Bo Bounds Just Doesn't Get It

[ShotgunDawg]

Just saw this tweet of Bobo defending Mullen's recruiting and it's literally a point made to confuse stupid people.

https://twitter.com/bobounds/status/985236782273966080

Yes, Mullen improved MSU's composite recruiting ranking 10 spots from when he took over till when he left and overall, yes Mullen did a great job at MSU.

However, insinuating that Mullen is a good recruiter because he improved a 3-5 win program's ranking 10 spots when he was winning 7-9 a year, seems disingenuous at best.

That's like saying a port-a-John is better than a hole in the ground. Yes, it's true that a porta-a-John is a better place to take a dump than a hole in the ground, but it doesn't mean that a port-a-Jon is a good place to take a dump. When succeeding Croom, average recruiting and coaching was bound to raise the level of our program. Furthermore, Mullen additionally benefits in this debate because recruiting rankings didn't exist when Jackie was winning and recruiting fairly well at MSU. Mullen took advantage of a situation that was without precedent because no one could compare his success to anyone's else's at MSU.

It's clear to anyone with a brain, that, while Mullen did a great job and built a solid foundation, his laziness on the recruiting trail limited the ceiling of MSU's program. There is no denying it and MSU fans should never let it happen again.

[Leroy Jenkins]

Any recruiting argument that references the Pre-ESPN money era is not relevant.

[ShotgunDawg]

Any recruiting argument that references the Pre-ESPN money era is not relevant.

Agree completely, but Bo is nearing Kellenberger level logic here.

[Todd4State]

I hate to defend Croom but we were on probation for the first part of his tenure and he had been out of college for well over a decade when we hired him. By the end of his tenure he had pulled some nice players like Pegues and Anthony Dixon and he beat Hugh Freeze out for Robert Elliott. One of Dan's two best teams in 2010 was built pretty much with Croom recruits.

[Todd4State]

Agree completely, but Bo is nearing Kellenberger level logic here.

I don't know what's going on with the talking heads but I think they completely convinced themselves that MSU can't recruit well. What Joe is doing is messing up their image of MSU and they can't believe that it wasn't really Ole Miss money and Hugh Freeze the entire time and that Dan was really that lazy.

[RougeDawg]

Bo never has gotten it with regard to anything outside of Jackson Prep Junior High girls tennis. Why you guys still listen to him and allow him to have a show is mind boggling. Literally any high school, and up, aged dude knows more about sports than he does.

Stop listening and the ignorance will go away on its own.

[msstate7]

I think joe is proving to be a better recruiter than Mullen; but the fact we are looked at here as a true potential sec west champ this season really craps on the Mullen is a garbage recruiter theory

[5049]

Mullen did many great things but he's just not a closer, which is why I don't think he'll win a national title at Florida unless he amasses incredible talent somehow (and he may). He couldn't close on Cam, he couldn't close on numerous in-state recruits, he couldn't close out Alabama last year.

Like many of you say, he amassed a great bit of talent at MSU, but never could finish out the class to add those 1-3 difference makers, when he had them all within his grasp!

He's come up with numerous great gameplans, but when it was crunch time he would not execute them, he'd clam up

He just doesn't finish the job, ie NOT relentless effort. He gets cocky

Another reason he won't succeed at Flarrda is because he kept the country club intact, he won't ever move up and hire an OC, he wants to do everything himself bc he thinks he's the best evarrrrr

[Bulldog1]

I think joe is proving to be a better recruiter than Mullen; but the fact we are looked at here as a true potential sec west champ this season really craps on the Mullen is a garbage recruiter theory

Past 4 classes rankings:
2018~ 27, 9th in SEC
2017~ 24, 9th in SEC
2016~ 28, 11th in SEC
2015~ 18, 8th in SEC

[Todd4State]

I think joe is proving to be a better recruiter than Mullen; but the fact we are looked at here as a true potential sec west champ this season really craps on the Mullen is a garbage recruiter theory

Here's the thing about Mullen- how good would we be with AJ Brown, Scott Lashley, and Cam Akers? I think Joe lands at least two of those three and probably more. Dan gave up on Akers because he didn't want to have to try to mend fences or work around his head coach so he just made up some BS about how Kylin Hill and Akers didn't like each other.

We did well in recruiting on the defensive side of the ball and that's because Dan's best non country club guys were on that side of the ball.

So, while we're good that doesn't mean that we're reaching our ceiling.

[msstate7]

Past 4 classes rankings:
2018~ 27, 9th in SEC
2017~ 24, 9th in SEC
2016~ 28, 11th in SEC
2015~ 18, 8th in SEC

We should've won 10 last season.

The avg recruiting ranking for the 4 years is 9th in the sec. Do you think we will finish 9th this season or do you think those rankings are wrong?

[Bulldog1]

We should've won 10 last season.

The avg recruiting ranking for the 4 years is 9th in the sec. Do you think we will finish 9th this season or do you think those rankings are wrong?

I thought we were talking about recruiting, not on the field performance.

[msstate7]

I thought we were talking about recruiting, not on the field performance.

You cannot win without good players. Getting good players requires good recruiting. We have some good players

[Bulldog1]

You cannot win without good players. Getting good players requires good recruiting. We have some good players

I'm not arguing that. We do. But Dan recruited with about half the effort of what he was capable of.

[msstate7]

I'm not arguing that. We do. But Dan recruited with about half the effort of what he was capable of.

Todd brought up some good points above. How good would we have been with aj Brown last season or if we closed on r. Davis? Even so, we have a lot of good players, so I don't buy the Mullen sucks as a recruiter. Mullen is not gonna load a team with 4 and 5 stars, but he will get good players. Mullen can build a good roster, but will not win a natty bc he cannot get enough truly elite players. Mullen will not last at Florida bc of this; but Mullen is a great coach for a non-elite football program, and can recruit just fine at that level imo

[5049]

Todd brought up some good points above. How good would we have been with aj Brown last season or if we closed on r. Davis? Even so, we have a lot of good players, so I don't buy the Mullen sucks as a recruiter. Mullen is not gonna load a team with 4 and 5 stars, but he will get good players. Mullen can build a good roster, but will not win a natty bc he cannot get enough truly elite players. Mullen will not last at Florida bc of this; but Mullen is a great coach for a non-elite football program, and can recruit just fine at that level imo

Actually, he's the opposite, he'll do better at a school that recruits itself, maybe that will minimize his weaknesses

Mullen is an adequate recruiter but his misses are just unexplainable, they fall right through his hands - Cam, CJ Johnson, Whitehead, Raekwon, Lashley, Knott, AJ, etc

Also, he's totally at the mercy of his defensive coaches, not to mention recruiters

[Bulldog1]

Todd brought up some good points above. How good would we have been with aj Brown last season or if we closed on r. Davis? Even so, we have a lot of good players, so I don't buy the Mullen sucks as a recruiter. Mullen is not gonna load a team with 4 and 5 stars, but he will get good players. Mullen can build a good roster, but will not win a natty bc he cannot get enough truly elite players. Mullen will not last at Florida bc of this; but Mullen is a great coach for a non-elite football program, and can recruit just fine at that level imo

Mullen was also a great developer of talent/ evaluator of talent too. I'll always be salty at him for leaving like he did, but I can't ignore that.

[ShotgunDawg]

Todd brought up some good points above. How good would we have been with aj Brown last season or if we closed on r. Davis? Even so, we have a lot of good players, so I don't buy the Mullen sucks as a recruiter. Mullen is not gonna load a team with 4 and 5 stars, but he will get good players. Mullen can build a good roster, but will not win a natty bc he cannot get enough truly elite players. Mullen will not last at Florida bc of this; but Mullen is a great coach for a non-elite football program, and can recruit just fine at that level imo

I agree with you but Bo referenced our recruiting rankings, not the actual talent on the team.

Having good recruiting rankings is the result of winning many recruiting battles against other comparable schools while having quality talent on your team doesn't quite mean that.

Dan could evaluate and beat people on that but he did not compete on a consistent basis for top talent that other schools had offered.

Bo referenced our recruiting ranking, not the talent on the team.

[msstate7]

I agree with you but Bo referenced our recruiting rankings, not the actual talent on the team.

Having good recruiting rankings is the result of winning many recruiting battles against other comparable schools while having quality talent on your team doesn't quite mean that.

Dan could evaluate and beat people on that but he did not compete on a consistent basis for top talent that other schools had offered.

Bo referenced our recruiting ranking, not the talent on the team.

Then I am arguing for no reason. Apologies

[msstate7]

Actually, he's the opposite, he'll do better at a school that recruits itself, maybe that will minimize his weaknesses

Mullen is an adequate recruiter but his misses are just unexplainable, they fall right through his hands - Cam, CJ Johnson, Whitehead, Raekwon, Lashley, Knott, AJ, etc

Also, he's totally at the mercy of his defensive coaches, not to mention recruiters

I disagree. Mullen needs to have the superior talent to win consistently. He will not out talent fsu or Georgia, which is a certain death sentence at Florida.