I know Urban is the best recruiter in the country and I have confidence in him to bring in top classes, but a cancelled visit and Watson's comments are pretty telling... I believe it's time to move on to option #2. We can land Barker if we go hard at him and I think we can land him pretty quick. He wants to commit in March or April and help build the class.
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20130213/PC20/130219671/1177/five-...
I agree 1000%. It's time to focus on Barker. Also heard that Caleb Henderson may be visiting some time in March.
I just hope if Watson does stay with Clemson that it won't influence McMillan's decision.
......Or Demare Kitt for that matter.
"I'm One Bad Buckeye, and I approve this message."
Nkemdiche and Daniel were committed to Clemson for a very long time until Ole Miss snatched on and Auburn scooped up the other.
Assuming the coaches are 100% sold on Barker, yes, I would assume an offer could be forthcoming. And assuming Barker isn't hacked off that OSU has waited to offer, he may move us to the top of his list.
It's still early, boys.
On another intriguing note - I'm sure many on here are wondering the same thing I am: IS THIS BARKER KID RELATED TO BOB BARKER?!?
Maybe he's a grandson. If so - sign him up! Did you see the fight scene in Happy Gilmore? Hello! We'd be getting some tough bloodlines there.
I have no idea what warranted a downie in your post. I love Happy Gilmore. I'll even it out.
"Here officer, hold my beer while I find my license."
+1
Gilmore / Barker
Too bad bob barker only agreed to be in that scene if he won the fight...
If they didn't think they had a shot at flipping him, then they'd move on.
Becausea they haven't moved on yet, one has to asuume they know more than we know and the staff still feels like they have a good shot at flipping him.
@Weimerad: Watson will have absoluitely no effect on McMillan. The only one he might influence is Kitt as they have stated before they want to play together but even that rarely happens.
Watson did not cancel his visit to OSU as nothing was ever scheduled
FWIW: Watson retweeted this pic on Monday:
Note: he did retweet and Instagram this Clemson pic of him today too:
Link?
Why isn't Bauserman in that picture? :(
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
because he's caucasian otherwise im pretty sure he'd be on it
Pretty sure this was supposed to be tongue in cheek but I feel like it's in poor taste
Because I couldn't go for three. -Woody-
There was another forum post recently by an individual that said the Ohio State is becoming known somewhat as "black Quarter Back U." I believe that was tongue-in-cheek also. Partly.
"Here officer, hold my beer while I find my license."
They tried to post the pic, but it kept sailing out of bounds.
Snap, how did I miss this golden post! +1
I think Urban is going for the top player he wants without worrying who he loses out on while he does it. I think knowning he has JT Barrett in now, he can be a bit more pickier.
I don't think JT will red shirt this year but if he does, that right there is practically a freshman for 2014. Lets say he doesn't get Watson and misses out on Barker, still have JT who is going to be very good IMO and can get Henderson or Kiser to compete or be JT's backup.
I don't think losing out on Barker is all that concerning. Would I like him on the team, hell yes! but if Urban sticks to going only after Watson and he gets him, well I am confident enough to know that only and I mean only Watson would be instantly ahead of JT coming in. Barker would definitely have to battle JT for the start.
I was actually thinking that Barrett would red shirt especially since he has the knee injury
JT should almost certainly redshirt. What possible plus would there be for him to be a 3rd stringer at best less than 12 months off of an ACL tear...Lock to RS imo
I think JT himself said hes redshirting, FWIW
Uk is recruiting barker very hard, seems they think he fits the air raid attack well. Timmons iis helping to recruit barker, plus that running back from connor is a preferred walk-on to uk.
Tennessee has a Barker and some pretty good guys visiting this weekend:
If that is true, I have a feeling we are going to lose out on Barker. Gotta trust that Urban knows what he's doing.
"Here officer, hold my beer while I find my license."
Barker will have much better options than UK, AND even though there are UK fans here, people don't grow up dreaming to play UK football. The one thing they can offer him is playing time early, but they just landed a pretty good UK recruit. People think just because he lives in Kentucky he'll be a lock to take off to UK simply because UK is recruiting him hard. I'm not buying it.
The 11W seems to think QB in the 2014 class is a very high priority. JT will redshirt this year and was completely open to it before he got hurt. I don't see any reason for him to be on the field this coming year with Braxton as a junior, Guiton a senior, and Jones a redshirt freshman. I believe QB should be a high priority because even tho we have high hopes for JT, there's no gaurantee he will pan out. I hope he does, but it's not a 100% for sure thing. The 11W staff reported that Watson is #1 on the board and Barker is #2. Barker has wanted to be a Buckeye and we all know it. Watson keeps saying he is firm to Clemson no matter what happens with Morris. Personally I see him at Clemson because he knows he will be the starter as a freshman. I don't know what goes on behind the scenes, but from the outside looking in we need to start going harder at some other QB's.
Dontre Wilson said the same things.
Watch what he does not what he says.
And watch what the coaches do.
Dont let the tweet nonsense fool you. Cardale is a baller. Big fast with a cannon arm. I look for him to start as a Junior. If he doesnt look for a move to Tight end.
I'm a friend of thunder is it any wonder lightning strikes me
Drew Barker talks about the recruiting process, biggest factors for deciding and timeline for deciding(probably late April/early May):
Notice he didn't even mention OSU when he talked about schools recruiting him hard. I read somewhere before he was getting frustrated with OSU not offering. We could be fading out of the picture. If he pushes his decision past this deadline, then we know he's waiting on the OSU offer. If he decides, then he is gone. We will have to move on.
I somehow doubt Urban is deterred by this article or anything Watson is saying publicly. He won't stop recruiting Watson until he hears "Coach, while I appreciate you recruiting me, I do not want to be a Buckeye so please move on" or something along those lines.
If we offer another QB soon, which if we do, I agree it should be Barker (I also like Ulmer though), then I think that will be a telling sign that Watson's recruitment is over.
My $.02...
I said it the days leading up to NSD, and on NSD, that if Urban pulled Bell that I would never doubt him again. And I never will. So if Watson is open to being recruited by other schools, I'm going to assume OSU is/will continue to be a major player for his services. In fact, if it goes up to NSD, I'll predict him to be a Buckeye.
Regardless of his recruitment however, I feel like many people here are sleeping on JT Barrett because of the knee injury and I'm not sure that I would be. He has all the tools to be a great QB once he is healthy again.
Champions Bleed Scarlet & Gray
It won't go until NSD... Watson is enrolling early.
After Watson, I prefer Kizer, then Crest.
Kizer has the physical tools to be a good one, but it looks like he struggled at the Columbus Elite 11. It maybe part of the reason he isn't as high on Urban's list, plus he's an Ohio kid, so maybe Urban thinks he can wait a little longer.
FWIW: Jalin Marshall actually seemed to perform pretty well at the Elite 11:
Thanks for the video. Looks like he did struggle a bit, but then again, that's a tough throw to make for a QB rolling to the left. That and there's a year difference between Marshall and Kizer and you can tell in their frame. Other than the first throw to the dirt (some say that short throws are the hardest for QBs), it looks like he spins the ball pretty well and has a cannon for an arm (pulled a Bauserman and threw it in the stands out of the end zone) and his movements look pretty effortless. Either way, you perceived and mentioned my main reason for liking Kizer - he is a physical specimen. The tools and talents can be developed, and from the looks of the film, he'll need to work on his shoulders. I do like the fact that he's an Ohio guy and if you look at his offer sheet, it's pretty darn impressive for being as "lowly" ranked as he is.
Personally I don't want a kid who is a project. I understand him physically being a stud, but I believe OSU is the type of program that can bring kids in who have the skills to play right away. All the coaching staff will have to do is refine.
I would classify both Miller and Pryor as projects. Both were/are incredible athletes that needed to learn and develop the mechanics and mental aspects of being a QB. If you recall, both QBs were forced onto the field and tried by fire. So, I'm not sure we're all that different on Kizer, I do think they would have to refine him, but you can't teach size, speed or arm strength. I also don't think OSU is the type of program that NEEDS a QB to come in and start as a freshman, we should have depth at this position.
Jalin makes a decent emergency backup qb in this offense.
Urban has the benefit of having spoken with these kids, their parents, their coaches, etc. He has more information than we do, and infinitely more expertise evaluating the info he does have. We are not going to be able to reliably second guess him based on random newspaper stories and tweets.
I agree with Hayze.
I clicked on it... I regretted it immediately...
No offense to the OP, but that kind of thinking would have had us with Elder and Timmons instead of Wilson & Clark..
While Elder and Timmons are both very good players, Wilson and Clark (imo) are on another level. Its the difference between B1G championships and national championships.
Same is true for Watson and Barker.
We're 12 months from NSD and have one of, if not the, best recruiting staff in the country. No need to move down the list at this point.
Well... Clark is a different situation. He wasn't committed to anyone and we came in late in the game. Not really a good comparison there. The difference with Wilson is he publicly said if Kelly left he would look around. Watson is saying if Morris leaves, he's sticking anyway. They're 2 different situations. I understand your point, but not a valid comparison.
BTW... As I stated above... Watson is enrolling early. He won't last until NSD.
I agree with almost everything you said. The big difference is good/great QBs tend to commit early. You just don't hear about many QBs in the ESPN 300/Rivals250/247 committing or flipping within a month of NSD.
It would be the ultimate Keyser Soze move if Watson enrolled at Clemson, didn't sign his LOI on Signing Day and laughed maniacally while enrolling at Ohio State later that day.
Awesome. Love the reference and I now have a very funny picture in my mind.
I would offer Barker..no question.
Stay golden, Ponyboy.
I'm not sleeping on Barrett at all, but I still want to see OSU get the top QB prospect they can get each and every year.
QB is the one position where you cannot miss, you cannot afford injuries, and you cannot afford attrition. So, to combat that you have to recruit hard for a player you believe can play and play early, and you do that with every recruiting class.
I don't have to remind everyone how things turned out when Pryor decided to leave after his junior year. Yes, Braxton Miller was on the roster but he obviously was not ready to play from the get-go. It's really tough to depend/rely on one recruit to be a two or three year starter at QB, because as soon as anything happens to tear down your "plan," you're in a world of hurt and now relying on someone who has little to no experience.
I sure hope Watson is being truthful in all this with the coaching staff, not leading them along as if there is a chance he'd flip when he really knows he's all set to go to Clemson. Watson, Barker, Henderson, and maybe Kizer, Crest, or Ulmer are the group of QB's OSU needs to decide on. Getting one of the first three should be top priority. If getting Watson is far-fetched, then I say move on to the next on your list.
With all that said, I'm pretty confident in what Urban, Herman, and the coaching staff has planned!
"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
I agree with you here... Watson has to be telling them something behind the scenes for them to continue to go so hard. Publicly he is all Clemson apparently. There are 3 QB's I think would be perfect for OSU in 2014:
1.) Watson: Reminds me of VY (i hate the comparison too, but he was a great college player)... He can throw and run... Great combo.
2.) Drew Barker: Watching his film he reminds me of Tebow (i know... he was a great college QB tho too)... He's not as quick as other QB's, but throws a great ball and runs the read option really well too. Plus, his stiff arm is nasty.
3.) Caleb Henderson: Reminds me of Alex Smith... Has a great arm, not that athletic, but quicker and more agile than you think. Henderson would be a stud throwing it around in this offense.
When Pryor left, there was a lot more involved than not having an experienced backup that was decent. Bauserman was the experienced backup with Kenny Guiton behind him. It wasn't like there was nothing in the cupboard, just it wasn't prepared for what happened.
The real mistake Fickell made was starting Bauserman when we knew he was going to suck. Braxton wasn't ready so Kenny Should have been the starter at the beginning of that year. The talent was there with Kenny and Braxton, just Fickell going with what supposedly he knew in Bauserman than the unknown.
Totally different scenario, I don't think you can use it as a comparison. The program is much more stable than it was then. If Urban doesn't get Barker, there will still be Cardale, JT and Urban WILL get a QB no matter what. I actually am glad he is pushing it and going all out for Watson. He doesn't have to worry knowing he has capable players already on the team.
If OSU ends up with Henderson or Kiser, I wouldn't call that a failure by any means.
The situation after Pryor that you mentioned, though, is exactly my point. Ohio State skated by without recruiting big-time QBs for several years after Pryor. Bauserman was the experienced backup. After seeing him perform, that is all we need to know, really, about the seriousness of the situation.
OSU put ALL their eggs into one basket (that being Pryor) and then again put ALL their eggs into one basket (that being Braxton). Tressel and his offensive staff tended to do that - recruit a guy and depend on him being your stud player for awhile, then recruit another guy who will be coming in just as your previous stud is going out. Bauserman was a washed out MiLB player who no one ever expected to have to start a significant amount of games. Guiton was a last second recruit after OSU got caught in the Tajh Boyd situation.
What I like is Urban and his staff ARE going after several big-time players at each position, instead of putting all their energy into one and settling for an anybody recruit when that big fish decides to go elsewhere. I just don't consider Barker an "anybody" recruit. If Watson is strongly leaning Clemson, get in on the guy who's made it clear he's very interested in OSU, and is a top 100/150 player.
"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
It is unfortunate that Boyd told the staff he was going to commit to OSU and then turned around and committed to Clemson.
Well lets hope we get payback. :)
Isnt Henderson scheduled for a visit soon? Pretty good QB in his own right..I like Barker alot too, and he seems to be a fairly vocal leader and could be what this class needs as far as leadership and his skill set appears to be pretty high as well...Perhaps offer Barker but tell him we may or may not take another QB...
I think you have to make a decision on Barker soon... I don't believe he is a kid who is going to flip. Once he commits he is staying with that school IMO...
Henderson is actually rated higher in the newest Rivals ratings...for whatever that's worth. So, yeah, he's pretty good.
Looks like Henderson is scheduled for the first weekend in March.
Barker is a quality guy for sure, but does he really fit Urban's system? I'm just reticient on a guy who doesn't appear to have that elite level of athleticism of players like Braxton, TP, Troy Smith, etc.
Agreed. I know that Tebow comparisons will be made, but Tebow was a once-in-a-generation guy. Watson is elite and his level of athleticism provides a match made in heaven for our offensive scheme.
There is also the Alex Smith "pocket passer" comparison for Urban...
Not anymore. Meyer's offense has evolved past what he ran at Utah. Hell, he's evolved since he left Florida. No question, he'll make the offense work with whomever is under center, but with the praise that he lavishes upon Braxton, it becomes evident that Miller is the "Vetruvian Man" of Meyer's offense.
and just wait until a more polished passer mobile QB gets under center...
Not to mention that Alex Smith style worked in the MWC/WAC or wherever Utah was before conference alignmageddon. He would have been destroyed in the SEC and probably the Big Ten too playing that style.
Barker runs the spread offense at his high school that Urban runs at OSU... Don't let the "pocket passer" description on recruiting websites fool you. He runs the read option very well, and throws a nice ball.
Troy Smith wasn't a terrific athlete... He was mobile enough to avoid pressure, but he was a pass-first guy for a reason. Definitely not up to par with Pryor or Miller. I'd say Barker would force the staff to change up the offense just slightly, but he'd obviously be a bigger passing threat.
Barker and Tebow are about the same when it comes to athletic ability... Barker might even be a little more athletic and the throws the ball better. The offense at UF was pretty darn good. I'd take it. Give me Barker, Watson, or Henderson.
Troy Smith was more of a run first guy in HS and his RS Sophmore year. He slowly progressed into being pass first.
Urban's the kind of guy who will not just give up on someone becuase he feels pressure that he'll lose out on his "Plan B". Like it or not, that's what Barker is--at best. He's the kind of recruiter that will stay dilligent, and literally recruit the guy until he signs with another school. It's this kind of persistence that (along with paralyzing resistance) allows Meyer's staff to recruit with the best in the business. Personally, after the embarassment of riches that they bestowed upon Buckeye Nation come Signing Day 2013, he can do whatever he likes here.
Having Cardale and Barrett in the stable allows for a little bit of cushion in Meyer's quarterback recruiting. He needs a 'qube, but he doesn't necessarily need a wold-beater, since they'll most likely be behind Jones and Barrett on day one. But, that same aforementioned scenario also provides him with a unique selling point to land a world-beating quarterback: play at Ohio State, and you'll have the opportunity to start from day one, provided you're the best.
There's no question that Watson's an elite prospect, and that there's a bit of distance 'twixt him and Barker--especially when you consider that Watson fits our offense like a damned glove (I'd say that Barker isn't quite as natural a fit). If we miss out on the pair, what's the step down from Barker to "Plan C"? I'm betting that distance will almost certainly be closer than the original distance from Watson to Barker, and that makes Watson all the more worthwhile. Besides, with our quarterback situation, we can afford to take that "Plan C" guy, if necessary.
And let's not forget Meyer's ace-in-the-hole; Braxton Miller's Junior season. If he blows Tajh Boyd out of the water, it might go a long way toward convincing DeShaun where to play his collegiate football.
This so much.
A year is a long time to go in recruiting. I remember Meyer saying he won't call/recruit a kid that tells him he's not interested and, last I checked, Watson is still talking to OSU.
I like Barker but I think some people get hooked on the "he'll recruit everyone here!" thing.
Between Jones, Barrett and one more guy in 2014, hopefully Watson, I think we'll be fine at QB.
I have come to the conclusion that Urban Meyer makes big $$ and is a 2 time NC because he knows what the hell he is doing. Frantastic coach and a relentless recruiter who knows talent and gets it, Urb has convinced me that all this recruiting hysteria is very entertaining, but when the rubber meets the road, I could care less who he gets because who he wants to get is going to get OSU to an era of winning not seen before. Relax and enjoy the ride. Go Bucks
buckeyboy
I posted this once before in another thread, but I'm completely convinced that Urban is willing and has been willing for awhile now, to go all in on Watson even if it means losing out on Barker by not offering him until the 2nd half of the year--even long after Barker has already committed to someone else.
I think personally (based on no insider information, just guesses based on the articles I've read so far this recruiting cycle from recruiting "experts")
Option 1: Watson
Option 2: Everyone else
Most of it's likely because he has JT Barrett in the fold, who is as much the sort of QB Meyer wants to run his system as Watson is. So if he doesn't get Watson, he probably feels like he can grab anyone from his 2nd tier and just bury them behind Barrett if he has to.
Barker is a helluva a QB i do not think Coach wanted Miller to run that often. I would be surprised if he gets 1/2 the carries he got last year. Miller suited the team we had last year. I know we will eventually become a typical spread offense.
Maybe the coaching staff just isn't as high on Barker as everyone here seems to be. Personally, I just hope he commits somewhere, whether it be OSU or elsewhere, before long. Otherwise, I fear he will become next year's version of Timmons on this site.
I could see the coaches holding off on offering another QB until they can work them out at FNL, and see who they like the best in person.
IMO, I could see UFM not taking a QB at all this year if we miss out on Watson. With JT more then likely have to red shirt because of his injury. If we miss out on Watson why not just wait untill next year when we have a full stable of schollies? Once again IMO but I personably would rather ut that scholly to better use if we don't get our 1st choice this year.
We don't always get our 1st choice at every position... Sometimes you have to take your 2nd or 3rd choice. If we don't get a QB in 2014 that leaves us with 3 scholly QB's in the 2015-2016 year. The 11W staff has pointed out that you need 4 scholarship QB's on your roster. I prefer NONE of them be projects and all of them have the ability to step in at any time.
Do you see the contradiction in this?
followed by
Very few QBs are college ready out of high school - any QB that has the ability to step in at any time out of high school is a 1st choice. Sometimes raw talent is the best kind and I will restate my point that Braxton and Pryor were both QB projects.
I'd say Watson, Barker, and Henderson could all come in and play... Would they play to the ability of Braxton? Probably not... I was referring to projects like Kizer who are physically ready, but they lack the refined skills to step in right away.
I disagree in that Watson is probably the only QB that could take the field with success. Just think about how many freshman QBs go to a school and have immediate success - it's a very short list. Most QBs take a year or two to learn the system and progress in mental and physical aspects - so in essence and in my opinion, most QBs are projects. I do think Kizer is a bit of project, probably moreso than Barker, Watson or Henderson, but if you look at his offer sheet, its impressive and similar to Barker's. I think recruiting is really about three things - fit for a system, current talent, and potential talent. You can evaluate two of these easily, but the other one, potential talent is more difficult, but at the same time, this is where you hit your home runs - 3 star guys that understand the game, understand work ethic and become 1st round picks. I just see more potential with Kizer and it's only my opnion here. In addition to all of this, we don't even know how these guys will improve in their last year of high school.
I would really love to see how Kizer develops and performs this summer. I'm assuming the video of him was the summer going into his junior year. Kid has the tools and hopefully getting a good education at Central Catholic. He was able to lead Central Catholic to a State Title during his junior year... you know the last kid to pull that off? Dane Sanzenbacher.
I really want Watson I also believe we haven't given up because he has told Urban that we have a chance. Urban is known for being blunt and I know he doesn't waste time with recruits if we don't have a chance but I wish we show Barker more interest.
When someone shows you who they are believe them! In other words piss a good friend off and see what they really think about you.
I see Urban being picking at QB as well, but don't underestimate the staff to keep checking around and a late bloomer could arise. No need to reach for something that doesn't work today...
I would like for Barker to end up in this class. Hebron is where I was raised, I've watched a lot of Conner football over the year, and my dad and his siblings all went to Conner. It'd be really cool to see the kid play.
I don't think the staff needs to move on him soon, though. Obvioiusly, they feel that even if he is number 2, he's not close enough to Watson to be all in on, and 3,4,and 5 aren't that far behind Barker in the staff's eyes. He's one they hope is around when Watson says no, but they feel they can get someone who is pretty close or has a higher ceiling than Barker down the road.
Sucks for those of us who want Barker on the team, but that's just the situation as I see it. The kid may say he will be done in April, but c'mon. He's going to do the camps again this summer, and after his senior year he's going to be a pretty hot commodity. He's not going to commit to UK in April, and ignore offers from Ohio State, Bama, Notre Dame etc in October/November.
Another kid everyone should checkout that tOSU is showing interest in is Clayton Thorson 4* on rivals from Ill. Kid has good size 6'4" I believe, can sling it, and can really run def looks much faster than Barker and Henderson. Oh btw he looks an awful lot like Kaepernick on film. Same HS as Taylor Graham its only 2 minutes of film but if someone can throw it up on here its def worth watching.
Here is his Jr. highlight video. +1 Looks pretty good to me!
Gray Box you da man! Apparently this kid has some ties to the Buckeyes and looks pretty damn good running the pistol. Would be interested to get everyones opinion bc his offer list is okay for now but id imagine an offer from Urban would jump us to the top.
Not sure why he isn't ranked.
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
#234 on Rivals 250 for 2014 not yet ranked on scout but will be 4* on there as well.
Anyone familiar with his competition? Looks like he is rarely pressured and his receiver's are wide open. Seems like he's surrounded by better talent, which would help him stand out. I think he would be worth a look in person, but we'll have to see what the staff thinks.
Most of his competition is not high level. Northern Kentucky (with exception to Highlands) is not a football hotbed for talent. The best teams in Northern Kentucky are the smaller schools (Beechwood, NewCath) and they rely on technique and discipline more than talent. Conner (where Barker attends) has one of the highest enrollments not only in NKY, but Kentucky as a whole. Not many D-I recruits come out of NKY. I even think that Highlands (who has won tons of state titles) would not be as successful if they regularly played in Ohio. Yes, they have beaten St. X and Elder before, but they beat probably the worst X and Elder teams in the last 10-15 years.
I know each situation is different, but if folks are judging Barker by his game highlights, I'd take those with a grain of salt. Kentucky in general has about a tenth of the amount of high school athletes as Ohio and while there will occasionally be some good kids come through, I'd take an Ohio kid in a second over any Kentucky prospect with a similar ranking. This includes any of the Louisville kids.
If you go back and research some of the Kentucky kids who have played at Ohio State, the only ones to make an impact that I can remember in the last 20 years are Robert Reynolds and Marcus Green.
Barker is a good kid, but objectively speaking, he's miles behind Watson (and Henderson). And I'd take the kid from Toledo Central Catholic over Barker without thinking twice about it.
Kentucky has 4 million people, of course the highschool football talent isn't great like Ohio, but it's foolish to just discount game film of a player simply because he plays against weak competition. 2 of the best high school players to ever play their positions came out of Kentucky in the 90's. Would you have said the same thing about watching film from Shaun Alexander and Tim Couch? Michael Bush and Brian Brohm were both drafted by NFL teams.
Again, it's not to say Kentucky's talent is great, BUT to simply say, this kid isn't as good as Watson or Henderson, simply because the competition he plays is bad, doesn't make sense. You mention Conner's high enrollment, but you don't mention the fact that the county Conner is in is growing so fast that some guys who would go to Conner normally are now going to Cooper, a team that was in the 5A state championship team. Reality is, 13 years ago Conner had about 800 students total, so they don't have a huge history of churning out great football players. Then because of the county's growth, they have lost players to another school now.
In the old system when Conner was a 3A school they used to compete very well with the likes of Cov Cath and Highlands who are much larger football powers.
Your opinions on Highlands maybe correct, but not if you account for Higlands being a much smaller school than Elder, St. X, and Moeller. They have competed well with those schools when they weren't in their worst years as you it. Smith and Lorenzon's late 90's squads competed very well too. Considering Highlands throughout most of it's history was a 2A and 3A school in the old Kentucky system, yet found a way to go compete against GCL schools is pretty impressive. They are probably an Ohio DII or smaller sized school.
I am sensing that Barker may end up becoming the 11W "One That Got Away" Thread Darling, ala Timmons last year. I am fine with Urban missing on Watson late and taking the best JUCO QB who may well could end up the next Cam Newton for all we know.
The only difference is, Barker will end up a much much higher ranked player than Timmons. Barker is going to be one of the top QB's in the country.
In my opinion we should've offered Barker a long time ago. I think I like him as much if not more than Watson. We shouldn't let him get away. I understand the staff throwing their hat in the ring for Watson, but I believe it is time to move on. Go after Barker first and Henderson second.
Watson broke the all-time Georgia career passing record...as a junior.
Barker is good but Watson is on another level right now and is certainly worth waiting for.
Trust that when the staff feels like they can no longer land Watson they'll pursue other QBs. We've seen them do it for other positions, so I don't think QB will be any different.
just read that Watson said will sign with Clemson no matter if OC Morris is there or not. While there is still a long time, this does not sound promising on our end. I know this thread is about barker....but mention this as watson at this time is the only 2014 qb with an offer. if he seems to be off the board, the staff would need to start looking elsewhere. i would not like to lose out on barker either. at this moment i will side with the staff. Hopefully they have a differnt vibe from watson, or they just really arent high on watson for whatever reason.
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20130213/PC20/130219671/1177/five-...
Barker is going to prove himself on the camp circuit this summer. No one will even care about the competition he plays. He camped at Bama last year and Saban told him he was the best QB there. I hate Bama, but you're a player if you impress Saban.
The competition argument gets on my nerves. I've watched plenty of high school football around here, and yes there have been some kids who were really good on their teams that weren't really good players capable of playing high division 1 ball. Barker isn't one of those kids. Those kids never get offers from D-1 schools.
TP played horrible highschool competition, Rob Schoencroft didn't.
Y'all are aware that this is only February right?
We got Bell, Clark on signing day, Wilson the day before.
Watson does not need to commit now, let's just get him to visit first, then worry about his reaction to the visit. (In Meyer we trust) We still have several months to secure a commit or flip one at the end. There is absolutely no reason to hurry and get a QB commit this early, it is not a position of dire need, and is pretty critical to get it right.
Does anyone here think that if we do go 26-0 we will have any difficulty at all getting whomever we want next February?.... Please... Urban has tOSU in the drivers seat in regards to recruits. He will be able to cherry pick just about any one, two, ten+ players he wants to next February IF he continues to win. That is exactly the reason it is so easy for Saban to keep pulling top players year after year right now.
There is no reason to get excited about "needing to" chasing the next guy on the list, Meyer does not think he has to reach, or give up on any player at the top of his board that he wants right now, especially 12 months before NLOI day.
Boxley
Watson, Glass, Kitt, and McMillan will already be in school by the time February rolls around... Early enrollees.
Good find. But what does it all mean Bazzle?
Oooo. Bad things IMO.
Deshaun Watson: Drew, you realize that if you committed to SCar you'd be known as a (Game)cock for the rest of your life, right?
Drew Barker: Oh wow, I didn't realize! Thanks for keeping it real, I'm going to book my ticket for OSU right this second.
Haha. In all honesty though, you'd have to guess Watson shared something that coaches are telling him behind the scenes that they aren't telling Barker -- could be OSU's coaches, but could also be South Carolina's, Kentucky's, etc. They both have a lot of the same coaches pursuing them so it's hard to assume it's OSU-related.
That's what it seems like to me as well.
Probably means nothing at all in all honestly...but if I had to make the connection w/ that text and relate it to OSU, Barker may want to know where Watson stands w/ visiting or flipping to OSU, because that might be the one thing in the way of his OSU offer...but really it probably has nothing to do w/ OSU at all...
Ole Miss offered Drew Barker today. I'd hate to see this kid end up in the SEC. If we aren't going to have a shot at Watson, I'd like to have him at OSU. I don't know about you guys, but I'd like to get one of Alex's Tier 1 QB's he listed.
I personally believe Caleb Henderson could be offered before Barker. (Assumming if they both get offers)
Quick question, aside from Watson, there are zero other QB's offered in 2014 right?
The world is full of kings & queens who'll blind your eyes & steal your dreams - it's heaven & hell - Ronnie James Dio.
On the 2014 offer list it has William Crest offered, but I believe the staff offered him as an ATH... From what I've read Watson is the only player offered that they want to play QB.
http://www.elevenwarriors.com/forum/football/2012/01/2014
Thanks - yeah, I don't typically worry about who's offered or question the staffs recruiting tactics - but it may be time to put another offer out there...
The world is full of kings & queens who'll blind your eyes & steal your dreams - it's heaven & hell - Ronnie James Dio.
QB offer, but not a committable offer
Nevermind I was late saying Crest.
When someone shows you who they are believe them! In other words piss a good friend off and see what they really think about you.
Have to think Henderson is higher on the board than Barker bc of the upcoming visit. The staff has been in to see Barker twice maybe more and nothing of a future visit date being brought up says alot IMO. I like both and they are very similar I do think Caleb is a touch higher bc of his ability to throw the football. More importantly the ability to throw open a receiver (ball out before the WR breaks). The recent tape I've seen from Caleb showed his wheels are actually equal to that and perhaps better than Drew's as far as speed goes. Bottom line is we should be happy if we land either one bc they are both very good and will bolster the QB depth chart for us.
Sidenote: hey Graybox i found another one for you he's 2016 class but watch Xavier Gaines film. He's a QB from Fla and he already looks better than any QB in this years class will be truly special. BTW hes already 6'3" 210 lbs and looks faster than any QB for 2014 and has a cannon. Unreal tape for a frosh would not be surprised if Urban offers in the next year :) Maybe start a new thread for him this one is getting pretty long and he deserves it.
People talking about Gaines, but competition comes to mind here. Alot of bad teams in the area near Frostproof. But despite that, Florida believes he's good enough for their team.
Absolutely agree Gene I actually googled Frostproof lol never heard of that school before. Just watched the tape and the physical tools he has just aren't seen in many 14 year old kids and that was before I saw Florida offered already. I can def see this kid transferring bc the comp didn't look great but like I said I've seen many kids his age not have the arm talent to make those throws with that velocity.
Spooner -- where can I find film on Henderson, any ideas? They had some on Rivals, but you had to be a paying member. Tried Hudl as well and it said it was set on private. Didn't find anything on youtube either.
Yeah the recent one from this year was on Hudl then went to check it again to compare to Barker's again and it went private. Guess well have to wait but it showed that hes right there with Drew if not a notch above IMO. Arm strength and accuracy showed and didn't get to see him in the open field completely to see what kind of seperation he has but he has speed to play the position here and runs angrier than previous film I'd seen.
Thanks for the effort Spooner! I think the recruiting sites tend to agree with you -- Henderson is generally listed at a top 2 Pro-Style QB, Barker around #5, and Henderson a top #35-65 overall where Barker's around #90-150. Also has Henderson listed as having an early 4.7/40 which is pretty solid for a QB.
I'd personally love it if they went in more of a pass-first run-second direction with their next QB recruit. We currently have Braxton (run-first pass-second), Barrett (50/50), and it'd be nice to have someone like Henderson who could provide yet another option (pass-first run-second) if the offense so-happens to evolve in that direction in the future.
I like a QB who can throw and run when needed but not sure I want to see us go to a pro-style. Don't get me wrong, I'd take Henderson and would be glad if he got an offer, but I think I'd like a QB who is 50/50 like Barrett. I'm sure the staff has a plan and I'm interested to see who the 2014 QB is but I like the spread option with a balanced play selection.
Perfectly fair points. FWIW Collin Klein and Tajh Boyd were both classified as "Pro-style QB"s who ran around 4.65/4.7 40s coming out of high school. I haven't seen Henderson's film though, I can't speak to whether he could fit that mold. But Barker I definitely thought was somewhat reminiscent of Klein. Boyd does a lot less running than many people think, around 3900 yards passing, 500 yards rushing -- so I see him as typically a pass-first QB, Klein's closer to 50/50. I'd love someone more in Boyd's vein (in the future that is, more than happy with Brax currently).
I understand your point. I'd like to see 3000 passing, 1000 rushing. I think having a QB who is considered a rushing threat makes our offense more explosive. I don't think anyone was really scared of Boyd beating them with his legs this year.
These were uploaded yesterday lol
Kid is my #2 behind Watson. Great pocket awareness, accurate and has a CANNON.
Thanks for uploading Gene! Im not saying he is him but he looks alot like Luck does when throwing on the run moving forward and squaring his shoulders to the target. The more I see his film the more I like him if there is no Watson then this is the kid I would offer.
That game was against Centreville, the runner up in the 2011 Division 6 (largest schools) Virginia state championships. Both schools have very strong programs.
I like this kid, he has great pocket presence. He is great at throwing outs, and throwing his receivers open.
I'm just going to try to not think too much about this. I'm just gonna trust the staff and hope they get the best prospect they can.
I would caution taking a guy that can't really run in Urban's offense. Look at how dominant John Brantley was in high school and then how bad he looked in Urban's offense. Caleb Henderson would look the same way. I'm a bit skeptical on Barker's mobility because the competition may make his 1400yds rushing much less impressive than it looks on paper.
Brantley's biggest problem wasnt running the offense per say it was reading a defense esp when being pressured - deer in headlights.
My only concern with Henderson is that Urban is still trying to prove he can win with Brantley.
I hope not. That's a big chance to take but may explain the hesitantance
When someone shows you who they are believe them! In other words piss a good friend off and see what they really think about you.
Per drew Barkers twitter he is visiting South Carolina March 22,23, and 24 then again April 12,13, and 14. Also states that he will make a decision in late April or early May. Says he is planning other visits around those too.
Seems like writing on the wall.
I saw his tweets earlier. I was hoping this kid would end up a Buckeye, but it doesn't seem like its going to happen. He's visiting 2 times in about 3 weeks and making a decision shortly after that. He's USCe bound.