[2024] MAC Crooting Thoughts, Week 4

[Jieret]

You knew this was coming.

Top-300 recruits will have their overall rank noted.

 

Ball State Cardinals ( @npklemm)

Class Stats:

Ranking: 8 Overall, #2 Conference

Signees: 4

Scores:

Composite: 1.61

ESPN: 351 Rivals: 60.8 24/7: 87.8

Current Class:

#75 4* CB Chi Son [Man Coverage] B/B-

#138 4* SS Gregory Saul [Zone Coverage] B/C+

#255 4* ATH Stanley Dirig [Weakside] C/B-

4* DE Carl Victor [Run Stopper] C/C+

Muncie is buzzing over the hot start the Cardinals have on the recruiting trail, with four blue chippers already committed.  Was there some luck involved?  Sure, Ball State won coin flips for Son and Dirig.  But all that matters in the end is the signature.  Son and Saul are good enough that they could play in the Cardinals secondary NOW, and while Dirig and Victor aren’t as ready they are important parts of Ball’s defense going forward.  Dirig will be an interesting chess piece for Coach Klemm to handle; he’s played all over the back seven for his high school team, and while there’s a path to earlier playing time at OLB his slight frame (6’2” 163) makes it more likely he’ll eventually partner with Son at corner.

Looking Forward: As if they didn’t get enough bodies for their defense, 5-star DE Matthew Babich seems ready to put pen to paper.  The 23rd overall recruit will likely stay home instead of playing for the Trojans of USC.

Bowling Green Falcons ( @PoopyRhinoPickle)

Class Stats:

Ranking: 5, #1

Signees: 4

Scores:

Composite: 1.94

ESPN: 375 Rivals: 120.2 24/7: 98.26

Current Class:

#5 5* CB Nat Turner [Ball Hawk] B/B-

#52 5* RB Dale Lamb [Speed] B/C

4* QB Sergio Cano [Pocket] C/A-

4* OLB Charles Tinner [Speed] C/A

THIS is more like it.  The Falcons made sure they got off the crooting strugglebus that plagued them last year, signing two 5-star players and two 4-stars already.

But as longtime followers of the MAC are aware, none of these players fill a critical need for BGSU, because BGSU has traditionally recruited so well they don’t need many (if any) freshmen to step in right away.  Not even a high-level talent like Nat Turner.

Looking Forward: Bowling Green isn’t done shooting for the moon.  Georgia’s Lawrence Mcguire is this class’s top strong safety, and the only sure thing about his recruitment process is that he’ll sign somewhere next week.  But BGSU is in a four-way battle royale for Mcguire, with Houston, Georgia, and Georgia Tech as the other finalists.

 

Central Michigan Chippewas (AI)

Class Stats:

Ranking: 45, #5

Signees: 1

Scores:

Composite: 0.49

ESPN: 87 Rivals: 38.5 24/7: 22.86

Current Class:

#85 4* OT Nicholas Hancock [Run Blocking] B/C

Freed from inactive coaching, the Chippewas quickly pull in a top-100 recruiting in the homegrown Hancock.  Central is badly in need of blue-chip young blood everywhere, and the near-300 pounder from Caledonia is a great start to the upcoming rebuild.

Looking Forward: The Chips aren’t done with the beef, as they reach deep into the heart of Texas looking to sign Charles Mcgee, another four-star offensive tackle.

 

Northern Illinois Huskies ( @Ape)

Class Stats:

Ranking: 49, #6

Signees: 1

Scores:

Composite: 0.41

ESPN: 88 Rivals: 14.7 24/7: 23.08

Current Class:

#183 4* CB Shane Hadnot [Man Coverage] B/B

You can read a bit more Hadnot here: https://www.simfba.com/topic/6884-2024-huskies-insider-huge-upset-and-recruiting-update/.  We will add that Hadnot could slot in at nickel back very easily for the Huskies in 2025.

Looking Forward: Coach Ape is doing a great job of ensuring NIU takes that next step forward, and nowhere is that more evident than the impending signing of five-star QB Douglas Burns from Miami, FL.  Burns could be handed the keys to the Huskie offense once he arrives in DeKalb, with current starter Tsuyoshi Jackson graduating this year and none of the other options looking terribly exciting.

 

Ohio Bobcats ( @Traith Kreios)

Class Stats:

Ranking: 41, #4

Signees: 1

Scores:

Composite: 0.53

ESPN: 89 Rivals: 46 24/7: 24.74

Current Class:

#61 4* ATH Keith Payne [Slotback] B/B-

Payne played in-line as a TE and split out wide as a receiver for his high school.  Currently he is slightly undersized (6’3” 214) to be a full-time TE at the college level, although unlike Stanley Dirig it would be much easier to have Payne gain 15-20 of good weight under the S&C coach’s watchful eye.  Whether at TE or WR, Payne will be very hard to keep off the field next season.

Looking Forward: The Bobcats missed out on LB/DB Stanley Dirig to Ball State, but they should get some good news soon as 4* WR Joseph Richardson seems ready to make the cross-country trek from California to Oxford.

 

Western Michigan Broncos (Jieret)

Class Stats:

Ranking: 35 (#3)

Signees: 1

Scores:

Composite: 2.56

ESPN: 732 Rivals: 223.3 24/7: 190.52

Current Class:

#39 5* WR Ismael Leon [Red Zone Threat] B/C

Not the blazing start to recruiting like they had last year, but the Broncos’ first-ever five-star wideout is nothing to sneeze at.  Leon’s size (6’2” 205) lets him shield the ball well from defenders, and he could very well be in the running for a starting position next season.

Looking Forward: Lansing’s own Ed Agosta appears set to sign with WMU soon, as the 4* CB has favored the Broncos throughout the entire process.

 

Looking to get on the crooting board soon: Akron Zips, Buffalo Bulls, Eastern Michigan Emus Hurons Eagles, Kent State Golden Flashes, Miami(OH) Redhawks, Toledo Rockets.

All AI schools if you were curious.

 

No charts this week, as half the conference has yet to get on the board and all the "#DIV/0!" errors hurt my eyes.

 

Final thoughts for the week: The human-coached schools are all off to great starts, as you'd likely expect.  What strikes me about the players brought in so far is that so many of them have legitimate chances to make the two-deeps as true freshmen next year. *  It's a really exciting time to be a fan of the MAC!

 

*Bowling Green recruits excepted, because BGSU has no holes that need to be patched immediately. Ever.

Edited May 17 by Jieret

[npklemm]

My luck is going to turn at some point, but I'm just happy to be here.

[Ape]

20 hours ago, Jieret said:

Looking Forward: Coach Ape is doing a great job of ensuring NIU takes that next step forward, and nowhere is that more evident than the impending signing of five-star QB Douglas Burns from Miami, FL.  Burns could be handed the keys to the Huskie offense once he arrives in DeKalb, with current starter Tsuyoshi Jackson graduating this year and none of the other options looking terribly exciting

Douglas and I have had a lot of discussions and he understands if he comes to NIU he will be our starter on day 1