The updated list is the first post in this thread. I get my recruiting info from a whole mess of different websites though if that's what you are asking.
I see UC Davis has offered a lot of recruits that will most likely end up committing to the PAC 12. I think this is a good idea because even though they most likely will not end up committing to Davis, if it does not work out at the PAC 12 school and they decide to transfer they already have a relationship with the coaching staff at Davis.
That's definitely Hawkins' strategy. He's offered numerous players that are clearly FBS players, but like you said the relationship is there. He usually starts offering FCS later in the recruiting season.
Thanks for continuing to dig around the net and keep us up to date on Aggie football recruiting as usual. When a player commits to the Ags and you place him in the commitment list, I wonder if you could also post the schools that the player had offers from. I think it's always interesting to see the choices a player had before choosing the Aggies.
We've offered QB/ATH Bryce Peterson and he immediately committed!!! 3200 total yards as a junior with 35 TDs. Described as having a strong arm and has the ability to run. GO AGS!
The link below is for a great interview with Aggie commit, Orlando Ornealas. Cody Hawkins did a fantastic job of creating a genuine relationships with Ornealas, kept in constant contact with him. and, in the end, it made a big difference in his decision to choose UCD. It sounds like we may have swiped a good one from under the radar of the major programs.
Another comment that stood out to me:
“Education played a big role. Being a UC-Davis graduate, that paper goes a long way in life after football. The coaches made me feel like they wanted me. No other coach that was recruiting me did that. How often Coach Cody was in contact with me, that proved to me I was a priority for them. They are a program coming up. They are doing a $40 million renovation with their facilities – some great things are going on there. Plus, I get to stay in California. UC-Davis felt like a perfect fit for me.”
Are we doing a $40 million dollar renovation on our sports facilities...??
I’ve been assured on this forum or it’s predecessor that times for 100 meters are not meaningful in football; pay no attention to all the sprinters in the football hall of fame.
But I often check. Most fast HS football players run track at least some years, and their times are easily found on the Internet. We usually have had a few guys who run sub 11 seconds. It’s good when those guys have some size as is the case here.
River I do agree. I recall a player by the name of Renaldo Nehemiah who played for the 49rs in the early 80’s. He was the first hurdler to ever break the 110 hurdles mark of under 13.00 at 12.93. He would make the defensive backs fall back 10 yards when came into the game. He was FAST. Then in one game against the Atlanta Falcons he ran a crossing pattern and was ferociously hit by Falcons DB Kenny Johnson. Renaldo did not get up for a long time. He now says he was never the same again. I watched that play. I think Walsh later admitted he was at fault for that draft pick. On the plus side Nehemiah is healthy and doing well now. But, no. Pure speed is never going to work at any level of football. His replacement was a guy named Rice.
If you look at the list you’ll see some talented football players who had great speed. For instance I don’t think of OJ Simpson as being just fast, he was durable and hard to tackle as well. Bo Jackson was just an unreal athlete,
Yes but you need a mix. You need some speed on your team.
Its a good thing that out of the small number of commits so far that we’ve got two fast guys.
I haven’t got the impression watching our defense that we’re too small, more that we can’t contain great athletes that get the ball with a little space. Speed will help.
actually OJ was a member of the USC track team. Holds a world record as a member of 440-yard relay team (no longer contested). Ran a 10.3 100 meter. But I know what you’re saying, quickness and speed over 20-yards is a key for a back
I was contrasting an example of Nehemiah who wasn’t successful as a NFL player with an archetypical running back who also had world class speed. OJ is just one example of many where near Olympic class sprinters were also great football players.
100 meter times reflect sped and speed is a desirable gift. Not the only skill needed in football but one that players either have or don’t, hard to improve upon. For guys at speed positions there is a very strong correlation between being fast at 100 meters and being fast to 40 yards. One is slightly biased to accceleration the other slightly biased to top speed, both valuable football assets. The great thing about track times is they are accurately measured. Glad to see some good sized commits with good speed.