Don’t Let the 2015-16 Recruiting Cycle Ruin You
Over the last 48-72 hours Mississippi State fans went from the highest of highs, back to lows as West Point offensive lineman Scott Lashley committed to the Bulldogs, then backed off his claim. Lashley’s recant of his commitment to Mississippi State, follows Meridian’s Quincy Lenton’s decommitment to the Bulldogs last week and as usual, fans are melting down via social media as if the world just started to sink into the abyss.
We’ve seen this scene year after year – you know the scene right? High school kids commit to a school, decommit, then fans that have no idea who that kid is or have probably never seen him play melt down, taking to social media to discuss, acting as if they are the position coach of the kid, only to forget them after signing day and move on to the next crop of 17-year olds.
It’s truly a vicious cycle and one that has become an addiction for many people that love recruiting. But – today I am here to tell you do not let the 2015-16 recruiting cycle ruin you.
For several years now, the pundits in this state have pointed to this year as “the year” the cream hits the top, as there is arguably more division one talent in this class than there has been in any other class in recent years.
Currently there are almost a dozen four-star athletes listed in the State of Mississippi and several more who could see their stock rise in the Magnolia State, but with rising talent brings both positives and negatives. The positives are obvious to anyone who follows recruiting, in that there are more options for all three division one programs in this state. But – the negative is, other coaches from around the region and the country are going to come into this state to try and take a player or two or even three back to their state and team.
With that kind of attention brings immense pressure on these guys getting recruited and this years crop may have more pressure on them than any of their peers did before them. Which means you are going to see more kids probably commit and then decommit than any year in recent memory and Steve Robertson with scout.com and I discussed that this week on Double Coverage on Bulldog Sports Radio.
There have already been an unprecedented number of commits and decommits and the game is just getting started. We have almost nine months to go until National Signing Day, the time it takes to birth a baby – so I urge you to calm down and back away from the madness and let this all play out. If you don’t, some of you will drive yourself and your families crazy over where some kid may end up playing college football and for what, why?
More from Mississippi State Football Recruiting
- Mississippi State football recruiting momentum continues with Vicksburg lineman
- Mississippi State football: Solid 4-star OT commits to Bulldogs
- Mississippi State football recruiting: Braylon Burnside commits to Bulldogs
- Mississippi State football recruiting: JJ Harrell commits to Bulldogs
- Mississippi State football recruiting: PJ Woodland commits to Bulldogs
There is plenty of talent this year to go around and there comes a point and time where you have to trust the process and trust the Mississippi State coaches. The Bulldogs have shown over the last six years they absolutely know what they are doing when it comes to recruiting and this year should be no different. You nor I have any idea where some of these guys will go, nor do we have any idea which ones will pan out. If you don’t believe me, listen to Robertson’s review of the 2012 signing class in the State of Mississippi in last weeks Bone Yard on BSR and it will shock you where some of those same guys you belly ached over back then, are now.
My advice to you is if you want to follow recruiting that’s great, but do it from a distance. Don’t get so wrapped up in a process you have no control over and a process that always works itself out in the end. You getting upset because some young boy decommitted from your school is absurd, and what is even more absurd is that 90-percent of most all fan bases have no idea who the kid really is or if he is even any good or not – and you are completely melting down.
Relax, take a breath and let it go – let it go, because if you don’t this years crop may drive some of you crazy. They are that good and this process is just getting started.