2015 YSU Football Recruiting Thread

[FOOTBALLFEVER]

Penguin power that would be unfair to Bo considering the short length of time on the job. Definitely A - for effort. It's just to early like Bo said. Several of the players could be playing different positions then what they were recruited for coming out of H.S. and some have to grow into their bodies Etc.- time will tell. I DON'T think as many will contribute this year like wolf's class did last year. Several could contribute on special teams.

[paladin]

I'd echo that , Fever. Here is what I see wrong with this year's class --

1. Many of the recruits  have  size issues -- short, need weight and will face mismatch problems. Some have questionable speed.

2. Many of the recruits are limited in abilities for this level of play. We gave schollies to those who will not play here.

3. PLayers come from an area already over-recruited and limited in number of quality players for this level, leaving few quality players. Not recruiting  Fla., Cal. and Texas will be a mistake.

4. The MVFC, since Wolf arrived, have passed FCS as a whole and is far too competitive to bring in players lacking size , speed or ability level and expect to compete well or finish in the Top 3, which means playoffs remain a problem.

5. We brought in Valley recruits in numbers and will result in wasted schollies. If this continues, forget about playoffs and worry that losing records are on the way.

Other than Nebraska transfer  Moss, there is no real headliner. And if he doesn't keep his nose clean or becomes an internal problem with the team, then the class is a bust. Appears that we recruited "practice players". There are some good players here , but few in number and the vast majority may not make much contribution. This can not happen again next year. Or there will be problems. 

[YSUGO]

Watched Pelini comments and watched highlight video of recruits also Reviewed North Dakota Northern Iowa and Illinois St. classes.  The Bison had decent size and recruited there core areas Wisconsin and Minnesota didn't see any Florida recruits in this years class Illinois St. had a 3 star Db I think and recruited speed and had 3 or 4 transfers. Recruited a lot from there core area Northern Iowa's Coach Farley who I like a lot said we recruited Iowa first that is who we are and that the kids have great work ethic etc.  So maybe Bo who said he is recruiting the State of Youngstown is looking at the top 3 programs and see's it starts at home.  I also checked Indiana St they got some more big guys.  We better bulk up because we sure didn't get any bigger but I do feel we got better at Db and Safety and we got better at Wr as well. I liked the Malone kid The lb from Indiana and Larkin...the Transfer from Nebraska will be an impact guy too.  I don't think we hurt our selfs with the lineman recruits but thought our Lbs were smallish but a couple had good closing speed. I thought the Qb from Urbana was a steal as well as Scott from Hubbard.  Coaching will come into play with this class Wolf couldn't coach his kids up and it didn't get us that one more win to get into the playoffs.  I have to believe with Pelini having success at Nebraska LSU and in the pro's we will be better prepared focused and get that one more W.  He is a proven Winner and the kids will respond to him.  Wolf was a proven recruiter and basically was learning how to Coach a program and even though he improved he never got the kids to stay focused and we always went zero for November and it was his undoing. 

[Observer]

A.  The arguments of the MVFC having "passed the FCS" and "Size on Size" are infinitely more laughable than 17k attendance.   Given a good game against Narduzzi and Pitt I could see 17k for the home opener if marketed correctly.  But pretending that YSU needs Marcus Mariotta or Braxton Miller to come in to win a IAA championship is ridiculous at worst.

B.  The local strategy isn't a great one in terms of talent, but in terms of work and pride its a great idea.  Lets face it, No one takes Youngstown more seriously than those from Youngstown.  Local kids are going to be exponentially more prideful and loyal when it comes to the success of YSU.  Now the older generations may think the scholarship and "opportunity" are supposed to make you prideful and loyal, wherever your from, the simple fact is YSU is not that kind of school and with this generation, it does not. 

C.  Id rather have a team full of 2 star recruits that will play until their burger every week, Than a team full of talented "cod-pieces" who think they've only "ended up" at a program and will be playing in the league soon anyway.

D. This approach takes a coaches that can make athletes better, not just keep them good.  From the HC to the weight room, things better be on point, Or it will end horribly.

[IAA Fan]

I'd echo that , Fever. Here is what I see wrong with this year's class --

1. Many of the recruits  have  size issues -- short, need weight and will face mismatch problems. Some have questionable speed.

2. Many of the recruits are limited in abilities for this level of play. We gave schollies to those who will not play here.

3. PLayers come from an area already over-recruited and limited in number of quality players for this level, leaving few quality players. Not recruiting  Fla., Cal. and Texas will be a mistake.

4. The MVFC, since Wolf arrived, have passed FCS as a whole and is far too competitive to bring in players lacking size , speed or ability level and expect to compete well or finish in the Top 3, which means playoffs remain a problem.

5. We brought in Valley recruits in numbers and will result in wasted schollies. If this continues, forget about playoffs and worry that losing records are on the way.

Other than Nebraska transfer  Moss, there is no real headliner. And if he doesn't keep his nose clean or becomes an internal problem with the team, then the class is a bust. Appears that we recruited "practice players". There are some good players here , but few in number and the vast majority may not make much contribution. This can not happen again next year. Or there will be problems.

Cannot think of a year that you did not say the same dang thing ...almost word-per-word, less the MVFC crap. Heck New Hampshire would have horse-whipped NDSU ...they unfortunately had to play ILS with more offensive firepower than the Bison.

Here is your Bison class:

Jack Albrecht   Bio   26428   OL   6-5   275   Fr.   Rolling Meadows, Ill. (Fremd HS)
Zack J. Johnson   Bio   26428   OL   6-6   261   Fr.   Blaine, Minn. (Spring Lake Park HS)
Trent Mooney   Bio   26428   OL   6-5   255   Fr.   Lamar, Mo. (Lamar HS)
---All the steroids in the world are not going to make these guys 300lbs.
Zack has decent resume & at this level Mooney is going nowhere but TE or other side of the ball.


Matt Anderson   Bio   26428   TE   6-4   240   Fr.   Lakeland, Minn. (Stillwater HS)
Ben Ellefson   Bio   26428   TE   6-4   226   Fr.   Hawley, Minn. (Hawley HS)
Bruce Anderson   Bio   26428   RB   6-0   195   Fr.   Ruskin, Fla. (Newsome HS)
Marquise Bridges   Bio   26428   WR   6-0   170   Fr.   Brooklyn Park, Minn. (DeLaSalle HS)
Jake Brinkman   Bio   26428   LB   6-0   205   Fr.   North Liberty, Iowa (Regina HS)
Ty Brooks   Bio   26428   DB   5-9   155   Fr.   Fargo, N.D. (Fargo South HS)
Jaxon Brown   Bio   26428   DB   6-2   195   Fr.   Eau Claire, Wis. (Regis HS)
Bryan Carlton   Bio   26428   DT   6-4   250   Fr.   Chanhassen, Minn. (Minnetonka HS)
Jack Darnell   Bio   26428   DT   6-3   280   Fr.   Champlin, Minn. (Champlin Park HS)
Dom Davis   Bio   26428   DB   6-0   171   Fr.   Millstadt, Ill. (Belleville West HS)
Robbie Grimsley   Bio   26428   DB   6-1   185   Fr.   Hutchinson, Minn. (Hutchinson HS)
James Hendricks   Bio   26428   QB   6-2   185   Fr.   Laporte, Minn. (Bemidji HS)
Connor Hubbs   Bio   26428   DT   6-2   272   Fr.   White Bear Lake, Minn. (White Bear Lake HS)
Cole Karcz   Bio   26428   DE   6-4   225   Fr.   Germantown, Wis. (Germantown HS)
Aaron Mercadel   Bio   26428   LB   6-0   195   Fr.   Oakland, Calif. (Saint Mary's College HS)
Demaris Purifoy   Bio   26428   RB   6-1   185   Fr.   Wauwatosa, Wis. (Wauwatosa West HS)
Brock Robbins   Bio   26428   FB   6-2   215   Fr.   Cavalier, N.D. (Cavalier HS)
Braden Sikes   Bio   26428   DB   6-0   188   Fr.   Excelsior, Minn. (Minnetonka HS)
Derrek Tuszka   Bio   26428   DE   6-5   218   Fr.   Warner, S.D. (Warner HS)
Dimitri Williams   Bio   26428   WR   6-0   185   Fr.   Lakeville, Minn. (Rosemount HS)

They have two stud recruits, a DE with a great build & the rest is plain-Jane. I don't get you sometimes, you just have to complain. Then in 2 years you will talk about how great this YSU class was & you called it #1 in the MVFC.

Can you not see how important it is for YSu to become a destination once again? Aside from some previously profitable schools outside of our area, we need to be getting guys from here for this to happen..

[YsuPride]

I would think we will see more FBS transfers coming in by spring or summer.  The kid from Hubbard is D1 player and we got him. Great get.   I think the class on paper may not seem great but at least 8-10 of them will be good. The staff only had 6 weeks to recruit and with most players coming back it only takes good coaching to get us to the playoffs.  We shall see.

[go guins]

1AA Fan are you actually that nieve regarding PED's?  Those guys you say "will never be 300" will absolutely all be 300, most of them by this fall, all of them by next fall. 

[HappyPenguin]

Theres no way we had enough scholarships for this class.

Take it for what it is. He's recruiting some players that fit his style, not Wolf's, with limited resources he can offer.

That's fine by me. He had limited time as well, and still grabbed a couple good looking players.

Guys that can hit and tackle are definitely more of an MVFC fit.

Let's see what transfers we get and what he can do with a full year.

[go guins]

I’m somewhat at a loss to see the criticism of this class based on size.  Every safety recruit is taller than Troy Polamalu and I believe bigger than Troy before getting to USC.  Every cornerback recruit is taller and bigger than Joe Haden.  Every WR recruit is bigger than Julian Edelman.  NOW DON’T GET ME WRONG, I am NOT saying we recruited the next Troy, Joe or Julian, but they are plenty big enough to get the job done.  In addition the OL are all 6-4 so they can all get to 310-320 and the DL are all 6-1 or so, and can easily get to 280.  This is NFL size, maybe (certainly) not NFL quality, but size wise I see no issues.  Am I missing something?

[IAA Fan]

I’m somewhat at a loss to see the criticism of this class based on size.  Every safety recruit is taller than Troy Polamalu and I believe bigger than Troy before getting to USC.  Every cornerback recruit is taller and bigger than Joe Haden.  Every WR recruit is bigger than Julian Edelman.  NOW DON’T GET ME WRONG, I am NOT saying we recruited the next Troy, Joe or Julian, but they are plenty big enough to get the job done.  In addition the OL are all 6-4 so they can all get to 310-320 and the DL are all 6-1 or so, and can easily get to 280.  This is NFL size, maybe (certainly) not NFL quality, but size wise I see no issues.  Am I missing something?

My size comment was on the Bison's recruiting class go guins. Our class size/weight is above average. I have no complaints and will also ask anyone to look at some of the film. These guys seem comfortable penetrating on both sides of their opposition.

[HappyPenguin]

I’m somewhat at a loss to see the criticism of this class based on size.  Every safety recruit is taller than Troy Polamalu and I believe bigger than Troy before getting to USC.  Every cornerback recruit is taller and bigger than Joe Haden.  Every WR recruit is bigger than Julian Edelman.  NOW DON’T GET ME WRONG, I am NOT saying we recruited the next Troy, Joe or Julian, but they are plenty big enough to get the job done.  In addition the OL are all 6-4 so they can all get to 310-320 and the DL are all 6-1 or so, and can easily get to 280.  This is NFL size, maybe (certainly) not NFL quality, but size wise I see no issues.  Am I missing something?

All great points here.

[go guins]

1AA I was not refering to you.  I was refering to Paladin . "Many of the recruits  have  size issues -- short, need weight and will face mismatch problems." and Footballfever regarding the size issues.

[ysufan0505]

Tough to criticize this class because Bo did not have a lot of time to put it together. Relying on the coaches he kept to help him.

Most of the local players won't see the field besides Scott from Hubbard at WR and Kennedy at kicker.

I like the couple O-Lineman from PA... That has been a good get for us lately in that area. Big O-Lineman from Illinois needs to get in shape but could be a starter here soon.

I also like the DB's from Woodland Hills and LaSalle, if developed right can be solid players and really like the DT from Syracuse, NY. About 275-280 and he has a quick first step off the ball. Same with the DE from Michigan if he can put on some weight. WR from Toledo CC is a burner, very elusive. Could be an asset. Like the LB from Penn Hills if he can put on some weight and keep his quickness. Big hitter, good closing speed.

Overall, not a great class but some guys who I think can really make an impact.

[OleYSUfan]

Why are we criticizing our new recruits? I agree with the list that fan0505 mentioned that are solid players. There are 8-12 recruits who will make an impact in our future.

Let's see what Bo and his staff can do, I know one sure thing, our defense will definitely improve.   

[go guins]

Bo said in the signing day presser that he hadn't wanted too much film of the players "on campus", but based on this class, I'm not sure I buy that 100%.  He notes we need depth.  We do.  Every year under Wolford we lead multiple games at the half or 3/4 and lost in the 4th qtr. Some of these LB's RB's and DB's that posters say aren't going to get snaps are going to get a series in the 2nd qtr and a series early in the 4th qtr and maybe we won't run out of gas every big game.  Pelini also says we need to be in top shape and that hasn't been true under Eric.