2021 ludicruous recruting thread

[betarhoalphadelta]

Not convinced he's actually a QB.  MSU RS freshman Peyton Thorne was the strarter when Johnson was the backup, and MSU offered him as a WR.  Not sure he fits what Brohm likes in a QB.

Brohm has been recruiting more mobile/dual threat types than in the past. For a long time it seemed he wanted the 6'4"+ statuesque QB with a rocket arm, but I think he learned when seeing Sindelar and Blough that sometimes that statue is just a really big target when you have OL troubles. Mobility was important for Purdue QBs the last several years.

As to your other point about whether he's actually a QB, he seems to have a pretty strong arm and accuracy, from the limited amount of game tape on his highlight videos... Of course they don't show the bad throws on those though, so we'll have to see. 

[ELA]

Yeah, I'm fine with non-statue QBs.  I just think he's a pure running threat QB.  If you want him to throw 30 times a game, I don't see it.  I liked him as a slot WR, which is what MSU was offering him as, although he seemed determined to play QB.  My guess is that he never takes a QB snap for the Boilers, but you have a pretty solid slot WR.

[betarhoalphadelta]

Yeah, I'm fine with non-statue QBs.  I just think he's a pure running threat QB.  If you want him to throw 30 times a game, I don't see it.  I liked him as a slot WR, which is what MSU was offering him as, although he seemed determined to play QB.  My guess is that he never takes a QB snap for the Boilers, but you have a pretty solid slot WR.

I don't know much about him yet. I wonder how much his recruitment was based on the "will I be a QB?" question... If he thinks he's the next Lamar Jackson, he might make playing QB a sticking point. And honestly, he does seem to have a pretty decent arm. 

But I won't argue the prediction he never takes a QB snap. I suspect that he was promised a fair shot at remaining at the QB position, but he's enough of an athlete to see the field either way. 

What I'd say is that if he *DOES* take meaningful QB snaps for the Boilers, the rest of the conference is probably in trouble. Because Brohm has been recruiting pure throwers at QB, and if this kid throws as well as them plus has his running ability, he'll be astounding. 

[ELA]

5* OT JC Latham (6-6, 305) of IMG Academy - 5*, the #17 player overall and the #3 OT in the nation according to the 247Sports composite- is posting lot of heavy pro Michigan stuff all over his social media, according to the MGoBlog.

Latham is originally from Wisconsin, and very early on in his recruitment had been considered a heavy Michigan lean if not even lock before he decided to transfer to IMG and move to Florida last year. Moves to Florida, blows up into a 5* recruit and suddenly Michigan is an after-thought and he's all OSU, Bama, LSU. Whatever. It happens. Michigan isn't winning on the field in the game that matters, so you expect that sort of crash and burn of recruiting momentum.

Normally I'm not one to look into this stuff too much, and it still is probably nothing, but 5* Michigan commit JJ McCarthy (6-2, 195) literally just transferred to IMG and just got down to IMG/Florida days ago. McCarthy is probably the strongest recruiter Michigan has, and no doubt he's been all in Latham's ear since he's been there. I don't know if Latham winds up at Michigan, but I'd bet good money at least 1 kid from IMG wind up at Michigan in this class or the next in large part because of JJ McCarthy's being down there and recruiting them non-stop. If he kicks ass and takes names this year and shows all these guys he's the real deal, he'll get a couple to follow him I'd bet.

Wisconsin took 5* OT Logan Brown from Michigan in 2019. The state owes us a 5* OT in return. Come on down JC Latham.

Committed to Bama

[MaximumSam]

Committed to Bama

Went south on OSU in a hurry

[Mdot21]

Committed to Bama

I’m sick of those guys. OSU too. 

The sport needs a little parity right now. 

[FearlessF]

OSU won't miss him, until they play Bama

[847badgerfan]

Sam Jackson is NOT a QB.

Anyway, the Badgers got a big fish the other day, in TJ Bollers out of Iowa. Had committable offers from everyone, including Bama. That's two in a row for Big Red beating out Bama for OLB's.

From 247:

A long time top of the board target for Wisconsin, Tiffin (Iowa.) Clear Creek Amana defensive end/outside linebacker TJ Bollers announced his commitment to head coach Paul Chryst and Wisconsin on Thursday.

"I'm headed to Wisconsin," Bollers told Badger247 Wednesday night. "Wisconsin checked off all my boxes. It has a great campus, a great engineering program, great football program with great fans and a great tradition."

Giving the Badgers 14 commitments in their 2021 recruiting class, Bollers chose the Badgers over Alabama, Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan, Washington, Virginia Tech, Florida, Iowa, and many more.

"First time I was there, I was in awe of the campus," Bollers said earlier this month. "I had never been to Madison before. I was just wowed right away. I really like their campus and I really like coach April (Bobby April III), coach Chryst, and coach Leonhard (Jim Leonhard).

"I like their engineering program a lot. I got to meet with an advisor and go into some of their lab areas. I really enjoyed that. They kind of check every box, I guess. I feel comfortable there."

[betarhoalphadelta]

Scuttlebutt on Hammer & Rails is that Sam Jackson was unhappy that Minnesota wasn't recruiting him to play QB. Also that he wanted to be the only QB taken in a class by a team.

Purdue was also recruiting a kid named McCulley who was more of a prototypical pocket passer quite hard. He's local and most thought it was a dead heat between Purdue and IU. Very shortly after Jackson committed to Purdue, McCulley committed to IU.

The theory is that Brohm knew [was told by McCulley, or from 'sources'] that McCulley was out of the picture for the Boilers, and decided to go all-in on Jackson for his only 2021 QB.

Whether he ever sees a snap at QB is TBD... But it appears that Jackson believes that Purdue will at least give him that opportunity first before moving him to another position, and Minnesota wouldn't.

(The other joke was that Brohm wasn't satisfied only having 30 WR on the roster, so he is recruiting them to play QB now...)

[847badgerfan]

Although Wisconsin has a loaded linebacker class in 2021, the Badgers still appear to be in the Yanni Karlaftis sweepstakes. One of their top targets since last fall, UW continues to stay in touch with the composite Top247 prospect, who is eying a decision late in the summer or early fall.


"They're pretty comfortable with me waiting and my timeline," Karlaftis told Badger247. "They wouldn't want me to push stuff way back, but I think they're comfortable with me making a decision before the season."

[betarhoalphadelta]

Although Wisconsin has a loaded linebacker class in 2021, the Badgers still appear to be in the Yanni Karlaftis sweepstakes. One of their top targets since last fall, UW continues to stay in touch with the composite Top247 prospect, who is eying a decision late in the summer or early fall.


"They're pretty comfortable with me waiting and my timeline," Karlaftis told Badger247. "They wouldn't want me to push stuff way back, but I think they're comfortable with me making a decision before the season."

Obviously most think he's a Boiler lean, being from West Lafayette and with his brother on the team. 

With Bob Diaco coming in to coach defense and also running a 3-4 like Wisconsin, there may not be much in the way of scheme differences. But I think a lot may come down to Yanni seeing what Diaco does at Purdue before he makes a decision either way. I suspect that in Madison he knows what he'd be getting, but today in West Lafayette he might be unsure whether Diaco will be the right fit as he hasn't seen the team on the field. 

[Honestbuckeye]

Went south on OSU in a hurry

Saw the 2 Depth charts. Not normally- but OSU has recruited a couple of studs there- more so then Bama. 

[FearlessF]

Nebraska’s 2021 recruiting class lost one member on Thursday as Crisp County (Ga.) linebacker Christopher Paul Jr. backed off his commitment from the Big Red in a social media post.

The 6-foot-1, 235-pound Paul committed to Nebraska in late March, but has continued to hear from a number of programs, including Cincinnati and Louisville. Paul added an offer from Tennessee earlier in the week, as well.

The three-star linebacker said in his social media message that he may have been hasty in his decision making process.

[Mdot21]

Saw the 2 Depth charts. Not normally- but OSU has recruited a couple of studs there- more so then Bama.

JC Latham is the #5 OT in the 247Composite and a 5*. Bama is heavy CRYSTAL BALLZ leader for the #1 OT and 5* Tommy Brockermeyer. That one looks like a lock to be quite honest.

So they are 'crootin studs there again as usual.