Dukes the Scoop Take on Our Current Recruiting

[Zeek 16,649]

He has some connections and I trust him.

 

[Zeek 16,649]

My take, based on what I've heard and seen, we're trying to bring back a hard ass tough approach. However, we have to be able to code-switch when it comes to recruits.

We have all heard repeatedly about building connections. While kids appreciate talking X's and O's they want a bond above almost everything else. Unfortunately you have to de-recruit kids once they show up but it's the game.

Until we have top tier success it's harder to sell a less fun program. Even Tom Brady eventually said "f it I wanna go have fun somewhere."

[abw0004 10,110]

14 minutes ago, Zeek said:

My take, based on what I've heard and seen, we're trying to bring back a hard ass tough approach. However, we have to be able to code-switch when it comes to recruits.

We have all heard repeatedly about building connections. While kids appreciate talking X's and O's they want a bond above almost everything else. Unfortunately you have to de-recruit kids once they show up but it's the game.

Until we have top tier success it's harder to sell a less fun program. Even Tom Brady eventually said "f it I wanna go have fun somewhere."

That is something that I think Harsin needs to understand.  Auburn really is about the family feel.  If you try to take that away, then is really causes issues as you took away a really big selling point to not only the recruits themselves, but the families of of these recruits.

[Zeek 16,649]

Just now, abw0004 said:

That is something that I think Harsin needs to understand.  Auburn really is about the family feel.  If you try to take that away, then is really causes issues as you took away a really big selling point to not only the recruits themselves, but the families of of these recruits.

He's that hard ass step-dad who is right in trying to fix the bratty children but can't be full on Commanding Officer either. 

[Zeek 16,649]

It did feel like the BCW event was announced really late.

That last line is great.

 

[auburnphan 6,050]

I am fine with the approach.  You have to establish a culture and not just chase stars.  If they happen to be highly rated and fit then perfect.  Once you establish an alpha mentality, they will have mass interest.  And let's be honest, it takes an entire team to win.  And when a bunch of players play like a team they become a family.  The Auburn family is a culture that is beyond football and is the University itself, it is all of us.

[Zeek 16,649]

3 minutes ago, auburnphan said:

I am fine with the approach.  You have to establish a culture and not just chase stars.  If they happen to be highly rated and fit then perfect.  Once you establish an alpha mentality, they will have mass interest.  And let's be honest, it takes an entire team to win.  And when a bunch of players play like a team they become a family.  The Auburn family is a culture that is beyond football and is the University itself, it is all of us.

I can't believe some of the things the previous staff tolerated. The good news is we don't even have to go 9-3 this year to improve impressions. If we look more prepared and consistent that will go a long ways.

[Mikey 16,576]

3 minutes ago, Zeek said:

I can't believe some of the things the previous staff tolerated. The good news is we don't even have to go 9-3 this year to improve impressions. If we look more prepared and consistent that will go a long ways.

That will go a long ways with most of the fan base. I'm not sure it will help with recruits unless there are some big wins involved.

[Timbeaux38 299]

The other ting to think about is that these guys sometimes create content when there isn't much to talk about. I feel like there is more smoke than fire here at the moment. I'll save forming my opinion on the matter until mid-September and see where we stand then.

[Zeek 16,649]

7 minutes ago, Mikey said:

That will go a long ways with most of the fan base. I'm not sure it will help with recruits unless there are some big wins involved.

I dunno but I'm happy to hear the current players are excited. 

[fredst 9,064]

The fact that adaptability to changing circumstances was mentioned already sounds like progress to me, in comparison to the previous regime

[Sizzle 3,909]

If that last tweet is true then Harsin is definitely gone have to loosen up a little bit. You can’t be all work and no play. Nobody does that

[McLoofus 35,182]

14 minutes ago, fredst said:

The fact that adaptability to changing circumstances was mentioned already sounds like progress to me, in comparison to the previous regime

Kablooey.

Also, lol at the idea that Harsin's brand and all the family stuff are mutually exclusive. There are so many who still hang onto that "family vs business" soft serve baby crap and it's so embarrassing. It's something that fans of a mediocre team tell themselves to feel better about being fans of a mediocre team.  Good news, dorks. You don't have to keep apologizing for those guys. You get to demand excellence from the new guy. And then the next guy after that. All of us who are excited about this hire sure are. If he isn't the guy, we'll be among the first to say it.

[au302 2,669]

Anyone remember what Minnesota was doing to neutralize Brown and Davidson despite being out talented? I definitely remember that being talked about by the announcers and factoring into that game but I can't remember

[fredst 9,064]

15 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Kablooey.

Also, lol at the idea that Harsin's brand and all the family stuff are mutually exclusive. There are so many who still hang onto that "family vs business" soft serve baby crap and it's so embarrassing. It's something that fans of a mediocre team tell themselves to feel better about being fans of a mediocre team.  Good news, dorks. You don't have to keep apologizing for those guys. You get to demand excellence from the new guy. And then the next guy after that. All of us who are excited about this hire sure are. If he isn't the guy, we'll be among the first to say it.

Yeah, I haven’t heard a bunch of stories out of T-town about Saban sitting around playing Yahtzee with the guys on the weekend. Which is too bad because I really like Yahtzee

[1auburn1 1,110]

I’m definitely ok with moving from the “kick it with Family” approach and looking for players with an edge. 

[AUinfusion 390]

Yeah, it is ENTIRELY possible to have a fun, we-are-family vibe AND be hard-assed and unrelenting about improvement and discipline, and you can present both side of that up-front. It would be nice to see that in action for a year, and have some players actually able to attest that "yeah, we have great fun when it's time to have fun, we work as hard as we can when it's time to work hard, and we are brothers throughout".

[W.E.D 11,070]

3 hours ago, Zeek said:

My take, based on what I've heard and seen, we're trying to bring back a hard ass tough approach. However, we have to be able to code-switch when it comes to recruits.

This seems kinda odd to me.  Yeah, recruiting is fun and games.  The hard part is when they get on campus.  It's basic selling right?

 

Seems like a really big miss on a pretty basic thing and it'll be compounded b/c we've already got a short window

Edited July 15, 2021 by W.E.D

[Zeek 16,649]

4 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

This seems kinda odd to me.  Yeah, recruiting is fun and games.  The hard part is when they get on campus.  It's basic selling right?

 

Seems like a really big miss on a pretty basic thing and it'll be compounded b/c we've already got a short window

I think so but it's a weird line of being authentic as well. A lot of players have like that we're more focused on their game and giving them meaningful feedback. Too much of anything is usually bad though.

It should be fine. We have 2 4-star players inbound (Alston and Story) with a slew of 3* that are a matter of time (Fair, Ja'Kobi, Bobo, Baudoin).

4* Tre Donaldson is another one I expect us to get. Curious if he'll play both basketball and football. I know basketball takes priority if he chooses Auburn but I think he can do both.

[W.E.D 11,070]

2 minutes ago, Zeek said:

I think so but it's a weird line of being authentic as well. A lot of players have like that we're more focused on their game and giving them meaningful feedback. Too much of anything is usually bad though.

It should be fine. We have 2 4-star players inbound (Alston and Story) with a slew of 3* that are a matter of time (Fair, Ja'Kobi, Bobo, Baudoin).

4* Tre Donaldson is another one I expect us to get. Curious if he'll play both basketball and football. I know basketball takes priority if he chooses Auburn but I think he can do both.

Maybe that's what he did a Boise and it was OK, but I'm surprised no one...especially the SEC guys said something to him before that.  But the good news is he's changing.

[McLoofus 35,182]

Hey @bigbird, isn't it wild that nobody said Harsin would focus first on building the culture of the program- even if it meant taking less highly recruited players early on- and then fit guys into that culture as time and development progress? It's nuts that literally nobody here or any analysts ever said anything like that.

[bigbird 60,491]

2 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Hey @bigbird, isn't it wild that nobody said Harsin would focus first on building the culture of the program- even if it meant taking less highly recruited players early on- and then fit guys into that culture as time and development progress? It's nuts that literally nobody here or any analysts ever said anything like that.

[Barnacle 9,064]

I'm trying to hold off any judgment until after this season, and the next recruiting cycle, but recruiting remains a big question mark for Harsin, and I'm going to remain skeptical until he proves otherwise. No need to hit the panic button yet, but I'm pretty underwhelmed at this point, and I don't really buy a lot of the excuses being made. 

[gravejd 3,270]

Dukes probably spoke to a couple recruits and reported their opinion on Auburns recruiting. Now everybody is running with it and suddenly Harsin is too much of a hard ass to connect with recruits and needs to adjust his style. Like Harsin hasn't been recruiting players for the last 2 decades at various schools. 

Please Harsin do not adjust your style. Go after the guys that love football and their goal is to be professional football players. The ones that are serious about it. Please don't bring in players that are uber talented but more interested in strutting than playing football. We've seen way to many highly rated players come to AU and do nothing because that is the type we went for. Go and get the ones that want to work. Stars be damned. If the system works the stars will come!

[Barnacle 9,064]

17 minutes ago, gravejd said:

Dukes probably spoke to a couple recruits and reported their opinion on Auburns recruiting. Now everybody is running with it and suddenly Harsin is too much of a hard ass to connect with recruits and needs to adjust his style. Like Harsin hasn't been recruiting players for the last 2 decades at various schools. 

Please Harsin do not adjust your style. Go after the guys that love football and their goal is to be professional football players. The ones that are serious about it. Please don't bring in players that are uber talented but more interested in strutting than playing football. We've seen way to many highly rated players come to AU and do nothing because that is the type we went for. Go and get the ones that want to work. Stars be damned. If the system works the stars will come!

I don't disagree with you about approach re: serious football players. 

But let's not pretend like Gus and Steele weren't recruiting serious football players too. We recruited, and then mismanaged a lot of quality football players and people. 

Recruiting players to a different scheme seems to me to be a more legitimate obstacle. 

Edited July 15, 2021 by Barnacle