MiddletownJournal.com

By Dan

April 26, 2008 10:52 PM | Link to this

What purpose do LOIs serve? Why have them? I can’t disagree with kids changing thier minds but these stoopid LIs serve no purpose at all. ELIMINATE THEM IF THEY DO NOT SERVE A PURPOSE!

By 90210

April 25, 2008 4:29 PM | Link to this

Porkchop (RR) set precedence by recruiting other B10 recruits in the days immediately before signing day. Now, all bets are off - it’s every school for themselves. GAME ON!

By Alex part 2

April 25, 2008 1:36 PM | Link to this

with talent. With next years recruiting class looking as a top 3 class already, he probably realized that Tressel is in the midst of building a dynasty and wanted to join it.

By Alex

April 25, 2008 1:33 PM | Link to this

There is a huge difference between what happened here and what happened with scUM. scUM took those recruits DAYS (it might’ve even been the day of) before the signing day. That means that Purdue had no chance to recruit someone else to fill that scholarship and fill that void within their roster. Fellows renigged on his verbal to Illinois after making an unofficial visit (meaning he paid his own way) to OSU and realized that OSU was the place for him. Like “curious” said, talent likes to play

By Nick

April 25, 2008 12:21 PM | Link to this

First off…Who ever said Tressel forced this kid to switch his committment from Illinois to OSU? Fellows took an “unofficial” visit to OSU, meaning he paid his way to watch the spring game. Just because he was committed to Illinois does not mean Tressel did anything to pursuade him to come to OSU. Fellows stated that he loved the atmosphere and loved the incoming recruits. He felt more comfortable with OSU, so all those Buckeye Haters out there can just suck it.

By Scott B

April 25, 2008 12:04 PM | Link to this

You should hear the OSU fans on JJ Huddle whine and complain when this sort of things happen at other schools. I wonder what they would be saying had it been Illinois getting one of OSU’s recruits. The bottom line is that until a kid signs the NLOI then they are up for grabs. NCAA football is big business. Winning saves jobs and makes MONEY which is the bottom line.

By Jack

April 25, 2008 11:41 AM | Link to this

Huge Buckeye fan, but I would like to know that there is nothing hypocritical going on here as well.

By bassy

April 25, 2008 11:02 AM | Link to this

I am very excited about this recruit. Lets continue to improve our incomming classes because I want to be right where we’ve been the last couple years. The fact is we need more talent and speed to compete with some of the SEC schools. Even with the way the last 2 years has ended I have never been as proud to be a Buckeye fan and I really think we are looking to be even better in the future.

By dessfan

April 25, 2008 10:32 AM | Link to this

So the difference is the ungentelmanly Dick-Rod hounds recruits but this kid probably had no contact with anybody related to OSU after his verbal commit (and now it doesn’t matter because everybody does it and nothing is real until they sign the official commit)?

Is that what Tres said at the luncheon??

By unbelievable

April 25, 2008 10:19 AM | Link to this

everyone b*tched and moaned about Rich Rod getting a recruit from Purdue saying he “stole” the kid from them but when it happens to OSU and Tressel no one can man up and say the same thing about them. OSU fans are so hypocritical!! GO VOLS

By Curious

April 25, 2008 10:03 AM | Link to this

I’m curious if OSU continued to recruit the kid or if he just changed his mind. OSU has received some verbals from some big-time talent. Usually talent wants to play with talent. That might have something to do with him changing his mind. If Tressel continued to hound (recruit) the kid…then I don’t think that’s any different than what Dick-Rod did. It’s only a verbal, it’s not a commit until papers are signed in February. Either way…GO BUCKS!!

By Matt

April 25, 2008 10:01 AM | Link to this

This is a huge pick up for OSU. For all intents and purposes, Fellows is the top player in Ohio this year for the class of 2009. A lot of times these kids make early commitments and other schools come in with scholarships that may be more attractive to them. I don’t think you can take shots at Tressel for this. Unless a kid tells a school to stop recruiting him after he has made a verbal commitment, schools can still go after them until the sign in February.

By hakko936

April 25, 2008 9:52 AM | Link to this

A commitment is not truly made either way until the papers are signed. Schools will lead kids on and then pull the rug out from under them if they land a better recruit. This happens all the time. Recruits change their mind all the time. That is just the way it works.

By dessfan

April 25, 2008 9:38 AM | Link to this

So I’m only looking for clarity here. Is Tressel a gentelman or not? And is Rodriguez enough of a gentleman to ignore this or will he have a comment? And does Herbstreit think that there is a character issue here so that Fellows should pledge to never sign with the Bengals? Inquiring minds want to know.

By Sk

April 25, 2008 9:18 AM | Link to this

I agree Mick…I find nothing wrong with a recruit changing his mind. My issue is with the DDN article on Michigan suggesting they did wrong in signing the Trotwood kid away from Purdue. When Carr retired, other schools attacked Michigan’s verbals. Rodriguez had to re-recruit all of them, and had every right to re-contact any recruits he had developed a relationship with. I find it funny that Tiller and Tressel even commented on it. It happens all the time.

By mick

April 25, 2008 8:51 AM | Link to this

I think that there is nothing wrong with a recruit changing their mind when they do it in ample time.I don’t think that OSU recruiters are activly pursuing kids that have made verbals elsewhere.I think kids indirectly let schools hear that they might change their mind if the right school came calling.

By mick

April 25, 2008 8:50 AM | Link to this

I think that there is nothing wrong with a recruit changing their mind when they do it in ample time.I don’t think that OSU recruiters are activly pursuing kids that have made verbals elsewhere.I think kids indirectly let schools hear that they might change their mind if the right school came calling.

By Joe

April 25, 2008 8:43 AM | Link to this

The difference here is that Fellows has said from the beginning that he is “open” to OSU. If he would have said 100% I’m going to Illinois, and not interested in any other schools, Tressel would have moved on. I’m certain if the shoe was on the other foot Zook would have done the same. It’s tough to get good Ohio prospects away from OSU.

By Sasquatch

April 25, 2008 8:32 AM | Link to this

Just remember that these reports of scholarship ‘offers’ mean nothing. Colleges cannot officially offer a football scholarship until the signing day which is the first Wednesday of next February 2009. Until then, its just talk. So don’t get too excited about who is going where.

By Sk

April 25, 2008 8:02 AM | Link to this

Where is the article blasting Tressel for taking a verbal commit from another Big 10 school? What happened to Tressel’s “gentleman’s agreement” he commented on in regards to Rodriguez and Michigan?