[BostonCard]

Now you got me curious.  Let’s look at the bottom five non-specialist players (by 247 composite) from the 2016-2018, which I think is when we had the biggest scholarship gaps. Lots of caveats here, which you identify (like, we don’t know that the bottom of the 247 rankings was the bottom of the internal rankings) and I’m using a limited time frame, but still a useful exercise, I think.

2016: Dorian Maddox, Paxton Segina, Dylan Powell, Nate Hebrig, Malik Antoine
2017: Drew Dalman, Tucker Fisk, Stuart Head, Levani Damuni, Dalyn Wade-Pery
2018: Tae Le, Ethan Bonner, Jay Symonds, Donjae Logan, Justus Woods

So, yeah, a lot of total non-contributors, like Segina, Le, Logan, and Woods, but some guys who were back-ups like Maddox and a bona fide star, Dalman, who was our lowest ranked recruit in 2017.  In fact the bottom of that 2017 class produced not just contributors, but a number of multi-year starters.

Given the uncertainties over recruiting, I’m a big fan of taking as many shots on goal as we can, especially for positions where we historically struggle, like d-line.  I’m not polyanna enough to expect that they will all be Dalman’s or even Damuni’s, but if maybe 1 in 10 is a hidden star, 1 in 5 can be a starter, and 1/2 can be marginally better contributor than the person we had to trot out in their stead, then that’s a case for filling the class.

BC

[BostonCard]

Now you got me curious.  Let’s look at the bottom five non-specialist players (by 247 composite) from the 2016-2018, which I think is when we had the biggest scholarship gaps. Lots of caveats here, which you identify (like, we don’t know that the bottom of the 247 rankings was the bottom of the internal rankings) and I’m using a limited time frame, but still a useful exercise, I think.

2016: Dorian Maddox, Paxton Segina, Dylan Powell, Nate Hebrig, Malik Antoine
2017: Drew Dalman, Tucker Fisk, Stuart Head, Levani Damuni, Dalyn Wade-Pery
2018: Tae Le, Ethan Bonner, Jay Symonds, Donjae Logan, Justus Woods

So, yeah, a lot of total non-contributors, like Segina, Le, Logan, and Woods, but some guys who were back-ups like Maddox and a bona fide star, Dalman, who was our lowest ranked recruit in 2017.  In fact the bottom of that 2017 class produced not just contributors, but a number of multi-year starters.

Given the uncertainties over recruiting, I’m a big fan of taking as many shots on goal as we can, especially for positions where we historically struggle, like d-line.  I’m not polyanna enough to expect that they will all be Dalman’s or even Damuni’s, but if maybe 1 in 10 is a hidden star, 1 in 5 can be a starter, and 1/2 can be marginally better contributor than the person we had to trot out in their stead, then that’s a case for filling the class.

BC