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Question for Hulk01 - OutsiderFan - 11-28-2013

Hulk,

Since your recent arrival to the Cardboard, you've shared well thought-out perspectives on Stanford football that have been received with rave reviews here.  The makes me wonder about your perspective on recruiting. With this in mind, here is a link to the football recruiting board in case you might have thoughts to share on recruits, the class of 2014, etc.

http://thecardboard.org/board/index.php/board,7.0.html

2014 Recruiting (from several vantage points), Offense - Hulk01 - 11-29-2013

All of the following is opinion of course. 
But none of these opinions are mine alone.

This is an exceptional class and far superior to any other class in the conference.  To suggest that: Oregon, Southern Cal, UCLA and Washington should end up with a combined total of five players whom Scout ranks in the top ten at their position. Stanford should end up with  eight.

We fans routinely dismiss recruiting rankings, but Scout top ten players consistently become excellent players: Brett Hundley, Leonard Williams, Marqise Lee, Anthony Barr, Austin-Seferian Jenkins, Xavier Sua-Filo, Shayne Skov, Zack Ertz, Tyler Gaffney, Isaac Seumalo, DeAnthony Thomas, Colt Lyerla, Andrus Peat, Nelson Agholor, Robert Woods, Hayes Pullard, Keenan Allen, Myles Jack, Sean Parker--all were top ten players.  How many Pac-12 first or second team players were not ranked in the top 50 at their position?  Ka’Deem Carey, Trent Murphy, Brandin Cooks, Ben Gardner, and Deone Bucannon seem to cover it. Scout rankings do project the likely quality of a collective class, even if many of its individual assessments end up looking wrong.

As to the specifics, here’s a quick best take.

QB:
Keller Chryst: A
He’s all that. For perspective, an insider told me that if you combined Burns and Chryst you would have Andrew Luck. Chryst has the mastery--plus a long frame and a high and good release--and Burns has the size, strength, and arm; he looks eerily like Andrew,  And as most of you know, Chryst has been tutored since third grade by one of the nation’s best quarterback coaches: 49ers QB coach Geep Chryst, Keller’s dad.

RB:
Christian McCaffrey, A- 
We will see. He’s magical playing in a weak state against pretty good to horrible competition. He’s higher-cut than the ideal running back but manages to cut better than the typical higher-cut running back.  He’s clocked a 4.47 and feels confident he can get to 4.38.. He could become an all-conference slot receiver but several people insist that he can become an power running back.

Here’s his coach’s take: "He's got a gift. God's given him great vision and speed. He’s so unique. He can do so many things: catch the ball, block punts, run returns. He can be a power back--he’s not a normal type of player, that's for sure."

A great addition.

FB: 
Daniel Marx, A
A beast. brobdingnagian get because there is no such thing as a power game without a fullback. Plus he’s something we have not had for years: a true running fullback  He watches for his blocks, sees the field, and plucks the ball on his receptions.  Could be our short yardage back,  a place where we suffered since losing Jeremy Stewart.  Has a Stanford mentality--tough and loves to hit.  Helliua student, too.

WR: 
Isaiah Brandt-Sims, Incomplete
For starters: 4.37.  A great top end but not an immediate burst; he is remarkably slow getting to top speed. His top end makes him appealing for special teams, however, and it’s likely the staff looked long at that when they offered him. 

The hope is that he’s underdeveloped, partly from playing in the football minor leagues and from maintaining an ideal sprinters’ frame and weight. It’s easy and intriguing to imagine him at 5-11, 205.

On a deep team, he’s a good add and a sleeper who will do everything he can to become a good college player. 

TE:
Dalton Schultz  A/A+
The nation’s #2 TE. He can flex out and come in tight, has nice soft hands, moves well after the catch and can get yards after contact.  Has a great relationship with Lance Anderson, a 3.97, and a 1220 two-part equivalent (27 ACT).  He's visited at least four times. ;D

Possibly the best Stanford TE prospect ever. A better blocker right now than Ertz was until his third year at Stanford and as good a receiver as Zach, plus much longer (what TE isn't?) so Dalton can go up and get balls that Zach could not reach.

OL. 
B-
We should bet on five-star Casey Tucker and Jesse Burkett, a Vandy commit, plus Austin Hall. 

Tucker probably ends up at right tackle because he’s a better and more natural run blocker. He’s tough and ornery and could play guard. 

Hall has similar traits but is a full-inch shorter. But he’s long-armed and good in pass protection, so he could play several positions on the OL.  Got the genes; his dad played for 49ers. Absolutely loves Stanford and continues our Brophy Prep (Mike Mitchell, Trent Murphy) tradition.  (We also have a walk-on candidate who is Brophy's long snapper.)

Burkett has offers from Florida State, Nebraska, and West Virginia plus, as befits a 4.4 student, Princeton, Yale, and Harvard.  Another of several recruits who sounds worshipful when talking about Stanford. 

Overall: A-.  One more elite lineman, a game breaking WR, and a true power back would make it an A+.



Re: Question for Hulk01 - Hank 91 - 11-29-2013

Great stuff, Hulk. Can't wait to read your take on the defensive commits.


Re: Question for Hulk01 - StannyBoy - 11-29-2013

Brandon Fanaika will also be back from his LDS mission. That would make 4 o-line recruits.

Two things on Fanaika - Redrum - 11-29-2013

1)  Will he pull a  Taysom Hill and end up at BYU playing in front of parents and relatives after 2 years in Timbuktu? * Update: Apparently Fanaika ended up trying to convert the sybarites in Ft. Lauderdale rather than, say, Equitorial Guinea.  So maybe he's in better shape than we have a right to expect.

2)  He's at least a year away from being able to do diddly in a real game.  99% chance he's a 2015 contributor at the earliest.

Re: Question for Hulk01 - OutsiderFan - 11-29-2013

(11-29-2013, 02:04 PM)young_money link Wrote:Brandon Fanaika will also be back from his LDS mission. That would make 4 o-line recruits.

Not seeing see many NT candidates behind Parry and Nwafor.  Might Fanaika be moved to NT given Stanford's well-stocked OL?

Re: Question for Hulk01 - StannyBoy - 11-29-2013

(11-29-2013, 07:00 PM)OutsiderFan link Wrote:[quote author=young_money link=topic=8971.msg76125#msg76125 date=1385759058]
Brandon Fanaika will also be back from his LDS mission. That would make 4 o-line recruits.

Not seeing see many NT candidates behind Parry and Nwafor.  Might Fanaika be moved to NT given Stanford's well-stocked OL?
[/quote]

He probably is a candidate to move to NT but I also think Shittu is too.

Re: Question for Hulk01 - Hulk01 - 11-30-2013

Lealao may be able to play the nose, at least in situations, despite being 6-5. 

It's tough to find qualified guys who are 6-3, 300.

Re: 2014 Recruiting (from several vantage points), Offense - JohnR34231 - 11-30-2013

(11-29-2013, 12:47 PM)Hulk01 link Wrote:All of the following is opinion of course. 
But none of these opinions are mine alone.

This is an exceptional class and far superior to any other class in the conference.  To suggest that:  Oregon, University of Spoiled Children , UCLA and Washington should end up with a combined total of five players whom Scout  ranks in the top ten at their position.  Stanford should end up with  eight.

We fans routinely dismiss recruiting rankings, but Scout top ten players consistently become excellent players: Brett Hundley, Leonard Williams, Marqise Lee, Anthony Barr, Austin-Seferian Jenkins, Xavier Sua-Filo, Shayne Skov, Zack Ertz, Tyler Gaffney, Isaac Seumalo, DeAnthony Thomas, Colt Lyerla, Andrus Peat, Nelson Agholor, Robert Woods, Hayes Pullard, Keenan Allen, Myles Jack, Sean Parker--all were top ten players.  How many Pac-12 first or second team players were not ranked in the top 50 at their position?  Ka’Deem Carey, Trent Murphy, Brandin Cooks, Ben Gardner, and Deone Bucannon seem to cover it.    Scout rankings do project the likely quality of a class overall, even if many of Scout’s individual assessments end up looking wrong.

As to the specifics, here’s a quick  best take.

QB:
Keller Chryst: A
He’s all that.  For perspective, an insider told me that if you combined Burns and Chryst you would have Andrew Luck.  Chryst has the mastery--plus a long frame and a high and good release--and Burns has the size, strength, and arm; he looks eerily like Andrew,  And as most of you know, Chryst has been tutored since third grade by one of the nation’s best quarterback:  49ers QB coach Geep Chryst, Keller’s dad.

RB:
Christian McCaffrey, A- 
We will see.  He’s magical playing in a weak state against pretty good to horrible competition.  He’s higher-cut than the ideal running back but manages to cut better than the typical higher-cut running back.  He’s clocked a 4.47 and feels confident he can get to 4.38..  He could become an all-conference slot receiver but several people insist that he can become an every down, Stanford power running back.

Here’s his coach’s take:  "He's got a gift. God's given him great vision and speed. He’s so unique. He can do so many things: catch the ball, block punts, run returns. He can be a power back--he’s not a normal type of player, that's for sure.

A great addition.

FB: 
Daniel Marx, A
A beast.  brobdingnagian get because there is no such thing as a power game without a fullback.  Plus he’s something we have not’ had for years: a true running fullback  He watches for his blocks, sees the field very well,  and plucks the ball on his receptions.  Could be our short yardage back,  a place where we suffered since losing Jeremy Stewart.  Has a Stanford mentality--tough and loves to hit.  .

WR: 
Isaiah Brandt-Sims, Incomplete
For starters: 4.37.  He has a great top end but not an immediate burst; remarkably slow getting to top speed.  His top end makes him appealing for special teams, however, and it’s likely the staff looked long at that when they offered him.  The hope here is that he’s underdeveloped, partly from playing in the football minor leagues and maintaining an ideal sprinters’ frame and weight.  It’s easy to see him at 5-11, 205 and intriguing to think what that might mean.

On a deep team, he’s a good add but a sleeper who will do all that he can to become a good college player. 

TE:
Dalton Schultz  A/A+
The nation’s #2 TE. He can flex out and come in tight, has nice soft hands, moves well after the catch and can get yards after contact.  Has a great relationship with Lance Anderson, a 3.97, and a 1220 two-part equivalent (27 ACT). 

Quite possibly the  best Stanford TE prospect ever.  A better blocker right now than Ertz was until his second year at Stanford and as good a receiver as Ertz, plus much longer so he can go up and get balls that Zach could not.

OL. 
B-
We should bet on five-star Casey Tucker and Jesse Burkett, a Vandy commit, plus Austin Hall. 

Tucker probably ends up at right tackle because he’s a better and more natural run blocker.  He’s tough and ornery and could play guard. 

Hall has similar traits but is a full-inch shorter.  But he’s long-armed and good in pass protection, so he could play several positions on the OL.  Got the genes; his dad played for 49ers.  Absolutely loves Stanford and continues our Brophy Prep (Mike Mitchell, Trent Murphy) tradition. 

Burkett has offers from  Florida State, Nebraska, and West Virginia plus, as befits a 4.4 student, Princeton Yale Harvard.  Another of several recruits who sounds worshipful when talking about Stanford.  B.  The 2012 OL class spoiled me.

Overall: A-.  One more elite lineman, a game breaking WR, and a true power back would make it an A+.

I take it you don't see Joey Alfieri as a possible power back. Is that just because you think he's better suited to linebacker?

Re: Question for Hulk01 - Hulk01 - 11-30-2013

Could Alfieri play running back?  Yes.

But he has to learn to play with a lower pad level.  He's so athletic that the odds are good that he can do it but it won't happen in a few weeks of fall practice.

Re: Question for Hulk01 - Bruce Wang - 12-02-2013

Hulk, what is your take on the Josh Rosen situation?

Re: Question for Hulk01 - Hulk01 - 12-02-2013

Regarding Rosen, my hope is that everyone stops discussing him because it is could start to cause harm.  It already may have.

That isn't a criticism of you for asking, Publius. Fans want to know and you are a good one.

Re: Question for Hulk01 - washingtonismoney - 12-02-2013

(12-02-2013, 12:06 PM)Hulk01 link Wrote:Regarding Rosen, my hope is that everyone stops discussing him because it is could start to cause harm. 

Not going to happen -- Harbaugh could've gotten away with not offering Rosen but Shaw won't, for many people.

The question I have is whether Shaw moves on to another guy. I wouldn't mind; supposedly it's a great class of QBs, and my view is that power schools -- and Stanford especially, due to vagaries of admissible athletes -- ought to stack talented players whenever possible. Crowded depth charts are a good thing.

Re: Question for Hulk01 - Hulk01 - 12-02-2013

Agree re stacking the depth chart.  But QB presents a distinctive problem.

A team needs lots of guys at every position and can even rotate several great ones, plus give them all 15-20 special teams' reps a game  QB, however, is the exception.  One guy plays and the others sit-- all game, game after game and often season after season. 

For that reason, it is nearly impossible to sign outstanding QBs in consecutive classes.  USC did it once as the exception that proves the rule.  Signing three aces in three consecutive classes looks impossible, based on history. 

Well, it's becoming clear that Burns is an ace and it seems near-certain that Chryst will be. too. 

If we take a top three QB in this class--assuming that we even could--we would have no chance at QB in the following (2016) class.  So i'd opt to pass, unless it's on a QB who is willing and able to play somewhere else.

But. . .But elite QBs no longer are willing to do that.  Moms and Dads have spent at least seven years and tens of thousands of dollars on coaches, camps, videos, equipment, and tutors to help mold their son into one of the nation's elite QBs.  They have sunk costs, literally and figuratively, which include theirs and their son's emotional investment in producing a great college and professional quarterback.

The days of the John Lynches, Justin Armours, and Scott Frosts ended over a decade ago.  RGIIi had a compelling offer to become an All American wide receiver, an offer upon we may look back and insist that he should have taken it.  I can't recall a top 20 QB recruit over the past 15 years who switched.  (Ryan Tannehill did, but only briefly, then returned to QB at A&M).

I say let's focus on a power back and an entire offensive line, plus an elite, pass-rushing DE and a  elite possession receiver and, with some good adds along the way and the expected Best DB Class Ever--call that a class.

Re: Question for Hulk01 - washingtonismoney - 12-02-2013

(12-02-2013, 01:01 PM)Hulk01 link Wrote:I say let's focus on a power back and an entire offensive line, plus an elite, pass-rushing DE and a  elite possession receiver and, with some good adds along the way and the expected Best DB Class Ever--call that a class.

I like being greedy! The question is one of opportunity cost. If chasing a (we'll say) Rypien costs us (we'll say) Ben Edwards, then that's probably not a trade I'm happy with making. But if you can pick one up with relatively minimal effort I would do it. Remember, the other factor is: picking up a West Coast QB keeps him away from other Pac-12 teams, making it a two-fer.

I wouldn't be unhappy if 2015 rolls around sans QB, but -- when it comes to recruiting -- greed, for lack of a better word, is good.

Re: Question for Hulk01 - 2 for 2028 - 12-02-2013

(12-02-2013, 01:01 PM)Hulk01 link Wrote:Well, it's becoming clear that Burns is an ace . . .

I'm curious as to what do you base this on.

Re: Question for Hulk01 - BostonCard - 12-18-2013

Hulk... any thoughts on the defensive recruits?

By my count, we have 11 defensive recruits, including two cornerbacks, three safeties, three linebackers, and three defensive linemen.  I don't see a double-team consuming nose tackle in the bunch, but those are rare.  Otherwise, quite a balanced defensive class.

BC

Re: Question for Hulk01 - rudruff - 12-18-2013

Hulk did defense on another thread.

Re: Question for Hulk01 - stupac2 - 12-18-2013

(12-18-2013, 09:56 PM)rudruff link Wrote:Hulk did defense on another thread.

Specifically, right here: http://thecardboard.org/board/index.php/topic,8979.0.html

Re: Question for Hulk01 - BostonCard - 12-18-2013

(12-18-2013, 10:08 PM)stupac2 link Wrote:[quote author=rudruff link=topic=8971.msg78908#msg78908 date=1387428988]
Hulk did defense on another thread.

Specifically, right here: http://thecardboard.org/board/index.php/topic,8979.0.html
[/quote]

Thanks!