Perspective on Fields...

[#1 Nittany in VA]

I have seen a lot said about this young man over the past few weeks and I wanted to offer up a bit of help understanding how difficult all of this is. Last Thursday and Friday I took my son, a rising sophomore, down to Coach Cutcliffe's QB College at Duke. We did a few camps last summer, have some scheduled for this summer, but obviously the opportunity to work with the guy who was instrumental in Peyton and Eli's development was too hard to pass up.

My son would tell you his dream is to play at PSU, playing in state at UVA would be a back up, but after spending two days at Duke, there is a lot to like about the place. So on the car ride home we are talking and you can genuinely see how a kid would get wrapped up into committing quickly. He had won the accuracy challenge at the end of the camp, winning an authentic Duke helmet, picture with Cutcliffe and so I asked him if he had been offered on the spot what would he have said. Now my kid isn't the talkative type anyway but he just smirked and said I don't know.

My point is we are red hot and when Franklin puts the full court press on you, and we are red hot and you have no bigger offer, it is hard to say no. Once you factor in depth chart, qb coaching, distance from home, and other teams starting to call you it gets substantially more difficult. And once you are as well noticed as he is it becomes a circus, with calls coming from all over the place in coaching staffs, sites, etc.

Here's hoping he makes the best decision for he and his family and if it is PSU then awesome and if not, wish him well.

 

[Rip_E_2_Joe_PA]

The childish nature of many of the posts on this matter is remarkable. You have done a very good job explaining a part of the tug of war that goes on in a major life decision for a 17 year old. Very thoughtful post.

What is troubling to me is that there are so many that do not understand the situation that these young people are in and the frenzied atmosphere that surrounds them during this time. Perhaps if the erroneous word commit were to be removed from the equation. A player becomes a commit when he or she signs a letter of intent and it is accepted. Before that both player and school are in a courtship relation....and we all know how those can go. lol

 

[GreggK]

Agree 100%. I think it is also hard for some to ever understand exactly what it is like to be a top prospect.
Sometimes, people like to compare committing to getting engaged. So imagine if you had every girl that
came to talk to you, throwing themselves at you, The Smart One (Duke), The all American Girl (Penn State),
The Meth Head (Pitt), The Bimbo (Ohio State), The Southern Bell (alabama), Drunken Party Girl (Miami),
The Christian Girl (Notre Dame)......etc.

But seriously, even with work, when I had two different companies competing for me, and the choice was
relatively clear, I still gave it a lot of though and questioned it at first after I picked. And then after I picked,
the other company still was calling offering more $$$ making it even more difficult! Now imagine every
company in the country doing the same thing!

This is a huge choice for these kids and we really have nothing to do with their decision at all.
So it is really silly when I see how angry or jilted some grown men get about this stuff.

 

[VaNtyLion]

Fields is a legit 5-star player raised in the heart of one of the most talent rich hotbeds of college football recruiting.

He verballed to PSU prior to receiving offers from the best schools in his own back yard, including Georgia, Auburn, Bama, Florida and FSU. He's never once badmouthed PSU in his recruitment and it appears quite obvious his decision to learn elsewhere has a lot to do with distance, and perhaps an uneasiness about Moorhead's status by the time he gets to campus.

State College's distance from a major airport is a problem that can't be easily addressed, and one that has been a challenge to overcome when recruiting the South.. It's an issue most other major programs in the North don't necessarily have. If Fields' family wants to see him play every week, it's going to be a big challenge to do so and I'm sure that facet of his decision is weighing heavy on him. The closest game he'll have to his hometown during his time at PSU figures to be in Blacksburg, VA.

As for Moorhead's status, this will come with the territory of having success and it's a problem that has more upside in the big picture than downside. Franklin has shown a great ability to identify talent in his staff and no matter what happens with JoMo down the road, we can be confident the offensive system will be consistent. That's easy for fans to accept but difficult for a recruit that has bonded with Moorhead to move past.

 

[tboyer]

It's a good comment except I don't think Franklin puts on a full court press to get early commitments, at least not these days. In part because he is playing from a position of strength, PSU is red hot and can afford to be patient. But partly because he doesn't want kids to commit and then regret it later and decommit.

From Franklin's comments on this subject, it sounds like if anything the staff tells kids to sleep on it and be sure before they commit. The Dorian Hardy commitment, for example, was YEARS in the making and it sounds like the impetus came from the player himself who had been up for multiple visits, knew the PSU staff really well, and had really thought it through and discussed it extensively with his mom.

If Penn State stays on this upward trajectory, I wonder if they'll depend less on early commits. They may become more like Ohio State or Alabama who take early commits from a few top players but mostly wait until later to fill out their classes. They want to wait till they see senior film but also they know they can flip players players committed to lesser programs.

 

[Obliviax]

I have seen a lot said about this young man over the past few weeks and I wanted to offer up a bit of help understanding how difficult all of this is. Last Thursday and Friday I took my son, a rising sophomore, down to Coach Cutcliffe's QB College at Duke. We did a few camps last summer, have some scheduled for this summer, but obviously the opportunity to work with the guy who was instrumental in Peyton and Eli's development was too hard to pass up.

My son would tell you his dream is to play at PSU, playing in state at UVA would be a back up, but after spending two days at Duke, there is a lot to like about the place. So on the car ride home we are talking and you can genuinely see how a kid would get wrapped up into committing quickly. He had won the accuracy challenge at the end of the camp, winning an authentic Duke helmet, picture with Cutcliffe and so I asked him if he had been offered on the spot what would he have said. Now my kid isn't the talkative type anyway but he just smirked and said I don't know.

My point is we are red hot and when Franklin puts the full court press on you, and we are red hot and you have no bigger offer, it is hard to say no. Once you factor in depth chart, qb coaching, distance from home, and other teams starting to call you it gets substantially more difficult. And once you are as well noticed as he is it becomes a circus, with calls coming from all over the place in coaching staffs, sites, etc.

Here's hoping he makes the best decision for he and his family and if it is PSU then awesome and if not, wish him well.

There is a reason why there is a signing period and times allotted where prospects cannot be contacted. The kid looks like the next Cam Newton to me. Having said that, it is all physical and it is impossible to project a kid (especially at QB) since it is such a change from HS to College.

We are still working uphill after the sanctions and the fallout from the scandal. We don't have the track record that 17 year old kids see with schools like FL, Miami, Auburn, LSU, tOSU and AL. Its a process.

 

[NittPicker]

My perspective on Fields..... A talented kid who will be an asset to whatever team he plays for. A five star QB recently decommitted from USC. Are Trojan fans ready to jump off a cliff?? I doubt it. We went 11-3 last year with a QB most other schools saw as a safety.

 

[lionroar88]

There is a reason why there is a signing period and times allotted where prospects cannot be contacted. The kid looks like the next Cam Newton to me. Having said that, it is all physical and it is impossible to project a kid (especially at QB) since it is such a change from HS to College.

We are still working uphill after the sanctions and the fallout from the scandal. We don't have the track record that 17 year old kids see with schools like FL, Miami, Auburn, LSU, tOSU and AL. Its a process.

FL hasn't been impressive for many years, same with Miami, LSU... Auburn, Clemson, tOSU have been impressive on and off for about 5 years... AL has been dominant for about 10 or so years. That is about the focal length of recruits (10 years) as they aren't going to remember much before their 7th birthday when it comes to sports. Unfortunately our dark years are still within that 10 year span for most kids... and until we are outside of 2023 we are going to continue to carry that stigma.

Keep winning, and beating tOSU, scUM, and winning The Big and hopefully getting into the playoff consistently will help. The big piece to this is beating tOSU because kids are going to notice that as they have a much more glamorous look to them right now (for whatever reason).

 

[Obliviax]

FL hasn't been impressive for many years, same with Miami, LSU... Auburn, Clemson, tOSU have been impressive on and off for about 5 years... AL has been dominant for about 10 or so years. That is about the focal length of recruits (10 years) as they aren't going to remember much before their 7th birthday when it comes to sports. Unfortunately our dark years are still within that 10 year span for most kids... and until we are outside of 2023 we are going to continue to carry that stigma.

Keep winning, and beating tOSU, scUM, and winning The Big and hopefully getting into the playoff consistently will help. The big piece to this is beating tOSU because kids are going to notice that as they have a much more glamorous look to them right now (for whatever reason).

Agree...but "been impressive" is only part of the point. These kids and their families have sanctions in their minds and opposing coaches are only too happy to remind them. Even if the name JS doesn't come up, they can show how few PSU players are in the NFL versus those of the top programs.

 

[We Are . . .]

Perhaps if the erroneous word commit were to be removed from the equation."

Indeed. Franklin compares it to being engaged.These days it seems more like being pinned. (Do college students do that anymore?)

 

[lionroar88]

Agree...but "been impressive" is only part of the point. These kids and their families have sanctions in their minds and opposing coaches are only too happy to remind them. Even if the name JS doesn't come up, they can show how few PSU players are in the NFL versus those of the top programs.

That is true as well, but about to change and in a BIG way. We are about to send one of the most dominant RBs to The NFL (hopefully after next year, but I have a feeling he leaves after 2017), multiple WRs, OL, DL, DE, LBs, DBs, S... we are downright loaded right now. This season has the potential to be special, very, very, special.

 

[BBrown]

Agree 100%. I think it is also hard for some to ever understand exactly what it is like to be a top prospect.
Sometimes, people like to compare committing to getting engaged. So imagine if you had every girl that
came to talk to you, throwing themselves at you, The Smart One (Duke), The all American Girl (Penn State),
The Meth Head (Pitt), The Bimbo (Ohio State), The Southern Bell (alabama), Drunken Party Girl (Miami),
The Christian Girl (Notre Dame)......etc.

But seriously, even with work, when I had two different companies competing for me, and the choice was
relatively clear, I still gave it a lot of though and questioned it at first after I picked. And then after I picked,
the other company still was calling offering more $$$ making it even more difficult! Now imagine every
company in the country doing the same thing!

This is a huge choice for these kids and we really have nothing to do with their decision at all.
So it is really silly when I see how angry or jilted some grown men get about this stuff.

The Meth Head (Pitt). LMAO

 

[#1 Nittany in VA]

It's a good comment except I don't think Franklin puts on a full court press to get early commitments, at least not these days. In part because he is playing from a position of strength, PSU is red hot and can afford to be patient. But partly because he doesn't want kids to commit and then regret it later and decommit.

From Franklin's comments on this subject, it sounds like if anything the staff tells kids to sleep on it and be sure before they commit. The Dorian Hardy commitment, for example, was YEARS in the making and it sounds like the impetus came from the player himself who had been up for multiple visits, knew the PSU staff really well, and had really thought it through and discussed it extensively with his mom.

If Penn State stays on this upward trajectory, I wonder if they'll depend less on early commits. They may become more like Ohio State or Alabama who take early commits from a few top players but mostly wait until later to fill out their classes. They want to wait till they see senior film but also they know they can flip players players committed to lesser programs.

I agree Franklin tells them to be fully sure before committing, but if you don't think he lets you know when he likes you and goes after you hard, that is just the nature of recruiting.

I always think of the stories Justin King used to talk about getting 15/20 handwritten notes a day from Bradley in the mail. When you are a top shelf guy, if they want you, you will know it everyday that they are allowed to tell you.

 

[BobPSU92]

The childish nature of many of the posts on this matter is remarkable. You have done a very good job explaining a part of the tug of war that goes on in a major life decision for a 17 year old. Very thoughtful post.

What is troubling to me is that there are so many that do not understand the situation that these young people are in and the frenzied atmosphere that surrounds them during this time. Perhaps if the erroneous word commit were to be removed from the equation. A player becomes a commit when he or she signs a letter of intent and it is accepted. Before that both player and school are in a courtship relation....and we all know how those can go. lol

 

[Nitt1300]

I think people get way, way too wrapped up in this stuff. When the kids enroll is plenty early enough to start paying attention to them.

 

[Agoodnap]

Agree...but "been impressive" is only part of the point. These kids and their families have sanctions in their minds and opposing coaches are only too happy to remind them. Even if the name JS doesn't come up, they can show how few PSU players are in the NFL versus those of the top programs.

I guess being ranked #17 in number of players in the NFL is not that impressive to you? Your argument would work well if you're talking sPitt though...fitting in right at #55, a full 15 spots behind Rutgers! No need to make stuff up when it comes to sPitt!

https://www.sportingcharts.com/nfl/stats/number-of-nfl-players-by-college/2016/

 

[Obliviax]

I guess being ranked #17 in number of players in the NFL is not that impressive to you? Your argument would work well if you're talking sPitt though...fitting in right at #55, a full 15 spots behind Rutgers! No need to make stuff up when it comes to sPitt!

https://www.sportingcharts.com/nfl/stats/number-of-nfl-players-by-college/2016/

So, #17 would equate to being ranked 17th. So if you are a full of it five star player, you want to go play for 1~4 or you want to play for 17?

 

[Agoodnap]

So, #17 would equate to being ranked 17th. So if you are a full of it five star player, you want to go play for 1~4 or you want to play for 17?

Oh good Lord!. Just admit you had no idea where we ranked with respect to other schools and give up this angle.

 

[Obliviax]

Oh good Lord!. Just admit you had no idea where we ranked with respect to other schools and give up this angle.

Why would you make that inference? I knew we were ranked in the top 20. Frankly, I thought we were around 12. But we are a far cry from the tOSU's and Alabamas. Hell, between tOSU and Alabama, they've dominate the NFL draft the last four years. And that is where these five star kids head's are at. They want to be in the NFL in three years making $5m/yr. How many first round picks have we had in the last four years (when a kid being recruited was 13 or 14 years old)? Second rounders? IMHO, PSU kids have been under-drafted. Looks at Godwin. Kid is simply a great WR, just wowed them at the draft combine. He goes in the third round, 84th overall.

 

[Gitzit]

He would have a hard time to beat out McSorley, or Stevens to get early playing time. I am sure he can find a college with a better chance to play early.

 

[PSUoh90]

He would have a hard time to beat out McSorley, or Stevens to get early playing time. I am sure he can find a college with a better chance to play early.

Not to mention, I think a lot of people are completely forgetting about Sean Clifford, our highest rated recruit on the ESPN 300 for the class of 2017.

Sure, I'd gladly take back Fields in a heartbeat, but this/next year's teams could be shaping up to have the best QB depth of any PSU team ever.

 

[tboyer]

He would have a hard time to beat out McSorley, or Stevens to get early playing time. I am sure he can find a college with a better chance to play early.

Who know what is the case with Fields, but a lot of the 5 stars want to play immediately because they're planning to declare for the NFL draft as early as possible. The draft is driving some of the early HS graduations because graduation starts the draft clock. I.e. three years after HS graduation you can declare for the draft.

 

[Ceasar]

I agree with everything the original poster opined. The only time we should be upset at someone who decommits is if they are disrespectful to PSU. We all know commitments are verbal until Feb. With that said, Fields did not commit to PSU "on the spot" in a moment of euphoria. He visited PSU, IIRC, in September and then cam back in early November for the Iowa game and committed. That implies that it was a planned calculated move, which I like. I do find it bizarre that seven months later he not only has decommitted but has made it clear any school north of GA is not a possibility. From PSU's perspective it would be nice to know up front that a kid has no interest in going to a different part of the country as that obviously helps you target the kids you may have a legitimate chance to sign.

 

[bjf1991]

. The draft is driving some of the early HS graduations because graduation starts the draft clock. I.e. three years after HS graduation you can declare for the draft.

It's NOT based on "calendar year" - so it has absolutely zero impact vav "early enrollees".
None.

Otherwise, Barkley (as just one of hundreds of "for instances") would not be eligible for the 2018 draft.

 

[demlion]

The childish nature of many of the posts on this matter is remarkable. You have done a very good job explaining a part of the tug of war that goes on in a major life decision for a 17 year old. Very thoughtful post.

What is troubling to me is that there are so many that do not understand the situation that these young people are in and the frenzied atmosphere that surrounds them during this time. Perhaps if the erroneous word commit were to be removed from the equation. A player becomes a commit when he or she signs a letter of intent and it is accepted. Before that both player and school are in a courtship relation....and we all know how those can go. lol

Nothing makes a modern American man so bitter as being told that something regarding which he has no entitlement whatsoever, will be denied to him. The OP has every reason to bitch about the anxiety associated with just being in the conversation, and his son is obviously right on the verge of having some pretty big dreams come true. Yet we do not sense entitlement from them.

There are those who have no stake at all in who comes to PSU except maybe tickets to a few games, and a whole lot of bragging rights. That describes many of us. We are entitled to nothing, not even a good football team, but we respond as though it were our personal fortunes at stake, our own family being attacked, our rights torn to shreds. There is nothing which makes some folks madder than frustrated sense of baseless entitlement.

As I have said before these legions of the baselessly entitled even have a slogan. The National Slogan of Baseless Entitlement is: "This is BULLshit!"

 

[BobPSU92]

THEY. OWE. US.