'12 OH OT Taylor Decker (Ohio State Verbal)

[Whiskeyjack]

When a recruit is dealing with that kind of guy there is a buyer's dilemma: is Urban such a good salesman because he has the best product, or does this appear to be the best product because Urban is such a good salesman.

OSU certainly has more momentum than ND at the moment, but they're not immune to negative recruiting. BK can point out to Decker how: (1) poor UF was in 2010; (2) Meyer bailed on UF after his first trying season there; (3) Meyer has literally kicked current scholarship athletes off the team to make room for him and others; and (4) Hinton and Warriner lied to him about staying put at ND.

To quote the EDSBS recruiting article:

[T]he doctrine of negative campaigning applies here. You don't want to go negative first, but once they do, you should leave no prisoners and burn the other team to the foundations.

 

[yankeehater]

Wow! I am really shocked at some of the wild reaction to this change. If you follow recruiting at all, let alone that of Taylor, one could see this switch coming a mile away. Does it suck? Yes, but it seems that many people were surprised. Home town (dream school), former recruiter and position coaches left school he was committed to to go to his dream school, and now Urbie who has won everywhere is now the coach. What short memories people have to bag on the kid for wanting to play for Urbie when everyone begged and prayed he would come coach at ND.

 

[IHateMarkMay]

Funny you ONLY list the "top" guys...Fergie isn't all that great. Come on. You're reaching with him.

Again. Take off the irish glasses. We're an overall average class....

There are 120 teams in Division 1 Football. To be "average" we would be right in the middle, around 60 say. I'll give you anywhere between 50 and 70.

Scout has us at 11.
Rivals has us at 21.
247 has us at 14.
ESPN has us at 14.

Hardly anything but average. I wouldn't say it's the best recruiting class we've ever had, but there are a ton of teams who would kill for our class. I think you need to stop thinking about the ones we didn't get, and focus on the ones we did.

 

[mpkennedy3]

It sucks to lose him, but this isn't a feel position. We have a couple of years to make up for this loss. I think Kelly can handle it

 

[Whiskeyjack]

@JefMaj:

Ohio Radio reports Taylor Decker's dad said flip from ND was a mistake......

I think this is the guy who broke the bit about Kiel moving into O'Neil tomorrow, so may be legit.

Decker's recruitment isn't over. ND has the momentum now.

 

[NewEnglandGuy]

Today. Has. Been. Wild.

Is Barkley going to declare for the draft next?

Or Noor Davis going to call and ask if we have room?

Just unreal...

 

[t3hjc]

No thanks. The extra scholarship might come in handy.

 

[NYMIKE6]

@JefMaj:



I think this is the guy who broke the bit about Kiel moving into O'Neil tomorrow, so may be legit.

Decker's recruitment isn't over. ND has the momentum now.

Heard the same report, it seems like Taylor is easily swayed but from his fathers mouth theres a lot of talking to do between the two.... His recruitment is not over folks....

 

[stlnd01]

@JefMaj:



I think this is the guy who broke the bit about Kiel moving into O'Neil tomorrow, so may be legit.

Decker's recruitment isn't over. ND has the momentum now.

Really? Sapp tweeted something this afternoon from Decker sounding pretty definitive.

Jason Sapp @BGI_JasonSapp

OT Taylor Decker on report that his commitment to Ohio State isn't official ~ "That is completely false." No more interest in Notre Dame.

Of course, he did say roughly the same thing in Notre Dame's favor like two weeks ago. Those darn inconsistent 18 year olds.

 

[irishfanjho15]

His dad is old enough to know Urban Liar is a slimy basturd.

 

[gkIrish]

No thanks. The extra scholarship might come in handy.

Reps

 

[NDinFL]

His dad is old enough to know Urban Liar is a slimy basturd.

And he looks like a ferret

 

[Who'saWildManNow]

Once again.. I might put this in my sig

<a href="http://www.gifbin.com/984642"><img src="http://gifs.gifbin.com/092010/1285260784_rollercoaster-kid.gif" alt="funny gifs" /></a>

 

[IrishLax]

Of course it was a mistake. The kid just wants to play ball at the best football place possible and do an easy major. His parents want him to pick a school to go to school.

Urban Meyer is damn good at what he does. And that's selling. He sells you what you need to hear to come on board and it's got to be pretty easy to a 17/18 year old who's unaccompanied by any BS filtering parent.

In other news, I've heard from a couple places that ND may have dropped him as they were VERY disappointed in how he handled things after his visit to OSU. If you look at it from, say, Chuck Martin's point of view he was completely lied to by Decker. If you were the coach, would you really want him as one of your players moving forward? Someone with that little respect for you and a blatantly obvious lack of desire to be at ND for ND? I wouldn't. Bottom line is he was downright lucky to get an offer from ND when he did and he is a high upside project. He's no Tee Shephard or Ronald Darby... and those guys had the wherewithal to say they intended to take other visits up front. Decker was through and through Irish... right up until the moment he wasn't.

Don't know if that last part is totally accurate, but it's what I've read.

 

[gkIrish]

Of course it was a mistake. The kid just wants to play ball at the best football place possible and do an easy major. His parents want him to pick a school to go to school.

Urban Meyer is damn good at what he does. And that's selling. He sells you what you need to hear to come on board and it's got to be pretty easy to a 17/18 year old who's unaccompanied by any BS filtering parent.

In other news, I've heard from a couple places that ND may have dropped him as they were VERY disappointed in how he handled things after his visit to OSU. If you look at it from, say, Chuck Martin's point of view he was completely lied to by Decker. If you were the coach, would you really want him as one of your players moving forward? Someone with that little respect for you and a blatantly obvious lack of desire to be at ND for ND? I wouldn't. Bottom line is he was downright lucky to get an offer from ND when he did and he is a high upside project. He's no Tee Shephard or Ronald Darby... and those guys had the wherewithal to say they intended to take other visits up front. Decker was through and through Irish... right up until the moment he wasn't.

Don't know if that last part is totally accurate, but it's what I've read.

I also heard this just now. No source, but wouldn't surprise me

 

[Whiskeyjack]

I'd be OK with not pursuing him further, actually. Especially if Jones ends up at OT following a commitment from Armstead.

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

I'm hearing the same rumblings Lax and today has proved the smoke theory

 

[stlnd01]

Of course it was a mistake. The kid just wants to play ball at the best football place possible and do an easy major. His parents want him to pick a school to go to school.

Urban Meyer is damn good at what he does. And that's selling. He sells you what you need to hear to come on board and it's got to be pretty easy to a 17/18 year old who's unaccompanied by any BS filtering parent.

Why would any kid take an OV without their parents? I didn't visit colleges without my parents and that was without a bunch of hugely powerful multimillionaire CEOs trying to impress me.
Seriously. It's a pretty major life decision, and recruiting is swimming in a shark tank. I'd think, for everyone's sake - yes, even the coaches - you'd want someone around with a little more experience in the world than your average 18 year old stud athlete to at least size things up, keep some perspective, and call BS when they see it.

 

[irishfanjho15]

I mean this is what I was saying yesterday. I don't dislike the kid just don't have much respect for someone who does nothing but say he's committed then flips basically overnight. I mean the whole thing with Gunner is that he never talks to the media. No one in his family does. It's not like he was screaming LSU from on high the mountain a week ago and now is going to ND. I just think Decker knew if he wavered in his commit that the staff would tell him to decommit like what supposedly happened with Darby. I think he wanted to be wanted for sure elsewhere before he ran the risk of losing his spot at ND. I am of course hypothesizing.

 

[irishtrain]

Lets not identify Meyer anymore on this site-he is what he is-I find him to be a non issue now and this latest deal with Decker closes the book on any respect for the guy. As far as Decker is concerned I hope the kid graduates and turns out to be an All American. No ill will at all for a kid who doesnt want to be a Notre Dame man. Like I said before what stadium do you want to walk into with your kids/wife 20 yrs from now as an alum-for me it would be Notre Dame stadium in South Bend Indiana-certainly not something called the shoe in Ohio. Good luck kid I hope your choice was the right one.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Lets not identify Meyer anymore on this site

He Who Shall Not Be Named? The Unutterable?

 

[sharksamardzija8345]

He Who Shall Not Be Named? The Unutterable?

"Voldemort".. lol

 

[irishog77]

Kaiser Soze

 

[NDFAN420]

Major college sports recruiting is what it is and we all know that. I do think that many fans who follow it would still be shocked if they knew everything about what goes on especially with people "associated" with the program: Victor Zeigler, "Who do you think those people were? Those were not just some ordinary people. If I told you their names- I'm not going to tell you their names- but if I did, I don't think you'd sleep so well."

More to my point, in every instance with recruits that Urban Meyer flips from ND there are issues with honesty or forthrightness. Every single time.

 

[Rack Em]

He Who Shall Not Be Named? The Unutterable?

How about "Giant Douche"?

 

[IHateMarkMay]

I still prefer Coach Urban Meyer. Ya know, CUM.

 

[BeauBenken]

How about "Giant Douche"?

Turd Sandwich.

 

[Rack Em]

Turd Sandwich.

Every coaching hire at O$U is between a Giant Douche and a Turd Sandwich.

 

[johnnykillz]

Kaiser Soze

... You have my attention. Where's that name sound familiar in particular?

 

[gkIrish]

... You have my attention. Where's that name sound familiar in particular?

Usual Suspects