2018 Recruiting

[Jasper]

By way, I hear that Perryman is going to move inside to the “mike “ LB. With all the experience we have now, the DC has a lot of options.

Perryman seems like a logical choice as well. He has a good build for an SLB - tall, rangy, and fast with a high motor.

Granted, that may leave us a little thin at OLB with the presumed loss of Joe Farrar, but there are two logical starters at those positions (Washington and Willis). Adrian Hope has loads of potential. That would also be a logical landing spot for one of our surplus safeties.

As of right now, you are right about Joe Farrar not being back. Not sure of the reason since he had a year of eligibility remaining. Too bad - kid was really coming on. Lots of football players on campus for Maymester and pumping iron. It sure looks like the team is fulfilling CCH's goal of "getting bigger and stronger". Jordon Harris, who moved over to the O line, looks like he could fill one side of the line by himself. - 6'4", a lean 285 lbs. and about two axe handles wide in the shoulders. Hope he's a fast learner.

Jordan Harris, you may recall, was an OT in high school. https://www.hudl.com/video/3/2293616/57 ... 12f86b6607

He was recruited both as a DT and OL off a very good Pace Academy team. I believe he and former Paladin Tim Coleman were bookend OTs on that state title team.

In any event, Furman signed him as a defensive lineman, but he played offensive line in high school and has now spent the off season there. I expect he'll be fine.

Thanks for the great video on Harris in HS. WOW. The kid looks great at OT. Powerful drive blocker, very quick feet for pass blocking and pulls very well. And he is relentless. On one play he blocks 3 defenders and then goes into the stands and pancakes the guy selling popcorn. He was getting a lot of PT on the D line before he got hurt vs. NC State last year so Clay must have seen something he really liked....and he would know. I wonder if he was eligible for a medical red shirt for that season.

[The Jackal]

By way, I hear that Perryman is going to move inside to the “mike “ LB. With all the experience we have now, the DC has a lot of options.

Perryman seems like a logical choice as well. He has a good build for an SLB - tall, rangy, and fast with a high motor.

Granted, that may leave us a little thin at OLB with the presumed loss of Joe Farrar, but there are two logical starters at those positions (Washington and Willis). Adrian Hope has loads of potential. That would also be a logical landing spot for one of our surplus safeties.

As of right now, you are right about Joe Farrar not being back. Not sure of the reason since he had a year of eligibility remaining. Too bad - kid was really coming on. Lots of football players on campus for Maymester and pumping iron. It sure looks like the team is fulfilling CCH's goal of "getting bigger and stronger". Jordon Harris, who moved over to the O line, looks like he could fill one side of the line by himself. - 6'4", a lean 285 lbs. and about two axe handles wide in the shoulders. Hope he's a fast learner.

Jordan Harris, you may recall, was an OT in high school. https://www.hudl.com/video/3/2293616/57 ... 12f86b6607

He was recruited both as a DT and OL off a very good Pace Academy team. I believe he and former Paladin Tim Coleman were bookend OTs on that state title team.

In any event, Furman signed him as a defensive lineman, but he played offensive line in high school and has now spent the off season there. I expect he'll be fine.

Thanks for the great video on Harris in HS. WOW. The kid looks great at OT. Powerful drive blocker, very quick feet for pass blocking and pulls very well. And he is relentless. On one play he blocks 3 defenders and then goes into the stands and pancakes the guy selling popcorn. He was getting a lot of PT on the D line before he got hurt vs. NC State last year so Clay must have seen something he really liked....and he would know. I wonder if he was eligible for a medical red shirt for that season.

With last year's injury, hard to really know what Furman has in Harris. We should have some open competition along the offensive line, so he should be one to watch.

My understanding of the medical redshirt waiver is that the player cannot play in 30% of the teams games or 3 total contests, none of which can come after the mid-way point in the season. My expectation is that NC State was Harris' third game and would (under my understanding) be ineligible for the redshirt.

[gofurman]

Honestly, the only returning receiver I saw last year that fits the mold of a big, fast, tall, rangy WR that will cause shorter DBs a lot of trouble plays for Furman (Cam Burnette). We don't have to worry about him.

C’mon Jackal, I get being a homer, but you are sellin’ the whole SoCon short with that assessment. All of the following 4 big, tall, fast, rangy WR’s have impressed me:

Chatt - Bingo Morton 6-2/215
Chatt - Wil Young 6-3/215
ETSU - Drake Powell 6-2/200
Mercer - Marquise Irvin 6-2/215 (on some All SoCon Team each of his 1st 3 years. Hard to say he ain’t a ‘troublesome’ returning WR)

2 more that I’ve heard are worth watching...
Mercer - David Durden 6-2/200 - signed w/Mercer in 2017, but played pro baseball last year. Understand he was the fastest player in the Red Sox org. & VERY impressive this Spring
Mercer - Demond Ellison 6-3/212 - only a true FR, but played on an 0-10 Team his Sr. Year. May have been a bit buried in recruiting due to that. Raw, but very talented.

If Ellison polishes up fast, with those other 2 & 6-1 Kelby Brock & 6-0 Tucker Cannon, who have both played a lot over the past 2 years, Mercer should be able to create some matchup issues for those SoCon Teams not blessed with 6-3 & 6-1 CB’s.

good call FUBeaR - gotta call it as it really is. If a guy like Irvin makes All-Socon several times that is far more proven than Burnette is at this point.. Just a fact.

The main recvr that scares me stands about 5'9". HEIGHT is just a number if you are that fast. Kelvin McKnight just KILLED us - Height is overrated sometimes - like 40 yard dash speeds. McKnight had TEN Catches for 179 yards and a TD? Those are video game numbers... We. had. no. answer.

[FUBeAR]

I had forgotten Irvin. He’s perhaps the only guy I put in Burnette’s cataegory. Irvin will be an interesting guy to follow as Mercer graduated their other two top pass catchers. I think the Bears had the top receiving corps in the league last year, but I’m interested to see how Irvin does without those other two talented WRs to take the pressure off.

The other guys I was not particularly impressed with. Sure, they are tall, but they didn’t exactly light the world on fire. Bingo Morton averaged under 10 yards a catch. Now, some of that is because the UTC offense was awful.

I don’t know anything about your other guys. As noted, Mercer is going to have to fill some big shoes at receiver, so there’s playing time availble. I’m always skeptical about guys that played for winless football teams, though.

Welp...since you brought up stats, it might be fun to look at the Career & 2017 stats of the returning "Big" WR's in the SoCon (sorted by Total Yards in both tables)...

Stats aren't everything, but I think it's pretty hard to look at these stats AND to watch all of these cats play...and to, OBJECTIVELY, say that Irvin, Morton, Powell, and maybe even Young aren't even in Burnette's "category." In no way, am I maligning young Mr. Burnette's obvious talent, but there are at least 3, possibly 4, other "Big WR's" in the SoCon who, objectively (there's that word again), have proven that they belong in the 'conversation,'...at least.

[Paul C]

Nice 2017 stats. The only one that counts is “games played - 13”

[FUBeAR]

Nice 2017 stats. The only one that counts is “games played - 13”

Thought the exact same thing, but I then thought that was just the old OLman in my psyche rearing his big ugly head. Glad to see someone else has a big ugly inside them. Hey, tell your big ugly to call mine. They’ll do lunch.

[furman88]

There you go confusing things with facts although Cam Burnette's YPC is impressive in a short period of time.

[The Jackal]

There you go confusing things with facts although Cam Burnette's YPC is impressive in a short period of time.

I think my point got lost in this. The initial question was whether Furman needs to keep Bryan Okeh, a 6’4 safety, in the defensive backfield to deal with tall WR threats from other teams.

My point is that in the SoCon there aren’t that many tall receivers that are guys that can “go get em.” That’s not a question statistics can answer. Stats just tell me that they caught the ball, not where they caught it or how they caught it.

[FUBeAR]

There you go confusing things with facts although Cam Burnette's YPC is impressive in a short period of time.

I think my point got lost in this. The initial question was whether Furman needs to keep Bryan Okeh, a 6’4 safety, in the defensive backfield to deal with tall WR threats from other teams.

My point is that in the SoCon there aren’t that many tall receivers that are guys that can “go get em.” That’s not a question statistics can answer. Stats just tell me that they caught the ball, not where they caught it or how they caught it.

I didn’t lose your point. I’m questioning the basis for your opinion on the matter at hand & providing objective facts as well as my subjective opinion supporting the basis for my questioning.

You supported your previously stated opinion based upon your subjective assessment that the ONLY big, tall, rangy, fast, and other adjectives I don’t recall in the SoCon plays for Furman. Now that you have refreshed your memory & been provided with additional documentation that would seem to indicate (to most objective & reasonable observers) that at least 3 other SoCon Teams do have those types of WR’s, does that alter your initial opinion?

Or, are you still of the same opinion because you still don’t believe there are any talented such WR’s in the SoCon, other than Mr. Burnette?

[furman88]

Where is Judge Judy when you need her?

[JohnW]

Louis Colosimo is no longer on the roster. Appears to be headed to Davidson.

[JohnW]

Six new Paladins listed on the roster. All mentioned here I believe except Domenic Ferrari, 6-0 210 DE, from Christ Presby.

[The Jackal]

Six new Paladins listed on the roster. All mentioned here I believe except Domenic Ferrari, 6-0 210 DE, from Christ Presby.

Didn't count, but it's a big roster.

[AstroDin]

Six new Paladins listed on the roster. All mentioned here I believe except Domenic Ferrari, 6-0 210 DE, from Christ Presby.

looks like the 2018 class has numbers assigned. Back in the day when I played basketball, we fought over numbers… until the coaches stepped in. Always curious about numbers - are they random - do some players request a number? I expected Dejuan Bell to get one of my favorite numbers #1 that was his number in high school, but 88 is pretty cool. Also, think Sission got a good karma number… love #19 not a traditional Qb number but you can't argue with Johnny Unitas and Joe Montana (KC version). Also, highlighted a few more… I think it's interesting that Granger has a #6 - not sure but I think we've had very few single digit QBs at Furman. Love the #31 and #32 for the incoming running backs. Hackett and Gilby get #49 and #51 at linebacker, and man-beast Cujo Coleman gets #56 at nose guard - I expect to see that number called a ton in the future.

Trapp #4
Wilkins #5
Granger #6
Griffin #7
Sisson #19
Watkins #31
Abrams #32
Saylor #37
Blackshear #38
Silvestri #42
Hackett #49
Gilby #51
Coleman #56
Ferrari #57
Fisher #58
Tomlin #67
Ashley #78
Hall #80
Miller #82
Peterson #84
Bell #88
Shahriari #96

I think I got them all… 22 true freshmen.

[The Jackal]

I’m sure its a little of both and probably based on seniority.

Some numbers don’t have a lot of flexibility. Offensive linemen, for instance, are numbered between 50-79 (which has to do with their eligibility as a receiver). Rarely will you see receivers with numbers in 20s, 30s, 40s.

My guess is they have a few guys that have to change numbers (Jordan Harris, for instance, needs to lose his #91 to play OL). After that it is probably by seniority if you want to change your number subject to certain whatever parameters they put on you. Freshmen take whatever is left to them.