Returned Missionaries

[Toopup]

There has always been missionaries who have flipped schools upon completion of their two years.  (Or in the case of TDS athletes 6-8 months).  However it seems the pace has recently picked up.  Probably since players would rather play for Sitake than that oddball Mendenhall.

Its not just Utah who is being impacted, Oregon, Norte Dame, Oregon State, and Stanford all come to mind.

it must be frustrating for the coaching staff to invest so much time and effort into a recruit who then changes his mind 24 months later.  There is also the lost opportunity cost…who didn’t we recruit because that position and scholarship was filled.

There is a very easy solution.  For every missionary that flips, don’t sign future games.  Instead schedule USU, Weber State, or SUU.  The Zoob legislators may get apoplectic but financially the games would generate additional income for those “state” athletic departments and not a private institution.

The fact is TDS needs Utah on their schedule to help with their rotten home schedule.  We don’t need to schedule TDS.  Our conference assures us at least 9 P5 games.

They recruit one of ours…they get Middle Tennessee instead of Utah on their 2023 schedule.

 

[ladyinred]

If missionaries cannot be relied upon to keep their ”commitments”, then I don’t see how programs continue to want to offer them. I get that kids regularly flip, missionary or not, but if this becomes a notable trend for missionaries in particular, I don’t know see how much longer they even continue getting offers from other schools. Why bother, for the reasons you listed among others?

Why you would choose tds over Stanford if there’s an offer on the table is beyond me, but I guess they’ve been convinced that there’s a future beyond selling cell phone packages at the mall with a degree from the Y.

[cbmute]

I just don’t worry about this. How about Utah just keeps being the better program, and if there is nothing against the rules of a kids changing schools after their missions Utah recruits byu’s players if they think they will help Utah out. 

[ladyinred]

This is a valid point. Utah doesn’t absolutely need the rm’s to be a good program. Nice to have, but not as do or die as it is for tds.

[UtTroutHunter]

I think the returned missionaries flipping to BYU is getting a little blown out of proportion. Outside of Harvey Langi, how many recent missionaries that flipped to BYU would have been game changers at Utah anyway? Furthermore, most of Utah’s most recent top level recruites aren’t going on missions. USC, Stanford, Washington, and other big name programs are more of threat to Utah than BYU flipping a few missionaries. Let me know when Jaylon Johnson, Bryan Thompson, Javelin Guirdy, TJ Green, or Jack Tuttle flip to BYU, then I might get concerned. 

[Utah]

So much this. Langi is the only loss and he would have only played his SR year. 

[Rick]

Langi would have only seen playing time at Utah his senior season.  The prior two years we had Paul, Norris and Whittingham and Harvey was simply not in their league.  He was too slow and lacked field vision to be a running back and he proved that his freshman year at Utah.

I totally agree with you about the small amount of impact in football.  If it were happening in basketball it would also have little impact because our best players for that sport come typically from out of state and are not LDS. Coach K uses local players to fill out his roster when needed but most are not impact players (except Loverage maybe).

 

 

[Tony (admin)]

Just because they’re 2 years older doesn’t mean they’re better. They could just be slower and more fat, and of course have male pattern baldness.  Seriously, our talent pool goes so beyond this.

[Milton Vanderslice]

This is how I see it going down.  LDS members are going to be idenified as boosters and all of the free dinners, etc is going to be a problem that BYU is going to have if one of these missionaries flip to BYU.  Flipping to another school besides BYU won’t be an issue, but if I can’t take a football player out to dinner because I’m a Crimson Club member and season ticket holder, then I don’t see how two years of hanging out with BYU boosters is any different.

[RiseasUtes]

I don’t have a problem with it.  Yes it sucks that they switch, but after two years they should be able to decide where they want to continue playing.

I think out of respect they should contact the coach and let them know they intend to transfer ahead of time, but let them play where they want.  This happens with such a small % of players that I just don’t see it worth getting worked up over.

[PlainsUte]

The brainwashing going on during these missions must be something fierce if people are giving up a good education at some top-notch schools to attend TDS.  Maybe Kim Jong-Il could pick up some techniques from the LDS sales directors.

[RedLine]

Although you and I might call it brainwashing, the players we’re talking about are following a path they may or may not have much choice in.  Compounding the day to day groupthink and lack of individuality, it’s understandable that some flip.  I don’t think it’s ethical at all to influence a kid to change their school comittment but hardly unexpected either. Best course of action is to keep beating TDS and keep winning games in the confrence. 

[Author]

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