How about some speculation as to which true freshmen see the field this year...
I am the guy who always pushes for incoming freshmen to be red-shirted, citing the benefits of having 23 yr old fifth yr players in lieu of 18 yr old 1st yr players.I am willing to make a concession from that point, but not for the normal reasons.
Given that each team has a limited number of scholarships each year, red-shirting may not always be the best idea.
Consider
MSU:The 07 and 08 recruiting classes are viewed as not very good. The 09 class is looking very strong and we hope the trend continues going forward.
That being said; what do we do with the menial 07-08 recruits?
I think it makes sense that if a guy like caulton ray is going to be surpassed in the future by caper and baker, let him play this year, and stay for four instead of five years. That will free up a scholarship down the road.
If ray proves himself worthy, he can always be red-shirted later on, but my point is, we can flush out some lower rated prospects to make room for better players down the road!