K.J. Williams, Treevon Prater Fail to Qualify

[anglerman]

Despite the Star ranking KJ is probably the least talented of the WRs I'm this class He was almost guaranteed to RS. So going to prep school should have minimal impact on his career if he gets here by January

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

Despite the Star ranking KJ is probably the least talented of the WRs I'm this class He was almost guaranteed to RS. So going to prep school should have minimal impact on his career if he gets here by January

That's a bold statement.

 

[MSOrange]

I'm always amazed when a kid can't do the work to at least qualify. It's not as if you have to be at the top of your class.

I used to feel the same way and it still surprises me to an extent. But I try to remember that a lot of these kids come from drastically different life circumstances than I came from.

 

[rrlbees]

Despite the Star ranking KJ is probably the least talented of the WRs I'm this class He was almost guaranteed to RS. So going to prep school should have minimal impact on his career if he gets here by January

Looked damn good on film to me.

 

[tep624]

I don't think KJ was the least talented of this group, but I do agree that him spending a year at Prep is a non-issue because in all likelihood he was going to be redshirting anyway. If he goes prep, he'll be here in January if things go well.

 

[spo023]

Despite the Star ranking KJ is probably the least talented of the WRs I'm this class He was almost guaranteed to RS. So going to prep school should have minimal impact on his career if he gets here by January

You mind giving your rationale on this one? Without any proper explanation from you debunking his impressive film and consensus rankings, hard to take anything you say seriously from here on out. I'd love to hear why you think he's less talented than a guy like Custis or Enoicy.

 

[anomander]

Very disappointing. I really wasn't counting on him much this year, but having a year of experience going into Hunt's senior year would have been big. Luckily we brought in an extremely talented WR corp, where only 1, maybe 2 Freshman would have played. Ishmael was a shoe in to play. KJ and Custis would probably have fought to play, if at all. He still losses 6 months of practice, playbook, and s&c that you just won't get at prep school. Hopefully he uses these 6 months and gets his act together. If anything this should show him that nothing is guaranteed unless you work hard.

 

[anomander]

You mind giving your rationale on this one? Without any proper explanation from you debunking his impressive film and consensus rankings, hard to take anything you say seriously from here on out. I'd love to hear why you think he's less talented than a guy like Custis or Enoicy.

I don't think his statement is totally irrational. It's strong, but I can see someone making that argument. Personally I would rank him 3rd of the 5. imo both Ishmael, and Custis are better prospects. Still this isn't even a knock on him. This was the best WR haul we have ever had at Syracuse. All 5 kids were heavily recruited, and have a ton of talent. I do know KJ has 1 major concern that the others don't have...his work ethic, and I think this shows with him not being able to gain eligibility. The biggest knock on KJ has always been his work ethic. Part of the reason his rating dropped his Senior year, other then being injured for a part, was because he didn't show much improvement from his Sophmore and Junior seasons. KJ definitely has a ton of potential, and I am glad he committed to Syracuse, but he has some work to do if he ever wants to contribute.

 

[spo023]

I don't think his statement is totally irrational. It's strong, but I can see someone making that argument.

It's irrational when he gives no reasoning besides his opinion, which doesn't mean much without him giving his qualifications for breaking down highlights of 17 year olds. I'm sure Anglerman appreciates you fighting his battles too

 

[SmilinBob]

2 kids not making the grade just about the number a lot of suspected but maybe not Williams. Hopefully they both will realize the opportunity they have and get their academic lives in order. The staff is going to have to work hard for these two kids once they do though, some pretty good talent here.

 

[Rocco]

So far Shafer is 2 for 2 on standing by non-quals (Corey Cooper and Wayne Williams).

True, especially on Wayne. He committed in 1999 and Shafer finally got him on campus.

 

[007]

http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootb...and_treevon_prater_fail_to_qualify_acade.html

No surprise on Prater - a little surprised on Williams but I think it might actually help in the long run if he comes in a year later. Thoughts?

"Williams, rated a four-star recruit by Rivals, Scout and 247 Sports, was one of the two wide receivers most likely to inject instant energy into the SU passing game as true freshmen."

I realize you are trying to put a positive spin on this. How can it "help," long term or not, losing a player with that kind of potential? Losing Williams is a big deal because it potentially impacts a position area most in need of play makers...right now.

 

[SmilinBob]

Every good player not with the team hurts and imo these are two good ones but let's see who steps up and seizes this opportunity.

 

[SUFan44]

"Williams, rated a four-star recruit by Rivals, Scout and 247 Sports, was one of the two wide receivers most likely to inject instant energy into the SU passing game as true freshmen."

I realize you are trying to put a positive spin on this. How can it "help," long term or not, losing a player with that kind of potential? Losing Williams is a big deal because it potentially impacts a position area most in need of play makers...right now.

Position probably also has the most depth of any on the roster - something like 16 scholarship guys. I'm not too concerned about losing a freshman for this year. Next man up is right.

 

[TheCusian]

"Williams, rated a four-star recruit by Rivals, Scout and 247 Sports, was one of the two wide receivers most likely to inject instant energy into the SU passing game as true freshmen." I realize you are trying to put a positive spin on this. How can it "help," long term or not, losing a player with that kind of potential? Losing Williams is a big deal because it potentially impacts a position area most in need of play makers...right now.

It's likely that only one frosh was going to see the field. Good money is on Ishmael, not Williams.

Shafer hasn't lost a non-qualifier yet, and AJ is still on the team. I'd bet he's here in Jan.

 

[rundeal]

From a fan perspective, I think most people look at the pure athleticism an athlete comes to the game with and don't often see the other intangibles that are involved. Based on nothing more than his grades, the probability that he would've have played as a true frosh was probably nil even if he had qualified. In my opinion, the staff would have spent more time his freshman year getting him acclimated to the academic side of college sports - get successful in the classroom first.

The other side is the academic portion if the game itself - learning a playbook is almost as difficult as learning physics - it takes time for some of these young men to understand all the nuances of the game. Some of the most gifted athletes never see the field in college because of this.

Hopefully Mr. Williams is able to get to prep, concentrate on his classroom skills and get a head start on the transition.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

From a fan perspective, I think most people look at the pure athleticism an athlete comes to the game with and don't often see the other intangibles that are involved. Based on nothing more than his grades, the probability that he would've have played as a true frosh was probably nil even if he had qualified. In my opinion, the staff would have spent more time his freshman year getting him acclimated to the academic side of college sports - get successful in the classroom first.

The other side is the academic portion if the game itself - learning a playbook is almost as difficult as learning physics - it takes time for some of these young men to understand all the nuances of the game. Some of the most gifted athletes never see the field in college because of this.

Hopefully Mr. Williams is able to get to prep, concentrate on his classroom skills and get a head start on the transition.

We've come a long way from the days of "Welcome to campus, Alec Lemon. Oh by the way, you're on the two deep."

 

[rundeal]

But the main reason why Alec started his freshman year was not his athleticism - he definitely would've been better served having a redshirt year - it was his understanding of the playbook from the start that put him on the field.

 

[Consigliere]

So does this open up two spots for commits in the current class to enroll in January and count against 2014? Ideally it's Williams and Prater but could be any of the current commits if those two need at least a full year of prep, right?

 

[OrangeXtreme]

So does this open up two spots for commits in the current class to enroll in January and count against 2014? Ideally it's Williams and Prater but could be any of the current commits if those two need at least a full year of prep, right?

Yes.

 

[Rocco]

But the main reason why Alec started his freshman year was not his athleticism - he definitely would've been better served having a redshirt year - it was his understanding of the playbook from the start that put him on the field.

Probably one of the smartest players we've ever had on a Syracuse team. Alec was a coach's dream from what I've heard.

 

[cuseinchina]

It's irrational when he gives no reasoning besides his opinion, which doesn't mean much without him giving his qualifications for breaking down highlights of 17 year olds. I'm sure Anglerman appreciates you fighting his battles too

I'll fight it also just for kicks. Opinions can be rational even when not explained in full. Reasons for opinions are rational or irrational - and we don't have those to go on. So what you really mean is, 'could you please tell us your line of thought that led you to this opinion?'.

Really too bad on KJ...there was always something a little funny, he tweets and quotes were off based on my fuzzy recollection. Hopefully he gets it together. either way though, that position got a major major upgrade even if he never shows his face on the hill.

 

[007]

Position probably also has the most depth of any on the roster - something like 16 scholarship guys. I'm not too concerned about losing a freshman for this year. Next man up is right.

You are confusing depth with talent. There is a reason why the staff brought in so many players at WR for this year. The 2013 team ranked 103 (out of 123 teams in FBS) in passing offense and 107 in passing efficiency. One player caught 52 passes (Broyd) the next closest caught only 26 - for the year. QB play and play calling certainly factored into that. But so did an obvious lack of skill and speed at the WR position.

Your point about not being concerned about losing ONE freshman WR is valid. My issue is with losing a 4 star talent at the position most devoid of overall talent on the roster. I don't really care if we have 20 guys returning at WR; we need all the talent we can get.

 

[Full_Rebar]

Unfortunately I think SU fans might want to prepare for this to become an annual event. The way the program fits nationally, and from Shafer's comments, the staff is going to take risks on players that some of the "big boys" don't bother with because of academics. Getting on them early should help the recruits' chances of making it (like with the hoops recruits), but there might be one each year who will be delayed.

It's a little surprising that more football-focused prep schools haven't popped up in the big recruiting areas- especially with the increased NCAA standards.

 

[CuseOnly]

I have a question as to why any player would go the JUCO route and lose eligibility. That just makes no sense to me...