Scholarships, Needs, Fifth Years

[Riddickulous]

If this has already shown up in another thread or is already a topic, please move this.

But anyway, I was doing some thinking about how many scholarships we have next season. I made a list of players with no eligibility and players with potential fifth years, then started trying to figure which players are likely to receive those fifth years. Here's what I've arrived at.

Players with No Eligibility Remaining (after 2011): Jonas Gray, Michael Floyd, Mike Ragone, Andrew Nuss, Taylor Dever, Trevor Robinson, Ethan Johnson, Darius Fleming, Steve Filer, Gary Gray, Robert Blanton, Harrison Smith, David Ruffer. Total: 13

Players with Potential Fifth Years (for 2012 season): Dayne Crist, Deion Walker, John Goodman, Lane Clelland, Braxston Cave, Mike Golic Jr., Kapron Lewis-Moore, Sean Cwynar, Hafis Williams, Brandon Newman, David Posluszny, Anthony McDonald, Dan McCarthy, Jamoris Slaughter. Total: 14

So we could potentially have a total of 27 open scholarships, but we will of course allow fifth years for a number of players.

The question is: Who gets their fifth year, where are there depth concerns, and how many players are we looking to land in the 2012 class at each position?

Assume we give a fifth year to 5 or 6 players. Adding Chris Badger to the roster, we're looking at 20-21 scholarship openings, a bit more than the 17-18 I had earlier assumed.

So who gets their fifth years, and where are there depth concerns?


Players I think will get those fifth years I've listed below, with reasonings...

Dayne Crist - Probable 2011 starter. You do not get rid of your starting QB, especially if there is little starting experience behind him.
Braxston Cave - The only center with starting experience, and the only player on the team that has really spent all of his time here at the position.
Kapron Lewis-Moore - Should be a four-year starter with invaluable experience.
1-2 NTs - One or two of the Newman, Williams, Cwynar trio will get fifth years. They'll add depth and, after this season, experience.
Jamoris Slaughter - He and Zeke Motta will have the majority of the experience at safety heading into a season where the secondary may be a weakness. Again, valuable experience.


And that brings us to needs, and what we are looking in terms of numbers per position in this current recruiting class.

The most pressing needs: RB (badly), DB, NT

Thoughts on numbers, assuming we have 20-21 schollies open.

1 QB - If Crist gets a fifth year, 5 QBs on the roster is plenty.
2 RB - Unless Cam McDaniel turns out to be Jesus, Cierre Wood may be the only productive RB returning in 2012. Since RBs are some of the most commonly injured players, depth is a concern.
3 WR - Especially if we don't keep Walker and/or Goodman, 3 WRs should be the goal this year. Riddick, Jones, Smith, Daniels, Toma, and Atkinson return in 2012.
1 TE - Could see us taking zero this year if there were no really good prospects available, but we should add a TE for depth.
4 OL
1 DE - Should have plenty headed into 2012: KLM, Lynch, Tuitt, Counsell, Schwenke, Heggie, Niklas?, Springmann?.
1 NT - Need a big man in the middle to add to the depth with Nix, Stockton, and 1-2 of Newman/Williams/Cwynar trio.
2 LB - We have plenty of talent at ILB with Te'o, Moore, Calabrese, Utupo, Fox, and Grace all returning in 2012. We also have plenty of talent at OLB (and young) returning: Shembo, Spond, Williams, Rabasa, Councell. Emphasis will probably be on OLB more than ILB.
5 DB - Staff has specified that they want 5.
1 LS - Scott Daly.

That gives us 21 schollies. Do we keep one of the three possible fifth year NTs? Take one OLB?


Please share your thoughts.

 

[BGIF]

OMM addressed it a few hours ago in the who's likely next thread. It should have it's own thread. I suggest you modify the title to read "Class of 2012 Scholarships, Needs, Fifth Years".

It's 9 months to NSD with a season of football to play. Lots will happen in between such as position switches, temporary or not and attrition (Atkinson RB), and attrition (transfers, career ending injuries, academic/ResLife casualties). Your list looks reasonable 20+.

As I mentioned in the other thread, Badger will NOT count against the 25 man Class max. He will count against the 85 Team max but not until he re-enrolls. Kelly will have 6 months after NSD to "play with" that slot. He could seemingly "overbook" by one on NSD knowing that the numbers will work out by the time Badger goes back on the NCAA clock.

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

You missed one WR, Massa.

I think we keep Hafis and Cwynar at NT. I wouldn't be shocked if they gave Golic a 5th year as Cave's backup.

I think we ABSOLUTELY need 2 RBs. Also, I think 2 LBs is fair. I'll take Spence and Odenigbo.

 

[Riddickulous]

You missed one WR, Massa.

I think we keep Hafis and Cwynar at NT. I wouldn't be shocked if they gave Golic a 5th year as Cave's backup.
I think we ABSOLUTELY need 2 RBs. Also, I think 2 LBs is fair. I'll take Spence and Odenigbo.

This is a definite possibility. Golic has taken center reps before.

I have read that Connor Hanratty is practicing snaps. He's a potential center.

 

[irishbird]

If this has already shown up in another thread or is already a topic, please move this.

But anyway, I was doing some thinking about how many scholarships we have next season. I made a list of players with no eligibility and players with potential fifth years, then started trying to figure which players are likely to receive those fifth years. Here's what I've arrived at.

Players with No Eligibility Remaining (after 2011): Jonas Gray, Michael Floyd, Mike Ragone, Andrew Nuss, Taylor Dever, Trevor Robinson, Ethan Johnson, Darius Fleming, Steve Filer, Gary Gray, Robert Blanton, Harrison Smith, David Ruffer. Total: 13

Players with Potential Fifth Years (for 2012 season): Dayne Crist, Deion Walker, John Goodman, Lane Clelland, Braxston Cave, Mike Golic Jr., Kapron Lewis-Moore, Sean Cwynar, Hafis Williams, Brandon Newman, David Posluszny, Anthony McDonald, Dan McCarthy, Jamoris Slaughter. Total: 14

So we could potentially have a total of 27 open scholarships, but we will of course allow fifth years for a number of players.

The question is: Who gets their fifth year, where are there depth concerns, and how many players are we looking to land in the 2012 class at each position?

Assume we give a fifth year to 5 or 6 players. Adding Chris Badger to the roster, we're looking at 20-21 scholarship openings, a bit more than the 17-18 I had earlier assumed.

So who gets their fifth years, and where are there depth concerns?


Players I think will get those fifth years I've listed below, with reasonings...

Dayne Crist - Probable 2011 starter. You do not get rid of your starting QB, especially if there is little starting experience behind him.
Braxston Cave - The only center with starting experience, and the only player on the team that has really spent all of his time here at the position.
Kapron Lewis-Moore - Should be a four-year starter with invaluable experience.
1-2 NTs - One or two of the Newman, Williams, Cwynar trio will get fifth years. They'll add depth and, after this season, experience.
Jamoris Slaughter - He and Zeke Motta will have the majority of the experience at safety heading into a season where the secondary may be a weakness. Again, valuable experience.


And that brings us to needs, and what we are looking in terms of numbers per position in this current recruiting class.

The most pressing needs: RB (badly), DB, NT

Thoughts on numbers, assuming we have 20-21 schollies open.

1 QB - If Crist gets a fifth year, 5 QBs on the roster is plenty.
2 RB - Unless Cam McDaniel turns out to be Jesus, Cierre Wood may be the only productive RB returning in 2012. Since RBs are some of the most commonly injured players, depth is a concern.
3 WR - Especially if we don't keep Walker and/or Goodman, 3 WRs should be the goal this year. Riddick, Jones, Smith, Daniels, Toma, and Atkinson return in 2012.
1 TE - Could see us taking zero this year if there were no really good prospects available, but we should add a TE for depth.
4 OL
1 DE - Should have plenty headed into 2012: KLM, Lynch, Tuitt, Counsell, Schwenke, Heggie, Niklas?, Springmann?.
1 NT - Need a big man in the middle to add to the depth with Nix, Stockton, and 1-2 of Newman/Williams/Cwynar trio.
2 LB - We have plenty of talent at ILB with Te'o, Moore, Calabrese, Utupo, Fox, and Grace all returning in 2012. We also have plenty of talent at OLB (and young) returning: Shembo, Spond, Williams, Rabasa, Councell. Emphasis will probably be on OLB more than ILB.
5 DB - Staff has specified that they want 5.
1 LS - Scott Daly.

That gives us 21 schollies. Do we keep one of the three possible fifth year NTs? Take one OLB?


Please share your thoughts.

i think it 28 open count one left by nate montana

 

[jason_h537]

I think i put this in the last thread but it is way too premature to be thinking 5th years.

At this point last year, there was no way Harrison Smith should get asked back, was the thought of most posters.

Plus many thought we should have let Mike Ragone go, but the coaches thought his value was too important.

Honestly, I say just under 20 players this year, with a stretch they could take 20.

QB- 1 Kelly says he wants one every class
RB- 2 This is mandatory
WR- 3 We need depth and playmakers
OL- 3-4 not sure i rememebr the number they were targeting
DE- 1 or 2
NT- 1
OLB- 2 I believe the staff said they want 2
DB-5 combo of corners and safeties

That makes 18-20

 

[rtrn2glory]

i agree with a majority of what's being said here.

golic will probably get a 5th year due to his versatility and experience in the system, but talent wise he should not be asked back, would love to see a young guy step up and be able to play center to back up cave.

crist, kapron, cwynar, jamoris, and prolly hafis are locks due to depth concerns for most of them and crist kapron and cwynar are starters and like said before you don't get rid of those guys.

gotta get 2 RB's this year and a NT...we're pretty solid everywhere else compared to those two spots, which allows us to be very picky with who we take.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Unless we're all nuts, or dead ignorant on something important, there's a lot of agreement on this "by logic", and hints we've already seen. I believe that Kelly is happy with his team as it is for the coming year, but, looking ahead to the next one, realizes that he's going to have to try to sneak in some in-season training for guys in the games. The obvious place is in the D-Backfield at corners, but McDaniel probably will be tried out [if his body is ready for it] as will Daniels and AIII. Lombard and Nichols at a minimum will need some O-Line reps, but Kelly also could even try Hegarty or Martin etc, just to see who he's got. That o-line next year will need two new starters.

I believe that this even has something to do with his farther range planning. No one in their right mind would go after five DBs unless he was in a situation like Kelly's, where he doesn't know if he's going to have more than one really top-functioning back after this year. Proper strategy would be to load up on numbers and hope that you're several times fortunate. Almost the exact same deficit thinking is appropriate at RB.

And he really needs to keep stocking the O-Line. If he gets less than four, I'll bet he considers it a "miss". Looking ahead, we might actually begin to consider who is going to replace Manti. A five-star linebacker as a freshman with the "old greybeard" as a senior would seem a good idea. And if we whiff again at NT, I'll bet we see serious attempts to train Schwenke, Springman, Niklaus, Tuitt, or all-of-the-above up to be able to spell Big Lou. Kona or Big Tony might not mind trying that, but I'll bet Diaco would much rather have a "natural" nose tackle. This remains a "soft spot" on our roster after this year and absolutely after the next one. Let's hope that Big Lou is invulnerable.

 

[rtrn2glory]

i agree...i've never been totally familiar with the rule, but i know you can get away with minimal playing time at the beginning of the year and still preserve a redshirt. i think it's something like you have until after the 4th game.