Here is my annual wayyyyyy too early projection of the '24 class, as I am sure everyone has been on the edge of their seats for:
QB: Jadyn Davis (we're trailing here currently but it could be a good fit and we have a chance to get back in the mix...with Raiola out I think we are probably ending up with someone else, but need a placeholder for now...Kienholz in '23 is a straight up stud though, so while I would like a top QB in this class it is not a necessity)
RB: James Peoples (by far my favorite RB in this class we have a shot at and we are sitting pretty)
RB: Samuel Dixon (I'm not sure that this is an "OFFER", but we need 2 RBs in this class and he seems the most likely. I really wanted to put Marshall on this list but I have us trailing currently...not hearing warm and fuzzy vibes from my Cincy contact on Marshall, but we do still have a shot and just need to roll out the red carpet to get him here.
WR: Jeremiah Smith (already in like Flynn, top WR in the nation and rightfully so)
WR: Josiah Trader (assuming Smith will have some pull and aside from that angle, the interest is very real...could see him and Hudson battling for one of what I see as three total spots at WR for '24, I just think we are in better shape on Trader)
WR: Myles Graham (kid's film is unreal and if he was not in Indiana, I think he could be ranked the top WR in the nation...he is highly ranked at that, but I think he is going to be big time at the next level...sitting in the lead comfortably right now imo)
TE: Damarion Witten (great athlete and given the recent TE classes, I think we can bring him on and call it good at TE)
OL: Ian Moore (a huge foundational piece of this OL class, I think he could excel at RT or LT, or kick down to the interior based on whatever we need...likely candidate for "Surest Thing" in my BRPT class review assuming he puts pen to paper)
OL: Armstrong Twins (lumping them together for the purpose of this post, I think they both land here and have a crazy amount of upside...once they get into our S&C, they are going to be terrors on the OL...I see Deontae at OT and Devontae on the interior currently, that gives us at least two OT prospects with Moore)
OL: Marc Nave (I would put Nave in the highly likely category if he has an "OFFER"...haven't watched film though, so I can't speak to that yet)
OL: Guerdy Lamber (placeholder because I have him to ND right now...but the number is 5 for OL this year, maybe 6, and another OT prospect is what we probably want here)
DE: Elias Rudolph (really like this kid and think he finds his way back up to Ohio...DE is a pretty big need with JT and Sawyer potentially gone after this year)
DE: Elijah Rushing (longshot pick but we have a TON of offers out at DE and it is too early to tell where we have a legit shot...we need to knock DE out of the park in the '24 class though after the misses in '23...I am only putting 2 DE's down, but we are probably looking for 3)
DT: Jayden Jackson (originally from the midwest, strong LJ Sr ties, makes sense at this point)
DT: David Stone (wishful thinking combined with no other guesses other than Justin Scott, who I see as a longshot currently...hoping the DT recruiting for this class comes into focus because right now it doesn't really look likely for anyone we have offered yet...obviously it is early though, so plenty of time to go)
LB: Sammy Brown (will be tough to pull him to Cbus, but he is #1 on my list of LBs)
LB: Payton Pierece (right behind Brown on my wishlist and the JL connection helps, we are looking like a legit contender here)
LB: Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (really like this kid and he keeps visiting, he would be a great addition to this class...I think we need 3 LBs in this class regardless, could be someone else but this would be my preferred LB class)
CB: Bryce West (probably a lock at this point, but one of the best CBs in the country and should be ready to play right away when he gets here)
CB: Aaron Scott (we could be close to calling it good with the CBs in Ohio this draft, Scott is the real deal and another probable commitment by the end of summer)
CB: Miles Lockhart (looking like we have a slight lead and he looks like a good prospect, I think we want 3 CBs in '24 but I don't know who the third might be...Woodyard is my favorite at CB but I am not confident at all on being in contention there)
S: KJ Bolden (I think the interest is real but it is going to be darn hard to get him to leave the south...but the staff is coming full court press knowing we need a gamechanger like Bolden in center field...good news is we may only need 1 safety with Styles and Stokes looking very promising at the position)
S: Garrett Stover (could end up at LB but I like him at S for now)
That would be 24 overall players and probably in line with the space we have for this class after the lackluster finish to '23. Looking through the list above, I would say I might be 55% or less on those predictions. But that is why it is called the "wayyyyy to early" projection, a lot of movement happens in the spring or early summer.
