Hits & Misses
Hit: Paul Hazel (EDGE) — Originally unranked. Outcome: NFL Starter. Despite being unranked, Hazel's performance has positioned him as a starter in the NFL, exceeding expectations significantly.
Miss: Mark Zielinski (OT) — Originally ranked 1150. Outcome: Bust. Zielinski was a moderately ranked player but failed to make a significant impact, resulting in a "Bust" outcome.
Miss: Greg Peterson (OT) — Originally ranked 1273. Outcome: Bust. Like Zielinski, Peterson did not fulfill the expectations set by his ranking, leading to a disappointing outcome.
Miss: David Box (DL) — Originally ranked 1481. Outcome: Bust. Box was among the lower-ranked recruits and ultimately did not contribute to the program, reflecting missed expectations.
Miss: James Sandlin (DL) — Originally ranked 1511. Outcome: Bust. Sandlin's low outcome is indicative of underperformance relative to his ranking, marking him as another miss from this class.
Development Story
The 2009 recruiting class for Western Michigan had a mixed outcome, with a total of 26 recruits but a blue chip percentage of 0. This absence of blue chip prospects reflects a strategy focused on finding talent outside of the highest profiles. The S2S rerank showed a slight improvement from 98 to 90, suggesting that while the overall class ranking was not high, the program did find some hidden gems.
Notably, Paul Hazel stands out as a significant success story, achieving the outcome of "NFL Starter" despite being originally unranked. His case illustrates the potential for unranked recruits to exceed expectations significantly, contributing positively to the program's development narrative. In contrast, several ranked recruits underperformed, with four players labeled as "Bust," indicating that the expectations set by their rankings were not met.
The outcomes for the recruits indicate a reliance on development and internal growth over raw rankings. Many recruits, particularly those who were unranked, achieved outcomes of "College Starter" or "Contributor," which speaks to the coaching staff's ability to cultivate talent from the ground up. However, the notable number of busts among ranked players highlights the challenges of recruiting, where expectations do not always align with actual performance.
Outcome Summary
Overall, the 2009 recruiting class for Western Michigan met mixed expectations. While the presence of multiple contributors and a standout NFL starter like Paul Hazel reflects positive development, the significant number of busts among ranked recruits indicates that the class did not fully capitalize on its opportunities. The S2S rerank improving from 98 to 90 suggests that the program was able to find some success, but the overall outcomes reveal that several players did not perform as anticipated based on their rankings.
In conclusion, while the class had its successes, there remains a clear need for improved evaluation and development strategies to maximize the potential of higher-ranked recruits moving forward.