2008 Recruiting Class

knoxjacket

knoxjacket

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Much is made of the fact that we have a paucity of seniors in our program, but another thing to look at is just how poor the 2008 class was. Here's how I think they've performed relative to their scout ranks:

Overachieved
None

Met Expectations
Omeregie Uzzi (****) - NFL Prospect
Phil Smith (***) - Starter
Rashaad Reid (***) - 4 Year Player
Tevin Washington (***) - Serviceable QB
Embry Peeples (***) - Solid A-Back
Daniel McKayhan (**) - Backup, what you'd expect out of a two star

Underachieved
Richard Watson (***) - career 4th stringer
Nick McRae (***) - career backup
Malcolm Munroe (***) - career backup
BJ Machen (***) - career backup
Brandon Leslie (***) - gone
Jaybo Shaw (***) - gone
TJ Barnes (***) - can't seem to break through and be that dominant NT
Jon Lockhart (***) - never found a position he could break through at
Cooper Taylor (***) - Gone
Kamaron Riley (***) - Gone
Marcus Wright (***) - Minimal impact, seemed perfect fit for A-Back, didn't even play his 4th year
Quentin Sims (**) - Gone

For all the talk of trusting the staff to identify the players we need and that they are better judge of talent than the ranking services it doesn't seem to bear out.

You can blame it on the transition from Gailey to Johnson or whatever, but this was a piss poor recruiting class. Truthfully told I'm not sure 2009 was much better.

We need four star talent or for our coaches to do a better job identifying the prospects the services are missing on.
 
I'm not being a prick, but did Phil Smith really meet expectations? Seems like there's been a lot of groaning over him.
 
I said it in another topic, PJ's recruiting may rank similar to past classes, but none pass the eye test and that means to me we aren't recruiting great talent, and/or aren't developing what we have. FYI on your post:

Met Expectations
Omeregie Uzzi (****) Chan Recruit
Phil Smith (***) - Chan Recruit
Rashaad Reid (***) - Chan Recruit
Tevin Washington (***) - PJ Recruit
Embry Peeples (***) - Chan Recruit
Daniel McKayhan (**) - Any D1 scholly player who is a lifetime backup doesn't meet expectations. PJ Recruit

Underachieved
Richard Watson (***) -Chan Recruit
Nick McRae (***) - Chan Recruit
Malcolm Munroe (***) - Chan Recruit
BJ Machen (***) - PJ Recruit (i think)
Brandon Leslie (***) - PJ Recruit
Jaybo Shaw (***) - PJ Recruit
TJ Barnes (***) - Chan Recruit
Jon Lockhart (***) - Chan Recruit
Cooper Taylor (***) - Chan Recruit
Kamaron Riley (***) - Chan Recruit
Marcus Wright (***) - PJ Recruit
Quentin Sims (**) - PJ Recruit

Here is my point. the class sucked, absolutely, but alot of these cats sucked and were chan holdovers. To add fuel, PJ's recruits sucked even more.

Can you do this analysis for the 2009 class...his first full class? Would be interesting.
 
2009 Class. My thoughts.
CB 98 Carl Miles - Done Nothing

S NR Lance Richardson - Done Nothing

DE 57 Izaan Cross - Showed potential but has disappeared. Just an average NCAA DE

DE 51 Euclid Cummings - Backup

WLB 46 Julian Burnett - Good NCAA player

QB 54 David Sims - average NCAA RB

OG 27 Antonio Foster - Nothing

WR 23 Stephen Hill - potential untapped

RB 112 Orwin Smith - Exceed Expectations, good recruit

S 70 Jemea Thomas - Good NCAA player

CB 22 Roderick Sweeting - Good NCAA player

OG 65 Raymond Beno - backup

OG 26 Will Jackson - average NCAA G

DE 68 Chris Crenshaw - backup

WR 176 Jeremy Moore - who?

FB 5 Daniel Drummond - really hasn't done much

OG 40 Jay Finch - below avg NCAA C

QB 26 Jordan Luallen - nothing

WLB 30 Brandon Watts - everyone said potential and has showed not much; backup

DE 66 Emmanuel Dieke backup

DT 25 J.C. Lanier backup

out of this class, of which 3 years in the program, only 3-4 are good players, none as of today have NFL prospect tied to their name yet (still time), and the rest are either backups, gone or just kinda average players

Out of this many recruits, by now we should have seen at least 1-2 sure fire NFL players. But really....its none. No one is sure fire draft pick.

So to me, its a big class, a bunch of backups, almost like a depth builder but only a couple really good players. Not that great a class.

this is either development, or misses IMO

But, granted, some kids still have 2 more years to show out and become draft potential. So we still will see.
 
This is a good thread. We should have one every year.

Hard to argue with the analysis in the OP.

Too early to rate the 09 class.
 
beej67 said:
This is a good thread. We should have one every year.

Hard to argue with the analysis in the OP.

Too early to rate the 09 class.
Click to expand...

too early to put the nail in the coffin on '09, but you definitely can rate the class after 3 years in the program. I would agree 2010 is too early with only 2 years in the program.

2009 has juniors out there...so that is old enough to rate.
 
33jacket said:
too early to put the nail in the coffin on '09, but you definitely can rate the class after 3 years in the program. I would agree 2010 is too early with only 2 years in the program.

2009 has juniors out there...so that is old enough to rate.
Click to expand...

Give me a break. Love how you describe starters. Its like you are going out of your way to bash that class. They are juniors and RS sophmores.

Hell Sweeting and Jemea Thomas are two of the better DB's tha have suited up for GT over the last 15 years. Get some perspective.
 
Beno is actually a starter now, but other than that pretty accurate. Also, should be noted Foster had to leave due to grades (unless my memory is incorrect). I think next year will be telling for 2009 class since many of those backups will have to take over for departing players or at least a bigger role than before (Crenshaw and Cummings).
 
Too early to judge 2009. I would say its better than 2008, obviously, but I don't think it's where we need to be.
 
I mean, another thing to consider is most of the 2009 class was formed while everyone assumed we would suck. Maybe if you looked at the committal dates and most of them came later in the season and such it would mean something different.
 
It's hard to judge the 2009 class because of all the offensive linemen. They are RS Sophomores and could become much better as Juniors.

Don't forget too that very few players have been around from the 2007 class the last two years. Part of that is on Johnson because he didn't have recruits to reload the big four that left. But we've rarely had skilled players of that caliber at Tech and they really just helped cover up some glaring issues on the lines.
 
Good post- it shows what the problem is,lack of talent
a GREAT QB could made our record look better maybe
 
Physically speaking - we seem to be smaller, slower and weaker than at the end of the Chan era
 
This same comparison would hold true at 95% of any other D1 football program. Out of 20 recruits you are ---- lucky to get 5 good players. Too many uncontrollable variables such as injury, not performing to potential, grades, girl friends, etc. to put too much stock in a recruiting class. We do very well especially with the academic requirements placed upon our SA's. We just need a QB that run this thing.

Go Jackets!
 
Jerry the Jacket said:
This same comparison would hold true at 95% of any other D1 football program. Out of 20 recruits you are ---- lucky to get 5 good players. Too many uncontrollable variables such as injury, not performing to potential, grades, girl friends, etc. to put too much stock in a recruiting class. We do very well especially with the academic requirements placed upon our SA's. We just need a QB that run this thing.

Go Jackets!
Click to expand...

True, even Bama and LSU have their share of recruiting misses; that's why they over sign.
 
BOR is dead on balls-deep accurate on this one. Transition classes suck.

Look at Chan's transition class. It was the worst thing I've ever ----ing seen.
 
lack of development could be a sign of issues in the Strength & Conditioning program.

this really seems like an issue on the line of scrimmage. we get dominated here way too much like yesterday in the 4th qtr
 
BarrelORum said:
Give me a break. Love how you describe starters. Its like you are going out of your way to bash that class. They are juniors and RS sophmores.

Hell Sweeting and Jemea Thomas are two of the better DB's tha have suited up for GT over the last 15 years. Get some perspective.
Click to expand...

so calling them good ncaa players is not good enough for you? Because they are good NCAA players, but in my opinion are not NFL caliber as what is shown today. So how is that lacking perspective exactly one is a 3 year player?

Perspective, of all people telling someone to get perspective haha. And if they are two of the better DBs at GT in 15 years, one of which doesn't start that is a pretty big indictment of the GT secondary talent historically. And you don't mean DB you mean CB. Because S are DB's too and I think I would take Burnett, Butler, Landry, over those two anyday if we are talking DB.
 
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