Scott Shafer knows it’s time to pack his bags.
No, not what you’re thinking.
This is temporary, as the Orange’s head man prepares for his 3rd season at the helm. He begins his recruitment trail Monday as a result of SU football’s season coming to an early halt.
Shafer was to the point on recruiting’s importance after Syracuse lost to Boston College Saturday at Chestnut Hill:
“Main priority is to go out there and keep these kids. We have a lot of very good committed football players. We need to put two, back-to-back solid classes together. ”
Sounded just a little bit desperate, maybe? A 3-9 season doesn’t exactly wow an 18-year-old kid. Shafer of course wants to build a more tight-knit bond with the commits SU has already snagged. He hopes to lock in on current commits that are on the fence.
We have to look at George McDonald’s camp, here. Bad seasons happen, but mentors do come and go. McDonald could very well be out the door. Although recruits should stay loyal to a program and not a school, The Mailman means a lot to some kids’ futures.
Then again, and this goes for all commitments, Shafer ought to have the last word with every single family he visits in the near future.
“I’ve met a lot of the parents that have come to our campus. But the kids that couldn’t travel to our campus, I’m looking forward to getting out there to meeting mom, dad and grandma (etc.). You try to get out there and do the best job putting together that next class,” Shafer said.
The Fizz noticed on National Signing Day 2014 that Shafer must be a tough guy to turn down. I know if I were a recruit getting an in-home visit from him, it would be tough to say no.
17 of the 24 prospects committed to the Class of 2015 have not visited Syracuse yet. Most, as a matter of fact, are far down the east coast and pledged Orange during the summer months. Shafer’s road trip ensures each player is caught up to speed with he and the rest of the coaching staff, plus provides a sense of the program’s entirety.
Keep in mind the alleged NCAA violations against Syracuse may come up in discussion with families. We know with hoops the sticky situation may be what’s holding up 5-star phenom Thomas Bryant from choosing SU. Shafer has to be prepared for any questions on the subject.
The head coach has shifted his focus. At least now he can think about something else other than his awful second year.
*Note: Syracuse entertains five commits on the SU campus this Friday: TE Trey Dunkelberger, S Keivonnis Davis, DE Marquise Blair, OL Evan Adams and DE Dana Levine.
Posted: Brendan Glasheen
