[2023] Recruiting Class Grades Batch 9

[tsweezy]

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

I know these have been slowing down recently but work has been a lot, so it's been on the backburner

This is the ninth batch 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: @alexfall862 @Coach123 @RobSun08

 

 

:herbie:

University of Nebraska

Big Ten Conference

2022: 5-7 (4-5)

 

 

Recruiting Class Basics:

Nebraska signed 2 4-stars, 9 3-stars, 6 2-stars, and 8 1-stars. They signed 11 players with B or higher potential and 1 players with B overalls. Rankings info below:

 

 

ESPN	Rivals	247	247-15	SSEC	SSEC-15
111	73	112	98	92	87

 

Average Rank: 97

 

 

Signees below:

 

Name	Stars	Ovr	Pot	Pos	Archetype	City	State
James Sullivan	1	D	C-	C	Line Captain	Beresford	SD
Michael Hecht	3	C	B+	CB	Man Coverage	McDonough	GA
Joseph Young	2	C	B-	CB	Man Coverage	Smithville	MO
James Woelfle	3	C	C+	DE	Run Stopper	Sioux Falls	SD
Bernard Walter	3	C	C	DT	Pass Rusher	Cass City	MI
Tony Miller	3	C	C+	DT	Pass Rusher	Aurora	CO
Dean Yoshimoto	2	D	B+	DT	Balanced	Wichita Falls	TX
Kou Hwang	1	D	C-	FS	Man Coverage	Omaha	NE
Robert King	3	C	B-	ILB	Run Stopper	Lake Worth	FL
Charles Edwards	3	C	B	K	Accuracy	Irmo	SC
Dwayne Riddle	4	B-	C+	OG	Run Blocking	New Port Richey	FL
Howard Martin	1	D	D	OG	Balanced	Goddard	KS
Lee Casteel	3	C	B-	OLB	Pass Rush	Ankeny	IA
Rufus Pintor	1	D	A	OT	Balanced	Elgin	IA
Juan Perez	1	D	A+	OT	Pass Blocking	Spencer	IA
Richard Fiveankles	3	C	B	P	Power	Fremont	OH
Juan Arana	4	C+	C	QB	Balanced	Decatur	TX
Donald Taylor	1	D	B+	RB	Receiving	Sioux Falls	SD
Scott Krueger	1	D	A-	RB	Speed	Algona	IA
Travis Walter	1	D	A+	SS	Ball Hawk	Council Bluffs	IA
Christopher Lengacher	3	C	C	TE	Vertical Threat	Greensboro	NC
Bryan Claflin	2	D	B	TE	Vertical Threat	Immokalee	FL
Mark Childers	2	C	B-	WR	Speed	Westport	CT
Michael Koester	2	C	B-	WR	Speed	Slocomb	AL
Gary Felsing	2	D	B+	WR	Route Runner	Mt. Angel	OR

 

 

 

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	Croot Status	Grade
C	C+	This is an ok P5 group. A B- RS SO with B potential is a 3 year starter, and while he isn't great this year, he will be for the next 2. The RS FR is ok depth as well	1	Uhhh they added a (hopefully) walkon here? He's bad and does not matter at all for this room. They have a RS Fr though so it's not the biggest deal	C-
CB	B-	A pretty good squad here. instead of the lame Man vs. Zone schemers, NEB decided they were a ball hawk secondary, they have a ton of them. The A overall senior, lots of B So/Jrs, I think they are above average for the conference	2	Last year their triple of 4-3-3 stars were great. This years double of 3-2 stars is underwhelming in comparison. Bit of a miss this year, they should look to snag a higher end starter next cycle	C
DE	B	This is an extremelyyy deep group. They have a pair of B+ seniors, and then another 4 B overalls on the roster. Last year they signed a 3 and a 4 star so they're set now, and in the future	1	With a pretty stacked room, Nebraska focused resources elsewhere and signed a single 3 star run stopper. Gonna have to re-enter the fray this year	C
DT	C+	This is slightly less whelming, as it's full of 2 stars and not a lot of true stars who have blossomed. It's just ok for now	3	Whew, 3 DT signees is big, a pair of 3 stars and a good upside 2 star (albeit a D overall one). Fine enough to raise the floor	C+
FB	B+	They have a sophomore 4 star B overall B potential, they're set for a while	0	Didn't sign any	-
FS	C+	A mix of 2 and 3 stars. A very "ok" group here, with a big mix of archetypes to choose from. I don't really see a star anywhere here	1	Added an in-state walkon. Unfortunately he also has low potential so he will not be a good blackshirt addition	C-
ILB	B-	A pretty good setup here actually. They have some serviceable upperclassmen and also signed a bluechipper last year. Should be set for a while	1	Added an ok potential 3 star as a good backup player	C
K	C+	It's fine, they have a RS SO B overall K who should be a solid player for a few years. This is a good cycle to pick up his replacement	1	They did just that. A B potential 3 star is the perfect player to sit for a few years and develop then take over	C+
OG	B	One of their best players: 5-star senior Familia anchors one side. They also have a few B overalls sprinkled in, and last year they signed (and redshirted) a trio of good players, 4 star, and two 3s. Good mix of archetypes too	2	They took a Kansas 1 star kid (probably to laugh at him for being from an inferior corn state), and an actual good starter: A 4 star run blocker. Nice talent pickup for this cycle	B-
OLB	B-	They aren't super talented now, but have some good future options. A RS So B- overall and a true soph blue chipper, they have both positions solidified for the future	1	They added a good potential 3 star this cycle to add good depth, I'd be happy with this room	C
OT	B	They have some very good upperclassmen, but a weaker stock below them. Their sophomore and below eligible players absolutely will not live up to the A overall rating that Diaz has and Bell will have. Gonna need an upgrade here	2	Ehhhh I don't know that these are walkons. A pair of Iowa kids, they are 1-stars (maybe under-scouted?) with D overall (nevermind), and A/A+ potential (oh?). Maybeee they'll be starter quality as seniors / RS Sr but that's a long wait for any contribution	C-
P	C	They have one punter. A RS soph 3 star with A potential. He's good but they need a second in the room I think	1	Name power wins out as Richard Fiveankles is... not as good a punter as his name indicates. He's still a fun guy to have on the roster and would be more than competent to step in as an upperclassman	C+ (name: A)
QB	B-	It's... ok. They stumbled upon Poona Edwards last season who ostensibly has the starting job for the next 3 seasons, and they'll rely heavily on this field general to progress to his potential (assuming he wins the starting job). On the bright side that puts very little pressure on their QB search	1	Whew, ok so they brought in Juan Arana, the only blue chip prospect in the room who may push Poona for that spot down the line? Good pickup	C+
RB	B-	The big strength for this years offense is A overall Jr Richaun Alsadek. They have him for 2 years so you have to feel good about their run game, but behind him is some meh. Last year's signee was just ok	2	They added a pair of Midwestern (bad) running backs who will... fill out the scout team probably. A miss imo this cycle, they need to get Alsadek's replacement soon	D+
SS	C+	A mix of 2 and 3 stars with pretty mediocre potential, this isn't a crater, but it is a pretty uninspiring position. Some talent injection would be nice	1	? Another 1 star from Iowa. I don't care if he has A+ potential, they needed an impact SS sooner than 3-4 years from now.	D
TE	C	Another uninspiring position similar to SS. The TEs are all receiving threats who aren't super great. The bright side is they probably won't need them to be with the WR options	2	They added a pair of vertical threats who fit the same profile of just ok options at TE	C
WR	A	I mean, I've gushed about it before but last years WR recruiting was unreal. Two 5-stars and a high 4 (plus a 3). They currently have 7(!) WRs with at least a B overall which is insane amounts of talent and will get even better the next two years. One of the best rooms in the country	3	They added 3 2-stars with good potential. It won't matter, these guys are so colossally overshadowed, but good on them for getting some high potentials	C+

 

 

 

I was... underwhelmed by this group, I think last year's class was a fair bit better. They took a ton of low overalls, and not all of them had the sky high potentials to make up for it. I think they did a solid job of floor raising in some rooms, but also let the floor slip in a few others. In addition, unlike last year they didn't have an absolutely monster position group. I'd look for them to get back to 3s across the board if possible to flesh out a more consistent baseline and get a game changer or 2 or3

 

Class Grade: C+

 

 

 

 

 

:leprechaun:

University of Notre Dame

Independent

2022: 7-6 (-)

 

 

Recruiting Class Basics:

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

 

 

ESPN	Rivals	247	247-15	SSEC	SSEC-15
54	20	41	29	37	23

 

 

Average Rank: 32.5

 

 

Signees below:

 

Name	Star	Ovr	Pot	Pos	Archetype	City	State
Peter Quick	3	C+	B-	CB	Zone Coverage	Kendallville	IN
Richard Gramling	1	D	F	CB	Man Coverage	Eagle River	AK
Matthew Martin	4	B-	B-	DE	Run Stopper	Fairburn	GA
Brian White	4	C+	C+	DE	Speed Rusher	Plant City	FL
Mazen Cowan	3	C	B-	DT	Nose Tackle	Clarksville	OH
Alfredo Sosa	1	D	B	DT	Nose Tackle	Anchorage	AK
Henry Busby	1	D	A+	FB	Receiving	Eagle River	AK
Edward Templet	3	C	B-	FS	Man Coverage	Sanford	FL
Samuel Ahn	3	C	B-	ILB	Coverage	Sarasota	FL
James Richardson	3	C	C+	ILB	Coverage	Wedowee	AL
Aldo Scogin	1	D	A+	K	Accuracy	Palmer	AK
Michael Fleri	3	C	C	OG	Balanced	Friendswood	TX
Clifford Heikkinen	3	C	C	OG	Balanced	Frisco	TX
Jimmy Muhammad	1	D	C+	OLB	Coverage	Soldotna	AK
John Wilson	1	D	A+	OLB	Coverage	Anchorage	AK
Robert Otis	3	C	B+	OT	Balanced	Abbeville	LA
Rafael Hernandez	1	D	C	OT	Run Blocking	Anchorage	AK
Edward Foster	3	C	C+	P	Accuracy	Fairburn	GA
Kenneth Brimhall	3	C	B-	QB	Balanced	Coconut Creek	FL
James Kincaid	2	C	B+	RB	Receiving	Duxbury	MA
Keith Sedgwick	3	C	B-	RB	Power	Oxford	MS
Larry Wells	2	C	B-	SS	Run Stopper	Mount Carmel	PA
Daniel Habib	5	B	C-	TE	Receiving	San Juan Capistrano	CA
Kyle Edens	4	B-	C+	WR	Route Runner	Fort Mill	SC
William Ofman	3	C+	B	WR	Possesion	Savannah	GA

 

 

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 some really good upperclassmen, but last year they signed a mediocre 2 star and a bad one star so they'll slip a little bit in the future	0	Didn't sign any	-
CB	B-	A similar story here, their seniors are very good, and they have a promising junior. Beyond that though, nobody on the roster looks like they can hit an A- by senior year. They do have ok depth	2	Added a horrific 1 star from Alaska who doesn't even fit the scheme (??) along with an ok potential 3 similar to the one they signed last cycle. Next year they'll need to add at least 2 higher potential 3s	C
DE	C+	They have a quartet of B- to B+ upperclassmen, and McClure will be a great speed rusher next year, but their 4 signees from last year don't look super promising yet. The 3 star A- potential looks like the best of te unch, but the other 3 are kind of duds	2	You'd think after adding 4 last year this wouldn't be a priority, but instead they signed 2 of the 4 bluechips in this class at DE. These guys immediately level the room up and it becomes a strength	B+
DT	C+	Their seniors are both pretty good, but next year they'll only have one starter I'd be comfortbale starting at a big time program. Last years signees are very underwhelming	2	Another Alaska 1-star here for some reason? Anyway, Cowan is the real signee: A 3-star nose tackle with B- potential, he offers a quality option at DT for the future	C+
FB	-	They don't have any on the roster	1	They decided to carry a FB but the one they signed is... ok another Alaska 1-star? Tf is going on here, what kind of connections did their coach have? At least this kid has A+ potential	D
FS	C+	This is a pretty healthy room imo. They signed a 3 star with B potential each cycle and they all look like they're progressing well. All Man coverage guys, not really any complaints here	1	Oh perfect, signed another guy in that exact same vein. A 3-star man cover with B potential, this room is in good shape	C+
ILB	C+	Similar to FS, they have a 3 star each cycle. Unfortunately these 3 stars have just average potential, so ILB is kind of just... ok right now. Room to improve or de-improve	2	Good solid additions here with a pair of above average 3-stars. Adds depth and future options, I think this was a good move to keep the room stabilized and on a higher trajectory	C+
K	B-	They currently have one of the best kickers in the nation: the rare 5-star A overall senior. Behind him they added a B- potential 3 star last year as his future successor so I think the room is pretty solid	1	Added ANOTHER 1-star from Alaska. I don't care that he has A+ potential, stop building this pipeline	D
OG	B-	In better position here than most rooms, they have a pretty solid junior and a 4 star B overall signee from last cycle. This is a position that should improve over the next few years	2	Added a pair of 3 star C overalls that solidify OG as a stable room with some high performers, good base class	C+
OLB	C+	This is a trouble spot imo. They have an A overall senior to lock it down this year, but after he graduates they have: a B- junior, a C junior, and a D sophomore, none of whom have good potential. This could be rough sledding in 2 years	2	Instead of proactively addressing the issue, they added another pair of 1-stars from Alaska (???) who will absolutely not be expected to stem the bleeding or contribute. What is going on, they need to get at least a pair of 3 stars to stabilize next cycle	D
OT	B	A ton of talent here. They have a pair of A overall run blockers which is a great setup for this year. One of them returns next year along with a B overall A- potential fellow junior run blocker. They didn't sign any OT prospects last year though so they need a pair now	2	Otis is a solid B+ potential 3 star pickup, nice base piece. They also added an alaskan kid for some reason who sucks	C-
P	C	Extremely mid, they have a junior C+ overall as the best option in this room	1	They picked up a 3 star this cycle to sit 2 years and then take over	C
QB	B	Plawecki is very clearly the guy, and he has the tools to be successful as an A- field general junior. While he is pretty much the unquestioned starter the next 2 years, let's see who future replacement options could be. Last year they added 2 bad 2-stars (not it)	1	They did pick up a B- potential 3 star who could be serviceale in the future, but again, no sure fire successor in the room	C
RB	B	A loaded room, thehy have 3 B/B+ seniors this year, another B+ junior, and a B- RS Soph. That is a ton of options, not even including last years 2 redshirted 3 stars who will get to at least that B+ overall when they'll be counted on. Good stuff	2	They added some high potential 3 and 2 stars here, so the room has plenty of room to develop over the next few years	C+
SS	C+	Good shape here just like FS, they have a 3 star each year, and last years signee had A- potential so they may even ramp up over time. Solid group	1	A bit of a drop with a B- potential 2 star this year. It's still fine as a one-off if they don't make a habit of it	C-
TE	C+	Only one good rostered player, the 4 star A-/A potential junior is a straight stud. but they are very lacking in depth options and can barely run a 2TE set	1	Danggg best signee of the class in Habib, a 5-star receiving phenom from California. He will be an incredible pass-catching threat for the irish for years to come. This only doesn't get an A because I think they needed to sign 2 players	A-
WR	B	They have a couple of A/A- players here including 5 star Junior Gaudin. Last year was a step down with a pair of mid 2 stars though. Overall an incredible pass catching group for this year	2	They picked the recruiting back up with a 4 star B overall and a good potential 3. WR is very, very well stocked for them	B-

 

 

 

Overall, this class was ok. They had a lot of good hits, and some solid floor raising groups. Honestly I am still shook from them signing 7 1-stars from Alaska this cycle. That is just unexplainable to me, and i'd like to hear the justification for that move. If they had signed 7 regular 3 star / high potential 2s instead, I think this would have been a top-20 class with a high floor and flexibility. Now they're going to have to do damage control in a few rooms

 

Class Grade: C+

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:turtle:

University of Maryland

Big Ten Conference

2022: 5-7 (3-6)

 

 

Recruiting Class Basics:

UMD signed 2 4-stars, 7 3-stars, 3 2-stars, and 13 1-stars. They signed 15 players with B or higher potential and 0 players with B overalls. Rankings info below:

 

 

ESPN	Rivals	247	247-15	SSEC	SSEC-15
128	95	118	129	118	126

 

 

Average Rank: 122.5

 

 

Signees below:

 

 

Name	Stars	Ovr	Pot	Pos	Archetype	City	State
Vernon Meade	3	C	C+	CB	Man Coverage	Sandy Spring	MD
James Lanning	2	C	C+	CB	Ball Hawk	Prince Frederick	MD
Peter Weinstein	1	D	A-	CB	Zone Coverage	Potomac	MD
Victor Walker	1	D	A	DE	Run Stopper	Falmouth	VA
Anthony Williams	4	C+	C+	DT	Pass Rusher	Leonardtown	MD
Earl Hubbard	2	D	A-	DT	Nose Tackle	Sandy Spring	MD
Thomas Taleb	1	D	B+	FB	Blocking	Culpeper	VA
Chang Nguyen	1	D	B-	FS	Zone Coverage	Olney	MD
Larry Muhammad	4	C	C	ILB	Coverage	Potomac	MD
Anthony Boness	3	C	C+	ILB	Field General	Chesapeake	VA
Richard Baker	3	C	B	ILB	Coverage	Brunswick	MD
Charles Martin	2	C	B+	OG	Balanced	Washington	MD
Arthur Ford	1	D	A	OG	Run Blocking	Kings Mountain	NC
Jeremy Wilson	3	C	B-	OLB	Pass Rush	Oxon Hill	MD
Kevin Hanson	1	D	A+	OT	Balanced	Hyattsville	MD
Jeffrey Martin	1	D	A+	OT	Pass Blocking	Fort Meade	MD
James Royer	3	C	C	QB	Field General	Walhalla	SC
Michael Mcilroy	1	D	A+	QB	Field General	Beverly Hills	MI
Mike Granger	1	D	B-	RB	Receiving	Lusby	MD
Marvin Wagner	1	D	A-	RB	Speed	Bel Air	MD
Warren Brinkley	1	D	A-	SS	Zone Coverage	Wilmington	DE
Wilson Hirao	3	D	B-	TE	Blocking	Downingtown	PA
Charles Cavanaugh	3	C	B+	WR	Possesion	Sykesville	MD
Craig Scofield	1	D	A+	WR	Possesion	Annapolis	MD
Damian Nicholson	1	D	A	WR	Speed	Walkersville	MD

 

 

 

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	C+	They have just 2 players: 2-star Juniors, although Eric Williams does have B overall so that's solid	0	Didn't sign any	-
CB	C+	A solid room here. They have a pair of B+ seniors, a B junior, and a B RS Soph. They also have consistency with man coverage / ball hawks. Didn't sign any last year either	3	A 3,2,1 star triple from in-state, none of them are fantastic prospects, but as a room they offer some stability after signing no CBs last year	C
DE	C+	Good seniors, and a solid pair of RS Sophs, again no signees last year so this is a bit thin	1	Added just one player, an A potential 1-star from VA. Not a great prospect but this wasn't the very biggest need so it's acceptable	C-
DT	B-	Signed a 3 star each of the previous 3 classes and they have progressed pretty well, I actually like this room	2	One of their two blue chips: Anthony Williams is a pass rusher from MD who will be a threat to start as early as next year. They also added a high potential 2-star to groom which is a good pairing. This room is the best so far	B-
FB	C-	Only one player here, a RS JR C+ overall. Not the most impactful but it is FB so whatever	1	Added another 1 star B+ potential from VA. Won't help until his senior year though	D+
FS	B-	They're in good hands with Mike Knox, a B+ overall RS Soph. He should have 3 years of contributions for them, although they skipped signing one last year	1	They added a pretty bad 1-star here, but again, they didn't need an instant impact player so it's somewhat forgiveable	C-
ILB	C	Pretty mediocre squad here. They have an ok 3-star junior who progressed fairly, but the other junior is mid, and last year's 2 signees also seem pretty far away from contributing.	3	Wow wow wow, this has like 1/3 of all the impact signees and is a great class. Larry Muhammad is the headliner as their second blue chip signee, but they also took a pair of solid 3-stars as well. They officially upgraded at this room, solid move in the interior	B
K	C	Pretty average players here, neither of them is special and with the RS Soph they have 3 years of ok kicking	0	Didn't sign any	-
OG	C+	They have an A overall run blocker on one side of the line, and then they also have a pair of B- juniors who can step in and be good next year. They skipped signing any last year though	2	They added a B+ potential 2 star which is a reasonably good signing, he'll probably become starter quality. I don't think the 1-star will though which is a shame	C-
OLB	C+	Three guys on the roster and all are pretty serviceable, albeit a little old. The juniors will be quite good next season. Again though they didn't sign any last year	1	They added a B- potential 3 star here which is definitely a solid pickup and answers one of the OLB positions for the future. They still need to get a player for the other one though	C+
OT	B-	A pretty good setup here, they have a variety of B overalls from different classes and I think the next 3 years are acceptable even without any signees last year	2	? they needed to make some pickups here, and they did sign 2 A+ potential players! The problem in my mind is that the 1-stars start with such a low overall that even with a ton of impovement they still won't be able to contribute for years	C-
P	C-	One punter, a C overall RS Soph, he isn't that great but it's a low impact position	0	Didn't sign any	-
QB	B-	Isaiah Lewis returns, the scrambler started for MD last year and still has 2 more years while he is already an A overall player. He is very athletic and more than capable of some big plays. Unfortunately behind him there is absolutely nothing, so UMD has to hope he can stay healthy	2	Realizing they have no talent in the pipeline, MD signed 2 players: An A+ development 1 star and then a 3 star field general from SC. They aren't the most inspiring pickups, and I'd expect this to be a big recruiting cycle next season	C
RB	C+	None of these guys jumps off the page this year, but having 3 junior B overalls certainly gives them options for the next 2 years. They didn't sign anybody last year though	2	Another pair of good potential 1-stars. They have 2 years to develop but I still don't know about their capabilities	C-
SS	B	Vernon Mack is a RS Soph who is A- overall already. A solid player, and he should be their guy for these 3 years	1	They added an A- potential 1 star who at minimum has plenty of time to learn the ropes and improve	C-
TE	C+	They have a pair of pretty solid Juniors here, both blocking and vertical threat, so I'm not too worried at the top end. Depth as always is a concern though	1	They got a pretty high potential 3 star which is good news for the future, and I think he has the potential to grow into a starter	C
WR	C	This was a pretty rough spot. They have a B+ senior, and then a B overall RS soph Everybody else is tragically not good, and last year they signed just a single 1 star. They need more good players	3	They brought in a good potential 3 star from Sykesville who will probably have significant starting roles in his career. They also added 2 high potential 1-stars and who knows how that will turn out	C

 

 

I had some hesitancy about writing this. I like the Maryland program and coach, but we have some fundamental disagreement about the viability of 1-stars. I think that they just start too low of an overall to climb out of even with sky high potential. The issues are compounded by the fact that last year maryland signed 4 players: 2 3-stars and 2 1-stars. That means that in 2 cycles, Maryland has brought in a combined 14 non-1stars which is just... not enough. I'm worried that the bottom might drop out of the program next year or the year after and it will be a painful climb. This next recruiting cycle is vitally important as they need to sign a full complement of 2/3/4 stars to stem the bleeding and get a stable floor for some of these position groups. Here's hoping they do

 

Class Grade: C-