A closer look at Toledo football's 2021 recruiting class
Toledo’s 2021 class currently ranks second in the MAC behind Miami. 
By Brian Buckey / The Blade
Sun, 24 May 2020 18:08:19 GMT
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According to 247Sports, the University of Toledo football team has had the top recruiting class in the Mid-American Conference for four straight seasons.
The Rockets, with a 14-man 2021 class, could be on the way to a fifth straight season atop the MAC rankings. Toledo's class currently ranks second in the conference behind Miami.
With new regulations for recruiting due to the coronavirus pandemic, Toledo seemingly has not missed a beat with its 2021 class. The class is rated as the No. 40 class in the country.
Toledo's average player rating of 81.44 is second in the MAC to Buffalo and the Rockets' 14 commitments are second to Miami, which already has 17 commitments in the class.
Here is a look at what stands out with Toledo's 2021 class:
1. Emphasis on defense
Nine of Toledo's 14 commits so far are on the defensive side of the ball, including five defensive linemen.
Jaylin Mines, a safety out of Oak Park, Mich., is the highest ranked defensive player in the class, while all five defensive linemen are three-star recruits.
With new defensive coaches in Vince Kehres and Craig Kuligowski, that side of the ball has clearly been prioritized up to this point for the 2021 class.
2. Detroit, Chicago connections
In Toledo's 2021 class, there are two sets of teammates — defensive tackle Doran Ray and defensive end Clarence Wilson from Cass Tech in Detroit and defensive end Vontrell Chairse and safety Willie Jones from Phillips Academy in Chicago.
Joining Ray and Wilson from the Detroit area are Mines and defensive tackle Esean Carter from Martin Luther King High School.
Toledo's top-ranked recruit is running back Willie Shaw of Brother Rice High School in Chicago.
So half of the players in Toledo's 2021 class so far are from the Detroit or Chicago area.
3. Areas of need
Toledo has built a very solid foundation with its 2021 class and has good positional balance so far.
With the recent commit of dual-threat quarterback Elijah Wesley from Canton McKinley, the talent of Shaw at running back, and three offensive line commits from Ohio — Riley Starnes, Drew Beckenhaupt, and Ethan Spoth — Toledo is off to a good start on offense with this class.
One spot on the offense that is not represented yet in this class are the pass-catchers. Toledo has yet to land a commitment from a wide receiver or tight end. That should be an area of focus moving forward.
A few spots on the defense could also use some bolstering including linebacker and cornerback. Toledo has one linebacker commit and that is Central Catholic outside linebacker Jalen Riven. The Rockets could use a solid inside linebacker in this recruiting class.
Then at cornerback, Toledo has one commit in Rajon Hill from Kansas City. It always helps to have depth at the cornerback position, and that should be another emphasis of the Toledo staff moving forward.