FCSRecruiting grades the classes.

[BigSkyBears]

Congratulations on having very little people in your state...

And for being the DUI capital of the U.S.... Per capita that is.

I thought that title belonged to North Dakota

[Skjellyfetti]

No matter what you say, his birth certificate says he's from Omaha.

Certified birth certificate or original?

[uofmman1122]

No matter what you say, his birth certificate says he's from Omaha.

Certified birth certificate or original?

OMG DAN CARPENTER IS A WHITE, KENYAN, MANCHURIAN PLACEKICKER!!!!!!

THE HORROR!!!!

[dbackjon]

Except that he grew up in Helena, Montana.

No matter what you say, his birth certificate says he's from Omaha.

I've never seen a long-form, certified copy of his birth Certificate, so will have to withhold judgement on that


Note - damnit, SK - you beat me to it....lol

[mlbowl]

At least we aren't bankrupt.

Hey, I keep telling them to eliminate social programs, but they arent listening.

Besides, Montana is facing over a $60 million budget deficit. That's a heck of a lot, especially considering there are roughly 900,000 people in Montana compared to 38 million plus in California.

Why don't you try doing a little research...Montana is one of two states to boast a budget surplus genius

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/23/us/23montana.html

[Appaholic]

At least we aren't bankrupt.

Hey, I keep telling them to eliminate social programs, but they arent listening.

Besides, Montana is facing over a $60 million budget deficit. That's a heck of a lot, especially considering there are roughly 900,000 people in Montana compared to 38 million plus in California.

Wait a minute.....are you telling me those rugged individualists in Montana are actually freeloaders? Not paying their bills & running a tab? Say it ain't so....

[SeattleGriz]

Must say these guys have rated Montana exactly how I expected - Montana boys very low. I don't think they can get a real objective look at Montana boys since the competition level isn't what they are used to seeing, coupled with the fact most of them focus on three sports due to the size of the high school.

Let's see.

Lex Hilliard - Dolphins
Colt Anderson - Eagles
Marc Mariani - Titans
Shann Schillinger - Falcons
Kroy Biermann - Falcons
Dan Carpenter - Dolphins

What do all of them have in common? All of them were on active NFL rosters this year and all are Montana boys. I don't think a one of them got recruited by FBS, and if they did, it certainly wasn't a Pac 10 team.

I applaud their efforts, but I am betting our staff sees more in the Montana boys than these guys do.

Actually we don't have Montana ranked low at all. We have them lower than Villanova and William & Mary, but when you see the entire lists play out, you'll likely find the Grizzlies in the top 15 or so. We're just getting started, and nowhere near complete, but my guess is that is how it will shake out when we finish.

One of the struggles we had in evaluating the Montana class is factoring in past history with what we're seeing on video. We recognize that good programs such as Montana do a great job in developing "underdeveloped" players and we did take that into consideration with some of our grades. We have no doubt your coaching staff knows these recruits extremely well and far better than we do, but we see what we see on video and do the best we can. We'll know for sure how we did in three to five years.

No slams here FCSR, especially since I only play Madden, and not very well.

I just ASSumed you guys had a hard time evaluating Montana boys since the star players are usually men amongst boys and the video was filmed with a phone/camera.

Not knocking, and if I did, my apologies - I am a knee jerk proud Montanan.

Thanks for the efforts, been a real joy to read.

[FCSRecruiting]

No offense taken. We're new on the block around here and felt the need to explain how we're approaching our evaluations. I do agree with the phone camera comment!

[FCSRecruiting]

ELON
33.3 (27%)

QUICK TAKE: In our view, the Phoenix, under new head coach Jason Swepson, did a surprisingly good job with limited scholarships, especially at the top, landing several quality safety/LB/DE types, as well as an impact OL and RB. The class is a little top heavy with 4 elite prospects, and 7 of 15 rating as above average, but it thins out after that.

WHAT WE LIKE: For starters, we LOVE safety, Miles Williams! We had to watch the video several times to be sure we were seeing what we were seeing, and what we were seeing is a great looking player! We can say the same for OL, Derek Vereen, and we also really like big back, Joe Jones and LB, Robert Davis. Defensive ends, Michael Pearson and Gary Coates also impressed as did LB, Odell Benton.

WHAT WE DON'T LIKE: The depth of this class thins out after the headliners. Other than Jones, we don't see much wow factor on the offensive side of the ball as far as skill players go. We're not sold that Rice can stay at QB.

RANKING THE PHOENIX RECRUITS
Miles Williams, SS, 6-2, 190: FCSR Rating: 50 -- This is what they're supposed to look like! Total package in our view - big, physical, athletic safety - hits like a truck - excellent change of direction and closing speed - sure tackler who brings the lumber - sees field, anticipates well - we didn't get a great look at cover skills but we saw nothing to lead us to believe he's deficient - We see NFL potential!!!

Derek Vereen, OL, 6-3, 280: FCSR Rating: 45 -- One of the better looking OL we've evaluated - has now size w/ great feet - explosive off the snap w/ ability to roll hips - athletic in pass protection - runs well down field - appears physically ready to contribute right away from what we can see.

Joseph Jones, RB, 6-1, 190: FCSR Rating: 40 -- Nice looking, I-formation big back w/ frame to carry 210-215 - deceptive runner w/ good open field speed - decisive w/ subtle moves - hits hole w/ authority - runs high but has enough power to run through arm tackles - didn't see him catch ball or pass protect on video.

Robert Davis, LB, 6-1, 225: FCSR Rating: 40 -- Physical specimen w/ upside - safety skills in a LB body - explosive athlete - long arms & ability to cover are big assets - not sold on open field speed, but has makings of becoming dominant FCS defender.

Odell Benton, LB, 6-1, 185: FCSR Rating: 35 -- Long, rangy, projectable build - frame to weigh 220 - versatile athlete w/ good football instincts - aggressive, hitter - good arm length & speed for pass coverage - physical against the run, can rush the passer - also shows skill on offensive side of ball - looks like a nice steal for the Phoenix.

Michael Pearson, DE, 6-2, 230: FCSR Rating: 35 -- Athletic DE w/ physical upside - fast twitch guy who gets up-field in a hurry - pass rush instincts - solid against the run - could end up being a 270 lb DT.

Gary Coates, DE, 6-2, 230: FCSR Rating: 35 - Rangy, athletic hybrid DL/LB - lines up all over the place in video - good motor - uses hands and athleticism well - solid pass rush skills and pursuit speed - doesn't look as big as listed but appears to have frame to hold 250-260 over the long haul.

Ricky Brown, WR, 6-3, 195: FCSR Rating: 30 -- Big WR w/ ability to go get the football - we don't see a burner but has deceiving speed - smooth strider, eats up ground on defender w/ size and athleticism to win most one-on-one battles - appears raw as a route runner & lacks overall polish - wouldn't surprise us if he eventually becomes a 225-230 hybrid TE/WR.

Thomas McGuire, OL, 6-4, 255: FCSR Rating: 30 -- Athletic OL w/ nice length - undersized at present but shows solid strength w/ projectable build - good feet, comes off the ball w/ authority - raw in pass protection but has attributes to develop into solid OT at FCS level.

Mark Bridges, FS, 5-11, 186: FCSR Rating:30 -- Decent size for a safety w/ some physical upside - decent speed & range - has knack for finding football - adequate range and cover skills - not real physical in video we evaluated - tends to catch ballcarriers instead of punish - may just need to get physically stronger.

Jerrell Armstrong, DB, 5-9, 160: FCSR Rating: 30 -- Undersized, CB/KR prospect - athletic & shifty - raw cover skills but shows some instinct & ball skills - reports 4.23 speed but looks closer to 4.6 on video - average FCS CB prospect for us.

Andre Davis, ATH, 5-10, 165: FCSR Rating: 30 -- Projectable athlete with skills to play on either side of ball - HS QB who makes things happen w/ ball in his hands - elusive w/ ability to change direction - not a burner but looks to have average speed and should be a nice contributor as a WR or CB in time.

Blake Rice, QB, 5-10, 185: FCSR Rating: 25 -- Undersized, spread QB - good athlete w/ elusive running skills - average speed - raw as passer but shows nice arm strength & touch on deep ball - has athlete value if position change warranted.

Will Wentz, TE, 6-4, 220: FCSR Rating: 25 -- Program type TE w/ projectable frame - solid blocker - possession type receiver - needs time to get bigger and stronger.

Michael Crispi, LS, 5-9, 160: FCSR Rating: 20 -- Undersized long snapper w/ below average snap times in .90 to 1.00 range - best asset is accuracy.

[Herky]

Hey, I keep telling them to eliminate social programs, but they arent listening.

Besides, Montana is facing over a $60 million budget deficit. That's a heck of a lot, especially considering there are roughly 900,000 people in Montana compared to 38 million plus in California.

Why don't you try doing a little research...Montana is one of two states to boast a budget surplus genius

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/23/us/23montana.html

Here's the one of the articles where I got my info.

http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-re ... 002e0.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Herky]

Certified birth certificate or original?

OMG DAN CARPENTER IS A WHITE, KENYAN, MANCHURIAN PLACEKICKER!!!!!!

THE HORROR!!!!

[mlbowl]

Why don't you try doing a little research...Montana is one of two states to boast a budget surplus genius

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/23/us/23montana.html

Here's the one of the articles where I got my info.

http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-re ... 002e0.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That is a forecast...and NOBODY else cited in the article agrees with Johnson's "prediction"...btw, a simple trip to the 2010 census page would reveal that Montana's 2010 population, according to Census data, is 989415...just sayin'

[Swedish Griz]

Hey FCSRecruiting, have you started working on any of the other Big Sky recruiting classes yet? I was impressed with your assessment of Montana's class and would like to see how it compares with some of the other teams in the conference.

[Grizalltheway]

Welcome to the board, SG! Where in Sweden are you from?

[Swedish Griz]

Thanks Grizalltheway! I was born in Stockholm but grew up in Montana....my family moved here when I was 2.

[FCSRecruiting]

Hey FCSRecruiting, have you started working on any of the other Big Sky recruiting classes yet? I was impressed with your assessment of Montana's class and would like to see how it compares with some of the other teams in the conference.

Apologize for the delay but we had an unexpected emergency in the ranks which has slowed us down the last several days. We're back up and running and should be releasing several more classes in the next day or so. We greatly appreciate your interest which is why we're doing this.

[guinzone]

Hey FCSRecruiting, have you started working on any of the other Big Sky recruiting classes yet? I was impressed with your assessment of Montana's class and would like to see how it compares with some of the other teams in the conference.

Apologize for the delay but we had an unexpected emergency in the ranks which has slowed us down the last several days. We're back up and running and should be releasing several more classes in the next day or so. We greatly appreciate your interest which is why we're doing this.

Check your PM box if you get the chance.
Thanks!

[clenz]

Apologize for the delay but we had an unexpected emergency in the ranks which has slowed us down the last several days. We're back up and running and should be releasing several more classes in the next day or so. We greatly appreciate your interest which is why we're doing this.

Check your PM box if you get the chance.
Thanks!

I'll save him the time


YSU = perfect score.

[mlbowl]

Check your PM box if you get the chance.
Thanks!

I'll save him the time


YSU = perfect score.

[guinzone]

Check your PM box if you get the chance.
Thanks!

I'll save him the time


YSU = perfect score.

Please, I have said it once and I'll say it again.. I personally had UNI ahead of YSU and NDSU. Paladin from the YSU Boards had those as his top three as well.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

Welcome to the SwedeGriz as well.

Thanks for the work FCSRecruiting. Looks like some good work. The only thing I can pick at from the Griz standpoint is similar to SeaGriz. You don't have the insight on some of the MT kids that some of us would have. You couldn't be expected to.

If I had to pick one guy on there as an example of a low initial ranking I would put Lebsock out there. The Lebsocks are pretty well known in Montana because they are very sound football players with an absolute nose for the football. If history has any bearing on what to expect from him I would expect a guy that will be a special teams hit man in his first year, will be a real play maker by his Sophmore yr., and an absolute cornerstone of the defense by his Jr. yr.

I would bet the farm against him being an average safety in his last couple of years.

[EWURanger]

Any word on Eastern Washington, MSU, or any of the other big sky schools....looking forward to it.

[TomCat88]

No offense taken. We're new on the block around here and felt the need to explain how we're approaching our evaluations. I do agree with the phone camera comment!

This is interesting. Maybe you already stated this somewhere, who's we? Are you associated with one of the recruiting services (Rivals, Scout)?