I have been at home these last few days with my wife while she recovers from back surgery (it has been rough). Now we are about to enter the world of Antarctica for a few days here in NEMS, so I thought I would look at a few highlight reels, read a few work-ups, and talk to a few folks I trust about our 2022 December signing class. Disclaimer: The opinions I give in this post are strictly amateur observations of a retired (for now) high school coach/military guy who probably wasn't as focused or sharp as I could potentially be, as I have made the following conclusions in between giving 24/7 care to my wife, sleeping when I can, and studying up when I have a moment to distract myself. So, here goes.
1. Who can play immediately?
Perkins and Williams will contribute next year. Perkins has the potential to be the best LB Ole Miss has had since Patrick Willis. Yes, you read that right. That guy can GO! Williams can be as good as Mingo, next year as a freshman. I am good friends with his HS coach. I couldn't believe he threw the ball that many times this past season! Williams must have been the target of every pass thrown! (I kid,.. but seriously) Lee, if he is as fast as advertised, could get quality snaps as well. He is just below the top two. We really need a go-to slot receiver. We have been spoiled by the likes of Elijah and AJ. It would really be good for our team if he focuses on the little things that can elevate him to sure-fire contributor status. Reescano has tremendous balance, vision, and cutting ability. He is well-built for a RB. He will punish you. Reminds me of Deuce. His contribution level will be determined by whether Evans returns. If Evans leaves, add him to this list.
2. Keep your eye on?
Reescano, as mentioned above, tops this list. Right behind him, Jamarious Brown at DE. His measurements are well proportioned, he is explosive, and shows signs of a mean streak in his videos. DL play is so much about technique at the P5 level, it will be interesting to see where he is with that once he gets on campus. After him, I really liked DB Daniel Demery. That guy will STRIKE you! I could see him stepping in and filling Otis Reese's spot, just not sure if he will be "there" next season. Staying in the defensive backfield, Braxton Myers has good size and breaks on the ball very well. A good offseason where he focuses on honing his skills could elevate him to contributing in 2023. The same can be said for Ahmad Brown. Our experience in the defensive backfield may prevent one or more of these guys from making the cut in 2023.
3. How will they develop?
The rest of the class seems to be in need of at least a year of growth/maturity before contributing at the SEC level. Sanders can be a very good SEC lineman, but the jump from high school to SEC is just so big. I like Fields too. Reminds me of Pettus. A year in the S&C program will do wonders for these two. It would really be good for our team if Conner improved to the point of contributing, as we desperately need help at TE, but I honestly think he is at least a year away. Skielar Mann is raw, but you can see why the staff offered him even without the "stars" aligning for him. A year of college coaching and S&C will be beneficial for him.
4. What were we thinking?
The biggest disappointment for me was our failure to give more effort to signing 4 star instate legacy Isaac Smith from Fulton. Instead, he has become the "headline player" for MSUs class. We were higher on a kid from Missouri, I get that. We all know how that turned out. I have tried to communicate the importance of "defensive recruiting", signing a player so you don't play against him, on this site for years. Mostly, I have met condescending responses from some who obviously know more about how recruiting a P5 roster works than I do. I know this, Isaac wanted to come to Ole Miss, and we high hatted him for a kid multiple state lines and at least 5 hours away who ended up high hatting us. Talk about providing ammunition for our opposition! This kid will start at MSU, and he will play with extra zeal against Ole Miss, ala KJ Jefferson, every time we play them. We didn't have room for both Burks and Smith? REALLY? This is NOT how you separate from your instate rival and move into the upper half of the conference.
Think about this: LSU beat Alabama in 2010 and 2011. Nick Saban made it a POINT to sign players from Lousiana like Cameron Robinson and Hootie Jones, therefore strengthening his roster AND weakening LSU's. 1 action, 2 results. Alabama proceeded to beat LSU 7 times in a row. Bottom line, we have to sign players like Isaac Smith, period. Big fumble by the staff, IMHO.
Finally, signing 12 players is not building the long term depth that is required to compete at the highest level in the SEC. We can't realistically expect to win consistently playing 14 players on offense in a game against Alabama. How we do in the portal will determine how high our ceiling will be in 2023. I will look at our needs and how we fill them in the portal after we play our bowl game.
1. Who can play immediately?
Perkins and Williams will contribute next year. Perkins has the potential to be the best LB Ole Miss has had since Patrick Willis. Yes, you read that right. That guy can GO! Williams can be as good as Mingo, next year as a freshman. I am good friends with his HS coach. I couldn't believe he threw the ball that many times this past season! Williams must have been the target of every pass thrown! (I kid,.. but seriously) Lee, if he is as fast as advertised, could get quality snaps as well. He is just below the top two. We really need a go-to slot receiver. We have been spoiled by the likes of Elijah and AJ. It would really be good for our team if he focuses on the little things that can elevate him to sure-fire contributor status. Reescano has tremendous balance, vision, and cutting ability. He is well-built for a RB. He will punish you. Reminds me of Deuce. His contribution level will be determined by whether Evans returns. If Evans leaves, add him to this list.
2. Keep your eye on?
Reescano, as mentioned above, tops this list. Right behind him, Jamarious Brown at DE. His measurements are well proportioned, he is explosive, and shows signs of a mean streak in his videos. DL play is so much about technique at the P5 level, it will be interesting to see where he is with that once he gets on campus. After him, I really liked DB Daniel Demery. That guy will STRIKE you! I could see him stepping in and filling Otis Reese's spot, just not sure if he will be "there" next season. Staying in the defensive backfield, Braxton Myers has good size and breaks on the ball very well. A good offseason where he focuses on honing his skills could elevate him to contributing in 2023. The same can be said for Ahmad Brown. Our experience in the defensive backfield may prevent one or more of these guys from making the cut in 2023.
3. How will they develop?
The rest of the class seems to be in need of at least a year of growth/maturity before contributing at the SEC level. Sanders can be a very good SEC lineman, but the jump from high school to SEC is just so big. I like Fields too. Reminds me of Pettus. A year in the S&C program will do wonders for these two. It would really be good for our team if Conner improved to the point of contributing, as we desperately need help at TE, but I honestly think he is at least a year away. Skielar Mann is raw, but you can see why the staff offered him even without the "stars" aligning for him. A year of college coaching and S&C will be beneficial for him.
4. What were we thinking?
The biggest disappointment for me was our failure to give more effort to signing 4 star instate legacy Isaac Smith from Fulton. Instead, he has become the "headline player" for MSUs class. We were higher on a kid from Missouri, I get that. We all know how that turned out. I have tried to communicate the importance of "defensive recruiting", signing a player so you don't play against him, on this site for years. Mostly, I have met condescending responses from some who obviously know more about how recruiting a P5 roster works than I do. I know this, Isaac wanted to come to Ole Miss, and we high hatted him for a kid multiple state lines and at least 5 hours away who ended up high hatting us. Talk about providing ammunition for our opposition! This kid will start at MSU, and he will play with extra zeal against Ole Miss, ala KJ Jefferson, every time we play them. We didn't have room for both Burks and Smith? REALLY? This is NOT how you separate from your instate rival and move into the upper half of the conference.
Think about this: LSU beat Alabama in 2010 and 2011. Nick Saban made it a POINT to sign players from Lousiana like Cameron Robinson and Hootie Jones, therefore strengthening his roster AND weakening LSU's. 1 action, 2 results. Alabama proceeded to beat LSU 7 times in a row. Bottom line, we have to sign players like Isaac Smith, period. Big fumble by the staff, IMHO.
Finally, signing 12 players is not building the long term depth that is required to compete at the highest level in the SEC. We can't realistically expect to win consistently playing 14 players on offense in a game against Alabama. How we do in the portal will determine how high our ceiling will be in 2023. I will look at our needs and how we fill them in the portal after we play our bowl game.
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