JUCO recrootin.......

[Taog Redloh]

We got 3 JUCOs committed for 2016 (Durr - CB, Thomas - TE/OL, and Brown - DT). We got 3 for 2017 too (Champion - OL, Pierce - TE, and Myers - WR). That ain't enough. Rivals shows a LB named Cooper, so that's something. Now look at this list:

https://rivals.yahoo.com/mississippistate/football/recruiting/recruit-search-results

You telling me there's not 2-3 more guys on that list that could help us, AND that we could actually get? We say we're thin at CB next year, well there's two on there, one committed to Mizzou and another committed to Louisville (and from Callaway). There's a tailback committed to Missouri too. 2 other 4 star guys, a WR and a DT......these guys can't help us pick up the slack lost by Bear and Jones?

This is how our JUCO #'s have shaken out under Mullen:

2009: 6
2010: 3
2011: 3
2012: 3
2013: 2
2014: 3
2015: 4
2016: 4 so far

It's painfully obvious that all we are doing is plugging holes and adding depth with JUCOs. Which is fine, but we need to start adding talent too. Even if we are full at a certain position - who cares, get the talented player, and make it work. That's what King Jackie did. Obviously you can't go overboard, but I don't see the harm in 5-7 JUCOs per year. Imagine if we could add a couple more impact players here and there, might be the difference in 8-4 and 10-2.

[Interpolation_Dawg_EX]

Cooper won't be in the class.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

The talent level in Juco is different than it was in the 90's. In the 90's a lot of the top Juco guys were SEC talent who didn't have the grades. A lot more kids are qualifying now so those guys never see Juco. So the 2nd tier guys all of a sudden become the top guys in Juco. If you're not getting a kid who left a D1 school then you're taking more of a crapshoot. More kids that weren't recruited in HS but have gotten to Juco & blew up. Some pan out some don't.

[Irondawg]

I have to disagree here. JUCO should be used in my mind to plug holes and get an immediate talent boost and I think we do a decent job of addressing that with our current plan. Couple of things to keep in mind because if they are in JUCO they start there for a reason.

1) Most are there because honestly they aren't very smart and or disciplined and while college isn't as complicated as the NFL the college systems still require a lot of study. To be a really good players means focus on learning the schemes. Getting a sack on 1st down on pure talent is great, but if you mess up the call on 2nd down and give up a 50 yard TD because you were in the wrong place, that sack doesn't matter much. I can't comment on the football but I was around JUCO basketball players for a few years and saw a ton of wasted talent simply because they never used their brain. We all know how our staff values assignment knowledge about raw talent, but that's been beat to death already.

2) Other guys need development and/or reps and shine with a year or two of growth. But there aren't a ton of those guys

3) Most of the really talented ones were placed by a team which makes it an uphill battle to get them to switch. For instance that RB committed to Mizzou signed with them out of HS.

4) They dropped out of D1 program for some reason and went to JUCO. Again not a ton of these and half of them have attitude issues you don't want to touch. A lot of them have Cam newton attitudes without the talent that makes it worth putting up with for a few years.

5) Even the talented ones usually have a big adjustment period. If you don't get out in December that Jr. year is almost always going to be half wasted. So really you get one solid year out of them at the end of the day.

[ShotgunDawg]

The talent level in Juco is different than it was in the 90's. In the 90's a lot of the top Juco guys were SEC talent who didn't have the grades. A lot more kids are qualifying now so those guys never see Juco. So the 2nd tier guys all of a sudden become the top guys in Juco. If you're not getting a kid who left a D1 school then you're taking more of a crapshoot. More kids that weren't recruited in HS but have gotten to Juco & blew up. Some pan out some don't.

DING, DING, DING, we have a winner....

Yup, more kids are qualifying than ever before, & the ones that don't, are usually sign & placed by another power 5 team, & are basically off limits to recruit.

I'm sure how many JUCO guys were signed & placed back in the Kang's day. For example, Raekwon Davis won't qualify, but we still really really want to sign him. That happens a ton now.

[Big4Dawg]

We might add up to two more. Justin McInnis (http://247sports.com/Player/Justin-Mcinnis-86545) and Desmond Branch (http://247sports.com/Player/Desmond-Branch-31019), who are visiting this weekend.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

We might add up to two more. Justin McInnis (http://247sports.com/Player/Justin-Mcinnis-86545) and Desmond Branch (http://247sports.com/Player/Desmond-Branch-31019), who are visiting this weekend.

I don't think we're going to bring in Branch.

[Taog Redloh]

Good points Ifyouonlyknew and Irondawg. Even still, do you not think there is enough for us to benefit from our natural geographic advantage? I'm not asking for half a class or a whole defensive line like the King did, I just want 5-7 per year. Half can be hand-picked the way we do now, and others can be crap shoots on talented guys.

[AROB44]

Does it make sense to redshirt JUCO's? It seems to me that D. Autry, Slay, and D. Hutcherson to name a few would have benefited us more if we had redshirted them. Just curious as to what others think.

[Taog Redloh]

Does it make sense to redshirt JUCO's? It seems to me that D. Autry, Slay, and D. Hutcherson to name a few would have benefited us more if we had redshirted them. Just curious as to what others think.
Yes, especially the ones we bring in for depth. I have no problem with it. Depends on how good you are and where the holes are. Many times they want to play immediately though, that's the main way to sign them.

[CarolinaDawgs]

If Im not mistaken NWCC just won a NJCAA Natty and didn't have one top 50 JUCO player... something strange about that, but I think it has something to say about JUCO talent.

maybe like hey... its not all its cracked up to be.

[Taog Redloh]

If Im not mistaken NWCC just won a NJCAA Natty and didn't have one top 50 JUCO player... something strange about that, but I think it has something to say about JUCO talent.

maybe like hey... its not all its cracked up to be.
Don't get me started on Hevesy and the players at NWCC.

[CarolinaDawgs]

Don't get me started on Hevesy and the players at NWCC.

You mean you don't like what goes on in Senatobia aka Tobie Town aka 5 star city?

[Ifyouonlyknew]

Good points Ifyouonlyknew and Irondawg. Even still, do you not think there is enough for us to benefit from our natural geographic advantage? I'm not asking for half a class or a whole defensive line like the King did, I just want 5-7 per year. Half can be hand-picked the way we do now, and others can be crap shoots on talented guys.

I agree you have to use the Juco system but you have to use it wisely. It's a very thin line. Also with us RS Juco kids lately it makes the # of Juco kids we get yearly fluctuate. We have 2 Juco kids RS that wouldn't surprise me 1 bit if they started next year (Rankin & Jung). The big thing in Juco that I'm really leaning to are kids with 3yrs of eligibility remaining. That's a game changer. Kids like Donald Gray & the Justin Mcinnis kid we're recruiting.

[tcdog70]

JUCOs are a huge advantage for US. Look how Southern Miss got back to winning. They bought in JUCOs and some transfers. Kansas St and Nebraska really are the best at using JUCOs. You can"t convince Me that MSU can't find 6 really good JUCO's a year to help Us. Auburn and Bama recruit at the highest levels but the sign 2 or 3 jucos Most years. We need JuCO players at these positions every year-OL, DL and cornerbacks. And if you can get a Chris White or a Vic Ballard then do it. i look for Rankin and Jung to really help next year. There is nothing wrong with red-shirting a JUCO. We should have RS Slay.

[SDDawg]

I agree you have to use the Juco system but you have to use it wisely. It's a very thin line. Also with us RS Juco kids lately it makes the # of Juco kids we get yearly fluctuate. We have 2 Juco kids RS that wouldn't surprise me 1 bit if they started next year (Rankin & Jung). The big thing in Juco that I'm really leaning to are kids with 3yrs of eligibility remaining. That's a game changer. Kids like Donald Gray & the Justin Mcinnis kid we're recruiting.

Exactly, 3 or 4 to play 3 is a huge benefit and we should find those guys whenever/wherever we can.

[BrunswickDawg]

should have RS Slay.
Which may be why we RS more of them now.

[Coach34]

Slay was projected high in the draft- he would have left anyway even if RS'ed

[Johnson85]

I agree you have to use the Juco system but you have to use it wisely. It's a very thin line. Also with us RS Juco kids lately it makes the # of Juco kids we get yearly fluctuate. We have 2 Juco kids RS that wouldn't surprise me 1 bit if they started next year (Rankin & Jung). The big thing in Juco that I'm really leaning to are kids with 3yrs of eligibility remaining. That's a game changer. Kids like Donald Gray & the Justin Mcinnis kid we're recruiting.

SO we have two more years with Donald Gray? I didn't realize that and if so, that's awesome. I thought he was going to be another version of Slay (maybe without as high of a ceiling in the NFL), where we only got one really good season out of him.

[defiantdog]

Slay was projected high in the draft- he would have left anyway even if RS'ed

Slay's stock really jumped because of his combine.

[Coach34]

Gray RS'ed in juco because of a broken ankle I think

[Taog Redloh]

JUCOs are a huge advantage for US. Look how Southern Miss got back to winning. They bought in JUCOs and some transfers. Kansas St and Nebraska really are the best at using JUCOs. You can"t convince Me that MSU can't find 6 really good JUCO's a year to help Us. Auburn and Bama recruit at the highest levels but the sign 2 or 3 jucos Most years. We need JuCO players at these positions every year-OL, DL and cornerbacks. And if you can get a Chris White or a Vic Ballard then do it. i look for Rankin and Jung to really help next year. There is nothing wrong with red-shirting a JUCO. We should have RS Slay.
I'm all-in with you. Couldn't agree more.

[maroonmania]

JUCOs are a huge advantage for US. Look how Southern Miss got back to winning. They bought in JUCOs and some transfers. Kansas St and Nebraska really are the best at using JUCOs. You can"t convince Me that MSU can't find 6 really good JUCO's a year to help Us. Auburn and Bama recruit at the highest levels but the sign 2 or 3 jucos Most years. We need JuCO players at these positions every year-OL, DL and cornerbacks. And if you can get a Chris White or a Vic Ballard then do it. i look for Rankin and Jung to really help next year. There is nothing wrong with red-shirting a JUCO. We should have RS Slay.

I'm all for more JUCOs where we find some that can help us but comparing JUCO impacts in CUSA to JUCO impacts in the SEC is not really an apples to apples comparison. Usually on the very elite in JUCO ever have much impact in the SEC.

[CarolinaDawgs]

I'm all for more JUCOs where we find some that can help us but comparing JUCO impacts in CUSA to JUCO impacts in the SEC is not really an apples to apples comparison. Usually on the very elite in JUCO ever have much impact in the SEC.

Finally some brains behind this operation... The biggest difference between JUCO ball HS 6A ball is that the games are played on Thursday.

[state66]

Slay had a torn MCL for the combine didnt he?

[Ifyouonlyknew]

For you Goat: Hev is in Senatobia seeing Terrance Malone. We'll see if we offer.

[Interpolation_Dawg_EX]

For you Goat: Hev is in Senatobia seeing Terrance Malone. We'll see if we offer.

Is his Arkansas offer legit?

[CarolinaDawgs]

Is his Arkansas offer legit?

NWCC Athletic account tweeted it 2 days ago... i don't know if this helps but i saw it.

https://twitter.com/NWCC_Rangers/status/674295713505914880

[Ifyouonlyknew]

Is his Arkansas offer legit?

Yea they just offered yesterday & he's an EE so they wouldn't just be throwing out an offer if he couldn't commit.

[Political Hack]

Who's the RB for NW? I've heard people bragging on him.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

Who's the RB for NW? I've heard people bragging on him.

Justin Crawford. He'll more than likely end up at Louisville.

[Interpolation_Dawg_EX]

Yea they just offered yesterday & he's an EE so they wouldn't just be throwing out an offer if he couldn't commit.

Good enough for me...sign him up!

[Really Clark?]

Justin Crawford. He'll more than likely end up at Louisville.

And will be the second JUCO RB they have taken in as many years. The back from last year did not do much for them.