Transfer Portal: Who do we need to target this offseason?

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leatherneckjacket

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Papa Foxtrot said:
The standard answer is that you're more valuable to the team in your 5th year than your first. I don't know if the portal changes that math or not....
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The best thing about Freshman is that they become Sophomores. There seems to be a feeling by some fonts that a player's status as a starter as well as their value to the team does not evolve over time. I am sure Texas A&M probably thought losing King was no big deal since he played so poorly as a Freshman. Players develop over time. They get better. They move up the depth chart. Bringing in new players may improve the situation like it did at QB for us or it could not like it did at LB. Maybe none of who we lost will matter, but it is still a lot of bodies to replace.
 

malak05

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If we generally retain all other current LB and DL we probably could still really use 2 more DL with at least one of them being a guy that looking to be next K. White and 1 LB with playing time experience. Then maybe with a offseason of work etc the defense can improve enough to be middle of road level which would be all thats needed with a offense that should be even better next season.
 
UgaBlows

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leatherneckjacket said:
The best thing about Freshman is that they become Sophomores. There seems to be a feeling by some fonts that a player's status as a starter as well as their value to the team does not evolve over time. I am sure Texas A&M probably thought losing King was no big deal since he played so poorly as a Freshman. Players develop over time. They get better. They move up the depth chart. Bringing in new players may improve the situation like it did at QB for us or it could not like it did at LB. Maybe none of who we lost will matter, but it is still a lot of bodies to replace.
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I'm not so sure these freshmen are being told to leave, we have zero proof of that. I think it's more likely that they are just impatient to play and they see other guys in their own class getting play and then leave out of frustration. Many of them would eventually get playing time as upperclassmen but the portal is too tempting.
 

Root4GT

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leatherneckjacket said:
The best thing about Freshman is that they become Sophomores. There seems to be a feeling by some fonts that a player's status as a starter as well as their value to the team does not evolve over time. I am sure Texas A&M probably thought losing King was no big deal since he played so poorly as a Freshman. Players develop over time. They get better. They move up the depth chart. Bringing in new players may improve the situation like it did at QB for us or it could not like it did at LB. Maybe none of who we lost will matter, but it is still a lot of bodies to replace.
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King was actually at A&M 3 years. Two of which he won the starting job. Lost it once due to injury and the 2nd time due to performance. The guy who replaced nim was a 5 star and he also got hurt. Most Aggie fans believed Jimbo was the problem. It will be interesting to see how their QB fares under a new coaching staff. King leaving A&M was best for both him and A&M.
 
stinger78

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bhoffman123 said:
I thought it was pretty fun watching King (a transfer) bring our offense back to relevance. The NIL days are different but it's not dooms day.
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No, not doomsday by any means. CFB will survive and likely thrive. It’s not as fun as it was when you saw a young player come in you followed him through his career. It was also fun projecting to next season confident of who you’d have. It’s changed and I like the current version much less, but it’s the only CFB we have so bottoms-up!
 

InsideLB

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Dudes transfer for a lot of reasons, including academics (change of major or struggling), coaching changes, family needs, homesick, lack of PT/perception they will not (or can not ) develop to get PT here, or coaches choosing not to renew Schollies. Or a combo of any of these. Sometimes the parting is a mutual decision in that SA's best interest.

I personally am not that worried about the guys that left because the young guys seemed a long way from getting burn and the possibility exists to upgrade through the portal. The older dudes either are grad transfers or were buried on the depth chart.

Further, it's still early and we don't know precisely WHY the young guys transferred. And we only have a partial view of whom we are getting through the portal yet.

For me I'll wait and see what we end up with before worrying a whole lot.
 
CubeE

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On a different note, is there anyone other than Carrie signing today to keep our eye on?
 

Buzzforlife

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EJ Lightsey​

  • LB
  • 6-2
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HIGH SCHOOLFitzgerald

9. EJ Lightsey // LB // 6-2 223 // Fitzgerald, Ga.(HS) // Fr.-R //Uga Trf. // 2022: Saw action as a reserve LB in four games...made his collegiate debut in win over Samford...credited with one solo tackle vs. the Bulldogs...also played in wins over Auburn, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech...had two stops vs. the Commodores.High School: Fitzgerald HS, coached by Tucker Pruitt… 247Sports.com three-star prospect...ranked as the #44 inside linebacker nationally, the #34 prospect in Georgia and #490 prospect nationally...PrepStar Magazine three-star prospect, ranked as #469 prospect nationally...ESPN.com three-star prospect, #21 ILB nationally and #67 prospect in Georgia…rivals.com three-star prospect, #36 inside linebacker nationally and the #52 prospect from the state of Georgia...helped lead Fitzgerald HS to the GHSA Class 2A championship with 13-2 record in his 2021 senior season…named to 2021 Georgia Class 2A All-State First Team Defense by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and GHSF Daily…named Class 2A Defensive Player of the Year by AJC and GHSF Daily… named 2021 MaxPreps Small Town All-America Football First Team selection.

Thanks, Buzzbomb!
 
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InsideLB

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One thing to add to the discussion: portal guys can develop too, and some come in for multiple years.

Our 1-yr transfer LBs who struggled some were replacing Charlie Thomas and Ace Ealey who himself was a transfer LB that developed a ton while at GT. Makius Scott has really developed. I thought Moala actually played pretty well. When DL is struggling it is hard on LBs, so that was at least part of the issue.

EJ Lightsely will have 4 years to play, btw.
 
Dinner_Jacket

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Praying for a couple of surprise ballers to round out early signing day. I mean come on, we need to have a better signing class than Vanderbilt and Syracuse who currently rank higher than GT.
UGA #1 even after losing the 5* QB.
The rich just keep on getting richer!!
 
slugboy

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Dinner_Jacket said:
Praying for a couple of surprise ballers to round out early signing day. I mean come on, we need to have a better signing class than Vanderbilt and Syracuse who currently rank higher than GT.
UGA #1 even after losing the 5* QB.
The rich just keep on getting richer!!
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On which board? We’re 34 on Rivals and 37 on 247.

The NFL draft talking heads are silly, but at least they look at team needs vs who the team drafted. I don’t think Key cares about our class ranking.

I’d like to see a few interior DL incoming transfers. I think we can find someone good.
 

InsideLB

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These days you kind of have to figure in the multi-year transfers as well. E.g. EJL was a blue chipper and has 4 to play. LB from Louisville has 3 to play. Rutland OL has 2 to play and was a bigtime get.
 
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