To some degree I think the talk about lack of development/recruiting should focus much more on the DBs and LBs and not really on DL. We are always going to have availability for JUCO DL guys due to the nature of recruiting those positions to Ames. We were fortunate in '12 and '13 to get some DL guys in there but hadn't really had much luck prior to that Rhoads' first 3 recruiting cycles. Essentially will be always be open for business for quality, immediate impact DL guys.
I can even accept to some degree the need for a JUCO LB to compete right away with the losses sustained in HS LB recruiting, not that I'm ok with the losses.
I am pretty dissapointed at how much need there is for JUCO DBs. This is a position group that ISU should be able to recruit players to. Of the '10(will be seniors), '11 classes(will be juniors) and '12 classes of recruits, we only have 4 active DBs in Richardson, Lynn, Matt Thomas and TJ Mutcherson. Those 3 classes were very light on DBs and we now are paying for it.
By all accounts our JUCO DB guys are great players and if McDaniel signs up we will be looking good but I am concerned that we are falling into a cyclic pattern of recruitment like McCarney where we are too light on certain positions and then try to back fill 2-3 years later to adjust.
I agree to a point. I think that there's always going to be a need for JUCO DL/DE's at ISU. Those kids are tough to get out of HS and the SEC and other major programs flat out stockpile them. Last year, they got Waggoner who no one wanted, Garcia who no one wanted and Trent who no one wanted. Outside of ISU, those three had two BCS offers between them and who knows how solid those offers even were? This year they have all of zero HS DE/DL commits. That's a little scary. Add to that that ISU's biggest problem this year was stopping the run and there are no JUCO NGs being talked about after Clinkscales committed to NU (and rumors of Jensen quitting). And as bad as they were stopping the run, the pass rush from the DEs wasn't much better outside of Morrissey coming on late. I have no problem with them going heavy on JUCO DLs.
LB, I think it is a matter of attrition and youth. They've lost a lot of HS LBs due to defection and transfer. This year after George, they started two converted Safeties. Miller did start playing better late. But guys like Donald Smith, CJ Morgan, Adam Pavlenko, Adrian Bennett would have helped. For next year, you have Brackens and Knott slated to start. Miller could be a backup at WILL or compete at MIKE. Other than that, it's totally untested RS Sophs in Seeley and White or RSFR like Mills, Madison, Webster or Meeks (who I think could move to DE). I really like Jordan Harris. Kid can move and hits like a ton of bricks. At the very least, he will push the guys at MIKE and he could very well start there.
DB is a strange situation. At CB, they return Tribune, Richardson and Lynn. There's a spot for a JUCO there unless they want to play a TRFR. D.A. Williams not making grades really hurt the depth there. But the main issue is where they put Charlie Rogers. I for one thought that he would get one of the Safety spots. He and either Cotton or Cotton-Moya, but maybe Cotton-Moya's injury has put him too far back to expect much next fall. Regardless, they now have two JUCOs to up the competition there and they both look like good players. They've depended on JUCOs a lot at Safety (Sims and Givens) so I'm hoping that they are getting some decent HS players like Cotton-Moya and Kamari Syrie so that they don't have to go JUCO there again in two years.
