Class of 2015 RB Devine Ozigbo (TX) Flipped to Nebraska from ISU

[anomander]

I'm not sure this was a wize decision by the staff to drop interest within kid,unless there is something we don't know about grades or personality

There is nothing wrong with his grades or personality. We already had 3 commits that better fit our preferred style of play.

 

[jekelish]

There is nothing wrong with his grades or personality. We already had 3 commits that better fit our preferred style of play.

Exactly. I have a gut feeling Ozigbo is going to be very good and we will regret not going after him harder, but I completely understand the reasoning behind it.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

Hope he kills it in Ames. Wish him nothing but the best.

 

[Upstate]

Hope he kills it in Ames. Wish him nothing but the best.

He's one of those recruits the board will be following through his career, I bet. And we should all be cheering him on.

 

[blizz]

He's one of those recruits the board will be following through his career, I bet. And we should all be cheering him on.

Here here!

 

[DallasOrange]

He's one of those recruits the board will be following through his career, I bet. And we should all be cheering him on.

The comments about Devine are awesome. I forwarded them to him. He really liked SU, a lot. He'll be a good fit at Iowa State. I think the RB's we're getting are fantastic. Devine's style didn't appear to be the best fit. I know for a fact he's very appreciative of all the support from everyone during this process.

 

[Rocco]

The comments about Devine are awesome. I forwarded them to him. He really liked SU, a lot. He'll be a good fit at Iowa State. I think the RB's we're getting are fantastic. Devine's style didn't appear to be the best fit. I know for a fact he's very appreciative of all the support from everyone during this process.

Thanks for sharing. Let him know Syracuse will have our eye on him!

Looking forward with great pleasure to him curb-stomping WFVU.

 

[GoCuse14]

as an Iowa State grad still living in Iowa with friends that have played for the Clones and friends that are very in tune with the progam I will make sure I get updates on him and the fans thoughts about him.

 

[PhatOrange]

Ozigbo has flipped to Nebraska

 

[RoofBeam]

Would SU have recruited him much harder had Lester's new offense been in place (whatever that turns out to be)?

Ozigbo has flipped to Nebraska

 

[RMH44]

Would SU have recruited him much harder had Lester's new offense been in place (whatever that turns out to be)?

I was wondering the same thing.

Reading between the lines , it appears that McDonald didn't have room for power backs in his offense i.e. see Jerome Smith. Maybe now SU would take a serious look at him. Wonder if there is any interest in either direction?

 

[RoofBeam]

I suspect it is too late in the cycle for renewed interest...But it may be that this is the kind of price you pay without a vision of the offense that starts at the very top. Right now, that is my biggest criticism of Shafer, that he doesn't seem to have that kind of vision for the offense that would stabilize the program and create themes for recruiting (or maybe he does and that is why the ending with McDonald was so ridiculous and there are better things in store for the future).

I was wondering the same thing.

Reading between the lines , it appears that McDonald didn't have room for power backs in his offense i.e. see Jerome Smith. Maybe now SU would take a serious look at him. Wonder if there is any interest in either direction?

 

[CaliCuse]

Would SU have recruited him much harder had Lester's new offense been in place (whatever that turns out to be)?

Shafer only recruits hard when its his side of the ball i.e. defense.

 

[DallasOrange]

I was wondering the same thing.

Reading between the lines , it appears that McDonald didn't have room for power backs in his offense i.e. see Jerome Smith. Maybe now SU would take a serious look at him. Wonder if there is any interest in either direction?

If we had wanted Devine, he would've very likely been Orange. He had us as his #1 until he realized we weren't heavily recruiting him and he moved on. I don't think he'd flip again from Nebraska, but that's just my opinion.

 

[Dr. Bill]

This will come back to haunt the Cuse…..just like the kid from Wisconsin, that was a Heisman finalist this year. Ozigbo's tape looked good. We are not good enough to turn down quality backs that are interested in Us. The kid we got from Jersey is key for our recruiting, so I support his offer….but I would have found room for Ozigbo.

 

[CaliCuse]

If we had wanted Devine, he would've very likely been Orange. He had us as his #1 until he realized we weren't heavily recruiting him and he moved on. I don't think he'd flip again from Nebraska, but that's just my opinion.

Maybe if we had been working harder for him originally but not now. Its over. The same with the big timr RBs like Rob Washington. At some point the program must use everything we have INCLUDING #44 which might require a little education and pitching the importance. The kids might be ignorant about this but that the entire football world such as putting the name out there in its significance. Its really a matter of explains the importance connected to the Orange and the number.SU and the Newhouse program should be able toput this into perspective for a kid.

 

[jekelish]

Maybe if we had been working harder for him originally but not now. Its over. The same with the big timr RBs like Rob Washington. At some point the program must use everything we have INCLUDING #44 which might require a little education and pitching the importance. The kids might be ignorant about this but that the entire football world such as putting the name out there in its significance. Its really a matter of explains the importance connected to the Orange and the number.SU and the Newhouse program should be able toput this into perspective for a kid.

Why on earth would you lump Washington in with Ozigbo? Completely different situation. We're not ignoring Washington, believe me.

 

[tep624]

This will come back to haunt the Cuse…..just like the kid from Wisconsin, that was a Heisman finalist this year. Ozigbo's tape looked good. We are not good enough to turn down quality backs that are interested in Us. The kid we got from Jersey is key for our recruiting, so I support his offer….but I would have found room for Ozigbo.

End of the day, you're fretting about two kids who both decommitted from their first verbals to go to schools closer to where they live that are more known as "power" programs. What makes you think they wouldn't have done the same thing to us had they verballed to Syracuse first?

 

[jekelish]

End of the day, you're fretting about two kids who both decommitted from their first verbals to go to schools closer to where they live that are more known as "power" programs. What makes you think they wouldn't have done the same thing to us had they verballed to Syracuse first?

You mean kinda like this guy? http://espn.go.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/player/_/id/195608/davante-davis

Ugh...what might have been...

 

[Dr. Bill]

End of the day, you're fretting about two kids who both decommitted from their first verbals to go to schools closer to where they live that are more known as "power" programs. What makes you think they wouldn't have done the same thing to us had they verballed to Syracuse first?

I just don't understand us not going after talented kids…that express an interest in us. This kid paid his own way to come from Texas on an unofficial visit! Our offense needs playmakers desperately…Can't have too many!!!

 

[tep624]

I just don't understand us not going after talented kids…that express an interest in us. This kid paid his own way to come from Texas on an unofficial visit! Our offense needs playmakers desperately…Can't have too many!!!

I agree with you that we should pursue kids that fit our profile that express an interest in us. I also agree that we need more playmakers.

However, since both of these kids reneged on their initial commitment, I don't necessarily think you can take the position of "what might have been", because what might have been would have likely been them still ending up where they ended up, just we would have been the one losing the verbal.

 

[anomander]

I just don't understand us not going after talented kids…that express an interest in us. This kid paid his own way to come from Texas on an unofficial visit! Our offense needs playmakers desperately…Can't have too many!!!

In fairness to the staff, we already had 2 running backs committed, and were in good shape for Strickland. From everything we heard Ozigbo was right up at the top of our list, but how many rb's do you think they should take? Obviously they had a number they wanted, and wouldn't have made much sense to go over if it we didn't need to. If we would have missed on Strickland I am sure the interested would have been amped up.

 

[PhatOrange]

I'd rather have Strickland anyways.

Ozigbo whatever, backs are a dime a dozen, who's to say who wouldn't have decomitted from us. The closer ya get to signing day the kids furthest away get squirrly. Zig clearly wanted a bigger offer than Iowa state. Nobody should lose any sleep here

 

[Dr. Bill]

I'd rather have Strickland anyways.

Ozigbo whatever, backs are a dime a dozen, who's to say who wouldn't have decomitted from us. The closer ya get to signing day the kids furthest away get squirrly. Zig clearly wanted a bigger offer than Iowa state. Nobody should lose any sleep here

I agree, Strickland over Ozigbo…….but Ozigbo..versus our other two RB commits???? Texas HS football versus New York small school and private school football!

 

[Dr. Bill]

I suspect it is too late in the cycle for renewed interest...But it may be that this is the kind of price you pay without a vision of the offense that starts at the very top. Right now, that is my biggest criticism of Shafer, that he doesn't seem to have that kind of vision for the offense that would stabilize the program and create themes for recruiting (or maybe he does and that is why the ending with McDonald was so ridiculous and there are better things in store for the future).

As a defensive guy, you would think shader would have a concept about the type of offense he wanted for his team. I never thought we had the players to run the style McDonald wanted to run. The offense that Hacket ran his last season with Nassib, was up tempo, yet, we had balance in terms of passing and running, no bubble screens, used the tight end very well in addition to throwing down the field to the wideouts. Why didn't they just keep that same Hacket play book?