Ronny Nelson Update?
- Thread starter Peter
- Start date
I'm not arguing w/you. I'm just saying that Webster Patrick was on campus working out in Ames during the summer as well before he found out he wasn't going to make the grades. So technically we DO NOT know. But odds are pretty good!:wink:
Considering that Neal probably weighs about as much as Nelson now and is still undersized, yet has a appreciable advantage on experience, it is nowhere near a given that he will lose his starting job to Nelson.
I desperately want Nelson to be that disruptive pass rusher we haven't had the last couple seasons, but until I see it on the field, I am somewhat skeptical.
Touche. Neither guy is probably going to be one the other team has to account for on an every down basis, unfortunately.
OK, I looked back at last year's roster and counted 74 scholarship players. So I stand corrected there. I count 57 on next year's roster (with spring JUCOs and without walkons like Mansfield, Smith and Kaufmann having scholarships, which they likely will) plus 22 recruits. That gives us 79. It's a near certainty that SR walk-ons will get a couple of the scholarships as they don't take away a spot from the 2011 recruiting class. Sean Smith, Taylor Mansfield and Preston Kaufman are likely getting a scholarship if they haven't already. I could see Zimmerman getting a scholarship as a DS. And then there are a couple of Sophs that could be deserving in Matt Morton and Drew Davis. We'll see, but I think that they'll be pretty close to 85 next year.
As for recruiting, you're right, that 2007 class was a killer. But some of that is to be expected when you sign 11 JUCOs. For HS kids, there are 2 out of 13 still on the roster and only one (KO) contributing. All of the JUCOs are gone now except Franklin and Alvarez, but I would break them down as: 6 starters, 3 contributors and 3 non-contributors/no-shows. That's actually a damn good percentage for recruiting JUCOs.
As far as McCarney goes, to me, that's his own fault. There's no reason not to be at 85 after a couple of years on the job. 25 a year for 5 years is 125, not 85. Yes, he did struggle finding bodies at times for certain positions, but IMO that is just EXTREMELY poor planning on his staff's part. They did a poor job of projecting needs down the line. And then they would end up scrambling for players...such as signing 6 HS OLs in one class or 4 TEs or 5 RBs or 5 CBs. Mac's recruiting always seemed to be in scramble mode. That's why I wasn't too excited when Ash was named recruiting coordinator. He was part of that mess.
Going JC... he was always going JC, was a sign and place guy from the beginning.
Don't have anything in front of me to look through, but I assume ISU will have very few graduating scholarship players next spring. Probably less than 15-17? If that's the case, that'll go a long ways towards reaching 85.
Granted ISU was not winning games under Chizik, but where would they have been without the Jucos from 07 playing key roles? I shudder at the thought.
From what I remember Mac also burnt redshirts pretty haphazardly as well. ISU still needs to play some freshmen each year, but Chizik did a pretty good job keeping the RS on certain players.