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2016 Class Analysis + Player Ranking
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<blockquote data-quote="Mechaniik" data-source="post: 208338" data-attributes="member: 605"><p><strong>Player Rankings</strong></p><p></p><p>Enough about the class as a whole, how would I rank the individual players? Bear in mind that I am comparing to the average power 5 recruit (in my minds eye, a high 3-star with about 5-6 p5 offers), which is a very high standard - they all have good highlights tapes and are all physically impressive. One proviso is that I am talking about the average recruit given the scheme of the college which signed them, that is, someone who is an above average tackle recruit for Georgia mightn't be for us and vice-versa (this is, I think less of a factor on defense, where our scheme is more standard/closer to the norm).</p><p></p><p>To aid comparison, here are a few of the decent p5 players I am talking about, chosen randomly from the high 3-star ranks.</p><p></p><p>[MEDIA=hudl]athlete=1675672;highlight=310494395[/MEDIA]</p><p>Jaren Hall - #20 Dual Threat QB, committed to BYU.</p><p></p><p>[MEDIA=hudl]athlete=2848287;highlight=176425375[/MEDIA]</p><p>Cameron Williams - #80 Wide Receiver, committed to TCU (junior tape).</p><p></p><p>[MEDIA=hudl]athlete=3221910;highlight=328723672[/MEDIA]</p><p>Jordan Smith - #35 Weakside Defensive End, committed to Florida.</p><p></p><p>Note: For each player, I will give a brief scouting report and sometimes a projection then a link to their - preferably senior year - highlights. I will also show which players I believe to above average p5 recruits, which to be roughly average, and which to be below average. As always with such things, I am sure I will be wrong about multiple players, and perhaps even the majority. Additionally, I haven't counted Jaylen Ratliffe, because, although on scholarship, his medical situation is still unclear.</p><p></p><p>Without any further ado, then, the rankings:</p><p></p><p><strong>Above average p5 prospects:</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p>1. Dedrick Mills - a recruit I love, I think he has really good burst, balance and agility as well as natural talent as a running back, is probably lacking in long-speed, which might make him more Maurice Jones-Drew than Adrian Peterson (prove me right, Dedrick!).</p><p></p><p>Highlights : <a href="http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1495850/highlights" target="_blank">http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1495850/highlights</a></p><p></p><p>2. Parker Braun - An OL with great strength and speed, as well as good balance and agility, had some really good offers.</p><p></p><p>[MEDIA=youtube]txIry9YUlVI[/MEDIA]</p><p></p><p>3. Desmond Branch - A player whose strengths are in the most important areas (hands, burst, change-of-direction and agility) and weaknesses in unimportant ones (long speed, elite strength), Branch looked really good against tough JUCO competition. Looks like a slightly larger KeShun Freeman.</p><p></p><p>[MEDIA=hudl]athlete=5209814;highlight=291313384[/MEDIA]</p><p></p><p>4. Jordan Wood - In some ways the opposite of Branch, has really good strength and is difficult to move, has good burst, but sometimes is a little stiff and plays too high. Still, should be a really good presence on the interior of the defensive line.</p><p></p><p>[MEDIA=youtube]Z6Wm3Ltv18I[/MEDIA]</p><p></p><p>5. Jay Jones - In my view the natural heir-apparent to Thomas, showed elite athleticism and arm-strength in 6A Alabama football. To me appears to be a mix of Thomas and Nesbitt - i.e. faster but smaller than Nesbitt yet larger and slower than Thomas; better arm than Thomas but less accurate yet a worse arm and more accuracy than Nesbitt. Also looks to have a quick release, great agility and good hand-eye coordination, imo three of the most important characteristics in a TO quarterback.</p><p></p><p>[MEDIA=youtube]3Q7E_x4XBMY[/MEDIA]</p><p></p><p>6. Xavier Gantt - doesn't have elite speed, is a little small, but has great agility, balance and core strength. The question is: will he be able to get past the first defender consistently so that he can find the space to use his agility and balance one-on-one? I think he will.</p><p></p><p>[MEDIA=youtube]9H4gTnoUKxw[/MEDIA]</p><p></p><p><strong>Roughly average p5 prospects</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p>7. Brandon Adams - good player, good burst and strength, not elite in either category but has a p5 frame and could surprise. Shawn Green would be a good comparison, although he is larger.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O76jsVuHX9Q" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O76jsVuHX9Q</a></p><p></p><p>8. Steve Dolphus - I really like Dolphus, has good speed for a larger wide receiver, good hands and is a natural catcher of the ball. However large wide receivers often struggle, and it separation from DBs is something of a question mark. Still, I think he can be a really good player, especially with some time to grow into his body.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op3p9SDpH0Q" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op3p9SDpH0Q</a></p><p></p><p>9. Jakob Brashear - Good, instinctual football player, good agility and burst - but are they good enough for a player of his size? I'm honestly not sure, and can see him being anywhere from a really good player to a bad one. Perhaps the best comparison would be a smaller Brant Mitchell.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2980504/highlights/289166385/v2" target="_blank">http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2980504/highlights/289166385/v2</a></p><p></p><p>10. Emanuel Bridges - Similar to Brashear, perhaps a bit less instinctual and with a bit more speed, but the question remains, are his physical talents sufficient for a player of his size. Like Brashear, I'm not sure, film reminded me a little of Chaz Cheeks, albeit with better tackling.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYPW3stcs6I" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYPW3stcs6I</a></p><p></p><p>11. Ajani Kerr - didn't get much recruiting attention, despite being on a team with lots of prospects, so other teams coaches can't have thought very much of him. At the same time, he has great length for a cornerback prospect, is physical and has really good hips, the only question being his long speed. If he doesn't get beat deep too much, I can imagine him being a really good player, and I can see why the coaches took him.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOWCwN-imUQ" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOWCwN-imUQ</a></p><p></p><p>12. Kenny Cooper - Good player, reminds me of a less agile Trey Klock, good scheme take and good size for a triple option center/tackle. Speed is very good for the position, but might have problems against defensive tackles due to lack of a solid base.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNkhg0ixIRE" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNkhg0ixIRE</a></p><p></p><p><strong>Below average p5 prospects</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p>12. Jahaziel Lee - I think he could be a very good TO O-lineman, as his weakest qualities - agility and change of direction - aren't as important at that position as at defensive line - and his size and speed should shine through. Still, he is a project, needs to gain quite a lot of weight, and will play a different position from high school, so the majority of p5 prospects look better at the moment. I can definitely see why the staff took him, though.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp9rGsJkhrk" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp9rGsJkhrk</a></p><p></p><p>13. Lucas Johnson - I actually think he looks a pretty good prospect, and is IMO a more accurate quarterback than Jones. However I don't believe that he is the type of QB who does well in the triple option, as he is something of a long-strider and has a slow release. I'm not sure he will thrive making quick decisions in the running game and he will likely be caught in the backfield too often for the offense to be efficient. Reminds me of Vad Lee with less long speed.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6iwoSlI0ew" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6iwoSlI0ew</a></p><p></p><p>14. Chris Martin</p><p></p><p>We took him early, so he must have impressed at camp, and he is a good high-school player, with good burst, hands and agility. However he does not have elite burst and is small for the position - there are many p5 prospects who do the things he does well, but also have those characteristics, so I am not really convinced.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peVsdLD582c" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peVsdLD582c</a></p><p></p><p>15. Jarrett Cole - I think Cole will be a decent spot player, and could start if needs be as he has good burst and reads plays well. However he doesn't have any length, is mediocre in terms of range and against elite athletes (i.e. most p5 recruits) he will struggle tackling and in coverage. Reminds me a little of Corey Griffin.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A8RQT9--ms" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A8RQT9--ms</a></p><p></p><p>16. Jair Hawkins-Anderson - I actually quite like him as a prospect, he has good hands, good agility and good long speed. His only problem is that his immediate burst and core strength, two of the most important attributes for skill position players, seem to me to be sub-par. Still he has good hips and could be a good punt-returner. Could possibly be a good corner? He reminds me a little of a slightly larger Embry Peeples/Marcus Wright.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrDMwTCh2iQ" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrDMwTCh2iQ</a></p><p></p><p>17. Jalen Camp - he is a very hard working player who has likely already maximized his physical potential, which, along with his hands, is one of his two positive attributes. However he is slow for a WR and doesn't have elite size so decent p5 corners will blanket him. Our only recruit who I definitely wouldn't have taken (prove me wrong, Jalen!).</p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL8DwFNriL0" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL8DwFNriL0</a></p><p></p><p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p>So, all things considered, Tech looks to have a pretty decent class, roughly average for power 5 schools, which would mean around 32/33rd in the country (there are 65 p5 schools, including Notre Dame), which, considering the season they just had, and the fact that Tech has an offense which is difficult to prepare for (the old 'schematic advantage' ; )), represents a pretty good job by the Tech coaches and recruiting staff.</p><p></p><p>How would you rank our commits and recruiting effort? How do you think the class which Tech ultimately got compared with the range of possible outcomes? Which prospects do you think are most 'boom or bust', which can be projected relatively easily? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts, and Go Jackets!</p><p></p><p>P.S. Just to re-emphasise this, I think the vast majority of our commits are really good football players, and all were great high school football players, but that is true for most other schools too, and they have their highlight tapes too! Anyway, I'm sure more than a few of those listed above will surprise.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mechaniik, post: 208338, member: 605"] [B]Player Rankings[/B] Enough about the class as a whole, how would I rank the individual players? Bear in mind that I am comparing to the average power 5 recruit (in my minds eye, a high 3-star with about 5-6 p5 offers), which is a very high standard - they all have good highlights tapes and are all physically impressive. One proviso is that I am talking about the average recruit given the scheme of the college which signed them, that is, someone who is an above average tackle recruit for Georgia mightn't be for us and vice-versa (this is, I think less of a factor on defense, where our scheme is more standard/closer to the norm). To aid comparison, here are a few of the decent p5 players I am talking about, chosen randomly from the high 3-star ranks. [MEDIA=hudl]athlete=1675672;highlight=310494395[/MEDIA] Jaren Hall - #20 Dual Threat QB, committed to BYU. [MEDIA=hudl]athlete=2848287;highlight=176425375[/MEDIA] Cameron Williams - #80 Wide Receiver, committed to TCU (junior tape). [MEDIA=hudl]athlete=3221910;highlight=328723672[/MEDIA] Jordan Smith - #35 Weakside Defensive End, committed to Florida. Note: For each player, I will give a brief scouting report and sometimes a projection then a link to their - preferably senior year - highlights. I will also show which players I believe to above average p5 recruits, which to be roughly average, and which to be below average. As always with such things, I am sure I will be wrong about multiple players, and perhaps even the majority. Additionally, I haven't counted Jaylen Ratliffe, because, although on scholarship, his medical situation is still unclear. Without any further ado, then, the rankings: [B]Above average p5 prospects: [/B] 1. Dedrick Mills - a recruit I love, I think he has really good burst, balance and agility as well as natural talent as a running back, is probably lacking in long-speed, which might make him more Maurice Jones-Drew than Adrian Peterson (prove me right, Dedrick!). Highlights : [URL]http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1495850/highlights[/URL] 2. Parker Braun - An OL with great strength and speed, as well as good balance and agility, had some really good offers. [MEDIA=youtube]txIry9YUlVI[/MEDIA] 3. Desmond Branch - A player whose strengths are in the most important areas (hands, burst, change-of-direction and agility) and weaknesses in unimportant ones (long speed, elite strength), Branch looked really good against tough JUCO competition. Looks like a slightly larger KeShun Freeman. [MEDIA=hudl]athlete=5209814;highlight=291313384[/MEDIA] 4. Jordan Wood - In some ways the opposite of Branch, has really good strength and is difficult to move, has good burst, but sometimes is a little stiff and plays too high. Still, should be a really good presence on the interior of the defensive line. [MEDIA=youtube]Z6Wm3Ltv18I[/MEDIA] 5. Jay Jones - In my view the natural heir-apparent to Thomas, showed elite athleticism and arm-strength in 6A Alabama football. To me appears to be a mix of Thomas and Nesbitt - i.e. faster but smaller than Nesbitt yet larger and slower than Thomas; better arm than Thomas but less accurate yet a worse arm and more accuracy than Nesbitt. Also looks to have a quick release, great agility and good hand-eye coordination, imo three of the most important characteristics in a TO quarterback. [MEDIA=youtube]3Q7E_x4XBMY[/MEDIA] 6. Xavier Gantt - doesn't have elite speed, is a little small, but has great agility, balance and core strength. The question is: will he be able to get past the first defender consistently so that he can find the space to use his agility and balance one-on-one? I think he will. [MEDIA=youtube]9H4gTnoUKxw[/MEDIA] [B]Roughly average p5 prospects [/B] 7. Brandon Adams - good player, good burst and strength, not elite in either category but has a p5 frame and could surprise. Shawn Green would be a good comparison, although he is larger. [URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O76jsVuHX9Q[/URL] 8. Steve Dolphus - I really like Dolphus, has good speed for a larger wide receiver, good hands and is a natural catcher of the ball. However large wide receivers often struggle, and it separation from DBs is something of a question mark. Still, I think he can be a really good player, especially with some time to grow into his body. [URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op3p9SDpH0Q[/URL] 9. Jakob Brashear - Good, instinctual football player, good agility and burst - but are they good enough for a player of his size? I'm honestly not sure, and can see him being anywhere from a really good player to a bad one. Perhaps the best comparison would be a smaller Brant Mitchell. [URL]http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2980504/highlights/289166385/v2[/URL] 10. Emanuel Bridges - Similar to Brashear, perhaps a bit less instinctual and with a bit more speed, but the question remains, are his physical talents sufficient for a player of his size. Like Brashear, I'm not sure, film reminded me a little of Chaz Cheeks, albeit with better tackling. [URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYPW3stcs6I[/URL] 11. Ajani Kerr - didn't get much recruiting attention, despite being on a team with lots of prospects, so other teams coaches can't have thought very much of him. At the same time, he has great length for a cornerback prospect, is physical and has really good hips, the only question being his long speed. If he doesn't get beat deep too much, I can imagine him being a really good player, and I can see why the coaches took him. [URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOWCwN-imUQ[/URL] 12. Kenny Cooper - Good player, reminds me of a less agile Trey Klock, good scheme take and good size for a triple option center/tackle. Speed is very good for the position, but might have problems against defensive tackles due to lack of a solid base. [URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNkhg0ixIRE[/URL] [B]Below average p5 prospects [/B] 12. Jahaziel Lee - I think he could be a very good TO O-lineman, as his weakest qualities - agility and change of direction - aren't as important at that position as at defensive line - and his size and speed should shine through. Still, he is a project, needs to gain quite a lot of weight, and will play a different position from high school, so the majority of p5 prospects look better at the moment. I can definitely see why the staff took him, though. [URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp9rGsJkhrk[/URL] 13. Lucas Johnson - I actually think he looks a pretty good prospect, and is IMO a more accurate quarterback than Jones. However I don't believe that he is the type of QB who does well in the triple option, as he is something of a long-strider and has a slow release. I'm not sure he will thrive making quick decisions in the running game and he will likely be caught in the backfield too often for the offense to be efficient. Reminds me of Vad Lee with less long speed. [URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6iwoSlI0ew[/URL] 14. Chris Martin We took him early, so he must have impressed at camp, and he is a good high-school player, with good burst, hands and agility. However he does not have elite burst and is small for the position - there are many p5 prospects who do the things he does well, but also have those characteristics, so I am not really convinced. [URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peVsdLD582c[/URL] 15. Jarrett Cole - I think Cole will be a decent spot player, and could start if needs be as he has good burst and reads plays well. However he doesn't have any length, is mediocre in terms of range and against elite athletes (i.e. most p5 recruits) he will struggle tackling and in coverage. Reminds me a little of Corey Griffin. [URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A8RQT9--ms[/URL] 16. Jair Hawkins-Anderson - I actually quite like him as a prospect, he has good hands, good agility and good long speed. His only problem is that his immediate burst and core strength, two of the most important attributes for skill position players, seem to me to be sub-par. Still he has good hips and could be a good punt-returner. Could possibly be a good corner? He reminds me a little of a slightly larger Embry Peeples/Marcus Wright. [URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrDMwTCh2iQ[/URL] 17. Jalen Camp - he is a very hard working player who has likely already maximized his physical potential, which, along with his hands, is one of his two positive attributes. However he is slow for a WR and doesn't have elite size so decent p5 corners will blanket him. Our only recruit who I definitely wouldn't have taken (prove me wrong, Jalen!). [URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL8DwFNriL0[/URL] [B]Conclusion [/B] So, all things considered, Tech looks to have a pretty decent class, roughly average for power 5 schools, which would mean around 32/33rd in the country (there are 65 p5 schools, including Notre Dame), which, considering the season they just had, and the fact that Tech has an offense which is difficult to prepare for (the old 'schematic advantage' ; )), represents a pretty good job by the Tech coaches and recruiting staff. How would you rank our commits and recruiting effort? How do you think the class which Tech ultimately got compared with the range of possible outcomes? Which prospects do you think are most 'boom or bust', which can be projected relatively easily? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts, and Go Jackets! P.S. Just to re-emphasise this, I think the vast majority of our commits are really good football players, and all were great high school football players, but that is true for most other schools too, and they have their highlight tapes too! Anyway, I'm sure more than a few of those listed above will surprise. [/QUOTE]
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