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About recruiting top athletes to Laramie vs elsewhere
- Thread starter DanBoon
- Start date
fromolwyoming
Well-known member
Much harder to do. If they like the small town life, then it would be easier. Our problem, we have a BCS school in Colorado, as well as 2 other in state schools there to compete with, Nebraska just to the East of us, Utah and Idaho to the West, and Montana to the North. Nebraska is one of those teams that you just don't get recruits from unless those recruits are hellbent on going to Wyoming. Utah, well, they have BYU and Utah, both programs that have had far more success over the last decade then we have. Then in Idaho, well, a friend of mine that I went to school with since pre-school went there after graduation (BSU). He now cheers for the Broncos over the Cowboys. So enough said there.
Is there a big difference between our talent and TCU/Utah? Ya there is. However we're on equal footing with everyone else (including BYU this year). There are enough D1 recruits to go around and yes MSUHUNTER some quality players go to d1AA. I don't believe there is a huge difference between d1aa and mwc/wac/confusa/mac/sunbelt other than we get more scholarships. I don't know why wyoming seems to suck dick as of late. It wasn't always the case and I do believe we have some talent (ACS, Alexander, Purcell, Biezuns, Mcneil, Tashuan G. and Gary are decent D1 players). Every oline member needs to be challenged for their spot next year, and Arroyo and English need to be put on notice that their jobs are on the line. Shit sucks right now, but I am not ready for DC to leave. I still believe that he brings the right type of o to wyoming (spread works, I am confused why we went away from it for half the year. Hope that we didn't miss much development). I know our Dline sucked some dick this year but purcell, durbin, biezuns, knapton, mertens, and strong (played as a true frosh 275lbs) all gain weight next year and were not in a bad situations. Hopefully our jucos can add something into that mix.
not sure why I got called out, but okay. I agree with your post for the most part, but I'll raise you one. I'd say (with the exception of the elite programs Texas, Auburn, Oklahoma, USC, Oregon, etc.) there really isn't much of a talent difference between 1-a and 1-aa (the top teams in 1-aa anyway). The biggest difference you see is depth. With d-1, the drop between 1st string and 2nd string isn't usually too much. However, at 1-aa there usually is a significant drop between 1st string and 2nd strings. if football were only 2 or 3 quarters, the good 1-aa teams could usually hang with almost all of the 1-a teams.
I think Wyoming is at disadvantage still for the reasons stated and for those same reasons I hate to see either of the Montana schools move up (although I'm sick of this goal to join a team from every state west of the mississippi to the big sky conf) because I don't believe MT could support a successful 1-a team with a substantial chunk of MT kids, let alone 2 1-a teams. Idaho has about the population of montana and wyoming combined and still only has ~24 ID kids out of ~110 players at BSU. :twocents:
I think Wyoming is at disadvantage still for the reasons stated and for those same reasons I hate to see either of the Montana schools move up (although I'm sick of this goal to join a team from every state west of the mississippi to the big sky conf) because I don't believe MT could support a successful 1-a team with a substantial chunk of MT kids, let alone 2 1-a teams. Idaho has about the population of montana and wyoming combined and still only has ~24 ID kids out of ~110 players at BSU. :twocents:
laxwyo
Well-known member
I'm not sure how it is in most of Wyoming, but I'd say that high school football in wyoming isn't taken all too serious. They live for it in Texas and I think they have all year training facilities and such. I think that leads to a larger pool per capita down there. It would be nice to see a couple more big time recruits come out of the state each year and join the cowboys. The last kid I can really think of (in basketball) is JC Carroll. My dad refereed high school bb games and I think everyone knew that kid could shoot lights out. What did he do? He went to Utah St. and became their all time leader in points (I'm pretty sure, but not positive). Anyone think of some football recruits that left Wyoming to play college somewhere else for one reason or another? Maybe Archulleta?
Pittsburgh Nellie
Well-known member
laxwyo said:
Ben Stratton, Casey Poppinga, Brady Poppinga, Kelly Poppinga, Chris Cooley I can think of right off. Three of the five made it to the NFL.
mrtnt3x
Well-known member
Pittsburgh Nellie said:
I grew up with Chris Cooley in Powell, he left in middle school to go live with is mom in Logan, he then didn't get many football scholly offers because he was a badass wrestler and baseball player and didn't care as much about football until about his senior year in high school. I believe the only D1 offer he recieved was from USU and that is where he ended up going. Now look at him, he is a stud TE in the NFL and bought a ranch outside of Powell last summer so he plans to come back to WYO after football.
All Mormons rigth? Clint Oldenberg from Gillete played CSU and I think Shambaugh (SP) played at CSU as well. Watching the New Mexico game isn't there a kid from cheyenne playing for NM. It always seems alot of mormon kids will go to a utah school and it always seems that GIllete players go out of state.
kansasCowboy
Well-known member
I can't believe you guys forgot good ol' John Wendling
Pittsburgh Nellie
Well-known member
marcuswyo said:
Yes, some of them are. But, that is the point, too. Somehow, we (UW) has to figure out a way to recruit the locals better; religion aside. I know of some guys who never get recruited by UW very heavily (Carroll). I know some of the family. They have nothing against UW...until they didn't give him a chance. Sometimes we are blinded by the 5th string Texas kids and overlook the kids like Jaycee Carroll.
Joe Killpack went from USU to UW after his mission. Why wasn't he hounded before leaving?
Neither Joe or his brother Jared ever panned out at UW (I don't think either made it off the scout team, maybe joe but still never played any significant time). I think it comes back to most Wyoming football players not being D1 caliber. This mostly due to the level of highschool football in the state and the quality of coaches. Texas pays their coaches more than their administrators at their school districts, not even close in wyoming so we never have professional coaches.
laxwyo
Well-known member
where IMost seem to be MOMO and probably have been brainwashed to go to BYU. Although as much as I hate to say, probably a better move if you want to go pro.
Sometimes the coaches are people who don't have the first clue about football. Especially in the Junior high and middle school ranks. Basically high school coaches in Wyoming are usually guys who played high school football, went to college and now want to coach. We need at least guys that at least played in college. Junior High sports are worse. It's basically whoever gets convinced to do it.
marcuswyo said:
Sometimes the coaches are people who don't have the first clue about football. Especially in the Junior high and middle school ranks. Basically high school coaches in Wyoming are usually guys who played high school football, went to college and now want to coach. We need at least guys that at least played in college. Junior High sports are worse. It's basically whoever gets convinced to do it.
Fullback41
Well-known member
Kyle Smith (Torrington) class of 1992 to CU Buffs when they were still good. Troy Dumas (Cheyenne Central) Nebraska National champs.
nirv117
Well-known member
Casey Poppinga originally came to UW. I was friends with him in college. While he was on a mission UW cut his position (Tight End). He wanted to play tight end, and UW wasn't clear where he could fit in on the team when he returned so he transferred to Utah State. I think that affected the decisions of his younger brothers. Had Casey been able to stay and play at UW it would have been much more likely they would have considered UW.
kansasCowboy
Well-known member
I can't remember his name from Rock Springs, played as a damn good punter for Miami a few years back. Freddie Capshaw i think?
