Let'sGoZips94

With a smaller number of teams in the MAC, does this mean there are more openings for OOC teams on the schedule?

I have somewhat fallen out of the loop with Akron Soccer recruits since COVID. How do Hardin's rankings compare to recent classes?

Nice depth piece for the LB corps. Very little I could find in a quick search on other interest.

Please. After the P5s and some Mountain West/American Athletic Conference QBs, these guys put the rest on the wall and threw darts at it with an IPA in their non-throwing hand, giggling like school girls at the thought of doing one of these with Arch Manning on it when Texas joins the SEC.

Technically, yes. 😂 However, I included Dawson in the sentence slot for the 3&D part, but hardly differentiated the two. I had Tribble slotted more as the 2 Guard; he's like a S&D - Slasher & Defender. Better off the ball on offense, and on the ball on defense. Odd, but I am a huge Tribble fan due to this oddity and his energy.

Now that we have a full roster, I am incredibly intrigued by which players get redshirted. We're too full. This is the deepest Zips roster that I can ever remember. A Snapshot - 4 incoming freshman - 2 guards: one is an all state player in Illinois (Johnson); the other is 6'5" and received offers from Wichita State, Rhode Island, etc (Prather Jr). - 2 stretch 4s: one was 1st team all state in Ohio for DII (arguably the best basketball division in Ohio), averaged 20+ ppg, and played for one of the most prominent AAU programs in Ohio (Lyles); the other has outstanding tape and looks like he could be Ali Ali or better (Prince). - 2 transfers - 1 guard with double digit scoring potential, plays D, and has quite a bit of experience (Hankerson) - 1 forward, who looks more like a PF and comes from a P5 program (Hunter) - 2 redshirt freshman guards will make their true collegiate debuts this year. Both were prolific scorers in high school, and seem to possess solid size (Mitchell & Johnson). - For returning guards, we have X and Clarke at the Point, with Tribble and Dawson playing the 2 Guard/3&D roles. - Returning fowards is the one and only Enrique Freeman, who will have his jersey in the rafters at some point. This is the shortest team we will have seen Akron put on the court since Groce's first year, and then maybe prior to Dambrot? But it will undoubtedly be the most athletic we have seen. I am fascinated to see who gets redshirted. I am fascinated to see the rotations. I am fascinated to see the offense.

We're so close to PCCC, sometimes their education gets in the Akron water. The effects aren't permanent, just temporary paralysis of above-basic thought. Gets one of us every once in a while. One suggestion, maybe you could put the previous year(s)'s recruit in the blank slots. i.e. For 2024, there are two blank spots, so it would be "2023 Recruit" in both, and so on. Or leave it blank so Can't State fans can't crack the code. Your call, @Illini Zip. Thank you for doing this for the board!

He has something the other incoming receivers don't - a 6'4" frame. Always good to have a variety of weapons.

Mike Farrell didn't get the A logo memo. That aside, the MAC is absolutely 💩ing its pants. Akron has the 2nd highest Transfer Portal class ranking in the MAC (#69; Buffalo is #30), one ahead of Ohio State even. The next closest is Miami OH at 87. Buffalo did have a phenomenal off-season Portal wise. However you take the talent Akron has amassed and combine it with the complete overhaul of the coaching staff, and we're already in the upper echelon of the MAC on paper. From worst to first is not out of the realm of possibility.

247 listed him at 5'10", Memphis had him at 5'11", and we get him at 6'0". 😉

Copying this from the Class of 2023 as I believe it was posted there in error... He is a transfer from Memphis. Redshirt Freshman. Multiple P5 offers out of high school, including South Carolina, Indiana, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Tennessee, etc., as he was rated the #78 CB in the country in his class. Looks like we'll have him for 4 years. https://gotigersgo.com/sports/football/roster/devonte-golden-nelson/9631 https://247sports.com/Player/Devonte-Nelson-46057678/TimelineEvents/

He is a transfer from Memphis. Redshirt Freshman. Multiple P5 offers out of high school, including South Carolina, Indiana, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Tennessee, etc., as he was rated the #78 CB in the country in his class. Looks like we'll have him for 4 years. https://gotigersgo.com/sports/football/roster/devonte-golden-nelson/9631 https://247sports.com/Player/Devonte-Nelson-46057678/TimelineEvents/

Joe Mo: "Too... Much... P5... Talent... Not sure... How we'll... Manage..." So far, that's the only challenge Joe Mo has faced with the TP.

When the market zigs, some successful people zag. Groce zagged. This could pay off greatly. This roster matches what he had at OU for his 3 NCAA Tourney wins. Guard heavy with a shorter but more athletic front court. Spread the floor, run em, and play stone cold Z Fence. Akron athletics is setting up to be incredible starting in August. Time to run the MAC.

Looks like former Notre Dame standout Jaylon Smith. Same frame - 6'2" 210+ lbs (Smith has obviously added size in the NFL). Is this a Reno Ferri connection with Cuse? He received an offer from the Orange and I'd imagine it was when Reno was there.

I think, at most, a normal rotation would feature 10 guys - essentially 2, 5-man rotations. After that it's practically reserves, and even the 10th guy won't see too much PT. I'm just looking at this roster, and all I see is talent. Top to bottom, this roster should produce. It is impressive how Groce & Co. have replenished after the departures.

I think "odd man out" could also mean in the rotation. This roster might truly be 13 deep. Figure 1-2 redshirts, and it's still 11-12 deep. After 10, you're looking at 10-12 minutes max per game. I agree I don't foresee anymore departures, but they could be odd man out this year and transfer next year for more PT.

If they are, how full is this roster? Seems like we almost have too many guys. I would imagine the kid from Columbus would be a candidate for a redshirt since he was planning on prep school anyways. Not sure who else would be a redshirt candidate.

Love it. 6'8" 195 lbs Forward out of Congo, by way of Victory Rock Prep(?). AAU video I saw shows he is quite athletic with a jump shot. Another Stretch 4. Deng Riak and LCJ were out of Victory Rock Prep. This guy could be a player. https://youtu.be/J4xaDGD3G8Y

Keep in mind, the transfer portal is going to eliminate a lot of high school recruiting for the foreseeable future. 1000+ players in the portal with tape/stats/production at the collegiate level. You're going to see better talent fall through the cracks, especially in college basketball. We were Ali Ali's only DI offer. Have faith.

I like this better. More excited than I was at the time of the original announcement. Prep School would have given him time to decommit and go elsewhere. Averaged a double double his ENTIRE high school career, including 20+ PPG and 12+ RPG his senior year. High profile AAU team and athletic tape. I don't know how his jump shot is, but he looks like this board's coveted Stretch 4.

This is an incredibly confusing statistic. How do you measure production from players coming in from a different system?

What prep school? All-Ohio Red is a prominent AAU team. This is a good get.

Not sure what level 4A is for Illinois, but being on a State team in Illinois for basketball is no joke I'd imagine.