Even though we've known about pretty much all of this class for awhile, I figured I'd write some thoughts down:
QB: I can see why they brought in two, but that's always a tricky situation. I mean, there's a really good chance that at least one of them transfers. Still, they are both good additions given the attrition and Purdy coming back for at least one more year. Both lefties, but completely different skill sets. You have Bouman, who is the tall pocket passer with NFL bloodlines and Dekkers, who is the more mobile guy that came from small school Iowa and blew up. I could easily see both getting some snaps next year while keeping the RS. Bouman as a backup and Dekkers as more of a Lanning type player.
RB and TE: No players unless you want to count James, who IMO will end up as a TE/HB type weapon.
WR: I see Bitter as a developmental type player. Jackson has a ton of talent, but I think that there is too many players in front of him to see much time right away. Hutchinson is going to be competing to start right away. He might not start the first game, but it won't be long.
OL: Interesting group. You have two maulers inside in Pauls and Peterson. Miller is kind of a project at his size. Rengert is probably a RT, but then with two left handed QBs in this class, maybe they want their best pass pro OT at RT? I really don't know that they have a quick OT in this class that can cover a blind side. Still, it's a good group and we went years with signing OLs with no other P5 offers, so at least this is a step in the right direction.
DL: Bankston is at the very least going to be a rotational player at NG, if not start. He'll be a good player for us. Singleton is probably one of the best interior DLs we've signed out of HS in a long time. He's an eventual starter and could very easily burn the RS depending on the guys in front of him. Wilson is a prototype 3 man front DE. He'll most likely RS, but he's going to be in the rotation early on after next year.
LB: Zenzen was lightly recruited, but I feel like he is going to be in the 2 deep at MIKE early in his career. Pederson is raw, having played a bunch of positions and not focusing on LB much. He does have really good size and decent speed, so I could see him playing WILL and doing fine there after a year or two. Smith seems like what they are looking for in a Willie Harvey type and we've missed that guy. I could see him playing early as they try to move Rose back inside eventually. No idea what Davis brings other than he seems to be a hard nosed player. The staff wanted him and stuck with him, so that's saying something.
CB: They only signed one and focused in on Antoine pretty early. I have a feeling he's going to play sooner than later.
S: I really don't have a good read on these three. They offered and took commits from all three pretty early. I would think that the staff by now knows exactly what they want at Safety. The play there wasn't great this year and there are guys on the roster than can probably be qualified as misses by now, so I expect we'll see 1-2 of them popping up on the 2 deep fairly quickly, since I believe all three are showing up in January.
ST: Obviously, the plan is for Hathcock to start all four years. You don't offer a LS if that's not the case.
What's left: They for sure want to sign Tampa, who IMO is the best overall athlete in the class. No idea if he's a WR or a DB. Other than that, it looks to me like grad transfers and/or late JUCOs. I would have no problem with them bringing in an OT, a DB, a QB (depending on what Mitchell does) and possibly a SAM LB if they can find one that can be half as good as Harvey was for us.
QB: I can see why they brought in two, but that's always a tricky situation. I mean, there's a really good chance that at least one of them transfers. Still, they are both good additions given the attrition and Purdy coming back for at least one more year. Both lefties, but completely different skill sets. You have Bouman, who is the tall pocket passer with NFL bloodlines and Dekkers, who is the more mobile guy that came from small school Iowa and blew up. I could easily see both getting some snaps next year while keeping the RS. Bouman as a backup and Dekkers as more of a Lanning type player.
RB and TE: No players unless you want to count James, who IMO will end up as a TE/HB type weapon.
WR: I see Bitter as a developmental type player. Jackson has a ton of talent, but I think that there is too many players in front of him to see much time right away. Hutchinson is going to be competing to start right away. He might not start the first game, but it won't be long.
OL: Interesting group. You have two maulers inside in Pauls and Peterson. Miller is kind of a project at his size. Rengert is probably a RT, but then with two left handed QBs in this class, maybe they want their best pass pro OT at RT? I really don't know that they have a quick OT in this class that can cover a blind side. Still, it's a good group and we went years with signing OLs with no other P5 offers, so at least this is a step in the right direction.
DL: Bankston is at the very least going to be a rotational player at NG, if not start. He'll be a good player for us. Singleton is probably one of the best interior DLs we've signed out of HS in a long time. He's an eventual starter and could very easily burn the RS depending on the guys in front of him. Wilson is a prototype 3 man front DE. He'll most likely RS, but he's going to be in the rotation early on after next year.
LB: Zenzen was lightly recruited, but I feel like he is going to be in the 2 deep at MIKE early in his career. Pederson is raw, having played a bunch of positions and not focusing on LB much. He does have really good size and decent speed, so I could see him playing WILL and doing fine there after a year or two. Smith seems like what they are looking for in a Willie Harvey type and we've missed that guy. I could see him playing early as they try to move Rose back inside eventually. No idea what Davis brings other than he seems to be a hard nosed player. The staff wanted him and stuck with him, so that's saying something.
CB: They only signed one and focused in on Antoine pretty early. I have a feeling he's going to play sooner than later.
S: I really don't have a good read on these three. They offered and took commits from all three pretty early. I would think that the staff by now knows exactly what they want at Safety. The play there wasn't great this year and there are guys on the roster than can probably be qualified as misses by now, so I expect we'll see 1-2 of them popping up on the 2 deep fairly quickly, since I believe all three are showing up in January.
ST: Obviously, the plan is for Hathcock to start all four years. You don't offer a LS if that's not the case.
What's left: They for sure want to sign Tampa, who IMO is the best overall athlete in the class. No idea if he's a WR or a DB. Other than that, it looks to me like grad transfers and/or late JUCOs. I would have no problem with them bringing in an OT, a DB, a QB (depending on what Mitchell does) and possibly a SAM LB if they can find one that can be half as good as Harvey was for us.
