Wasn’t BroolynDee the uncle of Hightower?
None of us are really plugged into the decision making process of the staff, including DDS. All we know is that Rumph has “run off” Christian Williams and Nigel Bethel, didn’t get Bandy to return with limited upside for going to the NFL early, hasn’t signed enough kids to keep the roster balanced, CBs aren’t turning their heads or swiping balls if they aren’t going to turn their heads,…
Banda has more than enough kids to work with, hasn’t run kids off, safety play has been close to the talent level of the kids… Banda has also been credited with helping to land non-safeties.
Baker sucks buck the team is 7-1 with the D performing pretty good in the 2nd half of most of the games. Is that Manny taking over, Manny adjusting, Manny involved… OR Baker?
If we have to pick one coach to GO, I still would lean towards Rumph. 5 years and the best kid he truly landed and developed would be an UDFA in Bandy. Corn and MJackson weren’t his kids
Cornerbacks:
MJackson- Golden kid
Corn- Golden kid
2016
(late addition to class)Young- hurt
2017
Bandy- 3 and done as UDFA
(late addition to class)Dean- UDFA, XKL, CFL…
2018
Ivey and Blades- have they really developed?
Gil- moved to S then Striker
(late addition to class)Bethel-transferred to CU
2019
(late addition to class)Williams- in the Portal
Couch- just started
2020
(late addition to class)Dunson-TBD
Clarke-TBD
2021
Malik Curtis (could play WR)
That doesn’t look so great especially when you consider that we have 5 on the roster right now and 1 lined up for the class. We could likely do the same at LB and question why we didn’t sign a kid in 2018 after having Wilder and Steed hurt with Jennings being an average prospect (not close to Elite) and knowing Shaq/Pickney were done soon. I still like LB better than CB as I can see the upside of Steed, Flagg, Brooks, and think Huff +TAC workout. You add in 3 LBs for '21 with the chance of adding a fourth. I’m actually more concerned about DE than LB!
As for the topic at hand:
I do think adding 15 more elite kids to the roster would have a big impact on the play. Yes, we are literally 15 below with 5 walk-ons getting ships. On D: 2 CB, 2-3 LB, 3-4 DL would have a BIG impact! On O: 2-3 WR, 4-5 OL, 1 RB would have a pretty big impact.
IF as you said have the players make the decision to return, YIKES! Truly, we need the DL+King+TE to return. If that were to happen, I really don’t care about the other positions. Overall we are improving at S, LB (hard to imagine), OL, RB, WR in '21. We could take big steps back at DL, QB, TE if they all depart.
Ford, Nesta, Phillips, Roche, King, Mallory, Jordan= likely gets us to be a Top 10 team in '21 along with the addition of 25 new kids. We would then need to add 1-2 GT cornerbacks OR get Blades/Ivey coached up!