Let’s See How It Turns Out In 3-4 Years, Jamie Newberg

'09 Football Football Recruiting Tom O'Brien64

Google’s news snoop sent me a link a little while ago where a roundtable of Rivals.com national analysts talked about the college football signing classes that they ranked as the ‘most disappointing’ for the year.

Jamie Newberg’s answer: I think what North Carolina State did was a little disappointing, especially with the way they finished the season on the field. You would have thought they would have had a ton of momentum after they crushed archrival North Carolina and rallied for a bowl bid. But the Tar Heels dominated recruiting in-state, to the extent that the Wolfpack didn’t sign any of the state’s top 10 players and only three of the top 35. NC State finished No. 52 nationally, a big drop-off from last year (No. 31), and the biggest reason is they didn’t get their in-state share.

My first reaction (after rolling my eyes) was to mutter “come back in three or four years and re-rate this class then, Jamie” and my second was that these experts never seem to get Tom O’Brien: he doesn’t recruit stars, he recruits players that will fit into his system.  Matt Ryan was a three-star QB and ranked #44 coming into college.  He didn’t graduate that way, and was one of the two best rookie QBs in the NFL last year.  Just for example.  Dan Koppen, a Pro Bowl center with the New England Patriots was not blessed by the Jamie Newbergs of the world, but he’s good enough to have started three years for Tom O’Brien and goood enough after college to be rated as an all-star by his peers.   On the other side of the ball, Jeremy Trueblood was another lowly rated recruit that ended up as an All Big-East player by the time O’Brien was done teaching him and is now starting for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In Raleigh, Scout.com two-star Russel Wilson certainly seems to be working out under center.  Four-star Mike Paulus over at UNC?  Not so much.  Maybe there is something O’Brien’s ability to recognize good skills when he sees them after all.

I will also add that on the field, O’Brien managed to recruit players into Boston College that were tough on the field and that by the time he left he had built a championship-caliber squad that former head coach Jeff Jagodzinski rode to two ACC Title game appearances.  Jagodzinski couldn’t replicate O’Brien’s success in recruiting and got out while the getting was good once O’Brien’s players started exiting the BC program.

In other words, Tom O’Brien has probably forgotten more about recognizing coachable talent in prep players than so-called experts like Jamie Newberg will ever know.

'09 Football Football Recruiting Tom O'Brien

64 Responses to Let’s See How It Turns Out In 3-4 Years, Jamie Newberg

  1. pack44fan 02/10/2009 at 4:37 PM #

    I’m very happy with the class Coach O’brien brought in. The class plugs alot of holes and strengthens both lines. Recruiting experts are a dime a dozen. I’m sure Mr. Newberg gives Jim Grobe the same treatment.

  2. TOBtime 02/10/2009 at 4:39 PM #

    Well, you see Jamie, we of course could not compete with our in-state brethren so why bother? After all, cleaning their house the previous year for in-state recruiting was a fluke, right? Sort of like 41-10 was a fluke, right?

    Wonder what Jamie and the rest of the talking heads will say if ‘ol butch-slap has to crawl back to the hole with his tail between his legs in 2009…again?

  3. oldflyingfarmer 02/10/2009 at 4:47 PM #

    I agree with Alpha Wolf. Let time decide what TOB has done. He has a proven record that I think he will surpass at NC State. I wouldn’t trade him for two Butch Davises. Plus he couldn’t fit with that crowd. They are way to sissy.

  4. Sam92 02/10/2009 at 4:47 PM #

    it’s the tortoise and the hare, really. let’s see how well butch davis does next year after another loss to ncsu and unable to promise new recruits immediate playing time

    i see TOB continuing to get solid classes with the occasional star who will really shine and leverage a good foundation

  5. Noah 02/10/2009 at 5:03 PM #

    Tom O’Brien has a proven track record of being able to spot talent. It’s not the whole “developing” talent. It’s being able to spot diamonds in the rough. It’s what he did for years at BC. Tom Lemming even said that O’Brien and his staff were some of the best talent evaluators in the country.

    Butch Davis and James Blake have a proven track record of being able to recruit really talented players. It’s what Davis did at Miami and Blake did at Oklahoma. Now they are doing it at UNC.

    I’m happy with the class we got. I’m sure that UNC fans are happy with the class THEY got.

    Davis put together a team that played for the national title. I’m sure UNC fans think that he’ll do that at UNC. O’Brien put together consistent winners at Boston College. I’m confident that he’ll do that at NC State.

  6. choppack1 02/10/2009 at 5:04 PM #

    For some coaches, you just need to throw the ratings out the window.

    It will be interesting to see what we bring in this year when our scholarship options aren’t as plentiful.

    Of course, when TOB looks at a kid, I don’t think he gives a tinker’s damn about his “stars” – he’s looking for his particular qualities.

  7. whitefang 02/10/2009 at 5:14 PM #

    We had a good recruiting class last year by even these guys measure. But most of those recruits haven’t played yet, but have been coached in the TOB system for a year. I am a little disappointed in how we did in state this year. But we should have an improved team next year, and if, in our own house, we can rough up UNC and other in state competition again, we will be OK.
    I think TOB has a plan and he is working it. Of course he didn’t get every player he wanted, but I think his plan is probably comprehensive enough that he had back-up players in line when he didn’t get the first player on his list. I get the feeling Chuck signed players and then said, “OK what the hell do we do with them?” I think TOB knows what he wants to do, and then his staff goes out and finds the first, second, and third player that could fill that role he wants. And this class is what he wants to do in 2010 so he knows he has that year to coach them.

  8. BSIE80 02/10/2009 at 5:33 PM #

    We don’t want the best players. We want the average player so we can devlop them to be better. You can’t really do that with the best players can you?
    If we got the best players we might be expected to win the national championship or something. That’s too much pressure, that’s not what we are about.
    We just want a consistent top 5 ACC program.

    If UNC wants to make a run at the championship then thats ok with us.

  9. phillypacker 02/10/2009 at 5:38 PM #

    BSIE80, I know this is supposed to be poignant sarcasm, but no resonance with me. I don’t think anybody at State wants to be where you indicate. O’brien will get state into the upper echelons and be a national competitor. There is no chance in hell of bringing in those kinds of class already, given the mess we are recovering from.

  10. RickJ 02/10/2009 at 5:47 PM #

    I do think UNC did a great job of riding the wave of fast start when we looked lost early in the year. During the most important part of the recruiting cycle, UNC was ranked and deservedly getting the buzz. We did, however, finish strong on the field & recruiting while UNC did pretty much the reverse.

    We really need to beat South Carolina early next season to cement our position as a program on the rise. If we can put another rented mule beating on UNC in Raleigh later in the year, Davis will have nowhere to hide.

  11. wufpup76 02/10/2009 at 5:48 PM #

    Meh … easy for him to say on the very surface of things

    Officer Barbrady: “Nothing to see here … move along. Move along!”

    I admittedly pay 0 attention to football recruiting because it has turned into a circus for the top prospects (press conferences – ugghhhh) and most classes for any school have a lot of turnover or guys that never show up on campus

    I’m so glad TOB is here … performance based and decision /results oriented … not hype based and huge potential looming

    We’ll see how it all works out for us … Not so worried about how it works out for the guys down the road

  12. wufpup76 02/10/2009 at 5:51 PM #

    “We don’t want the best players. We want the average player so we can devlop them to be better. You can’t really do that with the best players can you?”

    *Who* says they are the best?

    And *who* will coach / develop them?

    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder … the results will speak for themselves

  13. LRM 02/10/2009 at 6:15 PM #

    Recruiting, beyond the fact that it’s fickle and overrated, is big-time business, so a guy like TOB isn’t going to get much positive press for bringing in unheralded guys, especially when he’s out-recruited in-state.

    TOB will never outrecruit Davis, but don’t count on Davis outcoaching TOB. We’ll beat Carolina some years when they have a better team (like this year) because of coaching and execution, and they’ll beat us some years because they flat-out have better players.

    Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but they don’t hand out trophies for best recruiter.

  14. Sw0rdf1sh 02/10/2009 at 6:23 PM #

    “Consider the source.”

  15. levelsixtyfour 02/10/2009 at 6:25 PM #

    Jamie Newturd

  16. Pack1997 02/10/2009 at 6:43 PM #

    BSIE Are you even a State fan? Every post I have seen you put up is calling out the Pack. TOB won at Boston College, he made winning there normal, not every couple of years type thing. I don’t care if we win the recruiting wars, I care if win the games. Butch has always been able to recruit, I don’t remember those Miami teams winning a NC while he was a coach.

  17. BSIE80 02/10/2009 at 7:53 PM #

    Big fan, go to most of the games.
    Going to the BB game tomorrow nite.
    Have been a fan for 30+ yrs.
    Son graduates at State this year and will attend grad school next year at State- So I think I have pumped in a lot of cash to the school to qualify as a fan…
    Wolfpack Club member for 28 years, etc.

    Just think we did a shitty job this year with FB recruiting, especially in state. Understand you have to recruit for positions and am glad we have some linemen coming in.

    I think last years class was significantly better and don’t really understand why we didn’t do a better job this year. Especially after beating everyone in the State on the field. Just early concern that something may not be as good as we think.

    Also stirring the pot a little, since everyone has fell in love with TOB. I am just not convinced yet. Like the Marine background, my Dad was a lifer in USMC, so I understand more than most the committment, discipline, etc. I don’t like his press conferences for some reason, he just doesn’t come across as someone easy to talk to. Sort of a stiff actually. Wandering if the kids are seeing this also.

  18. VaWolf82 02/10/2009 at 7:53 PM #

    IF Butch Davis stays at UNC for 5-10 years AND
    IF Butch Davis continues to recruit like this AND
    IF Butch Davis has more luck getting good QB’s than FSU and UM

    THEN
    UNC will do quite well nationally and within the ACC.

    Anyone that thinks that Butch Davis doesn’t recognize top talent is merely kidding themselves. There is no evidence that BD is a better game-day coach than TOB, but talent can overcome coaching deficiences.

    A disparity in a single recruiting class may never show up in on-the-field results. So I’m not at all worried about this year’s recruiting. But I also hope that this disparity in recruiting isn’t repeated….especially when the recruiting class sizes are similar.

  19. redfred2 02/10/2009 at 7:58 PM #

    When you consider what a difference that ONE person, and a three star QB, made for an entire football program this past season. And imagine how things would have ended if RW hadn’t been able to return. Then you consider the overwhelming approval and support being shown on this thread for the job that TOB did in recruiting this offseason, regardless of the bad press that the media is doling out about that topic, I wonder if…?

    Think hard about it, remember it was afterall just ONE player on an entire football squad. ONE player who separated himself and became the leader, and my how that ONE player has most FAVORABLY shaped the opinions of the coach as well as the entire football program, even when the critics in the media are saying differently about the lack of success in recruiting.

    I wonder if anyone is thinking that their OWN reactions are the exact polar opposite of the way they are treating the BB program right now?

    Nah, who am I kidding? Not on this site, that would be asking WAAAY too much from this crowd around here.

  20. BSIE80 02/10/2009 at 8:06 PM #

    I agree redfred,
    If Costner or Fells had an all american year (averaging 30 pts a game and keeping the offense going at all the right times), Sid would be a genius.

  21. choppack1 02/10/2009 at 8:15 PM #

    Yea, but you see. RW was on campus last year – they had already brought in Glennon. One thing about this class, if they didn’t have RW – I think they would have combed the juco ranks finding that guy.

    I also think that in his THIRD year, there would be a lot less of an excuse for that than there was this year.

  22. redfred2 02/10/2009 at 8:18 PM #

    BSIE80, I kind of hated to point it out, but it’s a joke and pretty sad at the same time.

    I will guarantee you that this bad press wouldn’t have ever been received so politely IF just that O-N-E player hadn’t have been available on that entire football roster last season.

  23. Clarksa 02/10/2009 at 8:19 PM #

    At this point, there just isn’t any reason to doubt TOB and what he has done on the field.

  24. redfred2 02/10/2009 at 8:21 PM #

    Why is that Clarksa?

    I didn’t really know TOB in his first three seasons of coaching college football, did you?

    Did he have the LUXURY of a Russell Wilson back then as well?

  25. wolfpack95 02/10/2009 at 8:31 PM #

    BSIE,
    Let’s synopsize your “concerns” with TOB:
    1) You expected a higher recruiting ranking from recruiting pundits in 2009.
    2) You haven’t “fallen in love” with TOB…
    3) B/c you don’t like the messenger’s delivery of the message (“He doesn’t seem easy to speak to”)…
    4) And?

    Is that an adequate summary of your vitriol towards TOB?

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