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Mizzou Links, 2-12-13

Dropping out of the polls, fouling up 3, and trying to win without oversigning.

By Bill Connelly
This picture has nothing to do with Missouri, but I found it hilarious. Well done, Clemson.
This picture has nothing to do with Missouri, but I found it hilarious. Well done, Clemson.
Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

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  • Everybody's Favorite New Topic...
    Ken Pomeroy: Yet another study about fouling when up 3

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I very, very highly recommend Dave Matter's Emptying the Notebook piece below. I assume you already know that those are typically his best pieces, but this was particularly good. Matter very carefully laid out all the good and bad with the 2013 recruiting class; if you're looking to be optimistic or pessimistic, you find plenty of evidence there.

  • 2013 Recruiting
    MUtigers.com: Football Recruiting Reception Information
    The Trib (Dave Matter): Emptying the Signing Day Notebook

    For several players in this class, especially guys who will put a hand on the line of scrimmage, Missouri's coaches had to project size potential, none more than offensive tackle Harneet Gill, a natural edge blocker who weighed around 240 when MU began recruiting him.

    Two factors convinced Henson that Gill could eventually bulk up: his height (he's 6-6) and his older brother, who's about 6-6 and 320 pounds.

    "The other thing is," Henson said, "you've really got to have a feel for the guy if he has a desire to" gain weight "or not. Is it really important to him?"

    With Gill, Henson sensed it was important. The night before signing day, he sent Henson a photo of his added bulk. He's up to around 280.

    "If you go get a big 6-6, 305-pound athletic kid that moves his feet the way Harneet does, everyone in the country's recruiting him," Henson said. "Not to say we couldn't get him, but it's going to be a heck of a battle. Sometimes it's kind of nice to find that guy at 240 or 250 pounds and he really develops and comes along."

    PowerMizzou: Throwing numbers at a problem

    What this comes down to is attrition. Between 2009 and 2012, Missouri lost 16 signees to dismissals or transfers, with one (Sheldon Richardson) leaving early for the NFL draft. It's difficult to track that number with other programs, but because of Missouri's APR score (tied for second in the SEC along with Florida), it's clear that the Tigers' attrition is less than other schools.

    The bottom four schools in the SEC in average signees (Georgia, Missouri, Florida and Vanderbilt) also constitute the top four schools in the SEC in APR score.

    "We keep players," Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. "We don't have a lot of attrition here, for whatever reason. You've heard some people accused of running players off, to get them out of there because they're not good enough and bringing other people in. That probably exists sometimes."

    But, at some point, this boils down to depth. With the injuries Missouri suffered in 2012, especially across the offensive line, it was apparent that the depth wasn't there. Offensive coordinator Josh Henson said, based on those numbers, there's a concern for depth.

    However, Henson said Missouri's policy is unlikely to change, and it's one that the brings pride to the staff.

    "Sure there is (a concern)," Henson said. "That is obvious. The more numbers you have, the better chances you have of guys turning out at positions of need. People that are doing that, I think they're throwing numbers at a problem. I think Coach Pinkel's philosophy has been that he's not going to take chances like that with a kid's scholarship.

    "When you tell a kid that he's got a scholarship to Mizzou in 2013, he's going to have a scholarship in 2013. We're not going to tell a kid, 'Hey, sorry, we oversigned and you're going to have to grayshirt.' That's not how Coach Pinkel does business, and I think it's paid dividends for us on the recruiting trail, and I think you've seen recent NCAA rules have want-to to stress honor with recruits in the process."

    KC Star: LS West's Holt, Morrison to follow dream, walk on at MU
    SB Nation: 2013 college football recruiting recap: The SEC's dominance, in chart form
  • A Look Back
    PowerMizzou: Recruiting Rewind: Quarterbacks

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2013 Missouri Football recruiting: Mizzou signs 20

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