[Langdude]

[quote author=OutsiderFan link=topic=12112.msg221230#msg221230 date=1515882996]
The most talented Frosh will have to play early and not redshirt.  Will force the coaches to simplify things to get the best athletes on the field ASAP, particularly on defense.  Booker, Fox, Hollifield (assuming he signs), maybe even Umerah, would be the beneficiaries of such a dynamic in 2018.

You play this year's true freshmen because you think they will help you win.  But I don't think playing them as true freshmen helps you with the class imbalance (it will help more in 2019 when we should have a larger class).

BC
[/quote]

Right. None of this is new. We usually have smaller-than-average classes because our players tend not to fail out, leave early, or transfer relative to other elite programs. In fact, to disagree with OF, I would say that the fact that our classes are smaller is a sign of the success of Shaw's recruiting strategy: with the exception of true frosh that we play because they are immediately on the two-deep (with a few confusing exceptions), our players overwhelmingly redshirt, yet are still good enough to invite back for a fifth year, and they are still enrolled and interested in that fifth year. Yes, there are exceptions - players that want to transfer or retire or leave early. But that is a minority of players. As Shaw always says, Stanford's style is a jr-sr game, and so if we need to have jrs and srs and fifth years playing, it's a sign his plan is working and having smaller recruiting classes. We are, for obvious reasons, never going to be an Alabama with a bunch of players leaving after jr year for the NFL, so we have to have some other plan. Shaw has it. It's working pretty well so far, but I am worried about the o-line depth in two and three years.

-m.

[Langdude]

[quote author=OutsiderFan link=topic=12112.msg221230#msg221230 date=1515882996]
The most talented Frosh will have to play early and not redshirt.  Will force the coaches to simplify things to get the best athletes on the field ASAP, particularly on defense.  Booker, Fox, Hollifield (assuming he signs), maybe even Umerah, would be the beneficiaries of such a dynamic in 2018.

You play this year's true freshmen because you think they will help you win.  But I don't think playing them as true freshmen helps you with the class imbalance (it will help more in 2019 when we should have a larger class).

BC
[/quote]

Right. None of this is new. We usually have smaller-than-average classes because our players tend not to fail out, leave early, or transfer relative to other elite programs. In fact, to disagree with OF, I would say that the fact that our classes are smaller is a sign of the success of Shaw's recruiting strategy: with the exception of true frosh that we play because they are immediately on the two-deep (with a few confusing exceptions), our players overwhelmingly redshirt, yet are still good enough to invite back for a fifth year, and they are still enrolled and interested in that fifth year. Yes, there are exceptions - players that want to transfer or retire or leave early. But that is a minority of players. As Shaw always says, Stanford's style is a jr-sr game, and so if we need to have jrs and srs and fifth years playing, it's a sign his plan is working and having smaller recruiting classes. We are, for obvious reasons, never going to be an Alabama with a bunch of players leaving after jr year for the NFL, so we have to have some other plan. Shaw has it. It's working pretty well so far, but I am worried about the o-line depth in two and three years.

-m.