2023 MAC Crooting thoughts, Week 6

[Jieret]

With @PoopyRhinoPickle starting the MAC Recaps back up and full recruiting rankings available on the interface (thanks @TuscanSota!), time to start putting out MAC recruiting content!  Don't expect this to be a weekly article, I won't always be waiting on someone to send me badly overdue reports so I can finish mine have the time, sadly.

Note: Top 300 recruits will have their overall rank noted.

Akron Zips

Class Stats:
Ranking: 80
Signees: 3
Scores:
Composite: 0.66
ESPN: 263    Rivals: 11.2    247: 57.64

Current Class:
#188 4* FS Christopher Moore [Ball Hawk] Albuquerque, NM (C OVR/B- POT)
4* ILB Elton Williams [Coverage] Lima, OH (C/B-)
4* K Edgar Culbertson [Balanced] Cuyahoga Falls, OH (C/C+)

Pretty good start for an.AI class.  Expect Moore to start year 2, and Williams has a good chance to do the same if the Zips run a 3-4 defense in ‘25.  With two upperclassmen ahead of him, Culbertson should wait a bit longer to see the field.
Perhaps most importantly, Akron continues to be @PoopyRhinoPickle’s boogeyman, as most crystal balls had Williams as a 60% BGSU lean.

Looking Forward: It seems 4* OT Rafael Garza is keen to move from the Sunshine State to Ohio.  Sources say he’s ready to commit to the Zips any day now.

Ball State Cardinals

Class Stats:
Ranking: 65
Signees: 4
Scores:
Composite: 0.91
ESPN: 353    Rivals: 12.4    247: 83.52

Current Class:
#268 4* ILB Michael Albanese [Field General] Melville, NY (C/C+)
4* RB Kenneth Curry [Speed] Marietta, GA (C/A-)
4* WR Ralph Nieter [Possession] Oskaloosa, IA (C/B+)
4* TE Joshua Osorio [Vertical Threat] Plant City, FL (C/C+) 

Michael Albanese is the highest-rated Cardinal commit to date, but I think @npklemm is most excited about Kenneth Curry.  He’ll be the most talented RB underclassman in the room and has a good chance to start after a redshirt year.  Ball State beat out Minnesota to sign Nieter and a couple of southern schools (Louisiana-Monroe, Florida) to pluck Osorio out of Florida.  Of the two pass-catchers Nieter has a better shot at immediate playing time but neither are needed to start.  Albanese is an intelligent player that brings a different dimension to the Cardinal linebacker room, but Corey Noteboom and DJ Sisco will ensure Albanese has plenty of time to learn.

Looking Forward: Perhaps signaling a shift in offensive philosophy after Scott Romero graduates, Ball State has made a heavy push for 4* Scrambler Kevin Johnson.

Bowling Green Falcons

Class Stats:
Ranking: 70
Signees: 3
Scores:
Composite: 0.37
ESPN: 155    Rivals: 0    247: 34.28

Current Class:
#169 4* DE Ray Wise [Run Stopper] Hilliard, OH (C/A-)
#196 4* C Douglas Springsteen [Line Captain] Houston, TX (C/A-)
4* FS Krishna LaBrie [Run Stopper] Wall, TX (C/B+)

Much rougher start for the Falcons than expected, considering last season’s playoff appearance and PRP’s recruiting chops.  They had quite a few battles go against them: They were favored for 5* RB Paul Meyer (Minnesota) and 4-stars OT Ray Hochstetler (Michigan) and SS Benjamin Moss (Washington State), and lost them all.  Plus ILB Elton Williams, but we talked about him already.

Not to say they’ve rolled snake-eyes all the time, Springsteen chose Bowling Green over the Pokies of Okie State.  And all three Falcon commits are perfect for the team; all should blossom as they enter their junior years, and none of them are needed to step in right away due to the ridiculous recruiting classes from prior years.

Looking Forward: BGSU is nicely positioned to climb up the rankings, strongly favored on a couple of 4-star players.  But this spotlight goes yet another fight they find themselves in: #174 4* Inside Linebacker James Oneil. Oneil saw his recruitment pick up steam in recent weeks, and BGSU is fighting Tennessee and fellow MAC school Ohio for his services.

Buffalo Bulls

Class Stats:
Ranking: 113
Signees: 2
Scores:
Composite: 0.37
ESPN: 155    Rivals: 0    247: 34.28

Current Class:
3* DT Michael Luck [Nose Tackle] Avon, IN (C/C+)
3* CB Alan Strickland [Ball Hawk] Norfolk, VA (C/A)

If you asked me where I expect an AI class to be at this point in time, I would have pointed vaguely in Buffalo’s direction.  Just kind of chugging along, two to three mid-range commits so far, steadily working towards signing a couple more every couple of weeks.  Having said that, Strickland has a really good chance at starting for Buffalo at CB3 or CB4 as a true freshman.

Looking Forward: Florida 3* center Timothy Grube is an underrated prospect, and it’s likely the Bulls will sign him in the next week or two.  But is a pass-blocking specialist the best fit for the Buffalo offense?

Eastern Michigan EMUs Eagles

Class Stats:
Ranking: 109
Signees: 2
Scores:
Composite: 0.39
ESPN: 166    Rivals: 0    247: 35.82

Current Class:
3* DT Phil Terrell [Pass Rusher] Groveport, OH (C/B+)
3* SS Scott Strahler [Zone Coverage] Salisbury, NC (C/C+)

See Buffalo’s blurb, replace “Buffalo” with “Eastern Michigan.”  I like Buffalo’s current commits more than Eastern’s, although Strahler is going to be very important to the Eagles’ defense - when he arrives at Ypsilanti, he’s automatically SS2 by default and the starter will be a senior that year.
And to be fair, they may have been getting bullied by a certain other directional Michigan school for linebacker recruits such as 4* Anthony Reevey and 3* Robert Roe. *ahem*

Looking Forward: Eastern is undaunted when it comes to the LBs.  3* Texas ILB Anibal Stone has all the Crystal Balls coming up EMU, and it could be finalized as soon as next week.

Kent State Golden Flashes

Class Stats:
Ranking: 142
Signees: 1
Scores:
Composite: 0.22
ESPN: 87    Rivals: 0    247: 21.08

Current Class:
4* QB Andrew Hoover [Balanced] Miamisburg, OH (C/B)

If Hoover doesn’t wear #17 on his uniform, I’ll be slightly disappointed.  That’s the chance experts gave the Golden Flashes to sign him, and they somehow won the MAC battle royal, beating out Akron, EMU, Ohio, and Miami (OH).  Hoover will be competing with a pair of 3* sophomore QBs for backup snaps behind senior James Kivlehan.

Looking Forward: 3* guard Douglas Follett looks ready to move down I-90 a bit and play for Kent State.  Huge pickup for the Golden Flashes if it happens, Follett would easily be their best underclassman guard.

Miami (OH) Redhawks

Class Stats:
Ranking: 64
Signees: 5
Scores:
Composite: 0.92
ESPN: 399    Rivals: 0    247: 80.58

Current Class:
4* OLB Terrence Levy [Pass Rush] Thornville, OH (C/C)
3* DE Ted Shank [Speed Rusher] Taylorville, IL (C/B+)
3* CB Yang Yuan [Man Coverage] Attica, OH (C/C+)
3* DT Sebastian Cintron [Balanced] Brooksville, FL (C/C+)
3* TE Sang Petersen [Blocking] Gilmer, TX (C/B-)

Terrence Levy was a minor upset win for the Redhawks; that they beat Cincinnati to do so made that win extra sweet.  He and fellow pass rusher Cory Corona will give offensive tackles fits once they take over starting positions in 2025.  The rest of the commits are solid depth at the very least, if not solid starters in two years.  Petersen especially brings a different dimension to Oxford, relishing the in-line TE play much more than the Redhawks’ current players.

Looking Forward: Who says AI can’t have exciting croot battles?  Miami and Eastern Michigan are vying for #254 4* RB Sam Taylor, and Taylor says he’ll make his decision in the coming weeks.  Smart money leans to the Redhawks, but you never know until the ink is dry.
 

Ohio Bobcats

Class Stats:
Ranking: 44
Signees: 6
Scores:
Composite: 1.2
ESPN: 495    Rivals: 4.9    247: 108.36

Current Class:
#223 4* OT Gregory Fuller [Pass Blocking] Orange Park, FL (C/B+)
#253 4* DT David Squicciarini [Balanced] Cincinnati, OH (C/B-)
#281 4* DE Thomas Robertson [Balanced] Ashland, OH (C/C+)
3* CB Gerard Sewell [Man Coverage] Hawthorne, FL (C/C)
3* FS Vincent Welch [Ball Hawk] Cincinnati, OH (C/C)
3* K David Brister [Power] Cincinnati, OH (D/B)

Ohio currently has the MAC’s second-best recruiting ranking, and that trio of Top 300 commits explains why.  Coach @AFu01 has done a great job of not just signing talent, but signing talent at positions of need.  If you know anything about me and recruiting, you know that I almost always look forward two years ahead when forecasting roster needs.  
While I don’t expect anyone to be handed a starting position right out of the gate, once again I expect almost all of these players to top the depth charts in 2025.  (We’ll see about Brister)

Looking Forward: We’ve talked about ILB James Oneil in Bowling Green’s section, so let’s highlight a different form Ohio-on-Ohio action.  3* CB Eric Gaskins is weighing offers from the Bobcats and Youngstown State.  While the Penguins are a slight favorite, it seems Gaskins isn’t yet making a decision.  Ohio has time to make up ground with him.

Toledo Rockets

Class Stats:
Ranking: 55
Signees: 6
Scores:
Composite: 1.1
ESPN: 471    Rivals: 0    247: 98.96

Current Class:
3* WR Nicholas Seals [Speed] Booneville, MS (C/C+)
3* TE Paul Olson [Vertical Threat] Gainesville, FL (C/C+)
3* ILB Ernest Bolte [Speed] Winter Haven, FL (C/A)
3* C Humberto Perez [Pass Blocking] Fort Myers, FL (C/C-)
3* FS Mark Nye [Man Coverage] Massillon, OH (C/C+)
3* SS David Curtis [Ball Hawk] Hazlet, NJ (C/B-)

Talk about positions of need: Half of Toledo’s current commits (Seals, Olson, Curtis) are walking into situations where they will literally be the only underclassman at their position.  Every other WR, TE, and SS will be a junior or senior.  Yikes.  It’s not hard to see how that might shape their recruiting strategy as they haven’t tried to shoot very high, instead keeping their heads down and aiming for solid 3-star players.

Looking Forward: The Rockets blasted off to the Pacific Northwest in search of their next commit.  Lynden 3* CB Lawrence Wilkinson strongly favors Toledo, and it’s hard to see him not climb aboard.

Western Michigan Broncos

Class Stats:
Ranking: 1 (I swear this had nothing to do with why I wrote this honest)
Signees: 8
Scores:
Composite: 2.56
ESPN: 732    Rivals: 223.3    247: 190.52

Current Class:
#4 5* OT Curtis Davis [Pass Blocking] Maroa, IL (B/B)
#7 5* SS Timothy Khan [Man Coverage] Madison, MS (B/B-)
#33 5* OG William Radosta [Balanced] Yorktown, VA (B/C+)
#232 4* RB Carlo Liu [Balanced] Arlington, MD (C/B-)
#237 4* C Richard Powley [Pass Blocking] Muskegon, MI (C/A)
#274 4* OLB David Hartshorn [Coverage] Brooksville, FL (C/B-)
4* OLB Anthony Reevey [Run Stopper] Montague, MI (C/C)
4* ILB Ronald Fennell [Speed] Swainsboro, GA (C/B)

Western is leveraging their Frontrunner status as long as they possibly can, and that aggression on the recruiting trail (plus a healthy dollop of luck) is paying off in spades.  Lots of emphasis on the linebacking corps and the offensive line in recruiting, with six commits so far out of eight, and one of the ones that isn’t is the most likely of the current group to start next season (Khan).

WMU has no comment on the rumor that signing Liu means they’re going to try this “running the ball” thing.

While it’s highly unlikely the Broncos maintain the country’s best class going forward, top 10 isn’t out of the question - orders of magnitude better than previous years.

Looking Forward: Wisconsin 4* CB Ryan Topping has clearly favored the Broncos throughout the recruiting cycle, and the only real question there is when he chooses to sign.
 

Currently partying with Sir "Not Appearing Elsewhere in this Article:" Central Michigan Chippewas, Northern Illinois Huskies.  You can do it, I have faith!

Finally, some more numbers:

Note: OVR and POT were converted accordingly: A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2, F=1.  +/- added or subtracted 0.33 points.  Thus an A+ is scored as a 5.33, A- 4.67, etc.

 

Edited July 7, 2023 by Jieret

[Jieret]

Got questions/complaints about those totally messed up formulas?  Put 'em below!

EDIT: I just realized the first chart is off when it comes to Stars. Fixing!

(MAC emojis would go here if we had them!)

Edited July 7, 2023 by Jieret

[tsweezy]

How does it feel to be the only MAC team with 5*s this cycle?

[Ape]

26 minutes ago, Jieret said:

Currently partying with Sir "Not Appearing Elsewhere in this Article:" Central Michigan Chippewas, Northern Illinois Huskies.  You can do it, I have faith!

Check with us next week! 

[Jieret]

8 minutes ago, tsweezy said:

How does it feel to be the only MAC team with 5*s this cycle?

Kind of odd, actually.  But looking at the croot list I was the only one in the MAC trying, except for BGSU going after Paul Meyer.  So maybe not as odd as it seems at first.

[PoopyRhinoPickle]

Great content. Luck has been against me this class, fortunately the last 2 classes give me a little slack where I had no positions that were do-or-die. That WMU class tho...

[subsequent]

Why +/-0.33 for the + and - instead of 0.5?

[Jieret]

8 minutes ago, subsequent said:

Why +/-0.33 for the + and - instead of 0.5?

If I did that A- and B+ would be the same value (4.5)