Sid and Mike Max asked Jerry Kill several recruiting questions on today’s Sports Huddle.
1) Mike Max opened the questioning by asking if there are certain strategies that are implemented in the final days – visits and closing the deal on recruits - before Signing Day, Wednesday, February 4th: Kill replied,“It’s been unique - we lost three, four days of recruiting (dead period during the national coaches conference) . . . We’ll sign 21, 22 kids . . . (there are) 4, 5 guys that we need to squeeze a bit . . . It’s been a traveling nightmare . . . Everybody gets surprises on Signing Day.”
Sid asked when the recruits can sign their tenders. Kill said the players can’t sign their Letter of Intent until 7 a.m. on Wednesday: “It’s not an easy time!”
Kill’s final comments to Max’s opening question: “We get one phone call today (to recruits) . . . Monday and Tuesday we can call anytime . . . I’ve got two young men (recruits) in my house today.”
By his comments, you could tell – voice and answers - that this is a busy and stressful time for the coaches. As Kill said later in the show, their jobs are dependent on getting quality recruits every year and improvement in the classes from one year to the next.
2) Mike Max asked about the changes in coaching staffs in the conference and the effect it has had on recruiting: Kill immediately cited the change at Michigan: “Harbaugh’s flipped a few, (recruits that had committed to) Nebraska and Texas . . . Wisconsin has come on a couple people that have committed (to the Gophers).”
Again, Kill stressed that players flipping or reneging on their commitments is common in the recruiting process.
3) Sid asked if Minnesota lost any of their commitments last year: “No, we held on,” said Kill. He said South Carolina came in late and they tried to “flip” Jerry Gibson to the Gamecocks. It, no doubt, was an “uneasy time” for the Gopher coaching staff during the final days leading up to National Signing Day, especially with South Carolina’s recruitment of Jerry Gibson.
4) Sid asked if Kill could compare this year’s class with the 2014, which according to Sid was a real good class of recruits: Kill did not offer a comparison; however, he sounded pleased with this year’s class: “Every year you’ve got to get better . . . We’ve recruited real good . . . (filled) real needs - offensive line, secondary, (and) more speed . . . Every year we’ve improved our recruiting . . . We get some recommendations from Tom Lemming (recruiting service) . . . We’ve been able to recruit better players.”
Kill also cited the recruiting efforts of Billy Glasscock, Director of Recruiting Operations. Glasscock recently received an award for recruiting at Lemming’s annual banquet.
It was during Kill’s response to Sid’s query that he said their coaching jobs are dependent on successful recruiting – you win with good players.
Sid asked if they had recruited a tight end, because of Maxx Williams’ departure and declaration for the NFL draft: (Laughing) Kill replied, “We’ll see Wednesday . . . We’ve certainly recruited one.”
In my opinion, Kill sounded excited and pleased with this year’s class. Nevertheless, he said the recruiting of this year’s class is not finished until Signing Day, and they need to hold on to their commitments. It is, as Kill said, “. . . not an easy time.”
Go Gophers!!
1) Mike Max opened the questioning by asking if there are certain strategies that are implemented in the final days – visits and closing the deal on recruits - before Signing Day, Wednesday, February 4th: Kill replied,“It’s been unique - we lost three, four days of recruiting (dead period during the national coaches conference) . . . We’ll sign 21, 22 kids . . . (there are) 4, 5 guys that we need to squeeze a bit . . . It’s been a traveling nightmare . . . Everybody gets surprises on Signing Day.”
Sid asked when the recruits can sign their tenders. Kill said the players can’t sign their Letter of Intent until 7 a.m. on Wednesday: “It’s not an easy time!”
Kill’s final comments to Max’s opening question: “We get one phone call today (to recruits) . . . Monday and Tuesday we can call anytime . . . I’ve got two young men (recruits) in my house today.”
By his comments, you could tell – voice and answers - that this is a busy and stressful time for the coaches. As Kill said later in the show, their jobs are dependent on getting quality recruits every year and improvement in the classes from one year to the next.
2) Mike Max asked about the changes in coaching staffs in the conference and the effect it has had on recruiting: Kill immediately cited the change at Michigan: “Harbaugh’s flipped a few, (recruits that had committed to) Nebraska and Texas . . . Wisconsin has come on a couple people that have committed (to the Gophers).”
Again, Kill stressed that players flipping or reneging on their commitments is common in the recruiting process.
3) Sid asked if Minnesota lost any of their commitments last year: “No, we held on,” said Kill. He said South Carolina came in late and they tried to “flip” Jerry Gibson to the Gamecocks. It, no doubt, was an “uneasy time” for the Gopher coaching staff during the final days leading up to National Signing Day, especially with South Carolina’s recruitment of Jerry Gibson.
4) Sid asked if Kill could compare this year’s class with the 2014, which according to Sid was a real good class of recruits: Kill did not offer a comparison; however, he sounded pleased with this year’s class: “Every year you’ve got to get better . . . We’ve recruited real good . . . (filled) real needs - offensive line, secondary, (and) more speed . . . Every year we’ve improved our recruiting . . . We get some recommendations from Tom Lemming (recruiting service) . . . We’ve been able to recruit better players.”
Kill also cited the recruiting efforts of Billy Glasscock, Director of Recruiting Operations. Glasscock recently received an award for recruiting at Lemming’s annual banquet.
It was during Kill’s response to Sid’s query that he said their coaching jobs are dependent on successful recruiting – you win with good players.
Sid asked if they had recruited a tight end, because of Maxx Williams’ departure and declaration for the NFL draft: (Laughing) Kill replied, “We’ll see Wednesday . . . We’ve certainly recruited one.”
In my opinion, Kill sounded excited and pleased with this year’s class. Nevertheless, he said the recruiting of this year’s class is not finished until Signing Day, and they need to hold on to their commitments. It is, as Kill said, “. . . not an easy time.”
Go Gophers!!
