We Struck Out In Recruiting Georgia: Do We Try Again?

[iowalaw]

After last year's signing day, Seth and the staff expended a substantial amount of time and resources targeting Georgia. I believe part of the reason our new recruiting coordinator got the job with the Hawks was because he sold the staff on his Georgia connections.

Well, we offered something like 40 kids out of Georgia this past year, and landed zero. I'm not even sure we were in on any of their top 3?

This this begs the question, do we cut our losses and focus somewhere else? We used to have great ties in Penn and Ohio. Maybe the St Louis and KC areas?

 

[danny14]

In response to your question iowalaw, of the 64 students offered by Iowa for 2017, seven are from GA. Four are 4*, one has committed to Georgia and the other 3 have multiple SEC offers. Being a realist, I rule those 4 out. That leaves three players with 3* ratings that have teams that Iowa could realistically compete with for commitments.
They are: WR Eddie Lewis, LB Malic Robinson, Athl. Connor Heywood.
Very early in the process, but until you have some success in an area, you can't expect great results. Right now, we have clawed our way into Detroit very well and I expect more success there. I would imagine there will be more GA offers as the season goes on, though. These are my opinions as a realist, not as a recruiter, by any means.

 

[DutchyFunStar]

Think of it as farming instead of fishing.

 

[grosie#2]

Harbaugh was going to set up camps in that recruiting area to have more of a presence there. Not sure he did that but would be curious to see how a Big 10 team would compete against the SEC. If I were going to compare Iowa to a team from the SEC it would be Mo. They were ranked 14th in the SEC recruiting rankings and had little luck in getting into Georgia. Just think the competition with the SEC is too tough. The only players Iowa would be able to get would be a recruit not heavily recruited in the SEC.

 

[OILCHECKER]

After last year's signing day, Seth and the staff expended a substantial amount of time and resources targeting Georgia. I believe part of the reason our new recruiting coordinator got the job with the Hawks was because he sold the staff on his Georgia connections.

Well, we offered something like 40 kids out of Georgia this past year, and landed zero. I'm not even sure we were in on any of their top 3?

This this begs the question, do we cut our losses and focus somewhere else? We used to have great ties in Penn and Ohio. Maybe the St Louis and KC areas?

Can you please quantify how much time and resources were actually expended targeting Georgia? Also, can you please site where part of the reason Wallace was hired was due to his Georgia connections? Thanks!

 

[Drew003]

We are never going to get kids from Georgia unless the NCAA starts permitting kids to take official visits in the summer going into their senior year. We aren't in the minds of those kids, and those kids are not going to pay their way to come visit us on a regular basis.

 

[GBR_Atlanta]

Georgia is tough, especially with Kennesaw State and Georgia State having programs (both new). Georgia Southern is picking kids up too. UGA is still the big dawg (see what I did there...I know...not funny). They just have the SEC in their face down here, and when they aren't getting recruited to that conference, the Sun Belt is down here too signing kids. I'm not sure what it's going to take to really break into Georgia. Nebraska has done it a little, we had 2 kids on the roster last year from Georgia.

 

[leiserom]

Its interesting. I live in Houston and we haven't signed hardly anyone from here in a long time. Once
Carl Jackson(running back coach) retired it seemed to have ended. Carl was originally from Golden Triangle and had a lot of HS connections. The only ones I can think of were Drew Tate and Jonathan Gimm in the last ten years. Their parent or parents were from Iowa. Frankly its a long way from here and we are competing with SEC, Big 12,etc. We did sign James Cleveland from Baytown but that didn't work out however.

The Houston paper listed all the signings today from this area. Big Ten schools had a few. NW had 3(all from HS with top academics). Purdue had one or two.

 

[iowalaw]

Given the severely steep hill to climb to pull kids out of Georgia, and our lack of any real connections there (Sorry, coach Wallace), but it would make a lot more sense to focus on long shot areas where we stand more of a chance and where there is more vast talent. Like a Texas or a Florida or California. Why Georgia, of all places?

 

[danny14]

We must have a few connections in Texas, New Jersey, and Maryland. Those seem to be the areas we look consistently, outside of our surrounding states. Detroit seems to be picking up for us. With Desmond and our new recruits we may be getting good vibes there. Michigan only recruited 4 from Detroit last year, got 2 and lost two to Michigan St. Michigan St. recruited 6 and got two, lost 3 to Iowa and 1 to someone else. A few more good ones to fight over in Detroit this year, too.

 

[Drew003]

Its interesting. I live in Houston and we haven't signed hardly anyone from here in a long time. Once
Carl Jackson(running back coach) retired it seemed to have ended. Carl was originally from Golden Triangle and had a lot of HS connections. The only ones I can think of were Drew Tate and Jonathan Gimm in the last ten years. Their parent or parents were from Iowa. Frankly its a long way from here and we are competing with SEC, Big 12,etc. We did sign James Cleveland from Baytown but that didn't work out however.

The Houston paper listed all the signings today from this area. Big Ten schools had a few. NW had 3(all from HS with top academics). Purdue had one or two.

I'll say it again--the accelerated recruited calendar makes it very hard to get kids from outside your geographic footprint. A kid from Houston can't fly to visit Iowa, expenses paid, until September of his senior year. We are going to have to develop a very meaningful relationship with a kid to get him to drive/fly on his own dime from the South to unofficially visit us in the spring/summer when most kids are now deciding. It's a decided advantage for schools in talent-rich geographies.

 

[broth87]

I agree with a lot of what'd being said here. St Louis and the state of Missouri gas been really good to Iowa and we can beat Missouri head to head for a lot of these kids. Illinois outside of Chicago has been good to us. Not sure why getting in on Chicago kids has been as difficult as it has been for us. Detroit has really picked up and we're getting some really good players out of that area. Wish we could get back in the Erie Pittsburgh areas of Pennsylvania. Maryland has been good to an extent for us too.
I think Texas still hooks potential for us especially with the longhorns struggling. A kid like Eno Benjamin would be massive for Iowa football on so many levels. Obviously he's a tremendous player and prospect and that's the biggest thing he brings. But pulling a high 4* back out of that state could get the attention of other kids in that state. He's also been a part of a lot of marquee events and all star games where he can sell the hawks.
I think 2017 needs to be a different kind of recruiting year for the hawks. For starters, we need to have another successful year in 2016 and the ingredients are all there for that to happen. Get out of the gates well and show some dominance in the west division early again and I think kids will take note. We need to target a higher class of athlete next fall then the usual 3 star kids, especially at wide receiver and on the lines.

 

[H4wkfan4life]

After last year's signing day, Seth and the staff expended a substantial amount of time and resources targeting Georgia. I believe part of the reason our new recruiting coordinator got the job with the Hawks was because he sold the staff on his Georgia connections.

Well, we offered something like 40 kids out of Georgia this past year, and landed zero. I'm not even sure we were in on any of their top 3?

This this begs the question, do we cut our losses and focus somewhere else? We used to have great ties in Penn and Ohio. Maybe the St Louis and KC areas?

I'm not saying we should definitely focus on Georgia....but giving up after 1 attempt is pretty silly imo. You're never gonna establish and build relationships anywhere if you go somewhere 1 time and then quit and go somewhere else and quit after 1 time. etc

 

[SWIowahawks]

I'm not saying we should definitely focus on Georgia....but giving up after 1 attempt is pretty silly imo. You're never gonna establish and build relationships anywhere if you go somewhere 1 time and then quit and go somewhere else and quit after 1 time. etc

I believe it's been three years now.

 

[SigMaintHawk]

I'm not saying we should definitely focus on Georgia....but giving up after 1 attempt is pretty silly imo. You're never gonna establish and build relationships anywhere if you go somewhere 1 time and then quit and go somewhere else and quit after 1 time. etc

Woods has been recruiting in Georgia for 3 years. They had 2-3 official visitors during the 2015 recruiting cycle..This past cycle, Iowa had the most offers out in Georgia during the KF era. Woods is still building relationships down there.. Have to think, eventually something will break free and the Hawks will get a few..

 

[herbyhawk]

most of the kids in Georgia after the SO year know where they are going, it is the 9th grade and youger player coaches need to build relationships with, since Wallace was hired back in June of 2014 most of those SO thru SR's knew where they were going.

those FR now JR's saw IA's 12-2 season and that opened their eyes, 2017 will be a small class between 17-19 players. If IA only 1 player out of Georgia it will only help down the road,

Kennedy got these in the 2015 class
1st team WR Smith
and TX Top 100 by the Dallas Newspaper WR Ogwo the USA JR Olympic 100 and 200 meter sprinter,

Dallas seems to be the area they are recruiting the hardest. you don't recruit a state for 1-2 years then give up. that would be a waste of time and money. IA is even recruiting Florida harder.

if IA gave up recruiting a state because they did not have a immediate commit IA would not have too many states to recruit.

 

[SigMaintHawk]

Hi Kilroy..

 

[herbyhawk]

Hi Kilroy..

just call me herby as that has been my name for over 13 years, but HI back at ya. was getting bored.

 

[91hawki]

as others have mentioned, we are wasting our time. Kids in Georgia are thinking SEC, ACC, and UM, ND, OSU, Stanford if they are good enough.

No question, there is a ton of talent there- but we have a better chance and more connections in TX and Florida.

Focus on the midwest plus where we have had success- Ohio, NJ, MD, DC, Texas, and to a lessor degree Florida.

 

[IowaHawkeyeFBnBB4Life]

Iowa would be better off with recruiting Texas, Illinois, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

 

[Hawks_Rock_12]

The recruiting of Georgia definitely picked up after Wallace was hired, so far it hasn't worked out. The coaches realize it's a up hill battle but you can't win if you don't enter !

 

[millhawk]

Woods has been recruiting in Georgia for 3 years. They had 2-3 official visitors during the 2015 recruiting cycle..This past cycle, Iowa had the most offers out in Georgia during the KF era. Woods is still building relationships down there.. Have to think, eventually something will break free and the Hawks will get a few..

Another site thinks we have a good shot at Connor Heyward. A 3 star athlete. Ironhead's kid.

 

[Titanhawk2]

Given the severely steep hill to climb to pull kids out of Georgia, and our lack of any real connections there (Sorry, coach Wallace), but it would make a lot more sense to focus on long shot areas where we stand more of a chance and where there is more vast talent. Like a Texas or a Florida or California. Why Georgia, of all places?

He's from Grinnell, went to Coe and spent three years on staff at a college in Georgia. Not sure that amounts to a lot of connections?

 

[SigMaintHawk]

He's from Grinnell, went to Coe and spent three years on staff at a college in Georgia. Not sure that amounts to a lot of connections?

Valdosta State- 2009,2010,2011,2012, and 2013 seasons...

 

[David1979]

Woods has been the one mainly recruiting Georgia. But yes it is good to continue to target kids in Georgia. There is a lot of talent there.

 

[thewop]

As long as there's a direct flight from CID to ATL, yes.

 

[herbyhawk]

its like the lottery you can't win if you don't play. if you don't recruit there you definitely CAN'T land anybody. I myself is not expecting 10+ recruits out of Georgia every year but to get 1 or 2 would be a huge get.

they did get a recruit out of Alabama at the last minute in RB Graham, CJ is from Tennessee, nobody knows who or when they will get a recruit from any State,

 

[Freyvet]

Great questions iowalaw will not answer

Can you please quantify how much time and resources were actually expended targeting Georgia? Also, can you please site where part of the reason Wallace was hired was due to his Georgia connections? Thanks!

Great questions - iowalaw will not answer because he has no idea! Correct, iowalaw?