Signing Day Thoughts...

[Collegefbfan]

I will have to admit recruiting is not my strong point when it comes to college football. I am decently well versed in most other areas. I read VT got one 4 star and finished 10th in the ACC. Most came from early signing day period. Is it true that no player signed on signing day? This does not look good for Fuente or the Hokies.

 

[WABLTY]

Watch transfers too. It's not just ratings this year. ASU, for example, has an LSU depth DL grad transfer like normal, but also two former 4 stars with freshmen eligibility. The transfers will be huge this year. Some teams have deliberately taken small classes just to bring in transfer talent.

 

[Diego Roll Tide]

We did okay...

 

[Collegefbfan]

We did okay...

Maybe the understatement of the decade.

 

[Duckboy33]

Some thoughts for each of the conferences:

ACC:
- Florida State didn't land a top 30 recruit from the state of Florida. That's absolutely bonkers.
- Miami landed a few high end guys but they need a complete class if they want close the gap with Clemson.
- UNC landed a very solid class with mostly in-state guys.
- Virginia Tech did terrible on the trail. I'm surprised Fuente is back.

Big 12:
- The gap between Oklahoma and Texas is big. The gap between Texas and everyone is even bigger.
- I would have thought Iowa State would have improved on the trail. Not top 10 or anything but I figured they would be in the top 40 after a couple of good seasons.

Big Ten:
- Ohio State landed a historic class. If it wasn't for Alabama, we would be talking about Ohio State's class.
- I really really like what Michigan did on the recruiting trail. I know Michigan fans are running low on patience but by 2022 or 2023, Michigan should be rolling.
- Big Ten West (Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin) all recruited at a higher level than they were just a few years ago.
- Maryland is building something. They have their QB and some very good WRs and now they added some highly rated defensive guys.

PAC 12:
- The gap between Oregon and USC and the rest of the PAC was enormous this year.
- Oregon landed it's best class ever and the best class in the PAC for the 3rd year in a row.
- USC responded after a terrible 2020 class and a disappointing 2019 class.
- Washington's decline on the trail was noticeable with Jimmy Lake instead of CP.
- ASU's class isn't terrible but they missed on a lot of talented kids from their home state.

SEC:
- Alabama's class is considered the best of all time. Not sure what else there is to say. The rich get richer.
- Georgia lands another top tier class. They should have as much talent as anyone in the country in 2021.
- LSU saw some deflections from this class but it's still a top 5 class. LSU also had a lot of top kids from their 2020 class transfer. We'll see how that impacts the Tigers moving forward.
- Texas A&M is building with top 10 class on top of another top 10 class. Jimbo is a top tier QB from getting to that next level IMO.
- Florida's class falls out of the top 10 again but they landed some big pickups in the transfer portal.

 

[lilchi721]

Jimbo is a top tier QB from getting to that next level IMO.

Well he got Eli Stowers in this years class and Jimbo just got a 2022 4 Star QB commit in Conner Weigman from Bridgeland High School in Cypress TX that people compare to Johnny. He's also a very good baseball player as well.

 

[BamaDude]

I will have to admit recruiting is not my strong point when it comes to college football. I am decently well versed in most other areas. I read VT got one 4 star and finished 10th in the ACC. Most came from early signing day period. Is it true that no player signed on signing day? This does not look good for Fuente or the Hokies.

Things haven't looked good in Hokie-land for 3 or 4 years. Maybe longer.

 

[BamaDude]

- I would have thought Iowa State would have improved on the trail. Not top 10 or anything but I figured they would be in the top 40 after a couple of good seasons.

Me, too. I didn't expect a top 10 - or even a top 15 class- but I thought they could land in the top 40.

- I really really like what Michigan did on the recruiting trail. I know Michigan fans are running low on patience but by 2022 or 2023, Michigan should be rolling.

Michigan almost always does well in recruiting. They just don't do a good job of developing that talent or coaching them on the field.

 

[Wamu]

Ohio State # 2 recruiting class.

meeeechegan # 10 recruiting class.

Columbus beats ann arbor again.

 

[JohnShadows]

USC #78, 13 recruits, all 3-stars. It could have been worse, I guess, but ....

Beamer has a long uphill climb to get the program back on its feet. He has managed to bring in 7 transfers.

 

[Duckboy33]

Me, too. I didn't expect a top 10 - or even a top 15 class- but I thought they could land in the top 40.

Michigan almost always does well in recruiting. They just don't do a good job of developing that talent or coaching them on the field.

The difference with Michigan is they are finally making changes. They are recruiting more speed on the outside and they landed a top tier QB. The class is less about the stars and the ratings and more about addressing areas of need

 

[Duckboy33]

Well he got Eli Stowers in this years class and Jimbo just got a 2022 4 Star QB commit in Conner Weigman from Bridgeland High School in Cypress TX that people compare to Johnny. He's also a very good baseball player as well.

They may very well be that guy, I haven't really seen them play.

 

[Bedlam131]

The gap between Oklahoma and Texas is big. The gap between Texas and everyone is even bigger.

Texas has actually out recruited Oklahoma several times in the last several years. Sark should have a good base to work with.

That said, Oklahoma had a pretty small class this year (almost all 4 stars) but, raided the hell out the SEC (mostly Tennesee) in the transfer portal and picked up some good players to fill needs and depth.

 

[BigKen]

95% of high schools did not play football in 2020. No Div. II or II colleges played football. The pickin's were slim.

The top four schools all hit home runs. Huge numbers of Div. II and III players are trying to get into Div. I schools.

 

[Diego Roll Tide]

95% of high schools did not play football in 2020. No Div. II or II colleges played football. The pickin's were slim.

The top four schools all hit home runs. Huge numbers of Div. II and III players are trying to get into Div. I schools.

Must be a regional thing.

The high schools here played, as they did across the south.

 

[Duckboy33]

Texas has actually out recruited Oklahoma several times in the last several years. Sark should have a good base to work with.

That said, Oklahoma had a pretty small class this year (almost all 4 stars) but, raided the hell out the SEC (mostly Tennesee) in the transfer portal and picked up some good players to fill needs and depth.

That's true. I was specifically talking about the 2021 class. In 2021, Oklahoma clearly has the better class.

 

[Diego Roll Tide]

Texas has actually out recruited Oklahoma several times in the last several years. Sark should have a good base to work with.

That said, Oklahoma had a pretty small class this year (almost all 4 stars) but, raided the hell out the SEC (mostly Tennesee) in the transfer portal and picked up some good players to fill needs and depth.

Sark knows how to utilize offensive talent. He and Kiffin are right there with Riley in that regard.

Of course, Herman had proven at tOSU that he could do so as well. The Texas problems have not been about talent. Unless Sark can solve the other issues, they will not move up to OU’s level on the field.

 

[Gohogs14]

Watch transfers too. It's not just ratings this year. ASU, for example, has an LSU depth DL grad transfer like normal, but also two former 4 stars with freshmen eligibility. The transfers will be huge this year. Some teams have deliberately taken small classes just to bring in transfer talent.

I kinda wish we had done that but we filled up super early and had almost the whole class signed on early NSD. We desperately need immediate impact DL but we have no spots left so we'll have to wait until the Summer and blueshirt anyone who transfers in now so that they'll count against the '22 class. So there probably won't be much left by then unless a bunch transfer after Spring practice.

It'll be interesting to see how coaches approach this in the future if the immediate eligibility rule is passed as expected. Might see some take 20 high school recruits max every year and save the rest.

 

[BamaDude]

95% of high schools did not play football in 2020. No Div. II or II colleges played football. The pickin's were slim.

The top four schools all hit home runs. Huge numbers of Div. II and III players are trying to get into Div. I schools.

95% of high schools in which states? Most of the southeastern states played high school football this past Fall, although some started later than usual and/or played abbreviated schedules. Only a few schools in Alabama opted out. A few others played only against regional opponents. Some games were cancelled or postponed due to Covid issues, but many schools found replacement opponents for those games.

At least 10 Division II schools & 7 Division III schools played anywhere between 1 and 5 games, and one or two NAIA teams also played a game or two. That's not many, but it's more than none.

 

[WABLTY]

I kinda wish we had done that but we filled up super early and had almost the whole class signed on early NSD. We desperately need immediate impact DL but we have no spots left so we'll have to wait until the Summer and blueshirt anyone who transfers in now so that they'll count against the '22 class. So there probably won't be much left by then unless a bunch transfer after Spring practice.

It'll be interesting to see how coaches approach this in the future if the immediate eligibility rule is passed as expected. Might see some take 20 high school recruits max every year and save the rest.

ASU dropped a bunch of marginal kids basically for that reason, though in its defense the ones who'd committed and couldn't sign were told to look elsewhere with months of warning.

A big part of it is ASU lost almost nothing. A WR who was a nominal starter but was hurt, and a center who was already a 5th year guy w/ no NFL chance and was ready to move on. Literally the entire depth chart, besides a safety who left the team after being suspended and might be a 6th or 7th round pick, decided to come back for a run at the conference. The entire starting secondary are 5th and 6th year seniors.

But with the momentum Arkansas started to build, yeah. I'm surprised you guys didn't hit the transfers hard. Could start being an 8-9 win type team pretty quick.