Curious and did a little 15 minute exercise to see what turned up with regards to offer lists on the best defense we've fielded since 1998 as opposed to this year.
2008
DL
Dixon - AR/UT/KSU/WSU 2008 (blue chipper out of high school)
Henley - OU/OSU/TCU/NU/Ole Miss/ISU 2006 (that's stout but wasn't as good as the guys below)
R. Jones - CU/Mizzou/UH 2006
B. Williams - CU/ISU 2006
Whitlock - None 2007 (that guy was terrible, lol)
LB
M. Williams - OSU 2006
Duncan - BU/Vandy 2006
Bird - None 2007
DB
McBath - ND/OSU/A&M 2005 (blue chipper)
Nickerson - ND/OSU/KSU/WSU 2005 (say what!)
Wall - BU/KSU/TCU/Pur 2006 (best CB this decade, well, I guess Hanson)
Levi29 - Duke 2008 (meh, Sparq score, crazy SAT)
The 2006 defensive class was a screaming success producing 6 starters. Whitlock and Bird were huge project successes for 2007. Dixon and Charbonnet joined in 2008 for one year stints. McBath and Nickerson were to holdovers from 2005.
2017 (Not for sure on the rotation, so we'll have more names while working in pencil):
DL
K. Hill - ND/UT/CU/BSU/Vandy 2015
Miller - CU/BC/IA/Minn/Vandy 2016
Thomas - KSU/UH/BSU 2016
Gilmore - BU/KU 2015
McCann - BU/KU 2016
Wallace - ISU/UW/SMU 2016
N. Jones - KSU/UH 2016
Washington - UH 2015 (hahahaha, the Whitlock of the group)
LB
Allen - OU/TCU/CU/KSU/UH/KU/Ill 2017 (blue chipper)
Brooks - AR/CU/UW/Mizzou/KU/UH 2016 (2 homeruns at LB!)
Moore - OSU/Miami/ASU/Cal/KSU 2016 (offer list projection)
T. Jones - BU/Louisville 2017
DB
Johnson - OSU/TCU/BU/ASU/UW/IA/WSU 2014 (one of worst recruiting classes in history only produced Johnson)
Lane - UCLA/OrSt/Everyone at one point in high school 2017 (blue chipper)
Morgan - ASU/AR/BU/KSU/WV/Mizzou 2017 (stout)
Coleman - LaTech/SMiss 2016 (stole this one)
Kind of interesting to look back and see how a good defense got built. The 2016 class appears it could have the same effect on our roster as the 2006 class depending on how these redshirt DL develop. Overall, it appears we've trended slightly upwards with offer lists, mostly due to strength at LB. DL is basically the same outside of having a Dixon. Mbanasor could be that type of prospect though. The JUCO CBs really boosted our offer sheets for starters. Maybe I'm being too optimistic just giving them the jobs right now, but.....I don't think it's a big reach.
2008
DL
Dixon - AR/UT/KSU/WSU 2008 (blue chipper out of high school)
Henley - OU/OSU/TCU/NU/Ole Miss/ISU 2006 (that's stout but wasn't as good as the guys below)
R. Jones - CU/Mizzou/UH 2006
B. Williams - CU/ISU 2006
Whitlock - None 2007 (that guy was terrible, lol)
LB
M. Williams - OSU 2006
Duncan - BU/Vandy 2006
Bird - None 2007
DB
McBath - ND/OSU/A&M 2005 (blue chipper)
Nickerson - ND/OSU/KSU/WSU 2005 (say what!)
Wall - BU/KSU/TCU/Pur 2006 (best CB this decade, well, I guess Hanson)
Levi29 - Duke 2008 (meh, Sparq score, crazy SAT)
The 2006 defensive class was a screaming success producing 6 starters. Whitlock and Bird were huge project successes for 2007. Dixon and Charbonnet joined in 2008 for one year stints. McBath and Nickerson were to holdovers from 2005.
2017 (Not for sure on the rotation, so we'll have more names while working in pencil):
DL
K. Hill - ND/UT/CU/BSU/Vandy 2015
Miller - CU/BC/IA/Minn/Vandy 2016
Thomas - KSU/UH/BSU 2016
Gilmore - BU/KU 2015
McCann - BU/KU 2016
Wallace - ISU/UW/SMU 2016
N. Jones - KSU/UH 2016
Washington - UH 2015 (hahahaha, the Whitlock of the group)
LB
Allen - OU/TCU/CU/KSU/UH/KU/Ill 2017 (blue chipper)
Brooks - AR/CU/UW/Mizzou/KU/UH 2016 (2 homeruns at LB!)
Moore - OSU/Miami/ASU/Cal/KSU 2016 (offer list projection)
T. Jones - BU/Louisville 2017
DB
Johnson - OSU/TCU/BU/ASU/UW/IA/WSU 2014 (one of worst recruiting classes in history only produced Johnson)
Lane - UCLA/OrSt/Everyone at one point in high school 2017 (blue chipper)
Morgan - ASU/AR/BU/KSU/WV/Mizzou 2017 (stout)
Coleman - LaTech/SMiss 2016 (stole this one)
Kind of interesting to look back and see how a good defense got built. The 2016 class appears it could have the same effect on our roster as the 2006 class depending on how these redshirt DL develop. Overall, it appears we've trended slightly upwards with offer lists, mostly due to strength at LB. DL is basically the same outside of having a Dixon. Mbanasor could be that type of prospect though. The JUCO CBs really boosted our offer sheets for starters. Maybe I'm being too optimistic just giving them the jobs right now, but.....I don't think it's a big reach.
