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Now that the rankings are starting to come out for our commitments, a lot of the seemingly "unknown" recruits are getting the stars that make everyone happy. Before we debated June Jones ability to evaluate talent because the recruits were unrated or had few offers. Let's look at where we stand now:

Compilation of ESPN, Scout and Rivals rankings of our recruits:

1. DT Michael O'Guinn: ESPN - 77, Rivals 3***
Van Vleck, TX
6-3/280
Chose SMU over offers from UTEP, Colorado State, Houston, K-State and Stanford.

2. CB Louie Swope: ESPN - 73, Scout 3***
Austin (Westlake), TX
No. 85 CB in nation (scout.com)
5-11/180

3. WR Hayden Greenbauer - ESPN - 75, Scout 2**
San Antonio (Tom Clark HS), TX
Second-team All-State (preseason) — 5ATexasFootball.com
6-1/190/4.58

4. LB John Bordano - Rivals 3*** and Scout 3***
New Braunfels, TX
No. 27 LB in nation (rivals.com)
No. 47 LB in nation (scout.com)
6-2/214/4.56

5. WR Jeremy Johnson - Further Evaluation Still Pending
Tyler (John Tyler HS), TX
6-0/165/4.55
Chose SMU over offer from Louisiana-Monroe

6. DE Don Canyon - Rivals 3***
Dallas (Lincoln HS), TX
6-2/220

7. S Connor Nichols - ESPN - 75, Scout 2** and Rivals 2**
Bossier City (Airline HS), La
6-3/185

8. RB Kevin Pope - Further Evaluation Still Pending
Mount Enterprise, TX
6-2/215
Chose SMU over offer from Louisiana-Monroe

9. WR Ricky Collins - Rivals 3***
Tyler (John Tyler HS), TX
5-11/170

10. DE Uchenna Nwabuike - Further Evaluation Still Pending
Sugar Land (Hightower HS), TX
Second-team All-State (preseason) — 5ATexasFootball.com
6-2/215/4.50

11. DE Forrest Hagar - ESPN - 73, Rivals 2** and Scout 2**
San Antonio (Alamo Heights HS), TX
6-3/210

12. CB Chris Parks - Scout 3***
Conroe, TX
6-1/163/4.54
No. 90 CB in nation (scout.com)
Chose SMU over offers from Iowa State, Kansas State, Rice

13. LB Brandon Thornton - ESPN - 76, Rivals 3***
Conroe, TX
6-2/194/4.70

14. QB Steve Kaiser - ESPN - 79, Rivals 3***
St. Louis (De Smet Jesuit HS), MO
6-3/215
Chose SMU over offers from Colorado, Colorado State, Wisconsin

15. CB/Ath Der'rick Thompson - Further Evaluation Still Pending
Troup, Texas
5-11/190/4.4
Chose SMU over offers from Northwestern State, Louisiana-Monroe

16. WR Arthur Londy - Further Evaluation Still Pending
Spring, Texas
6-0/175/4.4
Chose SMU over offer from Tulsa


I personally believe that throughout their senior season a lot these recruits ratings and recruitment will go up. Given their raw measurables and stats, I like the way this class is shaping up. Just need a couple more BIG MEN...I'll edit this as relevant ratings and commitments are changed.

Thornton is now a 3 star in Rivals

About a week ago before the latest rankings came out Scout asked us to rank the Class-this is how I have it-I'm doing pretty good using the Rivals rankings which I feel is the most accurate

Assuming no eligibility issues:

1. Mike O'Guinn
2. Brandon Thornton(everybody has him rated way too low)
3. John Bordano
4. Stephen Kaiser
5. Chris Parks
6. Rickey Collins(will probably rise with proven on-field results)
7. Jeremy Johnson
8. Ucheena Nwabuike
9. Connor Nichols
10. Derr'ick Thompson(everyone has him name wrong)
11. Louie Swoope
12-16. The Field

This is shaping up to be a good class.

Its funny what a few stars next to a kids name will do...a couple of weeks ago with the exact same class people were complaining about the lack of offers and questiong the quality of these commits

Now, there are stars next to the same kids names and people are happy!

I agree, I've seen the potential in this class for a long time. However, trust is earned and not just given (especially on ponyfans). So now that people can see these "under the radar" recruits garnering legitimate attention from relevant sources I think that people will have more trust in June's evaluation of talent.

ClickClack,

Some of our posters use Rivals as bathroom material so don't be surprised.

I don't think there is any Rivals rating yet of SMU recruits that raises much of an eyebrow except perhaps Ricky Collins who has very little Varsity experience-I thought they might wait until his Senior year to see how he performs on the field but its not shocking based up those who seen his videos and read his reviews. I think SMU is about done with the 3 stars though. Parks could go either way 5.4 or 5.5. Swope is most likely 5.4 with an outside shot. Jeremy Johnson most likely 5.4. Most others will be 5.3 or so. I'm not really making a prediction on Ucheena Nwabuike because there is not enough to go by-I've posted everything positive I could find about him but you'd have to evaluate him on film which apparently no one has.

I wish you would have posted your predictions pre these ratings...

Just curious as to what they would be...

we've discussed this on Rivals and Scout. I had O'Guinn, Thornton, Kaiser, and Bordano as 3 Stars and ranked Ricky Collins as our 6th best recruit(with notation will likely rise with proven on field production). The rest I list in the above thread

Rivals 6/23
Stallion:I think O'quin should be a 3 star. I would think Jeremy Johnson, Connor Nichols and Parks will probably atart at 5.4 but may eventually make it to 5.5. Actually think Nichols would likely project to a higher rating at LB than S. He could be close especially with a good senior season. I'll go out on a limb and say that eventually Thornton when they finally figure out his physical measurements and production will be 3 star.

Rivals 7/7

Negative MexMustang:
Is Kaiser really that good? I will have to trust June on this one, but not many others seem that excited about him. I guess it is a little like Padron last year. Do you have any insight as to what June sees in this player that others apparently don't?

Positive Stallion:I think he's a pretty decent recruit for SMU. As I've already said he has some flaws in his game-most Tennessee fans seem to agree pointing to the same technique problems I mentioned before-but nothing that can't be corrected by our Coaching Staff if he hasn't already after the summer camp tour. He has pretty good upside potential in my opinion if you smooth of the technique issues.

Rivals Deleted Post prior to 5/05(Rivals doesn't retain posts indefinitely):

had a discussion with a poster who I think was related closely to Kaiser who knew which camps and schools he was visiting. Poster thought he was a 5.8 or 4 star-I said that based on Junior Year that was unlikely but I could see him eventually being rated 5.5 or 5.6.

Well done...However, this means you truly have very little life...

I do applaud your behavior as of late, the negativity has gotten far more subdued...

The General is by far a bigger [deleted] than you...and a couple of years ago I never imagined that a possibility.

Rivals 6/22 I was all over the Thornton with about 8 posts saying why I thought he might be one of top recruits in our class including this one:

I'm having a little trouble seeing why both major recruiting services say Thornton was "flying under the Radar". Here's what Jeremy Crabtree Rivals National Recruiting Advisor and Analyst said about Thornton when he was named All Combine at one of the bigger combines there is-the US ARMY combine before the High School All-American Game. Rivals bills the Combine as the best place to scout "more than 500 of the nation's top junior prospects". To make Rivals.com All-Combine Defensive team is a pretty big deal. Pretty sure SMU has never had a recruit make that team before. Plus Crabtree with his emphasis on UT Football also would have first hand knowledge of Thornton's performance at that UT Camp referenced below. Any chance we could get Crabtree to come on here to give us a report on Thornton?

Crabtree(actually later we found out it was Barry Evers):"Thornton showed well last summer at a Texas camp, and he did showed well again at the combine, proving to be one of the best defenders at the combine. His size, speed and ball-hawking ability will make him a heavily recruited player in the Lone Star State"

ClickClack wrote:Its funny what a few stars next to a kids name will do...a couple of weeks ago with the exact same class people were complaining about the lack of offers and questiong the quality of these commits

Now, there are stars next to the same kids names and people are happy!

The rating are not just for us. They show other recruits that highly rated recruits are choosing SMU. This helps in the pied piper effect as Stallion calls it. We need as many high ratings as we can get for furture recruiting purposes.

And talent gives you a better chance to win games.

Stallion has been pretty accurate on his opinions as they relate to rankings of recruits. While he does have a tendancy to be negative(or realistic depending on how you look at it), the guy does do a lot of research before he opines.

IMHO I think recruiting is going well, the caliber or athlete we are recruiting has seen an upswing, but I think we would all agree its going to take wins this year and next to take it to the next level, which is where I think everyone would like us to be.