grading the class

[dylan]

here's my grades by position and as a whole for the class. it is focused on our team needs and the kids we actually signed. (yes, it sucks when we miss on kids, but i think it's silly to grade a class on who you didn't get.)

 

qb: i think armstrong is a great prospect. great arm, athletic, proven winner. seems perfect for our offense. i would have really liked to get a second guy for the position (though the walk-on from GI is intriguing), otherwise this grade would be higher. grade: A-

 

rb: not a particularly big need, given the class ahead, but i do like to get one per year. cross looks to be a good athlete and fills the big back role the coaches are looking for. also, janovich looks like a solid walk-on at FB. grade: B-

 

wr: again, not a particularly big need this year, but got a great one in westerkamp. grade: A-

 

te: this was a need position and i would have liked to have seen either one great prospect or two good ones. i think we got one good one. if he turns out to be as good as ben, we'll have done very well. wouldn't be too surprised to see the walk-on blum contribute at some point either. grade: C-

 

ol: i don't think we should ever take less than three linemen in a class. this year it is somewhat ameliorated by the number of linemen we took last year and the apparent quality of our walk-ons. i also really like the two kids we did get. however, i consider this an unfilled need. grade: C-

 

dl: another position of need, particularly at end. we got two bell cows in mcmullen and valentine, both national level recruits. curry and moss are also solid prospects. grade: A

 

lb: our biggest need and we filled it well. particularly key was getting anderson, a kid that looks like he's ready to be another in a line of talented juco backers at NU (farley, demorrio, octavien, lavonte). rose looks like an absolute stud and afalava and brown look pretty good as well. grade: A+

 

db: seisay is the biggest signing in this class to me (edging out mcmullen, anderson and armstrong). should be able to help us immediately at a position of need. moore looks like the type of athlete we need at db, so his addition was really a saving grace for this class (now let's hope he qualifies). don't know much about alexander, but we do have a need at safety. we needed to get another DB though to really feel good about our numbers there. if charles jackson actually qualifies (and i think he will), he more than fills that need. grade: A with CJ or B- without

 

as a class: B+ with CJ, B without. could probably go a bit higher considering the great crop of walk-ons, but that sounds about right. this is a class we can win with. i really like what we did at most positions, but we missed out on a couple of needs. now let's hope everyone qualifies.