you guys need to stop letting Bears tell you Mullen cant recruit...

[Johnson85]

We started 3 Srs, a Jr, and rs Soph against Memphis. In the Egg Bowl we had 3 Srs, a Rs Soph, and Rs Fresh. That's not a young OL. Save that apology till next year.

Kids don't have to be 4 and 5 star to contribute early. Again, Tobias Smith, Gabe Jackson, Dillion Day, all played early and played well for us. Anthony Steen started games last year for Bama.

You're counting the DT converted to OT as a senior (that also was banged up for much of the year) in your argument? Mullen recruited one OL that was able to play and play reasonably well for us as a redshirt freshman. How linemen do you expect him to recruit in each class that will be ready to play as a redshirt freshman???

Mullen definitely failed to get some serviceable JUCO lineman when it was clear we needed them, and he had two classes to do it. That's on him. But with all the things Crooms left him to correct, I'll cut Mullen some slack for not fixing all of them in the two years where he got to shape the class from the beginning. If he has three serviceable linemen that are redshirt sophomores, then I'd say he's doing ok in recruiting. If Croom would have put three serviceable OL in each class, we'd have been 7-5 or 8-4 this year.

 

[clydefrazier]

if Croom had stayed, how does anyone know that, they committed to him so why would they have gone other places if he would have stayed. Stupid arguement.The top players of the junior class committed to Sly and Bumphis was coming to. Mullen didnt recruit them form scratch and he didnt have to put a hard sell to Cox, Chris Smith, Banks and Tyler Russell, they were coming anyway.

Mullen and Balis deserve a ton of credit for what they have done strength and attitude wise. Mullen has done ok recruting, hasnt had the big hit or two. If you talk about owning the state you better do it. he gets a pass on CJ and the ATM he was recruiting against</p>

 

[Coach34]

as well as a couple of others. Others stated had we not hired Mullen, they were going to look at others schools and back off their commit<div>
</div><div>Crooms reaped a bowl win bump in recruiting, but after shitting the bed in 2008- it would have dwindled some- it's just a fact- and not silly at all</div>

 

[esplanade91]

as well as a couple of others. Others stated had we not hired Mullen, they were going to look at others schools and back off their commit<div>
</div><div>Crooms reaped a bowl win bump in recruiting, but after shitting the bed in 2008- it would have dwindled some- it's just a fact- and not silly at all</div>

This. All of those players committed the summer BEFORE the 2008 season. After a successful 2007 campaign. Do you not notice that all of them set up official visits to other school at the end of the State's 2008 season? They were headed elsewhere. That's a matter of fact. Mullen came in and made them reaffirm their commitment. I see us getting White because were his only offer, but without Croom getting canned McPhee, Cox, Whitley, and probably Boyd are gone. Those are the listed super stars right? Banks probably would have played basketball for Stans and thus been hated by everyone on this board. (Makes you wonder what Bost would have been like at QB)

 

[jbulldog]

he will win more recruiting battles for players he really wants than he loses. People who are drowning always scream the loudest.

 

[digdawg]

First, Scout.com has had in MS the best recruiting evaluation and rankings for some time. It is different in other states but Scout has the most coverage and best in MS in my opinion (over Rivals). Using Scout.com's rankings, here are Croom's last three class rankings:<div></div><div> 2006: 39</div><div> 2007: 27</div><div> 2008: 33</div><div> 2009: 19 (over 90% Croom's commits)</div><div>
</div><div>Mullen takes over:</div><div> 2010: 38 (keep in mind that Croom's staff had recruited some of those guys as juniors as well)</div><div> 2011: 44</div><div></div><div>Now compare the 2009 class that Sherrill left Croom when he was hired. Sherrill left in December of 2003 with two commitments for MSU, both two stars. That class ended up 60th in the country, the worst in a long time at MSU and a lot to overcome. But Croom eventually did, starting lots of freshman and sophomores.</div><div></div><div> Croom's 2007, 2008 and 2009 classes were really good. There was NFL talent there, a lot. And unlike what one poster said, guys like Jamar Chaney and Derrek Sherrod making it to the NFL doesn't have anything to do with a year of coaching under Mullen's staff. That is ridiculous. Sherrod's NFL talent was recognized very early, way before Croom showed up. Fletcher Cox is now listed by some as a 1st round NFL pick as a junior if he comes out this year. Croom got him to commit the summer before the season started. He was recognized as a force of nature even in HS.</div><div> In addition, Mullen has been signing lots of "skill players", and very few of them have panned out. Even today, the best receivers on the team are Croom commits. I don't think anyone disagrees with that. </div><div> It is well documented on here that in Mullen's third season at the school this year, he had an OL initially with four starters given to him by Croom. Mullen only had to find one guy in two years to fill in on the OL. Every team in America and the SEC is lucky if they only have to find on OL to fill in as a freshman and sophomore. As has been shown on this board, our OL this year had as much or more experience than Arkansas, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia. So, all of those teams have two or more sophomores and freshman starting on their line, but Croom failed because he is in line with those teams? Really?</div><div> In the end, the acid test for every team is who plays. Because on any team, the best players have to start. Mullen only had one of his recruits starting on defense this year. If he had any RS lineman that could have done better, then he should have started them. Croom didn't have the luxury in his early years, like Mullen did, of redshirting a ton of players. If you saw what the 2003 team was like under Sherrill, you knew that Croom had to get young guys out there immediately.</div><div> Finally, who do you trust more to evaluate talent - a guy that has coached in the NFL for 20 years, as well as in college for 13? One thing that has been proven these last two years is that Croom had an eye for NFL talent and was able to evaluate two star players that could make it to the NFL. Let's see if Mullen can do the same.</div>

 

[digdawg]

both committed to Croom way before Mullen was even a glimmer in MSU's eye.

 

[Confrused]

[No message]

 

[Johnson85]

Sherrill left in December of 2003 with two commitments for MSU, both two stars. That class ended up 60th in the country, the worst in a long time at MSU and a lot to overcome. But Croom eventually did, starting lots of freshman and sophomores.<div></div> Finally, who do you trust more to evaluate talent - a guy that has coached in the NFL for 20 years, as well as in college for 13? One thing that has been proven these last two years is that Croom had an eye for NFL talent and was able to evaluate two star players that could make it to the NFL.

And why can't people on this board 17ing count. Mullen has had to replace two starters. He had one redshirt freshman that was ready to play. He should have gotten some more JUCO's to fill the gap and that's on him. But I don't understand why people can't look at the number of OL in the last two classes Crooms recruited and not realize that Crooms left a gaping hole in our Oline.

Also, Crooms is the guy that wouldn't give Arenas a look, wouldn't let Depasquale walk on, let Anthony Dixon be fat and out of shape, etc.

 

[thatsbaseball]

is why I think if PSU takes their time and researches their candidates closely...Mullen won`t get offered. Right nowhis shining star is he took lowly MSU to two bowls AND beating a piss poorOle Miss program 3yearsin a rowwhich is plenty ofsuccess for our sheep but it`s probably not gonna be enough to fool those folks.