Uninformed Analysis Meets our Latest Recruiting Class

No subject in college football is murkier than recruiting. I blogged extensively on this topic last year, but to summarize:

• Everybody's recruits sound good.
• Every D-IA player has a good highlight reel.
• Recruiting services are as uninformed on the MAC as I am.
• I like to look for validation--All-State, All-conference, Etc.

Then I break them into three categories, based on available evidence. I don't say any of them won't contributed, just what we can tell from what we know:

• STAR
• Tweener (Between Star and Contributor)
• Contributor/NEI (Not enough information)

Last year, I didn't do too bad. I thought the following players would be stars:

• Nate Brown.
• Eric Ransom
• Glen Stanley
• Sinisa Vrvilo:
• Mark Wooldridge
• Chris Young
• Willie Geter

Four of those players contributed in their first year here, while the others red-shirted.

So, let's see what we have for this year's class. A quick note. O-Line!!--DANG!! Looks like some quality there.

Star (7 out of 18)

Tim German (OL): Two-time All-Ohio and a member of state runner-up team.

Aaron Pankratz (QB): Highly decorated, 6'6" QB from Nordonia. Next in the line of great Falcon quarterbacks. Presence of Andrew Beam insures his redshirt stays on.

Lane Robilotto (DB):--Two-time All-Ohio and enrolled early at BGSU. Great numbers, seems poised to be a very good player.

Charles Robinson (OL): Also two-time All-Ohio, and team offensive MVP.

Marc Stevens (OL): Highly decorated O-lineman, and the Falcon nation is fired up. Played well in an all-star game too. Next in the line of great Falcon centers.

Anthony Stover (LB): Ohio D-III defensive player of the year, along with other accolades.

Blaec Walker (OL): Also all-state and second-team All-American.

Tweener (4 out of 18)

Andrew Beam (QB): The ultimate tweener. Maybe a high tweener. Beyond the gaudy highlights, Beam was second-team All-State in California, so had we recruited him then we would have been pretty thrilled. Good JUCO numbers and honors add to the case.

Robert Lorenzi (DB): Another JUCO. 14 INTs in two season. Has the same birthday as me, and Urban Meyer.

Marquese Quiles (DB)--Looks like a high tweener to me. 7 INTs in his senior season and player for a strong team in Georgia. Still, no mention of even all-conference honors. Blocked 10 kicks (OMG OMG OMG) in two years.

Adrien Spencer (DB)--All-Indiana his senior year. Again, though, most contributions appeared to be on offense. Brother plays for Dallas.

Contributor-NEI (7 out of 18)

Jonathan Davis (DB)--Was his team's Offensive player of the year, but we project to defense. Track letterman. Was all-conference, but its not clear on which side of the ball.

Keith Morgan (DB)---Same story. Hugh offensive player (conference MVP and all) but defensive ability has yet to be documented.

Winston Etheridge (DL)--No honors. Did emerge from the factory of Ted Ginn, Sr., so that's something.

DeMark Jenkins (WR)--All-Conference and HM All-State in Indiana.

Casey McHugh (OL)--JUCO. Admittedly, this system can be tough on lineman who do not have stats.

Gerald Phillips, (K): From Clyde. Really hard to tell. I assume people have figured out he can kick.

Nicholas Tuminell0 (DE): Was all-conference, but not much else to go on.