I will tell you that some players work harder than others. Some don’t have the drive to be great that others do, which makes recruiting more of a crap shoot. I’m hoping Freeman can reach a couple of these guys.

Then there’s the case of Houston Griffith. He’s a hard worker who has been moved around quite a bit and was out the door when Freeman arrived. I hope Freeman can build on what he does well and coax a great season out of him. The team really needs it.

I'm not nearly as close to recruiting as you are, but my sense is that qualities like "the drive to be great" aren't given nearly enough weighting in the recruiting process. I recognize that can be difficult to evaluate in 17- and 18-year-olds, but those who stand out in that regard should be at the top of our recruiting priorities.

With his physical talents, work ethic, and having been a team player (who has moved around a lot), Houston Griffith sounds like someone who has as good a chance as anyone on the roster to make a significant leap forward and put together that great season the team needs. Griffith and Hamilton could be a pretty terrific pair at the safety positions if they can both stay healthy. And as you said in your summary, the team needs as many breakout seasons in the secondary as they can muster.