Updating the '09 Ole Miss recruiting class

[3BoarsDown]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/418728-the-houston-nutt-rule-updating-the-2009-ole-miss-recruiting-class

[rebelbruiser]

I read the piece, and it's probably one of the better ones I've seen on Bleacher Report, because he doesn't let his bias get in the way, like most of the "writers/bloggers" for that site, and he actually brings some data to support his ideas, novel idea I know.

Good stuff on his part.  I think his numbers may be off a touch, probably just in the way he's counting certain players, but the point is definitely there.  The point he makes that I think is most pertinent is that this upcoming season and the seasons following it are when you'll really find out how good the class was, and his ultimate point was relative to whether or not you buy into the recruiting rankings defining the quality of a class after its enrolled and contributing.

Without Barksdale, who may still join the team at some point, and without Drummond and Hornsby, guys who I think were legit, it doesn't help, but I always liked the depth of our 2009 class, and I think it'll still turn out to be a very good class when the dust settles.

Losing Simon to injury really hurts too.  Hopefully he'll have a full recovery and maybe be able to play in 2011, though that remains to be seen, and even so, the question is would he be able to get back to his original level of athleticism.

Simon and Barksdale are both still on the roster and on scholarship at this point, but I wouldn't consider either of them active.  If you count them, we have 28 players from that class currently on our roster, with 26 of them active.  When he says 25, I don't think he's counting AJ Hawkins, who was the grayshirt that brought the class from 37 to 38, and I know he's not counting Simon or Barksdale, who still have a chance to return to active status by the 2011 season.

[LAHOGG]

What happened to Ritter?

[rebelbruiser]

What happened to Ritter?

He's the kickoff specialist.  He's on the roster.  He just walked on last year.  He signed as an invited walk-on, because we weren't wanting to sign a kicker with that class since we had a senior kicker.

I think he's likely to lose out on the placekicking job this fall to Bryson Rose, who is a walk-on.  He's still going to handle kickoffs though for sure, and I won't be shocked if he's the long FG specialist as well.