ShAQ thompson To CAL

[lukeyrid13]

We had some big recruiting years after rather poor seasons too.....We looked downright awful in 06(BYU anyone) and our 07 recruiting class 2 months later is arguably the best class in Oregon history.

[QuackininBama]

I'm not that convinced about Cal's great recruiting classes. The transition from HS to college is much the same as college to the NFL. It quickly weeds out the men from the boys. Putting stars next to a kids name isn't going to make him an elite player at the next level. Like the NFL draft, it simply increases the odds of a players potential. For every "Black Mamba" that succeeds, I'm guessing 25 just don't pan out.
Cal has had some outstanding recruiting classes, yet what bowl did they play in? Yea, the "Who Gives a F$*k Bowl". If their recruiting was a direct reflection of the programs win/losses, they'd be playing in BCS bowls every year. I'm not impressed.

[duxball]

well said

[mijaha]

How's that Gabe King thing working out??

[soduck]

Besides Cal's mediocre results on the field compared to ours, what hurts is how much these top recruits would have helped us. DT , WR and a top safety all would be great help for us especially DL. But that said we still have a very good class coming in and they can only play so many DL at time. Like USC getting 5, 5 stars at rb let them go there rather than make ucla or wash better, if we can't get them. They will have to sit 3-4, 5 star DLs. Mean time we have 4 stars that that are working hard to get play time. Not 5 stars pissed off on the bench. But yes it would be good having Tosh recruit for us.

[woundedknees]

I have been saying for years that it is totally illogical for these high ranking HS to line up at places like UCS, when they could easily elevate the levle of play at schools like Oregon to something even more special... It appears that it takes a really special coach to mold those talents into something that performs at a consistently high level, while keeping their sometimes large egoes in check.

Takes a lot more than talent to make a team.

[maxduck]

Where are all these DL gonna play? They run a 34 and none of these guys are moving to OLB. Last year they brought in Gabe King, Todd Barr, Villiami Moala, Puka Lopa, and Mustafa Jalil. Add in McCarthy, Armstead, Shittu, and Darius Hamilton, and where the hell do they all play? It's a bummer they get all the stud DL, because until our defensive line has this kind of talent, we wont win a National Championship no matter how good our offense is. People say that our scheme calls for faster, smaller, penetrating lineman, but I argue that our scheme is determined by the fact that we cannot land elite DL talent. Because we can't seem to land the space-eaters in the middle, we play 6'7 280lb DT's who get manhandled by elite OLs. But we'll still win a lot more than Cal...

A Cal fan on another board said (tongue in cheek) they may run a 7-0-4 defense.