Your Top 4 to close with?

[PhatOrange]

McKinley/Ruff/Black rotating with Grosvenor/Harper/Okechukwu as backups looks perfectly fine to me. I don't see a JUCO coming in and unseating one of those guys, and don't see a pressing need for a JUCO on the DL at all.

Is Okechukwu to DL a foregone conclusion? He's listed at 6-4 240. We lose Robinson, Berry, Coleman (and Pickard from DE next year.).

In fact, yikes, we lose A LOT next year. It's a bit troubling.

PROJECTED NEXT SEASON 2019

McKinley Williams DL SR
Kenneth Ruff DL SR
Shaq Grosvenor DL SR
Josh Black DL R-JR
Curtis Harper DL R-SO.
*Rondi DL FR

Kendall Coleman DE SR
Alton Robinson DE SR.
Jake Pickard DE R-SR.
Brandon Berry DE R-SR.
Kingsley Jonathan DE JR.
Zach Morton DE R-SO.
Caleb Okechukwu DE R-Fr.
*Goulbourne DE

*Tyrell Richards R-SO

PROJECTED NEXT SEASON 2020

Josh Black DL R-SR
Curtis Harper DL R-JR.
Rondi DL RFr

Kingsley Jonathan DE SR.
Zach Morton DE R-JR.
Caleb Okechukwu DE R-SO.
*Goulbourne DE - RFr

*Tyrell Richards R-JR

 

[OrangeinBoston]

Is Okechukwu to DL a foregone conclusion? He's listed at 6-4 240. We lose Robinson, Berry, Coleman (and Pickard from DE next year.).

In fact, yikes, we lose A LOT next year. It's a bit troubling.

PROJECTED NEXT SEASON 2019

McKinley Williams DL SR
Kenneth Ruff DL SR
Shaq Grosvenor DL SR

Josh Black DL R-JR
Curtis Harper DL R-SO.
*Rondi DL FR

Kendall Coleman DE SR
Alton Robinson DE SR.
Jake Pickard DE R-SR.
Brandon Berry DE R-SR.
Kingsley Jonathan DE JR.
Zach Morton DE R-SO.
Caleb Okechukwu DE R-Fr.
*Goulbourne DE

*Tyrell Richards R-SO

PROJECTED NEXT SEASON 2020

Josh Black DL R-SR
Curtis Harper DL R-JR.
Rondi DL RFr

Kingsley Jonathan DE SR.
Zach Morton DE R-JR.
Caleb Okechukwu DE R-SO.
*Goulbourne DE - RFr

*Tyrell Richards R-JR

Yikes is right. Need at least 2 more DL this year.

 

[tep624]

Ruff impressed me this year.

Me too. Like Bnoro said above I think we're in better shape at DT for next year than most people realize.

It's the following year that concerns me. We need at least 2 DT's in this class and from the targets it looks like the staff is working on that. But I would rather see high schoolers than JUCO's.

 

[Orangtiz]

Ruff impressed me this year.

Agreed Ruff was a surprise, on the other hand, McKinley was a bit of a disappointment IMO. That is why I dont think it would hurt to add a JUCO DT. I would start Black and Ruff week 1 next season over Bear.

 

[kcsu]

3 to play 2 DTs don't grow on trees. It's hard enough to find JUCO DL with good academics in the first place. We've been burned on JUCO DLs many times before.

Agreed but it sure would be nice.

 

[GoSU96]

McKinley/Ruff/Black rotating with Grosvenor/Harper/Okechukwu as backups looks perfectly fine to me. I don't see a JUCO coming in and unseating one of those guys, and don't see a pressing need for a JUCO on the DL at all.

Agree

 

[orangemass]

Is Harper going to be a player? Didn't even see mop up duty this year... A bit disconcerting...

Grosvenor seemed active in the limited snaps he saw...

 

[bnoro]

Is Harper going to be a player? Didn't even see mop up duty this year... A bit disconcerting...

Grosvenor seemed active in the limited snaps he saw...

Harper was redshirting and you don't really put Frosh DTs on special teams that often.

 

[bnoro]

Me too. Like Bnoro said above I think we're in better shape at DT for next year than most people realize.

It's the following year that concerns me. We need at least 2 DT's in this class and from the targets it looks like the staff is working on that. But I would rather see high schoolers than JUCO's.

Exactly. HS kids over JUCO 100%. We're in a position as a program that we don't need to take JUCO's unless the kids are absolute studs.

We'll get at least one DT/DE-that's-gonna-grow-into-DT this year.

 

[VirginiaOrange]

Harper was redshirting and you don't really put Frosh DTs on special teams that often.

I thought Harper redshirted last year. He came in two years ago.

 

[PhatOrange]

I thought Harper redshirted last year. He came in two years ago.

He did, but this season he was the 5th or 6th DT in a 4 man rotation.

 

[RF2044]

Exactly. HS kids over JUCO 100%. We're in a position as a program that we don't need to take JUCO's unless the kids are absolute studs.

We'll get at least one DT/DE-that's-gonna-grow-into-DT this year.

I like the idea of the 4 to play 3 JUCO from Shy's high school.

But otherwise, I agree with your premise.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

I like the idea of the 4 to play 3 JUCO from Shy's high school.

But otherwise, I agree with your premise.

I think that's as much to balance out the classes as anything.

 

[tep624]

Tisdale is a WVU lean, Isaac is a PSU lean, Burnett decommitted, and Brothers is taking other visits and signing in February.

Our staff is awesome but I don't see two commits there.

I was thinking Tisdale and Isaac before the Tisdale crystal ball pick today.

 

[TexanMark]

Guesses, how many more this year? I'm going with 3 more commits to get to 19.

We gotta figure we elevate and get a Top 20-30 class in 2020 year group.

Another reason to say 3 more...he keeps 1 or 2 ships in his hip pocket for late commits next Spring/Summer.

 

[tep624]

So we’ve got Tisdale, which is fantastic because positionally I think he was the biggest need from a depth perspective for next season. Burnett looks more and more like he won’t be in the picture. Hard to get a read on Brothers, he’s definitely taking his time with the process.

I’m sticking with Tisdale and Isaac although I admit that Isaac is all gut from me and I could be wrong on that one.

I really like Dawson too. Had was an early offer to Clemson before the injury and they still want him as a gray shirt. Looks like another case of a great prospect working his way to us.

 

[Trueblue25]

Anyone have a feel for Dodson?

 

[OrangeinBoston]

DTs...really need DTs.

 

[Cusefan69]

My guess is there is a guy that pops up that is not on any radar...surprise pickup. It will be interesting. I am very excited about the early enrollees as well. Getting those two linebackers inked early is going to be huge.

 

[longtimefan]

Guesses, how many more this year? I'm going with 3 more commits to get to 19.

We gotta figure we elevate and get a Top 20-30 class in 2020 year group.

Another reason to say 3 more...he keeps 1 or 2 ships in his hip pocket for late commits next Spring/Summer.

Of course, that presupposes attrition of the current roster. Any guesses?

 

[Orangefizz]

Of course, that presupposes attrition of the current roster. Any guesses?

Byrne, Duerig, Pickard and Cordy will all be Sr(R) and might not be invited back for a 5th year.

 

[Digable5]

Guesses, how many more this year? I'm going with 3 more commits to get to 19.

We gotta figure we elevate and get a Top 20-30 class in 2020 year group.

Another reason to say 3 more...he keeps 1 or 2 ships in his hip pocket for late commits next Spring/Summer.

Would you really keep ships in your back pocket? There are so many things that can happen between now and then.

I think you would take the recruit now and get them developing and learning the system now instead of hoping for better recruits next year. Obviously if there is no one worth giving the scholarship to, or at least no one that fits your positional needs, you might wait. Otherwise, if someone you deem worthy of a scholarship wants to accept, you would take them, no?

 

[PhatOrange]

Targets

visited / waiting on
DT Dawson
RB Dukes
LB Brothers - likely Feb decision
DE Linton
S Dodson

Potentials
DE Vilbert Smith
DT Samuel Okuayinou
WR Nasir Burnett
Transfer - WR Reggie Hemphill-Mapps

 

[Trueblue25]

Man I wish we could land Dukes and Dodson. Seems like we’d be lucky to get one

 

[Cusesky8214]

Dukes, dawson, smith and mapps. Not sure if that's possible?