Grading the 22 Recruiting Class, and What Else is needed

[GJGood]

On 2/24/2022 at 8:14 AM, LZIp said:

Where do you think Te'Sean Smoot falls within the names you mentioned? I know the previous staff was recruiting him and believe he ended up with Rich Rod at Jacksonville State. Also had a number of G5 offers as well.

 Te’Sean looked to be “as advertised” when I saw him, albeit this was only watching the state finals and semifinals on TV. 
He is a lot like Jennings and Novak in that he is at the helm of a program that is less than a traditional power and is the leader on a team that took that program to unexpected heights. I really think that is the type of guys Akron, and really most of the MAC, would benefit from looking toward in the recruiting process. 
Getting guys from programs like Hoban and St. Ignatius or Massillon is good, don’t get me wrong, but you wonder how much was the program and how much was the player whereas at a school like Western Brown or Reynoldsburg th see guys we’re part of a culture change And change in expectation of the program by those outside the program. The Zips need this kind of change in the MAC and the MAC needs this kind of change in the Group of Five while the Group of Five needs this kind of change in the FBS.

[Zippyroo]

Wow.  I assume the players shown in this tweet are offensive lineman.  Looks like they have been busy in the weight room this off-season.  Dude on the right looks like a beast!

[LZIp]

2 minutes ago, Zippyroo said:

Wow.  I assume the players shown in this tweet are offensive lineman.  Looks like they have been busy in the weight room this off-season.  Dude on the right looks like a beast!

That is Beckman, Georges, and Robarge..and I agree, Robarge really sticks out.

[bigjim]

On 3/1/2022 at 7:39 PM, LZIp said:

That is Beckman, Georges, and Robarge..and I agree, Robarge really sticks out.

All 11 offensive linemen on the roster are listed as SO or R-SO.  With the covid year, the 2022 season will be the 3rd or 4th year on the roster for each of the linemen.  So, yes, they should start sticking out and performing.  I have supported the OL even though the overall performance has not been great since they were so young.  Football Grandma pointed out a weakness on the line and when a change was made, OL performance improved.  So, with the transfer of Bane and the new recruits, the line should start to being productive and a strength for the next several years.  

[Blue & Gold]

Cool pics of some of the Zips volunteering at the Haven of Rest

 

[Blue & Gold]

8 hours ago, Blue & Gold said:

Cool pics of some of the Zips volunteering at the Haven of Rest

 

In the bottom left pic, who is the player pictured with DJ Irons?

[LZIp]

2 hours ago, Blue & Gold said:

In the bottom left pic, who is the player pictured with DJ Irons?

I believe Kerry/KJ Martin.

[catdaddyp]

I became a Zips fan after moving to Ohio last year. At times, the games were difficult to watch and the incoming recruiting class didn’t provide much hope. Joe Moorhead has quickly changed that outlook. I don’t expect the Zips to win the MAC this coming year, but the 2022 class is a great start towards that goal.

 

My thoughts on the 2022 transfers are below. I’ll give my thoughts on the incoming freshmen at a later date.

 

Transfers:

RB - Cameron Wiley = Transfer from Minnesota. Wiley was a backup for the Gophers who flashed at times. He displays patience, vision, and power when running the ball and could develop into an every down back. He may not turn into an all conference player, but should give the running game more production.

 

WR - Shocky Jacques - Louis = Senior transfer from Pittsburgh. Shocky was a part-time starter at Pitt and is a proven receiver at the Power 5 level. He has demonstrated the ability to make difficult catches in his career and will go up and get the ball. He should slide right in as a day one starter.

 

WR - Alex Adams = Transfer from LSU. Adams was an explosive player in high school that hasn’t lived up to his potential. If the staff can motivate and develop Adams, he’ll be an all-MAC player before he graduates.

 

TE - TJ Banks = Transfer from West Virginia where Banks was a backup TE. He mostly played split out as a WR in high school, so learning to be an in-line TE at the D1 level was an adjustment. Banks exhibits a large catch radius and a big bodied target for the QB. If he can pick up the nuances of blocking, he’ll be a weapon at Akron.

 

OL - Max Banes = Transfer from Houston where he was a part-time starter. Banes brings Guard to Tackle value to Akron. He has excellent size, demonstrates great feet, and runs extremely well for an offensive lineman. He should be a starter from day one.

 

DE - Devon Robinson = Transfer from Memphis, where he did not play. Robinson was originally a scholarship player at Mississippi State and then walked on at Memphis. This is the definition of a boom or bust opportunity. It’s worth the staff taking a chance on Robinson as he possesses immense talent and could be an all MAC player if he lives up to his potential.

 

DE - Victor Jones = Senior transfer from Wyoming. Jones played DE and DT during his time at Wyoming. He was a productive backup who will bring experience and provide immediate defensive line depth.

 

DT - Curtis Harper = Senior transfer from Syracuse. Harper was a productive backup who will likely be a starter before the year ends. He’s strong, agile, and should cause problems for interior OL in the MAC.

 

OLB - Tim Terry = Senior transfer from Buffalo. Terry was a multi-year starter at Buffalo and will look to claim a starting spot at Akron to close out his career.  Having a player with Terry’s experience can only help the LB corp.

 

CB - Cameron Threatt = JUCO transfer via way of Mississippi State. Threatt is a long and rangy DB that’ll be able to line up anywhere in the secondary. He’ll provide immediate depth as well as push for a starting position.

 

S - KJ Martin = Transfer from West Virginia. Another long and rangy DB except Martin is a true S. He was mostly a backup at WVU, but did start a handful of games. Martin is excellent when coming to help from the weak side, but will need to shore up his tackling technique when facing head on. He’ll provide depth and push for starting minutes.

[Blue & Gold]

@catdaddyp, great post and glad you're here!  Go Zips!

[catdaddyp]

5 hours ago, Blue & Gold said:

@catdaddyp, great post and glad you're here!  Go Zips!

Thanks @Blue & Gold! Glad to be here. I just happened to stumble across this forum and it’s great to see so many active posting Zips fans. Looking forward to spring ball and what this year brings!

[catdaddyp]

With Spring Ball kicking off tomorrow, I thought I’d go ahead and post my opinion on the prep signees. This is strictly going off their hudl film, as I haven’t seen any of them play in person.

 

Prep Signees:

QB - Dijon Jennings = Great athlete and very elusive. Jennings would most likely develop into a dynamic WR if QB didn’t work out. His throwing motion is inconsistent, but he flashes the ability to keep plays alive with his feet.

 

RB - Charles Kellom = Reads the cutback lanes well and runs hard. He’ll need to add mass on his frame to hold up at D1. It’s always good to recruit the home state and Kellom will add depth to the RB position.

 

WR - Bobby Golden = Smaller WR that can flat out fly. Golden is a prototypical slot receiver who can take the top off a defense. As far as year one goes, he’ll likely get some looks as a returner on special teams and may see the field at WR depending on his development and team need.

 

TE - Marquell Darnell =  Tall athlete with excellent size. Darnell was mostly split out wide in high school, so it’ll take some time to learn how to play as an in-line TE. He flashes solid hands and often out jumped DBs in high school. The potential is there to develop into a playmaker, but it probably won’t be in year one.

 

OC - Tyhler Williams = Underrated interior lineman that brings Center to Guard value. Williams has been well coached at the high school level and will be ready to contribute as a freshman. He’s very agile, strong, and uses leverage well. 

 

OG - Keylen Davis = Wide bodied interior lineman that is strong and agile. Davis brings an aggressive mindset and is looking to pancake defenders at every opportunity. He brings Center to Guard value and is the one of most physically ready OL to compete for starting minutes in the prep class.

 

OT - Ka’Marri Landers = Big bodied OL that is unusually mobile for a player his size. He’s an extremely underrated offensive lineman that brings guard to tackle value. Landing a player out of high school with Landers talent and ability is huge. Once he adjusts to the speed of D1 football, he’ll become a stalwart on the offensive line and has the potential to develop into an all MAC player.

 

OT - Jourden Hale = Massive offensive tackle that overpowered defensive linemen at the high school level. Hale exhibits excellent size, balance, and aggressiveness. He’ll need to work on his technique, and tune up his body, before he starts contributing on a consistent basis.

 

DT - Kiawan Murphy = Stout and wide bodied DT, similar in build to transfer Curtis Harper. Murphy has been well coached at the high school level and gets out of his stance quickly. He usually overpowered OL at the high school level, but also flashed plenty of agility. 

 

ILB - Bryan McCoy = Aggressive, hard hitting, inside linebacker. McCoy’s strength is in the run game. He quickly diagnoses where the ball is going and gets there in a hurry. When chasing down the play, he’s explosive upon tackling the ball carrier. However, his ability to drop into coverage and defend the pass is questionable and will need improving.

[Ham]

@catdaddyp, glad to have you, but what on earth got you interested in a dumpster fire?  Transfers in the past (BB & FB) have been a mixed bag.  Some we wish we had never seen to fabulous additions, and those in between.  We will learn much over the next month about those who are on campus.

[catdaddyp]

3 minutes ago, Ham said:

@catdaddyp, glad to have you, but what on earth got you interested in a dumpster fire?  Transfers in the past (BB & FB) have been a mixed bag.  Some we wish we had never seen to fabulous additions, and those in between.  We will learn much over the next month about those who are on campus.

@Ham I guess you could say I have a fondness for a rebuild. I was an AD at the high school level for 8 years and coached for 13 years. One of those jobs I built the program from the ground up and the other was a turnaround. I’ve been out of athletics for the past 5 years and have recently rekindled my passion for football.
 

I’ll probably get back into athletics in some capacity, but for now I’m satisfied with being a fan. I recently moved to Ohio, so Akron is my local team of choice. It’s easy to see the difference in the type of players coach Moorhead is bringing in vs his predecessor. They won’t all work out, but the potential is there.

[AKSportsFan]

Great breakdown! Love hearing it from someone that has coached the sport as opposed to many of us fans (casual to former players). Welcome to Zips Nation!

[ZippyRulz]

2 hours ago, catdaddyp said:

I recently moved to Ohio, so Akron is my local team of choice. It’s easy to see the difference in the type of players coach Moorhead is bringing in vs his predecessor. 

 

[Blue & Gold]

What excellent breakdowns, @catdaddyp. THANK YOU!!

[Ham]

3 hours ago, catdaddyp said:

They won’t all work out, but the potential is there.

I'm optimistic for all of them until proven wrong.  Additionally, l believe there is unrealized potential in the returnees that our competent staff will recognize and develop.  In the MAC, all it takes is a sprinkling of studs in the right places to be a winner.  OOC will still be tough, but if we can enter the MAC season 2 & 2, l think we will go Bowling in '22!

[60zip]

11 hours ago, catdaddyp said:

With Spring Ball kicking off tomorrow, I thought I’d go ahead and post my opinion on the prep signees. This is strictly going off their hudl film, as I haven’t seen any of them play in person.

 

Prep Signees:

QB - Dijon Jennings = Great athlete and very elusive. Jennings would most likely develop into a dynamic WR if QB didn’t work out. His throwing motion is inconsistent, but he flashes the ability to keep plays alive with his feet.

 

RB - Charles Kellom = Reads the cutback lanes well and runs hard. He’ll need to add mass on his frame to hold up at D1. It’s always good to recruit the home state and Kellom will add depth to the RB position.

 

WR - Bobby Golden = Smaller WR that can flat out fly. Golden is a prototypical slot receiver who can take the top off a defense. As far as year one goes, he’ll likely get some looks as a returner on special teams and may see the field at WR depending on his development and team need.

 

TE - Marquell Darnell =  Tall athlete with excellent size. Darnell was mostly split out wide in high school, so it’ll take some time to learn how to play as an in-line TE. He flashes solid hands and often out jumped DBs in high school. The potential is there to develop into a playmaker, but it probably won’t be in year one.

 

OC - Tyhler Williams = Underrated interior lineman that brings Center to Guard value. Williams has been well coached at the high school level and will be ready to contribute as a freshman. He’s very agile, strong, and uses leverage well. 

 

OG - Keylen Davis = Wide bodied interior lineman that is strong and agile. Davis brings an aggressive mindset and is looking to pancake defenders at every opportunity. He brings Center to Guard value and is the one of most physically ready OL to compete for starting minutes in the prep class.

 

OT - Ka’Marri Landers = Big bodied OL that is unusually mobile for a player his size. He’s an extremely underrated offensive lineman that brings guard to tackle value. Landing a player out of high school with Landers talent and ability is huge. Once he adjusts to the speed of D1 football, he’ll become a stalwart on the offensive line and has the potential to develop into an all MAC player.

 

OT - Jourden Hale = Massive offensive tackle that overpowered defensive linemen at the high school level. Hale exhibits excellent size, balance, and aggressiveness. He’ll need to work on his technique, and tune up his body, before he starts contributing on a consistent basis.

 

DT - Kiawan Murphy = Stout and wide bodied DT, similar in build to transfer Curtis Harper. Murphy has been well coached at the high school level and gets out of his stance quickly. He usually overpowered OL at the high school level, but also flashed plenty of agility. 

 

ILB - Bryan McCoy = Aggressive, hard hitting, inside linebacker. McCoy’s strength is in the run game. He quickly diagnoses where the ball is going and gets there in a hurry. When chasing down the play, he’s explosive upon tackling the ball carrier. However, his ability to drop into coverage and defend the pass is questionable and will need improving.

Great post. I am sure that I do not have this much insight but loved your analysis. Looking forward to the season. Go Zips

 

Edited March 29, 2022 by 60zip

[catdaddyp]

6 hours ago, Ham said:

I'm optimistic for all of them until proven wrong.  Additionally, l believe there is unrealized potential in the returnees that our competent staff will recognize and develop.  In the MAC, all it takes is a sprinkling of studs in the right places to be a winner.  OOC will still be tough, but if we can enter the MAC season 2 & 2, l think we will go Bowling in '22!

I hope you’re right! I didn’t watch all the games last year, but from the games I did see I think the defense will be the liability and will need to take a big leap forward for any bowl hopes.

 

I believe the offense will be improved with Moorhead’s scheme and we’ll see more designed QB runs. I really like Norills at RB and I think he and Irons will flourish in this system. I think Grimes will also have the opportunity for a breakout year. Moorhead likes to keep the same personnel in the game and slide those players into different positions to create mismatches, so one of the TEs will have a chance to make plays from in-line, slot, and split end. I suspect that was a selling point to TJ Banks.

 

The OL will be asked to do a lot of pulling and I’m guessing that’s one reason why Moorhead really keyed in on agile OL in this class. 

[Zipmeister]

14 hours ago, catdaddyp said:

I thought I’d go ahead and post my opinion on the prep signees. This is strictly going off their hudl film, as I haven’t seen any of them play in person.

 

This implies that you have seen all the transfers play in person.

Is that true?

[catdaddyp]

4 hours ago, Zipmeister said:

 

This implies that you have seen all the transfers play in person.

Is that true?

No, I should have posted the same for the transfers. Although, most of the transfers have college film available somewhere on the internet as well. Just have to do a little more searching for it. 

[Zipmeister]

6 hours ago, catdaddyp said:

No, I should have posted the same for the transfers. Although, most of the transfers have college film available somewhere on the internet as well. Just have to do a little more searching for it. 

 

Where did you find college film on Cameron Threatt? The only film I can find is from his high school days and shows that he was excellent at back-peddling on wide receivers.

https://gozips.com/sports/football/roster/cam-threatt/7950 has some interesting info on him. According to them he has grown two inches since playing for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College last year. It also claims that he was a two year member of the Mississippi State football team. He was not; he was on their roster for only one year, 2020, as a freshman who did not see any game action.

[catdaddyp]

16 minutes ago, Zipmeister said:

 

Where did you find college film on Cameron Threatt? The only film I can find is from his high school days and shows that he was excellent at back-peddling on wide receivers.

https://gozips.com/sports/football/roster/cam-threatt/7950 has some interesting info on him. According to them he has grown two inches since playing for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College last year. It also claims that he was a two year member of the Mississippi State football team. He was not; he was on their roster for only one year, 2020, as a freshman who did not see any game action.

I can’t speak to the information they have listed on the website. I’d like to assume it’s correct, but it may be wrong if they pulled it from Rivals or 247 as those sites sometimes have conflicting information.

 

In any case, here is the film from JUCO you requested. He’s definitely developed some since his high school days.

 

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9458953/617f09dfb019130b289d8b75

[Zipmeister]

2 hours ago, catdaddyp said:

I can’t speak to the information they have listed on the website. I’d like to assume it’s correct, but it may be wrong if they pulled it from Rivals or 247 as those sites sometimes have conflicting information.

 

In any case, here is the film from JUCO you requested. He’s definitely developed some since his high school days.

 

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9458953/617f09dfb019130b289d8b75

 

Thanks.

I believe I already saw these, but at the time thought I was looking at high school stuff.

I've seen more poorly produced highlight videos, but not many. 

 

[bigjim]

On 3/27/2022 at 1:31 PM, catdaddyp said:

I became a Zips fan after moving to Ohio last year. At times, the games were difficult to watch and the incoming recruiting class didn’t provide much hope. Joe Moorhead has quickly changed that outlook. I don’t expect the Zips to win the MAC this coming year, but the 2022 class is a great start towards that goal.

 

My thoughts on the 2022 transfers are below. I’ll give my thoughts on the incoming freshmen at a later date.

 

Transfers:

RB - Cameron Wiley = Transfer from Minnesota. Wiley was a backup for the Gophers who flashed at times. He displays patience, vision, and power when running the ball and could develop into an every down back. He may not turn into an all conference player, but should give the running game more production.

 

WR - Shocky Jacques - Louis = Senior transfer from Pittsburgh. Shocky was a part-time starter at Pitt and is a proven receiver at the Power 5 level. He has demonstrated the ability to make difficult catches in his career and will go up and get the ball. He should slide right in as a day one starter.

 

WR - Alex Adams = Transfer from LSU. Adams was an explosive player in high school that hasn’t lived up to his potential. If the staff can motivate and develop Adams, he’ll be an all-MAC player before he graduates.

 

TE - TJ Banks = Transfer from West Virginia where Banks was a backup TE. He mostly played split out as a WR in high school, so learning to be an in-line TE at the D1 level was an adjustment. Banks exhibits a large catch radius and a big bodied target for the QB. If he can pick up the nuances of blocking, he’ll be a weapon at Akron.

 

OL - Max Banes = Transfer from Houston where he was a part-time starter. Banes brings Guard to Tackle value to Akron. He has excellent size, demonstrates great feet, and runs extremely well for an offensive lineman. He should be a starter from day one.

 

DE - Devon Robinson = Transfer from Memphis, where he did not play. Robinson was originally a scholarship player at Mississippi State and then walked on at Memphis. This is the definition of a boom or bust opportunity. It’s worth the staff taking a chance on Robinson as he possesses immense talent and could be an all MAC player if he lives up to his potential.

 

DE - Victor Jones = Senior transfer from Wyoming. Jones played DE and DT during his time at Wyoming. He was a productive backup who will bring experience and provide immediate defensive line depth.

 

DT - Curtis Harper = Senior transfer from Syracuse. Harper was a productive backup who will likely be a starter before the year ends. He’s strong, agile, and should cause problems for interior OL in the MAC.

 

OLB - Tim Terry = Senior transfer from Buffalo. Terry was a multi-year starter at Buffalo and will look to claim a starting spot at Akron to close out his career.  Having a player with Terry’s experience can only help the LB corp.

 

CB - Cameron Threatt = JUCO transfer via way of Mississippi State. Threatt is a long and rangy DB that’ll be able to line up anywhere in the secondary. He’ll provide immediate depth as well as push for a starting position.

 

S - KJ Martin = Transfer from West Virginia. Another long and rangy DB except Martin is a true S. He was mostly a backup at WVU, but did start a handful of games. Martin is excellent when coming to help from the weak side, but will need to shore up his tackling technique when facing head on. He’ll provide depth and push for starting minutes.

Great analysis.  Better than my initial post when I started this thread.  I did a follow up review and was waiting for the pain of the basketball loss go pass to post and wanted to downgrade by original grade on the transfers to a C.  But, you beat me to the punch.  I think we got the positions from the transfer portal that we needed to provide depth, and most of the players were great out of high school but have done little in college.  Outside of Jacques-Lewis and Banes, they appear to have little to no starting experience.  Even Terry only started 2 games at Buffalo last year, but he should provide depth.  I am hoping that the difference in competition allows these players to be top notch MAC players.  Go Zips!!!