March 13, 2007
08 De-Commit Highlights Uncertainty Of Early Recruiting
Just days ago everyone was hyping the 08 class with the 8 early commits, praising Dorrell, Walker and even EScott for their recruiting bonanza. So much can happen in a year as we have seen many times. Yet, in only a couple of days we get our first de-commit in safety EJ Woods of Crespi, as reported by Scout.com (membership required). Brian Dohn of the LA Daily News, who has pushed the great recruiting agenda a little too enthusiastically, has more on the de-commit which he is saying is actually NOT a de-commit but a “re-opening” of his commitment. What is a journalist doing mincing words for the subjects of his articles?? Whatever … Dohn is getting away from objectivity a little bit here. Woods is now talking to Miami and Ohio State, and lets not forget he is a teenager. What exactly about that sounds like a commitment?
Now if Woods picks up his grades to qualify academically for UCLA, Dohn quotes Woods as saying he will enroll here. Yeah, and Dohn will put up his lunch money on that happening. Hey, we don’t know what the kid is thinking any more than Dohn, but we sure as heck know that a teenager of the 08 class talking to other schools in March 07 certainly isn’t a commit. It’s also only 1 of 8, and since that big commit announcement there have been a few more commits, but it shows how precarious this 08 stuff is. Nevertheless, the coaching staff has to be out there getting commitments … we have to reload in a big way in 08. There has to be progress there in a significant way to deal with the mass 07 exodus, but to get all hyped up about 08 commits is a bit far-fetched.
Recruiting is a largely thankless process … there should be no praise until recruits sign, yet there can be hell to pay if there are no commits. But getting paid a million dollars a year to do it should lighten the worry some.
