2022 4* WR Darrius Clemons - Commits to Michigan

[akillshot 294]

18 hours ago, TigerPAC said:

this staff does seem to be better coaches for sure, esp with game prep and adjustments, but we need someone to close the deal.  being 2nd in a recruit's choice is the same as being 50th.

 

17 hours ago, metafour said:

With the transfer portal being a growing (and permanent) development, this just isn't true. It obviously sucks to miss out on a player you thought you had for so long, but building that relationship is still valuable. The kid could have underclassmen on his his own HS team that maybe now know something about Auburn that they otherwise wouldn't have even considered.

 

 

11 hours ago, God Cam It said:

Being second round 1 is better than being 50th for round 2 -tranfer portal speaking that is. 

Fully agree that with the transfer portal now, being 2nd is better than anything but first. That relationship may pay off later. For illustration, just look at the basketball program and Walker Kessler. Decided North Carolina was his first choice coming out of high school. Things didn't work like he hoped. Decided to transfer to where - Auburn - who almost got him to start with

Edited November 4, 2021 by akillshot
posted before finished with comment

[bigbird 60,522]

7 minutes ago, akillshot said:

posted before finished with comment

Man, I do that all the freakin' time. 😂

[augolf1716 21,123]

15 minutes ago, akillshot said:

 

 

Fully agree that with the transfer portal now, being 2nd is better than anything but first. That relationship may pay off later. For illustration, just look at the basketball program and Walker Kessler. Decided North Carolina was his first choice coming out of high school. Things didn't work like he hoped. Decided to transfer to where - Auburn - who almost got him to start with

Ths is an excellent example and so true we were very close to getting Walker the first time.

[McLoofus 35,182]

33 minutes ago, akillshot said:

Fully agree that with the transfer portal now, being 2nd is better than anything but first. That relationship may pay off later. For illustration, just look at the basketball program and Walker Kessler. Decided North Carolina was his first choice coming out of high school. Things didn't work like he hoped. Decided to transfer to where - Auburn - who almost got him to start with

@cbo- just one example

 

 

[Mikey 16,589]

1 hour ago, Gowebb11 said:

Amen. One thing Harsin has apparently bought with him from Boise is redshirting more guys. He redshirted most of this past class including some of our highest rated recruits like Dylan Brooks, Lee Hunter, and Tarvarish Dawson. That’s going to pay off with the way he focuses on development. 

Under the new rules, a player can be in up to four games and still redshirt. I wonder why some of those guys weren't put into the two blowout games we had early on? Marquis Robinson was in briefly vs Arky(?). Other than that, I haven't noticed many of the guys you'd think would normally see the field in the games at all.

Edited November 4, 2021 by Mikey

[au701948 998]

8 hours ago, GwillMac6 said:

lol bruh I PROMISE we got it after the 84th time you posted the SAME THING about recruiting. I really do not get why you are so worried. We are AUBURN. We are going to get ours eventually. Hell it may not even be this class. It may be 2023 but we will get ours. A top 15-20 Harsin class is a lot better than a top 10 gus class because we can actually get excited about their development and being put in the best position to succeed. 

I agree 100%…This is true!

[fredst 9,064]

I had high hopes here but, honestly, when he didn't commit earlier in the season I've been waiting for this one to go against us. And, that is not a knock on this staff at all. We are competing against a staff of elite recruiters for their home state guy....and, btw, that team is also in the top 4 of the initial CFP ranking. If we pulled Clemons it would be one of the best AU recruiting victories I've seen, up their with Lemonier and maybe Robinson and Reed. No shame at all if we miss here but it sure would be nice to snag Williams if we do(who looks just as good to me).

Edited November 4, 2021 by fredst

[DAG 33,982]

This is the negatives of recruiting. Charge to the game. We worked our butts off for this player and seemingly he was waiting for a better offer (Which is well within his rights). With that being said, it opens the door for another young man who wants to be at Auburn, which is a positive for us in my eyes!

[cbo 7,846]

7 hours ago, McLoofus said:

I don't think I made a point that disputes any of that. I was only responding to the notion that it doesn't matter that we were close on this kid, or that the name Auburn was positively associated with him for a long time. 

While I'm optimistic on our recruiting in general, I haven't at any point told anyone they need to be, also.

As for winning battles, we have won some. It's not like we haven't won any. Yes, we need to win some more, but no we don't necessarily "need" to pull a sought-after wide receiver out of Oregon's backyard. Cristobal is one of the top recruiters in the country, Oregon is a very attractive program, and wide receiver just became a big need for them, too. There are limits to what is reasonable to expect from a coach who hasn't finished his first season yet. 

This reminds me a little bit of the conversation about wide receivers having to catch anything they get their fingertips on. A ball is thrown behind and four feet over a guy and he does some Suni Lee ish just to even have a chance at it, and folks say that he touched it so he should have caught it. It's not a perfect metaphor but the situations aren't entirely dissimilar.

I apologize to those who have already heard me say it a million times, but I am unconcerned with recruiting until 2023. If that class comes and goes without making us smile, then my keyboard pitchfork will be ablaze.

PS- Wide receiver might be one of the most plug and play positions on the field that can be addressed with transfers. 

All good points, Loof. I responded to you, but my comments were more of a general reaction to the board. 

I will say again I love Harsin and suspect recruiting will improve in 2023. But I am worried about the impact of 2 consecutive lackluster classes (2021 and 2022). Maybe this all gets mitigated by the transfer portal. It's a new world, so who knows. 

Here are a few questions I have, although I am not saying I have the answers:

Is it a wise strategy to spend time and resources trying to get a WR from Oregon's backyard or someone like Bowen from ND? My initial reaction to missing on these guys is "that sucks," not it was worth it because we had a hat on the table. 

With the waiver on the 25 max this year, isn't this the perfect time for a new staff to load up on "their guys?" Our numbers should be high this year, even before the transfer portal. 

 

 

[cbo 7,846]

5 hours ago, McLoofus said:

@cbo- just one example

 

 

Sure, it happens. 

But the guy probably never ends up in the transfer portal. Even if he does, it is likely years from now and a million things have changed. I've seen no evidence that transfers are more likely to pick their second favorite college from high school. This feels like a stretch, but maybe I'm just being a downer for those looking for a silver lining. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

16 minutes ago, cbo said:

lackluster classes (2021 and 2022). Maybe this all gets mitigated by the transfer portal

2021 certainly did. No reason to think that 2022 won't be a big improvement when it's all said and done.

17 minutes ago, cbo said:

Is it a wise strategy to spend time and resources trying to get a WR from Oregon's backyard or someone like Bowen from ND?

Absolutely. Especially since we made the top 3 and probably top 2 for both. Who knows what other doors we opened in the process. Also, if we didn't go after those guys, people would be complaining that we aren't going after the best of the best. Furthermore, we have just as good a chance of stealing guys like that from schools like that as we would of stealing local kids from bama and uga. That will change as time goes on, though.

19 minutes ago, cbo said:

With the waiver on the 25 max this year, isn't this the perfect time for a new staff to load up on "their guys?" Our numbers should be high this year, even before the transfer portal. 

Fair question that I can't answer. But I can say that most of the groundwork was laid for the 2022 class- nationwide- before our staff even got hired. We're still very much in catch-up mode. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

19 minutes ago, cbo said:

Sure, it happens. 

But the guy probably never ends up in the transfer portal. Even if he does, it is likely years from now and a million things have changed. I've seen no evidence that transfers are more likely to pick their second favorite college from high school. This feels like a stretch, but maybe I'm just being a downer for those looking for a silver lining. 

Fair enough, but again, just one example. 

Of course, Dylan Brooks could be considered another example. We weren't his 2nd school, as far as I know, but we recruited him out of high school. Tray Matthews was another. Cory Grant is another. No, you don't count on these guys transferring, but every guy that we recruit and don't get a commitment from isn't a total waste of time. Nor is 2nd the same as 50th. 

And, as someone else said, the bigger advantage is in the impressions you make on that recruit's coaches, on their school admins, on their teammates, and on their communities. It's the other schools we visit while in the area. It's kids in nowhereville Georgia hearing that Auburn was in town and said all the right things. Probably less valuable for kids in Oregon and Indiana but again, those kids were the best available and they made it clear that we weren't completely wasting our time by trying. 

Even bama doesn't win them all. We'll start winning more. And that will be easier because of the effort we've already put in. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

By the way, @cole256, you're gone one day and I've already screwed everything up with @cbo. My bad bro.

[AUGoo 2,664]

17 hours ago, cbo said:

Have to go against the grain on this one. This was clearly a high priority recruit that we spent a lot of time on and needed to land. Either you get him or you don’t. Most of the comments here feel a little too rosy to me. 

Harsin is exceeding expectations as a coach. Recruiting is still a question mark. It’s fair to say that until it isn’t. 

Party Killer Alert!

[cbo 7,846]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

Fair enough, but again, just one example. 

Of course, Dylan Brooks could be considered another example. We weren't his 2nd school, as far as I know, but we recruited him out of high school. Tray Matthews was another. Cory Grant is another. No, you don't count on these guys transferring, but every guy that we recruit and don't get a commitment from isn't a total waste of time. Nor is 2nd the same as 50th. 

And, as someone else said, the bigger advantage is in the impressions you make on that recruit's coaches, on their school admins, on their teammates, and on their communities. It's the other schools we visit while in the area. It's kids in nowhereville Georgia hearing that Auburn was in town and said all the right things. Probably less valuable for kids in Oregon and Indiana but again, those kids were the best available and they made it clear that we weren't completely wasting our time by trying. 

Even bama doesn't win them all. We'll start winning more. And that will be easier because of the effort we've already put in. 

I guess I'd rather see those connections made in the southeast. Of course, I wouldn't care at all if recruiting was going better otherwise. But yeah, the staff is still playing catch up. 

 

[cbo 7,846]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

By the way, @cole256, you're gone one day and I've already screwed everything up with @cbo. My bad bro.

I've never been so angry and will never speak to you again. 

 

[bigbird 60,522]

Not saying it is happening, but it'd be hilarious to me if he committed to us after all

[AuburnNTexas 7,143]

34 minutes ago, bigbird said:

Not saying it is happening, but it'd be hilarious to me if he committed to us after all

Probably won't but before Oregon had two commits decide not to commit we had one of the best receivers in the Country thinking seriously about come across country to play for us.  I still hope we can play on his ego. Oregon slow played you all this time because they didn't think you were good enough now they want you because two players they thought were better then you have told them no. Come to Auburn and teach them a lesson.

[Gowebb11 9,320]

44 minutes ago, bigbird said:

Not saying it is happening, but it'd be hilarious to me if he committed to us after all

Hope so. He’s too talented to play in half empty PAC 12 stadiums the next few years. He needs to come to play monster games in front of raucous crowds and in dynamic venues. That’s what I would be selling him on. I’ve tuned into PAC 12 games where fans are reading magazines in their seats. 

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

9 hours ago, Mikey said:

Under the new rules, a player can be in up to four games and still redshirt. I wonder why some of those guys weren't put into the two blowout games we had early on? Marquis Robinson was in briefly vs Arky(?). Other than that, I haven't noticed many of the guys you'd think would normally see the field in the games at all.

I think mostly because of learning brand new schemes for the entire team, we needed to get our 2 deep as many reps as possible. I think we may see Hunter and Brooks in a couple of the last few games. USCe and maybe MSST. I could be wrong. That's my speculation.

[AUreo 753]

Oregon could lose another top recruit, 5-star OL Kelvin Banks (TX) is now interested in TX A&M and planning to visit them this weekend. Oregon recently lost WRs from TX and AR. It just shows how hard it is to recruit in different regions…for everyone.

[augolf1716 21,123]

14 hours ago, bigbird said:

Not saying it is happening, but it'd be hilarious to me if he committed to us after all

AUwent would almost be happy for a SECOND

[bigbird 60,522]

11 minutes ago, augolf1716 said:

AUwent would almost be happy for a SECOND

That long?

[augolf1716 21,123]

Just now, bigbird said:

That long?

Good point

[steeleagle 2,945]

23 hours ago, AuburnNTexas said:

Probably won't but before Oregon had two commits decide not to commit we had one of the best receivers in the Country thinking seriously about come across country to play for us.  I still hope we can play on his ego. Oregon slow played you all this time because they didn't think you were good enough now they want you because two players they thought were better then you have told them no. Come to Auburn and teach them a lesson.

Part of the problem with that logic, is we find that many kids who WANT to go to a certain school, but don't get the serious interest early on and even deeper into the recruiting year, so the kid gets wooed by another very good team, and visits, loves it, and is telling coaches all the right things giving the coaches positive indications he's commiing to their school.

Then all of a sudden the school the kid WANTS to go to, has lost some of the players in his position they liked better, and now they REALLY begin to show the player the love and attention he wants. 

That player(Clemons), is smitten and is finally getting to go to the school he always wanted. A happy ending for him, but not so much for the team who gave him the love from the beginning.

It happens...more than we think....