Things I found Interesting on MSU Media Day

[ShotgunDawg]

As you know, these things are full of coach speak, but, if you look closely, you can find some good nuggets.

Here is are some interesting things I saw:

1. After playing MLB last year, Gerri Green will start practice at the Viper position which means he's a edge rusher that stands up. This is what we've all been begging for. Is he Von Miller?

2. Offensive leaders are Holloway, Shumpert, & Ross. Ross is fine, but hopefully this isn't sign on our running back rotation

3. Simmons is now #98 instead of 36.

4. New WR Todd was one of the top WRs on our board last year, but wasn't expected to qualify & was expected to play basketball. Both changed. Huge pickup which means no more Peters on offense

5. Rankin could have started last year, but they wanted to save him.

6. Keith Mixon is electric

7. Dear will play both RB & WR

8. Gabe Myles will play on outside. Interesting

[confucius say]

Does no. 8 mean Ross is staying inside?

[Ifyouonlyknew]

1. I think Gerri will do well but let's hold off on the Von Miller talk

2. They're leaders because they're Seniors now it's their turn to step up vocally. I still expect Aeris to be the workhouse

3. Expected

7. Wouldn't hold my breath for much RB p/t

8. With Ross playing inside & out plus Dear & Mixon a smart move to get our best playmakers on the field as much as possible

[maroonmania]

No. 5 is really strange given how bad we were on the OL last year.

[Todd4State]

I think it shows how inflexible Dan was last year.

1. Green at DE/OLB/MLB? Would have been nice last year. Would have been nice to have done that with McKinney as well.

2. Of course it's going to be Holloway and Shumpert at RB/FB. I can live with it IF we use Holloway like we did last year and NOT like we used Perkins. Good to see Shumpert moved to FB. Would have helped last year probably. Holloway I think will be the main guy and Aeris will get about 1/3 of the snaps if I had to guess. Lee will probably sit because he can't do anything right.

3. Dan would be insane to give him #36 after the media backlash that has already ensued.

4. Really like Todd. And not just because he has an awesome name. Moving Peters to offense would have been a terrible idea because we would have moved him BACK to defense where he belongs and basically cost him a year of experience playing safety because no one looked at the depth chart and realized that we didn't have anyone over 6'2" at WR until the spring apparently.

5. This pisses me off. Especially given how bad our o-line was. Basically he's saying we decided to play Warren because he's a senior and I'm not creative enough to find a way to make Warren productive as the third tackle and blocking TE on goal line situations. As bad as our o-line was last season there was ZERO reason to hold anyone capable back. Especially during the senior year of our best player in school history.

6. I like Mixon a lot. He will replace Holloway as the scatback/WR and I think he will be even better than Holloway.

7. Again, would have been nice last year. It's not like Dear didn't play RB some in high school. I get that he was a freshman but how hard is it to learn run a draw play or and outside running play of some kind? Dan needs to stop thinking of Dear as a slot guy and more of a Percy Harvin guy. Looks like he is coming around on that.

8. Expected so that we can get Ross, Gray- who should be in the slot, and Myles on the field at the same time.

Dan needs to stop being so inflexible with our team and be more creative and move people around to different positions in season rather than just stick with whatever position a player started with at the beginning of the year and rolling with it come hell or high water. His rigidity hampers our team a good bit- and the changes are things that are pretty obvious to casual football fans.

[K9 Avenger]

What he said was that Rankin could've helped towards the end of the year last year...he wasn't ready early on so it made no sense to burn a year of eligibility. Regarding Dear, Gonzalez noted that he was capable of playing some RB but, as IYOK noted, don't expect a lot of that.

[Dawgfan77]

A few more nuggets. One QB will transfer but not Tiano. Would not be surprised if Tiano ends up being the guy

[Goldendawg]

Looked at the roster on Hailstate.com. Lot of duplicate #'s being used and some #'s not issued at all. Gibson is listed as #21. Do you think this is accurate with the long honored situation with Keefer McGee? As noted Simmons is #98 and #36 is not issued.

[Dawgfan77]

Looked at the roster on Hailstate.com. Lot of duplicate #'s being used and some #'s not issued at all. Gibson is listed as #21. Do you think this is accurate with the long honored situation with Keefer McGee? As noted Simmons is #98 and #36 is not issued.

Have not updated hailstate

[sleepy dawg]

it's going to be Holloway and Shumpert at RB/FB. ...... Good to see Shumpert moved to FB.

Wait... Is that what was said? Shumpert to FB? Is this a real thing?

[Dallas_Dawg]

If Tiano is the guy, then he must be a bad ass. I think Fitz is the guy personally, but I feel confident that the winner of the QB job will do fine.
Remember, last year at this time, Freeze "still wasn't sure who the QB was going to be" for Ole Miss.
Lots of smoke and mirrors this time of year

[Ifyouonlyknew]

I think it shows how inflexible Dan was last year.

1. Green at DE/OLB/MLB? Would have been nice last year. Would have been nice to have done that with McKinney as well.

2. Of course it's going to be Holloway and Shumpert at RB/FB. I can live with it IF we use Holloway like we did last year and NOT like we used Perkins. Good to see Shumpert moved to FB. Would have helped last year probably. Holloway I think will be the main guy and Aeris will get about 1/3 of the snaps if I had to guess. Lee will probably sit because he can't do anything right.

3. Dan would be insane to give him #36 after the media backlash that has already ensued.

4. Really like Todd. And not just because he has an awesome name. Moving Peters to offense would have been a terrible idea because we would have moved him BACK to defense where he belongs and basically cost him a year of experience playing safety because no one looked at the depth chart and realized that we didn't have anyone over 6'2" at WR until the spring apparently.

5. This pisses me off. Especially given how bad our o-line was. Basically he's saying we decided to play Warren because he's a senior and I'm not creative enough to find a way to make Warren productive as the third tackle and blocking TE on goal line situations. As bad as our o-line was last season there was ZERO reason to hold anyone capable back. Especially during the senior year of our best player in school history.

6. I like Mixon a lot. He will replace Holloway as the scatback/WR and I think he will be even better than Holloway.

7. Again, would have been nice last year. It's not like Dear didn't play RB some in high school. I get that he was a freshman but how hard is it to learn run a draw play or and outside running play of some kind? Dan needs to stop thinking of Dear as a slot guy and more of a Percy Harvin guy. Looks like he is coming around on that.

8. Expected so that we can get Ross, Gray- who should be in the slot, and Myles on the field at the same time.

Dan needs to stop being so inflexible with our team and be more creative and move people around to different positions in season rather than just stick with whatever position a player started with at the beginning of the year and rolling with it come hell or high water. His rigidity hampers our team a good bit- and the changes are things that are pretty obvious to casual football fans.

2. I expect Shump to be a great special teams guy & get very few carries & lead block on occasion. Again I expect Aeris to be the guy.

5. Rankin wasn't ready in September but by November he was but didn't want to waste a year on 4 games.

7. Dear played like Akers in HS. He rarely played at RB. He played mostly Wildcat QB & in the Slot. Don't expect much if any Dear playing RB. He'll still get those jet sweeps but he's going to make more plays downfield this year like our slots in the past (Bump & Tubby)

8. Gray is, has been, & will always be an outside WR. We have to stop looking at his height & look at his skill. He's never played Slot he's always been outside & will show why this year. He's the starter at X & will show out.

[LC Dawg]

A few more nuggets. One QB will transfer but not Tiano.

A coach or player said this or its your opinion?

[scottycameron]

Green is going to be a monster this year. Write it down. He'll end up being as good as anyone we've had before he leaves.

[CadaverDawg]

Fitz will be the starter

Aeris will win the RB job

Defense will be solid

We're going to throw the ball deep more this year imo bc what we lose in Bear's size, we gain in the speed we'll have on the field at any given time. Not as many crushing WR blocks, but could be a lot of big plays and quick strikes.

On the field at one time could be...

Fitz
Holloway
Dear
Gray
Ross
Myles

That's some speed

[lamont]

A coach or player said this or its your opinion?

It's been spread around that whomever doesn't start out of Fitz/Staley will transfer out this August

[somebodyshotmypaw]

I think Fitz is the guy this year. But I like Tiano better, but he is a year away. Next year Tiano could take the job, but it is really hard to beat out an incumbent. It's going to be an interesting race. The safe pick is Damian Williams (age and experience) but he definitely has the least upside. When it comes to moving the ball, scoring points, and winning games, I put Damian at #4. He has a real ceiling.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

It's been spread around that whomever doesn't start out of Fitz/Staley will transfer out this August

I don't think anyone transfers before the season starts.

[lamont]

I don't think anyone transfers before the season starts.

According to one of their parents- that is 100% the plan. Mullen has been asked to make a decision by the end of week 3

[Commercecomet24]

Fitz will be the starter

Aeris will win the RB job

Defense will be solid

We're going to throw the ball deep more this year imo bc what we lose in Bear's size, we gain in the speed we'll have on the field at any given time. Not as many crushing WR blocks, but could be a lot of big plays and quick strikes.

On the field at one time could be...

Fitz
Holloway
Dear
Gray
Ross
Myles

That's some speed

Good catch about speed on the field, Cadaver. Those 6 guys on the field at the same time is a matchup nightmare. And then you could take out a couple those guys and add a couple those huge tight ends and you got another matchup nightmare there too. Offense could be dynamic provided ol play is good.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

According to one of their parents- that is 100% the plan. Mullen has been asked to make a decision by the end of week 3

I could see that but I wouldn't want none of the guys leaving until the season is over.

[lamont]

I could see that but I wouldn't want none of the guys leaving until the season is over.

I'm sure Mullen doesn't either. Curious to see how he handles it. If nobody transfers out- we are going to see both of them play early. The thing is, you don't want to keep someone around that's going to be a problem either. That could easily happen into the season if he doesn't make a decision and one of them ends up sitting. They want to be able to transfer out to play juco and then find another school.

[Todd4State]

2. I expect Shump to be a great special teams guy & get very few carries & lead block on occasion. Again I expect Aeris to be the guy.

5. Rankin wasn't ready in September but by November he was but didn't want to waste a year on 4 games.

7. Dear played like Akers in HS. He rarely played at RB. He played mostly Wildcat QB & in the Slot. Don't expect much if any Dear playing RB. He'll still get those jet sweeps but he's going to make more plays downfield this year like our slots in the past (Bump & Tubby)

8. Gray is, has been, & will always be an outside WR. We have to stop looking at his height & look at his skill. He's never played Slot he's always been outside & will show why this year. He's the starter at X & will show out.

2. I hope you are right about Aeris. I want to have a running back that is more a between the tackles kind of runner. I'm not as down on Holloway as some people are though. Like any other player he is productive if used correctly as he was last year.

5. We still probably should have tried Rankin last year. Warren wasn't ready either. I find it hard to believe that a player could go from not being anywhere close to ready to being one of our best guys in two months. May be the case here- especially as bad as our o-line was. It wasn't like the bar was set real high.

7. Going by how Dear was used against Madison Central. They had him playing all three- QB/WR/RB. I would tend to say from the two times I watched Dear against MC that he was probably used in more spots than Akers has been to this point which has been mainly QB. It is possible that on the whole year that Dear was used mainly as the QB and they moved him around more because MC was one of the better teams they played. My point still stands that he should have been able to run a draw play and some type of outside run more than he was last year.

8. Actually, we do have to look at his height. Much like Tyson Lee who was a good QB- it does come into play at this level and it will come into play in the red zone for us because his height essentially eliminates him as a target making it easier for the defense to key in on Ross, Myles, and Dear, and whatever 6'5" WR we decide to play. Just like we had to roll Lee out a lot so he could see downfield. I am looking at his skill set too though- I want his skill set on a guy like a safety or a LB because he would be hell to cover and it would make it even easier on him to get deep. I think he would be a beast on screens as well. Yes, he can beat corners for Troy consistently deep- but in the SEC I can only remember a couple of times that he did so. Just because Cam Akers is a QB in high school it doesn't mean he should be a QB at Ohio State. Most WR's can transition between the slot at outside pretty well- like Fred Ross. The thing that worries me is Dan had Deddrick Thomas listed as Gray's back up at the X and he's even more of a slot WR than Gray is. I don't want a 6'5" guy on one side and a 5'8" guy on the other.

[Todd4State]

I'm sure Mullen doesn't either. Curious to see how he handles it. If nobody transfers out- we are going to see both of them play early. The thing is, you don't want to keep someone around that's going to be a problem either. That could easily happen into the season if he doesn't make a decision and one of them ends up sitting. They want to be able to transfer out to play juco and then find another school.

Staley, Fitzgerald, and Williams are all RS sophomores and older correct? I don't think JUCO is an option for any of them really- and by the time Dan figures out who is/isn't the starter the JUCO season would have started. I think the options for Fitz and Staley would be to transfer to a I-AA school and be immediately eligible, transfer to another I-A school and sit out, or I guess be an early grad and play immediately somewhere else although can be an early grad and play somewhere else for two seasons instead of one.

Hopefully it goes as well as some of the other guys we have had transfer out like the running back from Pineville, La or Quadry Antoine.

If Fitz wins the job we could see Williams transfer out after this year to JSU or somewhere like that and Staley leave which would leave us with Fitz, Tiano, and Keytaeon next year.

[HSVDawg]

No. 5 is really strange given how bad we were on the OL last year.

Yep. Gonna go ahead and call 9 kinds of BS on that one.

[HSVDawg]

What he said was that Rankin could've helped towards the end of the year last year...he wasn't ready early on so it made no sense to burn a year of eligibility. Regarding Dear, Gonzalez noted that he was capable of playing some RB but, as IYOK noted, don't expect a lot of that.

If Rankin could have helped us beat Ole Miss or Bama, it would have been worth the entire year of eligibility even if he only played one game. And a big reason we lost both of those games is that we gave up like 17 sacks combined and had countless other occurrences of pressure leading to bad throws, INT's, or other busted plays. And you would think a solid Left Tackle would have gone a long way in alleviating some of that pressure. But all that being said, I'm calling BS on Dan's statement about Rankin. Coachspeak that he should have just kept to himself is all it is.

[lamont]

Staley, Fitzgerald, and Williams are all RS sophomores and older correct? I don't think JUCO is an option for any of them really- and by the time Dan figures out who is/isn't the starter the JUCO season would have started. I think the options for Fitz and Staley would be to transfer to a I-AA school and be immediately eligible, transfer to another I-A school and sit out, or I guess be an early grad and play immediately somewhere else although can be an early grad and play somewhere else for two seasons instead of one.

Hopefully it goes as well as some of the other guys we have had transfer out like the running back from Pineville, La or Quadry Antoine.

If Fitz wins the job we could see Williams transfer out after this year to JSU or somewhere like that and Staley leave which would leave us with Fitz, Tiano, and Keytaeon next year.

Williams is a R-Jr. Fitz/Staley are R-Sophs and can go juco. The idea behind going juco is to be able to be picked up again by another D-1 school. Even if they play half a season in juco- it puts plays on film for them to be recruited.

[Todd4State]

Williams is a R-Jr. Fitz/Staley are R-Sophs and can go juco. The idea behind going juco is to be able to be picked up again by another D-1 school. Even if they play half a season in juco- it puts plays on film for them to be recruited.

Yes but can they realistically go into another team mid season like that and pick up their offense that quickly? It just seems like it would be hard to just show up and do that. Especially as short as the JUCO season is.

[lamont]

Yes but can they realistically go into another team mid season like that and pick up their offense that quickly? It just seems like it would be hard to just show up and do that. Especially as short as the JUCO season is.

They will be on a team before the 1st game is played. They can pick up offenses and roll on. Every juco would be happy to have them and get them plenty of reps

[Ifyouonlyknew]

If Rankin could have helped us beat Ole Miss or Bama, it would have been worth the entire year of eligibility even if he only played one game. And a big reason we lost both of those games is that we gave up like 17 sacks combined and had countless other occurrences of pressure leading to bad throws, INT's, or other busted plays. And you would think a solid Left Tackle would have gone a long way in alleviating some of that pressure. But all that being said, I'm calling BS on Dan's statement about Rankin. Coachspeak that he should have just kept to himself is all it is.

You don't waste a year of a guys eligibility for 1 or 2 games. That's not how you run a program. We will now get 2 full seasons of him starting instead of playing 3-4 games & this year. Mullen made the right choice on this 1.

[Jack Lambert]

Does no. 8 mean Ross is staying inside?

As long as he is on the field I really don't care. He'll make plays.

[Jarius]

They will be on a team before the 1st game is played. They can pick up offenses and roll on. Every juco would be happy to have them and get them plenty of reps

If they want Mullen to pick a starter by week 3, they aren't going to get to juco by the time the 1st game is played. Their schedule starts the same as ours. They aren't going to go through our fall camp and 2 weeks of the season and then go to a juco team and pick up the playbook in the middle of the football season (if you are talking about week 3 of the season). If you are talking about week 3 of training camp, well he isn't going to make a decision by then more than likely so they are probably going to have to get over it.

[Jack Lambert]

A few more nuggets. One QB will transfer but not Tiano. Would not be surprised if Tiano ends up being the guy

Someone is going to leave maybe two.

[HSVDawg]

You don't waste a year of a guys eligibility for 1 or 2 games. That's not how you run a program. We will now get 2 full seasons of him starting instead of playing 3-4 games & this year. Mullen made the right choice on this 1.

You are making a big assumption there. If he does have a good year this year (basically meaning that Mullen was right in his assessment of him coming on strong in the 2nd half last season), then he is a 4th year player with a year under his belt at left tackle or right tackle in the toughest league in America. He's likely gone in the draft at that point, which makes the redshirt year pointless. A scenario where he plays 4 games as a Junior plus a full season as a senior is better than him just playing a full season as a redshirt junior and then leaving.

But again, I'm thinking Rankin's ceiling is probably as another Charles Siddoway or Justin Senior type (a solid but not spectacular tackle prospect). Therefore I'm calling BS on Mullen's statement. He may have been another body we could have thrown out there, but chances are he really wouldn't have been an upgrade over Jenkins / Senior / Warren.

[lamont]

If they want Mullen to pick a starter by week 3, they aren't going to get to juco by the time the 1st game is played. Their schedule starts the same as ours. They aren't going to go through our fall camp and 2 weeks of the season and then go to a juco team and pick up the playbook in the middle of the football season (if you are talking about week 3 of the season). If you are talking about week 3 of training camp, well he isn't going to make a decision by then more than likely so they are probably going to have to get over it.

By the end of week 3 of practice. Mullen will know who the QB will be by then. Whether he lets them know or not is a different story

[Interpolation_Dawg_EX]

I think Fitz is the guy this year. But I like Tiano better, but he is a year away. Next year Tiano could take the job, but it is really hard to beat out an incumbent. It's going to be an interesting race. The safe pick is Damian Williams (age and experience) but he definitely has the least upside. When it comes to moving the ball, scoring points, and winning games, I put Damian at #4. He has a real ceiling.

I agree with a lot of that....I think it's very interesting to hear from Mullen that there is no separation between the 4 and that leads me to believe Tiano could actually be in the mix. In the end though, we all know that Mullen will play the players that he trusts. He even said as much with his coach roaches analogy.

[Bubb Rubb]

If Tiano is the guy, then he must be a bad ass. I think Fitz is the guy personally, but I feel confident that the winner of the QB job will do fine.
Remember, last year at this time, Freeze "still wasn't sure who the QB was going to be" for Ole Miss.
Lots of smoke and mirrors this time of year

I hoped it would be Fitz but it's looking less and less likely.

[msstate7]

I hoped it would be Fitz but it's looking less and less likely.

Who is looking likely?

[Johnson85]

If Rankin could have helped us beat Ole Miss or Bama, it would have been worth the entire year of eligibility even if he only played one game. And a big reason we lost both of those games is that we gave up like 17 sacks combined and had countless other occurrences of pressure leading to bad throws, INT's, or other busted plays. And you would think a solid Left Tackle would have gone a long way in alleviating some of that pressure. But all that being said, I'm calling BS on Dan's statement about Rankin. Coachspeak that he should have just kept to himself is all it is.

I think you're probably right that it's coach speak. He probably could have helped in the sense that he would have been slightly better than Warren or Jenkins, but he probably wouldn't have made a difference in the W column. That said, even if he had, our OL recruiting has been shit and it was probably obvious to Dan that we would likely need him in 2017. Looking at the OL roster, what do you think we would look like next year if we lost Rankin, Senior, Clayborne, and Desper after this year?

Something Like:

LT - Jenkins - RS Jr.
LG - Deion Calhoun - RS Jr.
C - Harrison Moon - RS Soph
RG - Darryl Williams - RS Soph
RT - ??? Tommy Champion? Or Michael Story? Or a RS Freshman?

That's a lot of unknowns as of right now. Even if Champion or somebody provides another solid OT option, having Rankin gives us the option to move Jenkins to a guard spot if Williams and Moon don't work out. Looks like 2018 we should have the opportunity to have another good OL. Hopefully we can keep the rest of the positions stocked to take advantage of it.

[Johnson85]

Yes but can they realistically go into another team mid season like that and pick up their offense that quickly? It just seems like it would be hard to just show up and do that. Especially as short as the JUCO season is.

I suspect that Fitz and Staley are good enough compared to most JUCO QBs that there are only a handful of JUCO teams that wouldn't promise them a starting position immediately.

[Bubb Rubb]

Who is looking likely?

Mullen is telling people offline that if the season started today it would be Williams. I don't think Fitz has his act together off the field.

[HSVDawg]

According to one of their parents- that is 100% the plan. Mullen has been asked to make a decision by the end of week 3

End of week 3 is not before the season starts. And that would be incredibly stupid on the part of whichever player it is if they left midseason. They'd lose a whole year of eligibility even if they never played a snap in the first couple of weeks.

ETA: Sorry, missed above post about it being Week 3 of practice. Please disregard.

[Jarius]

Mullen is telling people offline that if the season started today it would be Williams. I don't think Fitz has his act together off the field.

If Williams is our qb we will struggle to get bowl eligible. He is nowhere near an SEC caliber player.

[Maroons]

Mullen is telling people offline that if the season started today it would be Williams. I don't think Fitz has his act together off the field.

I don't believe it even if Mullen is really saying it.

But if he's saying it offline, why in the world do you feel the need to post it publicly? Don't do crap like that.

[Mjoelner34]

If Williams is our qb we will struggle to beat South Alabama.

fify

[Interpolation_Dawg_EX]

Mullen is telling people offline that if the season started today it would be Williams. I don't think Fitz has his act together off the field.

Funny,I heard the complete opposite the other day...rumors abound this time of year.

[mcain31]

I don't care which QB wins. I want someone to grab the brass ring and be a winner

[thf24]

Mullen is telling people offline that if the season started today it would be Williams.

Sounds like 100% coachspeak to me. If a shred of possibility of Williams being the starter over Fitz and Staley had ever existed in Mullen's mind, he would have played last year after he'd healed up. You don't redshirt a veteran for a year just to throw him on the field over multiple more talented younger guys the next. Seems pretty clear to me that Mullen's plan last year was to get Fitz and Staley the garbage time reps in preparation for this year while sitting Williams to give him an extra year should he choose to transfer. If he'd entertained the smallest possibility of Williams being this year's starter, he'd have gotten some reps towards the end of the year.

[maroonmania]

I'm sure Mullen doesn't either. Curious to see how he handles it. If nobody transfers out- we are going to see both of them play early. The thing is, you don't want to keep someone around that's going to be a problem either. That could easily happen into the season if he doesn't make a decision and one of them ends up sitting. They want to be able to transfer out to play juco and then find another school.

Why would anyone leave or announce a transfer during the season? That would be stupid. We've had seasons where our 3rd string QB has ended up starting due to injuries. I mean even if you want to transfer you can't do that until the next semester.

[maroonmania]

Yes but can they realistically go into another team mid season like that and pick up their offense that quickly? It just seems like it would be hard to just show up and do that. Especially as short as the JUCO season is.

Exactly, if one of our QBs wants to step down in competition to play they would at least need to get a fall camp in at the new place just to get the offense down a little. Anyway, by the time our starting job is settled its likely going to be too late to transfer and enroll as a student to get on any other team anyway.

[maroonmania]

If they want Mullen to pick a starter by week 3, they aren't going to get to juco by the time the 1st game is played. Their schedule starts the same as ours. They aren't going to go through our fall camp and 2 weeks of the season and then go to a juco team and pick up the playbook in the middle of the football season (if you are talking about week 3 of the season). If you are talking about week 3 of training camp, well he isn't going to make a decision by then more than likely so they are probably going to have to get over it.

If anyone leaves its going to be someone that has seen the handwriting on the wall and does so before the first game.

[Bothrops]

Remember, Mullen likes tall qb's. People are knocking on Williams, but he would have been a great SEC qb prospect 15-20 years ago. I think he can play, but is limited with his height. The 3 other guys have too much of an advantage.

[lamont]

Why would anyone leave or announce a transfer during the season? That would be stupid. We've had seasons where our 3rd string QB has ended up starting due to injuries. I mean even if you want to transfer you can't do that until the next semester.

Because players today aren't interested in waiting their turn. Why sit here on the bench when you can go juco and start? Then be recruited again somewhere that needs QB help in D-1.

Why stay here and ride the pine in Year 3?

[maroonmania]

Because players today aren't interested in waiting their turn. Why sit here on the bench when you can go juco and start? Then be recruited again somewhere that needs QB help in D-1.

Why stay here and ride the pine in Year 3?

Your response only answers why someone would leave after the season. To leave or announce leaving during the season still makes no sense. EVERY school has a last day to enroll (even JUCOs) so even if someone saw they weren't getting playing time in the first game or two they would be hard pressed to get onto a team somewhere else.

[lamont]

Your response only answers why someone would leave after the season. To leave or announce leaving during the season still makes no sense. EVERY school has a last day to enroll (even JUCOs) so even if someone saw they weren't getting playing time in the first game or two they would be hard pressed to get onto a team somewhere else.

Let me spell this out:

If Fitz or Staley isn't named the starter by the end of the 3rd week of practice- Aug 20th or so- then they are going to be frantically looking for a school to transfer to. Considering most colleges don't start classes until middle or late August- that is plenty of time to transfer.

I can't be any clearer. Mullen, the QB's, and most everybody on the team is going to know who the starting QB is going to be by the end of week 3 of practice.

[Beaver]

Mullen is telling people offline that if the season started today it would be Williams.

And if the first game actually was tonight, I'd expect Williams to start. When Mullen lies in bed before the first game, he won't be thinking "who has the best upside" or "who can throw the ball downfield", he'll be thinking "who can manage the game well, and not turn the ball over"? Williams, AS OF TODAY, is the only QB who has any experience in a big time environment. He's kinda like Wyatt Roberts from Last Chance U...He's not Cadillac, but he's a reliable truck.

Now, I think most agree Fitz/Tiano/Staley all have higher ceilings than Williams. But one of them is going to have to start reaching towards their ceiling during fall camp. Someone who can lead the team, and can manage the gameplan. Personally, I hope it's Fitz or Tiano that receives the 1st snap against USA. However, if Williams is the guy, I won't bash Mullen....unless Williams turns the ball over and can't manage the game. Then all bets are off.

[1bigdawg]

Let me spell this out:

If Fitz or Staley isn't named the starter by the end of the 3rd week of practice- Aug 20th or so- then they are going to be frantically looking for a school to transfer to. Considering most colleges don't start classes until middle or late August- that is plenty of time to transfer.

I can't be any clearer. Mullen, the QB's, and most everybody on the team is going to know who the starting QB is going to be by the end of week 3 of practice.

This. I don't understand why so many posters can't grasp this and you have to spell it out for them. Also, Tiano will not start the first game no matter what. Mullen is not going to have both Fitz and Staley transfer.

[Jarius]

Williams is not reliable. He helped us beat an Arkansas team in overtime that went winless in the conference and he scored 7 points in 3 quarters against ole miss. He got worse as a sophomore. He is not the answer, and if he is named the starter we are in serious shit. Fitzgerald looked better last year than Williams has looked at any point in his MSU career.

[ShotgunDawg]

Williams is not reliable. He helped us beat an Arkansas team in overtime that went winless in the conference and he scored 7 points in 3 quarters against ole miss. He got worse as a sophomore. He is not the answer, and if he is named the starter we are in serious shit.


This. My opinion is that Mullen is spreading the Williams stuff to make a point to the other QBs about what they will need to do to win the job.

Williams starting would be a disaster. He has little upside, a long release, and still turns the ball over.

[RiverCityDawg]

And if the first game actually was tonight, I'd expect Williams to start. When Mullen lies in bed before the first game, he won't be thinking "who has the best upside" or "who can throw the ball downfield", he'll be thinking "who can manage the game well, and not turn the ball over"? Williams, AS OF TODAY, is the only QB who has any experience in a big time environment. He's kinda like Wyatt Roberts from Last Chance U...He's not Cadillac, but he's a reliable truck.

Now, I think most agree Fitz/Tiano/Staley all have higher ceilings than Williams. But one of them is going to have to start reaching towards their ceiling during fall camp. Someone who can lead the team, and can manage the gameplan. Personally, I hope it's Fitz or Tiano that receives the 1st snap against USA. However, if Williams is the guy, I won't bash Mullen....unless Williams turns the ball over and can't manage the game. Then all bets are off.

I agree with this explanation, except not based on Williams being "reliable" as much as Fitz/Staley not quite doing everything they need to do YET to seize the job. Mullen isn't going to give the job to either of them by default. Not at this point, at least. Like you, I'm extremely hopeful that one of them will take the next step during camp. Just part of the process.

[Interpolation_Dawg_EX]

I can only imagine what these poor dudes are about to go through over the next few weeks haha. Mullen is going to be all over them. He stated he wanted to see who could be consistent, be exceptional on the routine plays, and not fold under the bright lights....no bigger lights than fighting for a starting QB spot in the SEC.

[lamont]

Also, Tiano will not start the first game no matter what. Mullen is not going to have both Fitz and Staley transfer.

This all day long

[maroonmania]

This. I don't understand why so many posters can't grasp this and you have to spell it out for them. Also, Tiano will not start the first game no matter what. Mullen is not going to have both Fitz and Staley transfer.

Well let me spell THIS out: The discussion was about a player announcing a transfer DURING THE SEASON. Did you read what you replied to? Yes, I could see someone potentially leaving PRIOR to the season if they see they have no chance to start or play this season.

[ShotgunDawg]

I agree with this explanation, except not based on Williams being "reliable" as much as Fitz/Staley not quite doing everything they need to do YET to seize the job. Mullen isn't going to give the job to either of them by default. Not at this point, at least. Like you, I'm extremely hopeful that one of them will take the next step during camp. Just part of the process.

How did Williams ever get the "reliable" label?

Where did this come from?

He was atrocious in 2014 and, out of the 4 QBs, he brings the least to the running game, which is by far the least risky thing we can do on offense.

I have hard time believing that Fitz and Staley have been here 2 years and Tiano 1 full year and they don't know how to line the team up.

I don't see the debate here. It's a mindless argument to me.

[Beaver]

Fitzgerald looked better last year than Williams has looked at any point in his MSU career.

Not hard to look good when you're playing Northwestern State and Troy.

[maroonmania]

Williams is not reliable. He helped us beat an Arkansas team in overtime that went winless in the conference and he scored 7 points in 3 quarters against ole miss. He got worse as a sophomore. He is not the answer, and if he is named the starter we are in serious shit. Fitzgerald looked better last year than Williams has looked at any point in his MSU career.

Williams may be better but I've never personally witnessed him have a 'good' game. Yes, Williams ran in a TD in OT against Arkansas but Tyler Russell did pretty much everything else in the game. Against UNM, Williams led us to 7 points from about 30 yards out after a Bo Wallace INT and that is all. He NEVER looked good in his chances as a SO. To me the very best I've ever seen him look was this past Spring game but I'm not sure how much I can take away from a Spring game.

[DancingRabbit]

My guess for game 1 is that Williams will start but not play as much as Fitz or Staley. Maybe Tiano gets a series, maybe not.

Against USCe I think Fitz gets the nod but Staley and/or Williams will get a chance if Fitz doesn't show out.

[lamont]

My guess for game 1 is that Williams will start but not play as much as Fitz or Staley. Maybe Tiano gets a series, maybe not.

Against USCe I think Fitz gets the nod but Staley and/or Williams will get a chance if Fitz doesn't show out.

There is no way we are going to play 3 QB's. It's hard enough getting the #2 guy enough reps each week to be ready to play. No way you can get enough reps for 3 guys. It's got to be down to a 2 man race by kickoff

[Ifyouonlyknew]

He was atrocious in 2014.

This isn't a vote for Damian in the least but he wasn't atrocious in 2014 our fans just didn't want to see him in the 1st qtr of our 1st 2 games & we just made him terrible. He was 14/23 155yds 3tds/0int & 16car 90yds rushing. Again not a vote for Damian but what he actually was & what our fans remember are 2 different things a lot of times.

[Jarius]

Not hard to look good when you're playing Northwestern State and Troy.

Williams got his opportunity in 2014 in mop up duty and looked much worse than Fitz did against those types. USM and UAB come to mind.

[Jarius]

Williams may be better but I've never personally witnessed him have a 'good' game. Yes, Williams ran in a TD in OT against Arkansas but Tyler Russell did pretty much everything else in the game. Against UNM, Williams led us to 7 points from about 30 yards out after a Bo Wallace INT and that is all. He NEVER looked good in his chances as a SO. To me the very best I've ever seen him look was this past Spring game but I'm not sure how much I can take away from a Spring game.

He was decent in the spring game. In a scrimmage or 2 before that spring game he had one of the worst qb performances I've ever seen. Worse than Henig or Riddell or Topps. It was horrible. His career stats are a 52% completion % and 3/2 td to int ratio. He has no elusiveness either. Just mediocre.

[thf24]

This isn't a vote for Damian in the least but he wasn't atrocious in 2014 our fans just didn't want to see him in the 1st qtr of our 1st 2 games & we just made him terrible. He was 14/23 155yds 3tds/0int & 16car 90yds rushing. Again not a vote for Damian but what he actually was & what our fans remember are 2 different things a lot of times.

Didn't he have multiple fumbles in that limited action though? Thinking back, that's what I recall as negatives during 2014; way more deer-in-headlights moments than a good player should have in that small a number of plays.

[maroonmania]

Didn't he have multiple fumbles in that limited action though? Thinking back, that's what I recall as negatives during 2014; way more deer-in-headlights moments than a good player should have in that small a number of plays.

Yes, he dropped 2 or 3 balls snapped to him from Center.

[Beaver]

Didn't he have multiple fumbles in that limited action though? Thinking back, that's what I recall as negatives during 2014; way more deer-in-headlights moments than a good player should have in that small a number of plays.

No, no picks or or fumbles in 2014. He had 2 in 2013, 1 against USM and 1 against OM. I'm not saying he's a reliable qb compared to the rest of the SEC, just it seems he'd be more reliable TODAY than the other 3. And if Mullen thinks the same in a month then so be it.

Eta: He fumbled a ball against UAB in 2014 but didn't lose it.

[RiverCityDawg]

How did Williams ever get the "reliable" label?

Where did this come from?

He was atrocious in 2014 and, out of the 4 QBs, he brings the least to the running game, which is by far the least risky thing we can do on offense.

I have hard time believing that Fitz and Staley have been here 2 years and Tiano 1 full year and they don't know how to line the team up.

I don't see the debate here. It's a mindless argument to me.

I agree. He's viewed as most experienced so people therefore think he's least likely to make a mistake, which I don't necessarily agree with. Could be, but that's not the only thing to consider, as you point out.

Point is, it's more about pushing the other guys being more consistent so their playmaking isn't offset completely by huge mistakes (INTs).

Another factor is all the stuff off the field that we don't see. If the QB/leader isn't handling his business the right way but still gets to start, the other players take notice and it can screw up team chemistry or lower the work standards for others. I don't know who's not doing what, but by all accounts the players like and respect Williams.

[RiverCityDawg]

Not hard to look good when you're playing Northwestern State and Troy.

Maybe that's true, but Williams had his chances in 2014 and didn't do anything. He's not flashed play making potential outside of one run against Arkansas.

[confucius say]

Bottom line is we have to have a playmaker at qb to win 7-8 games. We don't have the offensive personnel, o-line, or dominant defense to put a game manager under center and win 7-8 games.

[confucius say]

This isn't a vote for Damian in the least but he wasn't atrocious in 2014 our fans just didn't want to see him in the 1st qtr of our 1st 2 games & we just made him terrible. He was 14/23 155yds 3tds/0int & 16car 90yds rushing. Again not a vote for Damian but what he actually was & what our fans remember are 2 different things a lot of times.

Meh, that's Bc he was terrible in the first halves of our first two games: 7-14 with no scoring drives. Offense stalled out every time he was inserted until late in game in mop up duty.

Again, our qb has to be a playmaker, not a game manager.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

Meh, that's Bc he was terrible in the first halves of our first two games: 7-14 with no scoring drives. Offense stalled out every time he was inserted until late in game in mop up duty.

Again, our qb has to be a playmaker, not a game manager.

That's why I said this wasn't a vote for Damian but let's be real all we have is mop up duty for Fitz & Staley plus a few team scrimmages for Tiano. Calling any of the 4 guys playmakers would truly be a guess right now because none of them have done anything yet when facing legit competition.

[confucius say]

That's why I said this wasn't a vote for Damian but let's be real all we have is mop up duty for Fitz & Staley plus a few team scrimmages for Tiano. Calling any of the 4 guys playmakers would truly be a guess right now because none of them have done anything yet when facing legit competition.

If Damian is the best playmaker, he should play. I don't think that's the case though. Who do you think ultimately starts game 1 and who wins the job?

[Ifyouonlyknew]

If Damian is the best playmaker, he should play. I don't think that's the case though. Who do you think ultimately starts game 1 and who wins the job?

I think the safe money is on Fitz

[mic]

No matter who gets the nod early in the season or whoever takes the most snaps , we should be 3-1 ... ( Dak would prob be 3-1 if he was still here)
With week 5 being the open week we have from now until week 6 of the season for someone to separate themselves from the rest and win the job.

[HSVDawg]

I can't be any clearer. Mullen, the QB's, and most everybody on the team is going to know who the starting QB is going to be by the end of week 3 of practice.

I don't really agree with this. I expect the reps will be pretty even between at least 2 or 3 guys all the way up until game week (starting 8/29). Mullen is going to want the biggest sample size possible before making his decision, and its very possible that he continues to split reps even during game week and plays multiple guys against South Alabama to see how they respond to live game reps before deciding on the guy. Now, it's certainly possible that Fitz or Staley is not in that grouping of guys who are getting heavy reps towards the end of camp that they will see the writing on the wall. But I guarantee you Mullen isn't making his decision until 8/29 at the earliest and possibly not even until after USA.

[lamont]

I don't really agree with this. I expect the reps will be pretty even between at least 2 or 3 guys all the way up until game week (starting 8/29). Mullen is going to want the biggest sample size possible before making his decision, and its very possible that he continues to split reps even during game week and plays multiple guys against South Alabama to see how they respond to live game reps before deciding on the guy. Now, it's certainly possible that Fitz or Staley is not in that grouping of guys who are getting heavy reps towards the end of camp that they will see the writing on the wall. But I guarantee you Mullen isn't making his decision until 8/29 at the earliest and possibly not even until after USA.

Once we start getting closer to game week- #3 and #4 get their reps cut. You simply don't have the practice time to have 4 QB's competing evenly with the 1st group. You have to get your top 2 at that point getting as many reps as possible

[Turfdawg67]

How did Williams ever get the "reliable" label?

Where did this come from?

He was atrocious in 2014 and, out of the 4 QBs, he brings the least to the running game, which is by far the least risky thing we can do on offense.

I have hard time believing that Fitz and Staley have been here 2 years and Tiano 1 full year and they don't know how to line the team up.

I don't see the debate here. It's a mindless argument to me.

OK, ok! We get it... you don't like Williams. You don't have to belabor the point. I'll trust what Dan has done with QBs his whole career and if he thinks Williams is the best QB for our team, then so be it.

[HSVDawg]

Once we start getting closer to game week- #3 and #4 get their reps cut. You simply don't have the practice time to have 4 QB's competing evenly with the 1st group. You have to get your top 2 at that point getting as many reps as possible

Three things:

1) If it plays out the way you have it above and Staley / Fitz are the top 2, then what happens? Because Mullen won't name either one the starter before Sept 3rd. And they will possibly be splitting the reps down the middle if they are the final 2 up until kickoff.
2) You may have the top 2 guys getting as many reps as possible, but how many more reps they get over the other two depends on how much they have separated themselves. Lets say Fitz and Williams are the top 2, but by an eyelash. You could see each of them getting 30% of the reps over Staley and Tiano who each get only 20% of the reps. Or you could see each of them getting 35% with Staley getting 20% and Tiano getting 5%. Or they could all be even and all getting 25% reps. You can't just pick two guys if no one has separated themselves and earned the distinction; in that case you have to let the actual games be the judge of who can play. Every year there are teams that take 3 or 4 games to figure out their QB situation. It's happened to Alabama the past 2 years and it happened with Steve Spurrier's teams seemingly every year. It might be our turn for that to happen here, who knows.
3) Don't assume Mullen won't let the reps play out to maximize the chances of all QB's staying at least through this season. He's not an idiot and he knows he's not hanging onto both Staley and Fitz over the long term. I wouldn't be surprised if he keeps their reps equal as long as he can, because it is in both his and their best interest for them to stick around at least until December.

[HancockCountyDog]

I think the safe money is on Fitz

I've always just assumed Fitz would be the guy and Staley transfers before the season and Damien transfers after.

I have no inside info, it's just what makes sense.

[DancingRabbit]

Once we start getting closer to game week- #3 and #4 get their reps cut. You simply don't have the practice time to have 4 QB's competing evenly with the 1st group. You have to get your top 2 at that point getting as many reps as possible

http://www.courtandclassroom.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Practice.jpg

Game day sometimes reveals things you can't see in practice. If #1 and #2 (who ever that is) don't get the job done to Dan's liking, then #3 and maybe #4 see snaps in the first two games. If no one transfers, I think it could be up in the air until we get through two games.

[lamont]

If we are still wondering who our top 2 QB's are by Labor Day- we got real problems

[lamont]

We have SEC games in Week 2 and 3 of the season. Mullen is going to get the best QB he has ready to play SEC football. He is not going to get QB3 and QB4 equal reps after a couple weeks. By the end of week 3 of practice- there will have been 2 scrimmages. Mullen is going to get the best 2 QB's the most reps after that point. He's got to start getting QB 1 reps constantly with Myles, Ross, and Gray. While he might not tell the public, the team will know who the QB is going to be.

[ShotgunDawg]

http://www.courtandclassroom.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Practice.jpg

Game day sometimes reveals things you can't see in practice. If #1 and #2 (who ever that is) don't get the job done to Dan's liking, then #3 and maybe #4 see snaps in the first two games. If no one transfers, I think it could be up in the air until we get through two games.

Stupid. Dan is a world class QB evaluator. Your insulting him by not believing he can pick out the best QB by game one. They have different levels of talent. It isn't a magic show about who the best guy is.

[DancingRabbit]

Stupid. Dan is a world class QB evaluator. Your insulting him by not believing he can pick out the best QB by game one. They have different levels of talent. It isn't a magic show about who the best guy is.

Stupid Dan Mullen himself said the competition could go into October. I'm sure that's exaggerated coach-speak but what's so outrageous about saying there will be ongoing competition between #1 and #2 or #2 and #3 during the first two games?

http://gridironnow.com/dan-mullen-mississippi-state-quarterback-competition/

[lamont]

Stupid Dan Mullen himself said the competition could go into October. I'm sure that's exaggerated coach-speak but what's so outrageous about saying there will be ongoing competition between #1 and #2 or #2 and #3 during the first two games?

http://gridironnow.com/dan-mullen-mississippi-state-quarterback-competition/

You want to divide a football team and create chaos? Then don't settle on a QB into October of a football season

[Johnson85]

Every year there are teams that take 3 or 4 games to figure out their QB situation. It's happened to Alabama the past 2 years and it happened with Steve Spurrier's teams seemingly every year. It might be our turn for that to happen here, who knows.

There are teams that juggle 2 qbs for 3 or 4 games without it derailing their season, but I can't think of a team that juggled 4 and it not be because their QB position was just a disaster. And I believe Spurrier liked to say something along the lines of when you say you've got two quarterbacks, it usually means you have no quarterbacks.

[lamont]

Teams that juggle QB's lose games because of it. Bama even lost a game they shouldn't last year because they started the wrong QB. It's just not a recipe for success

[ShotgunDawg]

Delete

[HSVDawg]

Stupid. Dan is a world class QB evaluator. Your insulting him by not believing he can pick out the best QB by game one. They have different levels of talent. It isn't a magic show about who the best guy is.

I don't think anyone is saying Dan can't pick a guy before week 1. He can and he will. But its naive to think whoever he picks can play well against USA, but then turn around and throw 3 picks against South Carolina and still be the guy going forward just because that's who Dan picked in camp. The point is that Week 1 is the first litmus test of the QB competition but that doesn't necessarily mean its over. Whoever is chosen must play well on a week to week basis to keep the job because none of these guys are proven against SEC competition. And its a lot more than who the most talented one is, too. If that were the case it would be Staley no questions asked, and many are saying he might be the least likely to be the starter.

[RiverCityDawg]

I don't think anyone is saying Dan can't pick a guy before week 1. He can and he will. But its naive to think whoever he picks can play well against USA, but then turn around and throw 3 picks against South Carolina and still be the guy going forward just because that's who Dan picked in camp. The point is that Week 1 is the first litmus test of the QB competition but that doesn't necessarily mean its over. Whoever is chosen must play well on a week to week basis to keep the job because none of these guys are proven against SEC competition. And its a lot more than who the most talented one is, too. If that were the case it would be Staley no questions asked, and many are saying he might be the least likely to be the starter.

Yeah, but I think the point is you go to 2 at that point, not 3 or 4. So you still don't need a 4th guy taking reps away from 1 and 2. Dan will know in 2-3 weeks who out of Fitz, Williams and Staley needs to seek another opportunity. It might not be an easy call, but he'll have to give 90% of the reps to 1 and 2 with 3 getting the last 10%. Tiano isn't going anywhere so someone else will have to move on.

[DancingRabbit]

Yeah, but I think the point is you go to 2 at that point, not 3 or 4. So you still don't need a 4th guy taking reps away from 1 and 2. Dan will know in 2-3 weeks who out of Fitz, Williams and Staley needs to seek another opportunity. It might not be an easy call, but he'll have to give 90% of the reps to 1 and 2 with 3 getting the last 10%. Tiano isn't going anywhere so someone else will have to move on.

Our QBs are going to be running the ball more this year. Guys get dinged up. I don't see Dan pushing anybody out of the nest. If Williams is clearly in 4th then maybe he does something. Dan's October talk is just managing the competition and egos and he'll manage the reps fine.

[HSVDawg]

Our QBs are going to be running the ball more this year. Guys get dinged up. I don't see Dan pushing anybody out of the nest. If Williams is clearly in 4th then maybe he does something. Dan's October talk is just managing the competition and egos and he'll manage the reps fine.

^^^Exactly. I think maybe the 2007 and 2013 seasons are distant memories for some folks. Our stable looks stocked now, but things can go south in a hurry (especially with the offense Mullen runs). The program has absolutely nothing to gain and is opened to considerable risk if somebody leaves before Game 1, and Mullen knows that. He's going to do everything in his power to keep the QB roster intact until at least December.

Lets say Fitz gets early starter reps, and Staley leaves immediately. It's still possible and maybe even likely that Williams may go the grad transfer route in December so he doesn't spend his last year on the bench. Then maybe either Tiano decides he doesn't want to wait until his 5th year to get reps and also leaves, or Thompson has a change of heart and goes elsewhere, or one of the three get hurt. Any of those three scenarios combined with the above departures leaves us with only 2 QB options in 2017, and in a worst case or as I like to say "typical MSU" scenario where more than one of those scenarios happen we are suddenly a one man show. Then we are stuck scrambling for another low ceiling QB prospect in late January just to have another warm body. It sounds like a lot of "what ifs", but its really not that farfetched. Its probably 50/50 as to whether we lose Williams, but losing Fitz or Staley before January is virtually guaranteed. After that its just a roll of the dice as to whether anything else happens with the remaining guys.

[1bigdawg]

The thing is, if either Fitz or Staley see the writing on the wall that they are not going to be one of the top two, then it makes sense for them to transfer to a JUCO so they can play this year and then get picked up by another school and get to play. If they stay the season, then they would have to sit out their Junior year and would only have one year left to play.

Really, this is more about Staley. He really needs to show that he has grown as a player or I believe he will be at a JUCO.

[Todd4State]

I must admit I read week three and thought it meant week three of the season. Week three of practice makes more sense.

[HancockCountyDog]

Lets say Fitz gets early starter reps, and Staley leaves immediately. It's still possible and maybe even likely that Williams may go the grad transfer route in December so he doesn't spend his last year on the bench. Then maybe either Tiano decides he doesn't want to wait until his 5th year to get reps and also leaves, or Thompson has a change of heart and goes elsewhere, or one of the three get hurt. Any of those three scenarios combined with the above departures leaves us with only 2 QB options in 2017, and in a worst case or as I like to say "typical MSU" scenario where more than one of those scenarios happen we are suddenly a one man show. Then we are stuck scrambling for another low ceiling QB prospect in late January just to have another warm body. It sounds like a lot of "what ifs", but its really not that farfetched. Its probably 50/50 as to whether we lose Williams, but losing Fitz or Staley before January is virtually guaranteed. After that its just a roll of the dice as to whether anything else happens with the remaining guys.

Remind me to never get on a flight with you.

[HSVDawg]

The thing is, if either Fitz or Staley see the writing on the wall that they are not going to be one of the top two, then it makes sense for them to transfer to a JUCO so they can play this year and then get picked up by another school and get to play. If they stay the season, then they would have to sit out their Junior year and would only have one year left to play.

Really, this is more about Staley. He really needs to show that he has grown as a player or I believe he will be at a JUCO.

Unless something has changed, I don't think you lose a year of eligibility for the year that you sit out when transferring between FBS schools. You do, however, lose a year for transferring to a JUCO and playing a year there. Also, I don't really see JUCO being a viable option for Staley (or Fitz). Both have been here two full years already so there wouldn't be really benefit from an academic side of doing that. They'd have to take a bunch of classes they didn't even need just to be eligible to play. The options for them are to transfer to another FBS school and sit a year with three or 2 years of eligibilty left after sitting a year (depending on when they left) , or transfer to an FCS school with the same eligibility left except for they wouldn't have to sit a year. Either way, they'd have at least 2 years of eligibility left even if they waited until after the season to leave.

[lamont]

Unless something has changed, I don't think you lose a year of eligibility for the year that you sit out when transferring between FBS schools. You do, however, lose a year for transferring to a JUCO and playing a year there. Also, I don't really see JUCO being a viable option for Staley (or Fitz). Both have been here two full years already so there wouldn't be really benefit from an academic side of doing that. They'd have to take a bunch of classes they didn't even need just to be eligible to play. The options for them are to transfer to another FBS school and sit a year with three or 2 years of eligibilty left after sitting a year (depending on when they left) , or transfer to an FCS school with the same eligibility left except for they wouldn't have to sit a year. Either way, they'd have at least 2 years of eligibility left even if they waited until after the season to leave.

Staley and Fitz have already redshirted. It makes zero sense to go sit and lose another year. They can go play in juco and get game experience.

[Johnson85]

Unless something has changed, I don't think you lose a year of eligibility for the year that you sit out when transferring between FBS schools. You do, however, lose a year for transferring to a JUCO and playing a year there. Also, I don't really see JUCO being a viable option for Staley (or Fitz). Both have been here two full years already so there wouldn't be really benefit from an academic side of doing that. They'd have to take a bunch of classes they didn't even need just to be eligible to play. The options for them are to transfer to another FBS school and sit a year with three or 2 years of eligibilty left after sitting a year (depending on when they left) , or transfer to an FCS school with the same eligibility left except for they wouldn't have to sit a year. Either way, they'd have at least 2 years of eligibility left even if they waited until after the season to leave.

Pretty sure once you enroll the clock starts ticking. Five to play four unless you get an exception. They've already used their redshirt year, so if they transfer immediately to a FBS school, they will effectively lose a year of eligibility. If they go to Juco, obviously taht also counts as a yaer of eligibility, but they'll be playing instead of sitting on a bench.

[HSVDawg]

Remind me to never get on a flight with you.

Ha, I see your point. Been a State fan for too long I guess. And seeing us get down to our 3rd QB twice in the past 10 years for significant portions of the season taught me that it helps to have as many QB's as possible.