Okay, playing the game (because it's winter break for my family, and I don't have anything more interesting to do).
As far as things go, based on the motion on our defensive roster over the past month, I'm beginning to think Sherrer isn't the guy we'll have as DC next year.
1 - We're not seeing a substantial amount of defensive players coming in from the portal. To me, this suggests Sherrer may not be actively "shopping," most likely because we want the new DC to have the ability to fill the roster with his guys.
2 - It seems that we've lost a lot of players to the portal. Now, as some have suggested, this could be GT "processing" some of our weaker players in favor of replacing them - but it seems somewhat foolish to process players in an area where our roster is already sparse without another recruit lined up. Seems more likely that players both like continuity of their coaches, and they like to know who they're playing for.
3 - Key is on vacation this week. Which suggests it's either Sherrer, or we have someone else already lined up - similar to how Buster Faulkner was waiting in the wings last year until he finished up his other duties. As an executive, I can't allow myself to take a vacation - even a pre-planned one - if I've lost a key 2nd-in-command role, and time is of the essence in replacing them.
All of which is to say, I think signs point to us probably replacing Sherrer at DC, and that we've likely already decided on our person. If we
are keeping Sherrer, it feels like we're really behind the curve on transfer portal recruiting. If we are
replacing Sherrer at DC, I think we're pulling his replacement from one of the teams with remaining bowl games to be played. Here's who's up next, and who finished a bowl game over the past 24 hours:
Dec. 28
Rutgers
Miami
NC State
Kansas State
Arizona
Oklahoma
Dec. 29
Clemson
Kentucky
Oregon State
Notre Dame
Memphis
Iowa State
Mizzou
Ohio State
Dec. 30
Ole Miss
Penn State
Auburn
Maryland
Georgia
FSU
Toledo
Wyoming
Jan. 1
Wisconsin
LSU
Liberty
Oregon
Iowa
Tennessee
Alabama
Michigan
Texas
Washington
I crossed out a lot of teams whose DC's have changed, or been promoted to HC (which suggests their defensive staffs aren't likely to change). There's obviously still a lot of teams on the board with games left to play.
We also may not be searching for an existing DC, although my guess is we want someone with that experience. But there's also the possibility that we hire a position coach from some school - or a defensive analyst, seeing as how that worked out well for us the last time we did it.
Either way, all of the above is conjecture, based on a ton of assumptions, and any conclusion I make could easily fall apart if any one of the assumptions is wrong. Regardless, I feel like the remainder of this week will be quiet, followed by and interesting time of it next week. If we haven't heard anything about who the DC is after Tuesday, I think we'll have substantially narrowed down the field of who it could be.
