Tag: class

The good, the bad and the ugly from the Saints’ 2023 draft

The good, the bad and the ugly from the New Orleans Saints’ 2023 draft class focuses on trades, value picks. and worrisome injury histories, via @DillySanders:

The 2023 NFL draft has come and gone, with the New Orleans Saints generally being praised for their rookie haul from this season.

Adding Bryan Bresee, Isaiah Foskey, Kendre Miller and more makes for an exciting class for both the present and the future of the team. No draft class is perfect, though, as every player and group has ups-and-downs to them. Some times it’s just how the board falls, sometimes the team made a bad decision and sometimes it’s other stuff entirely. As fun as this draft class is, there are still some things that could make you raise an eyebrow.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Saints most recent NFL draft class:

Here’s the New Orleans Saints’ 2023 draft class

Here’s the New Orleans Saints’ 2023 draft class, with breakdowns of every pick, Relative Athletic Scores, and a preview of their team fits:

The 2023 NFL draft is in the books, and New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis has to be feeling great about the rookie class he and his team hauled in. They’ve welcomed seven new players to New Orleans, with more to follow as undrafted free agents.

After staying put through the first three rounds of selections, the Saints traded up twice in the fourth round — while holding onto some of their picks in the later rounds. They came away with two impactful defensive linemen, a dynamic running back, and improved depth along the offensive line and in the defensive secondary. To say nothing of their new developmental quarterback.

Here’s a quick look at the Saints’ entire 2023 rookie draft class:

ESPN doesn’t let injuries diminish its ranking of Saints’ 2022 rookie class

With multiple players missing most of their first season to injuries, ESPN doesn’t have much to say about the Saints’ 2022 rookie class — but what they did share is positive:

The New Orleans Saints’ 2022 draft class got a raw deal. Injuries hit them harder than most, with multiple players missing much of their rookie season with injuries — first-round left tackle Trevor Penning lost the start of his season to turf toe surgery, and ended it with a Lisfranc fracture; second-round cornerback Alontae Taylor missed four games, and fifth-round linebacker D’Marco Jackson was lost for the entire season to an undisclosed training camp injury.

So it’s kind of difficult to evaluate the rookie draft class. Aaron Schatz and Alex Vigderman gave it a shot for ESPN, and they reached a sensible conclusion by ranking New Orleans’ first-year pros near the middle of the league at No. 18 overall. Here’s their reasoning for that placement:

“The Saints had only five picks in last year’s draft, and one of their first-round picks, offensive tackle Trevor Penning, was healthy enough to play only six games this season. But the Saints still had a good rookie class with major contributions from one draftee on each side of the ball plus an undrafted surprise.

Wide receiver Chris Olave finished the season with 1,042 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Olave was the highest rookie wide receiver in ESPN Analytics’ advanced receiver ratings. Cornerback Alontae Taylor played in only 11 games but was outstanding in coverage, with just 4.3 yards per target allowed. And undrafted wide receiver Rashid Shaheed didn’t play until Week 6 but was a starter by the final five games of the season and ended the year with 488 yards and two touchdowns on 17.4 yards per reception.”

That checks out. Olave was one of the most exciting young players in the NFL last season, and Shaheed is looking like an excellent complement at wide receiver. Taylor showed a ton of promise in matching up with the best receivers in pro football at times this season. Penning’s limited snaps were good to see, too; he just needs to prove his body can hold up.

If Penning can return to good health and lock down the starting job while Olave and Shaheed continue to progress at   receiver, with Taylor nailing down his own role in the secondary, things are in good shape. Hopefully Jackson can carve out a niche for himself at linebacker behind Demario Davis and Pete Werner (though Kaden Elliss’s free agency and Zack Baun’s presence complicate things). It’s a shame the Saints didn’t get more out of sixth-round defensive lineman Jordan Jackson, who opted to sign with the Denver Broncos rather than re-sign with New Orleans’ practice squad. Hopefully the other 2022 rookies can step up.

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Notre Dame football adds another to 2021 recruiting class

For the second evening in a row Notre Dame added a class of 2021 football commitment. Details on the newest Irish right here!

Make it two commitments in two days for Brian Kelly and Notre Dame as the Irish landed kicker Joshua Bryan’s commitment on Tuesday night.

Bryan had been committed to Colorado but announced his change of heart on Twitter early Tuesday evening.

Bryan ranks as the seventh best kicker in the 2021 class according to 247Sports.

Bryan had also received scholarship offers from Air Force, Army, Navy and Yale as well as Colorado.

At the Chris Sailer Kicking Camp, Bryan became the first player to ever receive a six-star rating, meaning he projects as a Power Five starter his freshman year and worthy of a scholarship.

Mike Singer did the leg work (pun fully intended) over at Blue-Gold Illustrated in finding out the story behind Bryan’s pursuit of a scholarship from Notre Dame and his eventual commitment in a piece worth checking out.

Current Notre Dame kicker Jonathan Doerer previously said he thought he’d be back for another season in 2021 but this late offer by the Irish makes you wonder if that’s still the case.

Related: Meet Notre Dame’s 2021 Recruiting Class

Bryan is the 21st commitment to Notre Dame’s 2021 class that is knocking on the door of being one of the ten best in the nation.

Notre Dame football adds another to 2021 recruiting class

For the second evening in a row Notre Dame added a class of 2021 football commitment. Details on the newest Irish right here!

Make it two commitments in two days for Brian Kelly and Notre Dame as the Irish landed kicker Joshua Bryan’s commitment on Tuesday night.

Bryan had been committed to Colorado but announced his change of heart on Twitter early Tuesday evening.

Bryan ranks as the seventh best kicker in the 2021 class according to 247Sports.

Bryan had also received scholarship offers from Air Force, Army, Navy and Yale as well as Colorado.

At the Chris Sailer Kicking Camp, Bryan became the first player to ever receive a six-star rating, meaning he projects as a Power Five starter his freshman year and worthy of a scholarship.

Mike Singer did the leg work (pun fully intended) over at Blue-Gold Illustrated in finding out the story behind Bryan’s pursuit of a scholarship from Notre Dame and his eventual commitment in a piece worth checking out.

Current Notre Dame kicker Jonathan Doerer previously said he thought he’d be back for another season in 2021 but this late offer by the Irish makes you wonder if that’s still the case.

Related: Meet Notre Dame’s 2021 Recruiting Class

Bryan is the 21st commitment to Notre Dame’s 2021 class that is knocking on the door of being one of the ten best in the nation.

Florida Gators football No. 7 in latest ESPN 2021 recruiting rankings

Representing a drop of two spots, the Florida Gators, owners of 11 ESPN 300 pledges, slotted in at No. 7 in the nation for the 2021 class.

Compiled by staff writer Craig Haubert, ESPN released their updated 2021 football recruiting rankings on Friday, September 11 (subscription required).

Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide, who possesses 16 ESPN 300 commits, held steady at No. 1, followed by Ryan Day’s Ohio State Buckeyes and Jeremy Pruitt’s Tennessee Volunteers to complete the top-three.

Representing a drop of two spots, the Florida Gators, owners of 11 ESPN 300 pledges, slotted in at No. 7.

Both earning grades of 86 from the publication, Miami cornerback Jason Marshall, Jr. and Loganville, Georgia pro-style quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson are Florida’s highest-rated commits.

Safety Corey Collier, Marshall’s teammate at Miami Palmetto, Fort Lauderdale defensive end Tyreak Sapp, and Powder Springs, Georgia outside linebacker Chief Borders are not far behind, all garnering grades of 84.

247Sports also pegs the Gators’ collection of prospects as the seventh-best nationally, one of the rare occasions where the two services’ rankings align.

Occupying the three spots after Florida, Manny Diaz’ Miami Hurricanes, Mack Brown’s North Carolina Tar Heels, and Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs rounded out ESPN’s top-10.

Showcasing why the Southeastern Conference (SEC) is considered the pinnacle of college football, the league had 11 of the 39 schools included in the network’s rankings, including eight in the top-25.

Other notables from ESPN include Tom Herman’s Texas Longhorns at No. 13, Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines at No. 14, Lincoln Riley’s Oklahoma Sooners at No. 15, Paul Chryst’s Wisconsin Badgers at No. 17, and Mike Norvell’s Florida State Seminoles at No. 20.

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The Athletic complimentary of the Florida Gators’ latest work on football recruiting trail

Florida’s upcoming class now stands at 24 members. Marshall, the lone five-star, is the highest-rated of the group, followed by Tyreak Sapp.

Releasing his latest “This week in recruiting” article on August 12 (subscription required), The Athletic’s Ari Wasserman praised the recent work of head coach Dan Mullen and the rest of his Florida Gators coaching staff on the recruiting trail.

“This week, Mullen enjoyed perhaps his best two days on the recruiting trail as Florida’s head coach,” he began.

“Mullen went into South Florida and landed teammates from Miami (Fla.) Palmetto who both rank in the top-100 nationally: (five-star cornerback Jason Marshall) and four-star safety Corey Collier, the No. 83 overall player. Florida’s class jumped to No. 6 nationally with the two commitments.

“We could make this a discussion about how Miami, which is recruiting quite well this season, missed on two local players who could have vaulted its class into the top-three in the nation. Remember, the Hurricanes have two five-star prospects from Miami committed, including defensive tackle Leonard Taylor, who also plays at Palmetto. The Hurricanes had a chance to do something truly remarkable.

“But you have to give credit to Florida for recruiting these two Palmetto stars. Even though they are much closer to Miami’s campus, they are still in-state prospects for the Gators.”

Florida’s upcoming class now stands at 24 members. Marshall, the lone five-star, is the highest-rated of the group, followed by Collier and Fort Lauderdale four-star defensive end Tyreak Sapp.

A name to watch to join this group is Bradenton four-star defensive end Tunmise Adeleye, who decommitted from Ryan Day’s Ohio State Buckeyes on August 11.

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Playing his first three seasons at Katy (Texas) High School, Tunmise plans to suit up for IMG Academy, one of the nation’s premier talent-producing programs, as a senior.

Florida first extended him an offer on January 29, 2019 and have twice secured his presence on campus, first on February 1 for a Junior Day and again on March 7 for an unofficial visit.

Defensive line coach David Turner and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham have been leading the charge on his recruitment.

On the offensive side of the football, Ocala wide receiver Trevonte Rucker and Loganville, Georgia quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and wideout Daejon Reynolds lead the way, with another receiver, Jacksonville’s Marcus Burke, not far behind.

As Wasserman mentioned, this collection of pledges now ranks No. 6 in America, per the 247Sports Composite, trailing only Ohio State, Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide, Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers, Mario Cristobal’s Oregon Ducks, and Jeremy Pruitt’s Tennessee Volunteers.

Ed Orgeron’s LSU Tigers, Clay Helton’s USC Trojans, and Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines round out the top-10.

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Florida Gators add five-star CB Jason Marshall to 2021 football class

Marshall, who the Gators have been courting since his sophomore year in 2018, was the program’s top target in the upcoming class.

While the news regarding the 2020 college football season has been bleak in recent days, the Florida Gators made an impactful splash on August 9, adding five-star Miami cornerback Jason Marshall to their 2021 class.

Marshall, who the Gators have been courting since his sophomore year in 2018, was the program’s top target in the upcoming class.

Originally offering the in-state standout, who the 247Sports Composite ranks as the No. 2 player at his position in the cycle, on October 16, 2018, he took an unofficial visit to Gainesville on June 13, 2019, and returned to campus on March 7 for one of the program’s Junior Days.

As of earlier this month, it looked like Manny Diaz’ Miami Hurricanes were leading the race to land Marshall’s services, picking up Crystal Ball predictions from Blake Alderman and Andrew Ivins on August 1.

In fact, Miami held five of his six Crystal Balls (83-percent), with Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide possessing the other one. It appeared as if Dan Mullen’s Florida program was on the fringes of Marshall’s recruitment.

“They really just kept it real with me since they offered me my sophomore year, and since then, I grew relationships with coach Mullen, coach (Brian) Johnson, and coach (Torrian) Gray,” Marshall told Alderman, who is the program’s lead writer for 247Sports.

“It’s possible I can come in and have early playing time. I think I can fit their defense because of the techniques they play and the style of defense.”

The lone five-star among the Gators’ 24 current commits, Marshall is the highest-rated pledge in the class.

Joining Fort Lauderdale defensive end Tyreak Sapp, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College outside linebacker Diwun Black, and Carrollton, Georgia’s Chief Borders, all four-stars, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham has stocked the cupboard full at all three levels moving forward.

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Four-star DB Kamar Wilcoxson reclassifies, joins 2020 class

Courted by Todd Grantham and Torrian Gray, Wilcoxson’s recruitment was one of the most eventful in recent Gators history.

The Florida Gators’ 2020 class already ranked No. 9 nationally, per the 247Sports Composite, but this collection of prospects became even stronger on Monday with four-star cornerback Kamar Wilcoxson’s decision to forgo his senior year of high school football and join the cycle.

Wilcoxson hinted at the choice to reclassify on his Twitter account, @KamarWilcoxson4.

While listed as a safety by the major recruiting services, many around the program project Wilcoxson to play cornerback in Gainesville. He spent his first three prep seasons at Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, Georgia and had planned to play his senior campaign at Bradenton’s IMG Academy, one of America’s premier talent-producing programs.

Courted by defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and position coach Torrian Gray, Wilcoxson’s recruitment was one of the most eventful in recent Gators history.

He initially committed to Florida on November 3, 2018 but backed off that pledge on April 27, 2019. One year to the day of his decommitment, April 27, 2020, he verbally agreed to play for Jeremy Pruitt’s Tennessee Volunteers.

His allegiance to Knoxville was short-lived, however, as on June 19, he flipped back to the Gators.

Wilcoxson was rated as the eighth-highest of Florida’s 23 current commits in the 2021 cycle, now, he slots in eleventh of the program’s 22 enrollees in the 2020 class.

He is expected to officially enroll and arrive on-campus later in August.

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Gators football drops to No. 8 in latest ESPN 2021 class rankings

ESPN unveiled their latest 2021 recruiting class rankings on July 23, and for the second-straight update, the Gators fell down the list.

ESPN unveiled their latest 2021 recruiting class rankings on July 23 (subscription required), and for the second-straight update, the Florida Gators fell down the list.

While the July 6 rankings saw the Gators drop two spots, the latest assessment was only a one-spot fall, resulting in the program slotting in at No. 8.

The Ohio State Buckeyes occupied the top spot, followed by the Alabama Crimson Tide, who moved up 11 spots, the largest jump of any program to make the network’s top-25.

Mack Brown’s North Carolina Tar Heels, Jeremy Pruitt’s Tennessee Volunteers, and Ed Orgeron’s LSU Tigers, the reigning College Football Playoff national champions, completed the top-five.

“Dan Mullen’s third consecutive top-10 class in Gainesville is a near lock coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons and top-10 Associated Press Poll finishes, as well as the hiring of ace recruiter (tight ends coach) Tim Brewster,” ESPN began in their breakdown.

“Brewster immediately addressed the need at tight end with ESPN 300s Gage Wilcox and Nick Elksnis. There are two quarterbacks in the class in ESPN 300 Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and four-star Texan Jalen Kitna.

“A pair of ESPN 300 wide receivers are in the fold in Trevonte Rucker from an hour’s drive away and Georgia playmaker Daejon Reynolds. A third ESPN 300 wide receiver is Marcus Burke from Jacksonville powerhouse Trinity Christian.

“ESPN 300 in-state athlete Charles Montgomery could play on either side of the football. ESPN 300 Chief Borders is a versatile jumbo athlete who projects as an outside linebacker. A talented secondary group is made up of ESPN 300 and Tennessee flip Kamar Wilcoxson, LSU flip Dakota Mitchell, and four-star safety Donovan McMillon.

“ESPN 300 defensive end Tyreak Sapp will likely move to defensive tackle long-term. Four-star defensive end Justus Boone was a high-ceiling win out of the Palmetto State.”

The largest reason for Florida’s drop was four-star Baltimore, Maryland cornerback Clinton Burton, Jr.’s flip to the Boston College Eagles on July 17. Burton, Jr. was the second-highest rated commit in the cycle for the program, garnering a rating of 85 from ESPN, trailing only Sapp’s 86.

To make up for this loss, the Gators secured McMillon’s pledge the day after Burton, Jr.’s departure, and added Burke two days after that.

Overall, seven Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools made ESPN’s cut, representing over one-quarter of the list. Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs are No. 13, followed by Jimbo Fisher’s Texas A&M Aggies at No. 18, and Gus Malzahn’s Auburn Tigers at No. 22.

Other notables include Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines at No. 10, Manny Diaz’ Miami Hurricanes at No. 11, Kirk Ferentz’ Iowa Hawkeyes at No. 21, and Mike Norvell’s Florida State Seminoles at No. 23.

This No. 8 rating from ESPN is two spots higher than 247Sports’ view of Florida’s collection of prospects, which pegs the program at No. 10 nationally.

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