In actuality, it has nothing to do with Cody’s skill level and instead has to do with his dad’s feelings that he shouldn’t have been a part of a team that was clearly in a rebuilding year. Says the coach,

“Here’s a guy who’s trying to do his best to win games and help his team and does everything right and is a good student and he’s getting killed on Facebook and getting killed on his cell phone.”

The Buffaloes have a 3-8 record so far this year, and Hawkins feels like it was a bit selfish for him to recruit his son, pressuring him into playing for Colorado when he had other offers on the table.

Dan Hawkins, Image: Newscom

Whether this is true or not, it’s a little lame for Hawkins to be saying this, in my opinion. It he regrets recruiting his son he should regret recruiting anyone to the team. Yes, it is his son. I get that. But being on a team coached by his father isn’t the reason the kid’s getting a lot of crap from fans. He’s getting crap because he threw 11 interceptions this year.

The fact of the matter is, even though no one player can ever take the blame for a team that isn’t doing well, the quarterback sets the stage for a good season or a bad season. That’s why quarterbacks are often given the Heisman, and that’s why the top quarterback often goes first in the NFL draft. With that good, though, is the bad – you take the blame when your team isn’t doing well.

Cody seems to be handling the situation well, and teammates say that they respect him for being so accepting of the changes being made at the school, even though it means that he’s no longer the starting quarterback. You can read more about what his dad had to say at ESPN.

Post from: EveryJoe

Dan Hawkins: Full of Recruiting Regrets

Recently, Even Berry, brother of safety Eric Berry, has verbally committed to play for Tennessee under Lane Kiffin. That’s great – but Berry is only 13 and hasn’t even played a single high school game yet. However, his coach has said that the quarterback/running back/free safety plays on another level and has natural instinct handling the ball.

Tennessee's new head coach, Lane Kiffin. Image: Newscom

Of course, his coach is also his father, James Berry, who also attended Tennessee.

Even has a twin brother named Elliot who is also, apparently, a football start at 13, but hasn’t announced anything about college choices yet, though he has said that prefers LSU as of now. Papa Berry says that both boys are more talented and at a higher skill level than older brother Eric was at their age.

Committing at such a young age seems really limiting and, frankly, stupid. I remember how I saw the world when I was 13, and even if the kid is super mature, your college choice is HUGE. He’s admitted that he doesn’t really know anything but Tennessee. Personally, I wisih his parents would push him to explore tons of options over the next four years – even non-football options.

Post from: EveryJoe

Tennessee is Robbing the Recruiting Cradle

Image: sxc.hu

Problem is, Watson didn’t send the email. The school thought that the message sounded a bit off, so they contacted Nebraska’s athletic department directly. Watson confirmed that he had never sent such an email and contacted the police. Finding the impostor could be troublesome, though, since a savvy scammer can easily block his or her IP and otherwise cover their tracks.

Says Watson,

Actually, I’m very angry. This is the first time I’ve experienced something like this. In this Internet world, there are all kinds of things that can get twisted and turned around. There’s really no telling what this person’s intentions are. All kinds of things rush through your head. It could be our whole coaching staff is being portrayed.”

Post from: EveryJoe

Nebraska’s OC has an Impostor

Division I and II coaches are allowed to contact recruits one-on-one using direct messaging services on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and other social networking websites. These types of messages are considered emails, which are permissable according to NCAA rules. Coaches can’t instant message or chat with recruits, but social networking opens new doors.

While public messages (such as posting on a Facebook wall) isn’t allowed, direct messages are often programmed to be sent directly to cell phones. The students have control over it, but if they set up their profile to have messages sent to their phones, it is almost like getting a text message from the coach.

Twitter has also been extremely helpful for coaches, who can update with general announcements frequently. By following recruits on Twitter, they can also get a sense of the student, learning how to better appeal to them.

Many coaches aren’t yet using Twitter, but on the other hand, some have embraced it. Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin uses Twitter because, essentially, other schools are using it. Illinois coach Ron Zook is pleased with the NCAA’s decision that Twittering is allowed. Of course, Pete Carroll is all over it, and has been from the start.

I think we’ll see more and more coaches joining the Twitter train, but the real question is this: will the NCAA further restrict using this technology?

Image via Twitter.com.

Post from: EveryJoe

Coaches Get around Text Rules with Twitter

Laugh if you will, but your team won’t be coachable to any kind of championship if you don’t draw talented players. And these days, the best players have their pick of schools pretty much. With the talent comes a winning season, and with the wins comes money. As sad as it may be, college football really is a business, and without cash flow, you get canned as a recruiter or coach so that the school can bring in someone who CAN make the money reign down.

Image: sxc.hu

Auburn gets that, so they’re upping the ante. Last week, seven of the school’s assistant coaches rode around the state in an Auburn limo to visit a number of recruits, especially in Mobile.

If nothing else, this stunt created some buzz in the city, and that’s exactly what the school needs right now. With other southern schools “stealing” potential Auburn players, the school needed to make an impact – and the did.

Other schools may soon be considering similar stunts to help compete with the recruiting power of, say, USC. After all, if you’re Nebraska or Michigan, you may have a great program, but your location doesn’t really back you up. “Free ride and you get to live in a cornfield” doesn’t really have the same ring as “free ride and you get to live on the SoCal coast” does it?

Post from: EveryJoe

Auburn Recruits in Style

Its Lane Kiffin’s lucky day. God has blessed him with the number one recruit of 2009, Bryce Brown. At least, that’s who the player says made the choice:

“I asked God to reveal it to me. He gave me the sign. When I first went there (on official visit) I wasn’t feeling it. I had a lot of concerns about Tennessee and the offense. When I went back, I got the sign. God told me that I was a Volunteer. I just felt it.”

Good for Miami for taking their offer off the table.

For the record, I don’t think Texas was ever in the running for Brown, but some people did think that he was going to Oregon.

Post from: EveryJoe

Mmmm God Blessed Texas…er, Tennessee

After being recruited by Florida, North Carolina, USC, and a few other schools, running back Darrell Scott committed to play at Colorado.

As a freshman, Scott got to play in 11 games. He rushed for a net total of 343 yards (364 gain, 21 loss) and had one touchdown. He got pretty much playing time as a freshman, and actually got the ball pretty often.

Colorado itself, as a team, didn’t have the best year. They only won 5 games total and went 2-6 in the Big 12. They had a tough schedule though – playing Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma State, and a number of other good teams. So, you can’t fault them TOO much.

I’m surprised Scott chose Colorado over some of the other schools recruiting him. You gotta do what you gotta do I guess, and Colorado must have felt right to him. At this school, he doesn’t have a ton of other stars on the field overshadowing him, but at the same time, he doesn’t have the best support system for showing off what he can do.

Post from: EveryJoe

#6 Darrell Scott One Year Later

Marcus Forston. Rivals.com called him “maybe the best nose tackle prospect in the past five years.” USA Today put him on their championship team. He has wide receiver talents as well as defensive tackle talents.

And then he picked University of Miami.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Miami-FL isn’t a bad school. The kid was heavily recruited at Notre Dame, USC, Tennessee, and Alabama, though. If you’re one of the best defensive prospects in the last five years…

I’m being unfair. You gotta go with the school you love, even if it isn’t the best team on your list.

So how’d he do at Miami?

Ok for a freshman. He had 3 sacks, which cost the other team 33 yards, and 18 tackles (13 of them solo). That’s pretty middle of the road, all things considered.

He got to play in 12 of their 13 games, so they definitely gave him some playing time, though, and I’m sure they’ll give him even more in the next two or three years. He’s someone to keep an eye on, even if he isn’t a total stand out just yet.

Picture via Newscom.

Post from: EveryJoe

#7 Marcus Forston One Year Later

The offer currently on the table expires at midnight, and one of the recruiters has one on record as saying that the offer probably won’t be renewed. Even though Brown has said that he’ll be going to Miami, he already visited five other schools and has a scheduled visit to LSU next week.

So why the hardball with a high school? One athletic department admin says that Randy Shannon, the head coach, is concerned that too much emphasis is being put on the player, rather than the team. I tend to agree. With a good team, a top recruit will just fall flat (need I say “Clausen”?), and it seems like every year, the top recruit is treated more and more like a celebrity.

From the Brown camp, reports are different – they say that they’ve talked to the coach and they haven’t heard anything about the offer being taken off the table.

I think it is poor form to say you’re going to one school, but then to visit other schools. Be honest – say you aren’t sure! It isn’t fair to Miami to say “I’m coming,” but then wait to sign a letter of intent so you can visit other schools. Furthermore, it isn’t fair to the other schools to take time out of their days when you’re “sure” that you’re not going their in the fall.

I put “sure” in quotes because obviously he isn’t sure, for whatever reason… and that’s fine, but dude, just be honest about it.

Picture via Newscom.

Post from: EveryJoe

Miami Plays Hardball with Top Recruit

A.J. Green from Summerville, South Carolina was definitely a force to be reckoned with during his freshman season. It was no surprise when he became a Georgia Bulldogs…he verbally committed to them July of 2006, long before he could officially commit to any school.

As a wide receiver, Green did well in high school, and the Bulldogs let him continue to shine. He broke, like, every freshman record at the school, finishing with 56 completions and 8 touchdowns. Hell, the week they played Arizona State, he was named SEC Player of the Week. At the end of the season, he was named Freshman of the Year by the SEC coaches. That’s pretty damn good.

So, unless he gets into legal trouble or has trouble staying healthy, I see a really bright future for Green. Sports Illustrated compared him to Randy Moss and predicted that he’s be an NFL star by 2011, and I don’t think that’s really a stretch.

Picture via Newscom.

Post from: EveryJoe

#9 A.J. Green One Year Later