Question for recruitniks...

[HSVDawg]

Paul also said he understood how tight positions were and it was hard to see who you drop for him. We dropped Ulric Jones in that class already and still didn't add a DL because of other needs. We had to sign 2 QB's because of the Cord situation. It was tight on numbers. I believe Paul or maybe it was another site said they couldn't see dropping Simpson for Bradley either. Simpson was close to being rated much higher and was still up graded with a torn ACL. No injury and he played in the All star classic the way he had been before the injury, he had a slight chance of getting an Auburn offer in the end. It didn't happen of course because of the ACL. So then the question is, who AT THE TIME could we drop. We see it now but at the time positions was tight. Especially at DL when we signed, what? 6-7 the year before. And we can't ever assume who is a 3 year guy when we sign them. Everybody was convinced Quay and James were 3 year guys the year before. They were right on Quay but only because everybody was totally wrong in what he would contribute. I liked Bradley, a lot of people liked Bradley, he was very undersized though and that is not a normal Turner DL. It is what it is. Bear was rated lower than Simpson that year.

We signed a lot of questionable players in that class over Bradley. A lot. We took guys like BJ Hammond and Artimus Samuel together, neither was highly rated and neither panned out. Jeremy Chappelle and Shelby Christy, same thing. Even when you look at a guy like Jake Thomas who was technically a 4 star (but had no other legit SEC offers), I think most would have been OK with taking Bradley over him. None of those guys mentioned above were ever thought to be high ceiling type guys even at the time, yet we took all of them.

[Really Clark?]

We signed a lot of questionable players in that class over Bradley. A lot. We took guys like BJ Hammond and Artimus Samuel together, neither was highly rated and neither panned out. Jeremy Chappelle and Shelby Christy, same thing. Even when you look at a guy like Jake Thomas who was technically a 4 star (but had no other legit SEC offers), I think most would have been OK with taking Bradley over him. None of those guys mentioned above were ever thought to be high ceiling type guys even at the time, yet we took all of them.

Bradley was thought of being a high ceiling guy either. Played above his physicals. But I'm also meaning at the time with a small class and we were having to wait on signing day decisions on the Alexander brothers, who the coaches thought we had a legitimate shot at getting. Plus we had the 4* DT coming in after signing day, who we also thought we were in great shape with IF Georgia didn't offer. They ended up bringing him in 2 weeks after signing day and did give him an offer. Those were misses that we had to keep open spots for though. I liked Bradley as well but we dropped Jones that year, grades, and Austin the WR because of spots. And people at the time would have absolutely melted if we had dropped Thomas, Hammond or Christy for Bradley. Not now but back then they would have. It would have been a very questionable descision. Samuel played his first season and looked good for a big TE. Ratings or not. You could have classed Bear as being a more legitimate drop candidate back then from what the fans knew. Very raw, upside but nobody saw him coming in and beating out all the other receivers that year. Nobody was predicting that until we saw him at fall camp. Picking Thomas to drop is an after the fact thought not BACK in 2013.

[HSVDawg]

Thomas was a guy who our staff liked OK but weren't willing to hold a spot for even through the summer, much less until signing day. He was given more or less an ultimatum to commit shortly after Big Dawg Camp or have his offer pulled if he continued to wait. This fact was well publicized on all the MSU recruiting sites. Fortunately for him, he pulled the trigger when he did and secured his spot.

Now, had he been dropped for Bradley, you are correct that a lot of folks who only follow recruiting at the surface level would have seen a 4-star dropped for a 2-star and had an aneurysm. But most anyone who follows our recruiting closely (including many posters on here) would not have batted an eyelash if it happened.

[Really Clark?]

Thomas was a guy who our staff liked OK but weren't willing to hold a spot for even through the summer, much less until signing day. He was given more or less an ultimatum to commit shortly after Big Dawg Camp or have his offer pulled if he continued to wait. This fact was well publicized on all the MSU recruiting sites. Fortunately for him, he pulled the trigger when he did and secured his spot.

Now, had he been dropped for Bradley, you are correct that a lot of folks who only follow recruiting at the surface level would have seen a 4-star dropped for a 2-star and had an aneurysm. But most anyone who follows our recruiting closely (including many posters on here) would not have batted an eyelash if it happened.

I don't disagree with that mostly. I think there would have been some who would have questioned it who follow recruiting. But your right, many were thinking Thomas had peaked. I wasn't sold either. But I do understand it was a close call and correct me but wasn't the staff debating bringing him in the last weekend but some were really afraid that he just couldn't sustain in the SEC? He would have been another undersized high school overachiever that would never make it in the SEC. With injury history. And we had several lines out there for highly rated players that would absolutely eliminated a spot for him if they had picked us. It was a close call.

[HoopsDawg]

Thomas was a guy who our staff liked OK but weren't willing to hold a spot for even through the summer, much less until signing day. He was given more or less an ultimatum to commit shortly after Big Dawg Camp or have his offer pulled if he continued to wait. This fact was well publicized on all the MSU recruiting sites. Fortunately for him, he pulled the trigger when he did and secured his spot.

Now, had he been dropped for Bradley, you are correct that a lot of folks who only follow recruiting at the surface level would have seen a 4-star dropped for a 2-star and had an aneurysm. But most anyone who follows our recruiting closely (including many posters on here) would not have batted an eyelash if it happened.

We actually came in and offered Bradley a scholarship the night before signing day, but it was too late.

[ShotgunDawg]

We actually came in and offered Bradley a scholarship the night before signing day, but it was too late.

Wow, really?

I don't understand how it was too late?
Surely our staff had been keeping him warm & he'd rather go to MSU over USM