2006 was that huge 34-commit class coming off a 9-3 season that ended with a Cotton Bowl loss to Alabama. I had super high expectations, and on signing day I was thrilled to count up four 4-star players, four defensive tackles, and at least one 3-star player at every position. Seemed like we were really turning a corner, evolving into a perennial nine-win team that would always be in the running for the Big XII South.

Unfortunately, I was still new to this year-round recruiting addiction, so I didn’t understand that Tech was still in the REACH era of developmental recruiting. We were still taking flyers on guys we knew had academic issues. At the time I was just comparing our 2004 class (14 2-star recruits) to 2006 (22 3-star recruits). That sounded like progress. And only one JUCO in 2006. That’s worth noting.

It was sobering to find out a few days later that our two 4-star DBs were long shots to qualify. And they didn’t. Ultimately neither did three of the DL that were signed. But hell, football recruiting is a numbers game, and 2006 had a lot of numbers. Let’s see how it turned out.

Here’s my quick list of 2006 signees who will likely be in the 2-deep in 2009: (Note: By my count there are 8 remaining players from the 2005 class on the roster, and five of them will start in 2009.)

Taylor Potts
Baron Batch
Lyle Leong
Adam James
Adrian Reese
Chris Olson
RaJon Henley
Richard Jones
Blake Collier
Brian Duncan
Julius Howard
Marlon Williams
Franklin Mitchem
Laron Moore
Jarell Routt
Jamar Wall

Players who made significant contributions and already left:

Brandon Williams
Michael Crabtree

Strengths of this class:

DL – Brandon Williams, RaJon Henley, Richard Jones, and Dan’Tay Ward all played as true freshmen. We lost Dan’Tay after that, but this group allowed Ruff to play straight cover 2 throughout last season. Williams is already in the NFL, and I wouldn’t be surprised if both Henley and Jones get a look in a Dungy-type defense.
LB – Hard to argue with Williams/Duncan going into their third year starting. Dedfischer knows linebackers better than me, and being a starter doesn’t mean you don’t suck, but starting for three years means you’re at least solid. Collier and Howard still have a chance to contribute. Maybe.
WR – If Crabtree had been the only WR recruit, this would be a strength. Leong and James both have important roles on this year’s team, and I haven’t totally given up on Reese. Close, but not totally.

Solid?

QB – We’ll find out this year. Maybe next year. I’ll have something about first-year QB starters under Leach maybe next week.
RB – Batch has to do it all himself, but I think he will. Last year alone (1300+ total yards, 8 TDs) should be enough. But I’m greedy. If Batch delivers another season like 2008, RB gets moved up to a strength. That’s my new Crabtree rule. If you’re the only star recruit at your position, you need two years of difference-making plays.
DB – Jamar Wall is pissed at me, I’m sure. Especially after I let Crab carry the WR position. But even though he’s played a lot, Wall hasn’t made enough game-changing plays for me. Laron Moore has been injury-prone, Mitchem might not be starting by the end of this season, and Routt got here from JUCO and can’t crack the 2-deep.

Weaknesses

OL – Yikes. Chris Olson is the only one left on the roster. Lott got arrested, and Ofa became a punch line. Injuries took a few. We’ve scored better since then, and fortunately for 2009 we scored big in 2005 (Byrnes, Carter, and Winn all returning). One out Seven. Wow.

So out of 34 commits, the hit rate is currently at 18/34 = 53%. That’s slightly above the standard for 3-star recruits, and as I said above, this class had a lot of those. Post Spring Game, I count eleven of the players listed above as starters, and if Williams/Crabtree had stayed, that would not only be two more starters, it would be two premier starters.

Another thing to remember about this group – most of them played in the 2-deep last year, and only RaJon Henley, Richard Jones, Jamar Wall, and Marlon Williams are seniors. So by then end of 2010, we’ll be able to say that this class shouldered a lion’s share of snaps from 2008-2010. They’ve already been part of an 11-win team, so we’ll see what else they can accomplish.