Per Rosebowl via twitter...
- Thread starter BigMotherTucker
- Start date
We just don't have heighth! I don't know who said our OL will be thin, that's not true. They may not be the most experienced bunch but we'll finally have nearly 3 deep across the line. Our roster is very well balanced in terms of positions. We had a couple of holes to fill at LT and DE and the staff did an excellent job recruiting for those immediate needs.
This is by far Mullen's best class in ranking and getting the guys we need on a position basis.
This is by far Mullen's best class in ranking and getting the guys we need on a position basis.
Exactly my point. The insinuation was that you're supposed to recruit balanced classes every year, and that's what Mullen does...except it's not what he does.
No one does that, because you often have needs to address more than others. If you go light on a position in one class, you almost always go heavy on it in the next class. No one, except maybe Saban, sticks to a standard number at each position for every year, give or take.
You first try to address the most immediate needs. Then you try to get the best available. Then you try to balance out as best as possible. As was stated, the DL class in Mississippi was deep this year, so you went heavy on the DL. I'll bet you go light on DL next year and go heavy on some of the positions you had to sacrifice from this class to sign those DL. That's the normal way.
We're signing 3 QBs and 3 or 4 RBs this year (not really absurd numbers) because those are big immediate need areas for us. Anything we come up short on this year numbers-wise, will likely be a big priority in next year's class.
No one does that, because you often have needs to address more than others. If you go light on a position in one class, you almost always go heavy on it in the next class. No one, except maybe Saban, sticks to a standard number at each position for every year, give or take.
You first try to address the most immediate needs. Then you try to get the best available. Then you try to balance out as best as possible. As was stated, the DL class in Mississippi was deep this year, so you went heavy on the DL. I'll bet you go light on DL next year and go heavy on some of the positions you had to sacrifice from this class to sign those DL. That's the normal way.
We're signing 3 QBs and 3 or 4 RBs this year (not really absurd numbers) because those are big immediate need areas for us. Anything we come up short on this year numbers-wise, will likely be a big priority in next year's class.
Brunetti is about the only servicable QB that you can be assured will be on the roster in the Spring. And Jeff Scott does not make a very deep RB group. Nutt, and his early termination put y'all in a very bad situation. All you can do is try to dig yourself out.
RebelBruiser said:
Our classes have all been very balanced, and I'm about to spell it out for you, because at no point could anything you said about MSU be remotely considered a logical thought. Everyone here is now dumber for having read it. #BillyMadisononthetv
Our talent gap on the O-Line was Croom's doing. Not Mullen's. Now, I would've liked to bridge the gap better this past season with depth from JUCO's(we missed on several), but let's not pretend that Mullen caused this problem, he just failed to adequately address it last year(this year he's done a good job addressing it). Mullen has SIGNED depth on the OL every season. In the 2012 class, we're signing 5, maybe 6,(3EE's). In the 2011 class, we signed 4(2EE's). In the 2010 class, we signed 6(2EE's). By "blaming" the first class on the previous coach like we're doing with Freeze, in the 2009 class, we signed 2(only contributor Gabe Jackson). In 2008, Croom signed 3(only contributor, oft injured, Tobias Smith). In 2007, Croom signed 6(Sherrod, Lawrence, and Saulsberry contributors). Our DEPTH issues on the O-Line were caused, almost EXCLUSIVELY, by Croom not recruiting nearly enough bodies. When BUILDING o-linemen(read, not recruiting blue-chips from all over the country or finding a rare diamond), they are ALMOST NEVER ready to contribute until their 3rd yr on campus. This was the 3rd yr for our 2009 class, which has exactly ONE contributor. Next season will be the 3rd year for Mullen's FIRST true class, with contributors Blaine Clausell, Damien Robinson, Dillon Day, and Archie Muniz. Notice the names? You should. They were forced to play too soon this year, and they were questioned at times because of it. Greg Hardy and Kentrell Lockett also made 4* and future first rounder Derek Sherrod look like a total fool in the 2008 Egg Bowl as a true Soph, to the point that State fans were calling him a bust. For that reason, I'm reserving judgement on "Mullen's O-Line recruiting" until HIS players are in at least their 3rd year. This begins next season, but will really take form in 2013...
At WR, we have plenty of depth. True that we'll lose alot there after next season, but we've got guys to step into their roles. This season, we had zero WR graduate. Next season, we have 4 sr's(Chad Bumphis, Arceto Clark, Brandon Heavens, and Chris Smith). We will have 3 jrs(contributors Ricco Sanders and Michael Carr). We will have 3 soph(contributors Malcolm Johnson, Robert Johnson, Jameon Lewis). We will have 3 rs freshman(Joe Morrow, Devin Fosselman, and Kendrick Market). Currently, we have 3 receivers committed(Fred Brown, Deontae Evans, Adarrius Perkins). Don't let the fact that we complain about lacking a tall, true deep threat confuse the fact that we've got a ton of depth here. Deep threat a role we're desperately hoping/expecting Joe Morrow to fill, along with Malcolm Johnson.
At LB, again, wrong. We lose 2 (decent) senior contributors at this position. Next season, we have Sr(Cam Lawrence), 2 Jr(contributors Chris Hughes and Deontae Skinner), 2 So(contributors Matthew Wells and Ferlando Bohanna), 2rs fr, and we are very likely to sign 2 in this class(Richie Brown and Beniquez Brown) that should be prettymuch ready to contribute immediately.
At QB, I agree. We don't have enough depth. Losing Favre hurt us there. This isn't Mullen's fault either. He's brought in a guy every year he's been here(and redshirted every single one of them). So, according to the Freeze model, we should bring in 3-4 guys right now, correct? No. Get ONE qb every class and redshirt the heck out of them. Take 2 in case of emergency(your/our situation). Personally, I WANTED Wallace, because he would fit directly into the hole that Favre left us with, while also taking a hs qb to redshirt, and be on pace to have 5qb's(one for every season) next year when Russell is a Sr. Now, it looks likely that will ALWAYS be a hole. This only really becomes a problem IF we don't sign a future starting qb this year. Even then, we've been rolling with basically a 2 yr talent gap all along. Mini Lee 2yrs ahead of Relf, Relf 2yrs ahead of Russell, Russell 2 yrs ahead of Prescott. IF we miss on Liggins, NEXT yr, a stud dual threat qb has to be priority #1.