Final grade on National Signing Day

Posted Feb 5, 2010 by Scott Carter

Updated Feb 5, 2010 at 11:42 AM

Hopefully everyone out there has caught their breath after the hectic pace of National Signing Day on Wednesday.

Now that he can finally take a nap, how did USF coach Skip Holtz and his staff perform on what has turned into the biggest day of the year for most college football fans?

According to the so-called experts – Rivals.com, Scout.com and ESPN.com – the Bulls’ 2010 recruiting class finished toward the middle of the pack nationally.

In their final class rankings, Rivals has USF No. 62; Scout has USF a few spots higher at No. 50; ESPN.com only ranks the top 25 nationally, but according to Scouts, Inc., the Bulls finished fourth in the Big East behind Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Louisville.

Since I know you’re dying to know what this so-called expert thinks – I use that term very loosely when it comes to recruiting since I really don’t think there are any experts on the subject – here is how I (aka The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com) grade Holtz’s first recruiting class:

Total players signed: 19
Early enrollees: 4
Stars of the class: Miami Northwestern DT Todd Chandler and Hillsborough CB Terrence Mitchell

OFFENSIVE LINE
Grade: A
Analysis: Holtz prefers size along the offensive line, and he certainly got his wish. The Bulls signed 6-foot-8, 330-pound Jake Kaufman from New Jersey, Alabama 6-6, 320-pounder Quinterrius Eatmon, and Belle Glade’s Tony Kibler, who checks in at 6-5, 315. Early enrollee Austin Reiter (6-4, 250) of Lakewood Ranch is a puppy compared to the rest of the class. The Bulls didn’t blink an eye when Jose Jose, a 6-1, 330-pounder from Miami Central, opted to sign with UCF.

QUARTERBACK
Grade: C
Analysis: The Bulls pulled a scholarship offer to Bradenton Manatee’s Brion Carnes at the list minute and instead signed LaGrange (Ga.) product Jamius Gunsby, a 6-foot-5, 229-pound pro-style quarterback who could come in and immediately serve as starter B.J. Daniels’ back-up. Gunsby has a lot of upside and by all accounts, is a very athletic player who will provide a much different look than Daniels. That said, one of Holtz’s goals is to continue to build depth at quarterback and with Evan Landi expected to move to receiver, the Bulls remain thin at the position.

RUNNING BACK
Grade: B-
Analysis: Holtz doesn’t want Daniels to lead the team in rushing again the way he did in 2009. In an effort to make that happen, the Bulls signed three running backs in this year’s class: Blinn (Texas) College’s Michael Hayes, Tiger Powell of Lake City Columbia, and Marcus Shaw of Arcadia Desoto. Hayes appears the best bet to come in and immediately provide an impact since he is a junior-college transfer. Shaw led the state in rushing at Desoto last season, and Powell is a tough inside runner between the tackles who is likely to get his shot in 2011 or beyond. Overall, a solid-but-not-spectacular group of running backs.

RECEIVERS
Grade: C+
Analysis: The Bulls lost their leading receiver from a year ago when Carlton Mitchell opted to enter the NFL draft after his junior season. They also lost seniors Jessie Hester and Theo Wilson, but return a core group that includes A.J. Love, Dontavia Bogan, Sterling Griffin and Patrick Richardson. USF signed Williston’s Deonte Welch and Lake City Columbia’s Jamaal Montague to help fill the void. Welch, a former Arkansas commit, played mostly running back in high school. He is very athletic and could contribute right away, as could Montague, more of a possession receiver compared to Welch. Snagging Welch on the final weekend before NSD was a key.

DEFENSIVE LINE
Grade: B+
Analysis: Getting Chandler to sign boosted USF’s class in the national rankings. He is rated the No. 67 overall prospect in the nation on the ESPNU 150 and should immediately compete for playing time in the middle of the Bulls’ defensive line. Junior-college transfer Claude Davis from East Mississippi CC is expected to challenge for playing time immediately, and early enrollee Brandon Wilkinson from Venice appears a player with a huge upside at 6-4, 195 and plenty of speed. He needs more size to become a force at the collegiate level.

LINEBACKER
Grade: C-
Analysis: The Bulls signed former Marshall commit Hans Louis and early enrollee Curtis Weatherspoon from Dean (Mass.) College. USF lost starting linebackers Kion Wilson and Chris Robinson, so a lack of experience will be a concern early next season. Starter Sabbath Joseph returns, as does highly touted sophomore Sam Barrington. Louis could turn out to be a sleeper player in the class. Former Marshall coach Mark Snyder, now on Holtz’s staff, helped persuade Louis to come to USF after a late visit. Look for Weatherspoon to have an opportunity to start right away on the outside if he performs well in fall camp.

DEFENSIVE BACK
Grade: A
Analysis: Getting Hillsborough High star Terrence Mitchell to turn from Florida State was a late coup for Holtz. Mitchell has instant-impact ability and should be a nice future tandem at cornerback with Kayvon Webster, one of USF’s top recruits in 2009. The Bulls also signed Deland’s Mark Joyce, a hard-hitting safety, and Thomas County (Ga.) Central athlete Reshard Cliett, who is somewhat of an unknown. Cliett played receiver and defensive back in high school, but also battled injuries. He is a player the Bulls pursued late to add depth and size – Cliett is 6-2, 191 pounds.

SPECIALIST
Grade: B-
Analysis: The Bulls signed Ocala Forest product Chris Veron, who they hope can come in and become the punter right away. Former walk-on Eric Schwartz performed solidly the second half of last season as the primary kicker, but depth is always a concern and Veron’s punting ability should help. Veron averaged 42 yards a punt and booted 55 of 62 kickoffs for touchbacks as a junior, so leg strength doesn’t appear to be a concern.

OVERALL GRADE: B-
Analysis: Holtz faced a very difficult challenge after taking over the program Jan. 14, six days after former coach Jim Leavitt was fired. Not only did he have to maintain the relationships Leavitt built, but he had to build new ones in a very short time. The three key moves he made were getting Chandler on campus last weekend for a visit, persuading Mitchell to change his commitment from Florida State, and pulling in Welch on the final weekend before NSD. He proved he can close strong, so given a full year to recruit, expect the Bulls’ overall class next year to be deeper and more talented. This isn’t a great class, but rather an efficient and above-average one considering the circumstances.