National Signing Day 21

[The Jackal]

Seemed like Furman's offer came in after Hodge announced he was transferring. I guess a DL scholarship opened up.

I really like this pickup. Found this article: https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/hig ... 12230.html

Sounds like he was homeschooled much of his life and then attended a small private school. They cut their season short with COVID and he lacked opportunities for summer camps. So, certainly an under-the-radar player.

[AstroDin]

Furman has a fair amount of PWO offers popping up on twitter…

Caden Schweiger has committed

Seth Poriah has a PWO offer, dude is 6-1 225ish, and fast. Not sure why this guy isn't a full offer?

[Roundball]

Scott Keeler great response to those criticizing Furman in twitter world for not recruiting in South Carolina.

[The Jackal]

Scott Keeler great response to those criticizing Furman in twitter world for not recruiting in South Carolina.

Haven't followed the criticism, but that pops up with the fan base every few years. I'm for going out and getting the best players Furman can find regardless of where they are from.

Putting together a strong class in this environment is a testament to the coaching staff.

I was a bit surprised in looking around the SoCon how many conference mates loaded up on transfer players this signing class. There are always transfer players, but it seemed heavier this year for whatever reason.

[AstroDin]

I saw this small convo pop up on Twitter from a low country sports radio account.
The poster IMO made no attempt to look at Furman's roster in general and look for SC players.
By my count, Furman could have 5-6 starters from SC this season. It's just lazy.

And for people that have no knowledge of Furman football other than looking at a box score throwing bombs about why Furman is recruiting Texas. You go where you can get the players you want and need in your program, that best fit your program.

The darlings (The Citadel and Wofford) who "do recruit SC" also recruited and lost out on Wayne Anderson and Myion Hicks. It's just a lazy, irrational critique.

[The Jackal]

I saw this small convo pop up on Twitter from a low country sports radio account.
The poster IMO made no attempt to look at Furman's roster in general and look for SC players.
By my count, Furman could have 5-6 starters from SC this season. It's just lazy.

And for people that have no knowledge of Furman football other than looking at a box score throwing bombs about why Furman is recruiting Texas. You go where you can get the players you want and need in your program, that best fit your program.

The darlings (The Citadel and Wofford) who "do recruit SC" also recruited and lost out on Wayne Anderson and Myion Hicks. It's just a lazy, irrational critique.

It's a worthless criticism, frankly.

I wonder if the person offers the same criticism of Clemson?

Clemson - a school that can literally recruit any player it wants in South Carolina - just announced its spring signing class. One player from South Carolina out of 19 signees.

Few of Clemson's best players are from South Carolina. The best player they've had in 40 years is from Georgia. Their running back is from Louisiana. Their two best WRs are from the same high school in Phenix City, Alabama.

[Furmanoid]

In defense of the Palmetto State I’ll point out that Clemson’s best pro at the moment is from Daniel HS. Mike Williams from Vance doesn’t suck either. Hunter Renfrow is OK. Carolina has sent some passable players to the pros as well like Clowney and Samuel. For a state this size, SC does pretty good.

It’s a little bit apples and oranges to bring CU into it. They not only get anybody they want in SC, they have a 50/50 chance of getting anybody they want in the world. FU isn’t quite there yet. We look for 3 stars and SC does produce some of those. I will admit though that from what I see on Friday’s football does appear to be in decline here.

I think the thing that holds FU back in SC is the perception that SC public schools don’t produce enough Furman-ready student-athletes (emphasis on student). I’ll repeat the story I was told by our HS coach. When he coached at South Aiken and had a so so team at a high income country clubish school, FU came around all the time. When he went to North Augusta and had really great players, they never came around. Different kind of kid.

Also private school sports aren’t a big thing in SC, and it does seem like FU recruits a lot from private schools.

[Affirm]

It is wrong, even immoral, that Furman does not get, and apparently is incapable of getting, AT LEAST, AT LEAST, one recruit out of every 10, all the time, from SOUTH CAROLINA.
That is my firm opinion.
Do not care what others say about “getting best players from wherever”.
Lazy?
I say our staff is lazy if they do not do that.
I say our university overall has a serious responsibility in this matter.
I am disappointed.
I am thankful for the great players we have coming in, and at the same time I firmly believe my opinion stated above.
Go ahead, I am ready for your criticisms. I believe some of your criticisms and excuses may be valid, but I will still keep my firm opinion as stated above.

[AstroDin]

^^^ sorry I disagree…

You have a right to think whatever you think. But - as a Furman fan you know or you should know what coaches at Furman have to work with as they go out and recruit. First, they have to be admitted by the school's admission's staff. Next, the player has to fit the needs and the type of player the coaching staff feels will succeed at Furman and will make a difference on the playing field. Lastly, CCH can't afford to just give a scholarship away for the purpose of making sure an SC high schooler is recruited every year. Our coaching staff is offering a scholarship worth over $250K. Our staff is recruiting SC but they know best who is the top target on the board at a position of need. I bet no coach worth their paycheck goes let's not recruit a 2 star 215 pounds running back from Texas that wants to come to Furman. Find me a DT that's 6-3 290 pounds has excellent grades has offers from all three academies - from SC and has an interest in coming to Furman? You go where you have to go to get the players you need. Players like Jordan Bass are found by looking everywhere.

I would love it if more instate players committed to Furman. I think the hard reality is - the reason Furman is having success in Texas is Furman is intriguing, and a different option for a Texan. We will have some native sons starting this season - and they will play a role in the success of this team. The mandate our coaches work under is to recruit players that can do the school work and give the program the best chance to win, as far as I know, there is no mandate to always year in, year out sign an SC football player.

[Affirm]

^^^ AstroDin you make good comments, however ...

I appreciate the hard job and the good job that Furman football staff do in their recruiting as well as in their coaching and developing players and people.
I thank the staff for that.
I am proud and grateful for the excellent class of recruits that is being brought in. Proud and grateful for each one of those student athletes.
Still, I find it very hard to believe that there is not at least 1 good student athlete who has good grades and has the ability to get admitted to Furman and would want to go to Furman especially when offered as you say "a scholarship worth over $250K".
I think there SHOULD BE a mandate to bring in at least 1 SC football player every year who has the appearance and projection of being able to succeed at Furman.
If we cannot find such person, something is wrong, and it's not something that is wrong with the state of SC.
One football scholarship SHOULD be informally or loosely reserved for that purpose or that designation; and if it is not used in a given year, it should be forfeited --- unless at least 4 SC players are already on the overall roster of scholarship players expected to return in the coming year, or unless at least 2 SC players are brought in with the following year's recruiting class.
Furman has an obligation to improve SC, and our very expensive football program should not be excused or sheltered from that obligation.
A scholarship worth over $250K. Think about that.

[The Jackal]

Wait. Besides this being a strange argument - Furman has an obligation to improve South Carolina?

Looked at Wofford's recruiting class. https://woffordterriers.com/news/2021/2 ... class.aspx

One player from South Carolina.

So, Wofford and Furman bring in over 30 players combined. One from South Carolina between them.

[FUBeAR]

^^^ AstroDin you make good comments, however ...

I appreciate the hard job and the good job that Furman football staff do in their recruiting as well as in their coaching and developing players and people.
I thank the staff for that.
I am proud and grateful for the excellent class of recruits that is being brought in. Proud and grateful for each one of those student athletes.
Still, I find it very hard to believe that there is not at least 1 good student athlete who has good grades and has the ability to get admitted to Furman and would want to go to Furman especially when offered as you say "a scholarship worth over $250K".
I think there SHOULD BE a mandate to bring in at least 1 SC football player every year who has the appearance and projection of being able to succeed at Furman.
If we cannot find such person, something is wrong, and it's not something that is wrong with the state of SC.
One football scholarship SHOULD be informally or loosely reserved for that purpose or that designation; and if it is not used in a given year, it should be forfeited --- unless at least 4 SC players are already on the overall roster of scholarship players expected to return in the coming year, or unless at least 2 SC players are brought in with the following year's recruiting class.
Furman has an obligation to improve SC, and our very expensive football program should not be excused or sheltered from that obligation.
A scholarship worth over $250K. Think about that.

VMI (a State school) has some constraints along these lines regarding recruiting X number of In-State (VA) Players. So does WCU (for NC)...or they used to...not sure.

Anyway...VMI’s Coaches & Fans beeeyatch, whine, and moan about this requirement constantly. WCU’s do too, but a little less so...because they are busy beeyatching, whining, and moaning about their Coach.

VMI has beaten Furman just once in the past 40 years.

WCU has NEVER won a SoCon Football Championship in 45 years of futile attempts to do so. Furman has won 14 SoCon Football Championships since WCU began trying to win their 1st.

Go get the best ‘uns, wherever they may be. Coach ‘em up to Play the best and keep ‘em around as long as the NCAA will allow.

[Furmanoid]

Well all that may be true, but Coastal started up a program and blew past us into the FBS top 10 with SC boys.

[The Jackal]

Well all that may be true, but Coastal started up a program and blew past us into the FBS top 10 with SC boys.

You might be surprised to know that Coastal's recruiting class is mostly guys not from South Carolina.

[Furmanoid]

Well all that may be true, but Coastal started up a program and blew past us into the FBS top 10 with SC boys.

You might be surprised to know that Coastal's recruiting class is mostly guys not from South Carolina.

No, that doesn’t surprise me. If you want to believe that FU and Coastal have recruited SC with similar intensity for the last 15 years, go ahead and believe that.

I live in a border town. We play usually 2 GA opponents per year. Since I started paying attention in 2007 we’ve lost 2 games to GA teams and one of those was Valdosta. And we aren’t even that good (never made it past lower state). SC is pretty decent at football.

Some colleges try to accommodate kids who didn’t have great educational support systems, and some don’t believe in that. Not saying it’s right or wrong.

I’m OK with trying out the Texas connection. We need to get creative like that.