So we took the gut punch tonight that we didn't land LB Simpson and it looks very bleak for DL Ogbonnia.
We did receive a commitment from 2* LB Curley to join DT Jaylon Hutchings, DE Scott and LB Benson.
So how many scholarships spots still exist?
With the offense using 43 scholarships, that leaves 42 for defense for 85 total scholarship players.
1. DL 9 Tony Jones
2. DL 13 Kolin Hill
3. DL 90 Quentin Yontz
4. LB 40 Dakota Allen
5. DB 5 Octavious Morgan
6. DB 7 Jah'Shawn Johnson
7. DB 15 Vaughnte Dorsey
8. DB 21 Kisean Allen
9. DB 28 Jaylon Lane
10. P 85 Dominic Panazzolo
11. DL 94 Lonzell Gilmore
12. DL 96 Broderick Washington Jr
13. DL 97 Joseph Wallace
14. LB 1 Jordyn Brooks
15. LB 8 Jamile Johnson
16. LB 18 Christian Taylor
17. LB 33 Brayden Stringer
18. DB 4 Desmon Smith
19. DB 16 Thomas Leggett
20. DB 25 Douglas Coleman III
21. DB 26 Kevin Moore
22. DB 31 Justus Parker
23. DL 53 Eli Howard
24. DL 89 Houston Miller
25. DL 91 Nelson Mbanasor
26. DL 92 Noah Jones
27. DL 98 Nick McCann
28. LB 11 Riko Jeffers
29. DB 12 Quincy Addison
30. DB 17 John Davis Jr
31. DB 20 Adrian Frye
32. DB 23 Damarcus Fields
33. DL ?? Jaylon Hutchings
34. DL ?? John Scott
35. LB ?? Xavier Benson
36. LB ?? Patrick Curley
37. ?? ?? DL Preston Gordon Rice University
38. ?? ?? ??
39. ?? ?? ??
40. ?? ?? ??
41. ?? ?? ??
42. ?? ?? ??
So it would appear that 5-6 scholarship spots for defense remain open with zero known targets in sight. I don't know if DB Abraham Wallace, the LSU transfer, is on scholarship and we won't know about the grad-transfer from Rice for another month.
This isn't a disaster for 2018 as we return more defensive production than most of the conference and nation but it will start to rear its head again in 2019 and beyond if we don't sign and hit on 12-13 defensive players in the 2019 class.
I agree with @Doc 20 that at this point I'd rather us not try to back fill with jucos and grad transfers and put all of our energy instead on signing a full class in the 2018 early signing period. I am a supporter of our AD and HC but this can't happen again or keep happening. This is not a successful strategy to move forward and upward. I really hope that the powers that be understand and do something about it.
We did receive a commitment from 2* LB Curley to join DT Jaylon Hutchings, DE Scott and LB Benson.
So how many scholarships spots still exist?
With the offense using 43 scholarships, that leaves 42 for defense for 85 total scholarship players.
1. DL 9 Tony Jones
2. DL 13 Kolin Hill
3. DL 90 Quentin Yontz
4. LB 40 Dakota Allen
5. DB 5 Octavious Morgan
6. DB 7 Jah'Shawn Johnson
7. DB 15 Vaughnte Dorsey
8. DB 21 Kisean Allen
9. DB 28 Jaylon Lane
10. P 85 Dominic Panazzolo
11. DL 94 Lonzell Gilmore
12. DL 96 Broderick Washington Jr
13. DL 97 Joseph Wallace
14. LB 1 Jordyn Brooks
15. LB 8 Jamile Johnson
16. LB 18 Christian Taylor
17. LB 33 Brayden Stringer
18. DB 4 Desmon Smith
19. DB 16 Thomas Leggett
20. DB 25 Douglas Coleman III
21. DB 26 Kevin Moore
22. DB 31 Justus Parker
23. DL 53 Eli Howard
24. DL 89 Houston Miller
25. DL 91 Nelson Mbanasor
26. DL 92 Noah Jones
27. DL 98 Nick McCann
28. LB 11 Riko Jeffers
29. DB 12 Quincy Addison
30. DB 17 John Davis Jr
31. DB 20 Adrian Frye
32. DB 23 Damarcus Fields
33. DL ?? Jaylon Hutchings
34. DL ?? John Scott
35. LB ?? Xavier Benson
36. LB ?? Patrick Curley
37. ?? ?? DL Preston Gordon Rice University
38. ?? ?? ??
39. ?? ?? ??
40. ?? ?? ??
41. ?? ?? ??
42. ?? ?? ??
So it would appear that 5-6 scholarship spots for defense remain open with zero known targets in sight. I don't know if DB Abraham Wallace, the LSU transfer, is on scholarship and we won't know about the grad-transfer from Rice for another month.
This isn't a disaster for 2018 as we return more defensive production than most of the conference and nation but it will start to rear its head again in 2019 and beyond if we don't sign and hit on 12-13 defensive players in the 2019 class.
I agree with @Doc 20 that at this point I'd rather us not try to back fill with jucos and grad transfers and put all of our energy instead on signing a full class in the 2018 early signing period. I am a supporter of our AD and HC but this can't happen again or keep happening. This is not a successful strategy to move forward and upward. I really hope that the powers that be understand and do something about it.
