Early Signing Day 2019

[Tony Almeida]

My early high grades for this class:
Tyson Gordon
Dominic Gonnella
Loshiaka Roques
Nolan Jacobs
Seth Anderson
Cole Wisniewski
Marques Sigle
Joe Deyak
Tyler Terhark

I think this class feels underwhelming to some because we don't have the signature P5 player or two. From watching all the HUDL films I still think we landed a lot of really solid to great players at nearly every position. The only position groups that I felt were missing an obvious stud were OL and TE and I don't plan on doubting the Bison on their ability to develop OL and TE.

I think Grey Zabel and Mason Miller are going to be solid at OL. And TE is a position I'm never worried about.

No T.K. Marshall? TE Joe Stoffel is very highly rated.

You beat me to it.

[Rock]

Welcome to the Herd boys! Looking forward to seeing this class develop.


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[G_Funky]

My early high grades for this class:
Tyson Gordon
Dominic Gonnella
Loshiaka Roques
Nolan Jacobs
Seth Anderson
Cole Wisniewski
Marques Sigle
Joe Deyak
Tyler Terhark

I think this class feels underwhelming to some because we don't have the signature P5 player or two. From watching all the HUDL films I still think we landed a lot of really solid to great players at nearly every position. The only position groups that I felt were missing an obvious stud were OL and TE and I don't plan on doubting the Bison on their ability to develop OL and TE.

Stoffel has to be the "highest rated" players in this class, and he plays TE. Zabel will be a beast. And the Miller kid is gonna look like Zach Johnson after a couple years with Kramer.

[fmfantasy]

OK did some quick math on our 2019 class compared to 2015... this is probably a good class to use as was in the middle of the run so should be getting top recurits..

2015 class 28 players average 6-1.33 209 pounds 11 guys under 200 pounds ranging 170-275 3 guys under 6 foot ranging 5-10 to 6-5

2019 class 24 players average 6-1.5 210 pounds 12 guys under 200 pounds ranging 170-295 6 guys under 6 foot ranging 5-8 to 6-6

So we are getting more smaller guys but the averages are higher.. now kids are getting bigger all the time but to say we are getting obviously smaller shorter guys isn't true at all either..


Now how fast are these guys or quick or talented? I mean a guy like Jalen Bussey would skew an entire class average height down .33 of an inch alone compared to landing a 6 foot RB...but is he bad? what we have seen so far I say no... lol

[El_Chapo]

No T.K. Marshall? TE Joe Stoffel is very highly rated.

Stoffel is the #2 recruit in NDSU history according to 24 7

[fmfantasy]

Gophers 2019 for comparison

21 players average 6-1.85 226 pounds range 5-10 to 6-7 178-320...

the weight is skewed by 3 monsters... 300-305-320...

[Mr. Burgundy]

anyone that thinks our class is small? I literally laugh at. Just my opinion. That discredits our talent evaluators, and their ability/knowledge of what Kramer can and will do. I also don't care. If they think they can play, they can play.

The other reason I don't care, is that in certain cases, if a kid was 20lbs bigger or 2 inches taller, they probably would be in the Big Ten. This is my Ben Woodside/Joe Mays theory. Sometimes we benefit from a slight build. We are a development program. That is why some kids vanish for 2-3 years before we hear about them again. People that are concerned about a listed height and weight on a signing day make me laugh. If anything, our talent eval, development and strength training is "Elite."

[Rixen]

No T.K. Marshall? TE Joe Stoffel is very highly rated.

Stoffel and Marshall were graded well in my book but the ones listed above were higher for me. I am likely way off but just going with my eyes and gut. I essentially use a 4 tier grading scale. Depth, Starter, All Conference, Bison HoF. Four tiers is probably not fair to the recruits but I don't want to get too granular since I am doing this just for my own shits and giggles every year. That being said, I had Marshall and Stoffel graded as high end starters but not quite All Conference grades. All conference, just like the other grades I give, aren't necessarily literal. Carson Wentz is obviously a Bison HoF but I don't believe he was ever All Conference. Some players get injured or stuck behind absolute studs so I try to be cognizant of those variables.

My list above was all of my All Conference ranked players and giving those to Terhark and Deyak shocked me after I was complete. Not because of them being white and expecting "crafty, fundamentals, grinder, role player" but because I didn't hear any buzz during their verbals.

My amateur grades do point to the lack of an absolute shining star this year making some people feel like this is a lackluster class though. Gordon was the only one that was verging on a HoF grade for me. To be fair though, since 2014 I've only given out 5 HoF grades (Easton Stick, Trenton Mooney, Dillon Radunz, Lane Tucker, and Reed Ryan). Let's hope Tucker and Ryan can prove me right moving forward. Oh what could have been, Mooney. My sweet sweet pulling Guard prince.

[Rixen]

Stoffel has to be the "highest rated" players in this class, and he plays TE. Zabel will be a beast. And the Miller kid is gonna look like Zach Johnson after a couple years with Kramer.

Like I said, I have no doubt our OL and TE development will prove me wrong. Stoffel and Zabel I had graded as high end starters just missing the All Conference cut. Miller had almost no film to watch so that isn't a knock on him.

[BadlandsBison]

anyone that thinks our class is small? I literally laugh at. Just my opinion. That discredits our talent evaluators, and their ability/knowledge of what Kramer can and will do. I also don't care. If they think they can play, they can play.

The other reason I don't care, is that in certain cases, if a kid was 20lbs bigger or 2 inches taller, they probably would be in the Big Ten. This is my Ben Woodside/Joe Mays theory. Sometimes we benefit from a slight build. We are a development program. That is why some kids vanish for 2-3 years before we hear about them again. People that are concerned about a listed height and weight on a signing day make me laugh. If anything, our talent eval, development and strength training is "Elite."

Plus there is a laundry list of schools that accomplish less with "bigger" kids. NDSU gets and develops great FOOTBALL players