Projecting the 2016 Class - Way Too Early Edition

Submitted by alum96 on

Alternative title:  How to make a post that makes you look foolish in 7 months.

Hopefully a flurry of commits happen in the next 3 weeks to firm up this list but here is a projected 23 man class.  The apparent goal is "Fab25" which would be 25 but I had trouble plugging in DBs as UM doesn't lead for many and is not really in the conversation as a contender for many at this point.  So most likely it will be guys we have not really heard of yet outside of Butler.  (I have Hill not flipping to UM per current tea leaves)  In theory someone like Enis could end up as a S down the road.

Please also note any class over 18 or so will require serious attrition in the coming half year.  25?  We are not talking scalpel but butcher knife.

This 23 man class is a sort of "best case" perhaps - for kicks I plugged it into 247 and it generated a score of 262.8 which in 2013 terms would be #10, 2014 terms would be  #11, and 2015 terms would be #14. Hoke's first full cycle class of 2012 was 25 players and #6.  

The total class rank is influenced heavily by the # of players you have (i.e. a 23 man class will rank much higher than an 18 man class) - unfortunately 247's projection doesn't give you the average player rank which is a more fair comparison.  i.e. an 18 man class with an average rank of 90.5 is in theory better than a 21 man class with average rank 87.5 even if the latter will be ranked higher.

'CROOTS

1 OL Erik Swenson
2 OL Michael Onwenu
3 OL Ben Bredeson
4 OL Terrance Davis
5 QB Brandon Peters
6 RB Matt Falcon
7 RB Kingston Davis
8 RB/WR/S Chris Evans
9 FB (LB) David Reese
10 TE Naseir Upshur
11 WR/RB/DB Kiante Enis
12 WR Brad Hawkins
13 WR Donald Stewart
14 DT Rashan Gary
15 DL Connor Murphy
16 DL Xavier Kelly
17 LB Caleb Kelly or Devin Bush Jr
18 LB Dele Harding
19 LB Dontavious Jackson
20 LB Jonathan Jones
21 CB Tony Butler
22 CB  
23 S Chris Brown
24 S  
25 K Quinn Nordin

 

Alternate:  OT Devery Hamilton, WR Dez Fitzpatrick, WR Korey
Banks (CB?), DE Daniel Joseph, LB Camilo Eifler, CB Lavert Hill

Notes

  • For ranking purposes I included Devin Bush Jr (not Caleb Kelly) - both seem to be an intense focus of a satellite camp.
  • The whole defense is difficult to project, but LB is probably the one group with some visibility.
  • No idea who our alternative would be at DT if not Gary.
  • DEs are very difficult to project; I picked Murphy due to relationship with Harbaugh from older brother and Kelly as he will be on campus in 2 weeks and he is a Nebraska lean so reasonably flippable.
  • Banks is a low rated WR that seems to be a fall back plan but in theory could be a DB recruit but Magnus says he is a WR recruit so I didnt put him in as a DB.
  • We seem to be in the running for Hamilton as well but would we take 5 OL?  I assume if all 5 say yes we would.  Esp if a guy like Davis flips to a southern school - thus opening a new slot in the class, even if a diff position. (Evans could be your 2nd RB in such a case)

 

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