'19 FL RB Noah Cain (Penn State signee)

A few snippets of his interview in the Athletic (which you should totally subscribe to). This dude has a good head on his shoulders. I cut out a part of the interview where he talks about a crazy LSU fan accosting him in a Hi Neighbor (its a local grocery store) about going to LSU while was there with his grandmother, but it was pretty much the most Baton Rouge thing I've ever read.

How does it feel to be at the end of the recruiting process, with college just a month away?
Noah Cain: It is a relief. I think as recruits, we tend to see a lot of dudes get caught up in the hype and everybody telling you how good you are, everybody telling you you’re gonna be this and that and gonna get All-America right away. They don’t really see the hours you put in before everybody gets up to get to that point. Everybody sees the fame part of it. I think when you come to IMG, it humbles every prospect, regardless of if you’re a top recruit. It humbles everybody. Because here, the coaches are gonna be on you. You’re not gonna have coaches that ride your coattail and tell you how good you are. Everybody treats you the same here; there’s no favoritism. I think that’s why the brotherhood here gets so tight amongst the top dudes here. Everybody gets humbled here, regardless of who you are.

I imagine when you were younger, getting recruited sounded like a lot of fun. Is it still fun at this point?
Cain: I specifically waited. I made a decision in my mind my sophomore year to wait because of coaches. A lot of these coaches, they’re two-faced. They tell you something to your face then do something else, something different. Coaches leave. Players come back. There’s so many things you have to look into to make this decision. The last thing you wanna do is commit and decommit. That’s something I always told myself. That’s really the biggest reason why I wanted to wait until National Signing Day. When I make my decision, I’m final with it. No turning back. No coaches coming in trying to visit you. No. I’m signed. I’m going to college in January.

A lot of coaches, they try to pressure me into committing. But at the same time, if you really want me, you’re gonna wait ’til the end. That’s why my three finalists are who they are. They respected my timeline and my decision. Nobody tried to rush me. They were like, “All right. Until you tell us no, we’re here with you.” That’s when you really know who’s with you and who’s not. When schools are trying to pressure you into committing, that means they’ve got another guy on their mind. That’s how I look at it. That’s a big reason why I waited so long. I look at all that. Some of my top schools took other guys and were like, “Well, if you don’t hop on, they’re gonna hop on.” It is what it is. It’s not the place for me. I know God will lead me to the right school for me.

How much negative recruiting do you hear from coaches?
Cain: You post something thinking nobody’s looking at it, and next thing you know, a coach is like, “What you doing? Where you at? Why you at this school?” You post a picture on your official visit, and they’re like, “Why are you there? What you doing? Why you messing with them coaches? Them dudes are not good dudes.”

This is gonna blow your mind: One of the coaches that was recruiting me, he went to the school! He’s talking mess on his own alma mater! Like, you went here! You telling me about the school you went to! And he’s at the opposing school, like a rival school. Like, dude, you was an alumni of this school, regardless of your profession now, and yet now you’re talking crazy about your school. That doesn’t sit well with me! You really see people’s character in this recruiting process, too. There’s no loyalty with these people, man. Their true colors come out. In this last recruiting stretch, people’s true colors come out. You see how they really is as a person because they’re getting desperate.

Cain: In my younger recruiting days, I was like, “This is gonna be so hard to make a decision.” It’s not. I’ve kinda already got it narrowed down in my mind. When they say this is a business, it really is a business. That’s why I don’t feel bad to the coach if I’m not interested or I’m not coming. If you’re recruiting me and you’re leaving in a minute, you’re not telling me why you’re leaving. One of my top schools — I’m not gonna say the name — the offensive coordinator just left. Didn’t tell nobody. He was just in my face last week talking about how much he wants me to come there. And he left.

So that’s why I look at things like that and don’t feel bad when a coach gets his feelings hurt that I don’t wanna come. You’re telling another recruit the same thing you’re telling me. And it’s really a business decision. I really don’t feel like it’s gonna be hard come signing day because I’m going with a school that was with me from Day One and I’m going to a school that has a stable coaching staff. Those are two big things to me.

The unlimited texting and DMs and contact now, does that make your lives harder?
Cain: It’s not the texts; it’s the calls. I really thought it would be cool, coaches calling my phone and all these different schools. And now, you get the phone call, you don’t wanna answer the phone. I’m chilling right now.

Cain: From older guys like (former TCU quarterback) Shawn Robinson, when I was a freshman, he said, “Bro, I’m telling you. You’re gonna get tired of it.” I didn’t see it. I loved the hype and all the fame and everybody telling me I’m gonna be the next Heisman Trophy winner. Loved all that. Nowadays, you just want to grind and be about your business and be low-key. That’s the biggest thing right now.

What part of this process has brought the most pressure or stress?
Cain: There’s no perfect school for nobody. Everybody says there’s a perfect school. Every school is going to have its things you don’t like.

Cain: Right, there’s no perfect school. Every recruit says it’s the perfect school for me. Then they get there and start talking about how much they hate it. There’s no perfect school. So it’s kinda like you pick your poison.

Cain: That’s why the biggest thing is the depth chart. You can go to a school for the hype. They’ll hype you and all them fans talking about you on Instagram and Twitter. That ends in January. You get to school, and they don’t care about all that. They’re expecting you to win for them. It’s a business. It’s up to you. Forget all the facilities, and forget all your boys are going there. You’ve gotta go somewhere you can be happy and where you can get to the league. Some recruits, I know they’re just in it for the hype. They wanna go to college. Hopefully, they get to the league and, if they don’t, they’re cool with it. It depends on your mindset and how bad you wanna get that bag in three years.

From your perspective, what do people — whether it’s fans or media — not understand about this recruiting process?
Cain: There’s a lot of recruits that do stuff that’s so immature. I mean, everybody grows up differently. Everybody doesn’t have the same guidance. But at the same time, a lot of recruits do stuff that makes fans hate recruits sometimes. You’ve got to control your own destiny and how you want them to view you as a recruit. Are you gonna be a recruit that’s just childish and not taking this stuff seriously and being playful? Or are you gonna be a mature recruit and take it step by step and take it seriously?
 
A few snippets of his interview in the Athletic (which you should totally subscribe to). This dude has a good head on his shoulders. I cut out a part of the interview where he talks about a crazy LSU fan accosting him in a Hi Neighbor (its a local grocery store) about going to LSU while was there with his grandmother, but it was pretty much the most Baton Rouge thing I've ever read.

How does it feel to be at the end of the recruiting process, with college just a month away?


I imagine when you were younger, getting recruited sounded like a lot of fun. Is it still fun at this point?


How much negative recruiting do you hear from coaches?


The unlimited texting and DMs and contact now, does that make your lives harder?


What part of this process has brought the most pressure or stress?


From your perspective, what do people — whether it’s fans or media — not understand about this recruiting process?
Some one is going to get a good one... Solid head on his shoulders.
 
A few snippets of his interview in the Athletic (which you should totally subscribe to). This dude has a good head on his shoulders. I cut out a part of the interview where he talks about a crazy LSU fan accosting him in a Hi Neighbor (its a local grocery store) about going to LSU while was there with his grandmother, but it was pretty much the most Baton Rouge thing I've ever read.

How does it feel to be at the end of the recruiting process, with college just a month away?


I imagine when you were younger, getting recruited sounded like a lot of fun. Is it still fun at this point?


How much negative recruiting do you hear from coaches?


The unlimited texting and DMs and contact now, does that make your lives harder?


What part of this process has brought the most pressure or stress?


From your perspective, what do people — whether it’s fans or media — not understand about this recruiting process?
Confusing...
"But at the same time, if you really want me, you’re gonna wait ’til the end."

"I really don’t feel like it’s gonna be hard come signing day because I’m going with a school that was with me from Day One and I’m going to a school that has a stable coaching staff".



Vol..
 
Confusing...
"But at the same time, if you really want me, you’re gonna wait ’til the end."

"I really don’t feel like it’s gonna be hard come signing day because I’m going with a school that was with me from Day One and I’m going to a school that has a stable coaching staff".



Vol..
I would say that indicates the opposite
 
Confusing...
"But at the same time, if you really want me, you’re gonna wait ’til the end."

"I really don’t feel like it’s gonna be hard come signing day because I’m going with a school that was with me from Day One and I’m going to a school that has a stable coaching staff".

Vol..

He didn't seem to like the fact that "one of the schools recruiting him" had their offensive coordinator just up and leave recently. These quotes don't scream Vol to me.
 
He didn't seem to like the fact that "one of the schools recruiting him" had their offensive coordinator just up and leave recently. These quotes don't scream Vol to me.

But he said 'left without telling anyone', so don't think that refers to UT/Helton.
 
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He didn't seem to like the fact that "one of the schools recruiting him" had their offensive coordinator just up and leave recently. These quotes don't scream Vol to me.
Plus the quote about a coach trashing his alma mater...

Who else could that be among the schools recruiting him but Pruitt? Tim Horton trashing Arkansas? Doesn't look like they're in it. Dell McGee trashing Auburn? Hopefully that's it.
 
I think it might shed light as to why his visit went so well. We know the staff are honest and sincere with recruits. We know he responds well to that now.

It definitely gives you a behind the scene look as to why Georgia and Auburn have faded, and Texas, Penn St, and UT have picked up steam here. I just wonder if it's to late in the game here. We don't have a good history getting these kids last second.
 
I think it might shed light as to why his visit went so well. We know the staff are honest and sincere with recruits. We know he responds well to that now.
agreed. as i read that interview, not knowing it was before the visit, i was like "ouch, i don't think this works out for us".

then you see the interview, see the tweet about pruitt being the realist coach out there....

i definitley think we have a shot here.
 
Cain: There’s a lot of recruits that do stuff that’s so immature. I mean, everybody grows up differently. Everybody doesn’t have the same guidance. But at the same time, a lot of recruits do stuff that makes fans hate recruits sometimes. You’ve got to control your own destiny and how you want them to view you as a recruit. Are you gonna be a recruit that’s just childish and not taking this stuff seriously and being playful? Or are you gonna be a mature recruit and take it step by step and take it seriously?

I'll take this to mean that when Noah Cain announces his decision, he will not put a hat on, then toss it aside to put *THE REAL HAT* on for the school he choose. I hate when recruits do that more than anything else --- so trashy. I immediately think less of the recruit after that.
 
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Tweets carry little weight in recruiting
typically i agree. i think that statement about the coach though probably carries a little weight from this kid, now knowing a little more about his line of thinking regarding this process and the coaches' role in it.

lss, it can't hurt that he thinks Pruitt is "real".
 

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