Here's the second version of this:
https://www.canesinsight.com/threads/ranking-the-understated-2023-signees.182563/
You can go back and rate last year's list. As imagined, some of those players are still awaiting their opportunities.
My rankings are based on what I observe as perceived attention/mentions vs talent. To be clear, this isn't a "favorite" or "prediction of best" thread.
1. Artavius Jones - I've loved this recruit since the first time I watched him catch a TE screen and juke his way toward the sideline. Just elite feet for what will become a legit 300 pound man-child in the middle. It's easy to get "lost" when you committed relatively early and, right there next to you, is a 5 star recruit like Justin Scott. What I like most about Jones' game is that, while he has supposedly recorded some eye-popping strength numbers, those feet do work. He's a discus/shotput guy, so that's a hint. But, then he's a near double/double basketball player. I think the young kids say something like "tell me you can move without telling me you can move." We don't even need to play Jones early, but so happy to read that he's apparently an Early Enrollee.
2. Ny Carr and JoJo Trader WR duo - This is really a post about Ny Carr, but I'm mentioning JoJo Trader because he, too, can easily get lost in the attention because of his fellow 5 star teammate who went to OSU*. As for Ny, I often judge WRs by their movement skills and acceleration. For WRs, I consistently use a key metric: how badly can this guy scare our defense - specifically, with acceleration, cuts, and angles. I'm not comparing Ny to Santana because they're seemingly built (physique) differently. But, I saw some similarities in their movements: the gliding/hanging in the air for jump ball throws, the wicked acceleration off of one cut, and the ability to obliterate clear Safety angles. No idea about his verified times or weights. Just that this is a guy who I believe will produce far more than he's being given attention, which I guess makes some sense given the chase for the #1 recruit in the nation.
3. Marquise Lightfoot - He committed a while back. He stayed steady. He hasn't shown any drama. So, it's easy to forget a relatively high level 4 star DE. Will he make an immediate impact? I have no idea, but I've consistently said we need a leap from a Wide 9 type of Edge. Next year, Mesidor and Bain will presumably have the DE spots locked down. NKelly has not yet lived up to what we all hoped. Can Lightfoot gain the requisite weight and technical skills to make a move into the rotation? I hope so. Either way, his talent and frame indicate he will show out way above the attention I perceive he's been given.
4. Hayes and Pruitt LB duo - In a normal year, Hayes would be a superstar flip. Somehow, he went ho-hum because it came slightly after a perceived "big loss" on NLI day. This is a message about Hayes, but I wrote in Pruitt, too, because I see two sky high ceilings for the types of LBs I've begged we recruit: modern LBs who can run, run, run and cover. Will Hayes grow into a DE? To me, he looks like an OLB in a 3-4, a natural rusher in a 3-3-5, but someone with the skill to run sideline to sideline, too. Very excited to see him, though I don't expect a lineup breakthrough early on.
5. CJ Clark - This simply has not gotten the fan waves commensurate with the production I expect from him. We lost LTaylor and I expect CJ Clark, perhaps less naturally talented than LT, to replace his production and even give us a more natural fit in certain alignments. This was a great evaluation, IMO.
Honorable Mention:
A. Zach Carpenter - I had to balance this one out because lots of people have seemingly given this player credit as an "immediate starting" Center from the portal. However, this is a HUGE deal because it stabilizes the line. Rather than force someone to move inside and send a domino effect across the line, we now have the real option of trotting out a comfortable lineup that looks almost exactly like last year's. However, it gives us the flexibility to, who knows, try Rivers at LG and see if someone proves they're a better LT than Rivers was for us in 2023.
B. Elija Lofton - The quintessential "football player." He could likely play multiple positions for us and he was committed for so long and with minimal drama. He also doesn't have the "prototype" height for the TE position, so while many are excited about him, he simply doesn't get the attention and excitement his talent deserves. We shall see what we make of it.
