2021 - State of the Recruiting Class thread

CanadalovesND

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Diggs, Alt, Thomas, Estime, Fisher, Kollie, Rubio, Styles

Lotta the sophomore class hitting a groove. Sampson’s article touched on a bit of swagger coming out with the win streak. Feel like a lot of it is this class.

To add, players like Spindler, Walters, Onye, and the trio of Barnes, Tucker & Riley will have bigger roles next season. And then there is Colzie as well.
 

NDisme

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To add, players like Spindler, Walters, Onye, and the trio of Barnes, Tucker & Riley will have bigger roles next season. And then there is Colzie as well.
Barnes, I had a lot of high hope for him. He has to move to safety next year no? I mean it’s not a good thing when 2 freshman come in and pass you on the depth chart. One of which was not on campus until June
 

Dale

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To add, players like Spindler, Walters, Onye, and the trio of Barnes, Tucker & Riley will have bigger roles next season. And then there is Colzie as well.

Im not too optimistic on some of those names tbh. While a fantastic coach, Lea’s recruiting was a joke. Heck some of them have already left for lower levels of football.
 

KPENN

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Im not too optimistic on some of those names tbh. While a fantastic coach, Lea’s recruiting was a joke. Heck some of them have already left for lower levels of football.
Seems to be a trend with BK’s assistant hires.
 

INLaw

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I think out of barnes, riley, and tucker we will end up with one starter safety and the rest probably off the roster by next year my guess is barnes. Onye is on pace to be a DL contributor next year. Maybe Walters can be a Snyper hybrid. Worried about Spindler. Needs to be at least first man off the bench for next season I would think or could end up a bust or on another team
 

CanadalovesND

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Im not too optimistic on some of those names tbh. While a fantastic coach, Lea’s recruiting was a joke. Heck some of them have already left for lower levels of football.

Kollie committed to Lea, Rubio too.

Foskey, Mills, the Ademilola twins (committed to Elko, but remained after Lea's promotion), Cross, NaNa, Kiser etc... as well, some of the players still developing too - Onye, Henderson, Walters, all the CBs I mentioned.

Yes, Lea had some misses, but let's not pretend that he doesn't have any fingerprints on the current roster, or that his recruiting did not translate into success within the team and talent on the field. The biggest issue with Lea was CB recruiting, which predates the BK era.

I feel that Freeman has been such a revolution on the recruiting trail that it makes his predecessors' appear average. Lea was good recruiter. Freeman is a great recruiter who is trying to become an elite one.

I'm not optimistic that each player in the current sophomore class will become stars, or even starters. But, some guys will develop into depth & rotational players, which is needed to field a great team. Ex. Nicco Fertitta did nothing but play special teams for four years, but he was a recruiting success.
 

CanadalovesND

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I think out of barnes, riley, and tucker we will end up with one starter safety and the rest probably off the roster by next year my guess is barnes. Onye is on pace to be a DL contributor next year. Maybe Walters can be a Snyper hybrid. Worried about Spindler. Needs to be at least first man off the bench for next season I would think or could end up a bust or on another team

Barnes is a starter or he's a transfer?
 

Dale

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Kollie committed to Lea, Rubio too.

Foskey, Mills, the Ademilola twins (committed to Elko, but remained after Lea's promotion), Cross, NaNa, Kiser etc... as well, some of the players still developing too - Onye, Henderson, Walters, all the CBs I mentioned.

Yes, Lea had some misses, but let's not pretend that he doesn't have any fingerprints on the current roster, or that his recruiting did not translate into success within the team and talent on the field. The biggest issue with Lea was CB recruiting, which predates the BK era.

I feel that Freeman has been such a revolution on the recruiting trail that it makes his predecessors' appear average. Lea was good recruiter. Freeman is a great recruiter who is trying to become an elite one.

I'm not optimistic that each player in the current sophomore class will become stars, or even starters. But, some guys will develop into depth & rotational players, which is needed to field a great team. Ex. Nicco Fertitta did nothing but play special teams for four years, but he was a recruiting success.

Obviously I’m aware he landed some guys, including some I mentioned. You named what 9 guys? Does that clear being enough in your opinion? Mostly Elston’s guys too. Lea was not a good recruiter. Don’t really think it’s even debatable. C’mon the 2021 defensive class is largely a joke.

Fantastic, even elite at almost every other aspect of college coaching.
 

CanadalovesND

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Obviously I’m aware he landed some guys, including some I mentioned. You named what 9 guys? Does that clear being enough in your opinion? Mostly Elston’s guys too. Lea was not a good recruiter. Don’t really think it’s even debatable. C’mon the 2021 defensive class is largely a joke.

Fantastic, even elite at almost every other aspect of college coaching.

Lea was fine. He had some misses, and didn't bring in enough in some classes - he brought in seven players on defense in the 2020 class, but that entire class was only 17 players. That 2021 class looks like a joke now, but they are all sophomores mate. Give it a bit of time.

We are fielding quality starters on this team with his recruits, and have a handful or two of his players developing that are going to be in either the two deep or rotation next season. I didn't even mention Kyle Hamilton - our highest drafted defensive player since 2012.

He didn't have the same fire that Freeman has with the energy and 24/7 commitment towards recruiting, but Lea was also not doing anything either. It'll take another few years before we can completely summarize and label his track record here at ND.
 

CanadalovesND

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Riley, Ghee, Barnes, Tucker, Walters, Aupiu, Schweitzer, Kia, Onye, Johnson.

O/U 2.5 - how many guys contribute meaningful snaps to ND in their careers?

My question doesn't help my point entirely, and I can see that, but how do you measure meaningful snaps? Give me an example.

200 a season? 500 a career?
 

Dale

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My question doesn't help my point entirely, and I can see that, but how do you measure meaningful snaps? Give me an example.

NaNa is playing meaningful snaps right now. So setting the bar at at least a backup who plays each week.
 

CanadalovesND

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Under. Based off of the first one and half years of all their careers, I'd say Barnes is the only one right now. That's subject to change, it will take another year or two to know for sure.

Keep in mind, Ade Ogundeji didn't play until his third season, and he was our best pass rusher in 2020.
 

Dale

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Under. Based off of the first one and half years of all their careers, I'd say Barnes is the only one right now. That's subject to change, it will take another year or two to know for sure.

Keep in mind, Ade Ogundeji didn't play until his third season, and he was our best pass rusher in 2020.

So Lea wasn’t a bad recruiter but you’re thinking we’re going to only get 3 contributors (Kollie, Rubio, and Barnes) from an entire recruiting class? 3 guys that can achieve being a backup in their careers? I don’t get how those can be reconciled together.
 

CanadalovesND

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So Lea wasn’t a bad recruiter but you thinking we’re going to only get 3 contributors (Kollie, Rubio, and Barnes) from an entire recruiting class? 3 guys that can achieve being a backup in their careers? I don’t get how those can be reconciled together.

At the moment, yes. You can't write off a recruiting class after two seasons. If half of that class are either starters or backups, then it's a success.

You may be right as time goes on, or you may not be. Give it some time, Dale.
 

IrishBoognish

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SIAP. Loy just dropped that there's a 23' QB recruit coming for the Stanford game.

Said he can't say who it is yet because he's a commit elsewhere and the school doesn't know yet.
 

Dale

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At the moment, yes. You can't write off a recruiting class after two seasons. If half of that class are either starters or backups, then it's a success.

You may be right as time goes on, or you may not be. Give it some time, Dale.

There’s a difference between giving it time and just having an opinion. Clearly once time has passed we’ll know the answer regardless.

The class has as much time as the classes below it will give it though, as we’ve seen from Morrison/Mickey.
 

CanadalovesND

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There’s a difference between giving it time and just having an opinion. Clearly once time has passed we’ll know the answer regardless.

The class has as much time as the classes below it will give it though, as we’ve seen from Morrison/Mickey.

Yes, you're right. Freeman is adding talented freshman - 2022, 2023 and 2024. Opportunities for the sophomore class will not be there forever.
 
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