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

stinger 1957

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g0lftime said:
I saw where Kiffin hit the portal big time again this year. Glad he didn't get us this year but who knows what will happen this spring.
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Kiffin had already taken our best defensive players, not much left on that side of the ball. :) Guess we were able to shore up with NIL $. It is appearing to me we're going to be going about this a little different than just money, I hope so. Will take a certain type kid that gets it and understands the big picture. I think we have exactly the right guy to help them see and understand.
 
YoungSting

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I feel like our biggest two selling points for getting good defensive players should be:
1 - you are almost guaranteed to be a starter/have a significant impact
2 - perhaps the biggest selling point, our offense. How nice will it be to playing on the other side of what our offense should be. We grind it out, so they shouldn’t be getting gassed. The game won’t be on their shoulders, but anything above average play will be setting us up to win any game. We are an above average team with a top 100 defense, we will be a good team with top 75 defense, a great team with top 50, and Competing for championships with a top 25. Tell a defensive player they won’t have to make an Individual and team impact.
 
4shotB

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YoungSting said:
I feel like our biggest two selling points for getting good defensive players should be:
1 - you are almost guaranteed to be a starter/have a significant impact
2 - perhaps the biggest selling point, our offense. How nice will it be to playing on the other side of what our offense should be. We grind it out, so they shouldn’t be getting gassed. The game won’t be on their shoulders, but anything above average play will be setting us up to win any game. We are an above average team with a top 100 defense, we will be a good team with top 75 defense, a great team with top 50, and Competing for championships with a top 25. Tell a defensive player they won’t have to make an Individual and team impact.
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We have been in this exact same position before under GOL and CPJ. Both of these guys were/are smart football guys. Somehow, they were unable to leverage your second angle with any noticeable degree of effectiveness.I think the D guys are like the O guys in that they want to go somewhere were they are expected to carry the load and just not a small piece of it. Athletes want to be in the spotlight...not an afterthought. IMO.
 
YoungSting

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4shotB said:
We have been in this exact same position before under GOL and CPJ. Both of these guys were/are smart football guys. Somehow, they were unable to leverage your second angle with any noticeable degree of effectiveness.I think the D guys are like the O guys in that they want to go somewhere were they are expected to carry the load and just not a small piece of it. Athletes want to be in the spotlight...not an afterthought. IMO.
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It’s hard to compare now versus then with new transfer rules. And what I meant by load is, we are not going to be putting all the pressure on them and they have to be worried about making mistake. I would love to have find a full defense of the spotlight guy
 

Techfiend

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leatherneckjacket said:
Yeah, Kiffin must be losing a ton of sleep as he continues to rake in players off the portal. He is so conflicted, I am sure
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Kiffin is very good at identifying programs with good players and weak coaching culture. He goes after the proverbial low hanging fruit. Under TFG, that's what we were. He's not going to waste his time targeting us now. He'd rather focus on the disfunctional programs, and we aren't that any more.
 
bobongo

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4shotB said:
We have been in this exact same position before under GOL and CPJ. Both of these guys were/are smart football guys. Somehow, they were unable to leverage your second angle with any noticeable degree of effectiveness.I think the D guys are like the O guys in that they want to go somewhere were they are expected to carry the load and just not a small piece of it. Athletes want to be in the spotlight...not an afterthought. IMO.
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That makes sense, but on the other hand it begs the question of why prospects are drawn to programs that are already so replete with talent that they're going to win with or without them. Speaking strictly for myself (who admittedly only played football in the back yard) I would want to go to a program where I was desperately needed and would be most appreciated, as in the case of our defense - somewhere I could stand out. But still the best players go to play for teams that already have a traffic jam of top players, year after year.
 
4shotB

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bobongo said:
That makes sense, but on the other hand it begs the question of why prospects are drawn to programs that are already so replete with talent that they're going to win with or without them. Speaking strictly for myself (who admittedly only played football in the back yard) I would want to go to a program where I was desperately needed and would be most appreciated, as in the case of our defense - somewhere I could stand out. But still the best players go to play for teams that already have a traffic jam of top players, year after year.
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Somewhere in this thread or another is a recent post of programs that have the most players in the NFL. It is the usual list of suspects up at the top. Players go to these schools the same reason the best students go to the top schools for their education. It is a long term investment into their perceived professional career. They aren't worried about playing time as a FR. They are looking at what schools increase their odds of making it to the next level. I imagine Derrick Henry makes it to the next level if he chosen to play at Fort Valley State, West Ga. or Dayton. But, otoh, practicing daily against the cream of the crop has to help one hone his or her craft.

Will the NIL level the playing field somewhat going forward? That is debateable but I am usually in the "more things change, the more they stay the same" mindset. meaning no matter what, Bama, Oklahoma, etc. will always find a way to remain at the top level.
 
bobongo

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4shotB said:
Somewhere in this thread or another is a recent post of programs that have the most players in the NFL. It is the usual list of suspects up at the top. Players go to these schools the same reason the best students go to the top schools for their education. It is a long term investment into their perceived professional career. They aren't worried about playing time as a FR. They are looking at what schools increase their odds of making it to the next level. I imagine Derrick Henry makes it to the next level if he chosen to play at Fort Valley State, West Ga. or Dayton. But, otoh, practicing daily against the cream of the crop has to help one hone his or her craft.

Will the NIL level the playing field somewhat going forward? That is debateable but I am usually in the "more things change, the more they stay the same" mindset. meaning no matter what, Bama, Oklahoma, etc. will always find a way to remain at the top level.
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Surely, they don't want to go to a school where they wouldn't go up against the best talent, like Ft. Valley State, but Tech traditionally plays a tough schedule, one that can be matched against the factories.
I agree they obviously see going to a factory their best shot at the pros, but I don't think they're right about that. They come here and stand out and they've got as good a shot at the NFL as if they'd gone to Alabama.
 
4shotB

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bobongo said:
Surely, they don't want to go to a school where they wouldn't go up against the best talent, like Ft. Valley State, but Tech traditionally plays a tough schedule, one that can be matched against the factories.
I agree they obviously see going to a factory their best shot at the pros, but I don't think they're right about that. They come here and stand out and they've got as good a shot at the NFL as if they'd gone to Alabama.
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I think there is another factor that comes into play, esp. for running backs. They think of the game like mileage on a vehicle or treadware on tires. Meaning they only have so many meaningful snaps to play and they want to save those to maximize their ROI. Backs don't want 25 carries a game as much anymore in college as they might have in prior eras. So waiting your turn until you are a junior or senior makes fiscal sense if you believe you have a legit shot at making it in the NFL. I guarantee the pros are aware of the second and third teamers in Tuscaloosa or Columbus even if we are not.

I agree that the path to the NFL is just as good playing at BDS as it is anywhere else. If you have that level of talent the pros will find you. I am one of those who thinks Gibbs did not improve his draft position one iota by making the switch to Bama although many others here feel differently. Maybe escaping the culture here at the time made it a wise choice to depart but it made no real $$$ sense to do so.
 
bobongo

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4shotB said:
I think there is another factor that comes into play, esp. for running backs. They think of the game like mileage on a vehicle or treadware on tires. Meaning they only have so many meaningful snaps to play and they want to save those to maximize their ROI. Backs don't want 25 carries a game as much anymore in college as they might have in prior eras. So waiting your turn until you are a junior or senior makes fiscal sense if you believe you have a legit shot at making it in the NFL. I guarantee the pros are aware of the second and third teamers in Tuscaloosa or Columbus even if we are not.

I agree that the path to the NFL is just as good playing at BDS as it is anywhere else. If you have that level of talent the pros will find you. I am one of those who thinks Gibbs did not improve his draft position one iota by making the switch to Bama although many others here feel differently. Maybe escaping the culture here at the time made it a wise choice to depart but it made no real $$$ sense to do so.
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All that makes some sense for running backs, but I wonder how many out of high school are thinking about saving themselves for the NFL by sitting on the bench a couple of years. And if they crack the lineup sometime in their freshman season, they could likely be ready to declare for the draft by the time they're juniors. Another thing too many of them aren't considering is how many players wasted away on the bench at Alabama and never got a shot while they could be starting right away, or at least by year two, at Georgia Tech, and therefore have a much better chance here than there. The absolute only upside to going to Alabama over Tech for most of these players is supposedly better coaching they might get there as opposed to here. That would certainly have been true during the Collins years, but not so much now in the Key era.

I think the bottom line is they want to go to a winner. Personally, I would rather go somewhere I could make them into a winner, but that's just me. Most of these prospects are apparently not thinking in that direction.
 
bobongo

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Papa Foxtrot said:
Grad transfer - hoping Prez Cabrera is working to fix this....
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Yeah, I'm wondering how many Tech football undergrads got into grad school at Tech. Very few, I'll wager.
But Cabrera may not be willing to bend on grad school entrance. That might be asking too much.
 
Papa Foxtrot

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bobongo said:
But Cabrera may not be willing to bend on grad school entrance. That might be asking too much.
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I think the numbers involved are minimal(2-3/yr) while the impact on the FB team is significant. I'm clueless regarding the internal issues PAC faces, but I think it's a worthwhile trade-off. When an athlete can graduate in 3-4 years, it's pretty obvious that they can put in the work.
 
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