Obviously, this is a bit different the the pre-potential days, where everyone pretty much improved at a steady rate, which was based on playing time, practice time and work ethic. If I redshirt a player now, is there significant improvement in that 5th year? I'm thinking about revoking my player's redshirt, to give my team more depth at the guard position. I know when potential first came out, they didn't improve much at all, if any during that 5th year. Most of their improvements were in that first season and almost hitting their max by the end of their junior year.

How much improvement should I expect during his 5th season, assuming he has high potential categories?

The 5th season improvement will depend on playing time and potential, just like all his other seasons.

The real advantage of redshirting is that the player can raise their IQs before you throw them into the lineup.  Then, with some PT and Distro their improvement over the next 4 years *should* theoretically be more than if they had not redshirted.  That freshman year with low IQ is the difference.

 

It depends upon the initial WE (and HSGPA for IQ as well).  A high WE/high GPA recruit will max out early with a redshirt year.  A redshirt is helpful on a low HSGPA student, for whom study hall minutes will hamper early development.  If the recruit would get enough minutes without the shirt for the first year, then it may be a wash, but I typically struggle to get freshman minutes.

It also depends upon the recruit's category ceiling's as well.  If he has a few high-high core categories, but not a great WE, then the redshirt can really help.  If most are low or average and only a few low-high, then they stand a good chance of maxing out in the junior year.   I'm not sure that is a problem though, as long as the level at which the recruit will max out is acceptable.