The oline is getting ripped quite a bit now, and I think it's mostly warranted. There's been comments that the recruiting hasn't been good enough. While that seems apparent to me, I wanted to look a little deeper. What the list below highlights is that subpar recruiting along the oline, at least imo, is nothing new and has been a problem at least going back to 08 spanning multiple coaches. But take a look and form your own opinion.
Regardless, here's the recruits starting in 2008***, and anyone who was 4 stars or better is noted:
2008: 2 recruits, T Rigsbee (4*), Galas....recruited by Michalczik
2009: 4 recruits, Brazinski (4*), Ragland, Schwenke, Siddoway....recruited by Michalczik/Marshall
2010: 3 recruits, Adcock, Croswaithe, Gibson....recruited by Marshall
2011: 2 recruits, Rigsbee (4*), jc Williams (4*)...recruited by Marshall/Michalzik
2012: 4 recruits, Moore, Tagaloa (4*), Okafor, M Cochrane...recruited by Michalczik
2013: 5 recruits, Hinnant, A Cochrane, Bunte, Borroya, V Johnson...recruited by Michalczik/Yenser
2014: 3 recruits, Bennett, Trani, Granado...recruited by Yenser
2015: 3 recruits, Uluave, Gibson, Mekari...recruited by Yenser/Jones
3 observations:
1. For the 26 recruits, a huge bust rate. Since the 2015 class still needs time, if all of these players were still eligible, can you even get a legit starting 5 that wouldn't get pushed around? Scwhenke, younger Rigsbee, Borroya, Cochrane, and who?????
2. Cal on average was only bringing in a little over 3 oline every year. In my opinion, because so many olinemen flame out, that number needs to be like 2013 when 5 were recruited. But classes of just 2 are borderline incompetence. Glad Sonny isn't doing that, but 3 is too few imo.
3. These 8 classes to date have only produced 1 nfl player (schwenke). Granted it's still early for Borroya, Uluave, and Cochrane, but that's a far cry from what Cal is capable of doing.
Hopefully Jones is a very good recruiter, and combined with winning season, the stud Olinemen start making Cal a more frequent destination.
***I started in 08 because that was Michalzek's last season before he split for UW/Raiders, so at least by starting in 08 we get to span multiple coaches. Not to mention 07 season seems to be the high water mark (ore win) and beginning of the end for Tedford. Probably correlated with not recruiting the horses along the oline to dominate teams up front.
Regardless, here's the recruits starting in 2008***, and anyone who was 4 stars or better is noted:
2008: 2 recruits, T Rigsbee (4*), Galas....recruited by Michalczik
2009: 4 recruits, Brazinski (4*), Ragland, Schwenke, Siddoway....recruited by Michalczik/Marshall
2010: 3 recruits, Adcock, Croswaithe, Gibson....recruited by Marshall
2011: 2 recruits, Rigsbee (4*), jc Williams (4*)...recruited by Marshall/Michalzik
2012: 4 recruits, Moore, Tagaloa (4*), Okafor, M Cochrane...recruited by Michalczik
2013: 5 recruits, Hinnant, A Cochrane, Bunte, Borroya, V Johnson...recruited by Michalczik/Yenser
2014: 3 recruits, Bennett, Trani, Granado...recruited by Yenser
2015: 3 recruits, Uluave, Gibson, Mekari...recruited by Yenser/Jones
3 observations:
1. For the 26 recruits, a huge bust rate. Since the 2015 class still needs time, if all of these players were still eligible, can you even get a legit starting 5 that wouldn't get pushed around? Scwhenke, younger Rigsbee, Borroya, Cochrane, and who?????
2. Cal on average was only bringing in a little over 3 oline every year. In my opinion, because so many olinemen flame out, that number needs to be like 2013 when 5 were recruited. But classes of just 2 are borderline incompetence. Glad Sonny isn't doing that, but 3 is too few imo.
3. These 8 classes to date have only produced 1 nfl player (schwenke). Granted it's still early for Borroya, Uluave, and Cochrane, but that's a far cry from what Cal is capable of doing.
Hopefully Jones is a very good recruiter, and combined with winning season, the stud Olinemen start making Cal a more frequent destination.
***I started in 08 because that was Michalzek's last season before he split for UW/Raiders, so at least by starting in 08 we get to span multiple coaches. Not to mention 07 season seems to be the high water mark (ore win) and beginning of the end for Tedford. Probably correlated with not recruiting the horses along the oline to dominate teams up front.
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