Waiting game: California prospects in no hurry
Californiamaybethenation'strendsetterinmostrespects,butitremainsastubbornholdouttocollegefootballrecruiting'slatestcraze.
Inayearwhensomanyothereliteprospectshavemadeverbalcommitmentsbeforethestartofsummer,mostofCalifornia'stoprecruitsarestillweighingtheiroptions.
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"I'mnotinanyhurry,"MissionViejoHighsafetyandRivals100prospectMaxRedfieldsaid."Iwanttomakesureit'stherightchoice.Ithinkthat'swhattheothersaredoingalso.Theywanttomakesuretheymaketherightdecision."
ThedifferencebetweenCaliforniarecruitsandtherestofthecountryisstark.
AsofMondaymorning,54membersofthe2013Rivals100wereverballycommittedtoaparticularschool,yetonlytwoofthe11CaliforniansintheRivals100hadmadetheirdecisions.WestlakeVillagecornerbackDashonHunt(No.58)committedtoUCLAlastAugust,thoughhe'slistedasasoftverbalandisplanningothervisits.RedlandsEastValleydefensiveendKylieFitts(No.81)pickedUSClastmonth.
AcoupleothertopCaliforniaprospectsshouldjointhatlistsoon.StocktonLincolnrunningbackJustinDavis(No.48)planstoannouncehischoiceThursday,andMurrietaVistaMurrietasafetySu'aCravens(No.5)isexpectedtodecidebyJune.BotharereportedlyleaningtowardUSC.
ManyotherCaliforniarecruitsplantowaitmuchlonger.
"AlotofJuniorDayshavejustfinisheduphere,"Rivals.comWestrecruitinganalystAdamGorneysaid."They'realittlelaterherethantheyareinotherconferences.IthinkkidsontheWestCoastareoftenofferedlaterbySECandBig12schools,sounlessthey'resittingonaPac-12schooltheywanttogoto,alotofthemwaituntiltheSEC,BigTenandBig12coachescomeoutandseethemduringpractice."
Thosecertainlyarelogicalexplanations.
Buttherealsomightbeanotherreasonuniquetothisyear.
WhenWashingtonhiredformerRivals.comnationalrecruiteroftheyearToshLupoiawayfromCaliforniatwoweeksbeforeSigningDay,itshookupthe2012recruitingsceneupanddowntheWestCoast.Andthefalloutfromthatmoveapparentlyisstillmakinganimpact.
"ThatwholethingthathappenedwithCoachLupui,IthinkitsentamessagetoeverybodyhereinCaliforniathatyouhavetowaituntilthatpointwhereeverything'sabouttobefinalizedtomakeyourdecision,"AtwaterBuhachoffensivetackleandRivals100recruitAaronCochransaid."Anythingcanhappen."
Cochranshouldknow.
He'stheyoungerbrotherofMattCochran,a2012three-starcenterrecruitwhoverballycommittedtoCaliforniatwoweeksbeforeLupui'sexit.CochransignedwithCaliforniaanyway,buttheGoldenBearslostplentyofotherrecruitsinthewakeofthatmove.
FormerCaliforniacommitmentswhosignedwithotherschoolsincludedSacramentoGrantsafetyShaqThompson(Washington),MonroviadefensivetackleEllisMcCarthy(UCLA)andWestlakeVillageOaksChristianwidereceiverJordanPayton(UCLA).AllthreewereRivals100recruits.
"Itreallyshowedmethatyoucan'tjustgotoaschoolbecauseofacoach,becausethecoachcanleaveanyminuteforabetterjob,"saidAaronCochran,thenation'sNo.98juniorprospect."Ireallyneedtomakemydecisionbasedontheschoolandnotjustthepeoplethere."
UplandHighdefensiveendJoeMathislearnedthatlessonthehardway.
Mathis,thenation'sNo.93juniorrecruit,committedtoWashingtonlastOctober.HeopenedhisrecruitmentbackupafterformerWashingtonassistantDemetriceMartinjoinedJimMora'sstaffatUCLA.MathisnowlistsNebraska,MichiganandWashingtonashistopthreeschools.
AndthereareplentyofotherreasonswhyCaliforniansgenerallymightwanttotakemoretimebeforereachingadecision.
Blamepartofitonsimplegeography.IfaCaliforniarecruitisbeingrecruitedbyanSEC,ACC,BigTenorBig12school,goingouttovisitanyofthosecampusescanprovetricky.EvenatriptotheOregonorWashingtonschoolscantakeplentyoftime.ComparethatsituationtoarecruitinGeorgiaprimarilyconsideringSECorACCschoolswithindrivingdistance.
"IfeelliketheSECordowninSECterritory,theyknowwhattheirgroupofschoolsis,"saidConcordDeLaSallelinebackerMichaelHutchings,thenation'sNo.17recruit."Theyknowwhat'sthereandtheyhaveagoodideaofwhattheirschoolsaregoingtobe.Theschoolsaren'tthatfarfromeachother,andtheywanttostayinSECterritory.Here,theschoolsarealittlemorespreadout.Thestatesarealittlebigger.Ifeellikeit'satougherdecision.We'regoingfartherthantheSECguysare."
NationwidepopulationshiftsalsocouldkeepsomeCaliforniarecruitsfromhavingasmanyattachmentstoparticularschoolsas,say,arecruitintheMidwest.There'sadecentchancethefamilyofarecruitinOhioorMichiganhasbeenthereforgenerations,whereasit'smuchmorelikelythefamilyofaCaliforniaprospectmovedtheremuchmorerecently.Forinstance,CochrangrewupinAlabamaandTexasbeforemovingtoCalifornia.
MathisnoticedthatdifferentdynamiclastmonthwhileattendingtheAdidasInvitationalnearDetroit.ThatcampincludedMichigancornerbackcommitmentJourdanLewisandMichiganStatelinebackercommitmentJonReschkeamongothers.LewisandReschkecommittedtotheirhome-stateschoolswaybackinFebruary.
ClickHeretoviewthisLink."WhenIwenttotheAdidascampinDetroit,thosedudeshadreallybeen[following]theirteamssincetheywereababy,"Mathissaidwithoutmentioninganyspecificnames."That'sliketheirfamily'steams.Iunderstandwhytheycommitted.That'stheirschool."
SomeCaliforniarecruitshavesimilarattachmentstoparticularprograms,butmanyothersdon't.Thoseprospectsaregoingtoneedalittlemoretimetomaketheirdecisions.
"IthinkthepercentageofkidswhowillwaituntilSigningDayorwaituntiltheArmygameorUnderArmourgameisequaltowhatitisintheSECorBig12,"Gorneysaid."Idon'tthinkthatnumber'shigher.Ijustthink[California]kidstendtowaitalittlebitlongertodecide,tendtowaituntilrightbeforetheirseniorseason,justsotheygetafullideaofjustwhoexactlyisrecruitingthem.Theyhavesomechancesduringthesummertotakesomevisitsfarfromhomeandstuff."
SomeofthetopCaliforniaprospectsareindeedsayingtheyplantodecidethissummer.
Othersaren'tevensettingatimetableastheyexaminealltheiroptions.
"Iknowtherearealotofpeoplecommitting,butformethere'snorush,"saidShermanOaksNotreDamerunningbackKhalfaniMuhammad,thenation'sNo.108recruit."Idon'tfeelarushinthisprocess.Pickingacollegeisabigdecision,andIfeelpersonallyyoushouldgettoknowasmanythingsaspossiblebeforemakingadecisionlikethis."
SteveMegargeeisthenationalcollegecolumnistforRivals.com.Hecanbereachedatsmegargee@rivals.com,andyoucanclickheretofollowhimonTwitter.
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