Class of 2022

[jrock2332]

Nice excuse but that wasn’t the point of the post

What is your point Einstein?

 

[cway313]

What is your point Einstein?

@PIPO Don't call it a comeback.

 

[AlexCane]

So Washington had an unlimited budget? TCU had an unlimited budget? Louisville had an unlimited budget? fsu had an unlimited budget?

I don't agree.

Look at the transfer portal the last couple years.

You get a select few high profile transfers at the glamour spots (QB, WR, RB) looking for a pay-day and/or to enhance their draft position. Apart from those positions, there are usually less at the other positions, and even less so on the line. The rest of the transfer portal is a lot of guys that are nothing more than serviceable or decent but hardly impact starters.

I keep reading on this board that Mario needs to get into the portal to nab a RB, CB, and DT. We can get a RB (see above) but where are the viable options at CB and DT that are quality starters on a team that fancies itself a top 25 team? I ain't scouring the portal, but I hear a lot of complaints on this board and not a whole lot in term of viable options. I already anticipate the mid-season narrative that Mario missed at DT and CB in the portal but who is realistically out there?

I think if you're lucky you get 1 transfer portal guy (and we got ours in Ward) and the rest is your Caleb Johnsons and Mitchell Agudes. Solid guys. Decent. Serviceable. Impact starters? No.

 

[cway313]

I don't agree.

Look at the transfer portal the last couple years.

You get a select few high profile transfers at the glamour spots (QB, WR, RB) looking for a pay-day and/or to enhance their draft position. Apart from those positions, there are usually less at the other positions, and even less so on the line. The rest of the transfer portal is a lot of guys that are nothing more than serviceable or decent but hardly impact starters.

I keep reading on this board that Mario needs to get into the portal to nab a RB, CB, and DT. We can get a RB (see above) but where are the viable options at CB and DT that are quality starters on a team that fancies itself a top 25 team? I ain't scouring the portal, but I hear a lot of complaints on this board and not a whole lot in term of viable options. I already anticipate the mid-season narrative that Mario missed at DT and CB in the portal but who is realistically out there?

I think if you're lucky you get 1 transfer portal guy (and we got ours in Ward) and the rest is your Caleb Johnsons and Mitchell Agudes. Solid guys. Decent. Serviceable. Impact starters? No.

Now you are digging into the weeds. The consensus is that we have elite recruiting, but we have holes everywhere. I don't have the answers. I think we can do better than grabbing Ajay Allen, Savion Riley, Marley Cook. We may not be in the running for the plan A guys but we have a robust amount of plan E,F,G guys. Do you agree that leaves room in the middle somewhere?

 

[AlexCane]

Now you are digging into the weeds. The consensus is that we have elite recruiting, but we have holes everywhere. I don't have the answers. I think we can do better than grabbing Ajay Allen, Savion Riley, Marley Cook. We may not be in the running for the plan A guys but we have a robust amount of plan E,F,G guys. Do you agree that leaves room in the middle somewhere?

I'm not digging into the weeds. If the narrative is going to be that Mario (or any coach) struck out in the portal, then I want to know where the equivalent Cam Ward level impact players are at other spots. I feel like there's 20-25 good players in the portal and then a huge heap of mediocrity and an even bigger bunch of guys not worth scholarships.

And think of it this way. The portal has a ton of 4 star guys that didn't cut it at their school. Guys like Cyrus Moss or Collins Acheampong (sp?). Presumably, there are some overlooked diamonds there that with time and development, maybe can be impactful. But few coaches are looking at the portal for a guy that can help in 2-3 years. The portal is typically filling immediate needs so you're scouring and trying to find guys that have a demonstrable history of production and that IMO, is few and far between because most teams are doing everything they can to retain their top talent.

Look, we can objectively criticize Mario for his first class. I find it much, much harder to criticize him for the portal.

 

[FrancisSawyer]

I have questioned why we are going back to the portal for certain positions and allowing kids to still hang on to see if the light comes on in their 3rd year..(Markeith Williams, Ahmad Moten specifically) If neither of those kids are in the two deep, we need to move on. Simple as that.

That said, I see why Mario is 12-13 so far in his tenure. Out of the 26, only 6 are slated to start or even be in the 2 deep. Thats a recipe for disaster. That transitional class was horrible.

Unquestionably! Funny how hindsight always provides a clarity that allows you to see things for how they are and why. Great point about 12-13. It doesn't absolve him completely but it absolutely provides an objective look at what he was forced to work with. Like you said it also provides the answers for why we are going back to the portal for certain positions going into year 3.

Someone said Manny should be thrown in jail and while I understand the sentiment, I can't even come down too hard on him. The reason for that is that before Mario leveraged the admin into fully committing to winning championship football and what it would take to get there, the coaches that were here like Manny were essentially working with two hands tied behind their backs, their legs bound with a blindfold on. There was no serious support for the program from the administration and it was all about cutting corners, going through the motions then happily collecting the ACC revenue sharing check every year.

We're in a very different place now and I know that even though it may be annoying to still be dealing with the fallout from that 2022 transitional class that fell apart, we will overcome it. Mario and staff are elite recruiters who very well may be the best in the nation. We have an excellent QB in Cam Ward and a very solid squad who will continue to improve throughout the summer and into the season. This is a team that will be exciting to watch featuring an offense that could be our best in well over a decade or two. We have a great opportunity this year to strike while the iron is hot, win 10+ games, possibly make the playoffs then leverage that into what could be the best recruiting class in our history which in turn will set the program up to make multiple runs at a national title.

 

[RozayCane]

Honestly, this is probably going to be the norm with Mario. My only thing is.. are the big money NIL givers going to be cool with handing out big money for top recruits that don’t do **** here..