How ESPN's All-B1G Team Rated as High School Recruits

[speclk19]

Particularly for this year's RU signing day, I think the list below demonstrates how silly it is to get so caught up in recruiting rankings (MSU OT Jack Conklin was an unrated walk-on). I know I'm definitely guilty of it. No doubt, having as many "4 & 5-star" commits as possible increases the probability of your depth chart having great players, however some of these kids coming out of high school as "3-stars" are definitely underrated.

OFFENSE

QB: Connor Cook, Michigan State

2011 recruiting numbers: Three stars (Scout Grade: 76), No. 57 QB in the nation

What the scouts said: "Heady passer that is crafty enough to make things happen ... We do question his overall arm strength."

RB: Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State

2013 recruiting numbers: Four stars (Scout Grade: 84), ESPN 300 prospect (No. 109 overall recruit in the nation), No. 11 RB in the nation

What the scouts said: "Very good blend of size, speed and strength, but is not elite in any one area."

RB: Jordan Howard, Indiana

2013 recruiting numbers: Unrated

What the scouts said: N/A. Howard wasn't highly sought-after and didn't have a single Power 5 scholarship offer.

WR: Aaron Burbridge, Michigan State

2012 recruiting numbers: Four stars (Scout Grade: 79), No. 44 WR in the nation

What the scouts said: "He is a sharp cutting route runner, but one area where there is some concern is he can be very straight-lined as an athlete in everything he does."

WR: Alex Erickson, Wisconsin

2011 recruiting numbers: Unrated

What the scouts said: N/A. He enrolled at Wisconsin in 2011 but didn't walk on to the team until 2012. Earned a scholarship following the 2013 season.

TE: Jake Butt, Michigan

2013 recruiting numbers: Four stars (Scout Grade: 83), ESPN 300 prospect (No. 179 overall recruit in the nation), No. 4 TE-Y in the nation

What the scouts said: "He is not one of those receivers who just effortlessly plucks the ball from the air, but overall he does have a good pair of hands ..."

OT: Taylor Decker, Ohio State

2012 recruiting numbers: Three stars (Scout Grade: 78), No. 63 OT in the nation


What the scouts said: "Plays a little too tall but demonstrates the agility and balance necessary to sustain in space."

OT: Jack Conklin, Michigan State

2012 recruiting numbers: Unrated

What the scouts said: N/A. Walked on in 2012 and earned a scholarship in the spring of 2013, prior to starting 13 games that season.

C: Jack Allen, Michigan State

2011 recruiting numbers: Three stars (Scout Grade: 78), No. 10 C in the nation

What the scouts said: "Allen may need some time to add bulk to his frame before seeing meaningful playing time. However once this is accomplished he should have a long and productive career ..."

OG: Dan Feeney, Indiana

2012 recruiting numbers: Three stars (Scout Grade: 77), No. 60 OG in the nation

What the scouts said: "Feeney will need some time and perhaps a red shirt year to polish his pass protection skills while adjusting to the move inside. Once this is accomplished he should have a productive career."

OG: Jordan Walsh, Iowa

2011 recruiting numbers: Four stars (Scout Grade: 79), No. 13 OG in the nation

What the scouts said: "Has good upper body strength but will need to channel it; initial punch, location and extension must be refined."

DEFENSE

DE: Joey Bosa, Ohio State

2013 recruiting numbers: Four stars (Scout Grade: 86), ESPN 300 prospect (No. 56 overall recruit in the nation), No. 7 DT in the nation

What the scouts said: "He just needs to work on getting rid of and clearing from the blocker sooner at times. Bosa is a good, tough football player."

DE: Carl Nassib, Penn State

2011 recruiting numbers: Unrated

What the scouts said: N/A. He didn't have any scholarship offers but earned a scholarship prior to the 2013 season.

DT: Austin Johnson, Penn State

2012 recruiting numbers: Unrated

What the scouts said: N/A. Johnson boasted several Power 5 offers, but ESPN's scouts never offered him a ranking. He was initially an afterthought.

DT: Malik McDowell, Michigan State

2013 recruiting numbers: Four stars (Scout Grade: 84), ESPN 300 prospect (No. 60 overall recruit in the nation), No. 5 DT in the nation

What the scouts said: "We don't see an immediate starter, but this is a big kid with some good raw tools and nice upside."

LB: Joe Schobert, Wisconsin

2012 recruiting numbers: Unrated

What the scouts said: N/A. Wisconsin offered him a preferred walk-on spot. Earned a scholarship after his first season.

LB: Anthony Walker, Northwestern

2013 recruiting numbers: Three stars (Scout Grade: 77), No. 71 OLB in the nation

What the scouts said: "This prospect is a sure tackler; will drag tackle at times but for the most part he wraps ... Walker does not appear to be an immediate starter."

LB: Joshua Perry, Ohio State

2012 recruiting numbers: Four stars (Scout Grade: 80), No. 16 OLB in the nation

What the scouts said: "Not always real fluid overall as a defensive prospect, but doesn't stay blocked for long when scraping and supporting the outside run."

CB: Desmond King, Iowa

2013 recruiting numbers: Three stars (Scout Grade: 73), No. 148 ATH in the nation

What the scouts said: "Defensively, this is a player that has a corner skillset, but very few reps actually playing corner which makes him tough to project."

CB: Jourdan Lewis, Michigan

2013 recruiting numbers: Four stars (Scout Grade: 84), ESPN 300 prospect (No. 88 overall recruit in the nation), No. 13 CB in the nation

What the scouts said: "He needs to add bulk and strength, but plays bigger and taller on film. Flashes very good speed, but great recovery quickness."

S: Vonn Bell, Ohio State

2013 recruiting numbers: Four stars (Scout Grade: 87), ESPN 300 prospect (No. 50 overall recruit in the nation), No. 4 S in the nation

What the scouts said: "A very well-rounded safety prospect, Bell has the size, speed and athleticism to make plays ..."

S: Michael Caputo, Wisconsin

2011 recruiting numbers: Three stars (Scout Grade: 77), No. 83 OLB in the nation

What the scouts said: "Makes plays sideline-to-sideline at the high school level but do feel his speed will be tested at the next level."

 

[Knight Shift]

I am not normally fixated on stars, but there are a lot of 3 and 4 star players on that team, interspersed with a couple of walk-ons and not rated kids. As others have said, a higher concentration of 4 and 5 star players equals a greater chance of success. Exceptions exist, most notably, Northwestern, Wisconsin and Michigan State coaching them up.

 

[RUChoppin]

Just looking at overall totals:
Offense: 3 unranked, 4 with 3*, 4 with 4*
Defense: 3 unranked, 3 with 3*, 5 with 4*

Overall: 6 unranked, 7 with 3*, 9 with 4*

Interesting that there are no 5* players - I wonder how many were eligible this year.

 

[speclk19]

I am not normally fixated on stars, but there are a lot of 3 and 4 star players on that team, interspersed with a couple of walk-ons and not rated kids. As others have said, a higher concentration of 4 and 5 star players equals a greater chance of success. Exceptions exist, most notably, Northwestern, Wisconsin and Michigan State coaching them up.

Agreed. I think we'd all love the Rashan Gary's of the world to commit to RU day one, however at least in the immediacy the best hope we have for a revived depth chart is Ash's ability to "coach up" all of these guys to their full potential. I personally feel that ability was lacking with the previous staff.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

Interesting the # of unrated kids to the # of 2-star (0).

 

[cicero grimes]

GS always did a good job of coaching the kids up. I am hoping CA brings the same skill set.

 

[Cheesesteak Vegas]

Looking at things in a small sample size like this is no way to debunk the idea that more stars = better. If you look at recruiting and how it correlates to success - whether as a team in college or individually in terms of collegiate awards, being drafted, or becoming a star in the NFL - time and time again you'll see that on a percentage basis, a 5-star prospect is better than a 4-star prospect, which is better than a 3-star prospect, and so on. Rating high school players is an inexact science and nothing is guaranteed, but more often than not, the services are generally correct. There's a reason every national champion but one since 1998 had at least two top-10 classes in the four years prior to winning the title. An anecdote here or there about a former walk-on or 2-star guy who made it doesn't stand up to all of the other data.

 

[TheodoreGinnJr]

All-conference teams can be a bit misleading. For instance, WR Alex Erickson probably wouldn't break the 7-deep at Ohio State, but because he was Wisconsin's only above average receiver this year, he was able to put up some numbers. Caroo is also 5x the player he is

 

[pawildcat]

I am not normally fixated on stars, but there are a lot of 3 and 4 star players on that team, interspersed with a couple of walk-ons and not rated kids. As others have said, a higher concentration of 4 and 5 star players equals a greater chance of success. Exceptions exist, most notably, Northwestern, Wisconsin and Michigan State coaching them up.

Great to get five-star recruits when you can get them, but few programs outside of the Ohio States and Alabamas are going to get many of them. I believe Rivals rated about 35 players five-stars for 2015. Since there are about 120 Division I programs, the average program is not going to make a living off five-star recruits. Usually the best classes land a number of four-stars and high three-stars.

 

[RU205]

I don't trust ESPN recruiting rankings. If this was done with another recruiting service I think there would be fewer unranked players.