2021 Recruiting

Techbert

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I would not be shocked if the 2021 recruiting ranking is lower than 2020's, and I think that is natural and has nothing to do with going backwards in effort and results. Hear me out.

Last year, we set targets for number at each position and we worked it hard. But it did not matter what flavor at each position we got, within limits. We wanted the best qb or two. The best rb or two. The best wr or four, and so on. We needed EVERYTHING. Any player at the required position was going to help.

I don't think we went for the best players we MIGHT get. I think we went for the best players we PROBABLY would get. Cuz missing would leave real holes on the field in a couple of years.

This year, it looks like we set more specific positional targets, designed to fill in the gaps of last year's class. This is true within the position we go after. Rutherford, for example, is very different in what he offers from last year's receivers. So if the highest ranked receivers this year are a certain style of leggy wr, and they usually are, we will only get partial credit for getting a quick slot back and return specialist. We got the leggy wr's last year.

We did well enough last year across the board to afford signing a punter. We're not going to get full recruiting credit for an Irish punter.

We go developmental, which is what we claim our program is, and go after a high ceiling developmental project like Biggers.

We like position flexibility. We go after some hybrid players. It's not enough to get tight ends. We go after different tight ends. So is a guy a wr or te? The services don't know. We may not even know, despite what we say. If you cannot fit your measurables and skill set in a cookie-cutter positional box, you will not get full credit from the recruiting services.

Every year Bill Belichick was told he had a sub-par NFL draft. Logan Mankins in the first round? What's that about? But he went after the players that made his team better, not the players the pundits ranked the highest. So after enough titles, the pundits just started praising the Belichick picks, even though they were not anywhere near the top of the pundits' pre-draft rankings. It was not that Belichick scouted better. He doesn't. It was that Belichick worried about building a TEAM and not a collection of athletes.

I think 2022 is when we get the unbelievably high recruiting rankings. 2019 was about getting anything we could after the coaching change. 2020 was about rebalancing our roster and upgrading our overall talent level. 2021 is about filling in the gaps from 2020, and still playing it a bit safe. 2022 will be about swinging for the fences cuz if we miss a few and leave a few ships on the table we won't have a non-P5 player on the field because of those misses. And for the very best athletes you need time to percolate those relationships.

I had real issues with our last HFC, but I never beat up on him because our offensive players were not highly ranked by the services. His offensive recruiting had to be judged on what he needed, not on what the recruiting services look for. The same is true now, just not nearly as drastically.
 

Architorture23

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You are correct that it was an intentional strategy to not pour tons of resouces into certain guys in favor of more sure things. We spent a lot of capital last year on Jones, Burnett, Morton, etc. There will be years where that is ok and years where it is not.
 

KrazieJacket

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So if I’m understanding y’all correctly - we should be happy with a mid/high 30s class this year because Bill Belichick is a proven talent evaluator?
I don’t follow recruiting as I used to during the Gailey years but I think this would be similar to what Johnson said when he first arrived about balancing the classes. Not exactly that as I think he meant numbers but we need 85 players. If we spend all of our resources pushing for top rated and miss we end up with some wins in the recruiting game but when we lose it hurts worse. Once the overall size, speed, and depth gets up we can take more chances. For every great wr or running back we need capable players for special teams, people to push those players for position in practice, to practice against, and to step in when injuries happen. That is what this class does I think. Also, these guys are 17 and 18 years old. They could all turn into superstars. JMO
 

Techbert

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So if I’m understanding y’all correctly - we should be happy with a mid/high 30s class this year because Bill Belichick is a proven talent evaluator?
Seriously?

You should be happy with a class that gives the coaches the ability to use their full offensive and defensive playbooks in 3 years, using P5-quality talent across the board.

Or you can hold your breath to see if a mouthbreathing analyst with no access to camps this year ranks us 27th instead of 31st. That would be something to celebrate.
 
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gtchief

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How wide of a net are we casting offers-wise? Are we throwing offers out like candy a la Tennessee or more focused, selective like Clemson? That model works for Tennessee because they just run lesser players off by telling them the offer wasn't commitable. If we aren't doing the same (maybe we are) then I'd like to know how high up on our board these guys are.
 

BrentwoodJacket

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How wide of a net are we casting offers-wise? Are we throwing offers out like candy a la Tennessee or more focused, selective like Clemson? That model works for Tennessee because they just run lesser players off by telling them the offer wasn't commitable. If we aren't doing the same (maybe we are) then I'd like to know how high up on our board these guys are.
Tennessee knows they will have attrition due to felony arrests
 

gtrower

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How wide of a net are we casting offers-wise? Are we throwing offers out like candy a la Tennessee or more focused, selective like Clemson? That model works for Tennessee because they just run lesser players off by telling them the offer wasn't commitable. If we aren't doing the same (maybe we are) then I'd like to know how high up on our board these guys are.
As of 23 March we had the 7th most offers out in the country. Nobody’s catching UT though.

https://m.herosports.com/college-football/2021-recruiting-offers-247-sports-tennessee-ahah
 

smokey_wasp

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So if I’m understanding y’all correctly - we should be happy with a mid/high 30s class this year because Bill Belichick is a proven talent evaluator?
The difference between 25th and 35th could be class size or a single blue chip. I am happy so far because we are filling positions of need with guys who are high on our board. We had quite a few early commits last year who started in that low 3 star, few to no P5 offers range. Of our lower rated guys this year, one is a giant DT and one is a punter. Chappel is the only one I dunno about.

I do think we have evidence of good talent evaluation. Gibbs went from a mid 3 to almost a 5 star. Avery Boyd was unrated when we took him. Wing Green and Kennard also got bumps.

Too early to say where we end up, anyways.
 

JoeCakeEater

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Based on the film, most are rated correctly in my opinion. Maybe they get a senior season bump, maybe not. Regardless, I’m very excited with the players committed so far.

We sure do have a lot of fuddy duds whining for no good reason about this not being a top 15 class. These are good looking players mostly in positions of need.
 

smokey_wasp

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If you make so many offers, what do you do if the players at the bottom of your priority list accept and fill up your available slots?
Doesn't work that way. Most offers aren't going to be immediately "committable". Staff decides when to accept a commitment. Think of offers more as expressions of interest. You get a bit of a clearer picture of who is a "take" when guys start posting their written offers in...August, I think?
 

Diseqc

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Based on the film, most are rated correctly in my opinion. Maybe they get a senior season bump, maybe not. Regardless, I’m very excited with the players committed so far.

We sure do have a lot of fuddy duds whining for no good reason about this not being a top 15 class. These are good looking players mostly in positions of need.
No one is whining that it’s not going to be top 15. We’re pointing out that with all the recruiting “masters” we hired this class is going to finish in the 40s and bottom half of the ACC. Very Paul Johnsonish.
 

Techbert

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You pull offers, which are often contingent anyway.

You throw offers to the tip top, cuz you have zero chance of getting them if you don't offer. You offer the guys you are going to aggressively pursue. And you play they two guys one ship who takes it first? game.
 

ncjacket

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No one is whining that it’s not going to be top 15. We’re pointing out that with all the recruiting “masters” we hired this class is going to finish in the 40s and bottom half of the ACC. Very Paul Johnsonish.
You really are a clown you know?
 
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