I'm in a position where I can have potentially 11 openings in the next two years. I'm also in the position where I can balance my class with JUCOs and walk-ons. What should I do?

Posted by Sportsbulls on 9/20/2018 8:13:00 PM (view original):
I'm in a position where I can have potentially 11 openings in the next two years. I'm also in the position where I can balance my class with JUCOs and walk-ons. What should I do?

Yeah JUCO's aren't going to help much. Go after the high potential freshman, get as many as you can in that first season.

Which team are you talking about? Nazareth?

Posted by thewizard17 on 9/20/2018 8:33:00 PM (view original):
Which team are you talking about? Nazareth?

Yes.

Well having balanced classes can help you consistently contend in the NT, but it isn’t necessarily a bad thing to have say 5 Srs and 4 Jrs. If you have upwards of 7-8 good upperclassmen in one season, you will have a good chance of a deep tourney run.

Use that scouting money to good use if you plan to have that many openings.. finding a stud or 3 will take the pain off the inevitable rebuilding year after their graduation.

As I'm looking at your team, I'm kind of confused with that many openings you haven't signed any recruits, unless everyone you're going after is late.

It looks like you have 7 returning players for next year. I don't know if you're planning on getting anyone during the second recruiting period, but you could go after 1 or 2 really good juco's if that option is available if you still have your recruiting budget left. Then with 9 players go slow down with your zone, you should be fine.

However, if the players you have next year, that are seniors, won't be that great and you don't have much of a chance at getting past the first round, then go after high potential freshman.

He’s at a D3 school, so yeah, his signings are going to be second session signings, which opens up next week in Knight, I suppose.

D2 level jucos can be a great choice, especially if they know your O/D.

If I’m trying to balance my classes a certain way, which I don’t really do at D1 after the first 4-5 seasons, it’s to get a 4-4-4-0 structure. Having a zone rotation of 8 upperclassmen is really strong, and in zone, there’s no real advantage to having 11 or 12 over 8 as your primary rotation. With 4-4-4-0, you are only really down one year out of four, with no seniors.

I don't worry about balancing classes. I sign the guys that I want to sign. It will usually balance out over time. Generally, JUCOS can help your team, especially a new team.

Sign the best players, if that means signing a juco, then sign him.

What monster turtl said. It astounds me that someone would say "man this great juco is actually falling through the cracks to me (or ineligibles in d2 and d1) but I can't take him because I run a 4-4-4-0 class structure. Take the best players (keeping potential in mind of course) that you can.

Posted by piman314 on 9/21/2018 3:40:00 PM (view original):
What monster turtl said. It astounds me that someone would say "man this great juco is actually falling through the cracks to me (or ineligibles in d2 and d1) but I can't take him because I run a 4-4-4-0 class structure. Take the best players (keeping potential in mind of course) that you can.

I love jucos. It’s the inverse scenario for me, when I think about class structure; I go searching for a good juco (or ineligible, or a project to redshirt) in order to get a certain class structure.

At D2/D3 I don't balance classes unless I expect regular mid level D1 players to drop. For example states with high D1 recruit generation and low number of in state humans in divisions above you.

If you are in any other area unbalanced classes work best if you want a title shot. Only way to compete with those loaded teams IMO. At least that is how I have been competitive at places like my alma mater Fort Hays State when the Big 12 was nearly full and other D1 conferences in the area had a decent number of human D1 coaches.