Here is my take and break down of the offensive 2024 class. Going to start by saying what I said in one of my posts recently about recruiting. OSU fans want high ranking classes and I agree that we should see high ranked classes, but putting stock into services rankings and how they come to the ranking can be tricky and in some cases a joke. So many aspects that don’t make them relevant: #of recruits in class, true evals vs slap a star ranking on a recruit because you couldn’t eval them, blueblood status, cater to sites with higher subs, and money running how things are done. How do we truly know OSU hasn’t recruited at a higher level? Would the rankings system from a service really tell us that?
So when OSU (56 rivals rank) and Utah (57 rivals rank) and Kstate (61 rivals rank) for the most part get lower ranked classes but their production on field is better what does that mean? These 3 programs recruit very well I’d say for what they want to do and what their program is about and if a recruiting service can’t see that year after year I’m not sure what to tell you. As a fan, I’ll take these recruiting rankings in the 40-60’s year after year if it means our on the field production results in wins and competing in the top half of the conference every year.
So, our recruiting class may not rank high but I’m going to give it more due. I’ll try not to overdue it and put the orange colored glasses on but instead try my best to give fair evals. Truth is somewhere in the middle of the underwhelming ranking and a fan such as me rain-bowing and lollipopping the class. I will compare some recruits to past players not saying they will turn out like them but style wise.
Here we go:
Qb: Maealiuaki Smith (6’4 200) -
How it fits for OSU- We all know the importance of this position in college football. We need to be taking a QB in every class. Following up a class where we took Zane Flores with this take in Smith is fantastic. This gives us two great young options to be the future Qb at OSU. OSU need for class Grade - A+
Player Eval -Smith throws a very pretty ball. His throwing motion is very natural and he puts some spin on it. He moves well in the pocket but sometimes has a tendency to throw off his back foot. Displays the potential to be a guy who can make the hard throws. Smith will need to bulk up some and as with the Qb position will need time to adjust to the speed of higher level football, but I think he has big upside. Really like his offer list also enough to validate a higher star ranking.
My player ⭐️ ranking -
Maealiuaki Smith- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Player comparison- The easy comp is Marcus Mariota and there are some similarities there, but I think he has some similarities to old NC state Qb Mike Glennon. You may think I pulled that out of nowhere but go watch video of both.
Rb - Rodney Fields (5’9 187) & Jaden Allen-Hendrix (6’2 225) -
How it fits for OSU- With Nixon hitting the portal and Collins eligibility up we needed rbs. Getting 2 high school guys with very different styles and sizes is a very good move on our part. We haven’t heard officially about what Ollie Gordon is going to do(assume he is back).We have Sesi Vailahi and his future looks very good. Perhaps we could use 1 more back from the portal for depth but it may be hard with the Doak Walker winner coming back to attract a RB. OSU need for class grade - B+
Player Eval - I’ve been waiting for OSU to go after a back with the style of Rodney Fields for a while. He was dominating okc high school football every week and massed great numbers in his high school career. With a smaller back durability is a question. Jaden is a bigger back that went unnoticed. He will give us a guy that is a great lead blocker but also can carry the ball himself. His film is impressive.
My player ⭐️ ranking-
Rodney Fields- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (high 3 for me here close to 4)
Jaden Allen-Hendrix - ⭐️ ⭐️
Player comparison- I’ve been waiting for us to get a back in the mold of Kendall Hunter for awhile at OSU. Fields high school coach was a Hunter teammate and says the comparisons are there. Hendrix gives me some Kye Staley vibes.
OL - Caleb Hackleman (6’5 275), Chauncey Johnson (6’5 310). Naku Mafi (6’5 285) -
How it fits for OSU- The oline play and recruits we get needs to get better. It just does. Does this class do that? Does it meet a major need? We saw improved line play this season but are we upgrading the talent level at the position with these classes? I’ll say this, Hackleman and Johnson seem like guys that match what we have been doing for the past few years talent wise. They have potential but their offer lists are underwhelming and they don’t seem to be the higher level recruit we need to upgrade the position. Are the nfl guys one day? Then we landed Semsi Tonga and Naku Mafi to the class and that immediately upgraded it because those two are exactly the type of olineman we need to bring in to raise the talent level. And then we lost Semsi Tonga to Arizona state. I get that it is going to happen at times, but we simply needed to hang on to both of these. I will say the one we did hang onto was the one we more needed to keep out of the two based on OSU needs at the tackle position, but Semsis upside is very good and it’s difficult to lose that. OSU need for class grade - B-
Player Eval - Hackleman is Cowboy through and through. He is going to work his tail off and be a chemistry guy along the oline. As with most olineman he is not ready and needs 2-3 years to develop and gain strength. Chauncey Johnson is more of a high risk high reward type player. He wasn’t highly recruited but did have a few higher level schools(mizzou & Kstate) recognize his potential. He is a multi sport guy and powerlifting is one of those. Naku Mafi is the prize of the group. I don’t think he will be ready next year, as in the Russell Okungs of college football are very rare along the oline, but he won’t be far off. I honestly think give him 1 year to build up strength and adjust to college and he is going to be ready to go.
My player ⭐️ ranking-
Caleb Hackleman- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Chauncey Johnson - ⭐️ ⭐️
Naku Mafi - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Player comparison- Hackleman just reminds me of a typical OSU oline recruit from the past 5 years or longer. He fits the mold of a Hunter Woodard. Chauncey Johnson reminds me of a Marcus Keyes type player which would be a great turnout for him. Naku reminds me of Oregon state OT Taliese Fuaga. And yes I did give an osu olineman recruit a rate of a 4 star. The main point here for me is that we would do well to continue building on the Samoan pipeline in the trenches especially because the success rate is high and they work very hard. It’s really to bad we lost Semsi Tonga.
WR - Tre Griffiths (6’3 200)
How it fits for OSU- I don’t think we have filled this position very well the past 2 recruiting classes. I’m going to be a bit hard on this position group and how we have filled our needs recently. In last years class I think we struck out at WR and went way down the board for guys. Cameron Heard is the only one from last year I feel good about. This year we took one so far. We have had 2 hit the portal and 1 probably use up his eligibility. We simply need to recruit better at this position, a position that shouldn’t be this hard to fill. I also think we have focused so much on possession WR’s as of late that we are struggling to get WR’s that can get separation from DB’s. We need more speed at this position. LaDainian Fields is exactly the type of athlete I’d like to see at WR but we are going to play him on the defensive side of the ball it sounds like. I really like Griffiths as a prospect but don’t feel like we are meeting the need which will be reflected in my grade. I know the portal should come into play at this position also. OSU need for class grade - D+
Player Eval - Tre Griffiths is a physical WR that fits the mold of what we have been recruiting and have on our roster currently. He is a big bodied possession WR but does have some athletic ability for a kid his size and surprisingly good speed for a guy his size. He was decently recruited with a decent offer list and has good hands. He will fit right in with what we have been focusing in on at WR.
My player ⭐️ ranking-
Tre Griffiths- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Player comparison- It would be easy to just say that he fits the mold of the bigger possession WR’s at OSU like Ateman, Owens, or Bray even. But getting down to style and play Tre kind of reminds me of Treylon Burks.
TE - Josh Ford (6’5 240)
How it fits for OSU- Ford helps fill a major position of need but the problem is he most likely is not ready to help fill it right away. He is a very solid take for us for the future. Could he eventually outgrow TE and move to the oline? Who knows? As of right now he fits the mold of what we are looking for and needing at this position group Al that has a rough history and bad reputation formally known as the Cowboy back. Will need to hit the transfer portal. OSU need for class grade - C+
Player Eval - I believe it was Gundy that told the story of this kid playing through a serious injury in a playoff game? That shows heart and determination. It shows the types of things you want in a football player. That tells me all I need to know about this kid. Stillwater football has been very good the past few years and this kid is probably underrated. Once he hits our training program with his drive and work ethic I believe we got a heck of a future player in this kid.
My player ⭐️ ranking-
Josh Ford- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Player comparison- Right now I like the comparison to Zac Veatch. It will depend on how he develops with his receiving skills. I know some would want to compare him to Blake Jarwin but I don’t see that. He will need to develop his receiving skills significantly to make that comparison.
So when OSU (56 rivals rank) and Utah (57 rivals rank) and Kstate (61 rivals rank) for the most part get lower ranked classes but their production on field is better what does that mean? These 3 programs recruit very well I’d say for what they want to do and what their program is about and if a recruiting service can’t see that year after year I’m not sure what to tell you. As a fan, I’ll take these recruiting rankings in the 40-60’s year after year if it means our on the field production results in wins and competing in the top half of the conference every year.
So, our recruiting class may not rank high but I’m going to give it more due. I’ll try not to overdue it and put the orange colored glasses on but instead try my best to give fair evals. Truth is somewhere in the middle of the underwhelming ranking and a fan such as me rain-bowing and lollipopping the class. I will compare some recruits to past players not saying they will turn out like them but style wise.
Here we go:
Qb: Maealiuaki Smith (6’4 200) -
How it fits for OSU- We all know the importance of this position in college football. We need to be taking a QB in every class. Following up a class where we took Zane Flores with this take in Smith is fantastic. This gives us two great young options to be the future Qb at OSU. OSU need for class Grade - A+
Player Eval -Smith throws a very pretty ball. His throwing motion is very natural and he puts some spin on it. He moves well in the pocket but sometimes has a tendency to throw off his back foot. Displays the potential to be a guy who can make the hard throws. Smith will need to bulk up some and as with the Qb position will need time to adjust to the speed of higher level football, but I think he has big upside. Really like his offer list also enough to validate a higher star ranking.
My player ⭐️ ranking -
Maealiuaki Smith- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Player comparison- The easy comp is Marcus Mariota and there are some similarities there, but I think he has some similarities to old NC state Qb Mike Glennon. You may think I pulled that out of nowhere but go watch video of both.
Rb - Rodney Fields (5’9 187) & Jaden Allen-Hendrix (6’2 225) -
How it fits for OSU- With Nixon hitting the portal and Collins eligibility up we needed rbs. Getting 2 high school guys with very different styles and sizes is a very good move on our part. We haven’t heard officially about what Ollie Gordon is going to do(assume he is back).We have Sesi Vailahi and his future looks very good. Perhaps we could use 1 more back from the portal for depth but it may be hard with the Doak Walker winner coming back to attract a RB. OSU need for class grade - B+
Player Eval - I’ve been waiting for OSU to go after a back with the style of Rodney Fields for a while. He was dominating okc high school football every week and massed great numbers in his high school career. With a smaller back durability is a question. Jaden is a bigger back that went unnoticed. He will give us a guy that is a great lead blocker but also can carry the ball himself. His film is impressive.
My player ⭐️ ranking-
Rodney Fields- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (high 3 for me here close to 4)
Jaden Allen-Hendrix - ⭐️ ⭐️
Player comparison- I’ve been waiting for us to get a back in the mold of Kendall Hunter for awhile at OSU. Fields high school coach was a Hunter teammate and says the comparisons are there. Hendrix gives me some Kye Staley vibes.
OL - Caleb Hackleman (6’5 275), Chauncey Johnson (6’5 310). Naku Mafi (6’5 285) -
How it fits for OSU- The oline play and recruits we get needs to get better. It just does. Does this class do that? Does it meet a major need? We saw improved line play this season but are we upgrading the talent level at the position with these classes? I’ll say this, Hackleman and Johnson seem like guys that match what we have been doing for the past few years talent wise. They have potential but their offer lists are underwhelming and they don’t seem to be the higher level recruit we need to upgrade the position. Are the nfl guys one day? Then we landed Semsi Tonga and Naku Mafi to the class and that immediately upgraded it because those two are exactly the type of olineman we need to bring in to raise the talent level. And then we lost Semsi Tonga to Arizona state. I get that it is going to happen at times, but we simply needed to hang on to both of these. I will say the one we did hang onto was the one we more needed to keep out of the two based on OSU needs at the tackle position, but Semsis upside is very good and it’s difficult to lose that. OSU need for class grade - B-
Player Eval - Hackleman is Cowboy through and through. He is going to work his tail off and be a chemistry guy along the oline. As with most olineman he is not ready and needs 2-3 years to develop and gain strength. Chauncey Johnson is more of a high risk high reward type player. He wasn’t highly recruited but did have a few higher level schools(mizzou & Kstate) recognize his potential. He is a multi sport guy and powerlifting is one of those. Naku Mafi is the prize of the group. I don’t think he will be ready next year, as in the Russell Okungs of college football are very rare along the oline, but he won’t be far off. I honestly think give him 1 year to build up strength and adjust to college and he is going to be ready to go.
My player ⭐️ ranking-
Caleb Hackleman- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Chauncey Johnson - ⭐️ ⭐️
Naku Mafi - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Player comparison- Hackleman just reminds me of a typical OSU oline recruit from the past 5 years or longer. He fits the mold of a Hunter Woodard. Chauncey Johnson reminds me of a Marcus Keyes type player which would be a great turnout for him. Naku reminds me of Oregon state OT Taliese Fuaga. And yes I did give an osu olineman recruit a rate of a 4 star. The main point here for me is that we would do well to continue building on the Samoan pipeline in the trenches especially because the success rate is high and they work very hard. It’s really to bad we lost Semsi Tonga.
WR - Tre Griffiths (6’3 200)
How it fits for OSU- I don’t think we have filled this position very well the past 2 recruiting classes. I’m going to be a bit hard on this position group and how we have filled our needs recently. In last years class I think we struck out at WR and went way down the board for guys. Cameron Heard is the only one from last year I feel good about. This year we took one so far. We have had 2 hit the portal and 1 probably use up his eligibility. We simply need to recruit better at this position, a position that shouldn’t be this hard to fill. I also think we have focused so much on possession WR’s as of late that we are struggling to get WR’s that can get separation from DB’s. We need more speed at this position. LaDainian Fields is exactly the type of athlete I’d like to see at WR but we are going to play him on the defensive side of the ball it sounds like. I really like Griffiths as a prospect but don’t feel like we are meeting the need which will be reflected in my grade. I know the portal should come into play at this position also. OSU need for class grade - D+
Player Eval - Tre Griffiths is a physical WR that fits the mold of what we have been recruiting and have on our roster currently. He is a big bodied possession WR but does have some athletic ability for a kid his size and surprisingly good speed for a guy his size. He was decently recruited with a decent offer list and has good hands. He will fit right in with what we have been focusing in on at WR.
My player ⭐️ ranking-
Tre Griffiths- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Player comparison- It would be easy to just say that he fits the mold of the bigger possession WR’s at OSU like Ateman, Owens, or Bray even. But getting down to style and play Tre kind of reminds me of Treylon Burks.
TE - Josh Ford (6’5 240)
How it fits for OSU- Ford helps fill a major position of need but the problem is he most likely is not ready to help fill it right away. He is a very solid take for us for the future. Could he eventually outgrow TE and move to the oline? Who knows? As of right now he fits the mold of what we are looking for and needing at this position group Al that has a rough history and bad reputation formally known as the Cowboy back. Will need to hit the transfer portal. OSU need for class grade - C+
Player Eval - I believe it was Gundy that told the story of this kid playing through a serious injury in a playoff game? That shows heart and determination. It shows the types of things you want in a football player. That tells me all I need to know about this kid. Stillwater football has been very good the past few years and this kid is probably underrated. Once he hits our training program with his drive and work ethic I believe we got a heck of a future player in this kid.
My player ⭐️ ranking-
Josh Ford- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Player comparison- Right now I like the comparison to Zac Veatch. It will depend on how he develops with his receiving skills. I know some would want to compare him to Blake Jarwin but I don’t see that. He will need to develop his receiving skills significantly to make that comparison.
