'08 PA LB Shayne Hale (Pitt signee)

[starBUCKS]

If we end up letting Hale sail.... does that affect Torian Bell's decision?

[BengalsAndBucks]

Originally Posted by starBUCKS

If we end up letting Hale sail.... does that affect Torian Bell's decision?

It's Dorian Bell, just FYI, and I dont think that it will matter that much. He is a big-time prospect and will approach the process like one IMO. He also has already visited us, IIRC.

[osugrad21]

Scout $

Shayne says WVU is his leader. He implies that both Michigan and tOSU have cooled while UVA and WVU have picked up their efforts.

[osugrad21]

Pittsburgh Gazette

Elsewhere
? Gateway's Shayne Hale and Cameron Saddler made official recruiting visits to the University of Virginia this weekend.

[wadc45]

Rivals $

11/5

From the UVA site...stunningly glowing remarks (nothing against UVA...Shayne is just usually more reserved) about his visit to UVA this past weekend.

[osugrad21]

Pittsburgh Gazette

No to Michigan
Before Michigan lost to Ohio State Saturday, and before word got out that Lloyd Carr would be resigning as coach at the University of Michigan, two players from Gateway High had crossed the Wolverines off their final list.
Gateway running back/defensive back Cam Saddler and linebacker/defensive end Shayne Hale were supposed to make an official visit to Michigan this past weekend, but canceled it.
"We just don't think it's the best situation for either of us," Saddler said Friday night after the Gators defeated North Allegheny in the WPIAL Class AAAA semifinals.
That means Saddler will now choose between Pitt, West Virginia and Virginia. Hale's final three choices are West Virginia, Virginia and Ohio State. But he's not certain he will visit Ohio State, which means he probably will choose between West Virginia and Virginia.

['BusNative]

It's amazing that OSU still comes up in stories about Hale...

[osugrad21]

Rivals $ (Virginia)

Shayne confirms that Michigan is eliminated and says he is considering UVA and WVU. He does say that he would not rule out tOSU but the Buckeye coaches have not contacted him in weeks.


Shayne says the tOSU staff is still contacting his head coach...but that contact is not for an '08 prospect.

[matcar]

Originally Posted by osugrad21

Rivals $ (Virginia)

Shayne confirms that Michigan is eliminated and says he is considering UVA and WVU. He does say that he would not rule out tOSU but the Buckeye coaches have not contacted him in weeks.


Shayne says the tOSU staff is still contacting his head coach...but that contact is not for an '08 prospect.

This recruting year makes me wish for Feldman-like book on tOSUs recruiting this season. I'd love to know what goes on in those eval discussions amongst the staff...

[tlinc]

This has to be a somewhat delicate situation for staff. You have to make sure that you don't make Hale or his coach angry or feel disrespected because of our interest in some of the younger teammates. It is probably made more difficult due to the fact that you are talking about a guy who all the websites rank as 5 star and who seems to have been a priority early in the process.

[EastSide]

Originally Posted by tlinc

This has to be a somewhat delicate situation for staff. You have to make sure that you don't make Hale or his coach angry or feel disrespected because of our interest in some of the younger teammates. It is probably made more difficult due to the fact that you are talking about a guy who all the websites rank as 5 star and who seems to have been a priority early in the process.

I really don't feel that tOSU is in a delicate situation at all. If anything, I would think that Hale and his coach are in a delicate situation. Imagine if they make our staff angry. Here we are ranked in the top 10 this year and we are trying to build a good relationship with Gateway. The moment we offered one schollie to any of their players, it would have been in the coaches best interest to advise the player to accept for the future good of the whole. Instead, we are getting the shaft and made to look stupid and before long we aren't going to be going to Gateway to actively recruit. We may still offer token offers but as far as hard core recruiting we will know that it has been and will be a waste of time. JMO!

[sandgk]

Voice from the Center:

I think tlinc and Eastside voice the worst case scenarios of a hypothetical slight either by or to the Buckeyes.

I really cannot believe either apply - at least I hope not.

That said, it was always the combo as Hale & Saddler that these guys wanted. Given the recent updates I'd be very pleasantly surprised if Hale went Buckeye. Doesn't seem likely to happen.

I wish he and Saddler all the best in Morgantown - which seems like a more likely end result of their visits.

(And Dorian Bell is surely worth the offer in '09, no?)

[Oh8ch]

He does say that he would not rule out tOSU but the Buckeye coaches have not contacted him in weeks.

Didn't this come to an end with Sabino and Howard?

[tlinc]

Originally Posted by EastSide

I really don't feel that tOSU is in a delicate situation at all. If anything, I would think that Hale and his coach are in a delicate situation. Imagine if they make our staff angry. Here we are ranked in the top 10 this year and we are trying to build a good relationship with Gateway. The moment we offered one schollie to any of their players, it would have been in the coaches best interest to advise the player to accept for the future good of the whole. Instead, we are getting the shaft and made to look stupid and before long we aren't going to be going to Gateway to actively recruit. We may still offer token offers but as far as hard core recruiting we will know that it has been and will be a waste of time. JMO!

All I'm saying is that if we are recruiting a guy like Bell and have now pulled the offer to Hale, we need to do it the right way. It sounds like we have just stopped calling and Hale is likely getting the message but we need to be smart about things and be respectful also.

The whole, just stop calling thing was pretty much how I broke up with girls in high school. Believe me when I tell you it made it more difficult to ever have a shot with one of their friends at a later date. I'm sure Tress will be a bit smoother with things than 16 year-old me was.

[sandgk]

Originally Posted by tlinc

All I'm saying is that if we are recruiting a guy like Bell and have now pulled the offer to Hale, we need to do it the right way. It sounds like we have just stopped calling and Hale is likely getting the message but we need to be smart about things and be respectful also.

The whole, just stop calling thing was pretty much how I broke up with girls in high school. Believe me when I tell you it made it more difficult to ever have a shot with one of their friends at a later date. I'm sure Tress will be a bit smoother with things than 16 year-old me was.

So tlinc, if Hale calls up Tressel tomorrow and says "I'm a Buckeye" what happens then?

If he still has an offer - the spot is his.

If he really doesn't have one, then I'm pretty sure the recruiting staff would have been completely upfront with Hale.

The only other hypothetical option is that Hale is letting the prior listed offer stay public, when in fact that 'ship has sailed, as O8ch said, with Sabino and Howard.

My point is, I think you are making an unwarranted assumption that the Buckeye staff are somehow in the wrong on this, when that is not their style.