1. Let's talk a little bit about recruiting. After official visit weekends, I may use this opening thought as a bit of a mini-Chamber type post where I tell you what I've heard about the weekend.
As I posted yesterday, things reportedly went well with Jack Buford and Kyren Williams. To be fair, I'd say 99% of official visits end with both sides saying it went well (One of the very few I recall being different was my first year at PowerMizzou when we heard immediately negative feedback on Chris Brooks' official visit to Mizzou and that obviously ended up with his decommitment). Anyway, I'm hearing particularly with Buford things went very well. It can never be a bad thing when mom and dad are happy.
Buford is a guy I could see being kind of the leader of this 2019 class in the state. He's a guy I could see pulling the trigger early on a commitment. Yes, Oklahoma is a threat. And even if he were to commit early, I imagine they would remain a threat to some extent. But we talked a lot last year about how the inability to get any of the in-state guys to jump on board early really ended up hurting the class. So if they could get one, that would be better. And I think there's a chance they do so with Buford. Another benefit here is that I've heard he is very close to Ira Henry...and that would be a heck of a start to an offensive line class for Mizzou.
I posted a few thoughts on 7-on-7 yesterday. I'm told Missouri has extended an offer to Lutheran North 2020 receiver Itayvion Brown.
Carl Reed told me he thought Brown had a chance to be the state's best player in the 2020 class. He's not a burner. He's got an 11.4 100 time. But he looks like he's grown from the 6-3 that's listed on his HUDL page. Right now, because he's thin, I've got him in as a wide receiver, but if he's able to add weight, maybe he's a tight end or potentially a defensive end. Definitely a guy I'll be watching.
The Tigers haven't quite pulled the trigger on an offer for Isaiah Azubuike...but I think they're very close. He doesn't jump out at you on film or in person as a ridiculous athlete, but he was making a ton of plays yesterday. Missouri came away very impressed. I'd definitely keep an eye on him.
There are three days of individual camps this week. Honestly, we don't expect a lot of high level guys in attendance. All the big-time targets pretty much get invites to Night at the Zou so these other camps have become more for borderline guys looking to earn an offer. But both Jairus Maclin and Maurice Massey are likely to be in town. Both are guys that are on Missouri's radar, but that the staff wants to see work out in person before they offer. So this week could be big in that regard.
Next weekend's 7 on 7 tournament should bring more than 20 teams to campus. Included will be high-priority targets Marcus Washington and Jameson Williams. We'll be over there to check it out and try to talk to those guys. I don't think either is a guy who's going to look to end the process early, but if the Tigers could get Buford and Henry, I wouldn't be floored to see Washington jump on board. I still think Missouri gets him in the end.
2. Speaking a little more on Lutheran North. I had a chance to talk to Carl Reed and a couple of his assistants at 7 on 7. Good guys. I think the program has ruffled some feathers in St. Louis with accusations of recruiting and some schools not wanting to play (the reason they gave was depleted depth and avoiding injuries). Some probably also don't love that the coach is very active on Twitter. He's adopted a couple of sayings, the first being "You can go anywhere from here" and dubbing LN "Scholarship High." The staff even had t-shirts with that slogan on them yesterday. Let me say first, I understand how that can rub some people the wrong way. But, to me, the goal is to give these kids chances they wouldn't otherwise have. That's what Reed does better than anyone in the state. He gets his guys noticed and gets them chances. And everyone I talk to tells me that he really does have the kids' best interests at heart. I think he's a lot like A.J. Ofodile was in that regard as a high school coach. And I can speak to this because A.J. was my son's coach. He got guys scholarships that honestly probably wouldn't have gotten them if they'd played under any other coach. Heck, he was telling my son he could get some scholarship money to play football in college (not Division One, but he could get money). And my son was hardly a high school standout. There are Rock Bridge kids over the years (quite a few) who have gone to play at a level above what their ability probably said they should have. That was because of A.J., who would spend all his spare time putting together HUDL film and trying to get these kids noticed. I think Reed does a lot of the same. And in the end, isn't that why you coach? Don't you coach to get your kids the best opportunity they can get? Most of them won't go on to play in the NFL, but if you can get them a chance at a college degree that will help them in whatever they do in life, to me, you've done your job...and I don't really even care how many games you win.
As I posted yesterday, things reportedly went well with Jack Buford and Kyren Williams. To be fair, I'd say 99% of official visits end with both sides saying it went well (One of the very few I recall being different was my first year at PowerMizzou when we heard immediately negative feedback on Chris Brooks' official visit to Mizzou and that obviously ended up with his decommitment). Anyway, I'm hearing particularly with Buford things went very well. It can never be a bad thing when mom and dad are happy.
Buford is a guy I could see being kind of the leader of this 2019 class in the state. He's a guy I could see pulling the trigger early on a commitment. Yes, Oklahoma is a threat. And even if he were to commit early, I imagine they would remain a threat to some extent. But we talked a lot last year about how the inability to get any of the in-state guys to jump on board early really ended up hurting the class. So if they could get one, that would be better. And I think there's a chance they do so with Buford. Another benefit here is that I've heard he is very close to Ira Henry...and that would be a heck of a start to an offensive line class for Mizzou.
I posted a few thoughts on 7-on-7 yesterday. I'm told Missouri has extended an offer to Lutheran North 2020 receiver Itayvion Brown.
Carl Reed told me he thought Brown had a chance to be the state's best player in the 2020 class. He's not a burner. He's got an 11.4 100 time. But he looks like he's grown from the 6-3 that's listed on his HUDL page. Right now, because he's thin, I've got him in as a wide receiver, but if he's able to add weight, maybe he's a tight end or potentially a defensive end. Definitely a guy I'll be watching.
The Tigers haven't quite pulled the trigger on an offer for Isaiah Azubuike...but I think they're very close. He doesn't jump out at you on film or in person as a ridiculous athlete, but he was making a ton of plays yesterday. Missouri came away very impressed. I'd definitely keep an eye on him.
There are three days of individual camps this week. Honestly, we don't expect a lot of high level guys in attendance. All the big-time targets pretty much get invites to Night at the Zou so these other camps have become more for borderline guys looking to earn an offer. But both Jairus Maclin and Maurice Massey are likely to be in town. Both are guys that are on Missouri's radar, but that the staff wants to see work out in person before they offer. So this week could be big in that regard.
Next weekend's 7 on 7 tournament should bring more than 20 teams to campus. Included will be high-priority targets Marcus Washington and Jameson Williams. We'll be over there to check it out and try to talk to those guys. I don't think either is a guy who's going to look to end the process early, but if the Tigers could get Buford and Henry, I wouldn't be floored to see Washington jump on board. I still think Missouri gets him in the end.
2. Speaking a little more on Lutheran North. I had a chance to talk to Carl Reed and a couple of his assistants at 7 on 7. Good guys. I think the program has ruffled some feathers in St. Louis with accusations of recruiting and some schools not wanting to play (the reason they gave was depleted depth and avoiding injuries). Some probably also don't love that the coach is very active on Twitter. He's adopted a couple of sayings, the first being "You can go anywhere from here" and dubbing LN "Scholarship High." The staff even had t-shirts with that slogan on them yesterday. Let me say first, I understand how that can rub some people the wrong way. But, to me, the goal is to give these kids chances they wouldn't otherwise have. That's what Reed does better than anyone in the state. He gets his guys noticed and gets them chances. And everyone I talk to tells me that he really does have the kids' best interests at heart. I think he's a lot like A.J. Ofodile was in that regard as a high school coach. And I can speak to this because A.J. was my son's coach. He got guys scholarships that honestly probably wouldn't have gotten them if they'd played under any other coach. Heck, he was telling my son he could get some scholarship money to play football in college (not Division One, but he could get money). And my son was hardly a high school standout. There are Rock Bridge kids over the years (quite a few) who have gone to play at a level above what their ability probably said they should have. That was because of A.J., who would spend all his spare time putting together HUDL film and trying to get these kids noticed. I think Reed does a lot of the same. And in the end, isn't that why you coach? Don't you coach to get your kids the best opportunity they can get? Most of them won't go on to play in the NFL, but if you can get them a chance at a college degree that will help them in whatever they do in life, to me, you've done your job...and I don't really even care how many games you win.
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