As I perused the OSU Board, the thread that had the most responses stood out to me:
"The 2021 Class is Now 0-3 vs Michigan".
Why? Because that class was supposedly the greatest class of ranked talent that OSU has ever signed in the rankings period- But, in comparison to expectations, some will be able to leave for the draft on potential, and others haven't even emerged to that point.
Before anyone utters the words "J.J. was a 5-star", I will drop this list right here of OSU recruits ranked higher than J.J. that would have an unbiased observer amazed than NOT ONE of these players has been better.
J.T. Tuimoloau came in as a "bust proof" guy, but his career has mirrored Rashan Gary's at Michigan: More impressive vs the run- Tuimoloau, who was the #7 recruit nationally has a career-high 4 sacks so far this season (leading OSU) and 7 total tackles and no sacks in three career games (all starts) vs Michigan:
J.T. would just be one example if it wasn't for the fact that Zach Harrison has a similar, underwhelming OSU career. Yes, he was drafted, but did he have the career that OSU fans have come to expect from their 5-star DEs (The Bosas, Chase Young)? He was a top 25 national recruit, and the DE, who ended his 4-year career with 12 total sacks.
Let me stop at Jack Sawyer and point out the fact that he is the 2nd elite-ranked recruited pass-rusher in OSU's 2021 class, 2nd on the team behind J.T. with 3.5 sacks, and 11 career sacks in 3 seasons.
Juxtapose that to our more conservatively-ranked classes...Which are yielding similar or better results in NFL Drafts- For example, our 22nd ranked 2018 class yielded Aiden Hutchinson, a sub top 100 recruit who became the #2 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
OSU's elite DEs are being outplayed by their Michigan counterparts: former 3-star recruits Jalen Harrell (5.5 sacks this season, 8 in the two seasons he has started), and Josiah Stewart (4.5 sacks). Based on their rankings, fans were expecting more Aiden/Ojabo at this point-
One of 3 five star OL who have started at least two of the last three seasons...Yet miles away from Joe Moore consideration (can't run the ball).
One of the most obvious misses was the guy who called "game":
From right around the corner from CBus, but Moore would've dropped OSU's all important recruit ranking average.
Some will try to counterargue UGA...and Bama (which actually fits more alongside OSU than with UGA), but there seem to be more top programs taking steps back from dominating college football with great classes than there used to be: USC, OSU, Clemson, and Bama are no longer so easily penciled in. Before pointing out Bama's record, and Bama has uncharacteristically had defensive issues
Point at Bama's record all you like, they weren't in shootouts with teams the level of Auburn, A&M, and Arkansas, where they pulled out late wins, 4 years ago when they had one of the most dominant Ds and OLs- Not true anymore...
NIL, along with the insta-portal HAVE evened things out, and not necessarily through PtP- TCU and Cincinnati have made the BCS, and KSU and Baylor were already edging out Oklahoma and Texas in the Big 12. USC has all the star quality, but Utah and Washington, along with Oregon, have eclipsed that program.
Only Oregon (which was already very good prior to the changes) is heavily involved in paying recruits, but even then, the transfer portal gave that program their star QB.
Saying all that to say this:
Roster compositions are changing, and the strict alignment of those who recruit the best, is now shifting greatly to other aspects such as portal transfers and retention of older players who may have put their names into the draft.
it's an exciting time for Michigan, as I believe that we will be maybe not more active in the portal than last offseason, but I DO believe that we will be in on some bigger names, and may have even more successful contributors than this season: Hausmann, Stewart, Barner, Nugent, Henderson, Wallace, and James Turner have been great, and looking at their contributions, I'm thinking that this program has its pulse on those who will be great program fits going forward.
"The 2021 Class is Now 0-3 vs Michigan".
Why? Because that class was supposedly the greatest class of ranked talent that OSU has ever signed in the rankings period- But, in comparison to expectations, some will be able to leave for the draft on potential, and others haven't even emerged to that point.
Before anyone utters the words "J.J. was a 5-star", I will drop this list right here of OSU recruits ranked higher than J.J. that would have an unbiased observer amazed than NOT ONE of these players has been better.
J.T. Tuimoloau came in as a "bust proof" guy, but his career has mirrored Rashan Gary's at Michigan: More impressive vs the run- Tuimoloau, who was the #7 recruit nationally has a career-high 4 sacks so far this season (leading OSU) and 7 total tackles and no sacks in three career games (all starts) vs Michigan:
Let me stop at Jack Sawyer and point out the fact that he is the 2nd elite-ranked recruited pass-rusher in OSU's 2021 class, 2nd on the team behind J.T. with 3.5 sacks, and 11 career sacks in 3 seasons.
Juxtapose that to our more conservatively-ranked classes...Which are yielding similar or better results in NFL Drafts- For example, our 22nd ranked 2018 class yielded Aiden Hutchinson, a sub top 100 recruit who became the #2 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
OSU's elite DEs are being outplayed by their Michigan counterparts: former 3-star recruits Jalen Harrell (5.5 sacks this season, 8 in the two seasons he has started), and Josiah Stewart (4.5 sacks). Based on their rankings, fans were expecting more Aiden/Ojabo at this point-
One of the most obvious misses was the guy who called "game":
From right around the corner from CBus, but Moore would've dropped OSU's all important recruit ranking average.
Some will try to counterargue UGA...and Bama (which actually fits more alongside OSU than with UGA), but there seem to be more top programs taking steps back from dominating college football with great classes than there used to be: USC, OSU, Clemson, and Bama are no longer so easily penciled in. Before pointing out Bama's record, and Bama has uncharacteristically had defensive issues
Point at Bama's record all you like, they weren't in shootouts with teams the level of Auburn, A&M, and Arkansas, where they pulled out late wins, 4 years ago when they had one of the most dominant Ds and OLs- Not true anymore...
NIL, along with the insta-portal HAVE evened things out, and not necessarily through PtP- TCU and Cincinnati have made the BCS, and KSU and Baylor were already edging out Oklahoma and Texas in the Big 12. USC has all the star quality, but Utah and Washington, along with Oregon, have eclipsed that program.
Only Oregon (which was already very good prior to the changes) is heavily involved in paying recruits, but even then, the transfer portal gave that program their star QB.
Saying all that to say this:
Roster compositions are changing, and the strict alignment of those who recruit the best, is now shifting greatly to other aspects such as portal transfers and retention of older players who may have put their names into the draft.
it's an exciting time for Michigan, as I believe that we will be maybe not more active in the portal than last offseason, but I DO believe that we will be in on some bigger names, and may have even more successful contributors than this season: Hausmann, Stewart, Barner, Nugent, Henderson, Wallace, and James Turner have been great, and looking at their contributions, I'm thinking that this program has its pulse on those who will be great program fits going forward.
