he does the bring the intagibles that are required height (6'7"), length (long arms), and size (320lbs).

these two are signs of what we need to look for when going for tackles in the pac12. no more 6'3" guys. we need the length to go against the speed we see at this level week in and week out.

i also hope the uhatafe kid is every bit the 6'5" that he is reported at. unlike brenner who was said to be 6'4" but measured in at 6'2" at the shrine bowl. or tofaeono who was said to be 6'5" when we signed him but is now listed at 6'2". having long arms can combat the lack of height however in a lot of instances.

How the hell do we get a player's height off by three full inches?

[UTEopia]

What the recruiting sites list a kid at is usually self-reported by the kid and therefore about as reliable as self-reported 40 times and offers and all the other stuff. The staff certainly knows how tall a kid is and how much he weighs before he signs. Whether or not they list the H/W correctly in the media guide is another deal. Some of you will remember a great kid by the name of Alex Puccinelli who played DE at Utah a few years back. He was about 6'1" and held many records for sacks in SoCal. He was listed at 6'4" by his HS and that is what Oregon believed. When he showed up for an official visit at Oregon the HC reportedly asked, who is this guy and why is he here on an official visit? Recruiting is a funny sport. HS coaches and players are trying to get their guys a free education and sometimes stretch things a bit.

[Tacoma Ute]

This probably a question I should be embarrassed to ask but I don't mind looking ignorant. What is the best site to follow ute recruiting? I follow a little on the free rivals through Yahoo, but it gives very little information. I've thought about signing up and paying for UteZone to get info but always talk myself out of it. Is that where you all get the majority of your information on the recruiting?

I've been a member of UteZone for about a year and it is quite good. I've never signed up for Scout but most I have talked to say UteZone is much better. These days a lot of stuff gets out their on Twitter right away. If you know a particular recruits name you can search it on Twitter or just search Utes. That's a less expensive option.

[Utahute72]

I would second Jarids comments, but remember that Scout is relatively new to this market and they have had some growing pains. It remains to be seen if they can continue to improve to the point they can challenge Rivals access to the program.

[Jarid in Cedar]

Fred Whittingham Jr just tweeted "Great day to be a Ute" Who's the new commit?

I have a name, as soon as it is out on twitter/public sources, i will update the board. Big kid, nephew of a former player.

[Applejack]

I have a name, as soon as it is out on twitter/public sources, i will update the board. Big kid, nephew of a former player.

Who is the uncle?

[OrangeUte]

This probably a question I should be embarrassed to ask but I don't mind looking ignorant. What is the best site to follow ute recruiting? I follow a little on the free rivals through Yahoo, but it gives very little information. I've thought about signing up and paying for UteZone to get info but always talk myself out of it. Is that where you all get the majority of your information on the recruiting?

[Jarid in Cedar]

This probably a question I should be embarrassed to ask but I don't mind looking ignorant. What is the best site to follow ute recruiting? I follow a little on the free rivals through Yahoo, but it gives very little information. I've thought about signing up and paying for UteZone to get info but always talk myself out of it. Is that where you all get the majority of your information on the recruiting?

I have a membership to both, and for local info, I think Rivals is better. Scott has some good national/regional analysts, so I keep my membership for their info.

[big z]

I have both Scout and Rivals, and i don't think i'll be renewing my scout account. The information they are putting out on UZ is days a head of Scout.

The UZ folks seem to have more access into the program than the scout writers do.

[crazyute]

it was kenyon frison. plays at granger high school is 6'8"

dan sorenson put it on his twitter.

[Scorcho]

I found it interesting that KSL is doing a feature (I believe it's a podcast) on how badly Utah's 2009 recruiting class has turned out (strangely KSL's website has been down tonight so I can't provide a link). Looking back at the 2009 class there were a whole lot of players that were injured or didn't pan out in that class. http://utah.scout.com/a.z?s=365&p=9&c=4&yr=2009

There was so much hope for that class especially after the Sugar Bowl run, and it just didn't work out. When you look at the 2009 vs. 2010 class, the 2010 class blows it away. Not sure what happened in 2009, perhaps just some bad luck (Jordan Wynn, James Aiono). Many of those 2009 recruits should be juniors and seniors this year and be major contributors.

[Jarid in Cedar]

I found it interesting that KSL is doing a feature (I believe it's a podcast) on how badly Utah's 2009 recruiting class has turned out (strangely KSL's website has been down tonight so I can't provide a link). Looking back at the 2009 class there were a whole lot of players that were injured or didn't pan out in that class. http://utah.scout.com/a.z?s=365&p=9&c=4&yr=2009

There was so much hope for that class especially after the Sugar Bowl run, and it just didn't work out. When you look at the 2009 vs. 2010 class, the 2010 class blows it away. Not sure what happened in 2009, perhaps just some bad luck (Jordan Wynn, James Aiono). Many of those 2009 recruits should be juniors and seniors this year and be major contributors.

I look at how many of that class did not even make it to campus. Or made it later than recruited(Aiono).

[Scorcho]

I look at how many of that class did not even make it to campus. Or made it later than recruited(Aiono).

okay the article/podcast wasn't from KSL, but from Brian Swinney at Inside the Utes.

http://utah.scout.com/a.z?s=365&p=2&...2f1269840.html

[UtahsMrSports]

I have neither Rivals nor scout. I have not found one person who prefers InsideTheUtes to UteZone. That would appear to be the case here as well.

I unfollowed all of the scout guys before signing day was even here. I got tired of the "I was the only one who had something and now other people are copying it! boo hoo hoo!" from the scout guys. Just got old. When I do subscribe, it will be to rivals (utezone)

[stretchiute]

I have a feeling this thread is going to get unwieldy after a while. What about a recruiting section on the site. Just a thought. This is dead time for everything, but when things heat up in recruiting it would be nice to have a place to post multiple threads imo.

Love the site

[Jarid in Cedar]

I have a feeling this thread is going to get unwieldy after a while. What about a recruiting section on the site. Just a thought. This is dead time for everything, but when things heat up in recruiting it would be nice to have a place to post multiple threads imo.

Love the site

This is a good suggestion. Mostly football? Given the sheer volume of recruits(and interest), FB could garner its own niche, whereas BBall, Baseball, etc could be done in their respective forums

[LA Ute]

This is a good suggestion. Mostly football? Given the sheer volume of recruits(and interest), FB could garner its own niche, whereas BBall, Baseball, etc could be done in their respective forums

I agree it is a good idea.

[Tutclub]

I have a feeling this thread is going to get unwieldy after a while. What about a recruiting section on the site. Just a thought. This is dead time for everything, but when things heat up in recruiting it would be nice to have a place to post multiple threads imo.

Love the site

I agree with everything you said!!

[RC Vikings]

Utah just invited a local kid, Logan Lee, to a come play under preferred walk on status. He played WR this year gained over 1100 yards and made 5A all state. He's 6'4" 200lbs and it sounds like Utah would like to have him bulk up and move to linebacker. His uncle is Jared Lee who played safety down at the Y. His Dad and uncles are all surgeons. He is planning on a mission first but when he comes back I think he can make an impact down there.

[LA Ute]

Utah just invited a local kid, Logan Lee, to a come play under preferred walk on status. He played WR this year gained over 1100 yards and made 5A all state. He's 6'4" 200lbs and it sounds like Utah would like to have him bulk up and move to linebacker. His uncle is Jared Lee who played safety down at the Y. His Dad and uncles are all surgeons. He is planning on a mission first but when he comes back I think he can make an impact down there.

Thanks for the tip. Looks like a good kid. Besides, Logan Lee is a pretty good football name. Rolls right off the tongue!

[Scratch]

I have neither Rivals nor scout. I have not found one person who prefers InsideTheUtes to UteZone. That would appear to be the case here as well.

I unfollowed all of the scout guys before signing day was even here. I got tired of the "I was the only one who had something and now other people are copying it! boo hoo hoo!" from the scout guys. Just got old. When I do subscribe, it will be to rivals (utezone)

This is right. I signed up for Scout for six months for like 7 bucks. I won't be renewing. They are wrong fairly often and don't seem to have the connections needed to do the job effectively. Rivals is infinitely better both for getting news and also for analysis.

[Jarid in Cedar]

Huge pickup tonight as Aaron Sharp, QB from Houston, picked the Utes over K-State and Miss State. Sharp was the #1 QB on their board.

[WhiskyPriest]

Huge pickup tonight as Aaron Sharp, QB from Houston, picked the Utes over K-State and Miss State. Sharp was the #1 QB on their board.

Here is the tribune article on the pick up. Sounds like he will be fast.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogsut...rback.html.csp

[Applejack]

Huge pickup tonight as Aaron Sharp, QB from Houston, picked the Utes over K-State and Miss State. Sharp was the #1 QB on their board.

Great news. I don't follow our QB recruiting as much as other positions, but I trust your judgment on this one.

[concerned]

Huge pickup tonight as Aaron Sharp, QB from Houston, picked the Utes over K-State and Miss State. Sharp was the #1 QB on their board.

why is he such a huge get, potentially a program changer (as described in the Trib), if his only other qb offers are KSU and Miss State? Why are you and others so high on him?

[Jeromy in SLC]

why is he such a huge get, potentially a program changer (as described in the Trib), if his only other qb offers are KSU and Miss State? Why are you and others so high on him?

KSU just won the Big 12 with Kline and Miss State has had a lot of success recently (forget their QB's name). They run a similar style, and value a QB that is fast and can throw. This may be an indication of where DE and BJ see the offense going. But, looking at his offer list, I doubt ASU or Baylor offered him as an athlete. He would fit their styles of play extremely well. Texas for certain offered him as an athlete.

I guess what it boils down to is that Utah just pulled a talented, extremely athletic QB from Texas going against some very good teams that are much closer to home. QB has been a problem position to recruit for Utah, but the last three cycles have produced some talented players.