This guy freaking jumps off the screen, man. I mean, obviously most guys look great on their high school tape, but Saunders' tape really stands apart from the crowd against top competition. A lot of the clips are against Massalion (sp?) which is probably the most tradition-rich high school program in the country. Great watch if you got the time.
Kaden Saunders Evaluation/Scout
- Thread starter CaliLION79
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This guy freaking jumps off the screen, man. I mean, obviously most guys look great on their high school tape, but Saunders' tape really stands apart from the crowd against top competition. A lot of the clips are against Massalion (sp?) which is probably the most tradition-rich high school program in the country. Great watch if you got the time.
Is there a legit reason for OSU not offering him? I mean, every other respectable program in the country seems to have offered him (Bama, Michigan, FSU, Texas, Notre Dame, Oregon, etc.) - are they just being dicks? I thought it might be his size but he compares favorably to OSU commit (247 4* composite) Kaleb Brown.
I've seen it written here that they want him as a DB, but does he or does he not have an offer, period?
--- According to 247, he doesn't.
--- According to 247, he doesn't.
OSU wanted and talked to Saunders about playing DB but he wanted no part of that. They (OSU) just like the WRs they have committed better. And you can't really argue if you look at their rankings. Only time will tell but I really think Saunders made a smart choice as he can see the field a lot earlier as a WR and has a chance to be an impact playerIs there a legit reason for OSU not offering him? I mean, every other respectable program in the country seems to have offered him (Bama, Michigan, FSU, Texas, Notre Dame, Oregon, etc.) - are they just being dicks? I thought it might be his size but he compares favorably to OSU commit (247 4* composite) Kaleb Brown.
Sanders has a better ranking (per 247 composite) than OSU WR commit Kyion Grayes (115 to 121 national ranking). It's splitting hairs, but IMO you take the local kid all things being equal (noting Westerville has been good to Penn State).
He has a huge opportunity at PSU because we haven't had a WR like him since KJ Hamler. That type of WR opens up the field for the whole offense. I think Saunders is a difference maker from day 1 for us.
Saunders seems to be a big riser. I don't think Ohio St targeted him because he wasn't well known when he committed to PSU. Since then he has absolutely dominated camps with elite competition and it has become obvious that Franklin found a gem kind of like when he found Ohio St's last QB before he became a 5 star.
It's not going to hurt them unless the kid wins the Heisman, but it does create a future selling point about the Buckeyes favoring national kids vs in state talent. The only caveat, we are going to have to beat them on the field again and more often than 1 in 5 and 2 outta 10 years or whatever it sits at currently.
Grayes was recruited as a Chris Olave clone.......can play slot or outside, but probably a guy who will line up wide. OSU recruited Kaleb Brown as their slot receiver, and they got him. Time will tell if they made a mistake in not pursuing Saunders.
Either way, Saunders is the real deal. He made the right choice as Wolve mentioned. Even if OSU wanted him, much better opportunity to see the field sooner at PSU.
You have 2 outstanding QBs in the same class, a 4 star a year ahead of them, and a 4 star a year ahead of that. There will be plenty of competition.
But that was the point of my first post - OSU felt that all things weren't equal at WR - they like the kids they have committed at WR better. And they knew all about Saunders a couple of years ago with Westerville being a suburb of Columbus. OSU just feels that his best future is at DB and he wants to play WR. Only time will tell if OSU screwed up but they - and Oklahoma - have an absolutely insane WR group
Sure, but no offer at all? That’s a clown move. OSU doesn’t know better than Bama.
At the WR position, they've recruited better than Alabama during the Brian Hartline era. So they have the option of being extremely choosy.
Alabama has passed on some local kids too because they had some national-level targets they liked better. It happens. It's one of the advantages of being a recruiting powerhouse that recruits nationally.
When you say ‘recruited better’ - what do you mean? Higher average star rating? Or WRs in the NFL? National Championships? Stats? I’d say Bama has done just fine - if not better. OSU doesn’t have a WR Heisman winner.
We don't know - they might have tried to offer him as a DB but he might have told them to shove it. And keep in mind, Alabama just gave a scholarship to Jameson Williams who was buried on OSU's WR depth chart (6th). and has a very good chance of starting at Alabama. Alabama has the magical name right now but there are positions that they don't have an advantage over some of the others - and WR is one of them especially after what they lost to the NFL
Yeah, let's see more results before concluding Hartline is recruiting better at WR than Alabama.
How often has a team produced 2 first round draft choices at WR in successive years like Alabama did in 2020 and 2021?
During the Brian Hartline era -- so really only the last 3 years. Devonta Smith was recruited before Hartline got to OSU.
Both Olave and Garrett Wilson are projected 1st round picks in 2022, and his 2020-2022 WR recruiting haul is probably tops in the nation in terms of rankings. Time will tell whether the results keep up with the rankings.
IDK, I think he is faster than KJ but doesn't have the twitch that KJ had. I don't see this kid breaking ankles like KJ could. Looks more like a Dotson with more speed.
He showed a lot of twitch in his recent camp performance. On KJ's level? That remains to be seen. But I think he's probably close.
It is tops but don't forget Oklahoma. Take a look at their WR haul over the somewhat same period - especially their 2019 WR haul _ and they're a half a step behind OSU - at most. But both are ahead of Alabama. Yes, Smith and Waddle were unreal and dynamic but they're gone But boy, what a duo they were. Maybe the best 1-2 combo at WR in a few decades ?
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KJ was the most electric Lion in quite a few years - Mr. Excitement. So any comparison to him is being somewhat unfair to any kid. But I do think Saunders has a chance to be a difference maker someday. Still early though
D. Smith had more yards receiving than OSU’s entire team (in the NC game). Bama’s #2 receiver (Metchie) had more yards than Olave. So did Najee Harris. If those guys are out recruiting Bama, they’re not getting their money’s worth.
As always, they are just being dicks. THAT never changes.Is there a legit reason for OSU not offering him? I mean, every other respectable program in the country seems to have offered him (Bama, Michigan, FSU, Texas, Notre Dame, Oregon, etc.) - are they just being dicks? I thought it might be his size but he compares favorably to OSU commit (247 4* composite) Kaleb Brown.
I think that came down to OSU's shitty DB versus Alabama's solid defense. NO ONE was beating Alabama last year. No one's disputing Alabama's WRs last year - best in many years. That OSU DB almost cost them a few games last year including Indiana. They were trash at best.
But Alabama's WRs shined last year but lost a ton. Not saying OSU is out recruiting Bama - they're not - just at WR. Alabama had the best recruiting class ever in 2021 (OSU was 2nd). But 2021 is suppose to be the year for OSU and Oklahoma WRs. All of those Brian Hartline recruits - the last 2 or 3 years - are expected to shine this year. And both Olave and Wilson had really solid seasons last year.
But if OSU doesn't have a better WR roster than Alabama, how does anyone explain Jameson Williams entering the portal after being passed on the depth chart in the Spring by by Smith-Njigba, Fleming and Scott (all 247 five stars) and ending up 6th - and now Williams is expected to start at Alabama ?
But getting back to what the thread is about, depth at WR is part of the reason Saunders wasn't offered as a WR at OSU. They sure wanted him, though, as a DB
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Is there a legit reason for OSU not offering him? I mean, every other respectable program in the country seems to have offered him (Bama, Michigan, FSU, Texas, Notre Dame, Oregon, etc.) - are they just being dicks? I thought it might be his size but he compares favorably to OSU commit (247 4* composite) Kaleb Brown.
Probably so they can keep telling themselves that we haven’t got a player from Ohio that they’ve offered since Enis….
Just kidding…maybe
He wasn't going to OSU. I have a feeling he told them to stick it where the sun doesn't shine especially after OSU's DB shit
Bama had Jeudy, Ruggs, Smith, and Waddle the year before last. That's 4 high end 1st round picks.
Hell, Williams might be #2 at Bama.
tdalabamamag.com
Hell, Williams might be #2 at Bama.
Jameson Williams looks very impressive this summer for Alabama
Alabama football may have its No. 2 wide receiver behind John Metchie. According to respectable sources, Jameson Williams has been impressing everyone. In 7-on-7’s, the transfer from Ohio State looks fast, quick, and smooth on the field. Barring injury, he will either start or get a lot of...
tdalabamamag.com
That's an incredible list of WRs on one team. Bama has never lacked much at the skilled positions - WR and especially RBBama had Jeudy, Ruggs, Smith, and Waddle the year before last. That's 4 high end 1st round picks.
Hell, Williams might be #2 at Bama.
Jameson Williams looks very impressive this summer for Alabama
Alabama football may have its No. 2 wide receiver behind John Metchie. According to respectable sources, Jameson Williams has been impressing everyone. In 7-on-7’s, the transfer from Ohio State looks fast, quick, and smooth on the field. Barring injury, he will either start or get a lot of...
That's true. But that also wasn't my argument.
I said they're recruiting WRs better than anybody RIGHT NOW. And I specifically mentioned the 2020-2022 classes. Alabama's recent run of elite WRs were all recruited well before that.
OSU has gone head-to-head with Alabama for some of the most elite WR prospects in the country the past few classes, and OSU has won most of those battles. Time will tell whether those kids live up to the billing, but they are in fact beating Alabama in recruiting at that position. Alabama fans will readily admit that.
The good news is, they overlooked Saunders for one reason or another. Our gain. I'll take it.
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I think you're describing the Brian Hartline effect, He just recently retired from the NFL and - from Eleven Warriors - still has better WR skills than the kids he's recruiting. He's still only 34 and his kids love him. He can actually show them - not tell them like other coaches - what he wants done. But perhaps his biggest get yet was last year's no 1 WR - Egbuka - who just enrolled in the Winter and blew everyone away in the Spring. Expect some more transfers out of OSU. Can't understand why kids committing to OSU don't see this. Something tells me Hartline will be on his way out in the next couple of years as an OC at another school.
My argument was that Bama's track record with WR's is better than OSU's (recent history of OSU getting higher rated WR's notwithstanding; recruiting highly ranked recruits is less important than Bama's WR on-field performance for the past decade). So, when it comes to whether an offer is justified, I'll take Bama's evaluation of a player over anyone else's including OSU.
I understand that. And Bama's track record over the past 10 years beats anybody (going back to Julio Jones and Amari Cooper).
But that's only partially relevant to your original question: why didn't OSU offer?
And they didn't offer because their WR room is more stacked RIGHT NOW -- and in the year or two to come -- than Alabama's. They are having more success landing elite prospects RIGHT NOW than Alabama, and that impacts their staff's decisions on who to offer. Hartline has the luxury of being extraordinarily choosy -- even more so than Alabama's staff -- and Saunders didn't make his cut. It is what it is.
I mean, what answer are you looking for?
OSU didn't offer because they wanted to insult PSU? Because they're "dicks"?
I tried to answer your question with information on hand, based on how OSU is recruiting the WR position. If you read the OSU boards (and I try to read several rival fan boards for curiosity), Saunders' name rarely came up on the list of WRs OSU was after because they presumably were comfortable with who they had/were pursuing.
*Shrugs shoulders*
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I don’t believe the excuse for not offering Saunders; when you’re the only school out of dozens, including the best program in the history of the sport, the reason isn’t ‘we can have any WR we want’ because they don’t and can’t. OSU seems to be making a statement. So, I disagree with you. Have the last word.
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