Recruiting as of 4/15/25

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Yes, obviously. That is his class.
I mean, if you were to go to Rivals or 247 or on3 and check out Marquette's 2025 class, Josh Clark wouldn't be there. He'd be with the 2024 class.
It's a semantical argument, I get that. But I don't agree that a player's recruiting class changes because of a redshirt year. And neither do the scouting services.

Don't really care about the scouting services.  Shaka took both those guys with the intention of redshirting and developing. In his strategy for building a roster, the plan was for Hamilton to be part of this freshman class and Clark to be a part of next season's freshman class.   

[BCHoopster]

Scouting services are not as important as offers received.  Both players barely had offers. Clark is interesting since not one major school in Texas offered him a scholarship, interesting

[MU82]

Scouting services are not as important as offers received.  Both players barely had offers. Clark is interesting since not one major school in Texas offered him a scholarship, interesting

How many major schools offered Jhoni Broome in 2020? How many major schools offered Dalton Knecht in 2021? Interesting.

[Zog from Margo]

Sean's in the same class (2022) as Chase and Ben, redshirt notwithstanding.
The 2023 recruiting class is looking ... rough. Zaide could take a Chase Ross-type leap next year. Tre has shown nothing to indicate he's a high-major player, and lots to show he isn't.
Amadou and Hamilton can be generously graded as incompletes, but getting virtually nothing out of two players after two years in the program isn't ideal.

I'm a big fan of Shaka and what he's done, but excessive rigidity to any principle/philosophy is a mistake. Nick Saban went from among the best to the GOAT because of his willingness to adapt his coaching philosophies as needed. I'm not at all as convinced that Shaka is as inflexible as some here seem to suggest, but if he is, he ought to take a lesson from Saban.

Unlike his predecessor, Shaka is noted for picking the brains of other coaches. Ben McCollum is one of them. Shaka changed his offensive philosophy with Nevada Smith. He brought Yaklich to Texas. I wouldn't be surprised to see some strategy tweaking in the off-season. They need to be better in the defensive glass and it would help to get the bigs to be threats to score inside. We'll see.

[MU82]

At a minimum, the Wojo-slurping crowd has turned in the the Shaka's approach is infallible crowd. 

Yes, Ners (Elonsmusk) was an inveterate Wojo slurper.

[BCHoopster]

How many major schools offered Jhoni Broome in 2020? How many major schools offered Dalton Knecht in 2021? Interesting.

What were there offers?

[JakeBarnes]

Unlike his predecessor, Shaka is noted for picking the brains of other coaches. Ben McCollum is one of them. Shaka changed his offensive philosophy with Nevada Smith. He brought Yaklich to Texas. I wouldn't be surprised to see some strategy tweaking in the off-season. They need to be better in the defensive glass and it would help to get the bigs to be threats to score inside. We'll see.

This. It's always odd to me that people seem to think Shaka is a monolith that won't adapt. He's done so many times.

[JakeBarnes]

What were there offers?

Bryant and Morehead state for Broome

[The Sultan]

What were there offers?

Broome was offered by Bryant and Moorehead State. He eventually enrolled at Moorehead.

[MU82]

What were there offers?

As others have said, Bryant and Moorehead State for Broome. Nobody for Knecht - he was unranked out of high school and had to go to a JC.

And there are plenty of other examples besides two of the best college players of the last two years.

Players grow at different rates. Also, sometimes mistakes are made in recruiting. Guys get overlooked. There are late bloomers. Etc etc etc. All kinds of reasons why eventual studs were barely recruited out of high school.

That does not mean Clark is going to be a star ... or even a serviceable college player. What it means is we don't know, so maybe we shouldn't trash a kid's potential and ability before he even plays a game for Marquette.

[MuMark]

As others have said, Bryant and Moorehead State for Broome. Nobody for Knecht - he was unranked out of high school and had to go to a JC.

And there are plenty of other examples besides two of the best college players of the last two years.

Players grow at different rates. Also, sometimes mistakes are made in recruiting. Guys get overlooked. There are late bloomers. Etc etc etc. All kinds of reasons why eventual studs were barely recruited out of high school.

That does not mean Clark is going to be a star ... or even a serviceable college player. What it means is we don't know, so maybe we shouldn't trash a kid's potential and ability before he even plays a game for Marquette.

Jimmy Butler raises his hand......

[Pakuni]

That does not mean Clark is going to be a star ... or even a serviceable college player. What it means is we don't know, so maybe we shouldn't trash a kid's potential and ability before he even plays a game for Marquette.

Nobody is trashing Clark.

As for Broome and Knecht, sure, there are exceptions to the rule. But any coach counting on building a competitive roster by finding outliers is going to find himself out of work in short order. There's a reason NFL GMs don't view the 6th round as fertile ground for franchise QBs, despite the success of Tom Brady.

[The Sultan]

Nobody is trashing Clark.

As for Broome and Knecht, sure, there are exceptions to the rule. But any coach counting on building a competitive roster by finding outliers is going to find himself out of work in short order. There's a reason NFL GMs don't view the 6th round as fertile ground for franchise QBs, despite the success of Tom Brady.

He's not building a competitive roster this way. He's just taking flyers on bigs he sees with potential using his last scholarships.

[Pakuni]

He's not building a competitive roster this way. He's just taking flyers on bigs he sees with potential using his last scholarships.

I didn't mention Shaka's name.

[Newsdreams]

Sean's in the same class (2022) as Chase and Ben, redshirt notwithstanding.
The 2023 recruiting class is looking ... rough. Zaide could take a Chase Ross-type leap next year. Tre has shown nothing to indicate he's a high-major player, and lots to show he isn't.
Amadou and Hamilton can be generously graded as incompletes, but getting virtually nothing out of two players after two years in the program isn't ideal.

I'm a big fan of Shaka and what he's done, but excessive rigidity to any principle/philosophy is a mistake. Nick Saban went from among the best to the GOAT because of his willingness to adapt his coaching philosophies as needed. I'm not at all as convinced that Shaka is as inflexible as some here seem to suggest, but if he is, he ought to take a lesson from Saban.

Funny how people here are so lacking on listening to Shaka interviews. Has said in many one of the coaches he admires the most and has consulted is Saban.

[MU82]

Nobody is trashing Clark.

As for Broome and Knecht, sure, there are exceptions to the rule. But any coach counting on building a competitive roster by finding outliers is going to find himself out of work in short order. There's a reason NFL GMs don't view the 6th round as fertile ground for franchise QBs, despite the success of Tom Brady.

C'mon man. When an Ever-Eeyore and Shaka critic like BCHoopster says "Clark is interesting since not one major school in Texas offered him a scholarship, interesting" ... he is trashing both Clark and Shaka.

Of course no coach should be "counting on" finding the next Broome or Knecht, but there have been plenty of very lightly recruited players who become standouts (or at least good contributors) for high-major teams.

Kolek's offers out of HS were from the likes of Elon, Wofford, Canisius and Siena until the "big boys" of George Mason and St. Bonaventure got involved at the end. He famously was rejected by Providence. Scheierman (no stars out of HS) and Ashworth (no stars out of HS) did OK for Creighton. Cam Spencer (no stars out of HS) did OK for UConn. They had to go to small schools because zero majors wanted them. Hell, Madison seems to come up with a couple of these types every year. And so on and so on and so on.

[Viper]

He's not building a competitive roster this way. He's just taking flyers on bigs he sees with potential using his last scholarships.

taking flyers on bigs? I sure hope you are wrong about that.

[Pakuni]

C'mon man. When an Ever-Eeyore and Shaka critic like BCHoopster says "Clark is interesting since not one major school in Texas offered him a scholarship, interesting" ... he is trashing both Clark and Shaka.

Of course no coach should be "counting on" finding the next Broome or Knecht, but there have been plenty of very lightly recruited players who become standouts (or at least good contributors) for high-major teams.

Kolek's offers out of HS were from the likes of Elon, Wofford, Canisius and Siena until the "big boys" of George Mason and St. Bonaventure got involved at the end. He famously was rejected by Providence. Scheierman (no stars out of HS) and Ashworth (no stars out of HS) did OK for Creighton. Cam Spencer (no stars out of HS) did OK for UConn. They had to go to small schools because zero majors wanted them. Hell, Madison seems to come up with a couple of these types every year. And so on and so on and so on.

I guess we'll agree to disagree on whether pointing out Clark's scholie offers qualifies as a trashing. I sure hope no one here finds out what happened with by Northwestern application.

What's the common denominator among all the lightly recruited players you mention here?

[Pakuni]

Funny how people here are so lacking on listening to Shaka interviews. Has said in many one of the coaches he admires the most and has consulted is Saban.

To quote myself ...
"I'm not at all as convinced that Shaka is as inflexible as some here seem to suggest"

[MU82]

I guess we'll agree to disagree on whether pointing out Clark's scholie offers qualifies as a trashing. I sure hope no one here finds out what happened with by Northwestern application.

What's the common denominator among all the lightly recruited players you mention here?

They all transferred to majors - including Kolek. I happen to believe Shaka would gladly take other multi-year transfers like Kolek. He also already took a D2 player who didn't work out because of injuries.

As for the first part of this, you have to know our fellow Scoopers to determine intent.

[The Sultan]

taking flyers on bigs? I sure hope you are wrong about that.

Of course that's what he's doing. Josh Clark was offered by UT-San Antonio and one other, and he is hoping that with more development that he could be a high major center.

[BCHoopster]

He's not building a competitive roster this way. He's just taking flyers on bigs he sees with potential using his last scholarships.

Taking projects is fine but he has 3 now, add Norman who so far as not shown he can play at this level, that's too many

[The Sultan]

Taking projects is fine but he has 3 now, add Norman who so far as not shown he can play at this level, that's too many

They have 15 scholarships next year. 3 is absolutely fine.

[MuMark]

Buzz took project bigs on a regular bases.....some worked out...Otule and Gardner......others did not......and they moved on.

[Pakuni]

They all transferred to majors - including Kolek. I happen to believe Shaka would gladly take other multi-year transfers like Kolek. He also already took a D2 player who didn't work out because of injuries.

I've been reading for months here that Shaka wouldn't use the portal to bring in players to compete with his high school recruits. Now he would do so - and gladly - if the transfer has more than one year of eligibility, which is the large majority of them?