Anyone know what’s up with the de-commitment of Maureese Wren from Horn High School, Mesquite, Tx?
My son coaches in Mesquite and will try to find out. He’s works with the Horn coaches.
Wants to play WR
Being recruited here as an OLB
For the record, he was already hinting at this on his twitter before the TCU loss so I don’t think that was a deciding factor.
Yeah, I thought the deal on the kid was he wanted to play WR and his film was at WR. He wasn’t getting a lot of attention and his coach put together a Defensive highlight film and the offers rolled in. Does that sound right or am I misremembering?
First Dudley, thanks for your response.
Secondly, I’ve held an opinion about recruits for a long, long time. If they have Div. I talent and want to come to Arkansas they should be signed. Give him the opportunity to play the position he wants. If it works out then all is good for the recruit and the program. If not then convince the player that he would have an opportunity to get on the field more quickly in a position more suited for him.
I know recruiting to fill needs, the annual 25 limit, or the overall 85 limit affects what a coach can do. But at Arkansas, I just don’t see how a coach can be so structured when we need quality players at every position.
And while I’m on my soap box, not sure an Arkansas HC passing on quality (athletically) Arkansas high school players due to social or studies issues is a wise decision. Part of the HC job is to mold young men. Possibly, especially dangerous when they end up on the roster of an annual opponent that seems to kick our rear regularly.
How many Fla recruits, and some from other states has the current HC removed from the program and helped find suitable teams to join. But he will not take the risk to sign Arkansas kids.
But I certainly recognize a HCs right to make his own decisions on recruits even if they at some point lead in some fashion to determining his coaching fate.
This talented recruit has decommitted based in his words that he wants the opportunity to play wide receiver and evidently he has not been given any indication from our coaches that he would be given that opportunity and they intended to sign him as an outside linebacker only.
I wouldn’t want our coaches to outright lie to any young man, but what would be wrong in giving him that opportunity and perhaps he turns out to be a tremendous receiver and if he doesn’t cut it then be upfront with him and tell him he would be a better fit on defense and at that point he could make the best decision for himself on if he stays or transfers.
We aren’t going to be able to sign that many recruits in the 2018 class and losing those that we have will not help convince other recruits that Arkansas is where they should be.
There is no indication that the TCU loss entered into his decision whatsoever, but as the season moves forward I will say this, Losing doesn’t help the recruiting process. We had better start winning some games or we could find that we could see others decommitt. Emmitt Gooden, either is or has recently visited Oklahoma, oh I read someone say that he said Arkansas has nothing to worry about with his commitment, that doesn’t mean anything because if Oklahoma truely wants him think about the state of the two programs and who is up and who is down? What would you do? We’ll see, I hope he stays.
Go Hogs!
You just described Houston Nutts recruiting philosophy. Take the best avail player regardless of academics or personal conduct or position. Rapist? What’s his 40 time? Huge drug dealer? What are his measurables? School? What??? We just try to keep em eligible who cares if they graduate. Hey! We haven’t recruited a decent QB in a few years…run on over to the intramural fields n see what ya can find.
I agree with the losing part. It can and eventually (if not already) hurt recruiting. Hopefully not in Gooden’s case.
What I don’t agree with is we ought to accept recruits at the position they want to play. How many times have fans criticized CBB for signing TEs and failing to sign LBs and DBs? If he signed this young man as a WR, somebody would surely say we needed a LB instead. But forget the fans for a moment. CBB knows the depth issues at LB; he can’t afford to waste time on another WR (where he is pretty well stocked for the next couple of years) in a class that is so limited in numbers. He has to sign people for positions. In years where there’s more numbers available, he can maybe take more chances.
Wren wants to be a WR in college. Friday night he was 12-201 yds! His high school coaches have told him his best chance for success in college was at LB but when you have so much success playing WR you can understand why he wants that chance in college.
It always stings for the fanbase when we lose a recruit.
However, in this case, I think it’s for the best of all involved. If Bielema really thought that they could use this young man as WR, the young man would still be here.
Better to be upfront with the kid and move on to the next recruit.
Probably the first domino to fall.