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Recruiting-current culture at OSU

By
NiceBeaver
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86

Nicebeaver, pinch hitting while Angry is out for a bit.

Wanted to take a few minutes to talk about a conversation I had yesterday with a current S/A being recruited by OSU and his family.  I was at a family Christmas party over the weekend and the S/A and his family are close friends of the group. They come every year.  This year he is a highschool senior who has been testing the waters at various programs.  He is also a bright kid, who doesn’t need football to get into school, but he loves playing the game and is interested in playing at the collegiate level.  I only mention this to set up the context of our conversation.

During our chat, the recruit’s dad talked about a trip they had taken down to OSU over the summer/fall, while touring various local colleges.  Oregon State was almost an afterthought, but they wanted to check out what OSU’s engineering college had to offer. They toured the campus and instantly fell in love with the school.  Then, they spent the next few days at the coast.  On their way back, they decided to visit campus one more time to see if they could peek around at the athletic facilities.  I suggested they reach out to a couple of the recruiting coaches and see about getting a tour possibly.  They reached out and were quickly replied to with an offer to visit for the game that day (Idaho St). Unfortunatley, due to work obligations they couldn’t, but they were invited back for several games later in the season.

Before leaving town, the family also decided to take a look at the basketball facilities (their freshman daughter is also a talented athlete who may be a college hoops player in a few years)

The coaches told them to go look around. Doors should be open if they want to have a peek inside.  The family walked over to the practuce facility and were greated by one of the wbb assistant coaches.  They also met a track and field coach.  Quickly, their daughter fell in love with OSU too.

The common theme throughout our conversation was how accomodating, friendly and outgoing the entire athletic department was at OSU.  They had been to WSU recently as well, for a recruiting visit.  They described the WSU visit as more of a cattle call, where you were rounded up and herded from place to place on your visit, and rarely received any face time with any coaches.

At OSU, they received nothing but respect and great treatment from everybody.  It really made an impression.

Later, on another OSU unofficial visit(Civil War game), they talked to position coaches, academic advisors, the recruiting coordinators and Gary Andersen himself even took the time to chat with them prior to the game. (They never even saw coach Leach at WSU) Again, reinforcing their positive feelings about the OSU program. They have come away from the experience thouroughly impressed with the culture being built around Oregon State athletics. Top to bottom, they love what they are seeing at Oregon State (and not just in football)

I know this is only one family’s experience, but I think it helps paint the picture of what is currently being built at OSU.  Yes, we are going to lose some recruiting battles.  That is to be expected when, on the surface, you see a program that is struggling to win more than a few games per year.  But, for those of us a little closer, we are starting to see a solid foundation being built. With time, as 3-4 win seasons turn into 6-8 win seasons, I believe you will start to see more of those recruiting battles swing in our favor just like the games.

Just wanted to share with you all, because I found this all very reassuring that Oregon State is doing things the right way, in the eyes of those who take the time to look.

 

Also we’re heading into the stretch run with recruiting soon. Dead period ends in mid January. From there, we are likely to see a flurry of activity as desperate teams will host their final rounds of visitors and teams will try to poach recruits.  I have no doubt OSU will lose 1 or 2 guys, but I also think we will see some new names pop up that haven’t beem mentioned much before.  Hopefully we can close strong. Fortunately, our first 5 guys are already signed and make up a solid core to build the class around.

Talk about recruiting or whatever floats your boat. Things should be fairly quiet for the next two weeks and then really pick up.

86 COMMENTS

  2. 1

    “But, for those of us a little closer, we are starting to see a solid foundation being built. With time, as 3-4 win seasons turn into 6-8 win seasons and I believe you will start to see more of those recruiting battles swing in our favor just like the games.”

    So much this

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  4. 1

    From my personal experience, I agree with the friendly culture. I met several folks at the Rodent Bowl and when I mentioned I was coming out to to Reser for a game, they offered to give me a tour of the facilities if I would like. I got a nice little mini tour by one of the fundraising staff and ran into and got to meet the acting AD. I repaid the gesture by making a donation to the Build the Dam fund. We have had season tickets for a long time in several sports here in Minneapolis and have received squat as far as that goes. Go Beavs.

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  5. 1

    The culture shift occurring under Andersen is significant and important and, I think, contributing to perceptions you describe. Thankfully OSU football is moving away from the tired “we-are-underdogs-and-we-bring-our-lunch pail-to-work-and-might-get-the-upset” to a more accurate narrative of Corvallis and the OSU campus as great places to be for student athletes. Andersen is creating a culture of a hard working, tough team that knows it belongs on the field and expects – rather than hopes – to win.

    Now obviously, Casey and Rueck are tough and prepare to win, and there are signs Tinkle communicates similarly as Andersen (Oregon State you’re damn straight!”), but football – and basketball – does tend to have a larger effect on public perceptions of a university and its athletics.

    Andersen actively SOUGHT this job and that fact, and his subsequent behavior, is changing perceptions about Corvallis and OSU and so he is extending his impact beyond the football field. OSU President Ed Ray and the new AD would be wise to capitalize on this messaging momentum and advance it in a collective, thoughtful manner. If they are effective in doing so, attracting coaches and recruits will be easier in the future.

    Good to hear these young students are having great experiences and leaving OSU with such positive perceptions.

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  6. 1

    Thanks for this inside info, Nicebeaver. It’s comforting to hear this. It makes me proud to support that kind of college and culture. It also makes it easier to accept the recruiting losses knowing that the ones we win are coming to OSU for the right reasons.

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  7. 1

    So, since Minnesota is our second game next Fall, what did the Holiday bowl tell us, if anything? Was anyone surprised by WSU’s lack of offense, or was it just another example of Coug’n it?

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    • 1

      I didn’t watch the game, so I can’t speak to specifics in terms of how they match up with us. But I can generally say a couple things:

      1. IIRC, Minny isn’t chock full of seniors. But all their best players (except the sasquatch at TE?) are seniors… which may or may not be good for us at QB.
      2. We would have beaten a Wazzu without Cracraft.

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    • 1

      I didn’t even realized they played yesterday. Looked like a stinker of a game. I would have thought Minny would have been distracted enough that WSU could capitalize.

      http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/dec/27/blanchette-uninspired-bowl-game-puts-topping-on-wh/

      On Leach:

      “But his teams will always win a game or two they shouldn’t – maybe only Stanford qualifies this year, but Wazzu winning eight straight is kind of in that same against-the-odds vein. They will lose games they shouldn’t – to FCS opponents, no matter how good, two straight seasons now. They are likely to take a big beating from a big-time opponent. And they arrive underprepared seemingly when they have the most time to get it together – openers and bowl games.”

      Sounds like they are talking about Riley. Leach just has more personality…

      Apparently nearly 49K fans suffered through this game…or parts of it. Anybody watch any of it?

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    • 1

      I watched the last quarter (more or less) of Minnesota v WSU last night. Despite being shorthanded on defense due to suspensions and injuries, Minnesota was able to keep Falk off-balance and prevent the WSU offense from getting into any kind of rhythm. Falk seemed to be missing reads and missing throws that he usually makes, and Falk seemed to be getting discouraged (putting his head down; shaking his head).. I think this was mostly because Falk was often under heavy pressure from Minnesota’s front seven. WSU O-line looked to be physically overmatched a lot of the time. But Minnesota’s defensive schemes may have been a factor, too. Perhaps this explains why WSU was not able to use its quick/short passing game to negate the pressure on Falk.

      In other words, yeah, they Coug’d it.

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      • 1

        My Golden Rodent take.
        First of all, I was expecting my homeboys to get killed. Starting CB, Safety, and Nickel CB not playing due to suspensions. Recipe for disaster against a Leach team. Center out with an injury.
        The defensive staff came up with a fantastic game plan and it was executed on the back end by a couple of DB’s that had not played a single snap all season.
        They did not use the base defense for a single down. Used two DLs most of the time and occasionally only one. Basically put a bunch of LB’s at the line and shifted them around. Kept the ball in front of them and the tackling was superb. Three of them are true freshman and all local kids. The other was RS freshman who was a PWO as an undersized safety. He has been a one man wrecking crew the second half of the year. Faulk was visibly frustrated. The irony was the kid that made the game changing INT at safety cost us the the Ped State game this year and a couple other last year. He was the guy that got burned for a couple big plays in the Rodent Bowl. The Christmas miracle.

        Bowl games are always funny. Gophers played pissed off on D and did just enough on offense. Leidner only made two horrendous throws and one of them ended up as a TD. WSU probably thought they had the game in the bag and the Gophers took out their frustrations on them.

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        • 1

          If they executed that well with such youth, sounds like the game at Reser next year might be more challenging than I originally thought. They’ll have a new QB, but that may not be a bad thing for them…

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    • 1

      Hope all had/are having Happy Holidays!

      I watched intermittently. Agree MN’s DL was disruptive and allowing the LB’s to fill gaps and give pressure. Seemed like the refs were letting the DB’s play pretty aggressively (definitely let a deep ball from Leidner be a non-PI call when WAst db pushed him in the back, and thereafter). Seems fitting they lost like that; I felt like the refs were protecting Wazzu as a “bowl” team when we played them. They beat ‘Furd when McCaffrey had 35 yards and Burns was still starting. They beat ASU, UCLA and Beavs by a touchdown or less.

      What really impressed me yesterday was Baylor’s D all over BSU. How long before we get that squad?

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  8. 1

    Thanks for posting that, NB.

    It does suck to lose some key JC guys. At one point we had a top 30 class, and it’s been slowly sinking (think we’re in the 40s now). That’s probably what everyone is bummed about. They need to lock down on the current commits, but it sounds like you think we will lost even more. I rarely have confidence guys from FL and anywhere East will sign. They seem to waiver at the end.

    The class could fall apart at the end if we don’t lock in the current guys and poach a few. The core of 5 is good, but we need 25 players this round and a lot of depth. What’s odd is OSU has immediate playing time to sell, yet recruits aren’t buying it. I guess these other schools are selling the same thing. I/we don’t know their rosters as well so it looks like we’re just losing battles, but these other schools likely have linemen and such they need to plug in right away, too.

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    • 1

      As far as the class rankings sliding, I think part of that is due to OSU getting most of their verbal commits early, while some of the bigger dogs were waiting to get verbals from 4 and 5 star guys. With time, some of the classes below us have just passed us up in the rankings as they get those commitments. If we end up in the 30-40 range with this class, I think we should be thrilled. Next year, maybe we can start to expect to crack the top 30, after a strong season.

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  9. 1

    Andersen is a Top 30 coach IMO and with program starting a rise into a 3-4 year stretch where we seem likely to make a few bowl appearances even as high as Holiday Bowl or better potentially, I would think GA should be able to close out this recruiting class strong. Want to see Oregon State finish with a Top 35 class per multiple outlets and think GA can do it if he sells the upward trajectory program is on and good things in store for OSU Football.

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  10. 1

    DT Evens is quoted as saying he wants to be a one and done guy. That and the JC hogs who have decided to go to other schools makes me a bit uneasy regarding the rebuilding process.

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    • 1

      Well, why get a college education when you might be an NFL DT for 3.5 years?!?

      School is not for everyone, but too bad if he really said that. Will likely be his loss in the long term.

      The rebuild will progress. As someone else said, as the wins increase, the coaching staff will have more recruiting success.

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        • 1

          My shitty, honest opinion is this team/program is going to have to go back to what they did in year one. Preach defense and slowing the game down to limit the opponents possessions. It’s clear that even with a healthy Tres, offensively there aren’t enough decent shooters/scorers to keep up.

          Right now opponents are just packing it in and double teaming inside and daring the Beavs to shoot it. I watched part of the first half , decided that was enough and switched back to football.

          UCLA lost on a dagger 3 at the end by Dillon Brooks in Eugene tonight. First loss of the year for the Bruins. They will be pissed and I expect the Beavs to get run out of the gym Friday night. This isn’t going to be a fun year. I was way off the mark with my synopsis. Honestly I thought they’d be much better than this. Sadly, I was wrong. 7 weeks or so until baseball. We just have to deal until then.

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          • 1

            And after all that money thrown into football, baseball and men’s hoops the only Natty the ducks have to show for it is some Natty Light. Preferably used in gangbanging, I mean raping, I mean consensual encounters with coeds.

            Wanna hear a joke?

            Willie Taggart.

            Wanna hear another?

            Costed UO over 15 million the get him

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    • 1

      His subjective semantics in the beginning unnecessarily excludes some readers. And he wrongly goes so far as to conflate the hunt with the kill. His Tao from the kill to digestion is pretty good. And then he goes and gets all pious.

      If his true goal is to convey his understanding of an old world mutualism through his actions, he doesn’t need to introduce any of the vernacular suggesting the new world’s parasitic dominionism.

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  14. 1

    Da Utes outlast Indiana 26-24. coupled with Wazzu’s performance last night I’m unconvinced the Pac is very strong. Two weak showings against a pair of middle of the road at best B1G teams (sorry Beavergopher).

    I was impressed by the Minny D though. I thought with all of the turmoil surrounding that program Wazzu would destroy them and stated as such in a previous thread. Wrong. Gotta give credit when and where it’s due. Tracy Claeys still looks like a weeble that ate a tub of lard though.

    The fact that Mitch Leidner is the No. 11 rated QB in the upcoming draft shows just how weak this class of college QB’s really is.

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  15. 1

    Nebby may get that 10th win tomorrow against Tennessee. The Vols look like an average team at best. Their best win was a 10 point win at home against Floriduh back in October. They also lost to South Carolina and Vanderbilt. Doesn’t strike much fear. Children of the Corn might get that 10th win and proclaim Simple Jack as their savior. Then we will hear the false narratives all over again about why he couldn’t do more at Oregon State for the next several months.

    Edit: Just realized the Nebby/Vols game is Friday. Thought it was today. My bad

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  17. OSU made a little run at it towards the end of the USC game, but never really were a serious threat to pull out the win.

    Free throws, free throws, free throws. OSU goes 13-24. Wtf, I just don’t get it. Thompson’s got a serious issue going on with his free throw shooting this year. 58% for the season. A shooting guard. That’s just amazing, and not in a good way.

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    • He scored a lot of buckets tonight, but you can’t go 3-10 from the line as a guard. They get the turnovers under control and then they can’t shoot free throws.

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    • haven’t you heard?!?!?! It’s going to be Jonathan Smith!!!!

      “Andersen won’t shake up coaching assignments. The new coaches will work with outside receivers and safeties.”

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      • Which is why it WON’T be Jonathan smith or current standing OC. Moving Woods and McGiven from Co-OC would be “shaking up coaching assignments”. So ya, I can be reasonable. It was an outside shot to get J Smith.

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        • “It was an outside shot to get J Smith”

          There was no shot of JS coming to Oregon St. The only person that came up with that half brained conjecture and believed it? Look in the mirror.

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    • Targets to keep an eye on should include our upcoming visitors (Crumbie, Short, Cotton, Branden Smith, Jaelen Bush) I doubt we get Cotton though, since he wants to play with Josh Falo. Probably oregon or colorado for those guys.
      I also dont think you’ll see any commitments till mid-January at the soonest, so don’t get your hopes up for much happening in the immediate future

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  20. From Eggers article linked above:

    “Since the middle of last season, Andersen had planned to make a major offseason hire on the offensive side, specifically to help the passing game. That will reach fruition now.

    “I want somebody with experience with an offense to play the way we want to play,” Andersen said. “Someone with a handle on the three pieces to the offense.”

    Andersen’s reference is to a variety of speeds — playing with pace, the “look-over” (where the players line up and look for a play) and the huddle.

    “We want to be a wide-open offense, but we don’t want to be a fast-break team and run 120 snaps (a game),” he said. “We want to be physical. We want to be able to run the ball. We have to be better in the passing game. And we want to be able to alter the tempo and play at our own pace.”

    I’m surprised that since the middle of the past season he was looking to add to the offensive coaching staff. Based on what he’s describing as offensive goals, any ideas on who might fit that bill?

    It seems a bit odd to me because he’s talking what sounds like high level offensive concepts, but is not replacing offensive coordinator(s) and is only hiring a WR position coach.

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  22. Great insights and story by NiceBeaver.

    Ditto on the thoughts about why we offered Roberson and being out of the game on Calvin. Interesting to see the pressure Hodgins and Manning have been putting on Cotton. We may be closer than we think there after all.

    Hoops – Even though the losses are hard, we are making some progress. Here are a few things I would love to see:

    1. Redshirt Tinkle – Even with him we are going to lose 60% of our Pac-12 games. Don’t need to rush him back and risk further injury.
    2. Our rotation should be: Starters – Mclaughlin, Manuel, Thompson, Kone, Eubanks. Rotational Players – Big G (extended minutes for Kone and Eubanks), Stacy, Dahlen, Muller for quick breathers only.
    3. Need to play more man defense. Pack it in to make up for our lack of quickness. This will help rebounding A TON!
    4. Need to learn how to USE screens. I rarely see any of our players setting their man up to use a screen or coming off shoulder to shoulder. When we do, we get easy looks.
    5. Time to just cut bait with Dew so we can aggressively pursue a solid 3/4 man and show him that we have ample playing time waiting for him.
    6. We need to recruit some guys with a chip on their DAM shoulder! Tres has the fire and Kone looks like he will once he gets more confident out there, but everyone else is soft as milk toast, including Eubanks (he shows flashes, but overall is not locked in).
    7. Next years starting five: Mclaughlin, Stephen Thompson, Ethan Thompson, Tres, Eubanks. Rotational Guys – Reichle, Kone, Big G, New 3/4, New PG, Manuel.

    Anyone have any insight on whether Duvivier will actually return? He was tweeting about how much he missed Corvallis and couldn’t wait to return a few weeks ago.

    Cheers and Go Beavs!

    Reply

    • I think redshirting little Tinks is a bad idea and it won’t happen. I agree about the lack of screens. There did seem to be a bit more ball movement last night in the second half. Probably the lack of quickness is why they’re playing more zone, since they can’t stay in front of guys in man to man. I wonder if the poor free throw shooting is because some guys aren’t putting in the extra time with the reps.

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    • Don’t punch your computer screen Angry…

      5.5 minutes of Ray before Barnes gets to talk. 10.30 to Barne’s broad-brush priorities– academic success, student athlete’s experiences after OSU, competition, developing new resources ($)…then improving fan experiences…

      Barnes on Andersen: Integrity, high care factor for students, a plan for success…

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      • I’m won’t bother looking at this – I suspect a congregation of clichés. I will have an interest in what he does to elevate all sports; swimmers, golfers, the whole nine yards.

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        • both of you guys are wrong. I think there’s real substance to be found in this press conference. two quick points: the impression going in is that Barnes is GA’s guy but I think Casey comes out as the big winner. And around the 25 minute mark Dr. Ray responds to the question which implies GA;s extension was somehow preemptory given that the new AD hadn’t been identified let alone on the job, and Ray responds with a resounding endorsement of Anderson and a not too thinly veiled criticism of the job Riley was doing late in his tenure.

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  24. One of the top uncommitted high school lineman (offense and defense) in all of Northern California is Syrus Tuitele 6’5″ x 290lbs. He needs to get stronger and needs a tad more fire after rehabbing from a knee injury in his junior year. He would need some seasoning and is a project. But man, can he run. He is very athletic and played for a state championship team.

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  25. If you watch the Alamo Bowl tonight (Go Buffs!) you may want to hoist a cold one to the one year anniversary of the Duck’s historic second half collapse; and what might have been the first real public acknowledgment of the beginning of the end and what lie ahead for them in 2016…Now I know we shouldn’t take joy in the troubles of others, but hey, it is the Ducks…

    Reply

  26. Just wow…………..

    Jeremy Sprinkle’s collegiate career abruptly ended hours before Thursday’s Belk Bowl.

    The reason?

    He shoplifted from — of all places — a Belk department store in Charlotte, North Carolina, even though each player on Sprinkle’s Arkansas team and opponent Virginia Tech had a $450 gift card to spend there.

    http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/18372833/belk-bowl-jeremy-sprinkle-suspended-arkansas-razorbacks

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  28. “Just wanted to share with you all, because I found this all very reassuring that Oregon State is doing things the right way, in the eyes of those who take the time to look.”

    I’m confused……………………..Mike Riley’s program was doing things the right way…………….no?

    Reply

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