I probably should wait another week, or even until after the conference championship and/or bowl game, to start crunching the season-long stats, but my mind started to wander to putting into perspective where our starting level guys rank compared to their conference peers (the below goes a bit below starter level guys as for the ease of search I am looking at all players who make the basic threshold of the PFF search function). Using PFF as a gauge here's how it shakes out (percentile of conference starters listed parenthetically):
Collin Wright - 11 of 50 CB (.22)
Elic Ayomanor - 11 of 39 WR (.28)
Scotty Edwards - 14 of 37 S (.38)
Levi Rogers - 5 of 13 C (.38)
Tobin Phillips - 21 of 54 DI (.39)
Zahran Manley - 24 of 50 CB (.48)
Connor McLaughlin - 14 of 29 OT (.48)
Anthony Franklin - 32 of 54 DI (.59)
Alaka'i Gilman - 23 of 38 S (.62)
Jake Maikkula - 24 of 35 OG (.69)
Lance Keneley - 35 of 51 ED (.69)
Tiger Bachmeier - 27 of 39 WR (.69)
Jaxson Moi - 38 of 54 DI (.70)
Luke Baklenko - 21 of 29 OT (.72)
David Bailey - 37 of 51 ED (.73)
Benjamin Yurosek - 11 of 15 TE (.73)
Tevarua Tafiti - 39 of 51 ED (.76)
Zach Buckey - 43 of 54 DI (.80)
Ashton Daniels - 12 of 15 QB (.80)
Gaethan Bernadel - 31 of 38 LB (.82)
Wilfredo Aybar - 43 of 51 ED (.84)
Bryce Farrell - 33 of 39 WR (.84)
Sam Roush - 13 of 15 TEs (.87)
Justin Lamson - 13 of 15 QB (.87)
Spencer Jorgensen - 33 of 38 LB (.87)
Mudia Reuben - 34 of 39 WRs (.87)
Simione Pale - 31 of 35 OG (.89)
EJ Smith - 19 of 21 RB (.90)
Fisher Anderson - 27 of 29 OT (.93)
Trevor Mayberry - 33 of 35 OG (.94)
Mitch Leigber - 36 of 37 S (.97)
Tristan Sinclair - 37 of 38 LB (.97)
JShawn Frauston-Ramos - 49 of 50 CB (.98)
Pat Caughey - 53 of 54 DI (.98)
Jaden Slocum - 50 of 50 CB (1.00)
It didn't feel right to compare but among special teams players our guys ranked Anthony Franklin and Aaron Morris are both in the top five percent of grades. You already know Karty is #1. Flintoft is 5 of 14 (.36). In combined kick and punt return grades Farrell is of course dead last 20 of 20.
People can downplay PFF if they want but to me this comports with eye test/common sense pretty decently pretty much down the line. Pretty obvious to me Wright and Ayomanor are our stars and the guys you prioritize retaining/building around, along with Edwards, Franklin, Maikkula, Baklenko, and Bachmeier. I think I've posted a time or two how important it would be to have any among Rogers, Phillips, and McLaughlin back. People have been talking about a sixth year for Sinclair but to be honest a sixth year for Manley or a fifth year for Gilman would be more desirable.
Wright and Ayomanor could be conference freshman of the year type candidates if people notice they're eligible (heck, if Stanford even nominates them). In past years we'd be super excited about years ahead of these guys but in this day and age I am hoping for one more year of each. Hope we can fend off the NIL sirens.
Collin Wright - 11 of 50 CB (.22)
Elic Ayomanor - 11 of 39 WR (.28)
Scotty Edwards - 14 of 37 S (.38)
Levi Rogers - 5 of 13 C (.38)
Tobin Phillips - 21 of 54 DI (.39)
Zahran Manley - 24 of 50 CB (.48)
Connor McLaughlin - 14 of 29 OT (.48)
Anthony Franklin - 32 of 54 DI (.59)
Alaka'i Gilman - 23 of 38 S (.62)
Jake Maikkula - 24 of 35 OG (.69)
Lance Keneley - 35 of 51 ED (.69)
Tiger Bachmeier - 27 of 39 WR (.69)
Jaxson Moi - 38 of 54 DI (.70)
Luke Baklenko - 21 of 29 OT (.72)
David Bailey - 37 of 51 ED (.73)
Benjamin Yurosek - 11 of 15 TE (.73)
Tevarua Tafiti - 39 of 51 ED (.76)
Zach Buckey - 43 of 54 DI (.80)
Ashton Daniels - 12 of 15 QB (.80)
Gaethan Bernadel - 31 of 38 LB (.82)
Wilfredo Aybar - 43 of 51 ED (.84)
Bryce Farrell - 33 of 39 WR (.84)
Sam Roush - 13 of 15 TEs (.87)
Justin Lamson - 13 of 15 QB (.87)
Spencer Jorgensen - 33 of 38 LB (.87)
Mudia Reuben - 34 of 39 WRs (.87)
Simione Pale - 31 of 35 OG (.89)
EJ Smith - 19 of 21 RB (.90)
Fisher Anderson - 27 of 29 OT (.93)
Trevor Mayberry - 33 of 35 OG (.94)
Mitch Leigber - 36 of 37 S (.97)
Tristan Sinclair - 37 of 38 LB (.97)
JShawn Frauston-Ramos - 49 of 50 CB (.98)
Pat Caughey - 53 of 54 DI (.98)
Jaden Slocum - 50 of 50 CB (1.00)
It didn't feel right to compare but among special teams players our guys ranked Anthony Franklin and Aaron Morris are both in the top five percent of grades. You already know Karty is #1. Flintoft is 5 of 14 (.36). In combined kick and punt return grades Farrell is of course dead last 20 of 20.
People can downplay PFF if they want but to me this comports with eye test/common sense pretty decently pretty much down the line. Pretty obvious to me Wright and Ayomanor are our stars and the guys you prioritize retaining/building around, along with Edwards, Franklin, Maikkula, Baklenko, and Bachmeier. I think I've posted a time or two how important it would be to have any among Rogers, Phillips, and McLaughlin back. People have been talking about a sixth year for Sinclair but to be honest a sixth year for Manley or a fifth year for Gilman would be more desirable.
Wright and Ayomanor could be conference freshman of the year type candidates if people notice they're eligible (heck, if Stanford even nominates them). In past years we'd be super excited about years ahead of these guys but in this day and age I am hoping for one more year of each. Hope we can fend off the NIL sirens.
