Assuming Tommy Stevens wins the starting QB job and if Journey Brown earns significant playing time, if not starting over Slade, Cain and Ford- yeah, I know, "no way"), our starting backfield will be 2 3*s, interesting.
Why would I even suggest Brown over the others? Call it a gut feeling but I'm not sure Slade is a "team first" kinda guy. There were all kinds of rumors about him last year (I assumed he had injury issues) and then during Spring practice, he was one of a few guys who were required to roll the field due to some sort of indiscretion. I also recall a comment from either Franklin or other players that insinuated that maybe Slade needed to mature a bit. While each thing individually doesn't mean much, in all it starts to make me wonder about him. Since both Cain and Ford are true freshmen, I could see Brown, a 3rd year back, earning the starting job or, at the very least ,getting significant playing time. Fun to watch this develop. I ultimately think the 5* talent will win out but I'm not counting out Brown, there's just something about him that I like, maybe it's because he's the underdog, I've always liked that role.
As for our other starters, for the star gazers, of which, I've always understood the importance of getting highly rated players, just not convinced they all have to be 5*s, our lineup is filling in nicely with mostly 4 stars and a smattering of fives--
Our receiving group will likely be 2 fours (Hamler- who arguably would have been a 5 but for an injury and Dotson)and a five (Shorter).
Our offensive line will be all fours (Fries, Miranda- or was he a 3?, Menet, Gonzalez and Walker- or was he a 5?, I don't think so but i could be misremembering), and our TEs a 3 (Bowers) and a 4 (Freiermuth-- who played like a 5 last year)
On defense, assuming some of the starters going into the season, we could have 2 five stars in the lineup, 7 fours, a three and a walk-on (maybe a two?).
At DE we'll have 2 four stars (Simmons and YGM- who has AA potential this year) with a bunch of four stars backing up (Oweh, Tarburton and Isaac; and then 2 threes in Toney and Joseph).
At DT, contrary to popular belief, we do hae the stars, just not sure if all were deserving of their ratings. Windsor was a late addition to our class and was a three. Mustopher is our highest rated DT and is the likely starter along side Windsor. The backups will likely be Jordan, if healthy (a 4), Hansard (also if healthy), another four, Barber- another 4, and Shelton- a three. If Culpepper and Hawkinds are able to contribute, we're looking at low fours/high threes- I can't remember their rankings but I"m pretty sure I'm right about the rankings, just not sure which is attributable to either.
At LB, a walk-on in Jan Johnson, a four in Cam Brown and a five in Parsons-- and the backups include a 5 in Smith, and 2 fours in Luketa and Brooks. Lance Dixon is another guy, although young, who has been impressing-- I think he was a 4 on Rivals but was a 5 on 247. I don't want to forget Katshir, either, I think he was a 3.
The secondary will have a former 5 until he was injured (Taylor) and a 5 (Wade) at safety. Sutherland was a four as was Brisker. Petrishon was a three while Rudolph was a four. We have primarily fours at Corner with Reid and TCF both highly rated recruits. Donovan Johnson, Trent Gordon (who I always seem to forget), Marquis Wilson and Keaton (sp?) Ellis were all fours. The only threes at corner are DJ Brown and Hardy.
Pretty solid lineup if you ask me-- need a few more high fours and fives overall but I'll trus the coaches on that, if they pick threes to recruit and start over those more highly rated kids, that's fine with me- they see practice, they see the little things, all we see are stars and reputations and, honestly, it's kind of amazing the evaluations that are made on such little information LOL.
Why would I even suggest Brown over the others? Call it a gut feeling but I'm not sure Slade is a "team first" kinda guy. There were all kinds of rumors about him last year (I assumed he had injury issues) and then during Spring practice, he was one of a few guys who were required to roll the field due to some sort of indiscretion. I also recall a comment from either Franklin or other players that insinuated that maybe Slade needed to mature a bit. While each thing individually doesn't mean much, in all it starts to make me wonder about him. Since both Cain and Ford are true freshmen, I could see Brown, a 3rd year back, earning the starting job or, at the very least ,getting significant playing time. Fun to watch this develop. I ultimately think the 5* talent will win out but I'm not counting out Brown, there's just something about him that I like, maybe it's because he's the underdog, I've always liked that role.
As for our other starters, for the star gazers, of which, I've always understood the importance of getting highly rated players, just not convinced they all have to be 5*s, our lineup is filling in nicely with mostly 4 stars and a smattering of fives--
Our receiving group will likely be 2 fours (Hamler- who arguably would have been a 5 but for an injury and Dotson)and a five (Shorter).
Our offensive line will be all fours (Fries, Miranda- or was he a 3?, Menet, Gonzalez and Walker- or was he a 5?, I don't think so but i could be misremembering), and our TEs a 3 (Bowers) and a 4 (Freiermuth-- who played like a 5 last year)
On defense, assuming some of the starters going into the season, we could have 2 five stars in the lineup, 7 fours, a three and a walk-on (maybe a two?).
At DE we'll have 2 four stars (Simmons and YGM- who has AA potential this year) with a bunch of four stars backing up (Oweh, Tarburton and Isaac; and then 2 threes in Toney and Joseph).
At DT, contrary to popular belief, we do hae the stars, just not sure if all were deserving of their ratings. Windsor was a late addition to our class and was a three. Mustopher is our highest rated DT and is the likely starter along side Windsor. The backups will likely be Jordan, if healthy (a 4), Hansard (also if healthy), another four, Barber- another 4, and Shelton- a three. If Culpepper and Hawkinds are able to contribute, we're looking at low fours/high threes- I can't remember their rankings but I"m pretty sure I'm right about the rankings, just not sure which is attributable to either.
At LB, a walk-on in Jan Johnson, a four in Cam Brown and a five in Parsons-- and the backups include a 5 in Smith, and 2 fours in Luketa and Brooks. Lance Dixon is another guy, although young, who has been impressing-- I think he was a 4 on Rivals but was a 5 on 247. I don't want to forget Katshir, either, I think he was a 3.
The secondary will have a former 5 until he was injured (Taylor) and a 5 (Wade) at safety. Sutherland was a four as was Brisker. Petrishon was a three while Rudolph was a four. We have primarily fours at Corner with Reid and TCF both highly rated recruits. Donovan Johnson, Trent Gordon (who I always seem to forget), Marquis Wilson and Keaton (sp?) Ellis were all fours. The only threes at corner are DJ Brown and Hardy.
Pretty solid lineup if you ask me-- need a few more high fours and fives overall but I'll trus the coaches on that, if they pick threes to recruit and start over those more highly rated kids, that's fine with me- they see practice, they see the little things, all we see are stars and reputations and, honestly, it's kind of amazing the evaluations that are made on such little information LOL.
