My take on current commits

[bennyl08]

Daulton Hyatt: Good: Very strong arm, about on par with Storey, stronger than Allen and just under Kelley. Can release the ball 30 yards with a very quick and simple flick of his wrist. Solid 40 time for a qb and vertical.
the bad: Needs a lot of improvement with footwork. Often leaning off his back foot when there isn't any pressure. Receivers frequently have to make adjustments to his passes. For a highlight video, didn't have a whole lot passes hit in stride. He can certainly throw the deep ball, but a lot of the passes were arching rainbows. That's a good skill to have, but when the arch is underthrown forcing the receiver to leap and catch the ball (which they often did) instead of catch in stride for a walk-in td, well, that's something he can improve on. At 6'4 178 according to hudl, that's incredibly thin. To be considered for the NFL at that height he'd have to bulk up to at least 200, probably 210. More would be better. Can he keep any of that speed?
Overall: All the physical tools to be a great qb. Height, arm strength, athleticism. However, a lot of refining needs to be done to have a finished product.

Jeremy Patton: Good: He's every bit of the listed 4.59 forty time. Very athletic and fast. Great hands too. Always a good sign when blocking is included in the highlights and he shows to at least be a willing blocker. Good frame and runs pretty crisp routes.
the bad: He's a bit light. Will need to add weight to be an effective blocker in the SEC and beyond. Blocking could use some work with better technique, but that's pretty common.
Overall: Like CJ O'Grady, he's ready to come into the passing game right now. To be a complete TE, he'll need to get stronger and work on blocking. He can and likely will immediately contribute to the team. As of right now wouldn't say he'd be the starter as CBB likes dual threat TE's. However, a lot of time from his recent JUCO highlights to playing next fall for him to round things out.

Dalton Wagner: Only 2 short clips are publicly available on hudl so hard to say much. If hudl's numbers are correct, 30" vert and a 4.6 shuttle are great for a tackle of his immense size.

Shane Clenin: good: You don't need anything to point him out in the highlights. He is immediately noticeable. Reminds me a lot of Skipper. He's even quicker off the snap and just really aggressive as a blocker.
the bad: Never really saw passing downs for him on the highlights? Have no idea how his kick step is. He was also like twice the size of anybody else on the either team seemingly. Easy to look good when you are the biggest kid on the block.
Overall: Think we have another really good one in Clenin. Need to make sure he can pass block, but looks like a quicker and shorter Skipper.

Kirby Adcock: the good: In contrast to Clenin who looks like he wants to kill somebody each play, Adcock looks almost gentle in comparison. However, don't let that deceive you. His play looks gentler because it is really refined. He is just as likely to take his defender to the ground, but Adcock stays on his feet in the process. His feet placement IMO looks much better. He looks for somebody to block rather than launching his body fully at the defender. He blocks the defender and it just so happens his strength usually throws them to the ground while he can then go run and block someone else.
the bad: He looks a bit less athletic, though not detrimentally so. Similar to Clenin, he's quite a bit bigger than most he's blocking.
overall: He shows pass blocking and run blocking. His overall ceiling might be slightly lower, but his technique combined with his strength should yield a great blocker. Based on these hudl highlights, I'd have Adcock as the LT and Clenin the RT. Oh, just looked at his #'s on hudl, and yeah, he's less athletic, but not too bad.

Jonathan Nance: good: Listed as 6'2 and certainly looks to be at least 6'+ so he has good size for a WR. Not a long highlight video, but he certainly shows a really good juke and good speed.
the bad: Didn't see enough to really list anything here.
Overall: Don't think I can say that he is any better than the young 3 we are bringing back (stewart, pettway, and jones), but don't think he's any worse than them either. I'd currently put him right there with them, so playing time would be determined by smarts.

Korey Hernandez: Plenty of videos, but most are pretty short and a lot of offensive highlights to go with his defensive, so hard to say too much. The kids is very athletic and fast. 5'11 is fine for a db, but 165 is pretty light.

Derrick Munson: good: Has good speed and not only does he hit hard, but he wraps up when he does it.
bad: He has a bit more of a safety's size based on hudl with 6' 200. So, he'll be in a similar boat to Eugene and Hackett transitioning to LB. While he wraps up, he often goes pretty low, enough that SEC athletes could hurdle him.
overall: An athletic guy who certainly has the defensive mindset to play in the SEC. May take a while to both bulk up some and learn how to play at a new weight (probably only to the 220's though), but he forced quite a few fumbles/dropped passes. Didn't see much in coverage, but when the ball was in the air, he showed skills highpointing the ball and knocking it down.

Jarrod Barnes: good: quicker than he is fast, but he is mighty mighty quick and still plenty fast. Can see why he's listed as an athlete as there are several positions he could play.
bad: Don't think he'd make a good rb in part due to size, and he tends to trust his speed rather than getting N-S. I.e. if the outside is crowded, he will reverse field. I'd wager there were times not on the highlights where that didn't work out. There were several issues with the snaps. Wasn't paying attention if those were on the center or him catching them.
overall: very very good athlete. Just need to find him a home somewhere and get him started on the techniques and subtleties.

Maleek Barkley: Looks like he is playing against tougher competition. You don't see a whole lot of wiggle from him. He wants to get up field and gaining yards. Bit of one cut and then then he's off. The skills he shows are very translatable to the next levels rather just out athleting other players. Didn't really see a lot to critique about him. In contrast to Barnes, he's a bit faster than quick, but still quick enough. Reminds me of Pettway's highlights.

Devion Warren: He's a fair bit like Barnes above. Really small and quick. His numbers come form the nike camp and his tape shows him to be about as fast as Barnes, though a step slower. Since his nike 40 time is 4.53, I'm going to guess Barnes is about a full tenth of a second slower than his listed 4.36. Another difference b/w the two is that Warren, IMO, is a better passer. Not likely to be an SEC passer, but good enough that he could be a genuine wildcat threat as a passer.

Kolian Jackson: 2 words-Cobi Hamilton. To be fair, there are several differences. He's a bit slower than Hamilton, but both players were bigger bodied receivers that weren't terribly explosive off the line, but had that long stride speed and once they did accelerate, could get going pretty fast.

Maleek Williams: Holy Scheiße! This kid is a stud. Once he gets on campus, he's quickly going to jump up to third string. Assuming RW3 leaves after next season, Maleek is the kind of back that would start as 1b to Whaley's 1a, but if Whaley gets injured, he may not get 1a back. Whaley is faster, but Williams isn't that much slower and is better at breaking tackles.

Jordan Curtis: His brother was a great athlete, but just couldn't find a home. Jordan seems to have a home at CB. Really exciting highlights. He really reminds me of Adoree Jackson (sp?) from USC. Extremely athletic corner who can catch as well as any receiver he is covering. Curtis is the type of CB who we'd put on offense every once in a while like a Jabril Peppers, Patrick Peterson, or Shaq Thompson.

Josh Paul: He may be listed at 6'2, but he definitely has a positive ape factor (arms are proportionally too long) giving him great reach to go with what is already pretty good speed.

Jarques McClellion: Fun name to say and a fun highlight reel to watch. Don't think he's quite the athlete that Curtis is, but he is still a great athlete in his own right. Has the hands to make interceptions, speed to cover receivers, willing to make big hits and a hard worker going on special teams as well. Can't think of any good comparisons for him. He's just him. He has pretty good size for a corner.

Chase Hayden: His top end speed isn't great, but my gosh can he accelerate. I would almost swear he can cover 10 yards faster if is at an almost dead stop than if he is already running full speed. Really loose hips as well and can change direction on a dime without losing speed. Think he'd be a great nickel back.

Montaric Brown: Major pickup for our defense. Reminds me a lot of Tremain Thomas. He has the protypical frame, great speed, excellent catching skills, and is a headhunter of a safety.

Troy James: Very quick despite his size. Further, he enhances that quickness by using his arms well to push the OL player out of his way.

Brandon Martin: Don't think he runs a sub 4.4 forty, but he is definitely fast. And Big. Very big. Maybe not quite Calvin Johnson, but definitely think Brandon Marshall or Demarius Thomas.

[bennyl08]

So, kind of got lighter at the end as I wore down.

What do you agree with?

What do you see in the prospects that I missed?

What do you think I'm flat out wrong on?

[davehog]

This is great work, thanks.  What about LB Kyrei Fisher? He's going through spring ball so I wonder if he could be considered a possible contributor next season in the LB rotation. 

[greenie]

I enjoy reading a synopsis like this.  Thanks.

[JIHawg]

Good read.  Thanks.

[gmarv]

good stuff there benny thanks

[bennyl08]

I enjoy reading a synopsis like this.  Thanks.

Yeah, a lot of people don't take/have any time to watch some of the videos on the incoming class. So, I figure something like this can give people a general idea of what the player can do, at least on the HS level. However, note that I give my descriptions on a college level. I.e. a person with good speed has great speed relative to the other HS players type of thing, but I'm projecting how that will relate to the college game.

I can be wrong with that such as with Randy Ramsey. Jury is still out on him overall, but in HS, it was basically lining up a S on the DL and just having them be quicker than any HS OL players. My comments on him were that he was definitely fast and explosive, but that his tape didn't show him doing anything he'd be asked to do at a collegiate level (assuming that you can't just throw really lite people on the DL and expect them to actually get pressure). There's a bit more to it than that, but yeah, apparently that can still work, at least a little bit, on the college level.

Which is why I strongly encourage people to not just take my word. Different people see different things.

[bennyl08]

This is great work, thanks.  What about LB Kyrei Fisher? He's going through spring ball so I wonder if he could be considered a possible contributor next season in the LB rotation.

He wasn't on the thread of committed recruits so I hadn't done anything with him.

Kyrei Fisher: Has a good burst in speed but knows when to be patient as well. Wraps up when tackling rather than just launching his body for a big hit. Displays very good ability to get out of and through blocks (was going to type a good ability to get off and through blocks, but then phrasing...) The only negatives weren't really things I saw so much as didn't see. You see him drop back in coverage, but none of the highlights that I watched showed him actually covering (watched about 9 of the 12 minutes). He would drop back in coverage and then get through the blocks of the WR screen and make a tackle or drop back and then rush towards somebody else who caught the ball or realize it was a run play, but never saw him actually cover somebody. 2nd was that you didn't see much change of direction. He would start off near the LoS and rush the passer (which he did quite well) and sure, there some bending that goes on there. Or, he'd sit back, almost like a safety, diagnose, and then run straight to where he needed to be. Not a bad thing, just doesn't show me whether or not he can run one way, then change direction without losing speed.

Can he play for us next year? Can, sure. Should he? You always hope a freshmen wouldn't have to. He looks best suited as an OLB in a 3-4 which is what he played in at HS. So, he would have an advantage there over some of our other LB'ers with being familiar with a 3-4.

EDIT: Fisher's highlight video has the same music as the epic rap battle of history between J.R.R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin.

[bennyl08]

Players I would be surprised if they don't redshirt: Hyatt, James, Hayden.

Players I'd be shocked if they did redshirt: Williams, Curtis, Martin, Brown, Hyatt (JUCO's in general).

Everyone else: could go either way. WR's might have one besides Brown play, but most should RS. I'd expect the two athletes to RS, but could be wrong. One of the tackles will almost certainly not redshirt but not sure which.

[factchecker]

Here are some graphics for the early enrollees:

Mid-Year Jucos:








Early Enroll High School:

[factchecker]

One of the tackles will almost certainly not redshirt but not sure which.

Probably Dalton Wagner.  Why?  We need someone to take Skippers FG blocking duty.

I'm partly joking but that is where Skipper started first.  I think he got his first block vs. Rutgers in 2013.

[Biggus Piggus]

Munson is going to play safety, according to Richard.

[bennyl08]

Kamren Curl: Big pickup. Very good nike verified athleticism (puked in my mouth a bit typing that, but it is what it is) and more importantly, he knows how to translate that to the field of play. Very fast, high vertical, good hands. There's a play where he's along with 3 receivers in a triangle formation. Obviously going to be a screen with the two blockers in front. Lo and behold, play ends up as a tackle for loss with Curl beating the blocks and getting the receiver down before he has a chance. Early in the video, you see from a nickel position or so straight up jump the screen route and intercept the ball. Just to try and say something negative, that's a great play if it works. Otherwise, you are playing 10 on 11 on defense, especially if it isn't a quick screen and the pass is downfield (otherwise, if it is a screen, honestly, I'd trust him to still come back and make the tackle for only a short gain).

[tophawg19]

Munson is a SS . Brown and Curl both look like FS .Barnes and Warren both look like slot receivers . Chase Hayden should be #4 on the RB chart but hopefully can redshirt . curtis is slated as a nickle back.

[WooPig90]

Munson is a SS . Brown and Curl both look like FS .Barnes and Warren both look like slot receivers . Chase Hayden should be #4 on the RB chart but hopefully can redshirt . curtis is slated as a nickle back.

Munson will most likely play LB

[tophawg19]

not big enough at 6' 200 lbs . . he runs a 4.5 40 . he has played both but at 6'0 ft he is rather short for LB . but played  well at SS

[bennyl08]

not big enough at 6' 200 lbs . . he runs a 4.5 40 . he has played both but at 6'0 ft he is rather short for LB . but played  well at SS

From the highlights I saw, he's a bit of a tweener. Compared to Curl and Brown, I don't see him doing much at S. Might be a case of see how his body responds to a collegiate workout program. Or, maybe he becomes our run heavy defense safety. Worst case scenario for him, his measurable would make him a great asset on special teams.

[tophawg19]

brown will need more weight to play strong safety . both he and curl are around 180 . curl is 6'2 so he might could carry a good bit more . Munson runs a 4.5 so speed would not be an issue . if we add Chevin this will likely be the best secondary class we have ever had . Curtis will be a good nickle cb , Warren is a wild card in the mix . Barnes in my opinion fills in on offense in a Joe Adams role . Too many goodies to enjoy . we can speculate for a while

[ThisTeetsTaken]

How many of the players have you seen play in person?

[onebadrubi]

brown will need more weight to play strong safety . both he and curl are around 180 . curl is 6'2 so he might could carry a good bit more . Munson runs a 4.5 so speed would not be an issue . if we add Chevin this will likely be the best secondary class we have ever had . Curtis will be a good nickle cb , Warren is a wild card in the mix . Barnes in my opinion fills in on offense in a Joe Adams role . Too many goodies to enjoy . we can speculate for a while

Let's get brown, Calloway, and Stewart. Throw out a few redshirts next season and let it all play out with these studs over the next 4-5 years!!!  We haven't had this many DB "toys" since I've been a hog fan and could read

[Oklahawg]

Purges some junk. Now, back to a fun thread.

[bennyl08]

brown will need more weight to play strong safety . both he and curl are around 180 . curl is 6'2 so he might could carry a good bit more . Munson runs a 4.5 so speed would not be an issue . if we add Chevin this will likely be the best secondary class we have ever had . Curtis will be a good nickle cb , Warren is a wild card in the mix . Barnes in my opinion fills in on offense in a Joe Adams role . Too many goodies to enjoy . we can speculate for a while

If you think Munson actually runs a 4.5, well...

Brown and Curl are both too good not to be starting for us. Curl is a bit better is pass coverage while Brown hits harder, so that's why in my completely separate from this thread, I put those two there. Munson, from the look of his tape coupled with his forty time is just based on word of likely biased mouths rather than officially timed, probably is in the mid to upper 4.6's forty times. Not terrible at the college level. Back half of the combine ranking for combine safeties which means top third in all of college. However, again, compared to Brown and Curl...

Curtis looks to be good anywhere. His HS tape is very reminiscent of what Adoree Jackson was for USC. Special teams returner, wide receiver, and top corner back. If he isn't on the outside as one of our premier cornerbacks, then we are going to be very, very, very spoiled with talent. For a comparison, it would be akin to saying Felix Jones is going to be your backup or even third string running back. For us, yeah, he was the 2nd string RB, but that's because Dmac was our starter.

EDIT: In my head it's clear, but I didn't word it explicitly, when I say "too good to not be starting" I'm talking about 1-2 years down the road. I do not expect them both to be our starters this coming season. Also, for the Felix comparison, not saying Curtis is going to be a first round pick (well, obviously wouldn't guarantee anything this early). Jackson may not even be a first round pick. However, his physical talent and instincts for playmaking would suggest he's a pick to go in the top 3 rounds, I'd guess likely to be somewhere in the 2nd round if he develops up to his potential and works hard.

[Oklahawg]

Munson may be a bit like Jerico Nelson. A "safety" playing at LB. Or Ross Rasner.

Give me players like that ANY day.

[Oklahawg]

Curl's interview on Tulsa TV reiterated that UA sees him as a nickel back or boundary corner. That length and speed at CB is exciting.

I like the tone this sets for our end-game.

Benny, cleaned up the thread some - it is too good to be soiled. Keep me posted on housekeeping that might be needed.

[bennyl08]

Curl's interview on Tulsa TV reiterated that UA sees him as a nickel back or boundary corner. That length and speed at CB is exciting.

I like the tone this sets for our end-game.

Benny, cleaned up the thread some - it is too good to be soiled. Keep me posted on housekeeping that might be needed.

Can do.

[bennyl08]

Tophawg, I have a question for you.

You keep saying that Barnes is going to be the Joe Adams for us. Too good to not be on offense, etc...

I've provided some details such as we have a diversity of WR types, as well as listing 3 other players who are equally as Joe Adams-esque as Barnes.

I don't disagree that Barnes could be a good slot WR for us, and if he is, would certainly be playing in the same vein as Joe. However, you seem adamant that that is the only place he should be.

My question for you is thus: Could you provide me some details on your position? What about him makes him better than Stewart from 2 years ago or Hammonds in the slot or Warren? Perhaps you are seeing something that truly sets him apart from those others to a degree that he absolutely needs to be on offense and I'd love to hear what you are seeing. Me, I'm just a fan of football, have no scouting experience. Just extremely nerdy. Will even watch technique videos on youtube once in a while to better know what to look for. I can come across as arrogant on here, but that is not my intention and apologies if that is how you read it. If there's something others see that I'm not, it's a great opportunity to learn what things I should be looking for.

[presidenthog]

Tophawg, I have a question for you.

You keep saying that Barnes is going to be the Joe Adams for us. Too good to not be on offense, etc...

I've provided some details such as we have a diversity of WR types, as well as listing 3 other players who are equally as Joe Adams-esque as Barnes.

I don't disagree that Barnes could be a good slot WR for us, and if he is, would certainly be playing in the same vein as Joe. However, you seem adamant that that is the only place he should be.

My question for you is thus: Could you provide me some details on your position? What about him makes him better than Stewart from 2 years ago or Hammonds in the slot or Warren? Perhaps you are seeing something that truly sets him apart from those others to a degree that he absolutely needs to be on offense and I'd love to hear what you are seeing. Me, I'm just a fan of football, have no scouting experience. Just extremely nerdy. Will even watch technique videos on youtube once in a while to better know what to look for. I can come across as arrogant on here, but that is not my intention and apologies if that is how you read it. If there's something others see that I'm not, it's a great opportunity to learn what things I should be looking for.

Top was adamant that Peavey was our best qb so I'd take what he says with a grain of salt.

Also I agree with you that Barnes can and probably should be on defense. We need to start putting athletes on that side of the ball. If you put them all on offense then you will never have a good defense. You will never have a history of having good players there then you will not keep getting great athletes for defense to replace them.

Recruits want to be the next great guy somewhere. If you don't start somewhere you will never get someone to follow them.

[Biggus Piggus]

Munson will most likely play LB

No.

[redleg]

As of January 23, 2017, here is where the Hogs current recruiting class ranks in each of the "Big 4" recruiting services:
ESPN - #22
Rivals - #22
Scout - #25
247Sports - #29
If Bielema and Co. can get Calloway, Stewart, and Bryant, that should push Arkansas into the Top 20! At worst, I think this is a Top 25 class. Not too shabby. It sucks that it will only be about 10th best in the SEC. That just goes to show how strong and competitive the conference really is, though!
:razorback:

[theshiva]

Players I would be surprised if they don't redshirt: Hyatt, James, Hayden.

Players I'd be shocked if they did redshirt: Williams, Curtis, Martin, Brown, Hyatt (JUCO's in general).

Everyone else: could go either way. WR's might have one besides Brown play, but most should RS. I'd expect the two athletes to RS, but could be wrong. One of the tackles will almost certainly not redshirt but not sure which.

Interested in why you think Hayden will redshirt but not Williams?

To me, Hayden's ability to be apart of the passing game gives him a greater chance at playing time over Williams. Between the tackles carries seem like they're all R. Williams and Whaley.

In reality tho, coach B seems to have an knack of burning redshirts for a few plays over a season; Zach Rogers and TJ Hammonds come to mind. So outside of Hyatt its a crapshoot IMO.

[East TN HAWG]

As of January 23, 2017, here is where the Hogs current recruiting class ranks in each of the "Big 4" recruiting services:
ESPN - #22
Rivals - #22
Scout - #25
247Sports - #29
If Bielema and Co. can get Calloway, Stewart, and Bryant, that should push Arkansas into the Top 20! At worst, I think this is a Top 25 class. Not too shabby. It sucks that it will only be about 10th best in the SEC. That just goes to show how strong and competitive the conference really is, though!
:razorback:

There is not a big difference between 15 and 25.  I think the margin of error in evaluations would easily make up the difference.  We could be ranked 25th, but maybe the services did not thoroughly evaluate a Jackson or Barnes because of an early commitment.  These recruits very well could be under evaluated. 

Another thing is early enrollees.  We had a slew of them.  I believe that if they are an early enrollee, then they should be bumped up 1/2 a star or so.  The extra spring practice, time in the weight room, etc makes a big impact to their ability to perform on the field.   

[bennyl08]

Interested in why you think Hayden will redshirt but not Williams?

To me, Hayden's ability to be apart of the passing game gives him a greater chance at playing time over Williams. Between the tackles carries seem like they're all R. Williams and Whaley.

In reality tho, coach B seems to have an knack of burning redshirts for a few plays over a season; Zach Rogers and TJ Hammonds come to mind. So outside of Hyatt its a crapshoot IMO.

Short answer, I think Hayden will still be here 4 years from now but Maleek won't.

Longer answer, I think Maleek Williams looks like a middle class Fournette and could very well end up being the best of the group of backs we have. Hayden is more in the Holmes, Korliss, and Hammonds niche.

You are definitely right that Hayden offers a different skill set while Williams is closer to our other feature backs. So, who is more likely to play becomes a function of what you look for in an offense. For example, lets say you have 3 Julio Jones, one Alshon Jeffrey, and one Edelmen as your receiving core. Jeffrey and Edleman are both very good receivers, near the top of the field in their respective niches. However, Julio is much better than both the others. Do you start all 3 Julio's simply because in order of ranking, those are your top 3? Or, do you start Julian and Alshon over 2 of your other Julios to provide more diversity in your receivers playing styles? Me, I go for the 3 Julios, bringing in the others if I specifically want their skill set. As good as RW3 and Whaley are, I could see Williams cutting into their reps a bet. Something like RW3 getting 175, Whaley getting 150, and Williams getting 75.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Short answer, I think Hayden will still be here 4 years from now but Maleek won't.

Longer answer, I think Maleek Williams looks like a middle class Fournette and could very well end up being the best of the group of backs we have. Hayden is more in the Holmes, Korliss, and Hammonds niche.

You are definitely right that Hayden offers a different skill set while Williams is closer to our other feature backs. So, who is more likely to play becomes a function of what you look for in an offense. For example, lets say you have 3 Julio Jones, one Alshon Jeffrey, and one Edelmen as your receiving core. Jeffrey and Edleman are both very good receivers, near the top of the field in their respective niches. However, Julio is much better than both the others. Do you start all 3 Julio's simply because in order of ranking, those are your top 3? Or, do you start Julian and Alshon over 2 of your other Julios to provide more diversity in your receivers playing styles? Me, I go for the 3 Julios, bringing in the others if I specifically want their skill set. As good as RW3 and Whaley are, I could see Williams cutting into their reps a bet. Something like RW3 getting 175, Whaley getting 150, and Williams getting 75.

Other questions:
1. How quickly will they pick up the offense, including being able to align properly even when an audible is called on the field?
2. How good and advanced are their fundamentals in terms of proper body positioning, seeing and picking up blitzing LB's/CB's, striking a blow or just delaying a big rushing DE?
3. How good is their ball security?

I think these things have a lot to do with whether a kid gets to see the field early (let alone often) and how do we determine how efficient they are in these three areas at this level, until they step foot on campus? Not being critical of any kid, but we have all had high hopes for a kid prior to his arrival, only to see that once he stepped on campus at a higher level of ball, that he required more time to adjust than we first thought that he might.

That said, I would be totally pumped if all of these kids came in SEC ready from day one.

[theshiva]

Short answer, I think Hayden will still be here 4 years from now but Maleek won't.

Longer answer, I think Maleek Williams looks like a middle class Fournette and could very well end up being the best of the group of backs we have. Hayden is more in the Holmes, Korliss, and Hammonds niche.

You are definitely right that Hayden offers a different skill set while Williams is closer to our other feature backs. So, who is more likely to play becomes a function of what you look for in an offense. For example, lets say you have 3 Julio Jones, one Alshon Jeffrey, and one Edelmen as your receiving core. Jeffrey and Edleman are both very good receivers, near the top of the field in their respective niches. However, Julio is much better than both the others. Do you start all 3 Julio's simply because in order of ranking, those are your top 3? Or, do you start Julian and Alshon over 2 of your other Julios to provide more diversity in your receivers playing styles? Me, I go for the 3 Julios, bringing in the others if I specifically want their skill set. As good as RW3 and Whaley are, I could see Williams cutting into their reps a bet. Something like RW3 getting 175, Whaley getting 150, and Williams getting 75.

I think that's fair assessment. I kinda got that vibe from Williams that he could've easily blown up, but Arkansas was able to hold on to such a good kept secret because he didn't start his junior year due to guys in front of him and committing before senior year and didn't bother with recruiting camps. I just don't know if he'll be ready as a true freshman to prove what kind of talent he is.

On the other hand, I think getting rb's more involved in the passing game is one area the team can greatly improve on. Hopefully next season the rb won't be a necessity to have in pass protection, and can get open in the flat when they want to. Having a K.Drake type role with Hammonds and Hayden would be deadly.

Will defiantly be interesting to see.

[bennyl08]

Other questions:
1. How quickly will they pick up the offense, including being able to align properly even when an audible is called on the field?
2. How good and advanced are their fundamentals in terms of proper body positioning, seeing and picking up blitzing LB's/CB's, striking a blow or just delaying a big rushing DE?
3. How good is their ball security?

I think these things have a lot to do with whether a kid gets to see the field early (let alone often) and how do we determine how efficient they are in these three areas at this level, until they step foot on campus? Not being critical of any kid, but we have all had high hopes for a kid prior to his arrival, only to see that once he stepped on campus at a higher level of ball, that he required more time to adjust than we first thought that he might.

That said, I would be totally pumped if all of these kids came in SEC ready from day one.

Those are all questions that in a forum like this should go without saying. They are both obvious to questions to ask, but also irrelevant to this discussion since we are not privy to that information. They are extremely relevant to the coaching staffs. However, which RB is going to be staying late after practice or working twice as hard as the other in the weight room? Can't get any of that information from highlight videos. All we can get is how relatively fast a player is, how strong they are relative to other HS players, how well they can break tackles relative the the competition they faces, how well they can see and hit holes at the slower pace of a HS game, and so on. While you can sort of see how the ball is held in the highlight videos, you can't see how hard he is gripping it or if these plays are the 30% of the time he held the ball well and the other 70% he held the football poorly. In the rare case (though it does happen) where you see a RB pass block in HS, you can't know if that was the three times the player did a good job and the other 30 times were terrible.

IDK, I just don't see any reason to try and answer questions that nobody here has remotely enough information to adequately address. Obviously size, speed, and strength aren't the only factors, but they are more or less what we have and so that is what I will use to base decisions off of until further information becomes available.

To that point, however, I'd argue on the "have a lot to do with" point. The major question for who plays and how often is how good is the player overall. For example, Denzel Evens may have been better at all those points than Alex Collins. However, he didn't have nearly the same athletic ability, so his overall skill was lower. Dmac wasn't that great of a pass blocker, he fumbled quite a bit too. However, he could have fumbled even more and it wouldn't have mattered because his physical attributes were that good. The best people at the 3 points you brought up are going to be found in the math department on campus. Arguably the most intelligent people on campus, they'll be able to learn the playbook quickly and on the field of play will process the information and make good decisions quickly. Combine that with a lot of them are rock climbers so they'd have the grip and arm strength to hold on to the ball, and boom. Problem is, I doubt any of them would have given Denzel Evans a sniff of a challenge as a RB, much less players who did see the field often. All other things being equal, what you mention plays a big role. However, if we signed another freshmen McFadden, he might not play immediately because it isn't like we have scrubs starting ahead of him. However, he could have worse pass blocking and ball security and still be the 1a due to his overall play.

[Karma]

Is Storey's arm stronger than Austin Allen's? From just watching what little he has played in games, it really didn't seem like it was.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Those are all questions that in a forum like this should go without saying. They are both obvious to questions to ask, but also irrelevant to this discussion since we are not privy to that information. They are extremely relevant to the coaching staffs. However, which RB is going to be staying late after practice or working twice as hard as the other in the weight room? Can't get any of that information from highlight videos. All we can get is how relatively fast a player is, how strong they are relative to other HS players, how well they can break tackles relative the the competition they faces, how well they can see and hit holes at the slower pace of a HS game, and so on. While you can sort of see how the ball is held in the highlight videos, you can't see how hard he is gripping it or if these plays are the 30% of the time he held the ball well and the other 70% he held the football poorly. In the rare case (though it does happen) where you see a RB pass block in HS, you can't know if that was the three times the player did a good job and the other 30 times were terrible.

IDK, I just don't see any reason to try and answer questions that nobody here has remotely enough information to adequately address. Obviously size, speed, and strength aren't the only factors, but they are more or less what we have and so that is what I will use to base decisions off of until further information becomes available.

To that point, however, I'd argue on the "have a lot to do with" point. The major question for who plays and how often is how good is the player overall. For example, Denzel Evens may have been better at all those points than Alex Collins. However, he didn't have nearly the same athletic ability, so his overall skill was lower. Dmac wasn't that great of a pass blocker, he fumbled quite a bit too. However, he could have fumbled even more and it wouldn't have mattered because his physical attributes were that good. The best people at the 3 points you brought up are going to be found in the math department on campus. Arguably the most intelligent people on campus, they'll be able to learn the playbook quickly and on the field of play will process the information and make good decisions quickly. Combine that with a lot of them are rock climbers so they'd have the grip and arm strength to hold on to the ball, and boom. Problem is, I doubt any of them would have given Denzel Evans a sniff of a challenge as a RB, much less players who did see the field often. All other things being equal, what you mention plays a big role. However, if we signed another freshmen McFadden, he might not play immediately because it isn't like we have scrubs starting ahead of him. However, he could have worse pass blocking and ball security and still be the 1a due to his overall play.

It is relevant when you project that a new player is going to be taking reps away from another player. And that is obviously not information that we have access to, though those things are all factors when it comes down to who plays early and how often. I hope they all matriculate quickly and with a high degree of efficient execution. Competition makes everyone better.

[tophawg19]

Tophawg, I have a question for you.

You keep saying that Barnes is going to be the Joe Adams for us. Too good to not be on offense, etc...

I've provided some details such as we have a diversity of WR types, as well as listing 3 other players who are equally as Joe Adams-esque as Barnes.

I don't disagree that Barnes could be a good slot WR for us, and if he is, would certainly be playing in the same vein as Joe. However, you seem adamant that that is the only place he should be.

My question for you is thus: Could you provide me some details on your position? What about him makes him better than Stewart from 2 years ago or Hammonds in the slot or Warren? Perhaps you are seeing something that truly sets him apart from those others to a degree that he absolutely needs to be on offense and I'd love to hear what you are seeing. Me, I'm just a fan of football, have no scouting experience. Just extremely nerdy. Will even watch technique videos on youtube once in a while to better know what to look for. I can come across as arrogant on here, but that is not my intention and apologies if that is how you read it. If there's something others see that I'm not, it's a great opportunity to learn what things I should be looking for.

first I don't believe Hammonds moves from Rb . he is dangerous back there as our fastest back. he may split out some though . Barnes has a break away ability so similar to Joe  . he also runs with surprising strength as in scoring on goal line situations , honestly i see some Barry Sanders type moves.  . Stewart relies more on speed than actual shiftiness . Warren i may need to check again . Barnes i think benefited from playing basketball , instead of watching his upper body , watch the actual foot work and balance . He gets his body in odd positions but never loses balance . At first i questioned where to put him because of weight but he has so much big play ability .

[bennyl08]

It is relevant when you project that a new player is going to be taking reps away from another player. And that is obviously not information that we have access to, though those things are all factors when it comes down to who plays early and how often. I hope they all matriculate quickly and with a high degree of efficient execution. Competition makes everyone better.

Agree to disagree. It is highly relevant to whether or not a person actually gets snaps or not. However, when projecting time based solely off of physical ability and how well their style of play in HS translates to college, I don't think it does. It simply becomes a variable that adds error into the analysis. However, since it is currently impossible to factor that into the analysis, best that can be done is to make projections based on what you actually do know and acknowledge that there are potential errors. The only other option is to not make projections whatsoever. Tomhog iirc used to do a yearly thread similar to this where he did exactly that (i.e. commenting on strengths and weaknesses of new recruits and projecting how soon they will make an impact and what type of impact they might make). It was a great thread, but my understanding is that he simply got too busy to do it.

[tophawg19]

All any of us can do is project a player , but you can't take into account that guy who blows up and passes everybody. I'm just the opposite on Maleek Williams and Chase  , I look at MW and see a Bama style guy who will get better as the game goes along , in Hayden I see a more complete all around back who is quicker and better able to take advantage of a average line . MW has more power but will need better and bigger holes . He will be a monster on traps but isn't better than what we already have .  CH offers more versatility and looks good in the passing game . At this point we have 5 SEC caliber backs that i wouldn't hesitate to put in if needed . MW does look to have an edge as far as blocking from highlights . dang can we get to August already

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Agree to disagree. It is highly relevant to whether or not a person actually gets snaps or not. However, when projecting time based solely off of physical ability and how well their style of play in HS translates to college, I don't think it does. It simply becomes a variable that adds error into the analysis. However, since it is currently impossible to factor that into the analysis, best that can be done is to make projections based on what you actually do know and acknowledge that there are potential errors. The only other option is to not make projections whatsoever. Tomhog iirc used to do a yearly thread similar to this where he did exactly that (i.e. commenting on strengths and weaknesses of new recruits and projecting how soon they will make an impact and what type of impact they might make). It was a great thread, but my understanding is that he simply got too busy to do it.

You brought up the projections of taking playing time away from a current starter. I just disagreed with your opinion. It may happen, it may not. Right now I wouldn't project that it will (my opinion and where we agree to disagree) until a kid actually gets on campus and proves that he can execute all of the things that a Starter or someone in the rotation can be trusted to do. I think doing otherwise builds unrealistic expectations of a young player. That seems reasonable to me.

Like I said, we have all at one time or another proclaimed "X player" to be the next great, can't miss guy, and then we find out he needs time to acquire the skills to play at a consistently responsible and productive level in this conference. And as I also said, I hope that they all come in SEC ready, but we all know that isn't often the case. Hope I'm wrong. We will know more once they get on the field.

[bennyl08]

All any of us can do is project a player , but you can't take into account that guy who blows up and passes everybody. I'm just the opposite on Maleek Williams and Chase  , I look at MW and see a Bama style guy who will get better as the game goes along , in Hayden I see a more complete all around back who is quicker and better able to take advantage of a average line . MW has more power but will need better and bigger holes . He will be a monster on traps but isn't better than what we already have .  CH offers more versatility and looks good in the passing game . At this point we have 5 SEC caliber backs that i wouldn't hesitate to put in if needed . MW does look to have an edge as far as blocking from highlights . dang can we get to August already

Spring time in the offseason is one of my favorite times of football. Analyzing new recruits. Analyzing graduating seniors and declaring juniors for the draft. Free agency in the NFL. Looking at the coaching changes in college and the NFL. Spring time practice reports. And so on.

I mean, yeah, I like the games more, but the logistics in the offseason is always a blast for me.

[bennyl08]

You brought up the projections of taking playing time away from a current starter. I just disagreed with your opinion. It may happen, it may not. Right now I wouldn't project that it will (my opinion and where we agree to disagree) until a kid actually gets on campus and proves that he can execute all of the things that a Starter or someone in the rotation can be trusted to do. I think doing otherwise builds unrealistic expectations of a young player. That seems reasonable to me.

Like I said, we have all at one time or another proclaimed "X player" to be the next great, can't miss guy, and then we find out he needs time to acquire the skills to play at a consistently responsible and productive level in this conference. And as I also said, I hope that they all come in SEC ready, but we all know that isn't often the case. Hope I'm wrong. We will know more once they get on the field.

Like I said, you can either project using the information you have now, or you can refuse to project until you have more information at which point, you are simply stating what is instead of projecting.

It only builds unrealistic expectations if you convince yourself that your assumptions are facts. There's probably 1000 Adrian Petersons and 1000 Julio Jones, and 1000 Cam Newtons out there right now from a purely physical standpoint. However, of those 1000, how many have a passion to play football? Of those who play football, how many have the mental capability to play college ball, much less the NFL? Of those, how many have the work ethic to reach their potential? Out of those 1000, you end up with only a small handful of players.

Sure, a lot of people may forgetting that their projections are erroneous and have built in assumptions. You see it a lot on hogville. For them, it may be dangerous to make such a statement. However, so long as you know the limitations of what you project, you become disappointed that they didn't live up to their athletic potential, but very few truly do, so you shouldn't expect it to happen.

[bennyl08]

David Porter: If I had to sum up his play in one word, it would be "explosive". Very quick off the ball, and when he hits you, the hit is explosive as well. He looks very much in the early vein of Wise Jr and Flowers. Beyond just being quick, you frequently see him using his hands and arms well. Sure, on plenty of plays, speed was all he needed, but you see him do a great job with the swim move in not letting blockers engage him as well. Further, at least at the speed/complexity of a HS game, you don't see him just use his explosion and speed which would put him out of position on plays as well. He is shown stringing out running plays and showing some patience as well. Further, unlike a lot of players that are explosive as a DL player, he's listed on hudl as being 6'3 245. Plenty of room to add more weight to his frame, but a lot of guys with similar tape may weigh 220 or less with no guarantee that they can still be as fast at 250+. He'd be a great 4-3 DE. Here, looks like he will be an OLB. No idea how well he can cover a LB or chase down a RB. Didn't have many opportunities to show what he speed looks like beyond just 10 yards. However, definitely looks to have a great pass rushing skill set with the potential to be more than just a designated pass rusher.

Melvin Johnson: In contrast to Porter, Melvin's highlights don't show him as particularly fast or explosive. Instead, he is simply strong. Really strong. Think of Capps vs Guidry last season. Like Capps, I'm not saying Melvin isn't explosive or fast enough to get the job done, but not on the same tier as Porter (or Guidry for Capps). However, as a 3-4 DE which he is ideally sized to be, he doesn't need to be particularly fast or explosive. That's typically the OLB's job. Johnson's tape didn't always show him making the tackle, but instead, pushing the OL player 10 yards backwards and then to the ground freeing up others to make the play. Other times, he'd throw the blocker into the runner or push the blocker back far enough that he was in a position to turn and tackle. As for him having good enough speed, at the JUCO level, when he was left unblocked, the rb/qb in the backfield wasn't able to make him miss. He was very good at staying light on his feet in such situations and lunging forward making the tackle.

[justmakeit2thebcs]

Not to derail a thread but Storey's arm strength is an issue.  While Austin doesn't have elite arm strength, he does an NFL type arm.  Storey may not even have an SEC arm.


From Storey himself "Coach Malzahn (Auburn Tigers head coach) was worried about the competition I was playing against. That made me work extra hard. I didn't want to move schools to prove something. I love my teammates and our coaches. Other coaches wanted me to work on my arm strength. My ACL injury was a concern for some coaches too."

http://www.recruitingnewsguru.com/arkansas-commitment-ty-storey-another-in-a-long-line-of-great-in-state-hs-quarterbacks/

"Storey completed just 2 of 8 passes for 26 yards. He threw no touchdowns, nor interceptions. Reportedly several of his catchable passes were dropped, but the 6-2 Charleston native also had some ball handling issues during the rainy practice. There are questions whether Storey has the arm strength to make some of the more physically challenging throws against the speed of SEC defensive backs."

https://www.fayettevilleflyer.com/2016/08/22/freshman-quarterback-kelley-appears-to-be-moving-up-hogs-pecking-order/

[bennyl08]

Not to derail a thread but Storey's arm strength is an issue.  While Austin doesn't have elite arm strength, he does an NFL type arm.  Storey may not even have an SEC arm.


From Storey himself "Coach Malzahn (Auburn Tigers head coach) was worried about the competition I was playing against. That made me work extra hard. I didn't want to move schools to prove something. I love my teammates and our coaches. Other coaches wanted me to work on my arm strength. My ACL injury was a concern for some coaches too."

http://www.recruitingnewsguru.com/arkansas-commitment-ty-storey-another-in-a-long-line-of-great-in-state-hs-quarterbacks/

"Storey completed just 2 of 8 passes for 26 yards. He threw no touchdowns, nor interceptions. Reportedly several of his catchable passes were dropped, but the 6-2 Charleston native also had some ball handling issues during the rainy practice. There are questions whether Storey has the arm strength to make some of the more physically challenging throws against the speed of SEC defensive backs."

https://www.fayettevilleflyer.com/2016/08/22/freshman-quarterback-kelley-appears-to-be-moving-up-hogs-pecking-order/

I'm just going by his HS highlight tape where he threw the ball almost 30 yards down field on a Tyler Wilson 2010 Auburn game esque rope but while he was falling from being tackled. Into a pretty tight window as well. If you can throw the ball that far with that little arch with your feet planted, you have good enough arm strength. If you can do that without at least one foot on the ground at all, much less planted, then that's pretty dang good arm strength to me. Now, that was a highlight reel, so you are only seeing the best things. Perhaps his arm isn't consistently strong or it tires out too quickly.

http://www.hudl.com/video/3/1371004/5721af700428ae20e497cd91

This is what I remember watching.

[bennyl08]

Daulton Hyatt: Good: Very strong arm, about on par with Storey, stronger than Allen and just under Kelley. Can release the ball 30 yards with a very quick and simple flick of his wrist. Solid 40 time for a qb and vertical.
the bad: Needs a lot of improvement with footwork. Often leaning off his back foot when there isn't any pressure. Receivers frequently have to make adjustments to his passes. For a highlight video, didn't have a whole lot passes hit in stride. He can certainly throw the deep ball, but a lot of the passes were arching rainbows. That's a good skill to have, but when the arch is underthrown forcing the receiver to leap and catch the ball (which they often did) instead of catch in stride for a walk-in td, well, that's something he can improve on. At 6'4 178 according to hudl, that's incredibly thin. To be considered for the NFL at that height he'd have to bulk up to at least 200, probably 210. More would be better. Can he keep any of that speed?
Overall: All the physical tools to be a great qb. Height, arm strength, athleticism. However, a lot of refining needs to be done to have a finished product.

Jeremy Patton: Good: He's every bit of the listed 4.59 forty time. Very athletic and fast. Great hands too. Always a good sign when blocking is included in the highlights and he shows to at least be a willing blocker. Good frame and runs pretty crisp routes.
the bad: He's a bit light. Will need to add weight to be an effective blocker in the SEC and beyond. Blocking could use some work with better technique, but that's pretty common.
Overall: Like CJ O'Grady, he's ready to come into the passing game right now. To be a complete TE, he'll need to get stronger and work on blocking. He can and likely will immediately contribute to the team. As of right now wouldn't say he'd be the starter as CBB likes dual threat TE's. However, a lot of time from his recent JUCO highlights to playing next fall for him to round things out.

Dalton Wagner: Only 2 short clips are publicly available on hudl so hard to say much. If hudl's numbers are correct, 30" vert and a 4.6 shuttle are great for a tackle of his immense size.

Shane Clenin: good: You don't need anything to point him out in the highlights. He is immediately noticeable. Reminds me a lot of Skipper. He's even quicker off the snap and just really aggressive as a blocker.
the bad: Never really saw passing downs for him on the highlights? Have no idea how his kick step is. He was also like twice the size of anybody else on the either team seemingly. Easy to look good when you are the biggest kid on the block.
Overall: Think we have another really good one in Clenin. Need to make sure he can pass block, but looks like a quicker and shorter Skipper.

Kirby Adcock: the good: In contrast to Clenin who looks like he wants to kill somebody each play, Adcock looks almost gentle in comparison. However, don't let that deceive you. His play looks gentler because it is really refined. He is just as likely to take his defender to the ground, but Adcock stays on his feet in the process. His feet placement IMO looks much better. He looks for somebody to block rather than launching his body fully at the defender. He blocks the defender and it just so happens his strength usually throws them to the ground while he can then go run and block someone else.
the bad: He looks a bit less athletic, though not detrimentally so. Similar to Clenin, he's quite a bit bigger than most he's blocking.
overall: He shows pass blocking and run blocking. His overall ceiling might be slightly lower, but his technique combined with his strength should yield a great blocker. Based on these hudl highlights, I'd have Adcock as the LT and Clenin the RT. Oh, just looked at his #'s on hudl, and yeah, he's less athletic, but not too bad.

Jonathan Nance: good: Listed as 6'2 and certainly looks to be at least 6'+ so he has good size for a WR. Not a long highlight video, but he certainly shows a really good juke and good speed.
the bad: Didn't see enough to really list anything here.
Overall: Don't think I can say that he is any better than the young 3 we are bringing back (stewart, pettway, and jones), but don't think he's any worse than them either. I'd currently put him right there with them, so playing time would be determined by smarts.

Korey Hernandez: Plenty of videos, but most are pretty short and a lot of offensive highlights to go with his defensive, so hard to say too much. The kids is very athletic and fast. 5'11 is fine for a db, but 165 is pretty light.

Derrick Munson: good: Has good speed and not only does he hit hard, but he wraps up when he does it.
bad: He has a bit more of a safety's size based on hudl with 6' 200. So, he'll be in a similar boat to Eugene and Hackett transitioning to LB. While he wraps up, he often goes pretty low, enough that SEC athletes could hurdle him.
overall: An athletic guy who certainly has the defensive mindset to play in the SEC. May take a while to both bulk up some and learn how to play at a new weight (probably only to the 220's though), but he forced quite a few fumbles/dropped passes. Didn't see much in coverage, but when the ball was in the air, he showed skills highpointing the ball and knocking it down.

Jarrod Barnes: good: quicker than he is fast, but he is mighty mighty quick and still plenty fast. Can see why he's listed as an athlete as there are several positions he could play.
bad: Don't think he'd make a good rb in part due to size, and he tends to trust his speed rather than getting N-S. I.e. if the outside is crowded, he will reverse field. I'd wager there were times not on the highlights where that didn't work out. There were several issues with the snaps. Wasn't paying attention if those were on the center or him catching them.
overall: very very good athlete. Just need to find him a home somewhere and get him started on the techniques and subtleties.

Maleek Barkley: Looks like he is playing against tougher competition. You don't see a whole lot of wiggle from him. He wants to get up field and gaining yards. Bit of one cut and then then he's off. The skills he shows are very translatable to the next levels rather just out athleting other players. Didn't really see a lot to critique about him. In contrast to Barnes, he's a bit faster than quick, but still quick enough. Reminds me of Pettway's highlights.

Devion Warren: He's a fair bit like Barnes above. Really small and quick. His numbers come form the nike camp and his tape shows him to be about as fast as Barnes, though a step slower. Since his nike 40 time is 4.53, I'm going to guess Barnes is about a full tenth of a second slower than his listed 4.36. Another difference b/w the two is that Warren, IMO, is a better passer. Not likely to be an SEC passer, but good enough that he could be a genuine wildcat threat as a passer.

Kolian Jackson: 2 words-Cobi Hamilton. To be fair, there are several differences. He's a bit slower than Hamilton, but both players were bigger bodied receivers that weren't terribly explosive off the line, but had that long stride speed and once they did accelerate, could get going pretty fast.

Maleek Williams: Holy Scheiße! This kid is a stud. Once he gets on campus, he's quickly going to jump up to third string. Assuming RW3 leaves after next season, Maleek is the kind of back that would start as 1b to Whaley's 1a, but if Whaley gets injured, he may not get 1a back. Whaley is faster, but Williams isn't that much slower and is better at breaking tackles.

Jordan Curtis: His brother was a great athlete, but just couldn't find a home. Jordan seems to have a home at CB. Really exciting highlights. He really reminds me of Adoree Jackson (sp?) from USC. Extremely athletic corner who can catch as well as any receiver he is covering. Curtis is the type of CB who we'd put on offense every once in a while like a Jabril Peppers, Patrick Peterson, or Shaq Thompson.

Josh Paul: He may be listed at 6'2, but he definitely has a positive ape factor (arms are proportionally too long) giving him great reach to go with what is already pretty good speed.

Jarques McClellion: Fun name to say and a fun highlight reel to watch. Don't think he's quite the athlete that Curtis is, but he is still a great athlete in his own right. Has the hands to make interceptions, speed to cover receivers, willing to make big hits and a hard worker going on special teams as well. Can't think of any good comparisons for him. He's just him. He has pretty good size for a corner.

Chase Hayden: His top end speed isn't great, but my gosh can he accelerate. I would almost swear he can cover 10 yards faster if is at an almost dead stop than if he is already running full speed. Really loose hips as well and can change direction on a dime without losing speed. Think he'd be a great nickel back.

Montaric Brown: Major pickup for our defense. Reminds me a lot of Tremain Thomas. He has the protypical frame, great speed, excellent catching skills, and is a headhunter of a safety.

Troy James: Very quick despite his size. Further, he enhances that quickness by using his arms well to push the OL player out of his way.

Brandon Martin: Don't think he runs a sub 4.4 forty, but he is definitely fast. And Big. Very big. Maybe not quite Calvin Johnson, but definitely think Brandon Marshall or Demarius Thomas.

So far called it o Hyatt, and hoping he does develop.
Patton really came on at the end of last year, but for whatever reason, things didn't mesh with the new coaching staff.
Wagner has been somewhat of a Brian Wallace. Not really standing out, but playing well enough.
Clenin started some games last year, and played a lot better in the run than the pass.
Adcock: His name's been floated around, but hasn't played much, could be due to the less athleticism mentioned above.
Barnes and Warren I had pretty much similar things to say about them. Warren has stuck around and been about as advertised, Barnes transferred IIRC.
Nance seems about right. Nothing more than we already had, but nothing less, and his smarts led to a pretty good 2017, but again, didn't mesh with the new coach.
Hernandez has left.
Munson is gone.
Barkley for some reason was moved to RB instead of WR and then left.
Kolian was injured early and took a while to recover. So, haven't been able to see if he Cobi-lite.
Maleek was raved in practice, excelled when given the ball, but for some reason was never really given the ball. So, he too has transferred.
Curtis apparently isn't actually related to De'Anthony. Still, Jordan has excited coaches with his athleticism, but like his fake brother before him, is being moved around position wise. Hopefully he sticks at RB.
Paul is gone.
McClellion is kind of number 1 cornerback now. Not the best of athletes but he's done alright so far.
Hayden has flashed his burst at RB but can't stay healthy. Not mentioned is surprising strength.
Martin is gone.

[PEtrader]

The fact we have lost so many from that class really says something.

[Snout team]

So far called it o Hyatt, and hoping he does develop.
Patton really came on at the end of last year, but for whatever reason, things didn't mesh with the new coaching staff.
Wagner has been somewhat of a Brian Wallace. Not really standing out, but playing well enough.
Clenin started some games last year, and played a lot better in the run than the pass.
Adcock: His name's been floated around, but hasn't played much, could be due to the less athleticism mentioned above.
Barnes and Warren I had pretty much similar things to say about them. Warren has stuck around and been about as advertised, Barnes transferred IIRC.
Nance seems about right. Nothing more than we already had, but nothing less, and his smarts led to a pretty good 2017, but again, didn't mesh with the new coach.
Hernandez has left.
Munson is gone.
Barkley for some reason was moved to RB instead of WR and then left.
Kolian was injured early and took a while to recover. So, haven't been able to see if he Cobi-lite.
Maleek was raved in practice, excelled when given the ball, but for some reason was never really given the ball. So, he too has transferred.
Curtis apparently isn't actually related to De'Anthony. Still, Jordan has excited coaches with his athleticism, but like his fake brother before him, is being moved around position wise. Hopefully he sticks at RB.
Paul is gone.
McClellion is kind of number 1 cornerback now. Not the best of athletes but he's done alright so far.
Hayden has flashed his burst at RB but can't stay healthy. Not mentioned is surprising strength.
Martin is gone.

Saying you called it with that info looks a lot like the weather reporter who grades himself at an A- but seldom gets the forecast right. 

[Hawg Law 7]

Patton really came on at the end of last year, but for whatever reason, things didn't mesh with the new coaching staff.

It probably didn't help that he suffered a season-ending injury during the first drive against Texas A&M.  Up until that time, he was tied for t-3rd on the team with 5 receptions (1st among TEs).