Of course everybody wants hard nosed players and everyone loves the guys you mentioned. But you aren’t winning B1G titles and National Championships recruiting guys that you hope are underrated and will over perform their ranking. There’s a reason why Bama, UGA and OSU are competing at the highest level every season. Their blue chip ratio is really high.
Picked up 2 more ISU 2026 recruits yesterday, both OL
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I would take our situation over Michigan. So would everybody else on planet Earth.
It's a bridge for the future or a blend of ISU and PSU players, not a permanent standard.
The former staff scared off 95% of the '26' class, not MC's fault.
You guys got to give Matt a chance with his ideas of building a team and staff.
I get it. That’s why in previous posts, I said I appreciate the kids coming in and will root for them, but recruiting at this level long term will not get PSU over the hump. My comment is for those making the comments of being really excited for “midwestern gritty players”. Those type players make up 95% of the rosters for Illinois, Iowa, Minny, Nebraska, etc and those teams routinely are nowhere near the top of the conference.
In 2024, Becht accounted for 33 touchdowns and had nine interceptions. In Iowa State’s Pop-Tarts Bowl win over No. 13 Miami, he threw three touchdowns and ran for a fourth to lead the Cyclones to an 11-win season (their only double-digit-win season in 133 years of football) and a No. 15 final ranking.
“We realigned ourselves the right way, and obviously, Rocco’s been a huge part of that,” Campbell told The Athletic. “It’s been a great learning lesson for me.”
Becht and the Cyclones got off to a fast start in 2025, opening 5-0 and moving up to No. 14 in the AP poll before injuries derailed the team’s season. Iowa State lost its top six defensive backs to injuries. Becht played through a labrum injury in his non-throwing shoulder, which later required surgery, and also suffered an AC sprain in his throwing shoulder.
Becht has one year of eligibility remaining.
------ seems like CMC had ISU firing on 8 cyl for the past two seasons until the injury bug hit.
Except that I have to question the judgment of anyone who would commit to michigan under any circumstances.
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It’s silly for anyone to be critical of Matt Campbell’s 2026 recruiting when he was named coach AFTER the first signing day. Literally the only recruits on the table are ISU commits who have been released from their NLI and those who didn’t end up signing on signing day. He just needs some dudes to fill in gaps until the portal opens and he can properly assemble a 2027 class.
Brock Purdy was a 3 star, Fernando Medoza was a 3 star, Will Howard was a 3 star, Dillon Gabriel was a 3 star. The list goes on and on.
It is unquestionable that recruits rated between 98 and 110 hit at a much higher frequency than those rated in the 80s. Having said that the vast majority of college players (15,000) are ranked between 80 and 89, (3*) and the spread is significant. A player ranked at the top end of that spectrum and a player ranked lower 90s (4*) have little day;light separating them. Evaluation, development, fit are extremely impactful when you drill down in the weeds with these players. Not going to camps,, living in remote, rural areas, all impact these ratings,
So, I will see what this staff can do with the players they recruit before drawing conclusions.
It seems like 5 star recruits are guys who are great football players and have amazing measurables like Micah Parsons - hence why OSU, Bama, and Georgia do so well year-in and year-out. 3 star guys are great football players without the measurables - like the handful of guys at "Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, etc." who give PSU fits and I'm like, "Why didn't we get that guy?" (or dare I say - a decent number of players on the Pitt roster who seem to over achieve compared to their recruiting rankings). The 4 star recruits seem to be a mix of good football players with good measurables, great football players with so-so measurables, and guys with great measurables who either don't now how to or can't play football. PSU seems to get too many of the last category - who never end up really panning out. Obviously I'd take all of the 5 stars I could get. But everything below that requires skilled assessment. I think a team of really good and great football players who may be an inch shorter or 0.1 sec slower (particularly if they're the kind of guys who hang around for 3-4 years) - comes out ahead of a team full of guys who can jump really high but can't play football.
You must be new around here. We didn’t even like the suit he wore for his PRESSER.
.So the fashion police scored CMC low? Oh, the tragedy!You must be new around here. We didn’t even like the suit he wore for his PRESSER.
Apparently, or should I say "obviously"? Oops, that was JF's buzz word. Has anyone keyed in on CMC"s buzz word?
In his introductory PRESSER.
at PSU, Campbell said “every step of the way” a ton.OK, we'll have to listen to see if that holds.In his introductory PRESSER.
He will never be more popular than he is now.You must be new around here. We didn’t even like the suit he wore for his PRESSER.
Ok sure. BGJ still should have been fired.
Plus the kids who go to more combines and showcases get more numbers and drill tape so sometimes they ranked higher due to more eyeballs on them.
Here you go:
-our scars are our superpowers
-link arms/unify us
-championship habits
-attitude, effort, character
-I'd rather lose with you before I win win you (hopefully we don't get a heavy dose of this one)
-law of progression
-the process, this along with championship habits are big ones
Fans tend to want to think there is something "unique" about their guy - but 99% of it is all the same, from one coach/program to the next. Obviously
Take the comments from Campbell - and the comments from any of twenty other coaches around the country - put them all in a hat and mix and match them up with randomly, and the results are the same.
Agreed. I think there is some geographical bias due to the focus on the SEC states, TX, and Cali.
And then there is the pirate,Fans tend to want to think there is something "unique" about their guy - but 99% of it is all the same, from one coach/program to the next. Obviously
Take the comments from Campbell - and the comments from any of twenty other coaches around the country - put them all in a hat and mix and match them up with randomly, and the results are the same.
Fill the roster up with those blue collar farm boy types for the OL and DL. Some LBs wouldnt hurt.
Yes. The last guy got 12 years. Let's give this one at least one season and a recruiting class that he can put together at PSU that actually gets recruited before LOI day. Oh, and BGJ deserved to get fired when he did. Nothing you can say about Coach Campbell will change that.
The Gobbler - Forums
Now, let's put the Iowa St. performance of the last 2 years through the lens of the typical "we deserve better" PSU "fan" ...
2024: Iowa St. raced out to a 7-0 record, but only played 1 ranked opponent during that time - a 21st ranked Iowa team that was never ranked again that season. They then lost to 2 unranked teams in consecutive games ... they didn't play another ranked squad that season, until the Big 12 Championship game, where they got boatraced by a mediocre ASU squad, 42-19. So, they beat absolutely no one, choked when the season was on the line, and got embarrassed by the only team they played with a pulse.
2025: Only played 2 squads that were ranked at the time they were played ... they beat a 21st-ranked KSU squad that ended the year 6-6 and unranked, and a mediocre BYU squad who handled them. Injuries? No excuses. Should have recruited better/more and had talent elsewhere to make up for it.
Yes. The last guy got 12 years. Let's give this one at least one season and a recruiting class that he can put together at PSU that actually gets recruited before LOI day. Oh, and BGJ deserved to get fired when he did. Nothing you can say about Coach Campbell will change that.
The Gobbler - Forums
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Definitely deserved to be fired when he was ... 6 games removed from almost appearing in the Natty game, and after 3 great consecutive seasons, with a top recruiting class on tap. That's when most coaches get canned, no doubt.
He took what was the number 2 team in the country and lost to an 0-4 team with an interim head coach and an offensive coordinator that had been in the position for less than a week. Then he turned around and lost at home to a middle of the road B1G team. Sorry, that gets you fired.
Time for you to head on over to your new home. Since BGJ took over, the excitement on that board is palpable. It has only been a month since the last post there. BGJ has them fired up for football:
The Gobbler - Forums
He took what was the number 2 team in the country and lost to an 0-4 team with an interim head coach and an offensive coordinator that had been in the position for less than a week. Then he turned around and lost at home to a middle of the road B1G team. Sorry, that gets you fired.
Time for you to head on over to your new home. Since BGJ took over, the excitement on that board is palpable. It has only been a month since the last post there. BGJ has them fired up for football:
The Gobbler - Forums
So he created a team that was so good, it was considered the 2nd best in the nation?!?
Heck, I would have fired him right there and then. I mean, 3 consecutive 10-win regular seasons, coming off a national semi appearance, with ONLY the #2 team in the nation?
You JoeBots had him fired for the last few seasons (at least ... many sooner than that). We heard it the entire time. This (very) rough patch was just an excuse.
So, despite compiling a top program in the nation, he crapped the bed through half a season. Extremely disappointing, no doubt. But that's DEFINITELY not enough to get you fired in most sane places. Someone with that track record of building a successful program, coming off a ton of recent success, doesn't get fired midseason for a disappointing start. He's at least allowed the ability to finish out the season, see if he can right the ship ... see if he can hang on to most of the future recruiting classes. If he loses the team entirely, and loses much of the future ... yeah, then you seriously consider parting ways. But, not midseason.
Especially when you were mistaken that this was a dream destination where we would have our choice of, not only the most successful current coaches, but also of "retired" coaching legends who would be champing at the bit to take over such a storied program.
Unlike you and yours, I support PSU. Pennsylvania State University, not Paterno State University. My allegiance to the program doesn't depend on the current coach, nor to how they worship (or don't worship) a past coach.
I'll be right here rooting on the Matt Campbell-led PSU Nittany Lions ... even if he doesn't wear a button!!! Or if he says "eff Joe Paterno!"
You and yours have not-so-secretly been rooting for the team's demise, so you could get rid of Franklin. You were so excited last year when there were close games you thought we'd lose ... and then we didn't. You were so excited this year when we lost to Oregon, then UCLA and, finally, Northwestern.
You Franklinbots wanted a lifetime contract for smallgame James. Sorry, accountability against anyone with a pulse crept into the picture. Don't cry for James Argentina. He's getting the band back together in Hokie land and God bless him.
Except I've said I would have fired him if he didn't right the ship and lost a good chunk of that incoming recruiting class. And I'm far from a "Franklinbot," because I'm on board with Campbell and still supporting PSU football.
But, other than you lying about everything ... good post.
Are you expecting psu to elevate Campbell or Campbell to elevate psu? He only elevated ISU to 6.9 wins a year. 69 wins in 10 years during the regular season.
Iowa state was on par with Indiana before cignetti got there. Cignetti didn't need to go to OSU to build a contender.
Yes. If he doesn't the fans will eventually start a fire Campbell chant. Additionally if there is not a salary cap at some point it won't matter. If any program is not a bottomless pit of money it won't matter who the coach is.
Cignetti got $ support from Mark Cuban at Indiana that Campbell didn’t at ISU. Don’t know the impact it directly had on football but he still had the $.