Our 2017-19 OL recruiting classes look solid
Junior Angilau ('18) could be a 4-year starter, possibly all conf
Rafiti Ghirmai ('18) may become a starter
Christian Jones ('18) should be the starter at RT
Mike Grandy was also part of 2018 and might have been a player but for injury
And Calvin Anderson was also arguably part of the 2018 class
Tyler Johnson ('19) sounds like a future starter at OG
Isaiah Hookfin ('19) sounds like a future starter at LT
Willie Tyler ('19) still has rime to develop as an OT (as does Karic ('20))
And Parker Braun was also arguably part of the 2019 class.
Added all together (with Cosmi and Kerkstetter in 2017), it's the best stretch of OL recruiting for us since the mid-2000s. We have more OL depth now than in over a decade. From my perspective, the evidence is clear that the Herman staff has been good at identifying talent across the board (with the exception of Orlando at LB).
The problem is that 2021 was an epic, once-a-decade in-state OL class, the kind that careers can be made off (or lost). And two of them were double-legacies. The table was set but then we choked away the 2019 season and with it, the chance at a legendary OL class. We can still recover in terms of OL recruiting and OL depth with a good haul in 2021. But if Hand blows that too then he needs to go. And by then, it might be too late for Herman anyway.
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Agree x 1
Last edited: Jul 19, 2020