I think there will be some mystery about how many spots we really have available for this class, but don't think we will know for sure that answer until Signing Day. So instead of focusing on that particular part of the recruiting, been thinking about a few more generalities that can be applied for each position.
Before going into specifics, I am going to propose doing something that may not be popular - I think taking some grayshirts and blueshirts that would apply towards the 2017 class is something they should do. I would say a handful or even a little bit more. The only qualifications I would have are that the potential grayshirt/blueshirt be good enough to play and the majority of them have 3 or more years to play. When you are facing a potential zero win season combined with our roster numbers, I think the overall focus should be to get quality guys in here even if it counts against the next class, but also being considerate of the overall roster situation (hence targeting guys with 3 or more years left).
The other thing is I hope we hit the walk ons spot as hard again this year as we did last year. A rough estimate, but over the next 3 years by Year 3 of the Beaty era I think we will be sitting at the upper 70s and maybe even at 80 scholarship guys, but that assumes that not a single current scholarship guy leaves the team early. This is a huge opportunity for walk on guys taken last year and this upcoming year to earn a scholarship in a couple of years when they would no longer be an initial counter as giving them scholarships wouldn't put them over the 85 man limit - that's a big thing to sell a potential walk on...
So looking at this position by position...
QB
I think there is a little bit of a freak out here and it is a little bit premature. I don't think we need a scholarship QB in this class. Right now, Montell Cozart is completing nearly 61% of his passes and making the right reads fairly quickly...I would not have guessed that preseason...which makes me pretty encouraged about Ryan Willis and Carter Stanley and what they can do in this offense as I think both are more talented than Cozart. So instead of looking at a QB...I would look at a quality walk on QB for depth purposes. I think we can get one...a couple of guys I wouldn't mind looking at as walk on possibilities...
Dagan Haehn - tore his ACL this past May and played his first game this past week following recovering from that. Because of the injury, I am not sure he gets any big offers
Hondo Harris - completing around 71% of his passes with 18 TDs to 1 INT and runs decent with a strong arm...but is 5' 11" 160 lbs so am not sure he gets any big offers
RB
Pretty standard here - I think they take a RB or two in the class. If you can find a Ryan Schadler type to walk on...then go get him...
WR/TE
Maybe make an exception here for a really talented guy, but we have some numbers and youth at this spot so am not sure we need another guy (even beginning to think maybe we should move Derrick Neal back to CB). However, I would target a WR potentially as a grayshirt - I think it is possible we could get a guy like Josh Stewart as a gray shirt. Also curious about Bubba Ogbebor as I think interest is waning in him and maybe he would take a grayshirt opportunity to play with his brother (side note - forgot to mention some of this will be wishful thinking!)
OL
Here is where I would focus hard on some walk on guys. Seeing us get guys like Hunter Saulsbury and Mesa Ribordy last year gives me hope that we can land a quality walk on or two this year (if we could somehow get Tom Killilea as a walk on...I would be very happy). I would also consider taking a blueshirt JUCO OL here. We will be losing some guys on the OL, of which I could see some value in having a veteran guy coming in with Joe Malanga, but would prefer to use a blue shirt on a guy like this versus a scholarship in the 2016 class.
DE
Getting Timmy Hamilton in as a transfer has really transformed my opinion on DE recruiting as I think we can get by without taking a DE in this class. However, I would see if we can find a grayshirt DE prospect out there. Maybe we could get a guy like Solomon Wise to grayshirt hoping he wants to play with his brother
DT
Here I would go crazy and get guys however I possibly can. Take a couple of DTs in this class. Target a quality walk on and show that walk on playing time can be had soon (someone like Trey Georgie). I would also target a blueshirt type - a JUCO or graduate transfer that can play right away...but make sure the guy is a quality DT and not just a body. This is a problem and we need some answers sooner than later
LB
I am fine where we are at with Taufa and Long. Maybe if a Duckworth type comes along late go after him, but with only two LBs in this system, I am fine with where we are at
DB
This is another spot I would target a blueshirt, but would look for a specific kind here. I would look for a young transfer or two that has to sit out a year. A&M has taken a lot of quality DBs in the last couple of classes and I get the feeling there will be a transfer or two from that group. Get a kid who would sit out next year and learn the system while sitting out, then have two or three years after sitting out and could play right away to replace a pretty large group of senior DBs next year. Would also target another kid in this current class, a couple of guys I mentioned before but will mention again
Arnold Azunna - one of the more impressive clips I have seen for an underrecruited DB this year, taking a visit to ISU this week and that looks like his best offer
Eric Brewington - not much out there about this tall kid with solid track times and solid film, teammate of Denzel Feaster
Kiondre Thomas - speedy dude out of Arkansas (electronic 4.46) who is committed to LaTech but admitted he is still looking around some in an interview
Overall, I am still pretty optimistic here. Just do similar this year to what we did last year and I think we are heading down the right path in terms of recruiting...and land Amani Bledsoe of course...
Before going into specifics, I am going to propose doing something that may not be popular - I think taking some grayshirts and blueshirts that would apply towards the 2017 class is something they should do. I would say a handful or even a little bit more. The only qualifications I would have are that the potential grayshirt/blueshirt be good enough to play and the majority of them have 3 or more years to play. When you are facing a potential zero win season combined with our roster numbers, I think the overall focus should be to get quality guys in here even if it counts against the next class, but also being considerate of the overall roster situation (hence targeting guys with 3 or more years left).
The other thing is I hope we hit the walk ons spot as hard again this year as we did last year. A rough estimate, but over the next 3 years by Year 3 of the Beaty era I think we will be sitting at the upper 70s and maybe even at 80 scholarship guys, but that assumes that not a single current scholarship guy leaves the team early. This is a huge opportunity for walk on guys taken last year and this upcoming year to earn a scholarship in a couple of years when they would no longer be an initial counter as giving them scholarships wouldn't put them over the 85 man limit - that's a big thing to sell a potential walk on...
So looking at this position by position...
QB
I think there is a little bit of a freak out here and it is a little bit premature. I don't think we need a scholarship QB in this class. Right now, Montell Cozart is completing nearly 61% of his passes and making the right reads fairly quickly...I would not have guessed that preseason...which makes me pretty encouraged about Ryan Willis and Carter Stanley and what they can do in this offense as I think both are more talented than Cozart. So instead of looking at a QB...I would look at a quality walk on QB for depth purposes. I think we can get one...a couple of guys I wouldn't mind looking at as walk on possibilities...
Dagan Haehn - tore his ACL this past May and played his first game this past week following recovering from that. Because of the injury, I am not sure he gets any big offers
Hondo Harris - completing around 71% of his passes with 18 TDs to 1 INT and runs decent with a strong arm...but is 5' 11" 160 lbs so am not sure he gets any big offers
RB
Pretty standard here - I think they take a RB or two in the class. If you can find a Ryan Schadler type to walk on...then go get him...
WR/TE
Maybe make an exception here for a really talented guy, but we have some numbers and youth at this spot so am not sure we need another guy (even beginning to think maybe we should move Derrick Neal back to CB). However, I would target a WR potentially as a grayshirt - I think it is possible we could get a guy like Josh Stewart as a gray shirt. Also curious about Bubba Ogbebor as I think interest is waning in him and maybe he would take a grayshirt opportunity to play with his brother (side note - forgot to mention some of this will be wishful thinking!)
OL
Here is where I would focus hard on some walk on guys. Seeing us get guys like Hunter Saulsbury and Mesa Ribordy last year gives me hope that we can land a quality walk on or two this year (if we could somehow get Tom Killilea as a walk on...I would be very happy). I would also consider taking a blueshirt JUCO OL here. We will be losing some guys on the OL, of which I could see some value in having a veteran guy coming in with Joe Malanga, but would prefer to use a blue shirt on a guy like this versus a scholarship in the 2016 class.
DE
Getting Timmy Hamilton in as a transfer has really transformed my opinion on DE recruiting as I think we can get by without taking a DE in this class. However, I would see if we can find a grayshirt DE prospect out there. Maybe we could get a guy like Solomon Wise to grayshirt hoping he wants to play with his brother
DT
Here I would go crazy and get guys however I possibly can. Take a couple of DTs in this class. Target a quality walk on and show that walk on playing time can be had soon (someone like Trey Georgie). I would also target a blueshirt type - a JUCO or graduate transfer that can play right away...but make sure the guy is a quality DT and not just a body. This is a problem and we need some answers sooner than later
LB
I am fine where we are at with Taufa and Long. Maybe if a Duckworth type comes along late go after him, but with only two LBs in this system, I am fine with where we are at
DB
This is another spot I would target a blueshirt, but would look for a specific kind here. I would look for a young transfer or two that has to sit out a year. A&M has taken a lot of quality DBs in the last couple of classes and I get the feeling there will be a transfer or two from that group. Get a kid who would sit out next year and learn the system while sitting out, then have two or three years after sitting out and could play right away to replace a pretty large group of senior DBs next year. Would also target another kid in this current class, a couple of guys I mentioned before but will mention again
Arnold Azunna - one of the more impressive clips I have seen for an underrecruited DB this year, taking a visit to ISU this week and that looks like his best offer
Eric Brewington - not much out there about this tall kid with solid track times and solid film, teammate of Denzel Feaster
Kiondre Thomas - speedy dude out of Arkansas (electronic 4.46) who is committed to LaTech but admitted he is still looking around some in an interview
Overall, I am still pretty optimistic here. Just do similar this year to what we did last year and I think we are heading down the right path in terms of recruiting...and land Amani Bledsoe of course...
