Validation of Mullen's recruting prowess

[MetEdDawg]

Couldn't help but think during the game how much that tail whipping we gave LSU validated Mullen and staff's recruiting ability. LSU is full of 4 and 5 star guys that everyone around the country wanted. We've got guys whose only scholarship offer was from us. Yet we were the team in Baton Rouge at night up 24 points with 12 minutes left to play. How is that possible?

It's guys like Dillon Day and Josh Robinson and Dak Prescott and Jay Hughes and so many more that are hard ass workers that got overlooked that play with that chip. We outworked LSU Saturday night in every phase of the game. We recruit grinders, we recruit workers, and we recruit character. And now we FINALLY have 100% Mullen players on the field and look at what we just did. We dismnatled LSU. Our recruiting philosophy, which if you look at our starters are a few 4 stars sprinkled in with a bunch of 2 of 3 stars just physically dominated LSU in every way Saturday.

I like us. We work hard and we aren't going to back down to anyone even though our previous recruiting rankings we shouldn't hang with the elite programs. Just fun to watch and fun to think about how many 2 stars dominated LSU across the board Saturday.

[TheRef]

What's funny is that LSU is just as concerned with recruiting Stars as Ole Miss. All week they've been saying "MSU only has two and three stars. There's no way they an keep up with our four and five stars!!!" Well I think they are wrong.

[ShotgunDawg]

I thought Bo Bounds hit the nail on the head yesterday when he said something like, "Mullen has been able to create a tough culture in Starkville. Starkville isn't a soft, beautiful place, and in that environment he has been able to build a program based on toughness."

[Coach34]

People got all over Mullen and said "Mullen can't croot". But what Mullen did was recognize he was not at a high profile school and had to do things a little different. So what did he do?

He went out and recruited big, physical, raw athletes. He brought them in, redshirted them to coach them up and polish them. Some of these guys even take 2 full years of development before we start seeing results in their 3rd year. But our staff is turning these physically gifted raw athletes into good SEC football players. And it's paying dividends now.

In Mullen We Trust (most of us did anyway)

[WinningIsRelentless]

Two prime examples of our recruiting success is a no ranked Turtle Holmes who has been a very solid special team player and now in his senior year is contributing at a high level on defense. You can also add on Calhoun because no one had heard of him till he committed.

[archdog]

I remember when Dak committed. It was right after we lost a couple key QB prospects, I think Bo Wallace may have been one of them. Everyone on the Lake was down and out about us getting this little known guy to commit. Fast forward to signing day and many people started seeing Dak as a pretty good option. Now look at him. Mullen finds guys that fit his philosophy, hard working, high character (in comparison to other possible prospects) and guys that will represent this university well by kicking ass. Simple formula really.

[thunderclap]

Two prime examples of our recruiting success is a no ranked Turtle Holmes who has been a very solid special team player and now in his senior year is contributing at a high level on defense. You can also add on Calhoun because no one had heard of him till he committed.

I distinctly remember another fanbase making fun of us because we took him. Calhoun, I mean.

[Offshore Dawg]

People got all over Mullen and said "Mullen can't croot". But what Mullen did was recognize he was not at a high profile school and had to do things a little different. So what did he do?

He went out and recruited big, physical, raw athletes. He brought them in, redshirted them to coach them up and polish them. Some of these guys even take 2 full years of development before we start seeing results in their 3rd year. But our staff is turning these physically gifted raw athletes into good SEC football players. And it's paying dividends now.

In Mullen We Trust (most of us did anyway)


This^^ is why I believe the world according to DAWG is better than the world according to the little toddy bears.

[engie]

I remember when Dak committed. It was right after we lost a couple key QB prospects, I think Bo Wallace may have been one of them. Everyone on the Lake was down and out about us getting this little known guy to commit. Fast forward to signing day and many people started seeing Dak as a pretty good option. Now look at him. Mullen finds guys that fit his philosophy, hard working, high character (in comparison to other possible prospects) and guys that will represent this university well by kicking ass. Simple formula really.

This ain't even close -- at all -- to how Dak's recruitment went. Dak was our #1 QB prospect in 2011 -- the only one we really chased. We made him a priority from day 1 and that's why we locked him up and were able to fend off the Tigahs. He was an EE meaning he was at MSU in January as well and didn't have actual NSD drama, although there was a nice little melt when he OVed to LSU. The problem we had with Mullen's QB recruiting for years was the number of obvious priorities he was missing on -- with total whiffs in 2010 and 2012. Dak was the only "priority" that actually made it to campus for Mullen until Staley showed up in this past class. Bo Wallace was in the class of 2012 -- one which saw us completely whiff at the QB position -- and take crybaby Schuessler late before Dak ran him off in under a month.

One win in Baton Rouge doesn't allow for a total rewrite of reality. Reality is -- outside of locking up Dak -- our QB recruiting was shit on the front end and has only recently improved to satisfactory levels.

[DawgPoundtheRock]

Dak's success in Mullen's system has directly contributed to our recent success in attracting big physical qb's who also fit the system. I believe this trend will continue.

[shoeless joe]

Two prime examples of our recruiting success is a no ranked Turtle Holmes who has been a very solid special team player and now in his senior year is contributing at a high level on defense. You can also add on Calhoun because no one had heard of him till he committed.

Christian is a perfect example of small school plays poor competition so good player gets over looked. Except we didn't over look him. He was an elite high school athlete, 3 inches taller and he woulda played D1 basketball. Also a very good natural baseball player.
We recruited him, as did smaller schools like Memphis, he comes in and buys into his role. Works hard to get better and now he's a regular on D and was a huge part of our big goal line stand. Gotta appreciate guys like that and the fact that we recruit lesser known quality character guys.
May not be able to build a championship program on these guys alone but they are a huge part of what this staff does and is successful doin it.

[MetEdDawg]

Dak's success in Mullen's system has directly contributed to our recent success in attracting big physical qb's who also fit the system. I believe this trend will continue.

I think the idea of how successful that style QB could be in Starkville under Mullen was Relf leading us to 9-4 season. I mean I love Relf and what he did but let's be honest. He was a pretty poor passing QB except for his last 3 games of the 2010 year and still managed to win 9 games that year. If we were able to get a QB that could run at least as good as him and throw the ball pretty well, we all knew we could have success under Mullen in this offense. That's where Dak comes in to take us even further because he's a better runner than Dak and a significantly better passer.

Everyone said Mullen rode Urban's coattails. I think it should be pretty obvious by now though that he didn't. He just needs a specific type of QB to run the show. Relf fit that although he wasn't that good a passer. Josh Harris fit that at Bowling Green (led team in passing and rushing), Alex Smith fit that at Utah, Tebow and Cam both fit that at Florida, and now Dak fits that here at MSU with Fitz and Staley waiting in the wings. He needs a specific QB and he's shown that when he gets one, he's had success at developing them into leaders of solid football teams.

[DownwardDawg]

This ain't even close -- at all -- to how Dak's recruitment went. Dak was our #1 QB prospect in 2011 -- the only one we really chased. We made him a priority from day 1 and that's why we locked him up and were able to fend off the Tigahs. He was an EE meaning he was at MSU in January as well and didn't have actual NSD drama, although there was a nice little melt when he OVed to LSU. The problem we had with Mullen's QB recruiting for years was the number of obvious priorities he was missing on -- with total whiffs in 2010 and 2012. Dak was the only "priority" that actually made it to campus for Mullen until Staley showed up in this past class. Bo Wallace was in the class of 2012 -- one which saw us completely whiff at the QB position -- and take crybaby Schuessler late before Dak ran him off in under a month.

One win in Baton Rouge doesn't allow for a total rewrite of reality. Reality is -- outside of locking up Dak -- our QB recruiting was shit on the front end and has only recently improved to satisfactory levels.

^^^This is the real story^^^

[DudyDawg]

Look at McKinney. Wasn't he a 2 or 3 star because he didn't have great stats at LB basically playing every position on the field? The guy dominated Saturdaynight and on a handful of plays looked like an NFL linebacker who snuck onto a college field.

[Goat Holder]

Mullen has the recrootin blueprint for MSU. Win the State of MS, project the State of MS, then go to AL and LA and take the kids that the 'haves' overlook. 1, because there is less competition than FL, ATL, Houston, etc., and 2, they are close and MSU is similar to those states. 3, they play with a chip on their shoulders. We are not a national draw, and never will be, at least for 20 years. Accept that fact and build a championship team in spite of it. Sure we'll get a few kids from here or there, but it shouldn't be our base plan.

I've said it for years, and apparently Mullen believes it too. 5 hour radius.

[Percho]

Look at McKinney. Wasn't he a 2 or 3 star because he didn't have great stats at LB basically playing every position on the field? The guy dominated Saturdaynight and on a handful of plays looked like an NFL linebacker who snuck onto a college field.

He looked like the big guy who played for the Chicago Bears at times.

[HoopsDawg]

We are having success this year because we have a QB. If you have a great QB and a great coach, you can win games.

As far as recruiting stars, you have to have them to go to the next level. Don't try and act like you don't. The one exception to this rule is the O-line. There are no-brainers out there like Cam Robinson, but for the most part O-linemen are very hard to evaluate. Website recruiting guys definitely can't evaluate them.

[Jack Lambert]

I remember everyone saying he got to 9 wins with Crooms recruits. I just dont' think Croom would have gotten there with them.

[Goat Holder]

I remember everyone saying he got to 9 wins with Crooms recruits. I just dont' think Croom would have gotten there with them.

Imagine the Croom Coast Offense with Relf at QB.