SI.com's Andy Staples On CJF's Recruiting Success

This article is a must-read.  It keys in on the impressive way in which CJF is selling Vanderbilt to recruits, focusing on both the academic reputation and the idea that Vandy is a place where you can challenge yourself to reach your highest potential -- as a player and a student, but also as a person.  Staples also makes the point that CJF is doing what all the best recruiters do: outworking the competition.

While the "rumor mill" of recruiting improprieties is to be expected any time any school, anywhere, starts having recruiting success, I wouldn't let the "whispers" about possible NCAA violations discourage you too much.  If anything, unless and until you hear a single word of substance, I'd take it as a badge of honor -- i.e., people are taking notice, and they're getting nervous.

Staples is dead-on about one thing: the major challenge now becomes keeping these guys in the boat until next February 2nd.  From what these kids are saying, it sounds like they're 100% sold.  But we all know 18-year-olds are fickle and recruits jump ship all the time, so hopefully the staff can keep these guys excited and -- even better -- talking up Vandy to their peer recruits.  If so, VSL Nation could be in for the best (and arguably the first really special) recruiting class in school history.