And Long went to South Florida, so probably not NIL related. Maybe just seeking greener pastures.
I think a lot of the guys whoâve been here 4 years already are guys who, in the past, wouldâve been guys that didnât have their scholarships renewed for a 5th year. Those guys, prior to immediate eligibility transferring and grad transferring wouldâve just been SOL and done with football. Wouldnât be totally surprised if a lot of our outgoing transfers didnât find a place to play and just moved on with their lives. Just reality, if youâve been somewhere 4 seasons and have almost no game film to show for it, might be a hard sell to a coaching staff with limited scholarships.
Again, no way to reliably calculate this until after next season, but right now it appears weâre on the plus side of the transfer portal. I hope we donât lose anyone else we project as playing and Iâd like to see us land a couple more guys, particularly ones with more than one year eligibility.
OL and defense could use some boosts in talent / depth. Iâm good with our QBs and I think weâre OK at WR, could use a burner, but OL and defense need to be able to absorb injuries better.
Way too early still for me to feel one way or another. Letâs see where weâre at on the balance sheet after New Years before the spring semester starts. Still a lot of holes to fill, position groups needing upgrades. Yes weâre âlinkedâ to some nice options, but gotta see them actually pledge then show up. Bonus points if they actually make it to Labor Day instead of pulling a Cam Kelly.
Yeah to me the fall window is the important one. (A) guys who leave after spring semester are most likely doing so because theyâre buried on the depth chart after spring practices so theyâre far less likely to be impact transfers, whether outbound or inbound, and (B) getting transfers in for spring practice is a big deal, I always feel like summer transfers have too steep a learning curve to be truly Day 1 ready.
Well I did make it clear it was too early to draw conclusions and would be till the end of next season, but just as it appears now so far. It was an attempt to put a little bit of positive on the situation.
It may not be an achievement but it doesnât help anything to lose playable depth from a roster that didnât have a lot of it to begin with. Getting Butler, Carter, and Chico back is really good for an area where you HAVE TO have depth.
Retaining key talent, especially considering how we ended the season on the lowest of low notes, is a positive accomplishment. We have to retain the guys we need and add some contributors.
First, the atmosphere stood out," said Smith after his visit. "Obviously, I caught the game at the height and during one of the highlights of the season, which is rivalry week, and a game against V-Tech
Wouldnât call it a highlight haha
Smith also garnered offers from the likes of Ohio, New Hampshire, Florida Atlantic, Samford, Delaware, Georgia State, Austin Peay, North Texas, and Arkansas State.