Until MSU starts recruiting heavy out of state, we will not compete...

[The Usual Suspect]

We are going to have to get in TX and FL and take some Horn and Gator rejects that are still upgrades in our skill positions. Our skill players are bad across the board. I don't give a crap if 2% of the players on the team are from MS. This is the only reason OK and Ok St. are good, they have a LOT of TX players. Ok does not produce enough in state players to support 1 team much less both of them, same in TN.</p>

 

[windcrysmary]

good start...

if we can 't take those easy baby steps, all the visions of grandure are retarded

 

[The Usual Suspect]

TX where they are more plentiful and better.

 

[Dogma]

until you get a center and LT that block the "right" guy... it ain't happening.<div>
</div><div>On a side note... those positions are young guys...</div>

 

[DAWG61]

in a state with the highest % of black residents (37%) that MSU can't find 25 kids to play football for free every year.

 

[The Usual Suspect]

I was at PeeWee Football playoffs today in Katy, Tx all day. There are over 1200 kids involved in 1st thru 6th grade football. 6 5A high schools within 10 square miles. The kids in most of MS do not get the coaching or development chances that these kids do their whole lives. I'm not saying there are not some good athletes in MS, but there are abundant in other parts of the country, and they are developed.

 

[DAWG61]

I really do but let's be honest. To be an amazing wide receiver you have to be an excellent athlete and catch everything. Mississippi should have an abundance of kids that are fast and jump out the gym. Just find 3 every year that can catch. PeeWee football never taught the natural born athlete his god-given ability and the state of Mississppi is RICH in natural athletes. Don't believe me? Go to the Sanderson center around 7pm during the school year. You will see 20 guys with unreal athletic ability playing pick up basketball. Maybe it's time to think outside of the box on where to find these kids. Maybe the best football players aren't even playing football. They might be directed towards basketball when they are missing out on their unproven football talent.

 

[The Usual Suspect]

toward basketball. That is part of my argument though. It is easier to have a good basketball program than to invest what is needed to have a great football program. MS does not have too many schools that have the resources to do that, especially the non-school organized football leagues. Too much money is required. I agree also that athletes are not taught athleticism, but I believe (based on what High School Football I see here) linemen are further developed, as well as qbs, because of the development of the programs. Can't teach the speed, but technique is there.

 

[Joe Schmedlap]

Would do well to look hard at east Texas every year. State has an alumnus as head coach at Tyler, TX John Tyler HS. That guy could give Dan Mullen a heads up every year on the top up and coming players in 5A and 4A players in east Texas. Coach's name is Derrick Rush. He played for Coach Sherrill at State. Heck of a nice guy and was coach of the year in his division just a couple of seasons ago. It ain't rocket surgery, people. Use your connections.

 

[Griffdawg]

First of all, youare right that we need to recruit outside of the state of MS. I would venture to say that if we signed every single Dandy Dozen player for the next 5 years, we still wouldn't have enough quality depth to compete against the likes of LSU, Bama, Arkansas, Auburn, etc. Weneed to hit the state of Georgia hard in recruiting along with TX and FL.There are enough 5A high schools in those states to not only produce a large number of D1 prospectsbut the players in those states are used togoing up against quality competition. That means that the larger high schools must have more than a neanderthal offense in place to win games & state titles. Not so much in MS. See South Panola's string of title runs for proof. How can the state of MS produce quality WR's and DB'swhen there are so few prolific passing offenses in their high schools? Answer: They can't. It's no wonder that traditionally our OL is good at run blocking and poor at pass blocking. They come from one-dimensional run-oriented high school offenses. Jackie had the right formula and possiblythe only formula for success at MSU given the talent (and playing experience) available in the state. Recruit huge road-paving offensive linemen and add a stable of bruising running backs to pound the defense into submission.QB was only charged with managing the game, handing the ball off, and occasionally throwing to the TE to convert a 3rd down. Boring as ****, but effective while it lasted.

If we are going to hope to have an above-average offense (by SEC standards), we are going to have to bring in out of state recruits especially at the skill positions.

 

[DAWG61]

schools like Hargrave Military Academy. The school we got Jamont Gordon from in basketball. Are their schools like that that are post high school that have good football programs? Maybe Mullen should reduce the number of MS targets to the top 15 and sign 5 juco and 5 OL/DL every year from private schools/post high schools that are not in MS. I still think the speed and size is in MS so WR,DB,FS,SS,HB,FB,TE,DE,DL can all be found in State. OL, QB, LB, and K/P maybe out of state.

 

[Big Sheep81]

nm

 

[shotgunDawg]

This is an interesting thread. The problem is instincts. An analogy to the problem would be to think about a building. Every player has a ceiling for their potential, and all coaching can do is help you reach your ceiling. It cannot change what floor you on. Therefore one of the problems we face in Mississippi is that we are capable of producing players that have a high "floor" of athleticism, but don't reach their "ceiling" until later in their careers because of the lack of quality year around youth football programs.

You really see a lot of this issue in baseball with youth teams from Florida and California. Because of the weather, kids from Cal and FL are able to play baseball year around and thus reach their ceiling as players much earlier than Mississippi kids. This is why FL and Cal high school baseball is much better than any other states. However, MLB has players from all states and Canada because, ultimately, players can get no better than the floor of their athleticism, but because FL and Cal youth have developed instincts and reach their ceiling earlier because of playing more, they usually dominate youth baseball, Little League World Series, and High School baseball.

Due to all this, Mississippi High School coaches are dealing with many players that have played very little organized football, and lack the instincts, knowledge of the game, and basic fundamentals to run anything more than a basic offense. Now most of our players will reach their ceiling, but it will take at least 3 years of college to get close it due to all the problems I have mentioned. That is why we always have very little depth. We have young guys, but they simply are not ready to play.

 

[The Usual Suspect]

have quite a challenge in "coaching up" the basics with a lot of our players, including the good athletes. I mention TX a lot, because that is where I live. But, I'm telling you there is no way TX, TX a&m, TX Tech, OK, can take all the D1 players from here. Just too many of them.

 

[Phil Wenneck.sixpack]

You aren't going to build a top 20 program relying solely on MS recruits.The education system in this state sucks. The discipline inpublic schoolssuck at many places in this state.Not saying we don't need topursue the best of the best but we can't keep signing 80% MS to 20% out of state. That balance has to be swayed some in the other direction. The quality of football on the high school level here is vastly over rated by outsiders' perception. I get that Mullen made that statement when he was new on the job and you've got to pump your state school but he had best rethink his tactics before it's too late.I mean,I live in a town that has dominated the top level of football in this state for adecade by running2 f'n plays. What's that tell you about the state of things across the board?