Let's say that you are an 18 year old, 5 star recruit. And every college in America wants you. Now, I believe that most of you, like me, would go straight to the University of North Carolina. Do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars. But honestly, how forth coming about your recruitment would you be? When reporters, or IC call you and ask about your favorites, would you throw them a red herring or two just for kicks? Would you pull some crazy stunt when selecting your college at a all star event? A lot of these kids do. And honestly, I think I would yank a lot of peoples chains. And I think most of you guys would too. Something to think about in the next week before signing day.

I would tell my son to have fun with it. But I would also tell him if he makes a concrete decision, to honor it. And to let the coaching staffs at the schools he won't attend know as soon as possible so they can move on.

Knowing my sons as I do, I can't imagine any of the three of them would go for the press conference. They'd likely tell the coaches yea or nae in person. Or over the phone if that wasn't possible.

I'm fairly certain they would take all five visits "just to be sure".

And if a coaching staff decided to move on because they couldn't wait for my son to decide. I doubt any of them would cry over spilled milk about it.

Hard to complain about an "all you can eat" buffet being out of shrimp when their is steak, lobster, and kielbasa hot and ready to eat!

JDH,

I understand your point about not having a press conference. Your kids wouldn't want to say, "Look at me!" But that is not the primary reason for having a press conference. I think it can feed into the teenage ego because a whole group of people is seeking the student-athlete's attention, but that is a symptom not a cause, IMHO.

If your son was a highly-recruited student-athlete, you would be getting bombarded with phone calls day after day from lots of different people asking essentially the same questions--and this is on top of the phone calls from coaches. So the press conference is one final opportunity for all media members to ask their questions--and hear the answers to other questions--and for the family to close the door on phone calls from the media.

While I don't think having a press conference is a way to say, "Look at me!" in and of itself, putting on an immature display can be. IMHO, the press conference is a necessary evil, but it can either be handled appropriately or not, and the way it is handled determines whether the player is demonstrating an attitude of "Look at me!"

My two cents,

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--- jimmydaheel wrote:

I would tell my son to have fun with it. But I would also tell him if he makes a concrete decision, to honor it. And to let the coaching staffs at the schools he won't attend know as soon as possible so they can move on.

Knowing my sons as I do, I can't imagine any of the three of them would go for the press conference. They'd likely tell the coaches yea or nae in person. Or over the phone if that wasn't possible.

I'm fairly certain they would take all five visits "just to be sure".

And if a coaching staff decided to move on because they couldn't wait for my son to decide. I doubt any of them would cry over spilled milk about it.

Hard to complain about an "all you can eat" buffet being out of shrimp when their is steak, lobster, and kielbasa hot and ready to eat!

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I was just wondering. You have someone like Savon Huggins, who is currently languishing away on the Rutgers bench, his biggest moment ever was when he screwed with us on national t.v. that's probably the most attention he will ever get in his life. And I was wondering how much that affected the actions of some of our current prospects. Let's face it, 18 year olds love attention. And we get bent out of shape way too easily over it, it seems.

You're generalizing when you say 18-year olds love attention. I know plenty who don't (I was one), and there are probably just as many 30 year olds who are attention whores.

Many of these kids commit early in the process. For the others, I'm sure there is a large portion who truly ARE torn. Lots of things factor into the decision including things that we aren't privy to all the time like how many friends does the kid have a certain school, but there are obviously plenty of other things that we DO know about like playing time/depth chart concerns, coaching staff stability, football culture/history of getting players to the NFL, factors related to the quality of education and the status of the particular department that the kid might be interested in.

Then there are some who really do seem to bask in the limelight of being special for a short while. I do not in the slightest care about this. The only issue I have is when the kid uses that limelight as a platform to embarass or belittle the school that doesn't get chosen. UNC has been on both sides of that side and I didn't like being on either side (being embarassed or having a future representative of UNC embarassing another school). I would much prefer the kid just select his school and be done with it. But to each his own. Karma IS a beeyotch though. I don't know if Huggins is "getting what he deserved" because it was really a minor thing in the big picture and only a few butthurt UNC fans really still want the kid "to pay" for what he did.

I don't care about Huggins, and I'm certainly not butthurt. Probably wouldn't have gotten Gio had Huggins picked us. And I agree with you, not all 18 year olds love attention, I didn't then and I still don't now. What I was addressing was all the guessing, and hand wringing over prospects like North. I have no idea what the fellow is thinking, maybe he knows where he is going to go, maybe he has no idea, or maybe he's known since day one. I just wonder how some of us would act if we had Nick Savanna, or Larry Fedora or Urban Meyer in our living rooms. Ya know?

UNC will be okay with or without North. There are plenty of WR's on this roster that can have a huge impact next year and into other seasons.

Unlike many on here, if he doesn't come to UNC, I'd prefer he go to an Atlantic school instead of UT. I have changed my tune on this. I used to say that I wanted in-state kids to go to another conference, but now, the Atlantic (minus State) is just as much another conference as the SEC (at least from UNC's view).

As for what I would do if I was a 5* today and didn't know where I was going. I probably would wait until NSD (and maybe even go past). I know that the recruiting term "verbal commitment" doesn't have the same meaning as it does when we say we are committed to something like a job or a marriage. It just doesn't, and folks sound silly when they try to argue that it does (or that it should). They should call it "verbal reservation" instead as that is really what it means in every sense of the word. If I knew though, I would announce for that school ASAP...unless of course my coach wanted me to hold off so the competitor wouldn't be able to fill his roster. I wouldn't do any of this silly switching the hat deals though. Seems played out.

I agree that we will be okay with/out North. However, I consider him more important than some one like Carl Lawson, in the fact that Fedora is trying so hard to keep instate recruits. North is a statement recruit, if Fedora is to continue to pitch his NC dream team. Also, like you, I believe the hat switching deal is played out.

North is a prestige pick. We have more pressing needs at other positions, like everywhere on defense.

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--- redhotchiliheel wrote:

I agree that we will be okay with/out North. However, I consider him more important than some one like Carl Lawson, in the fact that Fedora is trying so hard to keep instate recruits. North is a statement recruit, if Fedora is to continue to pitch his NC dream team. Also, like you, I believe the hat switching deal is played out.

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North is absolutely a statement recruit for UNC's mission of in-state hegemony. Fail to close on him, and the momentum you gained from all of the early NC commitments dissipates substantially.

If it was me or my son.....after committing silently to UNC, I would say "hey coach, check this out" and promptly commit to MooU. I would say all the right things and have that lovely fanbase all excited. As signing day approaches, I would delight in saying that I've decided that the two most important factors to me are education and competing for championships. Because of that, I cannot attend MooU and instead will attend the flagship University in the state. There would also be a few other well thought out one-liners that would make a guy like TOBy proud.

Let's give LF a couple more years of building relationships in N.C. before we consider losing a big-time N.C. recruit a blow to our program. He has impressed me with his instate recruiting regardless of North's decision.

Ghost, I like the way you think. And I pray that God grants you or your offspring the opportunity to someday do that. And unosee, North is very important, and a must get. Even if he ends up stinking, and never playing a down, he needs to be a Heel. It would shine negatively on the program if Fedora were to allow a stagnant Tennessee program that just hired a coach a month ago, (and struggled to do that) to come in and take North from under his nose. Don't kid yourself. North is important.

Redhot, we'll just have to agree to disagree. 18 year-old kids can be fickle and you never know what they may decide to do. I would love to see North in light blue, but it won't be the end of our program if he ends up in orange. If you can't understand that, so be it.

You're right. That must be why Coach Fedora rode a helicopter over to Mallard Creek to watch North practice.
But I see what you're saying. And you are correct that from a talent stand point, North is not critical. But perception is huge in college football. Excitement needs to be generated, and landing north would be huge for perception amongst next years crop of high schoolers.
If nothing else, he needs to land North to send a message to the coach at Tennessee, basically telling him that he can't waltz into North Carolina and start cherry picking recruits.

..."Do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars..."

I'm Cam Newton's dad, and if you want him to pass go better make that $180k.

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--- redhotchiliheel wrote:

Let's say that you are an 18 year old, 5 star recruit. And every college in America wants you. Now, I believe that most of you, like me, would go straight to the University of North Carolina. Do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars. But honestly, how forth coming about your recruitment would you be? When reporters, or IC call you and ask about your favorites, would you throw them a red herring or two just for kicks? Would you pull some crazy stunt when selecting your college at a all star event? A lot of these kids do. And honestly, I think I would yank a lot of peoples chains. And I think most of you guys would too. Something to think about in the next week before signing day.

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--- redhotchiliheel wrote:

Let's say that you are an 18 year old, 5 star recruit. And every college in America wants you. Now, I believe that most of you, like me, would go straight to the University of North Carolina. Do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars. But honestly, how forth coming about your recruitment would you be? When reporters, or IC call you and ask about your favorites, would you throw them a red herring or two just for kicks? Would you pull some crazy stunt when selecting your college at a all star event? A lot of these kids do. And honestly, I think I would yank a lot of peoples chains. And I think most of you guys would too. Something to think about in the next week before signing day.

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I would weigh my options UNTIL the offer from UNC came and I would commit on the spot unless I couldn't make it in academically

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--- uncheeler wrote:



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--- redhotchiliheel wrote:

Let's say that you are an 18 year old, 5 star recruit. And every college in America wants you. Now, I believe that most of you, like me, would go straight to the University of North Carolina. Do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars. But honestly, how forth coming about your recruitment would you be? When reporters, or IC call you and ask about your favorites, would you throw them a red herring or two just for kicks? Would you pull some crazy stunt when selecting your college at a all star event? A lot of these kids do. And honestly, I think I would yank a lot of peoples chains. And I think most of you guys would too. Something to think about in the next week before signing day.

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I would weigh my options UNTIL the offer from UNC came and I would commit on the spot unless I couldn't make it in academically

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there isn't a 5 star player in the country that couldn't make it in academically.

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--- mikeyheel wrote:



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--- uncheeler wrote:



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--- redhotchiliheel wrote:

Let's say that you are an 18 year old, 5 star recruit. And every college in America wants you. Now, I believe that most of you, like me, would go straight to the University of North Carolina. Do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars. But honestly, how forth coming about your recruitment would you be? When reporters, or IC call you and ask about your favorites, would you throw them a red herring or two just for kicks? Would you pull some crazy stunt when selecting your college at a all star event? A lot of these kids do. And honestly, I think I would yank a lot of peoples chains. And I think most of you guys would too. Something to think about in the next week before signing day.

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I would weigh my options UNTIL the offer from UNC came and I would commit on the spot unless I couldn't make it in academically

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there isn't a 5 star player in the country that couldn't make it in academically.

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Princell Brockenborough. Dwight Jones coming out of HS...

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--- CornbreadandCollards wrote:



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--- mikeyheel wrote:



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--- uncheeler wrote:



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--- redhotchiliheel wrote:

Let's say that you are an 18 year old, 5 star recruit. And every college in America wants you. Now, I believe that most of you, like me, would go straight to the University of North Carolina. Do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars. But honestly, how forth coming about your recruitment would you be? When reporters, or IC call you and ask about your favorites, would you throw them a red herring or two just for kicks? Would you pull some crazy stunt when selecting your college at a all star event? A lot of these kids do. And honestly, I think I would yank a lot of peoples chains. And I think most of you guys would too. Something to think about in the next week before signing day.

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I would weigh my options UNTIL the offer from UNC came and I would commit on the spot unless I couldn't make it in academically

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there isn't a 5 star player in the country that couldn't make it in academically.

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Princell Brockenborough. Dwight Jones coming out of HS...

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Maybe he was referring to sec schools.

I'd definitely take all of my visits. USC, UF, ND, Texas, Bama, LSU, OSU, UM, ect. Most kids love the attention and the atmosphere on these visits. Why not take advantage of them?

I'd probably do a press conference at my school. Then I'd put a Rutgers hat on, but then there is a UNC hat on underneath.

If I'm a 5* recruit, me being me, UNC would be the only school. Saying that, I would have to take my visits. If asked, I would say that without a doubt UNC was my leader. But again I would take my visit but I would not draw out the process. I would take my visits early, who doesn't want to be wined and dined by beautiful women, and then I would commit. I would commit because good players want to play with other good player and I would start recruiting other elite players to come join me. It take player to win big so I will recruit my butt off to get some of those guys come in with me.

It's so much going on that I would be confused if I was not surrounded by the right people.

I would look at a variety of factors. Namely what schools are positioned to actually win big the next couple of seasons, what real life programs the school offers for employment after sports, what the coaching staff is like, the facilities for the certain sport I am being recruited for, and I would also look at locations that would be close to home so that family and friends would be able to come watch.

With all that being said if I had a kid in the same scenario I would try and steer him/her in the UNC direction but all those factors would also come into play. UNC wouldn't get a free pass just because I'm a fan. If your team is constantly winning and winning at a high level those kids are going to get looked at more for future sports teams.