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LAFAYETTE = 60

These are coach Frank Tavani’s kind of guys. There won’t be a cheeseburger left in eastern Pennsylvania once this group shows up on campus. Lafayette’s greatest success in this century has come with huge dozers up front controlling the line of scrimmage, and this class is in that mold. The recruiting class of 2014 should keep Lafayette competitive in the Rodney Dangerfield, we don’t get no respect, Patriot League. They probably will not however, do much to move the program to the next level. They will have difficulty erasing the hated “co” that seems to precede each Leopard championship. Without a fortuitous draw in the expanded FCS playoffs, they do not appear likely to win the school’s first ever playoff game. And, despite 2009’s sweep of the Ivys, they are unlikely to do much about getting The Curse off this program’s back.

QUALITY = 22: Something of a disappointment after all the hoopla, verbal back slapping, and self congratulation on the Lafayette board leading up to signing day. Details and a comparison with prior years:
2010: 8 Rated (25%); 2 two-stars
2009: 7 Rated (41%); 3 two-stars
2008: 10 Rated (36%); 0 two-stars
2007: 15 Rated (50%); 0 two-stars

CLASS SIZE = 7: 32 Recruits.

DISTRIBUTION = 8: No kicker, although Tavani included at least one preferred walk-on, but chose to omit another, a kicker.

SPEED = 7: Includes the usual disclaimer that information in this area is sketchy.

TRIGGER = 0: Only one QB. He has impressive size (6’4”, 230), but only two All-County honorable mentions on his high school resume. “Thinks he’s a linebacker playing quarterback” says Tavani. Not necessarily what one wants to hear about a kid who may ultimately be in charge of your offense. Some of the faithful are of the opinion that this near void in the area of the most important position on a college football team was intentional. Not so much. Indications are that the Pards were pursuing 10 or so candidates, at least 3 of whom could be classed “big time.” They simply struck out.

JUMBO = 5: 4 OL, all at 270+; 2DL, 1 at 250+.

NEEDS = 8

OL = 5 (of 5): 3 of the 4 OL recruits are rated, and all have the height to become 300+ pounders.
LB = 3 (of 4): 6 recruits gives the DC lots of possibilities. None of the 6 are rated, so the group as a whole was not awarded the 4 point maximum.
QB = 0 (of 3): The QB situation was discussed at length above. A local reporter states that the recruit’s “stats were not earth-shattering, but offensive coordinator-quarterbacks coach Mickey Fein really seems to like him.” The Committee does not see enough to award any Patsy Points however.

THE COMMITTEE’S ADJUSTMENTS - +3

The Committee frankly feels that this group is better than the numbers indicate. As indicated above, these appear to be Frank Tavani’s kind of kids. Large offensive linemen, 3 DBs 6’ and up, 2 rated RBs, and a huge (6’7”) two star TE. After seeing Air Lafayette in 2009, we could be seeing some back to basics in a few years. Tavani will do more with these recruits than most coaches could – if he can solve his retention problem.

Art Carney is here! And Jayne Meadows, too!

Ivytalk wrote:Art Carney is here! And Jayne Meadows, too!

That's meadows2 to you.

Is Harvard-Lafayette in Easton next year, carney? If so, find me a parking place and I'll buy you a good beer!

Ivytalk wrote:Is Harvard-Lafayette in Easton next year, carney? If so, find me a parking place and I'll buy you a good beer!

October 2nd, 6:00 PM. Parking is on-street and not all that difficult for all games but Lehigh. That's the best I can do for you. You owe me a beer - a "good beer."

carney2 wrote:

Ivytalk wrote:Is Harvard-Lafayette in Easton next year, carney? If so, find me a parking place and I'll buy you a good beer!

October 2nd, 6:00 PM. Parking is on-street and not all that difficult for all games but Lehigh. That's the best I can do for you. You owe me a beer - a "good beer."

Geez, Ivy, you might as well get a room in the Lehigh Valley as Haaavaaard will be at Goodman two weeks later. I think we're home that afternoon with Fordham. You could do a PL 'double dip'

Always impressed with Frank's ability to recruit size up front, considering he's such a sawed off person! Missing one year at QB is not huge if you already have a stable, but I didn't think LC had that many QBs in reserve last year? Quilling?

carney2 wrote:

Ivytalk wrote:Art Carney is here! And Jayne Meadows, too!

That's meadows2 to you.

Good to see you here. I always enjoy reading your Patriot League stuff.

ngineer wrote:Always impressed with Frank's ability to recruit size up front, considering he's such a sawed off person! Missing one year at QB is not huge if you already have a stable, but I didn't think LC had that many QBs in reserve last year? Quilling?

Quilling is the senior with the most (although little) experience. Frank thinks he got poor support in the 2008 Lehigh game and is loyal to a fault, so he has a shot.

O'Neill, the junior is the most athletic of the trio.

Shoop, the sophomore, is the "high potential" of the three.

There is no leading candidate at the moment. You probably should not expect things to clarify until about two weeks before the Georgetown opener. Also, Frank has the precedent he set with Maurer in his sophomore year when Maurer played one half and upperclassman Pat Davis played the other. That went on for about half of the season before Maurer settled into the job. Could be a way of easing Shoop in if he truly is a big timer and there is fear of throwing him to the wolves a la' Chris Lum in 2009 at Lehigh.

Always enjoyed the Patsy ratings. Good to see you Carney.

Mark Ross | Ross Highlights
Wide Receiver, 6-3, 200, Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell Plans to major in Economics. AT HOPEWELL: National Honor Society member...selected for Pittsburgh Post Gazette "Fabulous 22"...earned honorable mention all-state honors...unanimous choice for All-Parkway Conference laurels where he helped lead his squad to a conference title...in 2009, his team finished 12-1 as WPIAL runner up...participated in Pennsylvania East/West game...had 63 receptions, 1,400 yards and 19 touchdowns...member of basketball team...participated in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes as a senior worship leader...member of student council, class representative and Spanish club...two-time MAC Scholar Athlete Award winner...scholar athlete. PERSONAL: Son of Frederick and Tamara Ross...has two older brothers, Steve and Kurt...born 5/22/91.


This is one kid I am excited about. 6' 3" WR who was a member of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette Fab-22 team (a tremendous honor given the players coming out of the Pittsburgh area).

Let's not forget to add three points for the points Carney took away in not addressing our "need" at QB as Carney was the only one to determine that QB was a "need" for the Leopards. He rightly points out that we essentially have a QB represented in every year with the odds on favorite to start being a Sophomore. How we get dinged for not creating a glut of young QB's and, by the way, avoiding two of Carney's most dreaded pet peeves, namely QB controversies and/or defections, is beyond me. The coaches addressed the needs they identified and then some. But hey, Carney does the work on these rankings so I guess he can slip in a precieved need of his own if he wants.

Also, can we please add 5 points for what I am now calling the "Carney Effect". The Carney Effect states that no positive thought about Lafayette, Easton, the color maroon, Leopards or big cats in general can ever be maintained by Carney for more than 48 hours. At one point Carney was calling this class the "class of a lifetime". A couple of days ago it was "very promising" (do you see the effect taking place here). Now he views the class as status quo (satus quo by the way represents multiple league championships and perpetually in the hunt for the title) and maybe even a bust. Stick around...in a few days Carney will be calling for the head of Frank Tavani based on his inability to recruit.

Now I am sure Carney will call me a "homer" and one who views the world through maroon colored glasses. That's fine but I think this class has at least three potential PL super stars in it...potentially more. I think there is no doubt that we helped ourseleves trmendously on offense and defense and the prioroties were exactly where they were supposed to be. Time will tell. In the mean time we will once again place in the middle of the pack in the Patsy Ratings. But I have come to figure out that we could never place atop of the Patsy Ratings. Carney's just not capable of it. His head would likely explode.

Oh well Carney, my old, old cyber-friend...you and I have been down this road at least on a weekly basis for what? 5 years at this point? You are the crumdugeonly, dark and evil yin to my rosey, optimistic (and might I say more accurate) yang. You keep Leopard bashing and I'll keep Carney bashing and everything will be right in the world.

Pard94 wrote:Let's not forget to add three points for the points Carney took away in not addressing our "need" at QB as Carney was the only one to determine that QB was a "need" for the Leopards. He rightly points out that we essentially have a QB represented in every year with the odds on favorite to start being a Sophomore. How we get dinged for not creating a glut of young QB's and, by the way, avoiding two of Carney's most dreaded pet peeves, namely QB controversies and/or defections, is beyond me. The coaches addressed the needs they identified and then some. But hey, Carney does the work on these rankings so I guess he can slip in a precieved need of his own if he wants.

Also, can we please add 5 points for what I am now calling the "Carney Effect". The Carney Effect states that no positive thought about Lafayette, Easton, the color maroon, Leopards or big cats in general can ever be maintained by Carney for more than 48 hours. At one point Carney was calling this class the "class of a lifetime". A couple of days ago it was "very promising" (do you see the effect taking place here). Now he views the class as status quo (satus quo by the way represents multiple league championships and perpetually in the hunt for the title) and maybe even a bust. Stick around...in a few days Carney will be calling for the head of Frank Tavani based on his inability to recruit.

Now I am sure Carney will call me a "homer" and one who views the world through maroon colored glasses. That's fine but I think this class has at least three potential PL super stars in it...potentially more. I think there is no doubt that we helped ourseleves trmendously on offense and defense and the prioroties were exactly where they were supposed to be. Time will tell. In the mean time we will once again place in the middle of the pack in the Patsy Ratings. But I have come to figure out that we could never place atop of the Patsy Ratings. Carney's just not capable of it. His head would likely explode.

Oh well Carney, my old, old cyber-friend...you and I have been down this road at least on a weekly basis for what? 5 years at this point? You are the crumdugeonly, dark and evil yin to my rosey, optimistic (and might I say more accurate) yang. You keep Leopard bashing and I'll keep Carney bashing and everything will be right in the world.

Actually, Andy, the father of us all, was the first to beat the drum for a "need" at QB. It is rare that I agree with someone who knows what he's doing*, but in this case I did.

*You should be proud, 94, that I count you in this group because you and I tend to agree on little except our hate of ChickenSquawks.

Anyway, good to hear from you, 94, and keep drinking the Kool-Aid.

Ok, you dragged me over here. Still think you are bit too pessimistic on Pards class. Qb a real ?, but can never tell Randolph wasn't highly recruited. Big uglies rarely rated and skew ratings a bit to the negative. Solid if not spectacular skill kids, altho Collie and Mputu could be exciting.

RichH wrote:Ok, you dragged me over here. Still think you are bit too pessimistic on Pards class. Qb a real ?, but can never tell Randolph wasn't highly recruited. Big uglies rarely rated and skew ratings a bit to the negative. Solid if not spectacular skill kids, altho Collie and Mputu could be exciting.

Good to see you over here.

"Actually, Andy, the father of us all, was the first to beat the drum for a "need" at QB. It is rare that I agree with someone who knows what he's doing*, but in this case I did."

Yes well you have Andy who agrees with you...I have the entire Lafayette coaching staff in agreement with me.

Pard94 wrote:"Actually, Andy, the father of us all, was the first to beat the drum for a "need" at QB. It is rare that I agree with someone who knows what he's doing*, but in this case I did."

Yes well you have Andy who agrees with you...I have the entire Lafayette coaching staff in agreement with me.

Then why did they pursue so many and actually make offers?

Then why did they pursue so many and actually make offers?

Of course you go after the best athletes you can but I would wager the staff didn't put a "full court press" on QB's this year. And why do you suppose these QB's they go after and make offers to don't accept? Could it be because they look at the likes of an HC or a Lehigh or Fordham and they see an actual opportunity as opposed to Lafayette where they see a QB prospect in every class and reasonably assume Lafayette is all set at QB for now? Hmmm?

Carney do you ever go back and re-evaluate a class and compare them to your initial evaluation. If so I would like to hear your take on the 2008 class who just completed their second season. Here's a class that did not have many stars next to their names when they came in and last I counted, whe had 12 players from the class who were major contributors to our success this year. As a matter a fact we had 2 Offensive Lineman who started every game(with the exception of Georgetown which Joe Moore 5th year senior started and was pulled after the 1st half) and did a hell of a job anchoring the right side, and they had no stars next to their names when they came to College Hill. I would be intrested to see your current evaluation of the class.

Pard94 wrote:"Actually, Andy, the father of us all, was the first to beat the drum for a "need" at QB. It is rare that I agree with someone who knows what he's doing*, but in this case I did."

Yes well you have Andy who agrees with you...I have the entire Lafayette coaching staff in agreement with me.

Yes, I raised the need for at least one, preferably two, quality QBs and I'm sorry its causing carney grief. The staff signed one (Frank said he is "excited" about McCain's signing and "Cant wait to have him arrive and work with coach Fein" ) and offered a bunch of others. Whether that means they agreed with my thoughts or those of 94 and others is at least open to question.

08 was a terrific class, unfortunately with the loss of nine members including Watts, Langen, Rivas, Butt, Tandy, a lot of what was initially so attractive is gone. Thus the need for 35 this year. The class still has a number of legit already-proven stars--Rudy, Stripe, Hayes--contributors--Butler, the linemen, Ellis, Doty, Evan Mc, Simmons, Grimaldi--and some whom I expect big things from--Eaton, Welch, maybe Crooks, and others. And only sophs! Excellent class. Dont recall how it fared with the Patsy system.

Welcome, andy!

hawkbuster wrote:Carney do you ever go back and re-evaluate a class and compare them to your initial evaluation.

Not yet. Had plans for this winter, but life intervened.