[Mick]

I don't see anything wrong with it. Other schools might offer a bunch of QBs at once, but either they're honest to the recruit and tell them where they are in the pecking order, or they lie and then have to deal with the consequences. I'm pretty sure U$€ did the former with Costello - I seem to remember him saying that U$€ weren't recruiting him as hard early on as they were going after Shea Patterson, but once Patterson made his mind up about going elsewhere U$€ were back on Costello hard.

I think Harbaugh had the problem of trying the latter approach with Kain Colter - Colter was committed but then Nottingham committed to Stanford too, and Colter basically was pushed out. I'd rather Stanford continue to recruit backup plans and just say that we like some other guy a little bit better right now, but if he goes elsewhere then we'll offer you immediately.

The worst situation is when an offer isn't committable. This happened with Brandon Dawkins a couple of years ago - Brian Kelly gave him an offer but then was holding out for a commitment from a higher ranked QB, so ND literally didn't answer Dawkins' phone calls when he was trying to commit to them. (Dawkins ended up at Arizona.) I hope we never hear about Shaw pulling crap like that.

I remember when my boys were being recruited (different sport) the coaches and each school were ridiculously up front with them, to very small details.  My oldest knew every single player who was ahead of him and right behind, knew the commitment timeline, his role if he was offered, strengths and weaknesses.  he knew how every admissions group felt about him, he knew players on every one of the teams.  Not a single coach lied, misdirected or exaggerated and the one who slow-played him told him "I'm slow-playing you because I need to get these two guys first, then I can get you."  Same story for my youngest who made up his mind to follow his older brother and cut short any other conversations.

[Mick]

I don't see anything wrong with it. Other schools might offer a bunch of QBs at once, but either they're honest to the recruit and tell them where they are in the pecking order, or they lie and then have to deal with the consequences. I'm pretty sure U$€ did the former with Costello - I seem to remember him saying that U$€ weren't recruiting him as hard early on as they were going after Shea Patterson, but once Patterson made his mind up about going elsewhere U$€ were back on Costello hard.

I think Harbaugh had the problem of trying the latter approach with Kain Colter - Colter was committed but then Nottingham committed to Stanford too, and Colter basically was pushed out. I'd rather Stanford continue to recruit backup plans and just say that we like some other guy a little bit better right now, but if he goes elsewhere then we'll offer you immediately.

The worst situation is when an offer isn't committable. This happened with Brandon Dawkins a couple of years ago - Brian Kelly gave him an offer but then was holding out for a commitment from a higher ranked QB, so ND literally didn't answer Dawkins' phone calls when he was trying to commit to them. (Dawkins ended up at Arizona.) I hope we never hear about Shaw pulling crap like that.

I remember when my boys were being recruited (different sport) the coaches and each school were ridiculously up front with them, to very small details.  My oldest knew every single player who was ahead of him and right behind, knew the commitment timeline, his role if he was offered, strengths and weaknesses.  he knew how every admissions group felt about him, he knew players on every one of the teams.  Not a single coach lied, misdirected or exaggerated and the one who slow-played him told him "I'm slow-playing you because I need to get these two guys first, then I can get you."  Same story for my youngest who made up his mind to follow his older brother and cut short any other conversations.