News

Actions

ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit defends tweet on Fairfield's Carman

Posted at 4:43 PM, Sep 14, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-18 10:28:32-04

FAIRFIELD, Ohio -- ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit defended his tweets Thursday afternoon regarding two five-star recruits including Fairfield senior offensive tackle Jack Carman who tweeted about Ohio State’s quarterback situation within the past week.

Herbstreit, a former Ohio State quarterback and Centerville High School product, appeared on The Ryen Russillo Show to defend his reaction after Carman and Harrisburg (Pa.) senior defensive end Micah Parsons tweeted their support of Ohio State redshirt freshman quarterback Dwayne Haskins after Ohio State lost to visiting Oklahoma Sept. 9.

Fairfield coach Jason Krause told WCPO.com Wednesday morning he thought Carman’s tweet supporting Haskins was innocuous and not specific criticism of Ohio State senior and starting quarterback J.T. Barrett.

Herbstreit didn’t mention Carman by name Thursday afternoon but referenced the Fairfield standout’s tweets.

“I don’t even know that kid,” Herbstreit told ESPN Radio. “I don’t follow recruiting. I have no idea who he is.”

Listen below:

Herbstreit did not back down from his tweets earlier this week.

“I just didn’t like that he thought he had an opinion about a guy (Barrett) who is a three-time captain – the only one in the history of the school,” Herbstreit told ESPN Radio. “About yeah get him out and get my boy in. I know Haskins too who is a great kid. I just thought it was really inappropriate for a guy that is being recruited by a school to publicly – it’s one thing to say that to your boys – to publicly say, ‘yeah get that Bozo out and put this guy in and let him ball.’ I am just like what? Reality check, kid. Who are you?”

Carman, who is rated the nation’s No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2018 class and No. 9 player overall in the 2018 class by the 247Sports Composite rankings, replied early Wednesday afternoon to Herbstreit’s criticism on Twitter late Tuesday afternoon. Carman said he wouldn’t have any problems in Clemson or USC’s locker room for his opinion on quarterback issues. (Carman is considering Clemson and USC among his final five college choices).

“Good,” Herbstreit said Thursday afternoon. “I think they would be a great decision for you. Go to USC or Clemson. It would be better off for Urban Meyer not to have a guy like that on his roster. I just think the kid is full of himself.”

Parsons was more direct in his support of Haskins after the Oklahoma-Ohio State game. Patrick Murphy, a 247Sports reporter, tweeted from the postgame news conference that Meyer would not consider a change at quarterback.

Parsons linked that report and said he would consider a change; he also mentioned his support of Haskins.

Parsons is rated the nation’s No. 1 weak-side defensive end in the 2018 class by 247Sports. The recruiting site put Ohio State as having a 65 percent chance of landing Parsons. The site put Ohio State as having a 94 percent chance of landing Carman.

“I think it’s the most ridiculous thing in the world the way guys get labeled a five star or a four star or a three star,” Herbstreit said on ESPN Radio. “Guys that are five stars – you know there a lot of them that make it and go on and have a great career. And there a lot of them that fall flat on their face.”

Carman, who is 6 feet 7 and 345 pounds, took a step to defuse the Twitter situation Wednesday night. He declined interviews on Twitter direct message and the phone with the media and said his No. 1 priority is when Fairfield (1-2, 1-0 Greater Miami Conference) plays host to Lakota East (3-0, 1-0 GMC) at 7 p.m. Friday at Fairfield Stadium. He also added #SayLess.

Herbstreit told ESPN Radio he heard from Ohio State players who agreed with his stance. Herbstreit added he didn’t realize the significance of the Twitter situation.

“Honestly guys I didn’t go through – I didn’t know I was in a Twitter war,” Herbstreit said. “I didn’t really go through to look at like what was the craziest response from any of this. I kind of just tune all that out.”

Carman, who will receive his U.S. Army All-American honorary jersey Sept. 20 at Fairfield, is scheduled to take his first official – to Wisconsin – Sept. 29-30. He is scheduled to take an official visit to Ohio State Oct. 28-29.