Track down Mike Griffith's spring videos on our 2017 incoming class. I know many of you have already done so.
Yes, we sometimes get too excited about non big time recruits, and I am quite sure any number of you can pull out spreadsheets and explain how only Rivals 4-stars win championships. I hear you... But, we have some outstanding "3 star" athletes who are about to walk out on the practice field in August with what are quickly becoming 5 star measurables, (and they have the hearts to match).
1) Eric Crosby... Was sitting there in April of his senior year with a 425lb bench, 600 pound deadlift and a 525lb squat, while weighing in at 330 (for a guy who can surf/play running back). Willing to bet he rolls out in August at 320, with a 600lb squat/450lb bench press, and as quick and as conditioned as he has been in quite some time (which is saying something for a guy with his athletic ability).
2) K'Rojhn Calbert. Another superior athlete (relatively speaking, for his position) who grew up on basketball and defensive end, so I do not expect the Dontavious Blair brick feet in any way shape or form. Every bit of 6'6" 320 and he shows up in Knoxville on May 29 with a 400lb bench ready for 10 weeks with Rock and a massive, seemingly pretty lean frame. Huge, long arms...That story about his learning a blocking technique (when he weighed 265) and successfully using it against Emerson on his first ever live rep with it is pretty cool. Don't blame Rivals for his 2017 rating as a OT, but had he been a healthy football/weights first guy at camps for the last 36 months, who knows how highly he would have been sought after and regarded.
3) Ryan Thaxton. Watch that workout video. Every bit of 6'5". Weighed 225 when he was "rated" by Rivals last year, and is now up to 250, in April, after just 3/4 months of weight training (and he still looks like a small forward). Probably gets to 260 by late August. Redshirts in 17 (I hope) and hits the ground running at 275 in 2018. No longer a 3 star.
4) Matthew Butler. Same as the guys above except I guess he is likely to be pushed to play now. Griffith reported that he had recently done 24 reps of 225, as a spring senior in high school and at "only" 275 pounds...awesome for a 3rd or 4th year college DL that size... Rock will have a lot to add to that 6'4" frame, both this summer and long term. He seems to be able to move really well. Really like his long term as a powerful, active 295lb DT. Has the numbers to play strong side DE now if he can get the technique.
5) Don't forget D Johnson and Shanon Reid from spring practice (see how they turn out in August after more time with RG, and then after a RS year if possible), plus
6) A 225 pound Solon Page (seems to be on pace to get there) might be very hard to keep off the field once he learns what he is doing. Guy played against some of the absolute best high school football in the country and was a tackling machine who is going to be very solid out in space in college. Very aggressive/hard-nosed. Smart F-ed that one up not thinking longer term.
7) I will throw Trey Smith in here, too, for being a 6 star (athlete) and a horribly underrated 4 star, overall.
Anyway, yes this was long (F some of you) but I think worth noting and getting excited over. Butch picked up some 3 stars with very, very high long term ceilings, as opposed to many other 3 stars with what was always going to be limited athletic potential...even though I appreciate them, guys like Vereen or Kendrick.
Adding these type athletes (along w what we expect to get in 2018) with coaches like Hoke, Gullickson and Wells allows us to absolutely match right up w Alabama on the LOS as both programs move forward. Hopefully Butch can get the other pieces and the schemes working at that level, too.
It sucks not to feel 100% awesome in February because you aren't a Top 5 class or whatever, but despite all his other faults (and there surely are some) I think Butch's August, what steps on the field, class is going to play a lot of winning football for us in the future and shows he is still on the right track. A couple of those receivers and corners pan out and it could be a very intriguing class. Quickly reviewing some of our recent "projects" over the past few years reveals very few athletes ever arriving with measurables like these. A bunch of tall, already strong, athletic linemen...most of who simply have never focused properly on football or their future position before...who will now work with a legit S/C pro (so sad that is only now happening).
Yes, we sometimes get too excited about non big time recruits, and I am quite sure any number of you can pull out spreadsheets and explain how only Rivals 4-stars win championships. I hear you... But, we have some outstanding "3 star" athletes who are about to walk out on the practice field in August with what are quickly becoming 5 star measurables, (and they have the hearts to match).
1) Eric Crosby... Was sitting there in April of his senior year with a 425lb bench, 600 pound deadlift and a 525lb squat, while weighing in at 330 (for a guy who can surf/play running back). Willing to bet he rolls out in August at 320, with a 600lb squat/450lb bench press, and as quick and as conditioned as he has been in quite some time (which is saying something for a guy with his athletic ability).
2) K'Rojhn Calbert. Another superior athlete (relatively speaking, for his position) who grew up on basketball and defensive end, so I do not expect the Dontavious Blair brick feet in any way shape or form. Every bit of 6'6" 320 and he shows up in Knoxville on May 29 with a 400lb bench ready for 10 weeks with Rock and a massive, seemingly pretty lean frame. Huge, long arms...That story about his learning a blocking technique (when he weighed 265) and successfully using it against Emerson on his first ever live rep with it is pretty cool. Don't blame Rivals for his 2017 rating as a OT, but had he been a healthy football/weights first guy at camps for the last 36 months, who knows how highly he would have been sought after and regarded.
3) Ryan Thaxton. Watch that workout video. Every bit of 6'5". Weighed 225 when he was "rated" by Rivals last year, and is now up to 250, in April, after just 3/4 months of weight training (and he still looks like a small forward). Probably gets to 260 by late August. Redshirts in 17 (I hope) and hits the ground running at 275 in 2018. No longer a 3 star.
4) Matthew Butler. Same as the guys above except I guess he is likely to be pushed to play now. Griffith reported that he had recently done 24 reps of 225, as a spring senior in high school and at "only" 275 pounds...awesome for a 3rd or 4th year college DL that size... Rock will have a lot to add to that 6'4" frame, both this summer and long term. He seems to be able to move really well. Really like his long term as a powerful, active 295lb DT. Has the numbers to play strong side DE now if he can get the technique.
5) Don't forget D Johnson and Shanon Reid from spring practice (see how they turn out in August after more time with RG, and then after a RS year if possible), plus
6) A 225 pound Solon Page (seems to be on pace to get there) might be very hard to keep off the field once he learns what he is doing. Guy played against some of the absolute best high school football in the country and was a tackling machine who is going to be very solid out in space in college. Very aggressive/hard-nosed. Smart F-ed that one up not thinking longer term.
7) I will throw Trey Smith in here, too, for being a 6 star (athlete) and a horribly underrated 4 star, overall.
Anyway, yes this was long (F some of you) but I think worth noting and getting excited over. Butch picked up some 3 stars with very, very high long term ceilings, as opposed to many other 3 stars with what was always going to be limited athletic potential...even though I appreciate them, guys like Vereen or Kendrick.
Adding these type athletes (along w what we expect to get in 2018) with coaches like Hoke, Gullickson and Wells allows us to absolutely match right up w Alabama on the LOS as both programs move forward. Hopefully Butch can get the other pieces and the schemes working at that level, too.
It sucks not to feel 100% awesome in February because you aren't a Top 5 class or whatever, but despite all his other faults (and there surely are some) I think Butch's August, what steps on the field, class is going to play a lot of winning football for us in the future and shows he is still on the right track. A couple of those receivers and corners pan out and it could be a very intriguing class. Quickly reviewing some of our recent "projects" over the past few years reveals very few athletes ever arriving with measurables like these. A bunch of tall, already strong, athletic linemen...most of who simply have never focused properly on football or their future position before...who will now work with a legit S/C pro (so sad that is only now happening).
