That’s not my point. My point is you have no idea how good or bad a class is until the kids actually play football.
I agree. I love the potential of the 2018 class - but you never know until it plays out.
Look at our 2016 class where LB & WR were the obvious strengths
LB - Shaq, Pinckney, McCloud - all 3 have worked out really well.
WR - Bruce, Richards, Mullins - none played here past their Sophomore years
I agree. I love the potential of the 2018 class - but you never know until it plays out.
Look at our 2016 class where LB & WR were the obvious strengths
LB - Shaq, Pinckney, McCloud - all 3 have worked out really well.
WR - Bruce, Richards, Mullins - none played here past their Sophomore years
Exactly to my point. By this time in their sophomore years Bruce was no longer on the team and Mullins was a big ?
There was hype on 4 of the top 6 guys in the class which is what we’ve consistently seen in past classes. My point is this class has no Sam Bruce’s and very few guys that are really getting buried in the depth chart.
I know it feels different because the potential is still there. And I really like the potential.
I just know the reality is 20-25% of any recruiting class at any school isn't going to make it through. If you can keep it around that or less, you're doing a good job.
Comparing the 2 WR classes from 2016 vs. 2018 headed into their 2nd year:
2016 WR's - Bruce was kicked out. Mullins was talented but unproven. Richards had already balled out.
2018 WR's - Ezzard has transferred. Pope, Hightower, and Wiggins are talented but unproven.
Headed into their Sophomore years, I felt better about the 2016 class than I do about the 2018 class now. And by their Junior years, the 2016 WR was all gone.
There's definitely reason to be excited - but there's a long way to go still.
That’s not my point. My point is you have no idea how good or bad a class is until the kids actually play football.
It doesn't really make sense though. Why would he be cursing and kicking his dog at a good class? You could use the 2011 class as an example because we did not have very many highly rated players.
I was just making a point that in Njoku's class, he was not cause for celebration. Had the class been great or poor when looking at it 3 months after NSD, he was an afterthought. And off the top of my head, he probably turned out to be the best player in that class.
The point is, yes, on paper, the class was ranked low. And yes, I am FULLY in the camp of you need highly ranked recruiting classes to compete for the playoff. But in May, you can't say it's a shame you signed such and such a class in February when literally half the kids haven't even enrolled yet. It's still way too early to even grade the 2018 class, but at least we have some football evidence. We have very little on 2019, except for the EE kids.
Sophomore class (30 total) makes up the core of this year's team
Perry - potential starter
Martell - potential starter
Jordan - starter
Scaife - starter
Gaynor - starter
Ivey - potential starter
Hall - potential starter
Herbert- potential starter
Mallory - potential starter
Pope- potential starter
Harris- potential starter
Silvera - potential starter
Blades- potential starter
Lingard- potential starter
Hightower- potential starter
Bolden- potential starter
Traore- potential starter
Hillery - potential starter
Burns
Wiggins
Njoku
Few
Dykstra
Baxa
James
Jennings - injured
Steed - injured
Wilder - injured
Polendey - injured
Martin - redshirt