Let us all remember that last season we had some struggles before we started to get it together toward the end of the season. The SEC was tough last year, and it is going to be absolutely crazy tough this year. Even though we have some amazing players, it ain't gonna be easy. That said, I'm thinking undefeated.
I generally don't know or pay much attention to rankings. I do trust who Tim seems to be interested in any year beginning on Sept. 1. I expected 2025 class to be a tough recruiting year and it was given what we pulled in with the 2023 and 2024 classes. Last year I had a list of 25 kids and we got none of them. All went to rivals. When that happened Tim went out and got commitments from Bellaire and Shaw, who had not originally been on the list. Much later, in this past Spring, he got a commitment from Matsuno. Obviously, this doesn't mean any of them don't have potential and, again, I trust Tim's evaluation. If he felt they were worth on offer (unknown how much scholarship) then so be it. From what I've heard, Shaw likely has the most immediate potential but I would be surprised if any of them can come in and displace what we already have. As I have said before, Matsuno is the real head scratcher for me. Frankly, I don't know a great deal about any of them. On the converse, we have already grabbed three excellent players off of my Sept. 1 list for this year and we are still in the hunt for several more. Even if we don't get any of the rest, this year has already exceeded my expectations as the effect of the 2023 and 2024 class is still relevant. Take any and all of this with a grain of salt as I am not a recruiting expert. I just try to read the tea leaves.
I am surprised there has been almost no movement since we got immediate commitments from those three. It has been more than a week and nothing has happened with the six I still think we are working to get. For that matter, other than the three we got and the two to FSU and one to A&M that I posted about a week ago, there hasn't been any movement at all with the other 18 or 19 kids Tim apparently dropped from consideration, either because they said they weren't coming or he moved on himself. Nothing. No commitments. At least the last time I checked a couple days ago. I don't know why and it doesn't seem like any of them are not pulling the trigger because they are still making new official visits elsewhere. Or at least they aren't posting about new visits.
Is there value in rankings? I suppose to an extent if a kid is consistently rated fairly high in numerous rankings which would at least indicate the kid is probably full of potential. Would I bet the farm on a kid ranked 10th over one ranked 75th? Nope. Take a recent....Ariel was ranked like 50 or higher if even ranked while Mia has for years been ranked #1 or #2. Or more in the past....when Lexie Delbrey committed out of her junior year she was ranked as the #1 high school pitcher by several services. And that was the same recruiting class as Jordy Bahl and others. There are many more examples. Trust Tim's judgement.
Pretty much what I have heard although needing depth really isn't the problem. Finding ways to play everyone we've got is the problem.
Wasn’t Kylie Shaw in the Futures All American game in July? I recall she was. Someone please correct me or concur. To her credit, I would like to add she is a very hard trainer. I have witnessed that on social media since she committed last year.
