Recruiting Season Discussion: Is there a par level for each position?

I like how you're asking a question, obviously looking for discussion, and only getting downvotes.

I think you have a decent baseline. I'm sure it changes year to year but it's not far off.

Edit: it was at 0 upvotes, 4 downvotes when I made this comment.

Honestly I feel like you need more than 1 placekicker for depth and development reasons. Guess the same could be said for punters. Always could take walk ons tho!

This is one that is good for discussion. Not enough of them.
I'd think my most are pretty much the same in their thinking about it with always a few positions that some have or need more than others.

Total numbers always shake out different than individual recruiting classes but any class should have 8-10 linemen, both OL and DL, in it so that means those positions are gonna have more numbers, likely 30+ on the roster. It's a must due to flameouts, transfers and things like Ingram.
My best use of the roster is this

Qb-4, recruit one every year and use graduate transfers if needed to fill out year to year.
Rb-5-6 have to have 1 a year, 2 at most unless needed or a kid you can't turn away is the 3rd. Cain if he really wanted in this year and the other 2 don't mind is an example though not going to happen.
Wr-10 this is a position we have taken too many if in the past. Always gonna take more because it's an attrition position.
Te-4 I get the blocking/catching differences but in college they don't have to be mutually exclusive. If you can't at least chip then you don't play.
OL-17-18 essentially as many good bodies with potential you can have. The numbers will always be high then pare down as attrition occurs.
C-2-3 third is a guy that can move around inside.
OT-7-8 as many as possible. Too many flameouts and guys that are better suited inside.
OG-7-8 is gonna be overloaded because of have OTs moving inside in college.

40-42 on offense

DE-8 have to have big depth. Some aren't going to develop, some not really fit. Have to start recruiting better guys that naturally have size and athleticism or get some if these WDE,OLB types with frames capable of adding bulk and staying athletic. This position is the difference between Bama, Clemson and everyone else.
NT-4-5 one a year
OLB-7-8 have to take one we think can rush the passer yearly. Have to have depth. High injury position. Gazzeles playing with the Lions.
ILB-6-7 important position. Take a couple a year. I think Aranda has done well here.
CB-7 have to cover so many guys these days and the nickel has greatly expanded since Mathieu.
S-7-8 another important position because of the offenses these days. Guys flame out a bit so need depth. Also will have some play nickel or grow to LB.

That's 40-42 on defense.

We love kickers and snappers which I don't really mind if it's working.
ST-4-5
LS-1 we will likely have a year or two when 2 are on schollie.
K-2 unless you get a good walkon 2 is a good number. One likely a kickoff guy.
P-1-2 never know which is gonna be good year to year and even punters are specialized these days with poochers and punters. It's nuts.

Again there are a few positions that are arguable for more or less but overall most will be along the same lines.

Bama doesn’t really have great DL depth this year. They have great quality but they barely play 5 and their top 3 are probably leaving. That’s why they want 5-7 DL in this class

Great discussion.

I think that you don't need as many LBs and you do DBs -- not with how much nickel is played these days, so I'd go with one less LB.

As has already been pointed out, you're likely going to need more than three spots for special teams. Usually, what you do is take a guy with the idea that he'll redshirt while the SR plays, and you can use that year to figure out if he's as good as you thought he'd be. And, sometimes, you miss on a recruit at one of these positions. So, I think that the five scholarships that we have on this year's team is more normal.

While we're imagining an ideally balanced roster, though, we have to keep in mind that we don't recruit to that roster. As has already been pointed out, QBs are more likely to transfer than other positions, so you need to recruit more than one a year sometimes if you want to keep four on the roster.

Also, guys change positions. We might want seven CBs and seven safeties on the team, but we're going to recruit more CBs than safeties, and switch someone from CB to S every few years. We're also likely to switch a S to a LB every so often. If you have really talented, athletic recruits, you can overrecruit at some positions, and let players switch to take advantage of opportunities (such as Hines and Rosenthal this year).

I agree LSU has typically carried too many WR’s.

10-11 at most would be my number.

Anything more is roster mismanagement imo.

quote:

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What are the target par levels for positions on a roster? Or, how many Scholarships should be used for each position to provide adequate depth.

Offense Scholarships ~42
Defense Scholarships ~40
Special Teams ~3

Offense 42
QB...........4
RB...........5
FB/Hback.....2
WR...........4
WR...........3
WR...........3
TE...........4
LT...........5
G............3
C............3
G............3
RT...........3

Defense 40
DE...........4
NT...........5
DE...........3
Bench........4
MLB..........4
Rov..........3
Field........3
CB...........4
CB...........3
FS...........3
SS...........4

Special Teams 3
PK...........1
P............1
Snap.........1

Does that look about right? Is 5 NT too much? I assume that in Aranda's 3-4, NT should be the most rotated position on the defense, so 5 really isn't outlandish.
Depth is not only a term used for 'this year's depth' in case two+ guys go down at one position; but depth provides us the players that are being developed for the next two years as well.
We have to recruit the best talent we can get, but also keep depth at each position so we are not in a OLine bind like we were this year. That's why there isn't room for some 4 stars out there at one position while there are capable 3 stars that will keep their offer at another position.
O-line and D-line are the most important, but why not put a par level at each position?

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I think you have 1 too many TE/FB for today's game. I think you should mostly recruit OT since many will move inside. I would recruit a Center each year depending upon whether you can find one good enough. Otherwise convert some guards. I want another WR (4 wide sets). With the number of QB transfers, we may need 2 some years. In general, the OL should be cross training.

On Defense, I want more DB and less LB and less NT due to the preponderance of nickel and dime sets.
My list changes over time. Right now I have 5 ST since it always seems like we have 5.

Annual___Recruit______Target
Offense__Class________Roster
QB_________1(2)__________4
RB_________2(1)__________5
TE/FB______1_____________5
OL_________4____________15
WR________4____________11
___________----___________--
SubTotal____12___________40

Defense_(3/4)
DL_________3___________10
LB_________4(3) ________13
DB_________5(6) ________17
___________-----__________--
SubTotal____12__________40

Special_Teams
Snp/P/K ___1_____________5
_________----___________----
Total______25____________85

After reading the rest of the posts (and watching the Saints last night), I think some of the 4 wide WR sets could be handled by hybrid RB/WR players.
Likewise, we could use some hybrid S/OLB guys like Stevens (225 lb s) this year or Marcel Brooks (205 lb OLB) if he signs.
This may free up some slots for the big guys so many people want. Since I am a "big" guy myself, I have always favored them, but with all of these spread Offenses, I think the numbers everyone is proposing will be hard to achieve.
I also have trouble tracking who the scholarship players are on the official roster on lsusports.net. I believe 4 scholarships were given out this summer. 3 senior walk-ons and Zach Von Rosenberg.

bump due to injuries.

8 receivers or 3 TE is too few. I could see 1 taken from TE/WR but not 3