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D1AA Hot 100 for Fall 2024: Lock and Loose Forward

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D1AA Hot 100 for Fall 2024: Lock and Loose Forward

Phil Tracey, Bowling Green No. 8. Photo Roger Mazzarella.

We're back with our Hot 100 top players of the fall in D1AA rugby comes, and now we hit the rest of the forward pack with Locks and Loose Forwards.

One of the things we try to do is have a fairly even spread of positions within our picks. As you probably know by now, our Hot 100 is closer to 150 players. That's easy to track for the spread: Hooker, No. 8, Scrumhalf, Flyhalf, and Fullback should then have 10 players picked per position; Prop, Lock, Flanker, Center, and Wing should have 20.

It doesn't always work out that way. In a lot of college teams, you'll see an athletic, powerful wing moves to center, or a wing who can kick moved to fullback; you'll see a player of lock size with additional ball skills and pace at No. 8. So some positions can be a bit skewed because of that. 

So as it turned out we had 16 locks, not 20, and 16 flankers, not 20, but we also had 18 players at No. 8, instead of 10. So if you add all those up, that's 50 players in those positions, and we would expect 50 players. Really what we're saying here is that eight of those No. 8s could slot on a great team as a flanker or a lock and do really well.

With a ton of research from intern James Stelluti, we've got players from NCR and CRAA, as long as they're D1AA. Were calling it the Hot 100 but we've actually got about 150 players on our list right now.

Today we look at wing and fullback. Think we missed someone or want to suggest someone? Let us know>>

GRR D1AA Hot 100 Fall 2024
Lock
First Name Last Name College Team
Lyndon Bailey WWU
Chalie Beney Northeastern
Dylan Bequaith Kansas State
Lucas Bichy Virginia Tech
Peter Blackburn South Carolina
Vince Garcia Texas Tech
Jeremy Howat LSU
Atticus Martin Kansas State
Jack Mullens Baylor
Mike Punzalan Kentucky
Anton Schmitt Boston College
Austin Schwinn Charlotte
Zach Szepiela Bowling Green
Diego Valacoo Yale
Larry Vojacek

Sam Houston State

Kane Zemo Iowa
     
Flanker
First Name Last Name College Team
Isaac Brakner Kansas State
Liam Concannon UMass
Gage Curry Kentucky
Sam Garwood LSU
Holden Hahn Kentucky
Zachary Harding Virginia Tech
Harvey Harris Bowling Green
Christian Manjikian UMass
Jesse Martin Kennesaw State
Joszef Pal Oklahoma
Nick Piazza LSU
Daniel Portz Iowa
Scott Rigual James Madison
Henry Sheppard Alabama
Ethan Syswerda Lander
Juandre Walton Kansas State
     
No. 8
First Name Last Name College Team
Sam Angell Minnesota
Matthew Beacom Tennessee
Earnon Coffey Boston College
Zach Dabney Georgia
Neal Geldenhuys LSU
Austin Kosco Auburn
Job Madi Lander
Gabriel Milagres Texas Tech
Harry Moore Jr. WWU
Jake Morrison Alabama
Lancer Ojeda North Texas
Wayne Robinson Charlotte
Vaea Tangitau Washington
Phil Tracey Bowling Green
William Turner Texas State
Campbell Van Rooyen Clemson
Liam Varela Yale
Aiden Wardell Louisville

—Research and Background Work by James Stelluti