It'a a Process: There has been so much talk about Carolina's schedule, as there should be. It's brutal. If Carolina had Clemson's schedule, they would be favored in every game(except against themselves). That being said, if Clemson played Carolina's scheduled, they also are favored every week, albeit many smaller spreads. Expectations that for some, Carolina should already be playing for championships. 3.5 classes in the books, with 1st class put together in 30 days, what can you expect from a 3-8 team devoid of significant talent? A team that is playing against the top 3 teams in country and a bevy of top 25 rpi teams outside of that.
Those that have read my musings in the past in regards to evaluating recruiting class success know that I fell 50% of your players need to start at some point , and 3-4 need to be draft worthy players to put up a quality team. this is every year. Of course, you have to have a QB and at least 1-2 true difference makers every class to boot. Finally, several players who bring quality depth, and/or contribute on ST's. So;let's look at what Champ inherited and what he has brought in and how it relates to my criteria for a successful class. For this exercise, we will look at the last 3 Spurrier classes and the first 2.5 Champs classes. Champs best class on paper(2019) has not stepped on field and it's all speculation. In addition, all of the current classes still have more time to mature, grow and develop, so there always is room for improvement.
It's time to stop the Muschamp hate and realize how far we have already progressed.
Let's begin with 2013
J. Walton
N. Rodgers
D Williams
K/ Griffith
J. Smith
L. Bryant
A. Knott
J. Vonashek
A. Groves
P. Cooper
D. Washington
D Johnson
C. Mitch
D. Covington
M. Camara
J Sasser
B King
G Turner
DJ Park
R Martin
S Moore
This is the type of c;lass you cannot have. Skai Moore and P harroh were play makers. Jon Walton should be a quality depth player and David Williams maybe was a a deep rotation guy on a good team. Knott played only because how awful our oline recruiting had been. Counting all 5, you're still at 16/21 total bust rate, with limited upper level hits(2)
2014 Class Rank 16, Total recruits 21. (same as 13)
D Wideman
C Lammons
B McClain
W Green
DJ Smith
D Sawyer
D Samuel
M Scar
D Stanley
T Googer
A Lamin
T Stalworth
Al Harris Jr
S Davidson
J Thomas
D Smalls
KC Crosby
M Young
K Ritchie
BAW
J Blue
I assume there will be two nfl picks out of this class(Deebo and Stanley) I don't believe Stalworth was drafted but made it to league. He was coached by Deke and probably stunted him. Lammons, Crosby and for 1 year Sawyer were solid players for a program. Smith. Googer and Scar were never more than roster players, but wont consider misses.. thats 11/21 complete bust, 2 difference makers, 7/21 hit rate and 10/2 roster players(want to be closer to 75%.
Class of 2015, Class Rank 19 , Commits 28
R Fenton
T Deroun
B Camper
T Boyd
D Covington
U Jones
E Hawkins
D Fennel
C Owens
D Sawyer-D Wideman(did not count as counted in previous class)
J Charlton
Z Bailey
C Pellage
M Denson
M Lewis
AJ Turner
C Redmond
O Johnson
Q Whitlow
A Wildler
J Henry
K Markaway
L Nunez
J Washington
S Pittman
S Blackshear
9/27 contributors. Possibly one draft pick(Punter Joseph Charlton) 3/27 impact/high level players (Bailey, Fenton, Charlton) Fenton is a reach as impact. 19/27 complete busts
Now lets look what Champ has brought in. Remember his 1st year was 30 days of recruiting in an era where most kids are committed by time fall season starts, let alone Jan.
1st Class 2016 Class Rank 26 Commits 27
Remember previous classes were all top 20
R Davis
K Banks
S Taylor
A Thompson
K Pollard
E Hinson
DJ Wonnum
R Tucker
TJ Brunson
K Smith
C Dawkins
R Dowdle
J Kinlaw
K Thomas
B Edwards
S Hutcherson
J King
P Leota
G Gentry
D Whitehead
A Cooperwood
C Smith
W Puttnam
J Bentley
D Champagne
CJ Freeman
B McClwain
I cant reiterate this enough, this was a last sec, ond class, so expectations should be lower. 12/27 Busts. 5/27 Nfl/High level players Wonnum, Brunson, Edwards, Hutcherson, Bentley) 15/27 contributors, 10/27 starters for at least 1 year(want 50%)
Class of 2017 Class Rank 16, total commits 24
Note this is Champs 1st full cycle class and ranked exactly as did the 1st two years in this exercise. Look at hit rate and upper level talent.
J Carty
B. Johnson
J Kinlaw(counted in previous class)
A Sterling
J Rhodes
K9
K Chambers
C Terrell
Otre Smith
Jam
MJ Webb
S Greene
Z Brown
J Ulrich
J Dickerson
T Jackson
S Smith
J Ulrich
E Thompson
E Douglas
S Carley
D Staley
D Daley
W Register
T Johnson
2/16 Bust, 8/24 TBD(Italics, but most if not all will likely contribute a couple high level) 14/16 hits. At least 2(Daley, S Smith NFL level) This class was about building depth to depleted roster.
Class of 2018 Class Rank 18, Total commits 20
R Sandidge
D Wonnum
R Lewis
J Gywnn
JC Horn
Izzy
J Vann
J Gipson
K Enegbare
W Campbell
J Gibbs
T Johnson(counted toward previous class)
L Valentine
J Ellis
D Joyner
RJ Roderick
E Jones
R Fenwick
M Ityama
H Manos
D Rush
3/17 Busts (Rush, Gipson, Iyama) Iyama due to injury, and Gipson will end up playing at quality level somewhere. 5/20 TBD(Joyner, Gwynn, Ellis, W Campbell, L Vallentine) All have a chance at signifiicant playing time with 1st three almost for sure, perhaps very high level. 11/20 hit rate in 1st year with with 3 or 4 at NFL projected level already Wonnum, Horn, Izzy, and JJ)
This is without the highest ranked class to date(2019) added and the fact many of these players are still in early development. It's clear the quality and quantity of the players coming in is improving, dramatically. Part II Position group by position group from Champs 1st year roster inherited to todays roster,
Those that have read my musings in the past in regards to evaluating recruiting class success know that I fell 50% of your players need to start at some point , and 3-4 need to be draft worthy players to put up a quality team. this is every year. Of course, you have to have a QB and at least 1-2 true difference makers every class to boot. Finally, several players who bring quality depth, and/or contribute on ST's. So;let's look at what Champ inherited and what he has brought in and how it relates to my criteria for a successful class. For this exercise, we will look at the last 3 Spurrier classes and the first 2.5 Champs classes. Champs best class on paper(2019) has not stepped on field and it's all speculation. In addition, all of the current classes still have more time to mature, grow and develop, so there always is room for improvement.
It's time to stop the Muschamp hate and realize how far we have already progressed.
Let's begin with 2013
J. Walton
N. Rodgers
D Williams
K/ Griffith
J. Smith
L. Bryant
A. Knott
J. Vonashek
A. Groves
P. Cooper
D. Washington
D Johnson
C. Mitch
D. Covington
M. Camara
J Sasser
B King
G Turner
DJ Park
R Martin
S Moore
This is the type of c;lass you cannot have. Skai Moore and P harroh were play makers. Jon Walton should be a quality depth player and David Williams maybe was a a deep rotation guy on a good team. Knott played only because how awful our oline recruiting had been. Counting all 5, you're still at 16/21 total bust rate, with limited upper level hits(2)
2014 Class Rank 16, Total recruits 21. (same as 13)
D Wideman
C Lammons
B McClain
W Green
DJ Smith
D Sawyer
D Samuel
M Scar
D Stanley
T Googer
A Lamin
T Stalworth
Al Harris Jr
S Davidson
J Thomas
D Smalls
KC Crosby
M Young
K Ritchie
BAW
J Blue
I assume there will be two nfl picks out of this class(Deebo and Stanley) I don't believe Stalworth was drafted but made it to league. He was coached by Deke and probably stunted him. Lammons, Crosby and for 1 year Sawyer were solid players for a program. Smith. Googer and Scar were never more than roster players, but wont consider misses.. thats 11/21 complete bust, 2 difference makers, 7/21 hit rate and 10/2 roster players(want to be closer to 75%.
Class of 2015, Class Rank 19 , Commits 28
R Fenton
T Deroun
B Camper
T Boyd
D Covington
U Jones
E Hawkins
D Fennel
C Owens
D Sawyer-D Wideman(did not count as counted in previous class)
J Charlton
Z Bailey
C Pellage
M Denson
M Lewis
AJ Turner
C Redmond
O Johnson
Q Whitlow
A Wildler
J Henry
K Markaway
L Nunez
J Washington
S Pittman
S Blackshear
9/27 contributors. Possibly one draft pick(Punter Joseph Charlton) 3/27 impact/high level players (Bailey, Fenton, Charlton) Fenton is a reach as impact. 19/27 complete busts
Now lets look what Champ has brought in. Remember his 1st year was 30 days of recruiting in an era where most kids are committed by time fall season starts, let alone Jan.
1st Class 2016 Class Rank 26 Commits 27
Remember previous classes were all top 20
R Davis
K Banks
S Taylor
A Thompson
K Pollard
E Hinson
DJ Wonnum
R Tucker
TJ Brunson
K Smith
C Dawkins
R Dowdle
J Kinlaw
K Thomas
B Edwards
S Hutcherson
J King
P Leota
G Gentry
D Whitehead
A Cooperwood
C Smith
W Puttnam
J Bentley
D Champagne
CJ Freeman
B McClwain
I cant reiterate this enough, this was a last sec, ond class, so expectations should be lower. 12/27 Busts. 5/27 Nfl/High level players Wonnum, Brunson, Edwards, Hutcherson, Bentley) 15/27 contributors, 10/27 starters for at least 1 year(want 50%)
Class of 2017 Class Rank 16, total commits 24
Note this is Champs 1st full cycle class and ranked exactly as did the 1st two years in this exercise. Look at hit rate and upper level talent.
J Carty
B. Johnson
J Kinlaw(counted in previous class)
A Sterling
J Rhodes
K9
K Chambers
C Terrell
Otre Smith
Jam
MJ Webb
S Greene
Z Brown
J Ulrich
J Dickerson
T Jackson
S Smith
J Ulrich
E Thompson
E Douglas
S Carley
D Staley
D Daley
W Register
T Johnson
2/16 Bust, 8/24 TBD(Italics, but most if not all will likely contribute a couple high level) 14/16 hits. At least 2(Daley, S Smith NFL level) This class was about building depth to depleted roster.
Class of 2018 Class Rank 18, Total commits 20
R Sandidge
D Wonnum
R Lewis
J Gywnn
JC Horn
Izzy
J Vann
J Gipson
K Enegbare
W Campbell
J Gibbs
T Johnson(counted toward previous class)
L Valentine
J Ellis
D Joyner
RJ Roderick
E Jones
R Fenwick
M Ityama
H Manos
D Rush
3/17 Busts (Rush, Gipson, Iyama) Iyama due to injury, and Gipson will end up playing at quality level somewhere. 5/20 TBD(Joyner, Gwynn, Ellis, W Campbell, L Vallentine) All have a chance at signifiicant playing time with 1st three almost for sure, perhaps very high level. 11/20 hit rate in 1st year with with 3 or 4 at NFL projected level already Wonnum, Horn, Izzy, and JJ)
This is without the highest ranked class to date(2019) added and the fact many of these players are still in early development. It's clear the quality and quantity of the players coming in is improving, dramatically. Part II Position group by position group from Champs 1st year roster inherited to todays roster,
