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Another banner year for WMU recruiting, Lester proves that he can recruit with the best of them.

WMU finished 2nd overall in the MAC behind Toledo, but had the highest average player rating in the MAC. UT had more scholarships to give, and therefore took the top spot. They got some serious playmakers as well.

Kent State, believe it or not, went from ranking 12th to 5th in the eleventh hour as their new HC Sean Lewis put in some real work on the recruiting trail.

Other coaches doing impressive recruiting work are Chris Creighton at EMU and Mike Jinks at BGSU.

All information taken from 247 and subject to change as there are still moving pieces.

Final recruiting rankings:
1. Toledo
2. Western Michigan
3. Bowling Green
4. Northern Illinois
5. Kent State
6. Eastern Michigan
7. Ball State
8. Ohio
9. Central Michigan - lol
10. Miami (OH)
11. Akron
12. Buffalo

WMU signees:

QB
Kaleb Eleby
Wyatt Rector

OL
Antwan Reed

TE
Anthony Torres
Lee Payton

RB
Chase Brown

WR
DaShon Bussell
Jayden Reed

DL
DE Andre Carter
DE Ronnie Buford
DT Will McCabe
DT Braden Fiske

LB
Austin France
Ryan Selig

DB
CB Patrick Lupro
CB Kenih Lovely
CB Ginial Isma
CB/S Kmare Carey
LB/S Zaire Barnes
LB/S Matthew Stuckey
S Jake Moertl - PWO

K
Gavin Peddie - PWO

P
Nick Mihalic

LS
Bryce Bouwens - PWO


12 out of 21 recruits had P5 offers.
19 out of 21 had other FBS offers.
7-0 vs. CMU.
10-4 vs. Toledo.
6-1 vs. NIU.

So what are your thoughts? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the class? Who are you excited about?

I think we killed it on the offensive side of the ball. Almost every one of those guys had P5 offers. Tons of talent.

DaShon Bussell had a really impressive tape. Impact player from the start.
Chase Brown is underrated, a steal in fact. Very strong runner and has all the tools to be the #1 back.
Ronnie Buford has the most upside in this class. Long, athletic DE. If you watch his tape, he's all legs and arms. Just ran right around OTs. Pack some muscle on his frame and we'll have a real edge-rushing threat.
Wyatt Rector ran track in HS and is a true dual threat QB. Fast and tough. Big frame.

Lots to be excited about!

(02-07-2018 08:33 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  Another banner year for WMU recruiting, Lester proves that he can recruit with the best of them.

WMU finished 2nd overall in the MAC behind Toledo, but had the highest average player rating in the MAC. UT had more scholarships to give, and therefore took the top spot. They got some serious playmakers as well.

Kent State, believe it or not, went from ranking 12th to 5th in the eleventh hour as their new HC Sean Lewis put in some real work on the recruiting trail.

Other coaches doing impressive recruiting work are Chris Creighton at EMU and Mike Jinks at BGSU.

All information taken from 247 and subject to change as there are still moving pieces.

Final recruiting rankings:
1. Toledo
2. Western Michigan
3. Bowling Green
4. Northern Illinois
5. Kent State
6. Eastern Michigan
7. Ball State
8. Ohio
9. Central Michigan - lol
10. Miami (OH)
11. Akron
12. Buffalo

WMU signees:

QB
Kaleb Eleby
Wyatt Rector

OL
Antwan Reed

TE
Anthony Torres
Lee Payton

RB
Chase Brown

WR
DaShon Bussell
Jayden Reed

DL
DE Andre Carter
DE Ronnie Buford
DT Will McCabe
DT Braden Fiske

LB
Austin France
Ryan Selig

DB
CB Patrick Lupro
CB Kenih Lovely
CB Ginial Isma
CB/S Kmare Carey
LB/S Zaire Barnes
LB/S Matthew Stuckey
S Jake Moertl - PWO

K
Gavin Peddie - PWO

P
Nick Mihalic

LS
Bryce Bouwens - PWO


12 out of 21 recruits had P5 offers.
19 out of 21 had other FBS offers.
7-0 vs. CMU.
10-4 vs. Toledo.
6-1 vs. NIU.

So what are your thoughts? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the class? Who are you excited about?

I think we killed it on the offensive side of the ball. Almost every one of those guys had P5 offers. Tons of talent.

DaShon Bussell had a really impressive tape. Impact player from the start.
Chase Brown is underrated, a steal in fact. Very strong runner and has all the tools to be the #1 back.
Ronnie Buford has the most upside in this class. Long, athletic DE. If you watch his tape, he's all legs and arms. Just ran right around OTs. Pack some muscle on his frame and we'll have a real edge-rushing threat.
Wyatt Rector ran track in HS and is a true dual threat QB. Fast and tough. Big frame.

Lots to be excited about!

We obviously stacked up in 2 areas. DB's and DL.

I think Andre Carter and Kenih Lovely are two guys that could see the field right away and make an impact. The corner opposite Beal is probably wide open.

I think Jayden Reed is underrated by a lot of Broncos fans. I think he has that explosiveness we are looking for at the receiver position.

I also think in 2 years, Austin France will be a player. Like the frame.

Lots to like in this class for sure. Lester and staff certainly have answered the recruiting concerns some of us had when he was first hired. Now he has to win football games. No more excuses, get it done on the field.

I also have to think this class could help motivate current Broncos. Physically speaking, a lot of these guys look ready to play.

(02-07-2018 08:33 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  Another banner year for WMU recruiting, Lester proves that he can recruit with the best of them.

WMU finished 2nd overall in the MAC behind Toledo, but had the highest average player rating in the MAC. UT had more scholarships to give, and therefore took the top spot. They got some serious playmakers as well.

Kent State, believe it or not, went from ranking 12th to 5th in the eleventh hour as their new HC Sean Lewis put in some real work on the recruiting trail.

Other coaches doing impressive recruiting work are Chris Creighton at EMU and Mike Jinks at BGSU.

All information taken from 247 and subject to change as there are still moving pieces.

Final recruiting rankings:
1. Toledo
2. Western Michigan
3. Bowling Green
4. Northern Illinois
5. Kent State
6. Eastern Michigan
7. Ball State
8. Ohio
9. Central Michigan - lol
10. Miami (OH)
11. Akron
12. Buffalo

WMU signees:

QB
Kaleb Eleby
Wyatt Rector

OL
Antwan Reed

TE
Anthony Torres
Lee Payton

RB
Chase Brown

WR
DaShon Bussell
Jayden Reed

DL
DE Andre Carter
DE Ronnie Buford
DT Will McCabe
DT Braden Fiske

LB
Austin France
Ryan Selig

DB
CB Patrick Lupro
CB Kenih Lovely
CB Ginial Isma
CB/S Kmare Carey
LB/S Zaire Barnes
LB/S Matthew Stuckey
S Jake Moertl - PWO

K
Gavin Peddie - PWO

P
Nick Mihalic

LS
Bryce Bouwens - PWO


12 out of 21 recruits had P5 offers.
19 out of 21 had other FBS offers.
7-0 vs. CMU.
10-4 vs. Toledo.
6-1 vs. NIU.

So what are your thoughts? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the class? Who are you excited about?

I think we killed it on the offensive side of the ball. Almost every one of those guys had P5 offers. Tons of talent.

DaShon Bussell had a really impressive tape. Impact player from the start.
Chase Brown is underrated, a steal in fact. Very strong runner and has all the tools to be the #1 back.
Ronnie Buford has the most upside in this class. Long, athletic DE. If you watch his tape, he's all legs and arms. Just ran right around OTs. Pack some muscle on his frame and we'll have a real edge-rushing threat.
Wyatt Rector ran track in HS and is a true dual threat QB. Fast and tough. Big frame.

Lots to be excited about!

Great summary. I like the 2 QBs (Eleby & Rector), the 2 WRs (Bussell & Reed), & the 2 DEs (Carter & Buford). We should have some good DBs in this class too.

(02-07-2018 08:33 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  Another banner year for WMU recruiting, Lester proves that he can recruit with the best of them.

WMU finished 2nd overall in the MAC behind Toledo, but had the highest average player rating in the MAC. UT had more scholarships to give, and therefore took the top spot. They got some serious playmakers as well.

Kent State, believe it or not, went from ranking 12th to 5th in the eleventh hour as their new HC Sean Lewis put in some real work on the recruiting trail.

Other coaches doing impressive recruiting work are Chris Creighton at EMU and Mike Jinks at BGSU.

All information taken from 247 and subject to change as there are still moving pieces.

Final recruiting rankings:
1. Toledo
2. Western Michigan
3. Bowling Green
4. Northern Illinois
5. Kent State
6. Eastern Michigan
7. Ball State
8. Ohio
9. Central Michigan - lol
10. Miami (OH)
11. Akron
12. Buffalo

WMU signees:

QB
Kaleb Eleby
Wyatt Rector

OL
Antwan Reed

TE
Anthony Torres
Lee Payton

RB
Chase Brown

WR
DaShon Bussell
Jayden Reed

DL
DE Andre Carter
DE Ronnie Buford
DT Will McCabe
DT Braden Fiske

LB
Austin France
Ryan Selig

DB
CB Patrick Lupro
CB Kenih Lovely
CB Ginial Isma
CB/S Kmare Carey
LB/S Zaire Barnes
LB/S Matthew Stuckey
S Jake Moertl - PWO

K
Gavin Peddie - PWO

P
Nick Mihalic

LS
Bryce Bouwens - PWO


12 out of 21 recruits had P5 offers.
19 out of 21 had other FBS offers.
7-0 vs. CMU.
10-4 vs. Toledo.
6-1 vs. NIU.

So what are your thoughts? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the class? Who are you excited about?

I think we killed it on the offensive side of the ball. Almost every one of those guys had P5 offers. Tons of talent.

DaShon Bussell had a really impressive tape. Impact player from the start.
Chase Brown is underrated, a steal in fact. Very strong runner and has all the tools to be the #1 back.
Ronnie Buford has the most upside in this class. Long, athletic DE. If you watch his tape, he's all legs and arms. Just ran right around OTs. Pack some muscle on his frame and we'll have a real edge-rushing threat.
Wyatt Rector ran track in HS and is a true dual threat QB. Fast and tough. Big frame.

Lots to be excited about!

The average player rating for Toledo was calculated with no score for a JUCO All American that counted toward the Class total.

Awesome class!

Much to be encouraged and excited about as we look to the future.

That said, highly ranked recruiting classes are great, but they gotta get it done on the field.

Be a late season championship contender, and beat Central Michigan, or be a disappointment and failure in Kalamazoo.

You are what your on-field record says you are. And right now, WMU is 6-6 with a blown 4th quarter lead, at home, to its primary rival. There are legitimate reasons for that, but they are irrelevant. Gotta turn things around immediately. Looks like Lester is set on doing that! I am eager to watch his recruiting classes come to fruition and flourish.

Go Broncos!

(02-08-2018 08:34 AM)GullLake Wrote:  Awesome class!

Much to be encouraged and excited about as we look to the future.

That said, highly ranked recruiting classes are great, but they gotta get it done on the field.

Be a late season championship contender, and beat Central Michigan, or be a disappointment and failure in Kalamazoo.

You are what your on-field record says you are. And right now, WMU is 6-6 with a blown 4th quarter lead, at home, to its primary rival. There are legitimate reasons for that, but they are irrelevant. Gotta turn things around immediately. Looks like Lester is set on doing that! I am eager to watch his recruiting classes come to fruition and flourish.

Go Broncos!

If we don't make a decent bowl game this year, I consider the season a failure.

(02-08-2018 09:09 AM)Fthechips Wrote:  

(02-08-2018 08:34 AM)GullLake Wrote:  Awesome class!

Much to be encouraged and excited about as we look to the future.

That said, highly ranked recruiting classes are great, but they gotta get it done on the field.

Be a late season championship contender, and beat Central Michigan, or be a disappointment and failure in Kalamazoo.

You are what your on-field record says you are. And right now, WMU is 6-6 with a blown 4th quarter lead, at home, to its primary rival. There are legitimate reasons for that, but they are irrelevant. Gotta turn things around immediately. Looks like Lester is set on doing that! I am eager to watch his recruiting classes come to fruition and flourish.

Go Broncos!

If we don't make a decent bowl game this year, I consider the season a failure.

Whats a "decent" MAC bowl game?

Toledo signs 27? What did they do restart their JV program? These rating services use some weird dynamics. Rivals has WMU #68 in nation, MAC #1. I'll go with that one for the feel good means.

(02-07-2018 08:33 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  12 out of 21 recruits had P5 offers.
19 out of 21 had other FBS offers.
7-0 vs. CMU.
10-4 vs. Toledo.
6-1 vs. NIU.

Thanks CA for a great overview of the 2018 recruiting class. These numbers are impressive.

Are either of these TE guys true receiving threats? I really miss that. I can't remember either standing out from the film clips from two months ago. Real signing day is really weird and anti-climatic now.

Torres was the number 1 TE target on the staffs recruiting board. He had a great Junior Season. Verballed early to Iowa, and switched schools. Tried to go play down south, decided not to at the last minute and came back up north. He had an injury his senior year, and I don't know if Iowa dropped him, or it was his choice, but he reopened his recruiting and he chose us.

(02-08-2018 11:57 AM)RunningGame Wrote:  Are either of these TE guys true receiving threats? I really miss that. I can't remember either standing out from the film clips from two months ago. Real signing day is really weird and anti-climatic now.

As Jubba said, Torres was committed to Iowa as a big, pass-catching tight end. The type of guy that's dangerous in the red zone.

Lee Payton is a smaller guy, more of a hybrid WR/TE. 6'3" 220 lbs. I'd imagine he's more of the type of TE to stretch the middle of the field and give the QB another look downfield.

Really concerned about "lack of Offensive Linemen", not being recruited.

Lots of talent in this class, but our recruits in the "Fleck era" always had 2-3 offensive linemen that could develop.

Our #1 strength in 13-0 season was protection of the QB & move the ball on the ground!

(02-19-2018 09:07 PM)wojo-kowski Wrote:  Really concerned about "lack of Offensive Linemen", not being recruited.

Lots of talent in this class, but our recruits in the "Fleck era" always had 2-3 offensive linemen that could develop.

Our #1 strength in 13-0 season was protection of the QB & move the ball on the ground!

Have you looked at the roster? It is loaded with OL talent. I think they will be ok the next few years and will concentrate on OL in this next recruiting class.

Check the roster, Oline is fine for three years.

13 freshmen, RS freshmen and sophomores