Hawg Heaven

I understood DGB but for the life of me I don't know why some are kind of acting mad about Arkansas not getting Diamond. I never for once thought UA would get that kid though I did think he would stay in the Big Ten. But, why some thought UA would get him is still puzzling to me. he played some people along the way, but still to me it was pretty easy to see he wasn't coming here.

The OP isn't REALLY about Diamond. Its a bigger issue really. We signed some good players, but recruiting had a ton of gaffe's and screw ups and it ended with a bad close.. again. Its becoming routine. Diamond is just an example of the bigger issues we seem to have.

You look at some of the kids we did get like Hines.. We dropped the ball incredibly bad on him in the first place that lead him to commit to Mizzu. Whether that was on Allen or whoever, it is what it is, but Pinkle's DUI and getting Haynes really helped us get him back. Philon dropped in our laps only because Bama couldn't give a scholie upfront, so it wasn't like we out fought Bama or anything.

We sing arguably our best recruit of the class, Otha Peters only AFTER we finally fire Willy R and get fortunate enough for Reggie to have a place to move on. If those guys are still here, we don't sign that kid and he doesn't even visit.

The big recruiting weekend has already been mentioned - we got basically no one from the entire deal that wasn't already coming. I consider that a failure and a flop.

Next, you have us mis-reading so badly on kids that we really have no idea where we stand in regard to numbers. We CANCEL 4/5 4* rated kids visits and stop recruiting Cord Patterson and Trae Elston, then have reports of the possibility of the Culp kid??? I see that as cause to be concerned.

In fact, I'm ready for a change at recruiting coordinator. I've said it before that I just don't see Horton being a fit here any longer. I don't think HE thinks he fits and is basically iffy in regard to really being that happy as the rumor mill has it. I begged for Willy and Reggie to be replaced, and finally got that wish and the results look like its going to be pretty darn good. I think I would roll the dice again...

I don't know how to put this other than just say it, you people are out of your minds if you think getting rid of Horton is the right thing to do. Horton not only held that first class together, he was the one who got Joe Adams here. You want to gripe about no OLM in this class, he got the only three that are coming...Boyd, Ward and Benton. He got them all. He got Cowan, he got Roberts when OU wanted him and McGee left, he kept them in the DGB game, He got AJ Turner, he got Brandon Lewis. The HS coaches love Horton and if anyone thinks it is his fault they lost Brooks and Tenpenny then you are uninformed. I am not going into the reason on here, but it isn't on Horton and you can believe whatever you choose to believe, but he isn't the reason. Get rid of Horton and watch the few in-state kids they are choosing to offer head elsewhere faster than you type damn that was a mistake. UA was doing nothing in Memphis and put Horton in there and bang he gets Boyd, Lewis, Cowan and a dang good walkon in Benton. You people are badly mistaken.

You tell 'em, Otis. TH may be the best recruiter we have.

We need guys like Cobi, Bailey, Brey Cook, Knile, Tyler, Swanson, DD Jones, etc.. to start going high and we need to sneak up and win an SEC title.

PERIOD. Then when we have that trophy. We will start landing some of these guys. That's your SEC closer.

In our SEC history we don't really have it.

UT has a long history of 1st rounders, an SEC and NC title.
Auburn has it.
UGA has it
LSU has it
Bama has it
Florida has

Teams like us, we will pull the stud from time to time but never the class full until that changes. Until then we rely on the kick ass staff of evaluators we have and the system that in 4 years has us right there. Better than all those programs other than Bama and LSU and the other schools have out recruited us every year. And you know what, we still beat them. We are deeper than we have ever been. We are better coached than we have ever been. I hate that we did not land any of the studs. But we have to trust a system that has taken us this far in a short time. It is not like his system is suddenly going to stop working and go backwards. It can only get better. Trust the system.

Otis, - I mentioned him keeping the class together in 08 before, mentioned the Memphis kids, although on a few other big schools were interested - why did the higher ranked kids in Memphis not even visit?

I heard plenty of people say that Reggie Johnson was great, and there had to be a reason why he would be here. Now that a change has been made, are you saying it wasn't an improvement? You would rather have Reggie here over Taver Johnson? How about Willy R over Coach Haynes? I'm not.

To me, its an unknown. We have no real idea what would happen. What if we hired someone that was equally adept at making relationships around the state, and maybe BETTER in Memphis, North LA, ect? The state is basically terrible at providing SEC talent, so the "state" just doesn't seem to be a big draw to me.

The biggest thing you failed to mention or touch on his where he is in regard to happiness with his job. That has been talked about for quite awhile and he has let it be known to a few people around him he isn't exactly loving life as a coach for the Razorbacks in the current environment. If he doesn't fit or doesn't think he fits in with the staff, it would seem the best to find a place you do. Really no more, no less there as it seems it would be better to have everyone on the same page and in agreement of how you go about things to meet the end goal.

Bottom line is we aren't as organized or smart in regard to recruiting as we are on the field. BP's organization, discipline ect seems to fall off in our recruiting vs basically every other part of our organization. Now, is that all on Tim, no - but, he is the recruiting coordinator and has to shoulder the majority of it.

I'll also say that I've read enough reports with Kids quotes to say when they talk to BP, they comment what a great guy he is ect.. Now, if you are saying the way they go about things here in regard to work and what is expected of them makes some kids stay away or the one I love is " getting cussed or yelled at in practice".. well, guess what - I can live with that. A zac brooks, who can't make all state in ARKANSAS, can go to Clemson. With the RB class we just signed and Jamel James in, Tenpenny can go to BAMA and I really couldn't care less. Hand wringing over ARK kids is about the last thing I would do...