Goulds Cane
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- Jan 11, 2020
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Fans of college football often look at the recruits their favorite team brought in and say "YES!!!!! THESE GUYS ARE GONNA GET US A NATTY!" We have to remember however that the rest of the country is also recruiting talented football players & have to temper expectations a bit. I love how Mario closed on the 22 class with the exception of Shemar, but c'est la vie. Let's look at the recruiting classes at the rest of our conference.
Boston College:
I like what Jeff Hafley has been doing in Chestnut Hill. The Eagles are never an easy out & they play to the whistle. On offense, they have U-School alumni Zay Flowers as one of the best pass catchers in the conference.
Their recruiting class didn't have any blue chip studs, but they brought in some solid talent that should help the program continue to develop. Quebec LB Edwin Kolenge looks like an NFL player right now as a HS senior. He is a devastating hitter in the run game, I'd like to see more film of him in coverage. Georgia DB Amari Jackson is very technical and shows some good athletic traits. Polynesian safety Sione Hala is talented & shows great range in the back end as well as great tackling in the run game. New Jersey QB Peter Delaportas has a live arm & good accuracy. Massachusetts TE Matt Ragan is the perfect package, he has good hands in the passing game & is a solid inline blocker. Tampa LB Daveon Crouch plays with the swag & toughness of a Florida linebacker. Massachusetts OT Jack Funke is a BIG BOY and can move. Virginia DE Gilbert Tongrongou looks like Clelin Ferrell on the hoof. Massachusetts WR Joseph Griffin reminds me of Agiye Hall.
Clemson:
Everyone was screaming during the season "CLEMSON IS DONEZO!!!! DABO IS WASHED!!!!" They won 10 games. In an off year they still dropped their nuts on almost the entire conference. A common theme with the Tigers in 2021 was the lack of offensive skill talent, and they more than made up for it this class.
They signed the #1 QB in the country in Texas signalcaller Cade Klubnik. The dynamic passer should challenge for the starting QB spot almost immediately. They also signed blue chip in-state wideouts Jaedyn Lukus, Adam Randall & Antonio Williams. A common theme I notice about Clemson is that they often target sleepers & under the radar developmental prospects. They signed way more 3 stars than I expected. Montgomery, Alabama DB Kylon Griffin is a dynamic athlete that I was shocked to find out was only a 3 star. On defense, I also like South Carolina defensive end Jahiem Lawson and Virginia safety Sherrod Covil. Overall, they put together another dominant recruiting class.
Duke:
The Blue Devils struggled the last few years under David Cutcliffe but they quietly put together a solid class. Georgia offensive lineman Steven Nahmias is a violent mauler that plays with hatred in his heart. North Carolina DE Vince Anthony looks dominant on film, but his National Combine testing numbers were dreadful. Georgia safety Nathan Vail shows good athleticism and range. North Carolina athlete Terry Moore can be a nice player at both receiver and DB. Jacksonville RB Eric Weatherly is a poor man's Duke Johnson on film. Ohio OT Brian Parker shows great movement and technique but needs to get bigger.
Semenholes:
I was howling with laughter on ESD when Travis Hunter chose Jackson State. Like straight ignorant laughter, my gums was showing & tears was coming down my face. You remember in Players Club when they throw Bernie Mac in the trunk & he's pleading for his life? Laughing as hard as that. Random, I saw Ronnie from Players Club in Lenox Mall in the mid 00s when I was in ATL visiting family and she is somehow finer in person!!!
I really like Daniel Lyons & Omar Graham and was devastated when we lost them, to our biggest rival no less. Sam McCall & Azareyah Thomas both have good athleticism and potential. Their O-line signees are all plodding & left me unimpressed. Julian Armella doesn't have the feet to play OT but isn't strong or aggressive enough to play guard. I like WVU transfer Winston Wright III. **** the Noles as a staff, a record label and as a god**** crew.
Georgia Tech:
Everyone expected good things for Geoff Collins but the Ramblin Wreck are a rambling wreck. When your top recruit is flipping to Nebraska on signing day, you are in grave danger.
I like Atlanta-area RB Antonio Martin, he actually reminds me of Jahmyr Gibbs a bit. South Florida DB Jaylin Marshall is a jumbo athlete with no real position yet. Western WR Jullian Lewis is a major sleeper that was under the radar despite his great production. My nephew plays with Georgia RB Jamie Felix and he is dynamic but injury prone.
Louisville:
The Cards might as well be a Florida school the way they recruit down here. Are you from Florida & dark skin with a NBA Youngboy afro??? Here's a Louisville offer!
Indiana defensive end Popeye Williams is an elite athlete. His pass rushing prowess pops off the screen. Dillard WR Devaughn Mortimer was arguably the best offensive player in South Florida in 2021 & told FSU to come pinga. Tampa DT Tawfiq Thomas is a massive nose tackle that will be an immovable object for ACC offensive lines. Venice, Fla. OT Makhete Gueye looks like an NBA power forward & moves great. I have no clue how Mississippi wideout Chris Bell escaped SEC territory, he looks and moves like Kelvin Harmon.
NC State:
North Carolina quietly produces a LOT of talent. You can put together a winning team just off recruiting the state alone.
NC running back Michael Allen is DYNAMIC with great testing numbers & a frame that can play immediately. NC State is getting a good player that can follow up Ricky Person and Zonovan Knight. I thought I was watching DeAndre Wilder's film when looking at North Carolina linebacker Torren Wright. Cane fans know how good Tampa DT Brandon Cleveland is. Georgia QB MJ Morris reminds me of former ECU/Jacksonville Jags QB David Garrard, although not as thickly built. Georgia OL Jacarrius Peak is massive and can move. North Carolina is one of those states where a few of the Wolfpack's lower rated in-state kids will develop into dogs.
Pitt:
Their class, while not exceptional star-wise, has a crop of good talent. I expect a few of these guys to become studs, it's the Pitt way.
Ohio OT Ryan Baer is MASSIVE and looks like he could play right tackle for the Dolphins right now. Massachusetts DE Samuel Okunlola was one of my favorite pass rushers in the country this cycle, his pass rushing skills are elite. His brother is a 2023 OT I've covered already. Buffalo, NY DE Jimmy Scott is a great pass rusher to pair with Okunlola. Georgia DB Ryland Gandy is a great player that should play early for the Panthers. Texas RB/WR Che Nwabuko is a speed demon that might be a star in this conference. I think they shouldn't see much of a drop off at the QB position with the arrival of USC transfer Kedon Slovis.
Syracuse:
I really loved Dino Babers in the beginning (#blackheadcoach) but things are spiraling for the Orangemen.
Edison DE Francois Nolton was hyped as one of the best DEs in the country early on but his hype died tremendously. I also liked Monsignor Pace LB Mekhi Mason & thought he was a Cane caliber player. American Heritage DT Belizaire Bassette reminds me of 2020 Louisville signee Henry Bryant.
UNC:
I think Mack Brown is an excellent CEO in his old age. UNC is one of the best teams in the country & it is interesting to see how they look without Sam Howell.
Virginia OT Zach Rice was an elite pull & someone I wished the Canes had a shot at. North Carolina DT Travis Shaw is a massive human that should be a player early. Virginia RB George Pettaway is a dynamic player that will eventually be one of the ACC's best backs. Chicago-area LB Sebastian Cheeks is an elite athlete with amazing football IQ. North Carolina edge rusher Beau Atkinson is a great football player. He visited Miami & I wished we could have gotten him in the boat. Virginia OT Treyvon Green is massive with adequate movement. Virginia wideout Andre Greene is a stud that should ascend into a savage rather quickly. North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton is an elite player to pair with George Pettaway. Virginia wideout Tychaun Chapman is an elite athlete that will terrorize teams in the slot. There are more players to name but I don't have time. UNC is officially recruiting with the big boys, they have the best recruiting class in the ACC. The rest of the conference is looking up at them.
UVA:
It seems like they recruit from the OL outwards, and this year was no different.
They signed a gaggle of massive offensive lineman. Utah OL Snoop Amaama was a kid the Canes targeted early but missed out on. I don't think Bronco Mendenhall left UVA, I think Georgia OL Noah Demerritt ate him. North Carolina wideout Dakota Twitty is extremely lanky with solid hands & good athleticism and should grow into a TE. As a WR, he reminds me of Benjamin Victor.
Virginia Tech:
I honestly had no clue what the **** Justin Fuente was doing on the recruiting trail. This class, it seems like they got serious about themselves & Brent Pry closed out great.
Virginia OT Gunnar Givens has perfect size & athleticism for left tackle. Baltimore DB Cam Johnson is athletic & sticky in coverage. North Carolina TE Benji Gosnell can both block & catch. Virginia OT Brody Meadows is a great bookend with Givens. Pennsylvania OL Braelin Moore is a phone booth brawler. South Carolina OT Zay Chaplin is a massive piece of humanity. VT signed two local DEs in Kyree Moyston and Keyshawn Burgos that might be the best pass rushing combo in the ACC in 2-3 years, those boys are TALENTED. VT sneakily might have had the best recruiting class at the line of scrimmage in the conference.
Wake Forest:
Wake will never be a team that you think of when you think "bluechip recruiting class" but the Demon Deacons signed some good players in this cycle.
Virginia RB Demond Claiborne is a speedy back with great shiftiness. NC wideout Wesley Grimes should develop into a good wideout, he has the prerequisite size, athleticism and hands. Charlotte-area DL Eli Hall should develop into a great piece on defense. Tampa wideout Jaydn Girard has great hands & is a good route runner.
OFFICIAL GOULDS CANE 2022 ACC RECRUITING CLASS FINAL RANKINGS:
1. UNC
2. Clemson
3. Virginia Tech
4. Miami
5. NC State
6. Boston College
7. FSU
8. Pittsburgh
9. Louisville
10. Wake Forest
11. Georgia Tech
12. Duke
13. Virginia
14. Syracuse
Boston College:
I like what Jeff Hafley has been doing in Chestnut Hill. The Eagles are never an easy out & they play to the whistle. On offense, they have U-School alumni Zay Flowers as one of the best pass catchers in the conference.
Their recruiting class didn't have any blue chip studs, but they brought in some solid talent that should help the program continue to develop. Quebec LB Edwin Kolenge looks like an NFL player right now as a HS senior. He is a devastating hitter in the run game, I'd like to see more film of him in coverage. Georgia DB Amari Jackson is very technical and shows some good athletic traits. Polynesian safety Sione Hala is talented & shows great range in the back end as well as great tackling in the run game. New Jersey QB Peter Delaportas has a live arm & good accuracy. Massachusetts TE Matt Ragan is the perfect package, he has good hands in the passing game & is a solid inline blocker. Tampa LB Daveon Crouch plays with the swag & toughness of a Florida linebacker. Massachusetts OT Jack Funke is a BIG BOY and can move. Virginia DE Gilbert Tongrongou looks like Clelin Ferrell on the hoof. Massachusetts WR Joseph Griffin reminds me of Agiye Hall.
Clemson:
Everyone was screaming during the season "CLEMSON IS DONEZO!!!! DABO IS WASHED!!!!" They won 10 games. In an off year they still dropped their nuts on almost the entire conference. A common theme with the Tigers in 2021 was the lack of offensive skill talent, and they more than made up for it this class.
They signed the #1 QB in the country in Texas signalcaller Cade Klubnik. The dynamic passer should challenge for the starting QB spot almost immediately. They also signed blue chip in-state wideouts Jaedyn Lukus, Adam Randall & Antonio Williams. A common theme I notice about Clemson is that they often target sleepers & under the radar developmental prospects. They signed way more 3 stars than I expected. Montgomery, Alabama DB Kylon Griffin is a dynamic athlete that I was shocked to find out was only a 3 star. On defense, I also like South Carolina defensive end Jahiem Lawson and Virginia safety Sherrod Covil. Overall, they put together another dominant recruiting class.
Duke:
The Blue Devils struggled the last few years under David Cutcliffe but they quietly put together a solid class. Georgia offensive lineman Steven Nahmias is a violent mauler that plays with hatred in his heart. North Carolina DE Vince Anthony looks dominant on film, but his National Combine testing numbers were dreadful. Georgia safety Nathan Vail shows good athleticism and range. North Carolina athlete Terry Moore can be a nice player at both receiver and DB. Jacksonville RB Eric Weatherly is a poor man's Duke Johnson on film. Ohio OT Brian Parker shows great movement and technique but needs to get bigger.
Semenholes:
I was howling with laughter on ESD when Travis Hunter chose Jackson State. Like straight ignorant laughter, my gums was showing & tears was coming down my face. You remember in Players Club when they throw Bernie Mac in the trunk & he's pleading for his life? Laughing as hard as that. Random, I saw Ronnie from Players Club in Lenox Mall in the mid 00s when I was in ATL visiting family and she is somehow finer in person!!!
I really like Daniel Lyons & Omar Graham and was devastated when we lost them, to our biggest rival no less. Sam McCall & Azareyah Thomas both have good athleticism and potential. Their O-line signees are all plodding & left me unimpressed. Julian Armella doesn't have the feet to play OT but isn't strong or aggressive enough to play guard. I like WVU transfer Winston Wright III. **** the Noles as a staff, a record label and as a god**** crew.
Georgia Tech:
Everyone expected good things for Geoff Collins but the Ramblin Wreck are a rambling wreck. When your top recruit is flipping to Nebraska on signing day, you are in grave danger.
I like Atlanta-area RB Antonio Martin, he actually reminds me of Jahmyr Gibbs a bit. South Florida DB Jaylin Marshall is a jumbo athlete with no real position yet. Western WR Jullian Lewis is a major sleeper that was under the radar despite his great production. My nephew plays with Georgia RB Jamie Felix and he is dynamic but injury prone.
Louisville:
The Cards might as well be a Florida school the way they recruit down here. Are you from Florida & dark skin with a NBA Youngboy afro??? Here's a Louisville offer!
Indiana defensive end Popeye Williams is an elite athlete. His pass rushing prowess pops off the screen. Dillard WR Devaughn Mortimer was arguably the best offensive player in South Florida in 2021 & told FSU to come pinga. Tampa DT Tawfiq Thomas is a massive nose tackle that will be an immovable object for ACC offensive lines. Venice, Fla. OT Makhete Gueye looks like an NBA power forward & moves great. I have no clue how Mississippi wideout Chris Bell escaped SEC territory, he looks and moves like Kelvin Harmon.
NC State:
North Carolina quietly produces a LOT of talent. You can put together a winning team just off recruiting the state alone.
NC running back Michael Allen is DYNAMIC with great testing numbers & a frame that can play immediately. NC State is getting a good player that can follow up Ricky Person and Zonovan Knight. I thought I was watching DeAndre Wilder's film when looking at North Carolina linebacker Torren Wright. Cane fans know how good Tampa DT Brandon Cleveland is. Georgia QB MJ Morris reminds me of former ECU/Jacksonville Jags QB David Garrard, although not as thickly built. Georgia OL Jacarrius Peak is massive and can move. North Carolina is one of those states where a few of the Wolfpack's lower rated in-state kids will develop into dogs.
Pitt:
Their class, while not exceptional star-wise, has a crop of good talent. I expect a few of these guys to become studs, it's the Pitt way.
Ohio OT Ryan Baer is MASSIVE and looks like he could play right tackle for the Dolphins right now. Massachusetts DE Samuel Okunlola was one of my favorite pass rushers in the country this cycle, his pass rushing skills are elite. His brother is a 2023 OT I've covered already. Buffalo, NY DE Jimmy Scott is a great pass rusher to pair with Okunlola. Georgia DB Ryland Gandy is a great player that should play early for the Panthers. Texas RB/WR Che Nwabuko is a speed demon that might be a star in this conference. I think they shouldn't see much of a drop off at the QB position with the arrival of USC transfer Kedon Slovis.
Syracuse:
I really loved Dino Babers in the beginning (#blackheadcoach) but things are spiraling for the Orangemen.
Edison DE Francois Nolton was hyped as one of the best DEs in the country early on but his hype died tremendously. I also liked Monsignor Pace LB Mekhi Mason & thought he was a Cane caliber player. American Heritage DT Belizaire Bassette reminds me of 2020 Louisville signee Henry Bryant.
UNC:
I think Mack Brown is an excellent CEO in his old age. UNC is one of the best teams in the country & it is interesting to see how they look without Sam Howell.
Virginia OT Zach Rice was an elite pull & someone I wished the Canes had a shot at. North Carolina DT Travis Shaw is a massive human that should be a player early. Virginia RB George Pettaway is a dynamic player that will eventually be one of the ACC's best backs. Chicago-area LB Sebastian Cheeks is an elite athlete with amazing football IQ. North Carolina edge rusher Beau Atkinson is a great football player. He visited Miami & I wished we could have gotten him in the boat. Virginia OT Treyvon Green is massive with adequate movement. Virginia wideout Andre Greene is a stud that should ascend into a savage rather quickly. North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton is an elite player to pair with George Pettaway. Virginia wideout Tychaun Chapman is an elite athlete that will terrorize teams in the slot. There are more players to name but I don't have time. UNC is officially recruiting with the big boys, they have the best recruiting class in the ACC. The rest of the conference is looking up at them.
UVA:
It seems like they recruit from the OL outwards, and this year was no different.
They signed a gaggle of massive offensive lineman. Utah OL Snoop Amaama was a kid the Canes targeted early but missed out on. I don't think Bronco Mendenhall left UVA, I think Georgia OL Noah Demerritt ate him. North Carolina wideout Dakota Twitty is extremely lanky with solid hands & good athleticism and should grow into a TE. As a WR, he reminds me of Benjamin Victor.
Virginia Tech:
I honestly had no clue what the **** Justin Fuente was doing on the recruiting trail. This class, it seems like they got serious about themselves & Brent Pry closed out great.
Virginia OT Gunnar Givens has perfect size & athleticism for left tackle. Baltimore DB Cam Johnson is athletic & sticky in coverage. North Carolina TE Benji Gosnell can both block & catch. Virginia OT Brody Meadows is a great bookend with Givens. Pennsylvania OL Braelin Moore is a phone booth brawler. South Carolina OT Zay Chaplin is a massive piece of humanity. VT signed two local DEs in Kyree Moyston and Keyshawn Burgos that might be the best pass rushing combo in the ACC in 2-3 years, those boys are TALENTED. VT sneakily might have had the best recruiting class at the line of scrimmage in the conference.
Wake Forest:
Wake will never be a team that you think of when you think "bluechip recruiting class" but the Demon Deacons signed some good players in this cycle.
Virginia RB Demond Claiborne is a speedy back with great shiftiness. NC wideout Wesley Grimes should develop into a good wideout, he has the prerequisite size, athleticism and hands. Charlotte-area DL Eli Hall should develop into a great piece on defense. Tampa wideout Jaydn Girard has great hands & is a good route runner.
OFFICIAL GOULDS CANE 2022 ACC RECRUITING CLASS FINAL RANKINGS:
1. UNC
2. Clemson
3. Virginia Tech
4. Miami
5. NC State
6. Boston College
7. FSU
8. Pittsburgh
9. Louisville
10. Wake Forest
11. Georgia Tech
12. Duke
13. Virginia
14. Syracuse
