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[2023] Final MAC Crooting Results (AI Part 1: Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan)


Jieret

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MACmap.png.34b0a8a631e850586af731fe1cd94806.png

Today, quick analyses of 3 of the MAC's AI classes, with the next three to follow.  The user teams will probably be split up in batches of three as well.

Previous post of tables of data here.

~~~~

Remember:

  • Key Recruits are not necessarily the highest-rated or highest potential players. Positional need also comes into play.
  • Projected needs are mostly based on the number and the class (Senior, etc.) of bodies at a position - actual quality was not really considered. If a team had a 1* freshman kicker, for these teams they're set!
    • This will not be the case for the user team analysis.
       

Buffalo Bulls (16 3-stars, 6 2-stars, 3 1-star), Rank 63

Name POS Archetype City State * OVR POT
Timothy Grube C Pass Blocking Fort Myers FL 3 C A-
Alan Strickland CB Ball Hawk Norfolk VA 3 C A
Abelardo Barrientos CB Man Coverage Pageland SC 3 C C+
Daniel Patella DE Run Stopper Algona IA 3 C D+
Eric Messier DE Balanced Charleston WV 2 D B-
Patrick Owens DE Speed Rusher Latham NY 1 D B
Michael Luck DT Nose Tackle Avon IN 3 C C+
Anthony Hamilton FB Blocking Wyncote PA 1 D A-
Gregory Rusak FS Ball Hawk Cashion OK 3 C B-
Francisco Wood FS Zone Coverage Immokalee FL 2 D B
Nathan Breland ILB Coverage Orlando FL 3 C C+
Ernest Stover OG Pass Blocking Hasbrouck Heights NJ 3 C C+
Bradley Sarkissian OLB Run Stopper Eatonton GA 3 C B
Dwight Decker OLB Run Stopper Spring Valley CA 3 C B-
Kent Baublitz OT Balanced Avondale AZ 3 C C+
Jeffrey Crosby OT Run Blocking Eunice LA 2 D B-
Bruno Carbonell P Balanced Charleroi PA 2 D B-
Kenneth Peterson QB Field General Houston TX 3 C B-
Lawrence Fair QB Pocket Tuscaloosa AL 3 C C+
Erich Patterson RB Balanced Ocilla GA 3 C C
Stuart Christensen RB Balanced Rochester NY 3 C C
Jesse Reavis SS Run Stopper Lakewood WA 2 D C-
Stanley Dollar WR Speed Lexington KY 3 C C+
Juan Angulo WR Speed Porterville CA 2 C C
Bret Wilharm WR Possesion Gresham OR 1 D B+

 

Three Key Recruits: 3* DT Michael Luck, 3* CB Alan Strickland, 2* P Bruno Carbonell

Luck injects youth into a position group that graduates half their players in the next two season. Strickland is an underrated recruit that should see immediate playing time, and could be the Bulls' best player by his junior season.  And Carbonell?  He makes it on the Key Recruits list by default as the only punter on the roster.

Projected biggest needs next cycle: TE, K, OG, DT

Class grade (for an AI):  B-.  Some really intriguing 3-stars such as Strickland and C Timothy Grube prop up the grade, otherwise this is basically what I'd expect a typical AI class to look like.  They ended up with the highest recruiting ranking of the MAC's AI classes, but I personally wouldn't pick this as the best one.

 

Central Michigan Chippewas (10 3-stars, 6 2-stars, 9 1-star), Rank 108

Name POS Archetype City State * OVR POT
Teddy Perez CB Zone Coverage Tampa FL 3 C C+
Joseph Mullen CB Man Coverage Hudsonville MI 3 C C
James Bielski DE Speed Rusher Copperas Cove TX 2 D B
Bryan Gravely DE Speed Rusher Jacksonville NC 2 D C
Gregory Bell DE Run Stopper Crestview FL 1 D B
Steven Lantz DE Speed Rusher Benzonia MI 1 D B
Thomas Collins DE Speed Rusher Clovis CA 1 D B-
Michael Nguyen DE Speed Rusher Honoka'a HI 1 D C+
Kurt Almond DT Balanced Killen AL 3 C B-
Herman Bridges DT Pass Rusher Houston TX 3 C B-
James Behnke FB Blocking Logan UT 3 C C
Joseph Gander FS Ball Hawk Mentor OH 3 C C+
Andy Debie OG Run Blocking Port Huron MI 1 D C+
Jeffrey Young OLB Pass Rush Santa Clara CA 1 D C+
Dudley Miller OLB Pass Rush Bellflower CA 1 D C
Jerry Maxwell OLB Pass Rush Vinton VA 1 D C-
Katarzyna Meunier OT Pass Blocking Massillon OH 3 C C+
Benny Bracken OT Pass Blocking Ann Arbor MI 2 D B
Richard Durrance P Balanced Portland OR 3 C C
Ralph Nunez QB Scrambler McKinney TX 3 C C
Mark Jones RB Balanced Portland MI 2 D C+
Aruna Li RB Balanced Honolulu HI 2 D C+
Alex Mejilla TE Blocking Katy TX 1 D C-
Tommy Pennington WR Possesion Cumberland MD 3 C B-
Michael Garcia WR Route Runner Kent City MI 2 C B-

 

Three Key Recruits: 3* CB Teddy Perez, 3* P Richard Durrance, 3* OT Katarzyna Meunier

While I don't expect Perez to get much more than special teams snaps this season, he'll be an important part of a secondary that I expect to switch schemes after stud corner Ryan Herget and his partner Adrian Toilolo graduate. Unlike Buffalo's situation, Durrance isn't the only punter on the Chips roster, but he IS their best one already.  Like Perez, Meunier shouldn't start for a season or two, but that will give him time to develop and capably handle the left tackle position by his junior year.

Projected biggest needs next cycle: K, SS, ILB, OG

Class grade (for an AI):  D.  Individually there are some good players here, and that plus being able to pull in a double-digit amount of 3* saves them from a completely failing grade.  But CMU is an object lesson in how idling user coaches completely screw over a team's recruiting.  IIRC they had an idle coach for the first 6-7 weeks of the season, started AI recruiting, then got a new coach who went idle almost immediately.  Kind of amazing they were able to pull in as many three-stars as they did.  But overall?  A stinker of a class, no matter the circumstances.

Couldn't happen to a more deserving school, really.

 

Eastern Michigan EMUs Hurons Eagles (1 4-star, 12 3-stars, 8 2-stars, 4 1-stars), Rank 73

Name POS Archetype City State * OVR POT
Clarence Simpson C Balanced Monroe NC 2 D A-
Jerome Gooden CB Zone Coverage St. Petersburg FL 1 D C+
Dagoberto Garcia DE Balanced Tyler TX 3 C B
Christopher Bail DE Speed Rusher Buda TX 3 C B-
Phil Terrell DT Pass Rusher Groveport OH 4 C B+
Isaac Walter FB Blocking Quincy IL 3 C A
Anibal Stone ILB Run Stopper Austin TX 3 C B-
Dan Li ILB Speed Greensboro DC 2 D C
Matthew White K Accuracy Minster OH 3 C B
Marcel Brogdon OG Pass Blocking Cedartown GA 3 C B
Esteban Alexander OLB Pass Rush Lancaster FL 2 D B
Charles Kessler OT Pass Blocking LaGrange GA 3 C C+
Marco Jimenes OT Pass Blocking Ahoskie NC 2 C C+
Rodney Solomon OT Run Blocking Fairless Hills PA 1 D C
Willie Hill QB Pocket Cordele GA 3 C C+
Ryan Gates QB Field General Bremen IN 3 C C+
Reynaldo Toscano RB Speed Round Rock TX 2 D B-
Minh Shirakawa RB Speed Gibraltar MI 2 D C+
Jorge Betancourt RB Speed Arlington TX 2 D C
Moises Ramirez RB Balanced Lexington TX 1 D B
Leroy Young RB Receiving Cross City FL 1 D C
Scott Strahler SS Zone Coverage Salisbury NC 3 C C+
Thomas Miller TE Receiving Jacksonville FL 3 C D-
Joel Sheridan WR Route Runner Sparta MI 3 C C+
Richard Mauldin WR Speed Palm Beach Gardens FL 2 D B-

 

(yes they really did sign 5 RBs)

Three Key Recruits: 4* DT Phil Terrell, 3* FB Isaac Walter, 3* K Matthew White

As you can imagine, scarcity at the position has the fullback (only player) and the placekicker (senior is the only other kicker).  But they are both good players in their own right, especially Walter as a standout piece of what I expect to be a run-heavy EMU offense.  And not only is Phil Terrell the Eagles' sole blue-chip 2023 recruit, he will likely slot into the two-deeps at DT right away and potentially a starter the rest of his college career.

Projected biggest needs next cycle: FS, DT, OG, OLB

Class grade (for an AI):  B.  Even though the Bulls' class has the higher floor and the higher ranking, I've come around to the thinking that a class with some impact potential and more filler is better than a class with very little impact and less filler.  Terrell will be a stud for the Eagles, and I like the look of a lot their three-stars compared to Buffalo's, hence the higher grade.

Having said that, there IS quite a bit of filler here.*  Part of that, I think, is due to recruiting philosophy.  While I don't have the AI personality traits in front of me, I suspect Eastern is a school more willing to take shots on the better players.  Sometimes it works out (see: Terrell), sometimes it doesn't (OLB Robert Roe, SS Paul Pomposelli).  When it doesn't, it can take them some time to pivot and build up rapports with other recruits.  And sometimes you just run out of time and have to talk to the 1 and 2-stars.

 

*I think CMU's unconventional 2021 recruiting strategy of focusing on low-star, low overall, high potential players is a bust - many of those D/A- and D/B+ two-stars are only at C+ as true juniors now.  I'd expect a three-star C/C to easily outpace that.

Soon: AI class Part 2 (Kent State, Miami (OH), Toledo)

 

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