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Washington State @ Oregon State

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7pm on Pac-12 network.

Time to get this ship back on course.

Go Beavs.

Ranking the 2015 Recruiting Class

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Almost every player falls into the 3-star camp this year. You can find past class rankings under “rankings” on the drop down menu.

Here we go. Recruits are ranked in order.

———–

****

Paul Lucas — World class speed, but I am hearing he won’t enroll due to academics.

***

Christian Folau — Great prospect, but will go on a 2 year mission. Odds he ever plays for OSU are probably 50/50

Noah Togiai — Excellent, fluid TE prospect who should add depth to the basketball program as well.

Tuli Wily-Matagi — Big, agile, versatile TE prospect who can even pass well. I would not be surprised to see some TE screen double passes given his skill set.

Jay Irvine — High upside CB prospect. Strong hands, jams, plays the ball well, should have had more offers…a real steal. Plays with a “chip on his shoulder”.

Zach Lucas — Unsure why this guy is a 2-star on rivals. Can play guard or tackle and looks polished.

Taylor Thomas — Punt returner specialist, but could play RB full time if needed. Fairly explosive with good vision.

Shawn Wilson — Athlete is a good description. Looks like he can play WR or in the secondary.

Miki Fifita — Pancake machine. He looks solid.

Jalen Moore — If Riley were getting 2 stars like this guy, the Beavs would be in much better shape. Fluid, hard hitting, and a ball hawk on film. We’ll see if the film is too good to be true and everyone missed on this guy…

Zachery Lopini-Katoa — 2-star prospect as a RB, but I think he projects well (3-star) at free safety.

Thor Katoa — Aggressive is the first word that comes to mind when watching him. Plays behind the line of scrimmage. Looks a step too slow to do that at the next level. I’d project him a MLB and expect him to be solid there.

Deltron Sands — Probably a 3rd down back. Soft hands and excellent pass catcher. Low level 3 star talent. I like the idea of him as a change of pace back, kick returner, and all around utility player. Seems to do a little of everything and do it well.

Blake Brandel — Highly rated and finishes plays, but I think he needs to add bulk. Probably won’t start for 2 years. Projects best as a tackle. Looks a lot like Grant Enger, and I expect that level of serviceable play.

Seth Collins — Disliked all along, but I’ve warmed up to Collins the more I watched him (and you guys in my ear). I think a low to mid-grade 3-star is fair, but he will need time. He really needs to work on his throwing…someone mentioned he’s more refined than Keaton as a rookie. Interesting. Well, I still think he needs to put in a lot of reps and McGiven has a real project on his hands here. Granted, one with upside. Enrolled early, seems like a student of the game…all of that will accelerate his progress.

Simi Moala — To me, he looks a step slow for Pac-12 play. At least at DE. I’m not sure if they can move him inside…his 6″7, 250lb frame suggests yes, and I think that would be the best idea. If he moves inside, I’d move him up my list.

Omar Hicks-Onu — Some said he runs a sub 4.30, but watching film I didn’t see that. Looks okay but nothing special to me. I like him better than someone like Xavier Hawkins, who everyone loved last year.

Treston DeCoud — I am not as high on this guy as the recruiting services. Not convinced he can cover, as most of the film highlights are bad throws or him hitting someone hard. Maybe a better safety prospect than CB.

**

Elu Aydon — This guy has the size, but boy does he look clumsy out there. Looks to play with low football IQ (runs around aimlessly and relies on brute strength). Doesn’t play with passion. A huge project. I would not be surprised if he doesn’t play until his junior year.

No opinion:

The punter, Nick Porebski. I’m not sure how to analyze him. He had a great average (~45 yards) and the walk-on LB from Oregon Hamilton Hunt (no film).

National Signing Day Thread

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Go Beavs!

Liking the late gets, and hope for a signing day surprise (or two).

General Thread

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Anything goes thread…probably until LOI day.

Have at it.

Recruiting Mission Players

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Curious to hear others’ thoughts on this.

Personally, I think a small number (say 2 guys who are high end prospects) is fine during a normal recruiting cycle. But more than that, and the coach begins to really complicate the recruiting chart. According to my research, 20% of mission recruits never play. The other 80% return to football in various forms (from better health to the more common out of shape). Then some lose interest in the game while away.

I posted these links in the last thread:

http://byu.scout.com/story/386324-the-myth-of-the-byu-missionary-advantage

Bronco realizes if they leave right away there is a much lower chance they ever play. Now wants them to delay mission. Smart.

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/1873065-155/byu-football-bronco-wants-prospective-missionaries

That is probably a smart tactic to get them 1 year in the program.

I’m worried Gary Andersen is relying too much on Utah. I feel like he’s doing it this cycle because he came in late, so he’s learning on what he knows. Fine. But I hope this trend doesn’t continue. 3 Mission players max. We can’t turn OSU into BYU (Bronce is going mad managing players and scholarships, plus it curbs fan excitement waiting two years to see a guy’s potential; a guy who might never play at all). I’d say cap mission players at 3 max after this cycle.

This isn’t a jab at Mormons, btw. It’s the reality that OSU is running a football program first and foremost. Recruiting is hard enough, and missions just complicate it, and also curb fan enthusiasm.