Sort of a spin off my earlier thread, a look at freshman playing in Brohm's tenure and retention:
2017 - this group would be redshirt seniors. We played 5 freshman (current status):
Barnes - NFL
Jones - transfer FSU
Larry - quit football
Catlett - quit football
Pittman - transfer to Temple.
This group was 24 recruits, ranked 68. Of this group, which had a few JUCO's, Barnes exhausted his eligiblity, and 3 remain, McWilliams, Washington, and Mackey. So we have 1 player significantly playing from this class still, Mackey.
2018 - this group would be 4th year players (Seniors or Redshirt Juniors). We played 3 freshman (current status):
Rondale - NFL
Marks - has not played since Freshman year
Alexander - starter
This group was 24 recruits, ranked 49. Of this group, Rondale obviously is in the NFL. We have 13 players still on the team: Taylor, Durham, Marks, Deen, Sullivan, Stokes, Johnson, Trice, Miller, Cravaack, Ball, Alexander, and Plummer.
2019 - this group would be 3rd year players (Juniors or Redshirt Sophomores). We played 6 freshman (current status):
Bell - starter
Wright - starter
Graham - starter
Doerue - starter
Allen - starter
Karlaftis - starter
This group was 26 recruits, ranked 26. We have 20 players still on the team: Bell, Saunders, Wright, Graham, Doerue, Sheffield, Miller, Kpaka, Allen, Beverly, Hunter, Holstege, Monnot, Bilodeau, Piferi, Craig, Grant, Rice, Karlaftis, and Wahlberg.
2020 - this group would be 2nd year players (Sophomores or Redshirt Freshman). We played 3 freshman (current status):
Kane - backup
Stevens - backup
Hartwig - starter
This group was 21 recruits, ranked 30. We have 15 players still on the team: Yaseen, Romphf, Austin, Fox, Hudgins, Jenkins, Kane, Washington, Sullivan, Alaimo, Kaltenberger, Bycznski, Kreul, Brandt, and Mitchell.
2021 - this group is the current freshman class. It would appear we have no one who will lose their redshirt.
That 2017 class was rough. We had to throw 5 guys into playing right away. And we had poor retention.
The 2018 class provided some depth. But we only have about half that class still with us.
The 2019 class, has proven to be as good as we hoped. Probably a combination of need due to injuries and their talent, we played 6 freshman. That's too much. But we sill have about that entire class back, which has proven a good bridge to our improved recruiting.
The 2020 class, we only had to play 3 freshman, which is on par with where a program like Purdue should be. The hope is this class continues to provide depth.
The 2021 class, while small due to hitting the portal, appears we will not play any freshman this year to burn a redshirt.
2017 - this group would be redshirt seniors. We played 5 freshman (current status):
Barnes - NFL
Jones - transfer FSU
Larry - quit football
Catlett - quit football
Pittman - transfer to Temple.
This group was 24 recruits, ranked 68. Of this group, which had a few JUCO's, Barnes exhausted his eligiblity, and 3 remain, McWilliams, Washington, and Mackey. So we have 1 player significantly playing from this class still, Mackey.
2018 - this group would be 4th year players (Seniors or Redshirt Juniors). We played 3 freshman (current status):
Rondale - NFL
Marks - has not played since Freshman year
Alexander - starter
This group was 24 recruits, ranked 49. Of this group, Rondale obviously is in the NFL. We have 13 players still on the team: Taylor, Durham, Marks, Deen, Sullivan, Stokes, Johnson, Trice, Miller, Cravaack, Ball, Alexander, and Plummer.
2019 - this group would be 3rd year players (Juniors or Redshirt Sophomores). We played 6 freshman (current status):
Bell - starter
Wright - starter
Graham - starter
Doerue - starter
Allen - starter
Karlaftis - starter
This group was 26 recruits, ranked 26. We have 20 players still on the team: Bell, Saunders, Wright, Graham, Doerue, Sheffield, Miller, Kpaka, Allen, Beverly, Hunter, Holstege, Monnot, Bilodeau, Piferi, Craig, Grant, Rice, Karlaftis, and Wahlberg.
2020 - this group would be 2nd year players (Sophomores or Redshirt Freshman). We played 3 freshman (current status):
Kane - backup
Stevens - backup
Hartwig - starter
This group was 21 recruits, ranked 30. We have 15 players still on the team: Yaseen, Romphf, Austin, Fox, Hudgins, Jenkins, Kane, Washington, Sullivan, Alaimo, Kaltenberger, Bycznski, Kreul, Brandt, and Mitchell.
2021 - this group is the current freshman class. It would appear we have no one who will lose their redshirt.
That 2017 class was rough. We had to throw 5 guys into playing right away. And we had poor retention.
The 2018 class provided some depth. But we only have about half that class still with us.
The 2019 class, has proven to be as good as we hoped. Probably a combination of need due to injuries and their talent, we played 6 freshman. That's too much. But we sill have about that entire class back, which has proven a good bridge to our improved recruiting.
The 2020 class, we only had to play 3 freshman, which is on par with where a program like Purdue should be. The hope is this class continues to provide depth.
The 2021 class, while small due to hitting the portal, appears we will not play any freshman this year to burn a redshirt.
