Kramer Likes Quiet Signing Week
2/6/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Montana State's football offices sat quiet for most of the last week, and Mike Kramer liked it that way.
"Recruiting is always based on your team's needs," said Kramer, "and this year we don't need much."
The Bobcats enter the spring with less than 20 scholarships available, and Kramer plans to fill a dozen of them on college football's National Letter-of-Intent signing day on Wednesday, the first day most student-athletes ink letters with the schools they plan to attend next fall. Two of those 12 began classes at MSU in January.
The paucity of action late in the signing period came after a flurry during what felt to Kramer like a compacted recruiting period. "This is the shortest recruiting session I've ever experienced as a head coach. Given the length of the season with the two playoff games and the curiosity of the Idaho thing, we had a three-week run to the wire starting in mid-January. And it turned out to be a sprint."
The pieces fell into place because the available talent matched up with MSU's needs and fit well into the Bobcat program. "We need help in the secondary and at wide receiver, and a lot of drama is gone because 11 of the 12 guys we will announce (Wednesday) had committed to us (earlier in January)," Kramer said. "We like the players that are on campus already, and we like what's on the way."
The transfers already enrolled at MSU, receiver DeAndre Green and safety Abraham Muheize, bring a lot to the table, Kramer said. "DeAndre is a stylish, willowy receiver and Abraham is young, he's essentially coming off his true freshman season (he played as a junior college freshman last fall)." Green transfers from Contra Costa College and Muheize from Grossmont, both in California.
Kramer said a pair of major philosophical shifts occurred in the program's recruiting plan in December. "First, we fully intended on recruiting two transfer offensive linemen," he said, "and we made a 180 degree switch to go with two high school linemen. Second, we fully intended on signing only high school defensive backs, and ended up moving 180 degrees to take three transfer defensive backs. Those are two major flip-flops, but our coaching staff did a great job adapting and adjusting as our plan shifted."
Both Green and Muheize, along with the two transfers committed to the Cats that plan to sign Wednesday and enroll next August, should challenge for starting spots or considerable playing time. Kramer said the eight prep prospects he hopes to ink Wednesday fit the program's long-term plan. "These players are productive, if not flashy," he said. "They each possess outstanding work ethic and fit well academically."
"Recruiting is always based on your team's needs," said Kramer, "and this year we don't need much."
The Bobcats enter the spring with less than 20 scholarships available, and Kramer plans to fill a dozen of them on college football's National Letter-of-Intent signing day on Wednesday, the first day most student-athletes ink letters with the schools they plan to attend next fall. Two of those 12 began classes at MSU in January.
The paucity of action late in the signing period came after a flurry during what felt to Kramer like a compacted recruiting period. "This is the shortest recruiting session I've ever experienced as a head coach. Given the length of the season with the two playoff games and the curiosity of the Idaho thing, we had a three-week run to the wire starting in mid-January. And it turned out to be a sprint."
The pieces fell into place because the available talent matched up with MSU's needs and fit well into the Bobcat program. "We need help in the secondary and at wide receiver, and a lot of drama is gone because 11 of the 12 guys we will announce (Wednesday) had committed to us (earlier in January)," Kramer said. "We like the players that are on campus already, and we like what's on the way."
The transfers already enrolled at MSU, receiver DeAndre Green and safety Abraham Muheize, bring a lot to the table, Kramer said. "DeAndre is a stylish, willowy receiver and Abraham is young, he's essentially coming off his true freshman season (he played as a junior college freshman last fall)." Green transfers from Contra Costa College and Muheize from Grossmont, both in California.
Kramer said a pair of major philosophical shifts occurred in the program's recruiting plan in December. "First, we fully intended on recruiting two transfer offensive linemen," he said, "and we made a 180 degree switch to go with two high school linemen. Second, we fully intended on signing only high school defensive backs, and ended up moving 180 degrees to take three transfer defensive backs. Those are two major flip-flops, but our coaching staff did a great job adapting and adjusting as our plan shifted."
Both Green and Muheize, along with the two transfers committed to the Cats that plan to sign Wednesday and enroll next August, should challenge for starting spots or considerable playing time. Kramer said the eight prep prospects he hopes to ink Wednesday fit the program's long-term plan. "These players are productive, if not flashy," he said. "They each possess outstanding work ethic and fit well academically."
Wednesday, June 10
Friday, March 27
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
