Recruiting Classes '85 - '16

[SaskGriz]

Stuck in the doldrums between the end of Spring Camp and the start of Pre-Season Camp. There is often some talk about how good a recruiting class is going to be and some comparing it to past classes. Just for fun I decided to see if I could put a number to previous Griz recruiting classes. Maybe this will start some discussion, pass some time, or spark up some nostalgia for players we might not have thought about for while. I started in ’85, the first year I followed the Griz and ended in 2016, the last year that no current players/recruits were active.

Methodology (like this is scientific): I looked at players listed as New Griz in the old media guides/rosters and also compared rosters from year to year to try to catch Transfers, Walk-Ons, and players who might have signed after the guides had been published. I am sure I missed some players.

I then assigned each player a score of between zero and 5 (no fractions)
Zero – Never showed up
One – Was on the team but never saw the field
Two – Played but had a limited contribution
Three – Consistent back up, spot starter or solid special teamer
Four – Regular starter
Five – All Big Sky Performer (Big Sky selectors are so inconsistent that I decided to give 5 points regardless of which team a player was selected to, this included honorable mentions)
Then is was just Total Score/ Number of Players = Score for that Class.

So without further ado….the weakest recruiting class was……
2002 with a score of 1.520

5 points: Dustin Dloughy LB, Idaho Falls, ID Tuff Harris WR, Colstrip, MT Jeff Marshall OL, Newport Beach, CA

4 points: Kerry Mullan DT, Stevensville, MT

3 points: Jeff Disney QB, Chaffey JC, Glendora, CA Ryan Wells OL, Hamilton, MT

2 points: Michael Potts DE, Loyola, Missoula,MT

1 point : Nathan Adkins WR, Cerritos, CA Turill Engelman RB, Huntingdon Beach, CA Jelani Gamba S, Cypress CA Joshua Johnson CB, Jasper,FL Lucas Langbehn K/P, Deer Park, WA Seamus Molloy OLB, Helena HS Michael Rubie CB, Cerritos, CA Brett Staninger QB, U of Nevada, Missoula Matt Stern QB, Couer d’Alene, ID Chris Tautolo LB, Carson, CA Brian White OC, Tacoma, WA

O points : Enrique Duncan WR, Grossmont JC, San Diego, CA Quinn Faino WR, Portland, OR Shane Harris S, Saddleback JC, Irvine,CA Matt Hartford WR Russell Kovalenko LB Steve O’Neal DL Brandon Robinson CB, Jasper, FL

 

[AZGrizFan]

Boy. That is weak. /But I guess if You can get 4-5 all BSC performers out of each class, you’ll be ok….

 

[EverettGriz]

Wow. Holy Ton ‘O Work, Sask. I’d love to see more of these. But yes, considering our on the field success in 2001, that’s a remarkably weak class. A whole lot of California recruits who didn’t pan out.

I might have given Molloy another point, but otherwise excellent work.

 

[hm.grwn.grizfan]

What was the best class?

 

[SaskGriz]

I'm going to try to post one class a day, depending on my golf game, working from the lowest to highest score.

 

[Zirg]

I appreciate and enjoy these kind of in-depth efforts. As far as the grading system, I guess I would say:Who cares how many zeros and 1's, if the 4's and 5's were good enough? Every school in america has recruits that never pan out. If the good ones are really good, that's all that really matters,IMO.

Again, I look forward to looking these over though. Good work!

 

[BDizzle]

Is that Steve Oneal from Laurel? He was a 2001 recruit. Scout team player of the year but then had some off the field issues.

 

[alabamagrizzly]

Good stuff Sask. can’t wait to see how every class compares and to see what kind of trends there were from the coaches. I wonder how long we’ve had a recruiting coordinator and who was responsible for those assignments before one was officially given the job.