Grade the 2012 Class

[Irish Fam]

I wanted to say B, but we needed a Top QB and Shut down corner in this class. We got both. Gave it a B+ with Neal. Everyone from this class will contribute.

This was exactly my thinking. B+

 

[Walter White]

2010 - 23 commits, minus Boyd, James and Roback (20)

2011 - 23 commits, plus Prestwood and Carlisle (25)

2012 - 17 commits (17)

20 + 25 + 17 = 62

85 - 62 = 23

23 - (5th years) = (2013 class size)

Eligible for 5th years: Calabrese; Watt; Martin; Wood; Fox; J. Golic;

Likely 5th years: Watt, Martin, Wood; (3) (I could see one or neither of the ILBs coming back, depending on how we recruit that position and how guys like Moore and Rabassa progress)

23 - 3 = 20 recruits for 2013


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I did this quickly (like in 5 minutes) so I could have easily made a mistake, but this is where I think the math is right now. I'm a little surprised, honestly, because it feels like we should be in the market for a big class next year. I guess the difference between a "big" class and an average-sized class is the three spots used by Badger, Prestwood and Carlisle. I can live with a 20 player class in 2013 - it definitely takes some of the pressure off at this stage.

Considering that the roster dynamics are a little different than I assumed, I'll change my grade from B to B+. My original grade knocked them for a small class, but now I don't think that is as big of a deal after looking at the numbers more closely.

Great post. This is very interesting.

I was thinking the same thing about the class being solid but lacking bodies. Maybe it wasn't that bad after all.

 

[Walter White]

My favorites:

Shepard
Ferguson
Day
Shumate
& the Ginger Gun

A- or B+

 

[RuntheBall]

I gave it a B+:

Its really a strong class, some great guys: a top CB, QB and WR (3 important positions).
But its hard to overlook what we missed on:
Decker
Darby
Tee's Cousin
Armstead
(mainly)

Any combo of these guys would have really pushed us up into the A-/A/A+ range depending on who it was (just Decker moves it up to A- and anyone else (A), and any combo A+). Really hard for me too overlook that. No slight on the guys we have, as I think they are studs, but only 18 seems a bit thin. Also we needed 1-2 more OL, as it puts some pressure on the '13 class to get some top OL.

 

[PatsandBostonfan1975]

Way to early to tell but I will give it a solid B . Have to see these kids play first and see how they fit the system.

 

[military_irish]

I gave it the only A+

 

[NDinFL]

B+

Kiel seems like such an "under the radar" recruit the way we talk about it (wooly aside)

And Neal was my favorite recruit in the country of this cycle...

Not to mention the fact that we add more beef to our already beefy DLine.

 

[gkIrish]

would love to know the reasoning behind any of the 4 C+ votes. Purely curious.

 

[NDinFL]

would love to know the reasoning behind any of the 4 C+ votes. Purely curious.

Hmmm, I'll go out on a limb and guess

DillonHall was 1
Title2014 was 1 as well

Call it a hunch

 

[gkIrish]

Hmmm, I'll go out on a limb and guess

DillonHall was 1
Title2014 was 1 as well

Call it a hunch

nope haha
Irish2015, IrishSteelhead, Jmunsirish, kuehnja

 

[NDinFL]

nope haha
Irish2015, IrishSteelhead, Jmunsirish, kuehnja

Now now, I'll defend kuehnja....

Dude's been pretty damn positive lately

Edit: I don't even know who Jumnsirish is, so therefore DillonHall must be a vote!

 

[gkIrish]

Now now, I'll defend kuehnja....

Dude's been pretty damn positive lately

Edit: I don't even know who Jumnsirish is, so therefore DillonHall must be a vote!

I'm not guessing---you can actually see the votes if you click on the number

 

[NDinFL]

I'm not guessing---you can actually see the votes if you click on the number

Haha!

Well there goes that

 

[Kanye West]

B+ with A+ potential.

 

[jonesman]

For those that were going all Ty Willingham type class about one month ago. What you think now. This class is so far ahead of those it is not in the same galaxy. This class has some playmakers on both D and O.

 

[Old Man Mike]

My "warped" view is that of a teacher since people are throwing letter grades around. I graded on what the student did with what he/she had to work with. The general view of "outsiders" rated the "product" of the student in the top ten of the country. Given that the country has greater than 100 competitors for such praise, the outcome gained by the "student" was in the top 10%. That is, he graded out at >90%. As a teacher, that was a rough beginner's guide to making me think that the total accomplishment graded out to an "A".

When I employ my second criterion, my "fairness to the student" criterion of what he had to work with in terms of external constraints [particularly a fairly tight # of scholarships to work with coming down the stretch, some extremely weird situations {Armsteads} to force a gambling mentality, and three staff defections at VERY inopportune times], I recognize that the highly-stressed student did astonishingly well.

The general outsider evaluation alone would give the student an "A". Adding in the accidental burdens of the task, one could give the "student" an "A+" while keeping the raw product at an "A".

Darby would have been nice. Who, without turning away in embarrassment, can honestly say that any coach could have turned him into ND once he decided to go for track+? One more OL would have been nice. Who's to say that Springmann or Jones won't turn into one? An OLB would have been nice. Who's to say that Baratti won't turn into one? Greenberry would have been nice. Who's to say that we might not get another great offensive threat?.... oh wait, we did.