I feel both good and weird about this class

[OttoinGrotto]

Good because it's deep, has a lot of good talent across the board, we won some battles, and it's really clear we're getting better.

Weird because the two guys I was really excited about, Sampson and Jordan, aren't a part of it. Good because we ended up with 2 surprises in Aimee and Adams that were big gets at positions of need.

So, yeah.

 

[anomander]

Good because it's deep, has a lot of good talent across the board, we won some battles, and it's really clear we're getting better.

Weird because the two guys I was really excited about, Sampson and Jordan, aren't a part of it. Good because we ended up with 2 surprises in Aimee and Adams that were big gets at positions of need.

So, yeah.

Feel the same way. Very good, but almost what could have been, mainly because the 2 guys you mentioned. I feel like I should be much more excited about this class than I am. I would say it's easily the best class we have signed in the last 15 years, but there is still some what of an empty feeling? I don't know, maybe it's the early NSD so there isn't as much buzz, or the disappointments losing our top 2 guys, and missing on Salahuddin? It also could be the lunch I just ate?

I do think this is a good thing. Dino and his staff did a great job despite another losing season. I can only imagine the classes he is able to sign once he starts winning.

 

[orangecuse]

This upcoming season to say the least carries quite a bit of significance. If Dino & co. is above .500 this season and gets us bowling, I do feel our recruiting will get a related upward bump as well...and hopefully, the train rolling from there.

 

[corpjet]

Where did Sampson end up going?

 

[UnknownOrange]

Where did Sampson end up going?

Hasn't signed yet

 

[PhatOrange]

Big get today in landing Caleb Okechukwu

 

[Trueblue25]

Our wide receivers are significantly undervalued in my opinion

 

[CIL]

Don’t feel weird about it, I think we all do. I don’t lament the losses for Jordan and Sampson so much, as those are two positions we can overcome, IMO.

I think it feels different because of the implementation of an early signing period and Dino’s approach to recruiting.

We pretty much had 95 percent of this class wrapped up by late November, so there weren’t really any surprises to those of us who follow recruiting other than Sampson’s stupidity.

Dino’s approach to recruiting is vastly different to what we have experienced with our previous regimes. He likes to have the class locked in early, and doesn’t take fliers on kids. Occasionally that may hurt (Josh Mack), but more often than not the roster isn’t going to be littered with borderline guys.

He would prefer to fill those slots with grad transfers, transfers, or JUCOs. I would say this class is probably our best since the late 90’s, especially if you factor in the two tranfers from Nebraska and Michigan State.

We still have a few spots left, so expect those to be filled by a JUCO ala Ravian Pierce (late cycle) or Alton Robinson. Potentially we have room for one or two grad transfers, which aren’t really known until March or so, as Dino is very secretive about this.

 

[AZOrange]

Big get today in landing Caleb Okechukwu

How many Chukwus can one school have honestly?

 

[RF2044]

Good because it's deep, has a lot of good talent across the board, we won some battles, and it's really clear we're getting better.

Weird because the two guys I was really excited about, Sampson and Jordan, aren't a part of it. Good because we ended up with 2 surprises in Aimee and Adams that were big gets at positions of need.

So, yeah.

Felt the same way about the highlighted part above.

Disappointing, but it is Sampson's own fault. And hopefully our relationship with Jordan makes him a long-term prospect we might see circle back in two years.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

How many Chukwus can one school have honestly?

All of them?

 

[RMH44]

Don’t feel weird about it, I think we all do. I don’t lament the losses for Jordan and Sampson so much, as those are two positions we can overcome, IMO.

I think it feels different because of the implementation of an early signing period and Dino’s approach to recruiting.

We pretty much had 95 percent of this class wrapped up by late November, so there weren’t really any surprises to those of us who follow recruiting other than Sampson’s stupidity.

Dino’s approach to recruiting is vastly different to what we have experienced with our previous regimes. He likes to have the class locked in early, and doesn’t take fliers on kids. Occasionally that may hurt (Josh Mack), but more often than not the roster isn’t going to be littered with borderline guys.

He would prefer to fill those slots with grad transfers, transfers, or JUCOs. I would say this class is probably our best since the late 90’s, especially if you factor in the two tranfers from Nebraska and Michigan State.

We still have a few spots left, so expect those to be filled by a JUCO ala Ravian Pierce (late cycle) or Alton Robinson. Potentially we have room for one or two grad transfers, which aren’t really known until March or so, as Dino is very secretive about this.

Good post.

Btw, I think you meant Oklahoma rather than Nebraska.

 

[Alsacs]

Dino has made chicken salad out of what we was left.
He is upping the talent level. Until we win more it’s hard to get those bigger fisher.
We are lucky to have Dino.

 

[SoBristol]

... Dino and his staff did a great job despite another losing season. I can only imagine the classes he is able to sign once he starts winning.

As the cycle works, Dino and staff will have to sell the big Clemson win and "belief" to the recruits who will commit by the end of July. As many as 2/3s of Dino's next class will make their decisions before the season starts. Then, if Dino can post a winning record, there might be more to sell the final 8 or so recruits.

 

[dasher]

Dino has made chicken salad out of what we was left.
He is upping the talent level. Until we win more it’s hard to get those bigger fisher.
We are lucky to have Dino.

4-8. 4-8. isn't chicken salad. I like the direction but let's not get carried away. The last three games were very, very bad.

 

[OrangeDW]

Sucks to lose Jordan, but getting the similarly rated Howard plus bringing in Adams as a transfer makes it not as big of a deal.

Sampson is the one I’m more bummed about, but getting White makes me think we can get more OL of that level in the coming years.

Really excited about Williams and Hendrix. Can’t wait to see this offense really pop when it has big time talent on every unit.

 

[Alsacs]

4-8. 4-8. isn't chicken salad. I like the direction but let's not get carried away. The last three games were very, very bad.

He was left very little.
Plus we had no depth.
Dino needs a full recruiting class of his own to show how much better quality players he has brought in.

 

[dasher]

He was left very little.
Plus we had no depth.
Dino needs a full recruiting class of his own to show how much better quality players he has brought in.

That's fine. Let's not pretend that he made this team in to as you put it, chicken salad. He hasn't. He might turn out to be a coaching guru. We don't know yet. So far however, he has never built a team with his own players. Not at his first two stops and not yet here.

 

[RF2044]

4-8. 4-8. isn't chicken salad. I like the direction but let's not get carried away. The last three games were very, very bad.

Too critical. This past year, we went on the road at LSU, Miami, and FSU and could have easily won two of those. We absolutely blew winnable games against ETSU and Wake Forest.

This team was a lot closer to bowl eligibility than it might seem at 4-8. Depth and injuries caught up with them, accounting for the bottom dropping out the last three games. We're not as far off as it might seem. This staff is doing incredible things, on and off the field.

 

[Trueblue25]

Too critical. This past year, we went on the road at LSU, Miami, and FSU and could have easily won two of those. We absolutely blew winnable games against ETSU and Wake Forest.

This team was a lot closer to bowl eligibility than it might seem at 4-8. Depth and injuries caught up with them, accounting for the bottom dropping out the last three games. We're not as far off as it might seem. This staff is doing incredible things, on and off the field.

Not to mention we played clemson and nc st around those 3 absurd road games. Then the returning heisman to boot lol

 

[dasher]

Too critical. This past year, we went on the road at LSU, Miami, and FSU and could have easily won two of those. We absolutely blew winnable games against ETSU and Wake Forest.

This team was a lot closer to bowl eligibility than it might seem at 4-8. Depth and injuries caught up with them, accounting for the bottom dropping out the last three games. We're not as far off as it might seem. This staff is doing incredible things, on and off the field.

I once heard you are what your record says you are. We were 4-8. Wake Forrest blew us out. And we should never have lost to ETSU. To say we blew it is on the coaches as much as the players. Totally unacceptable loss. We needed bother to get in to the last 2 and 1/2 games, do we?

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Sucks to lose Jordan, but getting the similarly rated Howard plus bringing in Adams as a transfer makes it not as big of a deal.

Sampson is the one I’m more bummed about, but getting White makes me think we can get more OL of that level in the coming years.

Really excited about Williams and Hendrix. Can’t wait to see this offense really pop when it has big time talent on every unit.

I'm just not that excited about Howard. He may very well be awesome. I am excited about Adams because, again, he averaged 9 yards a carry at Oklahoma.

Jordan looked to me like the kind of guy that destroys us and that I jealously wish we had. And it seemed like we finally were going to get one.

 

[KaiserUEO]

4-8. 4-8. isn't chicken salad. I like the direction but let's not get carried away. The last three games were very, very bad.

I’d say it’s chicken salad because if SS was coaching the team it could’ve been 1-11 and 0-12.

And please people, if we pull an offer or didn’t offer at all...we didn’t ‘lose out’ on that recruit.

As you all were.

 

[dasher]

I’d say it’s chicken salad because if SS was coaching the team it could’ve been 1-11 and 0-12.

And please people, if we pull an offer or didn’t offer at all...we didn’t ‘lose out’ on that recruit.

As you all were.

Scott isn't the standard that chicken salad should be set at. A very low bar. Ray Handley low. 4-8 with a few close losses isn't chicken salad. What will the standard be this year?

 

[Alsacs]

That's fine. Let's not pretend that he made this team in to as you put it, chicken salad. He hasn't. He might turn out to be a coaching guru. We don't know yet. So far however, he has never built a team with his own players. Not at his first two stops and not yet here.

He is bringing in ACC quality players across the board.
He has a system and structure.
Dino is the best we could hope for.

I have seen enough to want him the rest of his coaching career.