Please forgive the following ramble: speaking here of numbers and ultimate quality starting players.
About recruiting and the long term --- I stated my unpopular opinion that, given the unpredictability of actual college performance by recruited high schoolers, one COULD take the view [as a fan] that a recruiting class is a good class if it produces around 9-10 starters by Junior/Senior years [therefore you would have about 19 solid veterans on your 22+specialists starting roster] and several other contributing players [i.e. decent back-ups].
One COULD judge the success of the recruiting of a given year by seeing whether years produced that standard or not. This judgement would go for classes already juniors or seniors, but younger classes would have to undergo a more guesswork judgement.
The 2010 class was Coach'e first, and he did as well as one could expect. Nix, Lombard, Jones, Shembo, Collinsworth, Jackson, Rees, and Spond {8} ultimately started, and Schwenke became a sometimes starter. What the class didn't have was depth [understandably] with only guys like DSmith, Utupo, LWood, Hendrix, Moore, Welch. Still, not bad for a scramble.
2011 was a knockout despite the odd losses. Tuitt, Golson, Niklas, Grace, McDaniel, GAIII, Daniels, Farley, NMart, Koyack, Brindza, and many other major contributors: Hegarty, IWilliams, Councell, Springmann, Hanratty, Hardy, Carlisle, and one year Hounshell. This is the class which with holdover veterans we have "ridden" so far [and if Tuitt and Niklas would have stayed, still would.]
2012 was our small class and to date our big disappointment. But we have not seen yet what they will become. To date they look suspiciously like the 2010 class. Russell, Day, Stanley, and the specialist Daly already start --- that is just fine for second years. Jones looks like he might start next year after finally waking up. Baratti if he was healthy or Shumate might well fill the safety spot now or soon. Okwara threatens to emerge. Brown seems at the edge of that too. Maybe Prosise. But this class is thin and loses depth.
2013 seems to have been another knockout fortunately. JSmith, Elmer, Redfield, Folston Luke, Rochell, Fuller{?} seem already ready to roll. Robinson, too. Maybe Onwualu. All those guys have contributed already. And the redshirt "bench" is loaded. Thank goodness Kelly has bracketed 2012 with two loaded classes.
So what does this say if anything about 2014? Of course one wants a full-boat of All-Americans, but you don't really need that. I look at the 2014 boat passengers and see a lot more 2013 and 2011 in them JUST AS THEY ARE, than I see 2012. I see four mountainous OLinemen, probably the best group in the nation. I see a great wideout. I see two fine TEs to keep "Tight End U" going. I a handful of high-potential DLinemen, and a linebacking corps led by an apparent superman. I see two very good DBacks.
On the 9 or 10 Junior/Senior starter standard, that's a lot folks. I'm pretty darned happy with this. "85" be dammed. {I get mocked for this, but we're "small" next year, and badly small if we'd max-out the signing.}
athleticism, but he's white playing DE so #Rivals3
