POLL: How satisfied are you with the 2015 FB Class?

[Blue & Gold]

Maybe I'm missing something but our class isn't ranked last everywhere. With such a drastic difference between rankings on to "big-name" recruiting websites, you can see why they're BS. Also, 4 out of the 5 teams we beat this year had "better" recruiting rankings the we did over the past 5-years...yet we still beat them. So the predictive power of recruiting rankings is not very good.

That list is interesting. It also gives leverage to teams based on the number of recruits they signed, but look at the average star-rating. Akron is doing quite well if you look at the average:

#1: Toledo (2.24-star average)

#2a: Akron: (2.23-star average)

#2b: Miami: (2.23-star average)

#4: WMU: (2.22-star average)

#5: NIU: (2.16-star average)

Miami is the big surprise on that list.

[K92]

Just for you Keener, I'll bite. I'll give you something that you should have warm and fuzzy feelings about. It's already posted here. You see I count all players brought in by Bowden to be Zips recruits. JUCO to Transfers. Anything and everything to make this team better. Most of the players in the 2013, and 2014 classes haven't seen much of the field. Why should you be having uninspiring feelings from players who haven't played yet? Before Jatavis Brown was flashing signs of being a good LB his sophomore year, couldn't you apply the same "who gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling" comment to him?

The reason we are "recruiting apologists" is because we can see with our own eyes how drastically this team has improved in 3-years with Bowden when it comes to talent. Do you remember the Ianello years? Half the players didn't look like they belonged on a D-I field! I'd say the entire incoming class is reason to get warm and fuzzy feelings.

I'd say that the "Big-Six" transfers we got are all names you should get warm and fuzzy feelings about.

You know B&G, you're a good poster and although we have never met I can tell you're a good guy. We just don't agree.

There is no doubt that the overall talent level of the roster has improved under Bowden but that's not due to high school recruiting. It's due to transfers. It is my contention that this philosophy is unsustainable. High school kids are the life blood of your program and we just signed a very small class and 4 of them were from last year.

I hope you of deeper faith are right. Believe me, I don't want to be right. I pray I am wrong and I will get on this board and say thank God I was wrong if that's the way it pans out but it certainly the exception and not the rule that kids with one offer pan out. To think that our big list of kids thst no one offered other than us are going to have a high percentage of basically "proving everyone else who didn't offer them wrong" is foolhardy at best.

For every one offer guy like Dri Archer there are 9 that never see the field.

I forsee the dependance on transfers deepening not waning and God forbid, if Bowden & co. leave town I will damn sure guarantee the next regime is not going to be able to bring in these transfers and we will suddenly be back to reality. Then we will all see what a real rebuild from scratch looks like.

Respect to you, B&G.

[Hilltopper]

Step away from the ledge big fella.

[Jrship35]

I need to tailgate with Keener !!!!!! Lol

[Dave in Green]

... Do you remember the Ianello years? ...

It's impolite to remind Zips fans of the blankety-blank years.

[RACER]

akron was 10th in scoring,and last in time of possession. we still had the number 1 defense even though they were on

the field more than any other mac team. how has our team suffered because we are bring in transfers ?

I would rather have great player for two years than some kid in high school that may never play.

I remember the good old days. we were only 7-6 when we won the mac.we have never won more than seven games in a season.

I would rather forget them good old days.

[K92]

One man's opinion.

http://csnbbs.com/thread-727088.html

[Balsy]

One man's opinion.

http://csnbbs.com/thread-727088.html

[K92]

[Dr Z]

How many Zips recruits are on the Pennsylvania Big 33 roster...answer here.

Man, I am out of it, I didn't even realize Ohio isn't in the game anymore!

In October 2012 it was announced that Pennsylvania had dropped Ohio from the BIG 33 game and replaced them with Maryland.

Are the notable alumni in the last nine years an indication of a talent shift?

[Jrship35]

The last point is the one not to miss:

"As we all know these are kids ranging from 17-21 years old so anything can and usually does happen during their career so there is no clear cut formula to accurately predict or really rank these classes"

.

[Balsy]

The last point is the one not to miss:

"As we all know these are kids ranging from 17-21 years old so anything can and usually does happen during their career so there is no clear cut formula to accurately predict or really rank these classes"

.

+1. As far as I'm concerned; any analysis of data (rankings) is nothing more than noise. They don't accurately predict how well teams are going to do, and they don't reliably predict how schools are going to do down the road.

[Lee Adams]

You know B&G, you're a good poster and although we have never met I can tell you're a good guy. We just don't agree.

There is no doubt that the overall talent level of the roster has improved under Bowden but that's not due to high school recruiting. It's due to transfers. It is my contention that this philosophy is unsustainable. High school kids are the life blood of your program and we just signed a very small class and 4 of them were from last year.

I hope you of deeper faith are right. Believe me, I don't want to be right. I pray I am wrong and I will get on this board and say thank God I was wrong if that's the way it pans out but it certainly the exception and not the rule that kids with one offer pan out. To think that our big list of kids thst no one offered other than us are going to have a high percentage of basically "proving everyone else who didn't offer them wrong" is foolhardy at best.

For every one offer guy like Dri Archer there are 9 that never see the field.

I forsee the dependance on transfers deepening not waning and God forbid, if Bowden & co. leave town I will damn sure guarantee the next regime is not going to be able to bring in these transfers and we will suddenly be back to reality. Then we will all see what a real rebuild from scratch looks like.

Respect to you, B&G.

Absolutely correct. Maybe Bowden is trying to stockpile recruits in hopes of having a breakout season 'next year' or the year after. But,I know the prior administration,meaning the Prez was expecting more in year 2 or 3. It didn't happen. At some point Bowden has to go all in in. He has to play recruits not just transfers and win. In this day and age freshman to some extent HAVE to contribute. And,if redshirt frosh aren't getting on the field there is a problem with recruiting. August beckons.

[Hugo42]

Football scholarships are still messed up due to a previous regime.

[KentZip]

Football scholarships are still messed up due to a previous regime.

How so?

[Jrship35]

Football scholarships are still messed up due to a previous regime.

Please clarify how they are still messed up ? ......................... Only thing messing up recruiting IMO (not scholarships) is not winning. That will hopefully change this season as it SHOULD have last year

[Captain Kangaroo]

Please clarify how they are still messed up ? ......................... Only thing messing up recruiting IMO (not scholarships) is not winning. That will hopefully change this season as it SHOULD have last year

I am guessing he refers to the kids who quit, or were kicked-off the Ianello teams.

If you lose 30 scholarship players, you can only sign 25 in a given year. So you are 5 in-the-hole.

If in the next year, you graduate 20 players, you can sign 25, and you are back to even. But if you graduate 20, and 10 either quit or get kicked off the team, you are in a bigger hole because you can still only replace 25.

When you have the horrific attrition Ianello had, it puts the next coach behind the 8-ball, scholarship-wise.

Graduation and retention rates can cost a program scholarships if they drop below NCAA standards. Ianello wasn't the best at player retention (understatement of the year).

[Jrship35]

Understood Captain ........... How many are we in the hole ?

[Captain Kangaroo]

Understood Captain ........... How many are we in the hole ?

I need to check.

[Jrship35]

If that is the case (and it may be) ...... that is certainly valid. Just looking at the 2014 roster, not sure I see a scholarship deficiency

But I am probably wrong as usual ....................... Just ask my Wife !!!

[Captain Kangaroo]

I think the scholarship issue is one reason greyshirting has been important to Bowden.

If you can get a Freshman to agree to delay entry for his fall, Freshman semester, you can bring in an upper-classman transfer to use the available scholarship. The transfer leaves after 1 year. But you get a kid that's ready to play at the D-1 level, so you are quickly competitive. And you get a year's growth for the incoming Freshman.

It's a bit of a shell game, but if you need to build a base, and at the same time want to be competitive, it's the way to go. Assuming the greyshirts stick with the program. And the transfers pan-out. And so far that's been the case with the Zips.

[Jrship35]

So I fully understand the finances of a greyshirt ................. the student athlete has to foot the bill for the first semester correct ?

[Dave in Green]

A greyshirt only has to foot the bill for the first semester if he elects to go to school. Optionally he could stay out of school that semester and, for example, hold a job to earn money. He could also take some courses at a community college at a lower cost than would be charged at a D-I school.

[Jrship35]

Thanks Dave

[ZachTheZip]

Ideally you want to have the same amount of players in your senior, junior, and sophomore classes from year to year. Freshmen class is different because of redshirting, but it should even out over time as they progress through the years.

Akron graduated 25 seniors. This past season there were 28 juniors on the roster who will be seniors next season, plus one or two transfers coming in. That's more than can be replaced in a full signing class. Behind them were 21 sophomores that will be juniors. Some JUCOs are coming in as juniors to boost that number, but there's still too much fluctuation between classes.

I suspect that a big reason for Bowden's reliance on unorthodox signing classes (lots of transfers coming in with different eligibility remaining, greyshirts, blue shirts, etc.) is to try and stabilize the roster between graduating classes.