[2023] Final MAC Crooting Results (User Teams Part 2: Northern Illinois, Ohio, Western Michigan)

[Jieret]

 

Link to previous articles:

Post of Tables

AI Part 1 (Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan)

AI Part 2 (Kent State, Miami(OH), Toledo)

User Teams Part 1 (Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green)

Remember:

• Key Recruits are not necessarily the highest-rated or highest potential players. Positional need also comes into play.
• For user classes, I will not consider 1 or 2-stars recruits as adequately filling a need except in rare circumstances. 
• Top 300 recruits will have their rank listed.

 

Northern Illinois Huskies (3 4-stars, 17 3-stars, 5 2-stars), Rank 81

Name	POS	Archetype	City	State	*	OVR	POT
David Litzinger	C	Pass Blocking	Kiln	MS	3	C	B
Pete Flores	CB	Zone Coverage	Dallas	TX	2	C	B
Andrew Coleman	DE	Balanced	Edwardsville	IL	3	C	A-
Robert Asmus	DE	Balanced	Otsego	MI	2	D	B+
Jamie Powroznik	DT	Pass Rusher	Tallapoosa	GA	4	C	B
Oscar Brinkley	FB	Balanced	Yuba City	CA	3	C	A+
Daniel Kovacs	FS	Zone Coverage	Montgomery	AL	3	C	C+
Mario Glenn	ILB	Speed	Detroit	MI	4	C	B
Kenneth Daughdrill	ILB	Field General	Las Vegas	NV	2	D	B+
Renato Dejesus	K	Accuracy	Bountiful	UT	3	C	C+
Ralph Morales	OG	Run Blocking	Romoland	CA	3	C	B-
Keith Austin	OG	Balanced	Sacramento	CA	3	C	D
Mickey Kenney	OLB	Coverage	Jefferson City	MO	3	C	B+
Christopher Anderson	OLB	Coverage	Rockford	IL	3	C	B
Cesar Flores	OT	Pass Blocking	Morton	IL	3	C	B+
Daniel Bennett	P	Accuracy	Shrewsbury	MA	4	C	C+
Jermaine Morgan	QB	Balanced	Grayslake	IL	3	C	A-
Juan Vega	QB	Balanced	Hiram	GA	3	C	C+
Ruben Saucedo	RB	Speed	Las Cruces	NM	3	C	B+
Alexander Costa	RB	Balanced	Keller	TX	3	C	C+
Bruce Morris	SS	Zone Coverage	Kapa'a	HI	2	D	B+
Michael Ray	TE	Balanced	Princeton	IL	3	C	B
Tommy Mcclellan	WR	Red Zone Threat	Parkersburg	WV	3	C	B+
Ryan Hester	WR	Speed	Spring Valley	IL	3	C	C+
Markus Lindsey	WR	Route Runner	Parkland	FL	2	C	B

 

Three Key Recruits: #250 4* ILB Mario Glenn, 4* DT Jamie Powroznik, 4* P Daniel Bennett

Projected biggest needs next cycle:  CB, DT, OT, SS

@tsweezy has already done a recruiting class analysis on NIU. Click here for it.

Class grade:  B.  I'm being biased here, because part of this grade is based on the fact that Ape took over in week 5 (give or take) and went balls to the wall in recruiting.  He did a bang-up job considering the handicap he started with.  He fought off TCU for Glenn and BGSU for Powroznik, as well as WMU for their QBOTF Jermaine Morgan.  He was able to patch many of the holes in his roster with high-floor players.*  I believe NIU is also the only class to not have any 1-stars or walk-ons.  This is a solid class all-around.  It won't get too many people outside of DeKalb excited, but I think this is exactly what the NIU roster needed to keep their heads above water.  Now they just need two better versions of this as follow-ups.  No pressure!

 

*Many, not all. The NIU roster has only four A/A- players, and 20 of their top 25 players by OVR are seniors.  There are a LOT of upcoming holes.

 

Ohio Bobcats @AFu01 (4 4-stars, 7 3-stars, 5 2-stars, 9 1-stars), Rank 77

Name	POS	Archetype	City	State	*	OVR	POT
Gerard Sewell	CB	Man Coverage	Hawthorne	FL	3	C	C
Thomas Robertson	DE	Balanced	Ashland	OH	4	C	C+
Nathan Wickersham	DE	Run Stopper	Altamonte Springs	FL	3	C	B-
Maximiliano Perez	DE	Speed Rusher	Hawthorne	FL	1	D	B+
Roger Harper	DE	Balanced	Shafter	CA	1	D	B+
David Squicciarini	DT	Balanced	Cincinnati	OH	4	C	B-
Gregory Smith	DT	Pass Rusher	Baton Rouge	LA	1	D	B
Jonathan Babineaux	FB	Rushing	Youngstown	OH	2	D	C
Barry Gibson	FB	Receiving	Sacramento	CA	1	D	C-
Vincent Welch	FS	Ball Hawk	Cincinnati	OH	3	C	C
James Oneil	ILB	Speed	Monroe	GA	4	C	C+
Christopher Hess	ILB	Coverage	Quakertown	PA	1	D	C-
David Brister	K	Power	Cincinnati	OH	3	D	B
William Morris	OG	Balanced	Hiram	GA	1	D	C+
George Arellano	OG	Pass Blocking	Chula Vista	CA	1	D	C
Richard Needham	OLB	Speed	Lacey	WA	2	D	C
Gregory Fuller	OT	Pass Blocking	Orange Park	FL	4	C	B+
Thomas Mishoe	QB	Scrambler	Pensacola	FL	3	C	C+
Joseph Chase	SS	Zone Coverage	Elkhart	IN	3	C	B
Dung Vines	TE	Vertical Threat	Celina	OH	2	D	C
Geoffrey Kaltenberg	TE	Blocking	Holland	PA	2	D	C
Billy Woods	TE	Receiving	Atlanta	GA	1	D	B
David Larsen	WR	Route Runner	Nashville	TN	3	C	C
James Douglas	WR	Possession	Chandler	AZ	2	D	B+
David Larson	WR	Speed	Glendale	AZ	1	D	B-

 

Three Key Recruits: #174 4* ILB James Oneil, #253 4* DT David Squicciarini, #281 4* DE Thomas Robertson

Projected biggest needs next cycle:  C, OG, ILB, RB

Class grade:  C+.  Man, I really want to give this class a better grade.  Especially after they hilariously signed Oneil away from Bowling Green AND Tennessee.  Oneil and the other two key recruits are massive infusions of talent into a roster that badly needs it.  But it really feels like Ohio was content to just sign warm bodies in the last third of the season, when I thought they should have been more aggressive in going after three-star players.  All those one-star players are essentially blanks, and while a stacked roster like BGSU can handle a small class the Bobcats needed to maximize their signings.  The three and four-stars are great here (I even hope David Brister outkicks his rating, pun intended), but this is a cycle where Ohio needed a quantity of high-floor players (a class like NIU's, in other words) and they didn't quite get there.  I'm pulling for the Bobcats in the '24 cycle, for sure.

 

Western Michigan Broncos (3 5-stars, 9 4-stars, 6 3-stars, 6 2-stars, 1 walk-on), Rank 2

Name	POS	Archetype	City	State	*	OVR	POT
Richard Powley	C	Pass Blocking	Muskegon	MI	4	C	B
Ryan Topping	CB	Zone Coverage	Brookfield	WI	4	C	C+
John Gonzalez	CB	Man Coverage	Fairburn	GA	2	C	A-
Dewayne Sanders	CB	Zone Coverage	Pendleton	SC	2	C	C+
Anthony Jackson	DE	Balanced	Metairie	LA	3	C	B-
Juan Marquez	DT	Pass Rusher	Walton	IN	2	D	B+
Homero Velasquez	FB	Balanced	Buda	TX	2	C	B+
Edward Beaty	FS	Zone Coverage	Grovetown	GA	2	D	B-
Ronald Fennell	ILB	Speed	Swainsboro	GA	4	C	B
Robert Roe	ILB	Run Stopper	Parma	MI	3	C	A-
Alejandro Rivera	K	Power	Mesquite	TX	4	C	B-
William Radosta	OG	Balanced	Yorktown	VA	5	B	C+
Derek Garrett	OG	Balanced	Portage	MI	3	C	B-
David Hartshorn	OLB	Coverage	Brooksville	FL	4	C	B-
Anthony Reevey	OLB	Run Stopper	Montague	MI	4	C	C
Curtis Davis	OT	Pass Blocking	Maroa	IL	5	B	B
Ronald Demotte	OT	Pass Blocking	St. Louis	MO	3	C	B
Phan Dighe	P	Balanced	Greensboro	NC	4	C	C+
Diego Alvarado	QB	Balanced	Longview	TX	3	C	B+
Carlo Liu	RB	Balanced	Arlington	MD	4	C	B-
Oscar Alas	RB	Balanced	Pataskala	OH	0	D	F
Timothy Khan	SS	Man Coverage	Madison	MS	5	B	B-
David Pause	TE	Receiving	Van Meter	IA	3	C	A
Shane Morris	WR	Red Zone Threat	Charleston	SC	4	C	C+
Clinton Antonson	WR	Speed	Great Bend	KS	2	C	C

 

Three Key Recruits: #4 5* OT Curtis Davis, #7 5* SS Timothy Khan, #237 4* C Richard Powley

Projected biggest needs next cycle: WR, DE, CB, QB

Click for Sweezy's analysis.

Class grade:  A-.  I basically agree with almost all of what Sweezy says in the linked article; I did focus on certain groups (OL, LB), perhaps to the detriment of others (WR).  But those areas have been sore spots for me (outside of Seantrel, <3 u bb), and I took the opportunity to have those areas done and locked down for the next several years.  Especially with all the sacks Torres and Scribner have taken over the years.  Davis and Powley should be Day 1 starters and both should help to keep our QB upright, whether it's Torres or the Duck Commander Willie Robinson.  The linebacker focus probably comes too late to provide a running mate for Seantrel (<3 u), but should provide a level of competency after he leaves. 

WR will be a major focus next season though.  I know, I know, me and everyone else.

Finally, Timothy Khan is HIM.

 

[Ape]

8 hours ago, Jieret said:

He was able to patch many of the holes in his roster with high-floor players.*  I believe NIU is also the only class to not have any 1-stars or walk-ons.  This is a solid class all-around.  It won't get too many people outside of DeKalb excited, but I think this is exactly what the NIU roster needed to keep their heads above water.  Now they just need two better versions of this as follow-ups.  No pressure!

 

*Many, not all. The NIU roster has only four A/A- players, and 20 of their top 25 players by OVR are seniors.  There are a LOT of upcoming holes.

Spot on analysis. I didn’t want to risk getting more garbage in walk ons. Figured I’d go for high floor 2* players that I could plug into special teams at least in a few years instead (once again another floor over ceiling type play). 
 

I’ve been saying this class was the easy one, plug a hole is super easy when what you have is 1* or maybe 2* almost everywhere, a B or better potential (sometimes even C+) 3* already raises your floor significantly. My challenge is now more backfilling (injury protection), ensuring that the holes I missed this cycle don’t get missed next year and trying for a couple of Star players that can help me push for a division/conference title in 2-3 years. 
 

My outlook is not as good on the field as last year but I think starting recruiting week 1 will be a big advantage next year even if I don’t have the same good flip luck I did this year (believe my biggest  flip losses were like a C/B DE that went to BYU instead of NIU or maybe a C/B+ somewhere but nothing that sank my class). 
 

#MACTION