DRC: 2014 recruiting class review

[Brett Vito]

DRC: Wilson, McClain highlight hit-miss group

http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/mean-green/2017/05/17/unt-2014-recruiting-class-review-wilson-mcclain-highlight-hit-miss-group

[untjim1995]

It's almost inconceivable to imagine how a coach/team that has won 9 games and a bowl game after turning around a program that had won a total of 8 games under the previous coach and had started building up in the two previous years could not make one dent in the TX HS recruiting war...

[Ben Gooding]

I have never valued the HS relationship thing. Sure, as a college assistant recruiting these high schools, you don't want to burn any bridges. But at the same time, a high school coach is not gong to dictate where one of his players go to college, it just isn't happening regardless of what anyone on here says. At the very, very most, a coach might actually be in with a player and hold his respect and he might be able to influence his decision by helping him narrow down his options. But again, that goes back to perception from a HS player and HS coach standpoint. Dabo Nick Saban, Bob up at OU, Harbaugh, and most of whoever else could go choke slam a coach and then cherry pick one of his players all in the span of 30 seconds. Most kids are egomaniacs. Most of them are going to go where perception carries them. They are looking for the finest deal with the most glory so they can blowhard for a few months until they get on campus.  A little 9 win blip on the radar isn't going to change that. It's a culture thing. A consistency thing. When #NewDenton first came about I thought we were kind of turning the corner. It was a trendy slogan all in the midst of bringing on a new coach. Now it feels like we are just peeking a booing around the corner from time to time kind of sitting in neutral. But at least we're at the corner. A few years ago, we weren't even close to it. We need to beat a P5 while on the way to winning a conference championship. 

[UNTLifer]

Here is a link to the class:

http://northtexas.247sports.com/Season/2014-Football/Commits

Never Made It: Davis, Graham, Jackson

No Longer W/ The Team: Fortenberry, Goree,  Ivery, Adams, and Montgomery

Exceeded Expectations: Wilson, McClain, Johnson (when healthy)

Contributors w/ Talent to Break Out: Garner, Miles, Rutherford and Tauaalo

Hope the Light Bulb Goes Off: Chumley and Jones

Still Waiting: Means

Solid, Not Spectacular: Moore

[Ben Gooding]

4 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

Here is a link to the class:

http://northtexas.247sports.com/Season/2014-Football/Commits

Never Made It: Davis, Graham, Jackson

No Longer W/ The Team: Fortenberry, Goree,  Ivery, Adams, and Montgomery

Exceeded Expectations: Wilson, McClain, Johnson (when healthy)

Contributors w/ Talent to Break Out: Garner, Miles, Rutherford and Tauaalo

Hope the Light Bulb Goes Off: Chumley and Jones

Still Waiting: Means

Solid, Not Spectacular: Moore

So, our 2014 contributors for the 2016 season were McClain, Wilson, Garner. We need Rutherford, Chumley and Tuaalo to really form up this season. 

No surprise that the biggest contributors of this class (2 of our top 3 recruits from that class - Wilson & Garner - Both 3*) were two of our highest rated recruits that actually made it to campus. I know Ivery and Goree are no longer there, but they too had game breaking potential that were also high rated recruits from this class and Ivery did take over some games for us before being dismissed. But as a whole, this class is par for the course. We were 9th in CUSA that year in recruiting and last year finished tied for the 8th best conference record. Coincidence? Nah. Not at all. 

To note: McClain has played far superior than his HS rating. He has performed like a 3 star player with All-CUSA talent. There are going to be these outliers, usually one a class. For us to breakthrough and put this "recruiting doesn't matter" mantra to bed that our fans throw around we need about 5 of these type players a class. I would then start to say you guys are right. 

[UNTLifer]

Wilson was a 2 star prospect with a .7678 rating which placed him between Tillman Johnson and Akii Smith as far as recruiting ratings.

Garner was a 3 star with a .8054 rating which placed him just behind Ivery and ahead of Jalen Adams.

McClain was basically an overlooked recruit that has turned in to a safety with NFL potential

Based on the recruiting ratings, we need Miles, Rutherford, Chumley, Jones and Rutherford to really step up and contibute this year.  Tauaalo was a low rated two star that has the ability to really shine.  He needs to push himself to that next level and become disruptive in the middle.

[Ben Gooding]

Wilson was a 2-star. My mistake. It's easy to assume him as a 3 star. I think had he been 50 miles closer to Houston or 50 miles closer to Dallas, he would have been in a bigger school and an almost automatic 3-star. But he wasn't, so he isn't. He played at a school just kind of right in the middle of nowhere and that hurt his rating and his options coming out of high school. 

I agree that some of these guys need to step up this season. I think Chumley in that slot/WR/TE role can be effective. But I think Kelvin Smith could be just as effective. Rutherford needs to get more targets. He has shown to be relatively reliable when the ball is thrown his way. Jones has been a no-show. Miles needs to mold into a better prospect. It's kind of now or never at this point. 

But again, this class was ranked 9th and we're performing at about the 9th best team in CUSA. It should be no surprise that ODU had the 2nd best class that season and they are coming off of a 10-win season. And of course the next 3-4 best classes of that cycle are the programs we are currently chasing, La Tech, Middle, WKU, etc. 

[Mean Green 93-98]

McClain = The best recruit of the McCarney era?

[Ben Gooding]

9 minutes ago, Mean Green 93-98 said:

McClain = The best recruit of the McCarney era?

As of now, yes. As of now, it's not eve up for debate. I think Roderick Young was a good recruit that McCarney brought in as well. Dodge brought in far more talent that McCarney only dreamed of bringing in. Right now, Littrell is recruiting at a McCarney level over his first 2 classes. Therefore, Littrell will need to coach himself into bowl games because I am afraid we aren't going to out-talent ourselves into them. But his offensive system, if it ever gains steam, can actually do that. To note, Littrell has had more success than McCarney in bringing in the most important position on a football field, the QB. That may make all the difference in the world over time. 

Edited May 18, 2017 by Ben Gooding