What grade would you give the Gophers 2015 recruiting class?

[GophersInIowa]

I'm sorry about that. But read the posts. Everyone in the country says this like 60th ranked class and at the bottom of the Big 14. Seems accurate IMO, but I'm sorry if I offended you.

Can you explain why you think it is accurate? Because our recruiting classes have consistently been ranked 50th-70th every year under Kill yet we've gotten bigger, faster, stronger, and more talented just about every year. The 2002 class was rated 73rd by Rivals. That class had guys like Williams, Murray, and Boddy-Calhoun, all of which will probably play in the NFL.

Team rankings are pretty hard to figure out outside of the top 20 or so. Rankings don't take into account positions of need or if the kid actually makes it onto campus for example.

You have every right to think this year's class isn't very good. But based on the results of the past few years, I don't think it is delusional for other to think this is a good class and a step in the right direction. This is the biggest and fastest class we've had in a long time. That really isn't debatable.

 

[btowngopher]

Why dont you quit bitching and ante your money up? Than we"ll have a top recruiting class. I played my college ball in the SEC I know 1st hand how the recruiting "Game" is played. If you think Northern teams are going to go down to SEC and Pac 12 country and pluck 4-5 star recruits out of them regions regularly without paying a price. Your walking around here with your head in the sand. Ohio st plays the GAME. They have bag men that why they can go down to Georgia and get the top player in the state LB Raekwon McMillan etc. Minnesota,Wisconsin etc choose not to play THE GAME. so therefore they rely on evaluations and development. TCU & Baylor are great examples they dont get the Top players in Texas they get the 3-3 star kids aTm & Texas didnt want. Yet TCU & Baylor will and do kick the crap out of aTm & Texas on the field due to superior player evaluations,superior player development and offensive/ defensive schemes. So if you want to recruit in the top 10 or 20 yr in and yr out dig in your pockets and get the big $ boosters together and go get them 5 star guys because they dont come cheap.

People point out TCU, Baylor, and Wisconsin which is fine. They are 3 of the few Power 5 schools that regularly finish in the top 25 that rarely land top 25 classes if ever. They might be the only 3. It is very difficult to crack the top 25 without a top 25 class on the roster. The problem I see in this thread is people seem to think we are recruiting on the same level as TCU, Baylor, and Wisconsin. They don't get top 25 classes, we don't either. Well we have failed to crack the top 50 under Kill. Those other 3 teams are regularly in the 40s, 30s, and even high 20s. Now I think it is ok to say you're a fan of what Kill is doing, while also saying recruiting needs to improve. I think it can improve and will as long as Kill continues to win. But you can't blame people for grading this class a C.

 

[btowngopher]

Can you explain why you think it is accurate? Because our recruiting classes have consistently been ranked 50th-70th every year under Kill yet we've gotten bigger, faster, stronger, and more talented just about every year. The 2002 class was rated 73rd by Rivals. That class had guys like Williams, Murray, and Boddy-Calhoun, all of which will probably play in the NFL.

Team rankings are pretty hard to figure out outside of the top 20 or so. Rankings don't take into account positions of need or if the kid actually makes it onto campus for example.

You have every right to think this year's class isn't very good. But based on the results of the past few years, I don't think it is delusional for other to think this is a good class and a step in the right direction. This is the biggest and fastest class we've had in a long time. That really isn't debatable.

How do we know it's the fastest class we've had in a long time?

 

[Killjoy]

How do we know it's the fastest class we've had in a long time?

I know somebody, somewhere from the coaching staff said it recently but I am going to pull a DL and blame not knowing who that was on my age.

 

[Killjoy]

NM

 

[OPGD#71]

Why dont you quit bitching and ante your money up? Than we"ll have a top recruiting class. I played my college ball in the SEC I know 1st hand how the recruiting "Game" is played. If you think Northern teams are going to go down to SEC and Pac 12 country and pluck 4-5 star recruits out of them regions regularly without paying a price. Your walking around here with your head in the sand. Ohio st plays the GAME. They have bag men that why they can go down to Georgia and get the top player in the state LB Raekwon McMillan etc. Minnesota,Wisconsin etc choose not to play THE GAME. so therefore they rely on evaluations and development. TCU & Baylor are great examples they dont get the Top players in Texas they get the 3-3 star kids aTm & Texas didnt want. Yet TCU & Baylor will and do kick the crap out of aTm & Texas on the field due to superior player evaluations,superior player development and offensive/ defensive schemes. So if you want to recruit in the top 10 or 20 yr in and yr out dig in your pockets and get the big $ boosters together and go get them 5 star guys because they dont come cheap.

LOL...sad but true. I have never heard of the Gophers "bag man" !! We all know about sCam Newton. I'm not sure of his ranking but he was a JUCO guy. Also wasn't it Pryor for the Suckeyes that said after he went to the NFL that he needed to go back to college since he made more money there than in the league ? One thing for sure with some programs, most will say in the SEC where the money talks and the bull**** walks.

 

[GophersInIowa]

How do we know it's the fastest class we've had in a long time?

Sorry, I should have said the biggest part really isn't debatable. But the coaches have said this is the fastest class they've had at MN. They could be wrong but I would tend to believe them since they see most of them at camp or in person.

 

[50PoundHead]

People point out TCU, Baylor, and Wisconsin which is fine. They are 3 of the few Power 5 schools that regularly finish in the top 25 that rarely land top 25 classes if ever. They might be the only 3. It is very difficult to crack the top 25 without a top 25 class on the roster. The problem I see in this thread is people seem to think we are recruiting on the same level as TCU, Baylor, and Wisconsin. They don't get top 25 classes, we don't either. Well we have failed to crack the top 50 under Kill. Those other 3 teams are regularly in the 40s, 30s, and even high 20s. Now I think it is ok to say you're a fan of what Kill is doing, while also saying recruiting needs to improve. I think it can improve and will as long as Kill continues to win. But you can't blame people for grading this class a C.

I can only speak for myself. I tossed out a "C" because it's a lazy man's way of saying, "Incomplete." There's a lot to like in this class and I like the fact that when in doubt, Kill opts for size on the offensive line and speed at the skilled positions and the back seven on defense. I wish they had landed another defensive lineman who could plug things up behind Richardson's penetration, but that wasn't to be (and maybe that's not Claeys' scheme).

But back to the grading, you can never tell with any class. These kids are 18-year-olds for the most part and one can never project development. So that's why I temper my enthusiasm a bit. It has nothing to do with the guys they recruited or the coaching staff. It's more about the inherent uncertainty in the process as a whole.

In response to 414's excellent post, I think what separates Baylor, TCU, and Wisconsin is that they recruit a set of solid lunch bucket guys and sprinkle in the occasional 4-star like Gordon and that elevates performance. I think the only thing the Gophers lack right now is a game-breaking type on offense. Maybe that guy is on the roster. We'll have to see.

 

[minibeaver]

I can only speak for myself. I tossed out a "C" because it's a lazy man's way of saying, "Incomplete." There's a lot to like in this class and I like the fact that when in doubt, Kill opts for size on the offensive line and speed at the skilled positions and the back seven on defense. I wish they had landed another defensive lineman who could plug things up behind Richardson's penetration, but that wasn't to be (and maybe that's not Claeys' scheme).

I thought I heard the coaches say recently they WANTED to get bigger on the D-Line, but that those types of players are much sought-after and harder to land.

If they are trying to get some bigger d lineman in here, wouldn't that indicate Claeys is fixin to change his scheme up? On the D-Line anyway, not necessarily the whole D.

I graded a C also, for much the same reason as you. Because this class doesn't jump out at you star-wise, I have to wait to see how the kids turn out to really know how good they are compared to who we have here already.

 

[alchemy2u]

As far as I am concerned, no one is qualified to talk about the quality of the recruits until they have listened to the Glasscock interview!!!!!!

A third of the players in the NFL did not play at power 5 conference schools. Which most likely means that they were rated by the "experts" as 2 stars or less.

You will never be happy with our recruiting if you expect us to have a top 20 class according to the "experts". It will never happen, because that does not fit how we evaluate players. It may be how Brewster recruited, trying to get the highest rated kid regardless if he will ever make it on the field.


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[EliteOpinionGuy]

As far as I am concerned, no one is qualified to talk about the quality of the recruits until they have listened to the Glasscock interview!!!!!!

A third of the players in the NFL did not play at power 5 conference schools. Which most likely means that they were rated by the "experts" as 2 stars or less.

You will never be happy with our recruiting if you expect us to have a top 20 class according to the "experts". It will never happen, because that does not fit how we evaluate players. It may be how Brewster recruited, trying to get the highest rated kid regardless if he will ever make it on the field.


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Uh oh you should not say that too objectively. I have learned that on GH the rankings matter more then you are giving off. And even though i will agree with you, you just don't get it. And i just don 't get it. But nasa now that poster GETS IT!!

#ESPN ranked me the top poster of the midwest! And it only costs $100 bucks if you are a second time customer.

 

[Killjoy]

Uh oh you should not say that too objectively. I have learned that on GH the rankings matter more then you are giving off. And even though i will agree with you, you just don't get it. And i just don 't get it. But nasa now that poster GETS IT!!

#ESPN ranked me the top poster of the midwest! And it only costs $100 bucks if you are a second time customer.

Thanks for the laugh. How much does it cost to be ranked as the top poster in the country?

 

[nasa35]

Uh oh you should not say that too objectively. I have learned that on GH the rankings matter more then you are giving off. And even though i will agree with you, you just don't get it. And i just don 't get it. But nasa now that poster GETS IT!!

#ESPN ranked me the top poster of the midwest! And it only costs $100 bucks if you are a second time customer.

Here's some more kool-aid. LOL!

 

[MNVCGUY]

As far as I am concerned, no one is qualified to talk about the quality of the recruits until they have listened to the Glasscock interview!!!!!!

A third of the players in the NFL did not play at power 5 conference schools. Which most likely means that they were rated by the "experts" as 2 stars or less.

You will never be happy with our recruiting if you expect us to have a top 20 class according to the "experts". It will never happen, because that does not fit how we evaluate players. It may be how Brewster recruited, trying to get the highest rated kid regardless if he will ever make it on the field.


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It is pretty simple. If Kill is able to consistently field a team that can be a real threat to win the west and compete for the Big Ten title in spite of having recruiting classes ranked below the teams he is outperforming then the whole star debate will get put to bed.

 

[John Galt]

The most interesting question would be to know what grade the staff gives this class behind closed doors...

 

[Killjoy]

It is pretty simple. If Kill is able to consistently field a team that can be a real threat to win the west and compete for the Big Ten title in spite of having recruiting classes ranked below the teams he is outperforming then the whole star debate will get put to bed.[

If that was only true!

 

[EliteOpinionGuy]

The most interesting question would be to know what grade the staff gives this class behind closed doors...

I bet if they did it would come after year three in the program. I doubt they would offer opinion without multiple years of game film or practice habits to go by.

 

[50PoundHead]

I thought I heard the coaches say recently they WANTED to get bigger on the D-Line, but that those types of players are much sought-after and harder to land.

If they are trying to get some bigger d lineman in here, wouldn't that indicate Claeys is fixin to change his scheme up? On the D-Line anyway, not necessarily the whole D.

I graded a C also, for much the same reason as you. Because this class doesn't jump out at you star-wise, I have to wait to see how the kids turn out to really know how good they are compared to who we have here already.

I follow closely but not super-closely, so I probably would have missed any comments Claeys made about the D-line. Claeys seems to have opted for smaller DTs who simply fire out, but I don't know if that scheme can work consistently in the B1G so changes might be in order. You're right that big, mobile guys are highly sought after.

 

[die hard gopher]

I bet if they did it would come after year three in the program. I doubt they would offer opinion without multiple years of game film or practice habits to go by.

So you think they don't have an opinion on this class that they just signed? They have said themselves that this is the fastest class on defense they have signed yet and the most talented offensive class they have signed.

 

[minibeaver]

So you think they don't have an opinion on this class that they just signed? They have said themselves that this is the fastest class on defense they have signed yet and the most talented offensive class they have signed.

I'm sure we could dig it up here somewhere, but I'd imagine they made similar comments about last year's class... "fastest class, getting bigger"... and they may be telling the truth. But let's be honest I don't know that they would say anything different, even if it was the least talented class they've signed here. Truth is they say what they say as politicians and go back to the meeting room and have real "coach" conversations.
And that's the way it should be.

 

[die hard gopher]

I'm sure we could dig it up here somewhere, but I'd imagine they made similar comments about last year's class... "fastest class, getting bigger"... and they may be telling the truth. But let's be honest I don't know that they would say anything different, even if it was the least talented class they've signed here. Truth is they say what they say as politicians and go back to the meeting room and have real "coach" conversations.
And that's the way it should be.

Piont being, they definitely do have some sort of an opinion on this class.

 

[Killjoy]

I'm sure we could dig it up here somewhere, but I'd imagine they made similar comments about last year's class... "fastest class, getting bigger"... and they may be telling the truth. But let's be honest I don't know that they would say anything different, even if it was the least talented class they've signed here. Truth is they say what they say as politicians and go back to the meeting room and have real "coach" conversations.
And that's the way it should be.

You are right about him saying that with each class he has said they are better. As far as being a politician Kill has been very honest about his team and where it at since day one. For the first few years he was brutally honest about the lack of effort and discipline in the way they practiced. He would constantly say that they had a along way to go in their work ethic, mental toughness, etc. He also said in order to be able to compete they needed to add athleticism, size, and speed. Looking back it is unbelievable in the difference in the team practices now compared to those first few years. Then, Kill spent most of his time yelling at the players on how they needed to practice harder and better. Now he does very little of that. Instead, he is focused on teaching now. It has been a joy to watch him change the culture and to see the buy in by the players. My point in all of this is that if you listen to what Kill is saying, he is very honest about who he, where he is going and how he is going to get there.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Piont being, they definitely do have some sort of an opinion on this class.

I am sure they are thrilled with all the players that committed and I am sure they are also frustrated and disappointed by some of the guys they didn't get. I also feel confident saying that they are excited to get out on the field in the spring in order to find out just what kind of players they have actually gotten.

 

[minibeaver]

Piont being, they definitely do have some sort of an opinion on this class.

And I would imagine they talk more candidly about it amongst themselves. I also think they are like many of us, they don't really know FOR SURE what they've got for a year or two.

Grading a class that is by other standards roughly equal (stars) and barring the ability to breakdown film (I don't have that ability), it's pretty hard for me to really grade

 

[EliteOpinionGuy]

So you think they don't have an opinion on this class that they just signed? They have said themselves that this is the fastest class on defense they have signed yet and the most talented offensive class they have signed.

I do believe they would say those objective things: bigger, faster, stronger. But I also feel they would refuse to say overall this class was a grade __ until that class had an opportunity to get on the field and see how they perform. I agree with the idea (lets see what we have on the field before declaring this class a failure or best thing ever) which is why personally I don't take into account how others rank this class, even if its #62.

By my thought process I am sure the 2013 recruiting class turned out better than ANY of the coaches would have dreamed come a week or so after signing day. Hope the rambling makes sense.

 

[GopherOhana]

with April 1 being the final signing date, anyone with insights into others that may be added to this class?

 

[ruppertflywheel]

In coach Kill's mind it is a "A". If you look at all the rankings it is the middle of the road ( " C ) Who do you trust, the wags or coach Kill?

 

[Killjoy]

In coach Kill's mind it is a "A". If you look at all the rankings it is the middle of the road ( " C ) Who do you trust, the wags or coach Kill?

Is this what you call a "No brainer"?

 

[scools12]

In coach Kill's mind it is a "A". If you look at all the rankings it is the middle of the road ( " C ) Who do you trust, the wags or coach Kill?

Can you name or find one coach that has said after signing day they didn't like their class?

 

[MNVCGUY]

Can you name or find one coach that has said after signing day they didn't like their class?

This. Every coach stood up on signing day and told their fans that they signed a great class of players that is going to help take their team to the next level. Outside of a first year guy under the gun like Harbaugh no one is going to say "we have been recruiting all year and we feel we signed a mediocre group of players that will hopefully help us be ok for years to come".

Bottom line is that ON PAPER our class doesn't quite stack up against the teams we are hoping to compete against in the division and the conference. How those kids end up performing over the next few years in relation to the guys the other teams brought in still remains to be seen. Things have been trending in the right direction, hopefully that trend continues.