'08 PA LB Shayne Hale (Pitt signee)

[osugrad21]

Rivals $ (UVA)

Shayne has set up official visits to WVU, UVA, and Michigan and is working on setting up the Ohio State date. He says the official visits will decide if the package deal will work out.

[BGriffBuckeye]

... please, set the date for the Wisconsin.

[Basebuck]

Maybe I missed it but has anyone seen the update on Hale over on the WVU site? Looks pretty good.

[LordJeffBuck]

Originally Posted by RB07OSU

Interesting... Scout Free by Allen Wallace

OSU has the slight lead. Shayne appears VERY high on the Bucks and sounds as if WVU is behind us on my speculation. Also nice to see it's from a neutral source.

Originally Posted by Basebuck

Maybe I missed it but has anyone seen the update on Hale over on the WVU site? Looks pretty good.

Yeah, you missed something - it's the same article as linked above.

[RoscoeParrish]

Originally Posted by BGriffBuckeye

... please, set the date for the Wisconsin.

That should be a huge weekend with Brewster in town, Fuller too, I believe. On a side note, did anybody commit after, or because of, the Michigan game last year? Or was the recruiting effect of that game felt more in this class? I believe Sweat in particular noted the atmosphere of that visit as a factor in his decision.

[RB07OSU]

Originally Posted by RoscoeParrish

That should be a huge weekend with Brewster in town, Fuller too, I believe. On a side note, did anybody commit after, or because of, the Michigan game last year? Or was the recruiting effect of that game felt more in this class? I believe Sweat in particular noted the atmosphere of that visit as a factor in his decision.

In my personal opinion, visits to games are more important as a junior. Why do I say this you ask? Well my friends, when a recruit takes an official visit midway into their senior year, a lot has been determined. The recruit has been in frequent contact with coaches (legally), will have likely already visited many schools, knows a lot about the schools, etc. So in essence, the recruit is a lot less likely to be swayed by one game in the spectrum of trying to find a home for the next 4-5 years when they are already well educated on other schools. Now as a junior, the recruit is generally less into the recruiting process and usually needs a bit of a "wow" factor to spark interest and a game can certainly do that, especially in the 'Shoe. This very thing happened Hale's junior year when he watched OSU beat hometown PSU in the 'Shoe and seemed to have made a lasting impression. Now granted this is all just my view on things and should not be taken as fact, plus Hale already likes for many reasons and in the broad scheme of things, one game is likely not going to make or break anything for us. In regards to the Michigan game last year...we completely struck out as far as recruiting in '07 went I believe.

[schwab]

Originally Posted by RB07OSU

In my personal opinion, visits to games are more important as a junior. Why do I say this you ask? Well my friends, when a recruit takes an official visit midway into their senior year, a lot has been determined. The recruit has been in frequent contact with coaches (legally), will have likely already visited many schools, knows a lot about the schools, etc. So in essence, the recruit is a lot less likely to be swayed by one game in the spectrum of trying to find a home for the next 4-5 years when they are already well educated on other schools. Now as a junior, the recruit is generally less into the recruiting process and usually needs a bit of a "wow" factor to spark interest and a game can certainly do that, especially in the 'Shoe. This very thing happened Hale's junior year when he watched OSU beat hometown PSU in the 'Shoe and seemed to have made a lasting impression. Now granted this is all just my view on things and should not be taken as fact, plus Hale already likes for many reasons and in the broad scheme of things, one game is likely not going to make or break anything for us. In regards to the Michigan game last year...we completely struck out as far as recruiting in '07 went I believe.

When you look back into the 2007 recruiting forum at the Official/Unofficial Visits list for the Class of 2007 for the Michigan game on November 18th, you will find that there were actually 7 Official Visits and 48 (listed) Unofficial visits. Of these Unofficial Visits, 21 were in the class of 2007, 25 were in the class of 2008, and 2 for the class of 2009. I realize it's all there for the viewing, but I'm bored, I'm terrible at linking things, and some of you guys are lazy :

Official Visits:
Deonte Thompson, Florida
Joseph Barksdale, Twice the University!
Anthony Davis, Rutgers
Brian Rolle
Major Wright, Florida
James Wilson, Florida
Clyde Yandell, Georgia Tech

That is 1 out of 7 at The Game on their Official Visits that landed in Columbus. #1 vs. #2. Like RB07 said, brains had been washed and minds made up, and there was a free trip to be had. Why not go?

11 more players who ended up in the class were there on their Unofficial Visits.

Unofficial Visits:
Evan Blankenship
Nate Oliver
Brandon Saine
Donnie Evege
Devon Torrence
Dane Sanzenbacher
Taurian Washington
Boom Herron
Eugene Clifford
Cameron Heyward
Jer'Male Hines

So far that is 12 out of our 15 signees. The other 3:
James Scott - Official Visit - 9/23 vs. Penn State
Solomon Thomas - Official Visit - 1/13 on my sister's birthday
Rocco Pentello - Official Visit - 12/2

As for the class of 2008, we have 10 commits to this point, and the visitors to last years 'The Game' are as follows:

Unofficial Visits (Of course):
Mike Adams
Mike Brewster
Devoe Torrence
Andrew Sweat
Jake Stoneburner
Nathan Williams
Nic DiLillo

7 out of 10, not too shabby, also (hopefully) not done yet....

Cordale Scott
Terrelle Pryor


What does this all mean?? That's certainly open to interpretation, but as RB07 has said, the impact is quite possibly felt moreso a year before you make your decision, than it is a couple of months before you sign.

Since Hale visited for the tOSU-State Penn game, his interest was planted his junior year, if not before. I knew I could get this post back to Shayne one way or another....

[RB07OSU]

Great stuff Schwab.

[calibuck]

Schwab has gone to great lengths to prove his point, and I'll add this 'bon mot' to the mix.......why not experience one of the greatest rivalries? Even if you're not going there? If I was a hot recruit, I'd like to see Fla-FlaSt; Ok-Tex; Tenn-Fla on someone elses dime, and then commit to OSU.

Or official visit to Colorado (ski), Hawaii (beach), Univ of New ORleans (Mardi Gras), USC (beach and cheerleaders), Michigan (recruit to OSU), and then commit to OSU.......but I wasn't one of those lucky ones.......

[RoscoeParrish]

Originally Posted by calibuck

Schwab has gone to great lengths to prove his point, and I'll add this 'bon mot' to the mix.......why not experience one of the greatest rivalries? Even if you're not going there? If I was a hot recruit, I'd like to see Fla-FlaSt; Ok-Tex; Tenn-Fla on someone elses dime, and then commit to OSU.

Or official visit to Colorado (ski), Hawaii (beach), Univ of New ORleans (Mardi Gras), USC (beach and cheerleaders), Michigan (recruit to OSU), and then commit to OSU.......but I wasn't one of those lucky ones.......

I'd do the same, although I don't think TSUN would like you recruiting for OSU. Lord knows Carr has enough trouble with OSU...

Thanks to Schwab also.

[wadc45]

Scout $

8/2

Hale says that he has no leader and that he and Cameron Saddler will likely attend the same school.

So much for the warm and fuzzy feeling of him naming OSU his "slight" leader...credit to TheMile for the find.

[BGriffBuckeye]

With all the hoopla here, I am just going to hope we can reel in Sabino and count Hale as out. If he come GREAT though.

[OWUBuckeye51]

Originally Posted by wadc45

Scout $

8/2

Hale says that he has no leader and that he and Cameron Saddler will likely attend the same school.

So much for the warm and fuzzy feeling of him naming OSU his "slight" leader...credit to TheMile for the find.

I find it amusing that the same site published a story a few days ago where Hale named OSU his leader. Crackerjack journalism...

[OSUBucks22]

That piece is like something that GBW or Irish Eyes usually writes... Did Bob L. become Hale's personal publicist?

The need to put out this article seems like an effort to save face for one of the journalists that has been trumpeting the package deal... I have no problems with Bob L. usually, but this article was a bit touchy of him...

[gobucks19]

Originally Posted by OSUBucks22

That piece is like something that GBW or Irish Eyes usually writes... Did Bob L. become Hale's personal publicist?

The need to put out this article seems like an effort to save face for one of the journalists that has been trumpeting the package deal... I have no problems with Bob L. usually, but this article was a bit touchy of him...

There is definitely that type of tone to the article isnt it. Quite some interesting banter back and forth on the Scout boards between BobL and posters/including Scout staff.

Appears that someone is trying to make this particular recruitment more complicated.