Class of 2003
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This is exciting. *It seems like the tools we need to move forward and upward to D1. *Obviously the Babich departure was discussed with the recruits and it was NOT an issue. *These guys are coming because they want to play football at NDSU. My hat is off to Babich for some good recruiting.
*I do hope that we see some benefit next year, but I am sure 2 to 3 years down the road we will really be happy with this class. *those guys in Missoula better watch out.
.......THE MARCH IS ON.............
Does anybody where Brian Dykema is going? I didn't see him on the list of UND signees, either.
U of Mary probably.
I'm not sure where Dykema is going, but my guess would be the University of Mary in Bismarck. Mary has a good program, but I'm curious to know why a kid of his talent would go to a NAIA school....
So here are the guys who snuck in under my radar:
Jadyn Nelson (OLB) multi-sport athlete, 1300 yards on the ground, going to defense.
Walter Gilbert (DB) Yeah, there were rumors, but unconfirmed ones. An outstanding talent with very good speed and jumping ability. A Top 20 WI recruit. After his junior season his coach said that they always put him on the other team's best WR. The result? Gilbert had as many interceptions as the other team's best WR had catches.
Matt Weilder. Three-time All-State. Named Defensive Player of the Year by the Minot paper. Fifth Velva player to make it to NDSU in the last couple years.
Andy Thoreson (QB). We knew NDSU was after him but didn't know we'd get him. First team All State.
Chris Adams (OL, 6'3 280) First team All-State as a junior, honorable mention as a senior. Took third place at the state wrestling meet last year.
Tyler Lekang (OL 6'3 270) - honorable mention All-Conference both junior and senior years. A wrestler who throws the shot pretty well. I think that he went to NDSU's camp and impressed the coaches.
Tommy Ray (LB) - All-State, Conference MVP, Minnesota Vikings All-State team, very good speed, good wrestler.'
Nate Safe (OL 6'4 280) - Second Team All-State, set school records in the shot and discus. Does a bit of weight-lifting (clean & jerk 300+).
Joe Bowen (CB) All-Conference, good athlete, decent speed.
David Earl (QB/DB): From what I see, he started the season as QB and ended it as RB (an impressive running back, at that, with 7.2 ypc). Maybe a future safety?
Jerrod Wagner (OL 6'5 290) All-Conference. I think that he went to the Midwest HS Combine and benched 28 reps of 185. Also noticed the name Eric Miller there too. If this is the same Eric Miller that NDSU signed, he had the fastet 40 time (4.57 electronic) which would go along with the 10.7 100 meter time in NDSU's release.
Adrian Herry (DE). Highly-regarded by EdgyTim. Just knowing that he blocked four punts makes me think he has some wheels. A Chicago Sun-Times 100 player (although they give his last name as Henry).
That's twelve players added to a class that seems to be considered one of NDSU's best ever. Duh, it is NDSU's best ever. These guys alone would be a very good NCC recruiting class.
A newspaper, possibly the Bismarck Tribune, said Dykema's girlfriend goes to the University of Mary.
This bison recruting class, blows the souix recruiting class out of the water. I hope this is an indication of what going D1 will do for the level of play at SU.
I was wondering if NDSU recruited Jordan Murphy a QB from Aberdeen South Dakota.
Does anybody know how this class compares to previous classes as far as # of ND kids signing letters of intent?
I ask because I heard on the radio yesterday, people complaining that NDSU is already ignoring ND talent, they're recruiting too many out of state kids, D-I is a bad thing, etc.
People can be idiots. Some people can't help being idiots. And then there's Ed Schultz and the people who call his show to complain about NDSU.
I have some old media guides plus the last five signing classes the site so here it goes:
1993 - 7 from ND, 7 got PT
1994 - 6, 2
1996 - 7, 4
1998 - 9, 4
1999 - 10 (maybe 9), 7
2000 - 6, 3
2001 - 5, down to 1 still on the team
2002 - 11 or 12, a lot of them have already played.
2003 - 3, ?
The interesting thing is that Mont. State and Montana both recruit heavily in MT and do well with those recruits. I just can't see where there is a huge talent difference between ND and MT. I think that we should be able to find talent in ND, but even in the past with NDSU as D2 the MT schools still had more in-state kids that we did. I have no answer or even a theory for this other than maybe NDSU's recruiting pattern is just different and has not been focused on ND. Any ideas?
There is somewhat more talent in MT as is evidenced by ND's dismal performance in the Badlands Bowl. Plus, they seem to have more consistent levels of talent.
Frankly, UND got the better of NDSU in North Dakota this year plus the talent wasn't very deep to begin with. Of course, if your recruiting strategy isn't based on finding kids who will win games and be good students, you are setting yourself up for some serious ass kickings down the road. If most those ND kids end up playing for UND, then they can come back and say what a great job they did. To me, signing a ND kid means little if they don't play and next to nothing if they transfer out or quit.
What I see looking at the signing classes I could find is that NDSU, on average, signs between 3 and 4 ND kids a year who end up playing. I fully expect that trend to go up - but not by much. Maybe this year, the constant worrying about NDSU going DI scared some ND kids off. MN, WI, SD, and IL kids weren't exposed to all that crap. Each year as NDSU shows they can play with the DI-AA big boys and as they get closer to being playoff eligible, the Bison will become more attractive to ND kids - that's my opinion, at least. Of course, spanking UND hard a couple times wouldn't hurt.
derickson@eis-inc.comThe fact is other areas have been protected from the negative talk about going DI and the growing non-support for the coach. In other areas like MN (metro area) the thought of coming to NDSU and playing DI football is very exciting. The past success of NDSU is remembered more than the most recent success UND had.
Believe me UND recruits hard in MN. probably harder than NDSU had until recent years.
I don't have the recruiting classes for the past 25 years or so in front of me, but in the NC years of the 80s on signing day you would only see a handful of ND signings for NDSU. The majority of recruits were from MN, next would be WI, and then ND. Nobody seemed to be compaining then. ND kids will walk on at NDSU, but only a select few will be recruited. UND has historically signed more ND players as well, even in the depths of a 13 year losing streak to NDSU. I think that the griping about ND kids losing opportunities when NDSU goes DI is overblown. It has always been that way. If anything, with the expanded recruting base, MN kids will decrease in numbers at NDSU, as evidenced by the signing of six from Illinois this year, which probably took a few opportunities away from some MN players.
Craig
From the 1983-88 Media Guides the following are the Bison Newcomers. Minnesota usually was the core as BisonInTexas had stated. 1984 was the first class after the 1983 National Championship. That's probably about the time Morton starting telling all the recruits that if you came to NDSU you would play in a National Championship game. Everyone wanted to come to NDSU then. Same could happen when the I-AA program is successfull.
1983 Recruits
ND 2
MN 7
WI 2
SD 1
1984
ND 14
MN 15
WI 6
SD 1
1985
ND 8
MN 17
WI 2
MI 1
1986
ND 9
MN 9
WI 1
1987
ND 4
MN 9
WI 7
1988
ND 2
MN 6
WI 7
NE 1
ID 1
Interesting detail on the classes 1983-1988, and purely from a cost angle, the kids from Mn are nearly the same as the ND schools. It looks like they stepped up in Wisconsin after 1984. *Obviously they went for both character and athletic ability as you hear nothing but good about those guys that played through 1990. Some are posting on this board so they have reason to be very proud of their accompolishements.
It seems after that Rocky kind of screwed up with the trouble makers, ie Reggie and Latleef. *These guys and their actions set your program back along with the cut in scholarships to 36.
Not that SDSU is holyier than thou, we have had some problems off the field and court too, being just equal in wins and loses, there is less publicity. If you win a National Championship or have the potential to, you become news throughout the upper midwest whenever a negative action off the court and field occurs.
In todays Sioux Argus Leader, the sports writer that covers SDSU Chris Solari dropped a bomb about three of our current basketball players.
http://www.argusleader.com/sports/Sa...article1.shtml
Walt Gilbert information. Iowa was interested in him. I think he might be the best cornerback since Tyrone Braxton. But we will have to see.
http://poolrecruiting.theinsiders.com/2/48699.html?
This is the Chicago Area Top 100 Football players from 2002. DePolo, Walker, Chapman-Pratt, and Henry were all on this list. Can you believe NDSU got 4 top 100 Chicago players in their first year of recruiting there? WOW!!!!!
http://www.suntimes.com/special_sect...-lchart23.html
Pre-Season Article on Symeon Cabell. Came from Lamar Gordon's old high school in Milwaukee.
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/prep/aug02/70083.asp
KARE TV Top Football Players. There is video of several new Bison players including Tommy Ray and John Majeski
http://www.kare11.com/sports/all-metro.asp
Does anyone know any stats on Dan Nicholson out of Fargo South? We just finished up the last session of (don't laugh) flag football at the Sports Bubble and Dan was on our team. He looks like he is 18 going on 23. He was about 5"10, 220-230 lb range. Pretty solid and seemed very quick. He said that he will be in fall camp as a fullback.
Anyone know about other incoming freshman that will be at fall practice that wasn't publicized?