Recruiting: The long, depressing march through 2010 Big Ten recruiting classes
By Sam McKewon
http://sports.omaha.com/2014/04/30/recruiting-the-long-dark-march-through-2010-big-ten-recruiting-classes/#.U2KTqElOWigAs part of our recruiting review over the next month, we’re looking at the top Big Ten high school recruits and how they’ve fared in their careers so far. For the purposes of the exercise, we’ve included Rutgers and Maryland recruits, since the two schools will be playing in the league this season.
We went with Rivals’ Top 250 and ratings for the initial list, but we’ll add some members of the Scout 300 at the bottom, since it’s interesting to judge differences.
First, it should be noted that 2010, for a variety of reasons, wasn’t a great year in recruiting for the Big Ten. If you want to ask yourself why the league seemed relatively down last year, and why it might perhaps again seem that way this year save a handful of teams, one could start with looking at the Rivals Team Rankings from 2010. These are former high school players who would have been true seniors last year or fifth-year seniors this year.
12. Penn State (20 signees)
20. Michigan (27)
22. Nebraska (21)
25. Ohio State (19)
30. Michigan State (22)
36. Maryland (21)
42. Iowa (21)
51. Minnesota (25)
54. Purdue (24)
64. Rutgers (24)
70. Illnois (21)
77. Northwestern (17)
88. Wisconsin (24) (This is terrible even by Bret Bielema’s usual classes)
93. Indiana (25)
Now, here’s a look at the top players themselves. What you’re about to see explains a few things, especially a few things about Michigan. Does it ever. It also explains how Penn State might have been a Big Ten favorite in 2012 and 2013 if not for NCAA sanctions stemming from the Sandusky scandal.
No. 21 William Gholston, DE, Michigan State
The only five-star Big Ten recruit in 2010 according to Rivals, Gholston came close to living up to his billing, although some argue his numbers were overrated. In the three years before Tampa Bay selected him in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Gholston had 142 tackles, 30 tackles for loss and ten sacks from his end spot. He was never first-team all-Big Ten, however, and he regressed as a senior after a strong junior campaign. He is perhaps best known for a few dirty plays in the 2011 Michigan game.
No. 44 Silas Redd, RB, Penn State
Scout had Redd as a five-star. After 1,241 rushing yards as a sophomore at Penn State in 2011, Redd left Happy Valley in the wake of the Sandusky scandal and landed at USC. He was never as successful with the Trojans, finishing with 905 yards in 2012 and just 376 in 2013. Despite injuries, he’ll give the NFL a shot.
No. 49 Khairi Fortt, LB, Penn State
Fortt also transferred from the Nittany Lions — to California — after the Sandusky scandal. He’ll also try his hand in the NFL Draft, where he is expected to be picked in the middle rounds.
No. 57 Braylon Heard, RB, Nebraska
Heard transferred after two years at NU to Kentucky. Heard may very well have been a long-term starter for the Huskers were it not for Ameer Abdullah.
No. 59 Andrew Norwell, OL, Ohio State
Norwell was a top ten national prospect according Scout, and considering he was first-team All-Big Ten in 2012 and 2013, it’d be fair to say Norwell was one of the few recruits on this list that fully lived up to his billing. He played 50 games and started 39.
No. 64 Rod Smith, RB, Ohio State
Smith has consistently been beaten out by Carlos Hyde — also a member of OSU’s 2010 recruiting class — and Jordan Hall, so he only has 350 career yards. Smith will get his best shot to start this fall as a fifth-year senior. He’s off to a great start, sitting out the spring game because of academic issues.
No. 99 Cullen Christian, CB, Michigan
Transferred to Pitt in spring 2011 after Rich Rodriguez’s staff was dumped in Ann Arbor after the 2011 Gator Bowl. Christian has been a relative non-factor at Pitt, where he’s played for a bazillion head coaches.
No. 102 Mike Hull, LB, Penn State
Another five-star according to Scout, Hull has been a decent linebacker for the Nittany Lions, who arguably didn’t need his full services until 2013, when Gerald Hodges and Michael Mauti had finally left the program. Hull had 18 tackles in 2011, 58 in 2012 and 61 in an injury-shortened 2013. He’ll return for his fifth-year senior campaign in 2014 a possible All-Big Ten candidate.
No. 114 Christian Bryant, DB, Ohio State
A three-year starter at safety, Bryant’s broken ankle halfway through the 2013 season has been cited by coach Urban Meyer as one reason OSU struggled on defense for most of the year. Meyer even smacked a podium recalling its impact. Bryant finished with 171 tackles in his career; the NCAA denied his appeal for a fifth year. (As it well it should have. Bryant played through the Wisconsin game. It’s too much time.)
No. 118 Corey “Philly” Brown, WR, Ohio State
Brown was OSU’s best receiver in 2013. He finished his career with 35 starts, 145 catches, 1,759 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. He was good, not great.
No. 129 CJ Fiedorowicz, TE, Iowa
You’ll hear his name a lot on Sundays. If Iowa had better quarterbacks, you would have heard more about Fiedorowicz on Saturdays, too. He finished his career with 91 catches for 899 yards and ten touchdowns, starting most of the last three years. First-team All-Big Ten as a senior.
No. 132 Devin Gardner, QB, Michigan
Gardner has 4,440 career passing yards and 34 passing touchdowns. He also wears No. 98. There is no guarantee he’ll start as a senior despite a handful of sparkling performances vs. Notre Dame, Indiana and Ohio State as a junior. There’s a book on Gardner, that he hates blitzes and can’t process reads against them. It may dog him from hereon. How Gardner finishes his career will determine whether he’s earned this ranking.
No. 134 Paul Jones, QB, Penn State
Another five-star according to Scout, Jones transferred from PSU when it became clear he wasn’t going to beat out Matt McGloin and took up camp at Robert Morris. No word on if he’s seen Danny Nee around the premises.
No. 136 Rob Bolden, QB, Penn State
The late Joe Paterno apparently believed it wise to recruit two superstar quarterbacks in the same class. Or his son, Jay, did. Or Mike McQueary. That usually works well. Bolden actually started 17 games in his first two years on campus. Why? I don’t know. He completed 50 percent of his passes and threw twice as many interceptions (14) as touchdowns (7). Bolden had a slow, mechanical delivery and scrambled like he was trapped in mud. He transferred to LSU, lost the starting job there to Zach Mettenberger and will spend his senior year at wide receiver.
No. 161 Jimmy Gjere, OL, Minnesota
He retired in 2012 because of concussion-related symptoms.
No. 162 Demar Dorsey, DB, Michigan
Here’s the gem of the lot. So Dorsey, the cousin of Denard Robinson, more or less surprised Michigan on Signing Day with his commit, then was denied admission to the school because of his grades and the weird, “We’re Michigan” politics that surrounded Rich Rodriguez’s entire, doomed tenure at Michigan. Dorsey tried to go Louisville and was denied admission there, and Hawaii, where the NCAA denied a waiver for immediate eligibility. So he landed at Arizona Western for the 2012 season and spent last year in the Arena Football League on Maurice Purify’s team.
No. 166 Thomas Ricketts, OL, Penn State
Transferred from Penn State to Pitt in 2011, quit Pitt in January 2013.
No. 171 Kyle Baublitz, TE, Penn State
An early enrollee, Baublitz moved to defensive line, redshirted, and played three years — mostly as a reserve — before retiring from the game after the 2013 season.
No. 178 Andrew Donnal, OG, Iowa
Long-term reserve who is expected to shine as a fifth-year senior. A season-ending injury in 2012 derailed Donnal’s career a bit, but he’s apparently ready to roll now.
No. 181 AJ Derby, QB, Iowa
Derby was recruited to be the Hawkeyes’ version of Tim Tebow, a pass/run dual-threat. While serving as Iowa’s backup to James Vandenberg, Derby was arrested in Oct. 2011 for public intoxication and mischief, was forced to move to linebacker a few weeks later, transferred to Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College for 2012, then transferred, to Arkansas, where he started a game at QB for the Razorbacks against Rutgers. Derby has now moved to tight end. He spent four years chasing a position with two coaches who refused to run a spread offense. Doesn’t make a heck of a lot of sense.
No. 183 Andrew Rodriguez, OT, Nebraska
Consistent starter in his last two years. Was never the dominant player this ranking would have conveyed he might be.
No. 202 Brandon Coleman, WR, Rutgers
A strong career for the Scarlet Knights: 94 catches, 1,808 yards and 20 touchdowns. He is projected to be drafted next week by some NFL team in the middle rounds.
No. 219 Max Bullough, LB, Michigan State
Foolish antics of some sort cost Bullough an appearance in the Rose Bowl, but he was the heart and soul of the Spartans defense for three years. He had 299 total tackles in his career.
No. 220 Miles Dieffenbach, OL, Penn State
A two-year starter for the Nittany Lions at guard, and generally considered one of the better linemen in the Big Ten. He tore up his knee this spring and may miss a lot of 2014.
No. 232 James Louis, WR, Ohio State
Transferred from OSU to Florida International in 2011 and never caught a pass at FIU. Was no longer part of the roster by 2013.
No. 236 Taylor Graham, QB, Ohio State
Transferred to Hawaii because Braxton Miller ran the show at OSU and threw for 462 yards in 2013 for UH.
Well, that list just about bowls you over, doesn’t it?
* * *
Here are some select players from the Scout 300 list that didn’t make the Rivals 250. Scout liked the Big Ten’s recruiting a lot more than Rivals did, with some interesting results.
No. 70 DaQuan Jones, DT, Penn State
Very late bloomer in the interior who had a strong senior season — he might have been the best interior defensive linemen in the Big Ten last year, including Ra’Shede Hagemann — who is projected to be drafted in early rounds of the NFL Draft.
No. 96 Josh Furman, S, Michigan
After 18 tackles in three seasons, Furman transferred to Oklahoma State for his final year.
No. 123 Scott McVey, MLB, Ohio State
Retired because of injuries in 2011.
No. 155 Austin White, RB, Michigan
White enrolled early, lost the wings off his helmet when RichRod thought that nonsense would accomplish something, and was removed from the team before the 2010 season ever began. White transferred to Central Michigan. He was arrested in 2012 on charges of selling mushrooms and eventually pleaded guilty to possessing drugs and running a drug house.
No. 167 Ricardo Miller, WR/TE, Michigan
Never caught a pass for the Wolverines. He graduated in three years, transferred to UMass for his senior year, and caught all of five passes for the second-worst team in FBS. (The worst was the team UMass beat, Miami of Ohio.)
No. 185 Corey Cooper, S, Nebraska
Late-bloomer who will be a starter for the second straight year at safety.
No. 201 Marvin Robinson, S, Michigan
After 21 tackles in three season, he transferred in 2013 to Ferris State, where he led the team in tackles.
No. 209 Zach Zwinak, RB, Penn State
Ran for 1,989 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2012 and 2013. Zwinak certainly gave Nebraska headaches in both seasons. He’ll battle for the starting job in 2014 and will probably win it.
No. 210 Isaiah Lewis, S, Michigan State
He was a little better than Robinson: 227 total tackles over four years. Three-year starter.
No. 212 T.Y. Williams, WR, Ohio State
Dismissed from OSU program in 2012 by Urban Meyer. He was apparently supposed to enroll at Ohio Dominican in 2013 but he wasn’t on the roster.
No. 259 Jerald Robinson, WR, Michigan
Swing and a whiff here, too. Robinson didn’t catch any passes in 2010 or 2011. Then, he was cited for damaging a parking gate in a parking garage. He caught 69 yards worth of passes in 2012, left the team, and was arrested last March on drug trafficking charges.
No. 281 Harvey Jackson, S, Nebraska
Will play his final year at BYU after finishing his Nebraska career with 54 total tackles in 35 games.
No. 285 Mike Moudy, OG, Nebraska
Just began starting last year once Spencer Long hurt his knee. Moudy is expected to battle for the starting right guard job this year.
No. 295 Chandler Whitmer, QB, Illinois
Transferred from Illinois, spent a year in the junior college ranks, transferred to UConn, started there for all of 2012, lost his job in 2013.
* * *
Deep breath…
Now let’s look at some players who appeared in neither list but were/are good-to-great.
Ricardo Allen, CB, Purdue
Four-year starter for the Boilermakers and a likely NFL draftee.
Bruce Gaston, DT, Purdue
Another four-year starter for the Boilermakers. Possible NFL draftee.
Le’Veon Bell, RB, Michigan State
Ran for 3,346 yards and 33 touchdowns in three years before heading to the NFL. A two-star recruit.
Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State
167 career total tackles, 10 career interceptions and the 2013 Jim Thorpe Award winner. Rose Bowl champ. Two-star recruit.
Kurtis Drummond, DB, Michigan State
Has started 21 straight games at safety. He has 161 career tackles and eight interceptions.
Jonathan Brown, LB, Illinois
317 career tackles and 14 career sacks for this three-year starter.
Ibraheim Campbell, S, Northwestern
262 total tackles and eight interceptions heading into his senior year.
Kain Colter, QB, Northwestern
Amassed 5,023 total yards and 50 total touchdowns passing, rushing and receiving over four years. Helped progressed the cause for student-athlete welfare.
Venric Mark, RB, Northwestern
Is one great year enough? Mark has been hampered by injuries but was an All-Big Ten player in 2012.
Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
First-team All-Big Ten and second-team All-American last year. Will certainly be a first-round NFL Draft pick in 2015, perhaps the top OT taken.
James Morris, LB, Iowa
Four-year starter who amassed 400 career tackles.
Anthony Hitchens, LB, Iowa
Two-year starter who amassed 270 career tackles.
Christian Kirksey, LB, Iowa
Amassed 315 career tackles and started for three years.
Rob Havenstein, RT, Wisconsin
Two-year starter heading into his senior season. He’ll be a NFL guy.
Beau Allen, DT, Wisconsin
Set a school record by playing in 54 games. Started the last 26.
Carlos Hyde, RB, Ohio State
He acted out a few times, but ran for 3,198 career yards and 37 touchdowns. That’ll do.
Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State
179 career total tackles and eight interceptions. Headed to the NFL with one year of eligibility left.
Jake Ryan, LB, Michigan
151 tackles through three years and moving to middle linebacker for his senior year.
Kenny Bell, WR, Nebraska
Arguably the best returning wide receiver in the Big Ten.
Quincy Enunwa, WR, Nebraska
A solid career with the Huskers.
* * *
TAKEAWAYS
>> Michigan’s 2010 class is one of the most crippling recruiting classes I’ve ever seen. A near-complete waste of time of energy. Obviously, those players committed to a different coach who would be gone just ten months after they signed. But out of 27 signees, Michigan had a 25.9 percent retention rate. It’s awful. And it’s part of what made Michigan look and seem weak in 2012 and 2013. As the excellent, linked analysis shows, Michigan had the lowest retention rate of any Big Ten program. Northwestern had the best. And Michigan State — at 71.4 percent — had the makings of the team that won the 2013 Rose Bowl.
>> Michigan State got great players out of middling ratings. Bell, Dennard, Drummond and others — whatever you think of them in the NFL — were excellent college players. They won games — a lot of them.
>> Continuity counts. The programs that kept their coaches through 2010 until now — Nebraska, Michigan State, Iowa and Northwestern — tended to develop more players. Nebraska, of that bunch, probably did the least, in part because the defensive linemen recruited in the 2010 class were so ill-fitting, and in part because offensive coordinator Shawn Watson left after 2010 and defensive coordinator Carl Pelini left after 2011. Even if Bo Pelini remained the head coach, the assistant coaching pool turned over considerably.
>> Wisconsin found a way to paper over this class. Because it wasn’t very good. Recruiting Russell Wilson — one of the best college quarterbacks in the last decade — surely helped for 2011, and 2012, well, 2012 was the magical year when Ohio State and Penn State were both on Big Ten title game probation. The Badgers had better hope that the subsequent classes from Bret Bielema and Gary Andersen improved.
>> You’d better stockpile wideouts, because you can’t guarantee success. So many of the receivers recruited in these classes just didn’t pan out. The sheer lack of dynamism at most Big Ten schools in the wide receiver department points to struggles in bowl games against athletic, physical defenses. Michigan, which once churned out superstar, NFL-caliber wideouts every few years, had a single, smallish receiver doing almost all of the damage last year: Jeremy Gallon. Gallon is a great player for his size. But there are things a 5-foot-8, 184-pound guy can’t do.
>> This was a poor group of quarterbacks. Gardner was the best of the bunch, and Gardner is average by any measurement in college football. 57th in yards per play? Average. 59th in completion percentage? Average. 46.7 percent third-down completion rate? Below average. Penn State had two guys. I never saw Paul Jones, but Rob Bolden averaged 5.35 yards per attempt over two years as a starter, including a hideous 4.4 in his second year. Penn State was simply lucky walk-on Matt McGloin chose to stick around.
>> This explains some things. At least I hope it does.
