Belt Loops: A Look Back at Akron's 2011 recruiting class

Today we'll be going back in time to take a look at Akron's 2011 recruiting class including the diamonds in the rough as well as the busts. To start off, here's a complete list of all the recruits who signed with the Zips on National Signing Day 2011:

On signing day 2011, Nick Rossi was the crowned jewel of the Akron recruiting class. Rossi was rated a 4-star recruit by Scout, the 13th best linebacker, and 229th in all of the class of 2011. After playing his freshman year at fullback with limited success, Rossi was switched back to linebacker. Rossi had 35 tackles, two tackles for loss, ad two tackles for loss. It is fair to say that Rossi did not live up to the hype of a 4-star recruit, however landing someone who was so highly touted coming out of high school is still a major accomplishment for the Zips.

Clayton Moore, who played for Ole Miss briefly before transferring to a junior college, looked to be the future starting quarterback for the Zips when he signed in 2011. Moore started his first year on campus with little success, leading the Zips to an abysmal 1-11 record. Moore threw for 1655 yards with nine touchdowns and nine interceptions for one of the worst teams in the FBS that year. With a new coach in town, Terry Bowden made it clear that Moore was not going to start again and that he actually was third on the depth chart so Moore decided to transfer to Jackson State. Although Moore didn't work out, the Zips still signed a starting quarterback in this class. Current starter Kyle Pohl did not have nearly as much hype surrounding him when he signed, as a matter of fact, Akron was Pohl's only FBS offer.

Pohl is not the only diamond in the rough that Akron signed in this class as Justin March has proved to be one of the top linebackers in the MAC. March finished his junior campaign with 80 tackles, three interceptions(one was returned for a touchdown), and one sack. His impressive play did not go unnoticed as he was selected to the Third-Team All MAC.

Akron received several quality players from this 2011 recruiting class. Offensive lineman Dylan Brumbaugh, and nose guard John Griggs (graduated already) all have made impacts during their time at Akron. Former Zips S Johnny Robinson also made an impact, however prior to his senior season Robinson was involved in some off the field issues and eventually was stripped of his scholarship.

Overall, this haul was pretty good seeming as the Zips won a combined four games in their 2009 and 2010 seasons. Prior to looking this in-depth into their recruiting class, I would not have expected the ZIps to have been able to sign this many solid MAC role players considering their struggles on the field in the seasons prior to this recruiting class.