Yeah we got a lot of three stars, but this staff can obviously develop players and 3 stars can still win football games.
To me 3 stars are the guys that may not be ready for a year or two, but often are just as good as the 4 or 5 stars at the end of the day.
I mean look how well UVA played Florida this year in the orange bowl? I'm sure Florida had 17 thousand more four stars, but the Cavs were right there in the end.
3 stars like Darrell Jackson understand we are brining in 5 and 4 stars. He knows that, he likely wants to prove himself against them, or he maybe understands that he may have to wait his turn.
If you are top heavy with 5 and 4 stars, you redshirt a guy like Darrell Jackson and say a couple years down the line as a redshirt sophomore/junior, he's a third year player and he probably beats out a 5 or 4 star and goes out there and knows how to get the job done.
i think the 3* thing is a tad over blown for this class, just because there's been nothing for the services to do from a ratings standpoint this year. no camps etc.....you're also not seeing schools host camps and offering kids in those camps, that usually steeer attention toward a kid that had gone previously unnoticed in a lot of circles.
so it is what it is. that goes both ways too...some kids that are really ranked pretty high would get dropped along the way also.
it's easy to look at the 3* total and dismiss the class. but you start looking at some of those kids and you figure out that not all 3*'s are created equally.
isaac washington is a kid a lot of programs wanted, and we fought, twice, to secure his pledge, and he's the lowest rated player in this class. i mean i won't tell you that every offer he has is completely legit, or that he's a take at all those schools, but he's got offers from UGA, UNC, USCe, FL, Auburn, OU, Ole Miss.....
the CB we just got, Rucker...his offer list....and those are legit offers....looks like a 5* list....Clemson wanted that kid.
Tyion Evans is #1 RB in Juco, and virtually everyone that has offered an opinion on him loves him as a player....and he was coveted by other SEC programs.
Elijah Howard has been in the boat for a long time, and his speed is so valuable. plus since he's been in the boat for so long, i doubt he's been heavily sought after, and has probably kind of an afterthought really.
Edwin Wite is an AL kid that has the measurables this staff likes for it's secondary....this is an evaluation you just have to trust.
Roc Taylor, another AL kid that the coaches evaluated and liked. good size, and he does have multiple SEC offers. if you want to pick on it, neither in state school has offered him.
so, it is what it is.
on the surface, this class looks really, really top heavy...not quite as deep as the 20 class...but i'd wager it's deeper than it looks on paper.
inevitably there will be guys that get bumps, and i'm sure a couple that get dropped along the way, and i would be absolutely shocked if we didn't see movement in/out of this class before it's all over.
still....siap, the floor for this class i think is top 10.......and that's right where we need to be, to continue to build on the last two classes and really set us up for the forseeable future to remain a consistent competitor in the SEC.....which i think we're really close to being that...maybe not this season...but i think we'll be a tough out for anyone we play, and won't be surprised if we don't ruint a season or two along the way for some of our competitors.......
