[2023] Recruiting Class Grades Batch 2

[tsweezy]

It's that time of year again! Time to hand out recruiting class grades!

This is the second batch, and I have like 30 more teams to do so don't worry I'll (eventually) do you if you want me to

A quick note: everything should be explanatory, but the rankings are: ESPN and Rivals per the interface along with 247, Ezaco's SSEC rankings are without regional bonuses, and the top-15 versions are just taking into account the top-15 croots signed. Average Rank tosses out high and low ranks and averages remainder

 

Today's: @kgreene829 @Jieret @TuscanSota

 

:bronco:

Western Michigan

Mid-American Conference

2022: 12-3 (6-2)

Last Years Class: C-

 

 

Recruiting Class Basics:

WMU signed 6 4-stars, 15 3-stars, 1 2-star and 3 1-stars. They signed 9 players with B or higher potential and 1 players with B overalls. Rankings info below:

 

 

ESPN	Rivals	247	247 top 15	Full rank	Top-15 rank
23	50	29	34	28	40

 

Average Rank: 32.75

 

Signees below:

 

 

School	Name	Stars	Ovr	Pot	Pos	Archetype	City	State
WMU	James Hillebrand	3	C	C+	C	Pass Blocking	Lake Mary	FL
WMU	Henry Hyman	3	C	B	CB	Zone Coverage	Monroe	LA
WMU	Arthur Lanier	3	C	C+	CB	Ball Hawk	Berrien Springs	MI
WMU	Steve Ricco	4	C+	C	DE	Run Stopper	Miami	FL
WMU	Christopher Halverson	2	D	A	DE	Run Stopper	McBain	MI
WMU	Wesley Reed	4	C+	C	DT	Pass Rusher	Indianapolis	IN
WMU	Andrew Wolff	3	C	A-	DT	Balanced	Appleton	WI
WMU	Brandon Eckerman	4	C+	B-	FS	Run Stopper	Sterling Heights	MI
WMU	John Pelishek	3	C+	C+	FS	Zone Coverage	Vincennes	IN
WMU	Simon Ragsdale	3	C	C+	ILB	Field General	Shafter	CA
WMU	Jeffrey Smith	3	C	C+	ILB	Run Stopper	Iron Mountain	MI
WMU	Miguel Avina	1	D	D-	K	Power	Croswell	MI
WMU	Mark Stevens	4	B-	B	OG	Pass Blocking	St. Louis Park	MN
WMU	Michael Kennicott	3	C	B-	OLB	Pass Rush	Neosho	MO
WMU	Howard Roach	3	C	C	OLB	Coverage	Keller	TX
WMU	Paul Girard	3	C	C	OT	Balanced	Jefferson City	MO
WMU	John Ross	3	C	A-	OT	Pass Blocking	Benzonia	MI
WMU	Willie Robinson	4	C+	B+	QB	Pocket	Atlanta	GA
WMU	Billy Green	1	D	A+	QB	Pocket	Indianapolis	IN
WMU	Douglas Wrobel	3	C+	B+	RB	Receiving	Upper St. Clair	PA
WMU	Justin Godfrey	3	C	C	RB	Balanced	Alpharetta	GA
WMU	Scott Heyward	3	C	C+	SS	Zone Coverage	Landrum	SC
WMU	James Whitcomb	4	C+	C	TE	Vertical Threat	Hartland	MI
WMU	Daniel Courtney	3	C	C+	WR	Route Runner	Detroit	MI
WMU	Michael Madigan	1	D	A+	WR	Speed	Sullivan	IN

 

 

Below is a breakdown position-by-position of (from L-R) their current roster, what they did on the trail, and the grade I gave them in recruiting that position.

(also extra columns because I started this before progressions and then re-did it

 

 

Pos	Grade	Pre-progression	Grade	Post-Progression roster	# signed	Croot status	Grade
C	D+	Very mediocre upperclassmen 2 stars, but signed a 3CC+ last year who should be the best player in this room...	C-	One pretty poor senior and a bunch of sophomores who haven't really shown anything yet. The next year or 2 will be a rough patch here	1	Adding a 3 star here with above average potential will go a long way in lifting the floor of this group	C+
CB	B-	a JR 4AB- is a stud here locking down one side of the field. a RS FR 4BC+ is also a phenomenal talent on the other side. Not much backing them up or playing CB3 though, as WMU signed some depth options and a future star with a 3CC+ and 3CA player	B+	They have multiple A range players and Omari Stanley will have 2 years as an A overall in this program, great at the top. Last years redshirted Fr Michael Gonzalez also made a huge progression and with A potential is in line for great things	2	2 good 3-stars this class. Not as high-end talent as they have starting right now, but again, just raising the floor for now	C
DE	C+	Very solid group here. The Jr 3BB+ is a good option and the SO 3BC+ isn't horrible. They also signed a 4CC and 3CB+ last cycle to have future starting options. Nothing game-breaking but a good base here	B	Very, very deep here. They have an A- guy and then 4 other Bs of some sort rising through the program. They might not have a game breaker waiting in the wings but have a ton of solid rotational talent. Last years signee Brian Barea is the one to watch in the future	2	They pulled in anotther blue chip run stopper to pair with Brian so down the line they'll be great at setting the edge. They also took an A potential 2-star as a long term development prospect	C+
DT	C	Tyler Johnson is their star here as a Jr 4BC+. Beneath him were just 2s, but last cycle they upped their base with a 3CB+ and 3CC+. Now they can shoot for some raw talent with the base fixed	C+	Similar themes so far. 1 or 2 upperclassmen great starters, a bunch of chaff, and then the guys they're cycling in to raise the floor.	2	These 2 are slightly more than floor raisers though. Wesley Reed is very highly touted as a 4-star, and they grabbed an A- potential 3 to pair with him	B-
FB	C	one guy rostered, a Jr 3BC+	C	He's good, but having 1 player who's a senior is not good if they plan on utilizing the FB as a position. Based on their recruiting I guess they are not	0	Didn't sign any	-
FS	C	last 3 classes they signed a 3BA, 3BC+, and 3CC+, so they are sliding back a little bit talent-wise, but at least they have a lot of serviceable players	C+	They have a great pipeline of overachieving 3s for the next few years and this is a position of strength with Dallas Maulet being one of their best players this year	2	The first blue chip in this room, and with B- potential he will carry or elevate the standard here. They also got a coverage 3 star to pair with him	B
ILB	C	Great top level here with a 4BA sophomore in Robertson Moore who is a lynchpin. Sadly they only have two other players here: 2 star C overalls. Definitely need some talent here sooner	C+	Not a ton of talent here tbh with the exception of their junior speed guy who will be great this year and next. I don't really see anybody else besides him though who I'd expect to step up	2	They grabbed a pair of 3s to address those same concerns and they'll have 2 years of prep before stepping in as (hopefully) solid starters	C+
K	C	Had a RS FR 3BB which is quite solid. They signed a 1DA last year who I expect will never play and was kinda a wasted scholly, but they have another cycle before they need to identify a future replacement	B-	Hard to find a good kicker but they have a B overall Soph eligibility one. Nice	1	Someone walked on I guess? I don't care about him and he'd better never play	C
OG	C	A couple ok dudes in here. 3BB- Jr is the best, and then the last 2 cycles they snagged a 3CC and 3CB. They also have a rare star 2 star in a RS SO 2BB+. With that info I think they'll have some low-mid B overalls but I don't see any As coming out of this room	C+	A fiar bit of good depth already, but nobody really stands out to you one way or another	1	Zamn, great great get. B overall Freshman pass blocker with B potential is going to be a long term answer on the line	B-
OLB	B-	4 guys total but they make em count. Jr 3BB is a very solid player on one side, and freshman Seantrel Garate is a 5 star locking down the other side for 4 years. As depth they have a pair of freshman eligibility 3CC+ and 2CA which are fine for depth, but they'll want a good starter opposite Seantrel soon	B-	I wanted to give this room a great grade just because Seantrel is that dude. He's an A- already as just a sophomore and will wreak HAVOC on opposing offenses. Unfortunately everybody else in this room is a big pile of nada. They definitely need to find his complement or at minimum start developing these underclassmen	2	They did get 2 more 3 stars and a B- potential 3 is above average for sure. Seantrel still will be the anchor but the other members will likel be serviceable	C
OT	C	Very mid here. They have a pair of 2nd year 3 stars with B overalls which is great for the future but last year's only signee was a 1 star (even if he has A+ potential) so they really need a pair of serviceable options this cycle	B	A good pipeline here. The A overall balanced LT star, with 3 more B overalls behind him (1 from each class). These guys have been developing really well. Unfortunately the only guy they signed here last year was a 1 star so they desperately need young talent soon	2	They got 2 good players, 3-stars one of whom has A- potential! So they met the call, even if it wasn't an "exceeds expectations" per se	C
P	C+	They signed a punter each of the last 3 cycles. All of them are 3 star C overalls. Not much excitement here	B-	The punters are... fine? 3 consecutive 3 stars is probably more than enough and they should be solid in this phase	0	None	-
QB	C	The impact of Scribner graduating cannot be overstated. Talent wise this roster is one of the most average there is and he's pulled them to a deep playoff run. Now that he's gone it's tough to identify a replacement. On paper their RS FR David Ponce de Leon is the guy as a 4BB+. Only issue is he's a scrambler with C TP/TA. They could sit him another year or two to grow while someone like OG Torres plays (Field general 3BB- RS SO). It will be interesting to see what they do here	B-	The million dollar question, what comes next after Scribner? They have a few options, but most of their best players are scramblers so it looks at first blush like David Ponce de Leon will be tabbed as the guy next, but we will see how confident Jieret is in flipping from an all out aerial assault to a ground focused gameplan, especially with how well the WRs have played	2	Love this, they got pocket QB Willie Robinson, a 4 star B+ potential player in the mold of Scribner. This should be someone who is more comfortable plugging in, and while he may need a year or 2 first, he is clearly the long term answer	B+
RB	C	RB room is also interesting. They have a 3BC+ guy from last year and a 3CB- this year, so they are capable of being starters, but neither one will have a very high overall, so this room isn't exactly a strength yet..	B-	Meh. They have 3 good upperclassmen with differnet archetypes but I don't know how gamebreaking they are. Korey at least is very fast if not well rounded. Can they complement Ponce is the question	2	Signed a pair of good future starters here so the room will be quite good (for the MAC at least) in the future	C+
SS	D+	Almost the same as C here, one of the weakest rooms on the roster. Their best player is a JR 2 star CB-? That's not great. Another pair of mid 2-stars aren't going to light the world on fire. In the future FR Al Onyemata is a 3CC+ who could develop well, but that's not the kind of talent that should be a 4-year starter, although WMU may have no choice	C-	Pretty rough, all 2 stars in this room except last years 3 star signee who didn't blossom as much as they'd hoped. This room may be a weakpoint on the team	1	They got another 3 star here for the quintessential "raise the floor" move	C+
TE	C+	Pretty good future here even if there is not much currently. A bad Jr, and then 2 Freshman eligible players is it. A 3CB+ and 3CA- combo will actually be quite good their JR/SR years, but for the next 2 years this will not be a strength	C+	They have a pretty good RS soph in the pipeline, but nothing else around him except for last years A- potential 3 star who didn't make a big jump	1	Nice pickup as they add a 4 star player here to bolster the room for their QBOTF	B-
WR	B-	Probably the best room on the team. Lorenzo Whalen put up some good numbers this year as a RS SO 3BC and will only get better. They have another couple 3Bs with remaining eligibility to make for some good depth. Looking at the future last year they signed 3 players: 4CC+, 3CC+, and 2DA. That's actually a pretty ok haul especially after developing. They can't rest on their laurels here but for now this room is alright	B	Last year it was hard to tell whether their WRs were super strong, or if Scribner was just that good. This year I think we'll find out because on paper, Whalen and Luwawu are not game breakers. They do have a very deep group though who will almost all return next season where it will be a truly monster run.	2	Last year they signed a 4 star possession player, a 3 star speed, and a 2 star red zone threat so they didn't need a huge haul this class. They grabbed a 3 star assumedly for numbers from nearby Detroit, and an A+ potential 1-star	C

 

On balance I like this team. They're going to take a definitive step back for a couple of years but don't mistake this for having no more talent. I harp on it a lot, but Scribner was THE engine that made the broncos go and I foresee a little bit of a lost year or 2 before their next QBOTF steps in. They may have to rely on their defense, but luckily BGSU is their only real competition in this conference

 

Class Grade: B-

 

 

 

 

:tulane:

Tulane University

American Athletic Conference

2022: 10-4 (6-3)

 

 

Recruiting Class Basics:

Tulane signed 2 5-stars, 6 4-stars, 11 3-stars, and 6 2-stars. They signed 5 players with B or higher potential and 3 players with B overalls. Rankings info below:

 

 

ESPN	Rivals	247	247-15	SSEC	SSEC - 15
13	5	9	7	13	16

 

 

Average Rank: 10.5

 

Signees below:

 

School	Name	Stars	Ovr	Pot	Pos	Archetype	City	State
TLNE	Oscar Riser	4	B-	B-	CB	Zone Coverage	Fort White	FL
TLNE	David Levine	4	B-	B+	CB	Zone Coverage	Lebanon	OH
TLNE	Gary Reed	2	C	B-	CB	Zone Coverage	Lubbock	TX
TLNE	Jacob Owens	4	C+	C	DE	Run Stopper	Harlan	IA
TLNE	Kyle Sharhan	3	C	D+	DE	Run Stopper	Elmhurst	IL
TLNE	Timothy Beatty	4	C+	C	DT	Balanced	Northport	AL
TLNE	Michael Robinson	3	C	B-	DT	Nose Tackle	Severna Park	MD
TLNE	James Sherlin	3	C-	A-	DT	Pass Rusher	Santa Maria	CA
TLNE	Roger Lorange	2	D+	C+	FB	Rushing	Springfield	TN
TLNE	Justin Mcdonald	3	C	C+	K	Accuracy	Poway	CA
TLNE	Jose Hernandez	5	B	C-	OLB	Pass Rush	Woodville	TX
TLNE	Gregory Barr	4	C+	C	OLB	Run Stopper	Cleveland	GA
TLNE	Brian Thurston	3	C+	C	OT	Pass Blocking	Trenton	TN
TLNE	Gerald Savoia	3	C	D	OT	Pass Blocking	Kealakekua	HI
TLNE	Keith Plantholt	3	C	C+	OT	Pass Blocking	Seattle	WA
TLNE	Samuel Bixler	3	C	C	OT	Pass Blocking	Woodruff	SC
TLNE	Ramon Hinton	2	C	C	OT	Pass Blocking	LaGrange	GA
TLNE	Russell Peterson	2	D+	A+	OT	Pass Blocking	Sullivan	IN
TLNE	Igor Peters	3	C	C	QB	Pocket	Alliance	OH
TLNE	Tri Hur	3	C	C+	RB	Balanced	Douglas	GA
TLNE	Andres Rodarte	3	C	C+	RB	Power	Richardson	TX
TLNE	Barrett Eaton	2	C-	B	RB	Receiving	Clinton	MI
TLNE	Jeffrey Bouthillier	5	B+	C	WR	Possesion	Hyattsville	MD
TLNE	William Henry	4	C+	A	WR	Speed	Boaz	AL
TLNE	Quincy Slayden	2	C-	C	WR	Route Runner	West Monroe	LA

 

 

 

Below is a breakdown position-by-position of (from L-R) their current roster, what they did on the trail, and the grade I gave them in recruiting that position.

 

 

Pos	Grade	Current Status	# signed	Crooting Status	Grade
C	B-	They have two great juniors, A- and B-, but nobody younger	0	They probably needed to sign the future starter this year, they'll be in pretty desperate need next year of signing a good freshman	D
CB	B	Another team transitioning from man coverage to zone coverage schemes. Their old players are very solid, while they signed a 4 star last year who progressed quite well along with redshirting an A+ potential 3. The future looks bright	3	ugh ugh ugh I lost battles for both of their B overall blue chip signees here which hurts my feelings quite bad. Fantastic signings, I wish I had them, they'll be an absolutely lockdown pair, and they signed an extra 2 star for some reason too. Plethora of riches here	A-
DE	C	Not great here, they have one good seed rusher and then another RS soph 3 star and then some trash. They could def use an upgrade	2	They got it. 4 star Jacob Owens is a stout run stopper, while Kyle is a slightly less stout run stopper. In both cases the room gets better	B-
DT	C	3 2-stars in this room seems like it'd be trash, but their RS Soph is already a B- potential despite having only C+ potential so he's been progressing really really nicely. They need more good players here though	3	Wow, this was a great haul. A blue chipper balanced player, and 2 high potential 3s means this room is officially set for the future. Love to see it	B-
FB	B-	Really good junior rushing FB on the roster already who can spell the RBs if needed	1	Added a pretty bad 2-star, I don't trust him much tbh but FB is a pretty unimportant position	C-
FS	C+	Good ball hawking junior player who's a B+ overall, but kinda sparse with only a bad RS soph behind him. I'd like to see their future answer get signed	0	Didn't sign any	D+
ILB	B+	A trio of pretty solid juniors are all startable, while they signed and RS Kevin Robles last year who is now also ready to start. Overall this is definitely a team strength and will be overwhelming next year	0	Hm they probably needed more players for depth purposes here, disappointed to see no signees	C-
K	D-	A senior 1 star player is their only option. yikes. Not at all what you want to see. Sign someone!	1	They signed someone! A true freshman 3 star instant starter. He isn't necessarily great but he's wayy better than the alternative	B-
OG	C	A lot of chaff, but the 2 stars at least progressed really well? Jamarco Hamilton is the future of this position and he is plenty good, albeit the only underclassmen option	0	A bit head scratching not signing anyone, but maybe their OTs will kick inside (hint hint)	C-
OLB	C-	They have some very good upperclassmen, but a little uninspiring behind them as they passed on signing an OLB last cycle	2	Tulane very much wants to become LBU between ILB and OLB. And tbh they may well be. They signed a blue chip OLB Gregory Barr (again, a player I tried to sign), along with their jewel 5 star pass rusher Jose Hernandez! Very very good haul here and they are stacked for the future	A
OT	B	Lots of options here including their A- junior and signing a B overall 4 star last cycle so they ostensibly have bookends on the roster along with depth	6	Oh so this is where all their scholarships went. SIX Tackles is an absurd haul and it's pretty clear they're counting on being able to kick some of them in to play OG or C. of these 6, 4 of them are pretty average 3 stars, so they certainly have a floor of average starters in the program, but I don't see a bonafide star here	C
P	C	A senior B overall is good. A junior D+ overall is bad. They have nothing else	0	Need to sign one next year to take over as a true freshman	D
QB	B	They have some good scrambler and balanced options in their upperclassmen. But Paul McCullers-Sanders was their prized pocket 4 star they signed last year and redshirted who will have a chance to win this job in the spring and start for most likely 4 years. Will be waiting to see if he pulls it out	1	Signed a totally average pocket guy as a career backup. Not much to be excited about imo	C
RB	C	Not in love with their running backs. The 3 stars are ok and the 2s are average. Last year they got an A- 3 who could be ok I suppose	3	They got two new 3-stars to try and find a gem along with a 2 star who is just going to be outcompeted. I think they have at minimum a good floor at this position	C
SS	C	They have some above average 3-stars in the pipeline, but none that are bonafide stars (yet)	0	Didn't sign any	C
TE	D	2 players rostered? Both Juniors? Both 2-stars? Uninspiring and I guess they are not going to be using this position much. Gotta bring some talent in	0	Another head scratcher. They could have really used a year to develop their signees if they want to maintain continuity and a good grouping	D
WR	C	3 seniors who are great players... and then some mediocre role guys. Not the best assembly of talent on their roster that's for sure	3	Come on. Another player I was desperate to get in Jeffrey Bouthillier who Tulane picks up. a 5-star almost A overall player, Jeffrey joins with A potential 4 star speed William Henry to form an absolute knock-out 1-2 punch at WR for the future	A

 

 

 

Very very interesting to look at. Some of their scholarship distribution decisions are... questionable to say the least in my mind. There are multiple positions that will have to start true freshman / sophomores by necessity instead of choice in the very near future which is a precarious situation. On the other hand, for positions they hit on, they hit BIG. They have some loaded, loaded groups on their roster. For the AAC they are probably still in the mix for the CCG for the foreseeable future but I hesitate to call them the odds-on favorites yet

 

Class Grade: B

 

 

 

:utahstate:

Utah State University

Mountain West Conference

2022: 7-6 (4-4)

Last years Class: C+

 

Recruiting Class Basics:

UTST signed 1 5-star, 0 4-stars, 13 3-stars, 4 2-star and 7 1-stars. They signed 12 players with B or higher potential and 0 players with B overalls. Rankings info below:

 

 

ESPN	Rivals	247	247-15	SSEC	SSEC-15
80	42	44	28	51	46

 

 

 

Average Rank: 45.75

 

Signees below:

 

 

School	Name	Stars	Ovr	Pot	Pos	Archetype	City	State
UTST	Ulysses Cardenas	1	D	A-	C	Line Captain	Palisade	CO
UTST	Robert Knutson	2	C	A-	CB	Man Coverage	Escanaba	MI
UTST	Ignacio Barron	1	D+	B	CB	Ball Hawk	Bayfield	CO
UTST	Thomas Poe	3	C	B-	DE	Speed Rusher	Dike	IA
UTST	Jeffrey Dulac	3	C	B	DE	Speed Rusher	Santa Clara	CA
UTST	Han Patel	1	D	A-	DE	Speed Rusher	Honolulu	HI
UTST	Willie Clay	1	D	C	DT	Nose Tackle	Magna	UT
UTST	Robert Stone	1	D	A+	DT	Balanced	Brigham City	UT
UTST	Robert Julian	3	C	B	FB	Blocking	Thomasville	AL
UTST	Christopher Herold	3	C+	A-	FS	Man Coverage	Angleton	TX
UTST	Paul Walley	3	C	C	ILB	Coverage	Clatskanie	OR
UTST	Trevor Saloom	2	C	C+	ILB	Field General	Highland	UT
UTST	Tracey Dunfee	2	D+	A+	K	Accuracy	Erie	CO
UTST	Robert Lunceford	3	C	B	OG	Balanced	Suwanee	GA
UTST	Jimmy Williams	3	C	C+	OG	Run Blocking	Ogden	UT
UTST	Sang Nguyen	3	C	B-	OLB	Run Stopper	Gunter	TX
UTST	Robert Bucklen	3	C+	C	OT	Run Blocking	Spanish Fork	UT
UTST	Darrell Wilkerson	3	C+	B-	OT	Balanced	Durham	NC
UTST	Tracey Krause	2	C	A	OT	Pass Blocking	Amite	LA
UTST	Trenton Ahmad	3	C	C-	P	Balanced	Nampa	ID
UTST	Joe Fu	3	C	B-	QB	Scrambler	Atlanta	TX
UTST	Roger Alford	3	C	B+	RB	Speed	Ridgewood	NJ
UTST	Nelson Solis	1	D	F	RB	Receiving	Chandler	AZ
UTST	Thomas Daly	5	B+	C+	WR	Possesion	Auburn	AL
UTST	James Chiu	3	C+	C+	WR	Possesion	Honolulu	HI

 

 

Below is a breakdown position-by-position of (from L-R) their current roster, what they did on the trail, and the grade I gave them in recruiting that position. and an extra column cause I forgot I'd started them

 

 

Pos	Grade	Pre-progression	Grade	Post-progression Status	# Signed	Crooting Status	Grade
C	C	Only two guys here, a 3BC+ and a 3CC+. Nothing fancy, just a pretty average room	C-	They may have an A- guy this year, but behind him is a Jr. C+ overall (not great) and that's it. Very very sparse	1	They only took one guy here, a 1 star.. next year they either need to sign an instant impact freshman or suffer a few years of poor C play	D
CB	C+	A more depth-filled room. They have a 4BC+ sophomore and a 3BA- Jr. Last class they signed a 3CC+ and 3CA-, unfortunately the A- potential is the only man guy in the room and you'd think they don't want to mix coverage schemes	C+	Two A- players here is pretty solid! Behind them though it looks like UTST is trying to transition from zone to man down the line, and they did get a pair of 3s last year. Weak on depth for sure though	2	Continued the man trend, but I'm not impressed with these signees. A 2 star A- is ordinarily a development flyer, but the only other guy in the class was a 1 star. Not the best group	D+
DE	B-	Really deep here. They have a 4BC JR who's the highlight, and then 3 freshman eligible 3-stars with A- potentials	B-	Better here, they have at least one impact player in their classes and signed a pair of A potential 3-stars last season. Interestingly their oldest are speed, middle are run stoppers and last years signees are balanced	3	Went big here signing another pair of high potential 3s and accepting a 1 star player. With 4 3-stars B potential or better in the last 2 classes this will be quite good down the line	C+
DT	C+	signed a high potential 3 star each of the last three classes, capped with an A+ potential in last cycle. They are very well off for the future (although it might be 2 years away)	C	A trio of B overalls here, 2 seniors and a junior. Aside from them they signed a 3 star last year with A+ potential as the future of the position. Probably need a pair of bodies here just for numbers sake	2	Well, they got the pair of bodies but uh.... I don't like them. 1-star D overall, C potential? no thanks. The other one at least has A+ potential, but I can see why they tried recruiting out of state as much as possible looking at these dudes	D-
FB	B+	One of the best FB rooms in the nation. A 3BA- at the top, a 3CC- in the middle and last year they went out and signed a 4CB- prospect	B+	Phenomenal group here. A- senior, B junior, B- red shirt freshman? Can they play 2 FBs at once? Very very nice group here	1	And then they added another B potential 3 star, Utah State is officially on track to be FBU at this rate. A prestigious title to be sure	C+
FS	B	A very good room here! A 4BC+ sophomore is great and they followed that up last year by signing a pair of 3s with A- and B potentials. The future of this room is quite secure	B	Great group here as well. Malik is a zone blue chipper with an A- overall as a junior, and behind him UTST signed a pair of three star run stoppers last cycle with great potential whom they redshirted last year	1	They added a man cover 3 star with A- potential so they have some additional options against passing teams	C+
ILB	C	Much worse here. They have a 4BB- for one more year which is great! But a bunch of 2star C overalls is… less good behind him. Definitely a high priority position group	C+	Joe Yanda and Cole Beresford are some dudes. Yanda in particular might be the best player on the team. Unfortunately they graduate after this year and leave only 2 stars behind them to try and fill in.	2	Big step here picking up a 3 star to raise the floor and another 2 as well. These guys are no Joe Yandas, but they're serviceable in a pinch	C
K	C-	At least they addressed it last cycle, signing a 3CB+ power kicker	C	A 3 star B+ potential pickup last year is going to be the starter for the next 3 years, solid enough here	1	Added an A+ potential 2 star. TBD if he ever plays before his senior year	C
OG	C	An ok future here with 3 stars each of the last 3 cycles, with either B potentials or overalls. I'd like to see them either sign a 4* or a pair of 3s here though	C	Not anybody who stands out, but they have a few 3 stars on the roster at least	2	Adding another pair of 3 stars raises the floor even more and increases the odds that at least one of them will hit.	C
OLB	B+	They had a mediocre roster here, with only a 3CB soph, BUT they crushed it with a 5 star signee last year who is going to be a terror for years	B-	Last years crown jewel, a 5 star Pass rusher Henry Gomes is entering his sophomore year as the best player here. He does have some help too in a senior and junior B- player. They probably need to sign his complement on the other side this year though	1	And they did pretty well. Sang Nguyen is a 3 star B potential who should be good enough in 2 years to not hold Gomes back. Solid pickup	C
OT	B-	A fairly deep group here. 3 B overalls, a freshman 4CB-, and just in general a lot of depth	B	Probably their deepest group, they had a lot of development hits among the upperclassmen, made some good RS decisions and signed a high potential 4 star last year for the future. Nice group all around	3	Three players is a lot for a group that was already on schedule numbers-wise. The two 3-stars are good solid additions, and then they have a flyer high potential 2 just in case	C+
P	F	Horrible, a 1star DC+ is the only guy they have??? Yikes	D-	OOF. This sucks. one guy and he's a D+ overall. Please please sign anybody at all	1	They did. Not often that a totally average 3 star walks in as the automatic starter his true freshman year, but Ahmad Trenton out of Idaho sure as heck will	C+
QB	B+	A fairly loaded room actually, it's almost a shame they can only play one. Vic Telis is a So pocket 4BC who is the unquestioned starter. But then they went out last year and signed a 4CB- and 3CA- as well. They should be easily redshirted and have a shot at playing in a few years, and overall it's a great spot	B	Good future here with B+ junior Vic Telis seeing a much more talented team around him while they signed 4 star pocket QB JR Stephens and redshirted him last year. Well set here	1	They added a 3 star scrambler as depth I suppose. Not a big priority	C
RB	C+	Slightly less good, but still ok. A 3BA- junior, Craig de los Santos is good, and they have a freshman 3CB back for the future.	C+	Craig de los Santos is probably the best player on their offense and will shoulder the load. Behind him they have a few 3 stars from different classes so they'll have continuity in overalls for the next few years	2	Picked up yet another high potential 3 in a speed back from NJ. He certainly will get his chance to develop and play as an upperclassmen. they also signed (walk on I hope) a 1 star F potential player who had better be doing nothing more important than giving players water and towels	C
SS	C	Only 2 in this room. The Jr 3BC is a very good starter, but a 2CC+ RS FR is someone you hope they won't actually have to start	C-	A very sparse room here. A B+ senior isn't bad, but behind him is a single player, a mid 2-star. Probably need to get on this	0	They didnt	D
TE	C	This room did not have the best outlook with only a 3BA JR and a bunch of bad 2s. Last cycle they signed a great pair of 4CC+/4CB- talents who will likely make this a phenomenal room in the future	C+	Thad Downs is a good player in his super senior year and will be a great security blanket. They also signed a pair of 4 stars last season so they are going to be able to run some highly effective multiple TE / FB sets in the future that's for sure lol	0	Didn't need any, didn't sign any	-
WR	C	In contrast, the WR is much weaker than the TEs. They have a 3 star each of the last 3 cycles but outside of that, not much. Should be relatively easy to upgrade	C-	Pretty mid to be honest, nothing good in the pipeline either, They need high floor players at a minimum	2	DANG. I wanted Thomas Daly something fierce but he goes to the Aggies as a 5 star stud. They also signed a 3 star meaning that this room got wayyyy better and has another instant starter. Nice nice gets	A-

 

 

 

This roster is... interesting. It isn't that great right now to be honest, and they have a lot of slots that are not super well fleshed out. They have a very clear cut strategy though and have SO SO MANY high potential players so 2-3 years down the line they could have some monster groupings. I am not a huge fan of all the 1-stars they seem to be signing / walking on, but they also have nabbed a 5-star each year. All in all, not a bad squad for the MWC

 

Class Grade: C+

[cultur3]

hey sweezy can u do me

[cultur3]

both ways :sus:

[Piercewise1]

Easily one of my favorite media series. Thanks for the deep dives!

[kgreene829]

Man great article completely agree with your assessment too tried to get a TE and wanted to get a punter but just didn’t see anyone I liked or someone I was able to sign. Next year will be tough but will focus on D and filling out those last offensive positions

[TuscanSota]

Sees that he is tagged

 

CTRL+F for "Washington State"

 

Did not find

 

[Weeze]