J.J. Watt

[josh087]

So I was listening to the Big Ten Teleconference as always today at work and Bielema mentioned that he didn't offer a scholarship to J.J. Watt, and he originally committed to Minnesota before starting out at Central Michigan?

I apologize if I missed it somewhere on here, but is this true?

 

[Gopher Bandanna Guy]

As I understand it, this is the standard MO for most in-state players the Badgers recruit, with the exception of the very top in-state recruits.

By that I mean, the Badgers try to convince their in-state players to come in as a 'preferred walk-ons' and then get scholarships as productive upperclassmen. This frees up more scholarships for highly touted out-of-state recruits.

I suspect this is a pretty common recruiting technique for bigger programs who don't have much D-1 in-state competition.

 

[grunkiejr]

If I recall correctly he decommitted from Minnesota when Mason was fired.

 

[Ski-U-Mah24]

If I recall correctly he decommitted from Minnesota when Mason was fired.

And you would be correct!

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

A defense with Watt and Greg Jones would have been nice.

I'm sure under Mason, Jones would have been a halfback and Watt would have stayed at TE, but yeah.

 

[dpodoll68]

So I was listening to the Big Ten Teleconference as always today at work and Bielema mentioned that he didn't offer a scholarship to J.J. Watt, and he originally committed to Minnesota before starting out at Central Michigan?

I apologize if I missed it somewhere on here, but is this true?

Yes. I don't remember where I read/heard it (might've even been here on GH), but someone referenced this, and then said, "That's the type of player that Hageman should aspire to be."

 

[monk10]

I'm sure under Mason, Jones would have been a halfback and Watt would have stayed at TE, but yeah.

This rings truer then it should.