Kliff spoke with me and the few other people up at the FTF ahead of the signing presser at 1.
*His thoughts on the class as a whole:
"It's been a unique group because they've been committed for so long. So, they've gotten to know each other, and we've built great relationships with them for the time that we've known them. High character, then for the most part really good GPAs. So, ready for them to come fit in. Defensive line-wise, there's seven of them, so that made the majority of the class. That's a group we feel like can play right away, and we need them to."
*Kliff noted that having so many guys committed early helped them really get ahead on 2017 evaluations and the class in general.
*Taking size was the biggest thing they wanted at receiver.
"That was our emphasis, to be able to improve our vertical passing game. With Dylan Cantrell hurt last year, we didn't take the amount of shots we would like. You bring in TJ and Antoine Cox-Wesley that can really go get it, Derrick Willies. That's going to help us in that area, and when you have a quarterback like Pat who wants to throw the deep ball, can push it down the field, you've got to give him a chance with longer targets, and we tried to address that need."
*Kliff's thoughts on Willies.
"We want him to come in and compete. He's a unique talent with his size, speed, his jumping ability. He's very mature, he came here, had a bunch of different offers, came here knowing what he wanted to accomplish in our offense, what we want to do."
*Also, Kliff noted that Willies is really good friends with Nic Shimonek, who was at Iowa at the same time as him. They're up here working a TON already.
*Kliff did make note that they hope to redshirt Jett Duffey if they can, have Shimonek as the backup this fall.
"He's a very talented young man. Under recruited, in my opinion, can o it all. Can extend plays, has a good arm. Not as tall as most of the experts like, but he's six-foot, can really fly. I think we timed him at a 4.4 when he was out here."
*On the offensive line: "A group of grinders."
*On the defensive line class:
"I think Big Mych there at Butler, being a junior college player at Butler, we expect him to come in and play right away. Then, all of them really are going to have to play. We're going to be young on the defensive line, have a couple of good guys back, but that's why we took seven of them. We've got to find the right combination to come and play right away."
*On the LBs:
"I thought Coach Spav did an incredible job with evaluations. He offered all those guys really early before people were on him, and then everybody came in late once they saw the type of players they were, the kind of season they had," he said. "We wanted guys who were college ready, and all three of those guys are."
*On Jordyn Brooks:
"When he walks in, you think he's a junior or senior at 235, 240 pounds. Had a bunch of big schools come in late on him based off the season that he had, and he was loyal to us. We expect him to play right away."
*Bailey Smith was Kliff's pick for most underrated player in the class. Loves his film, thinks he can really develop into a player.
*Also worth noting that Zac Spavital has been named the recruiting coordinator now.
*His thoughts on the class as a whole:
"It's been a unique group because they've been committed for so long. So, they've gotten to know each other, and we've built great relationships with them for the time that we've known them. High character, then for the most part really good GPAs. So, ready for them to come fit in. Defensive line-wise, there's seven of them, so that made the majority of the class. That's a group we feel like can play right away, and we need them to."
*Kliff noted that having so many guys committed early helped them really get ahead on 2017 evaluations and the class in general.
*Taking size was the biggest thing they wanted at receiver.
"That was our emphasis, to be able to improve our vertical passing game. With Dylan Cantrell hurt last year, we didn't take the amount of shots we would like. You bring in TJ and Antoine Cox-Wesley that can really go get it, Derrick Willies. That's going to help us in that area, and when you have a quarterback like Pat who wants to throw the deep ball, can push it down the field, you've got to give him a chance with longer targets, and we tried to address that need."
*Kliff's thoughts on Willies.
"We want him to come in and compete. He's a unique talent with his size, speed, his jumping ability. He's very mature, he came here, had a bunch of different offers, came here knowing what he wanted to accomplish in our offense, what we want to do."
*Also, Kliff noted that Willies is really good friends with Nic Shimonek, who was at Iowa at the same time as him. They're up here working a TON already.
*Kliff did make note that they hope to redshirt Jett Duffey if they can, have Shimonek as the backup this fall.
"He's a very talented young man. Under recruited, in my opinion, can o it all. Can extend plays, has a good arm. Not as tall as most of the experts like, but he's six-foot, can really fly. I think we timed him at a 4.4 when he was out here."
*On the offensive line: "A group of grinders."
*On the defensive line class:
"I think Big Mych there at Butler, being a junior college player at Butler, we expect him to come in and play right away. Then, all of them really are going to have to play. We're going to be young on the defensive line, have a couple of good guys back, but that's why we took seven of them. We've got to find the right combination to come and play right away."
*On the LBs:
"I thought Coach Spav did an incredible job with evaluations. He offered all those guys really early before people were on him, and then everybody came in late once they saw the type of players they were, the kind of season they had," he said. "We wanted guys who were college ready, and all three of those guys are."
*On Jordyn Brooks:
"When he walks in, you think he's a junior or senior at 235, 240 pounds. Had a bunch of big schools come in late on him based off the season that he had, and he was loyal to us. We expect him to play right away."
*Bailey Smith was Kliff's pick for most underrated player in the class. Loves his film, thinks he can really develop into a player.
*Also worth noting that Zac Spavital has been named the recruiting coordinator now.
