2011 Blue Hens Recruiting Class

[BlueHenSinfonian]

It looks like this years recruits list recently went up: (link to full story (http://www.bluehens.com/teams/football/stories/2011/february/020211a.html))

2011 University of Delaware Football Recruiting ClassName Pos. Ht./Wt. Hometown/High School (Last School)
Derek Battle LB 6-2/185 Charlotte, N.C./Providence HS
Nick Boyle TE/LS 6-4/235 Sussex, N.J./High Point Regional HS
Patrick Callaway LB 5-10/205 Lithonia, Ga./Martin Luther King HS
Ben Curtis OL 6-5/260 Columbia, Md./Calvert Hall HS
Eric Farkas DB/P/K 6-0/185 Heathrow, Fla./Seminole HS
Steven Hughes QB 6-2/195 Melbourne, Fla./Palm Bay HS
Jerel Harrison WR 6-0/180 Richmond, Va./Varina HS
Laquan James DB 5-11/182 Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse HS (Nassau CC)
Michael Johnson WR 6-2/205 Gainesville, Fla./Gainesville HS
Michael Kastel DL 6-7/225 St. Charles, Ill./Phillips Exeter Academy (N.H.)
Christian Marchena OL 6-2/285 Hazlet, N.J./Raritan HS
Matt Rodriguez TE 6-4/225 Lake Worth, Fla./Park Vista HS
Logan Shultz DL 6-3/275 Orrtanna, Pa./Gettysburg HS
David Tinsley DL 6-0/252 Seffner, Fla./Armwood HS
Jeff Williams LB 6-2/192 Freeport, N.Y./Freeport

I usually don't pay much attention during the off-season, so I don't know if this bunch is good or bad, but I'm noticing that there is no mention of the rumored blue chip QB transfer we've heard about, or would that be announced separately ?

[cmaxwellgsu]

Does UD usually get many kids from FL? It's interesting to me that y'all would get 5 kids from that far away.

[BlueHenSinfonian]

Does UD usually get many kids from FL? It's interesting to me that y'all would get 5 kids from that far away.

I can't remember UD playing in Florida anytime in recent history, so I don't know how we get any kind of exposure in the state. One of the FL players played in HS with one of the current UD players, so maybe that was the connection for him, and another was a commitment from last year that didn't end up on the roster because of injury, I'm not sure about the others.

UD student enrollment is mainly from Delaware, Maryland, PA, NJ, and NY.

[superman7515]

UD actively recruits in Florida. There are a couple of the coaches on the staff that do nothing but recruit there. It is very rare for a kid from Delaware to make the team.

[ngineer]

Not one kid from The First State? And only one from PA, which is unusual.

[superman7515]

Look at the roster from last year. The only player from Delaware that got any real playing time was Worrilow and he was a walk on. Last year UD only signed two recruits from Delaware, Brandon Cheaton - DB and Malcolm Yowk - RB, and both were redshirted. Every other kid from Delaware is either a walk-on or a transfer (Ottinger from Temple, Hagan from Wesley).

The same is true at Delaware State though. If you're from Delaware, you probably won't be playing in Delaware.

[Maroon&White]

Does UD usually get many kids from FL? It's interesting to me that y'all would get 5 kids from that far away.

Doesn't every school recruit in FL?

[cmaxwellgsu]

Doesn't every school recruit in FL?

No doubt on the talent level in FL and technology has to help, but it is intriguing to see an FCS program covering that kind of distance. It seems it would put a strain on the recruiting resources. Obviously UD does a great job of selling their program to kids that will be very far from home, as I wouldn't have wanted to go that far away. But again, kudos to Delaware on it.

[Maroon&White]

No doubt on the talent level in FL and technology has to help, but it is intriguing to see an FCS program covering that kind of distance. It seems it would put a strain on the recruiting resources. Obviously UD does a great job of selling their program to kids that will be very far from home, as I wouldn't have wanted to go that far away. But again, kudos to Delaware on it.

Guess I don't see how that is intriguing. UMass also has 5 from FL so far (also 2 from VA, 1 from GA, 1 from CA and 1 from TN). Do you expect schools to recruit only instate?

[blukeys]

Not one kid from The First State? And only one from PA, which is unusual.

The first is not unusual. The second is highly unusual.xeyebrowx

[zymergy]

Most of the really good kids get snatched up by the FBS schools, and those remaining generally want to get the he11 out of DE and play!! UD does look at DE. players, but you must remember it is really small state so it is not like we have loads of good players.

One to watch next year is Newark's QB Taylor Reynolds.

[GannonFan]

The first is not unusual. The second is highly unusual.xeyebrowx

It was one of the weaker PA classes in quite some time. Not surprising then that even UD could take no one from PA. I'd rather recruit the player than the location - if there were better players elsewhere, take the player.

[cmaxwellgsu]

Guess I don't see how that is intriguing. UMass also has 5 from FL so far (also 2 from VA, 1 from GA, 1 from CA and 1 from TN). Do you expect schools to recruit only instate?

Not at all. I realize FL is the No. 3 state for putting out DI football players. I guess I didn't realize the extent. I expected OH and PA to be big recruiting areas for teams in the Northeast, but I figured it would be harder to work the South. Every area of the country has its own appeal, but there's a little culture shock and weather changes when you go that far away. Obviously coaches up there know how to deal with it and sell their program.

[Tribe4SF]

It was one of the weaker PA classes in quite some time. Not surprising then that even UD could take no one from PA. I'd rather recruit the player than the location - if there were better players elsewhere, take the player.

Tribe got three from PA we're pretty happy with, and I'm guessing Nova's pretty happy with their PA haul as well.

[blukeys]

Not at all. I realize FL is the No. 3 state for putting out DI football players. I guess I didn't realize the extent. I expected OH and PA to be big recruiting areas for teams in the Northeast, but I figured it would be harder to work the South. Every area of the country has its own appeal, but there's a little culture shock and weather changes when you go that far away. Obviously coaches up there know how to deal with it and sell their program.

Delaware has done very well with its Florida and Georgia recruits. Both states will have players on the UD roster in September. With the exception of a Florida Kicker, the southern players stay at UD and graduate.

[cmaxwellgsu]

Delaware has done very well with its Florida and Georgia recruits. Both states will have players on the UD roster in September. With the exception of a Florida Kicker, the southern players stay at UD and graduate.

That's good to hear. We are very spoiled to be located right in the hotbed for talent. Quite often, our best players had FBS offers but would rather come to Statesboro than go a long way from home.

[GannonFan]

Tribe got three from PA we're pretty happy with, and I'm guessing Nova's pretty happy with their PA haul as well.

I'm sure they are - still doesn't change the fact that the talent pool coming out of PA was thinner this year than in quite some time.

[jmufan999]

you guys have video on any of these players? specifically the offensive players? but i'd watch any video you have.

and someone asked about the transfer QB thing not happening.... but doesn't that usually happen later anyway? i feel like that always happens in the spring but i could be totally mistaken. also, that frosh QB that played at JMU looked like he had a lot of potential so i don't know that you need to bring in a transfer.

[UD77]

KC indicated that UD had been contacted by most of the QB's that were looking to transfer. He decided that we have some pretty good tallent in house so I do not believe that a transfer would be coming. The team has bigger gaps that could use a transfer more than QB. Stud rushing DE, DB help or a fast WR would be nice. Most other areas look pretty good for next year.

[UD77]

you guys have video on any of these players? specifically the offensive players? but i'd watch any video you have.

and someone asked about the transfer QB thing not happening.... but doesn't that usually happen later anyway? i feel like that always happens in the spring but i could be totally mistaken. also, that frosh QB that played at JMU looked like he had a lot of potential so i don't know that you need to bring in a transfer.

I understand there are video's up on "thefightinhens.com" site

[Tribe4SF]

I'm sure they are - still doesn't change the fact that the talent pool coming out of PA was thinner this year than in quite some time.

Thinner or not, when you say... "Not surprising then that even UD could take no one from PA"...it seems to imply things were so bad that UD didn't even recruit PA. More likely that UD just didn't get any of the kids they recruited there this year.

[GannonFan]

Thinner or not, when you say... "Not surprising then that even UD could take no one from PA"...it seems to imply things were so bad that UD didn't even recruit PA. More likely that UD just didn't get any of the kids they recruited there this year.

Eh, twist it anyway you want, I never said or implied that UD didn't recruit PA - of course they did. I think you're reading what you want to into it. xwhistlex

[henfan]

Of the 17 recruits from PA identified as being 'on UD's board', only 2 of them were identified as having signed with D-I schools. One kid went to Ohio U and the other signed with us. (We actually signed our guy in 2008 but he had been out since then with a serious injury.) In other words, we didn't lose any PA recruits to FCS competition.

It's no poor reflection on any school that signed other PA recruits. It's just that UD either wasn't interested in looking at those kids or they weren't considering us for whatever reason. In fact, we may end up with one or two of them as preferred walk-ons.

We'll continue to recruit PA heavily as we always have. If kids from other states come along and appear to fit our needs better, we'll take them. It's got little to do with what state they're domiciled.

[Tribe4SF]

Eh, twist it anyway you want, I never said or implied that UD didn't recruit PA - of course they did. I think you're reading what you want to into it. xwhistlex

xlolx Ok, whistler, but you're the one who made the connection. Methinks you're writing out of it what you don't want in it.

[GannonFan]

xlolx Ok, whistler, but you're the one who made the connection. Methinks you're writing out of it what you don't want in it.

That's cool - what I actually wrote and what you reinterpreted those words to mean don't have to agree. Continue to believe whatever you want, even if it's not substantiated by anything concrete.