Big Ten Champs

[johnny2x2x]

Big Ten Champs (Football)

Best class of the MD era, but a couple late misses on Sammons and the Robertson not signing deal.

I guess we'll just have to console ourselves with Big Ten Championships. Nobody in the conference has it better than us.

Today is the biggest day of the year for some school's fans, our biggest days happen in the Fall.

 

[Sbee]

Come on, this is a shitty day for MSU fans, we lost out on two potential replacements for Robertson.

Good class but bad ending, kind of like the season. Great overall but not a good end

 

[LuciousGameWinner]

I didn't even look who we signed. I don't care. As long as Dantonio is here MSU will be in the final four discussion.

 

[Sbee]

I didn't even look who we signed. I don't care. As long as Dantonio is here MSU will be in the final four discussion.

We signed a good class, MD's best, it just didn't end well with losing Robertson.

I trust Dantonio too but I also trust that the guys that passed on our offers today are guys that could have helped this team win in the future

 

[Spartanmack]

It's encouraging that this was by far Dantonio's best year in recruiting but I don't think coming a distant third in the division is a model for sustainable success or even racking up B1G championships. Thinking we can count on or even just settle for B1G championships when we have to compete in a division with two teams that consistently land National Championship caliber classes is naive at best. We have to start consistently finishing top 15 or even top 10 and I think we need to reach that level by recruiting more and better offensive lineman and probably d-backs as well - we've done really well on the defensive line and well enough on offensive skill position players.

 

[Sbee]

It's encouraging that this was by far Dantonio's best year in recruiting but I don't think coming a distant third in the division is a model for sustainable success or even racking up B1G championships. Thinking we can count on or even just settle for B1G championships when we have to compete in a division with two teams that consistently land National Championship caliber classes is naive at best. We have to start consistently finishing top 15 or even top 10 and I think we need to reach that level by recruiting more and better offensive lineman and probably d-backs as well - we've done really well on the defensive line and well enough on offensive skill position players.

I'd try to pay more attention to average star ranking than overall ranking, those rankings are biased toward the bigger classes. MSU gets punished for lack of attrition in their program, if we end up adding Robertson later we should be close to top 10 in average star ranking

 

[Spartanmack]

I'd try to pay more attention to average star ranking than overall ranking, those rankings are biased toward the bigger classes. MSU gets punished for lack of attrition in their program, if we end up adding Robertson later we should be close to top 10 in average star ranking

That would take us from 3.5 to 3.52 so maybe we pick up one spot in the average star ranking. And if we had more attrition and signed more players, the average would be more likely to go down than up (or at least just as likely). Either way, that doesn't fill the gap between us and top 10 classes, which I think is the ability to recruit top o-lineman. It must be the hardest thing to do in recruiting - I don't know if they're harder to evaluate or if those kids self-select to schools with reputations for putting lineman in the nfl or what but to me, more than anything else, that's what's keeping this team from getting to the next level on a consistent basis.

 

[Sbee]

That would take us from 3.5 to 3.52 so maybe we pick up one spot in the average star ranking. And if we had more attrition and signed more players, the average would be more likely to go down than up (or at least just as likely). Either way, that doesn't fill the gap between us and top 10 classes, which I think is the ability to recruit top o-lineman. It must be the hardest thing to do in recruiting - I don't know if they're harder to evaluate or if those kids self-select to schools with reputations for putting lineman in the nfl or what but to me, more than anything else, that's what's keeping this team from getting to the next level on a consistent basis.

the good thing about that is that OL is the hardest position to project, you see a lot more lower guys making the NFL like Eric Fisher, Jack Conklin, etc. They all red shirt and revamp their bodies so that's more of a crap shoot than WR/RB/DB, etc

 

[johnny2x2x]

the good thing about that is that OL is the hardest position to project, you see a lot more lower guys making the NFL like Eric Fisher, Jack Conklin, etc. They all red shirt and revamp their bodies so that's more of a crap shoot than WR/RB/DB, etc

O line recruiting needs to get better IMO, I think Conklin going in round 1 will help that.

But on the bright side, we do have some 4 star guys in the mix and one of them is Finley who looked like a beast in his short time playing at LT this season. Brian Allen and Kyonta Stallworth were also 4 star guys that will be starters. Stallworth has excellent athleticism and strength, once he develops he'll be a big upgrade from Donovan Clark at RG.

I think we have brought in elite talent at every position group though, just need a little more at O line.

 

[Sbee]

O line recruiting needs to get better IMO, I think Conklin going in round 1 will help that.

But on the bright side, we do have some 4 star guys in the mix and one of them is Finley who looked like a beast in his short time playing at LT this season. Brian Allen and Kyonta Stallworth were also 4 star guys that will be starters. Stallworth has excellent athleticism and strength, once he develops he'll be a big upgrade from Donovan Clark at RG.

I think we have brought in elite talent at every position group though, just need a little more at O line.

I did read recently that Kieler may be moving to Center, not sure what I think about that. he was a decent RT but was exposed vs Bama on 3rd downs

 

[johnny2x2x]

I did read recently that Kieler may be moving to Center, not sure what I think about that. he was a decent RT but was exposed vs Bama on 3rd downs

Kieler was hobbled badly all season, he was a much better tackle in 2014 and went the whole seasons without surrendering a sack. He needed help getting off the field several times all season and was limping against Bama. I like him at tackle although he does lack elite athleticism. Seems he handled Bosa well enough, but the Bama guys were too explosive for him to stay in front of.

 

[Sbee]

Kieler was hobbled badly all season, he was a much better tackle in 2014 and went the whole seasons without surrendering a sack. He needed help getting off the field several times all season and was limping against Bama. I like him at tackle although he does lack elite athleticism. Seems he handled Bosa well enough, but the Bama guys were too explosive for him to stay in front of.

I saw a lot of that vs Rutgers and Michigan, the guy could hardly move. He had a lot of time to heal against Bama and got beaten all night by that edge rusher they had, #52 or #56, the guy was a blur. either way the staff might like him at center more, you don't see a lot of guys move from tackle to center, maybe from guard to center