Utah Recruiting

[cougjunkie]

OK, now this is fun. You are now claiming that Utah did better than BYU in this year's class because they have lower academic standards?

By the way, you ignored my question:

Are you prepared to say that BYU never makes academic exceptions for athletes?

I think they make academic exceptions compared to the standard admissions requirements. However they do not allow kids in that do the bare minimum and just meet the NCAA requirements like Utah.

[DrumNFeather]

From the Washington Post:

Coolidge assistant coach Deric Davis said Avery Williams, who earlier this month committed to Utah and planned to enroll this spring, is having second thoughts. Davis said Utah had questions about Williams's transcript, and it probably didn't ease the Utes' concerns when Williams took an official visit to West Virginia two weeks ago.

[Goatnapper'96]

Are you prepared to say that BYU never makes academic exceptions for athletes?

Every institution makes exceptions for its athletes. The issue is to what extent they are willing to go to. Harvard makes exceptions for its athletes, but they would still be qualified to attend every other University.

I really don't know what the extent is that Utah goes to, and I don't understand why Ute fans feel compelled to fight trollish assertions of folks such as Junkie. For the record I don't think he could get into those institutions whose academic casualties end up at the U. It seems like everyone should be happy. The U gets good football players and BYU fans can have their moral highground.

Is the fight for moral highground between BYU and Ute fans worse than the fight for Hamburger Hill in Vietnam? Bloodshed and a dedication of so much resources for such a tactically low payoff target. What matters is who wins the games!

[MartyFunkhouser]

I think they make academic exceptions compared to the standard admissions requirements. However they do not allow kids in that do the bare minimum and just meet the NCAA requirements like Utah.

I don't believe this for a minute. Let's say Jake Heaps just met the bare minimum NCAA requirements, you really expect to believe they are telling him no?

Also, wasn't BYU sweating it with O'Neil Chambers and thought he wouldn't qualify. BYU recruited Atem Bol and Bernard Afutiti and they never qualified. So did they qualify at NCAA minimum standards, but not BYU's higher standard?

[Hot Lunch]

I don't believe this for a minute. Let's say Jake Heaps just met the bare minimum NCAA requirements, you really expect to believe they are telling him no?

Also, wasn't BYU sweating it with O'Neil Chambers and thought he wouldn't qualify. BYU recruited Atem Bol and Bernard Afutiti and they never qualified. So did they qualify at NCAA minimum standards, but not BYU's higher standard?

Was O'Neil on the bubble? Afutiti did qualify and was an academic causality once he got in.

I think schools like BYU and Utah need to take risks on kids that are on the bubble though. Some will make it and make a difference and some will not.

[LA Ute]

Every institution makes exceptions for its athletes. The issue is to what extent they are willing to go to. Harvard makes exceptions for its athletes, but they would still be qualified to attend every other University.

I really don't know what the extent is that Utah goes to, and I don't understand why Ute fans feel compelled to fight trollish assertions of folks such as Junkie. For the record I don't think he could get into those institutions whose academic casualties end up at the U. It seems like everyone should be happy. The U gets good football players and BYU fans can have their moral highground.

Is the fight for moral highground between BYU and Ute fans worse than the fight for Hamburger Hill in Vietnam? Bloodshed and a dedication of so much resources for such a tactically low payoff target. What matters is who wins the games!

I know. I just have fun poking junkie.

[MartyFunkhouser]

Also, for the record, I don't give a damn if Utah is taking players at the absolute minimum requirements as long as they are good players. You are taking a risk with them at the minimum and that risk is worth it if they are good. The MWC made a huge mistake when they stopped allowing Prop 48 players. We already have a competitive disadvantage and I don't see why you take away a means to chip away at that disadvantage.

[Goatnapper'96]

I don't believe this for a minute. Let's say Jake Heaps just met the bare minimum NCAA requirements, you really expect to believe they are telling him no?

Also, wasn't BYU sweating it with O'Neil Chambers and thought he wouldn't qualify. BYU recruited Atem Bol and Bernard Afutiti and they never qualified. So did they qualify at NCAA minimum standards, but not BYU's higher standard?

I thought I read a specific quote from Chambers when he was waiting for his test scores that said in essence: "I have already met the NCAA minimum requirement but I have to improve my test score to be accepted into BYU."

I recall that BYU admin did some dorky stats geek analysis and concluded there is a positive correlation between lower academic performers, in high school, and honor code casualties. As a consequence I was under the impression that BYU instituted a minimum academic standard wrt athletes that is higher than the NCAA minimum.

Personally, I think it is dumb and want to scream correlation does not mean causality. If the minimum standard wasn't high enough it wouldn't be the minimum standard. But I openly admit I will forfeit all moral highground to Utenation for victories in the games that count, at least that count to me.

[Portland Ute]

You must feel like an ass after posting that Utah was cratering this year.

I'd rather feel like an ass once in a while than perpetually proving myself to be one, like you.



Only a fool would feel bad about his team doing fantastic. I'm very pleased with how the recruiting year ended.

[Tone Loc]

It looks like Utah comes from behind

and sticks it to BYU.

Utah #32 recruiting class with only 22 signees.

BYU with #40 recruiting class with 27 signees.

Whittingham is a witch. Wow. Seattleute lets raise a glass of white wine baby! What do you say, a Beringer white Zinfandel?

[Portland Ute]

I forgot to add Sefa Tanoa'i whom BYU did not offer because he had no shot at getting in. Yet he signed with the Utes.

So, who the hell cares if he signs so long as Utah understood he wouldn't qualify?

Only you.

Utah signs him and gets in his good graces. He doesn't take up a schollie and they send him on his way to a JC to get his academics right. When he's done there, he re-signs with Utah? Who loses in this proposition other than you, Junkie?

Unufe was the same deal, had he signed.

The only reason NOT to sign them was if you are trying to keep up some backwards P.R. front like BYU does.

Frankly, BYU should take some chances on guys like these. Sign them. Send them to J.C. and stow the away for later.

It's a win-win.

[U-Ute]

I forgot to add Sefa Tanoa'i whom BYU did not offer because he had no shot at getting in. Yet he signed with the Utes.

Oh well. State school vs private school. Sucks to be you.

[Hot Lunch]

=Portland Ute;282329

Frankly, BYU should take some chances on guys like these. Sign them. Send them to J.C. and stow the away for later.

It's a win-win.

Why sign them and send them to a JC? They have to recruit them all over again. The player also has the opty to sign somewhere else. So doing a "sign and send to a JC" doesn't make sense to me. If you know they won't get in, why sign them in the first place?

James Aiono had other chances to go elsewhere but stayed loyal to the Utes and I respect that but it doesn't always turn out that why. J.C.'s aren't a farm system to "sign and send" someone.

[WashingtonCoug]

I see BYU, but where is Utah

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/recruiting/classrankings?classyear=2010&classmonth=2&viewmore=yes&action=upsell&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncf%2frecruiting%2fclassrankings%3fclassyear%3d2010%26classmonth%3d2%26viewmore%3dyes

I see Utah on this one though:

http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p=9&c=14&yr=2010

[Jarid in Cedar]

Why sign them and send them to a JC? They have to recruit them all over again. The player also has the opty to sign somewhere else. So doing a "sign and send to a JC" doesn't make sense to me. If you know they won't get in, why sign them in the first place?

James Aiono had other chances to go elsewhere but stayed loyal to the Utes and I respect that but it doesn't always turn out that why. J.C.'s aren't a farm system to "sign and send" someone.

I think it is about getting in good graces with a player. There is a risk, but with a few of them, they were getting little competition because of their grade situation, so it wasn't like Jay Hill expounded a ton of energy. A little investment now cna pay dividends down the road if the kid gets his act together.