One think I find funny about Dak and other schools talking about him.

[Jack Lambert]

Many of them think we had to pay him to come to Miss State. It's like they think he must have been 5 Star coming out of high school since he is so good.

[RougeDawg]

Many of them think we had to pay him to come to Miss State. It's like they think he must have been 5 Star coming out of high school since he is so good.

And in reality most schools were mocking us during his recruitment, which died down a little when LSU came on in the 11th hour.

[Dawgface]

I rarely look at other boards but a year ago or so I looked on OU's for some reason. Anyway I saw a discussion about the cheating going on at OM. Then one cat said MSU must be cheating too. I informed them Dak was a 2* when he committed to us and only later bumped up. And that he was only recruited by LSU at the end of the recruiting process. Yes.....many make assumptions w/o knowing.

[KB21]

The same thing will be said about Nick Fitzgerald in a couple of years. People will wonder how we got him at little ole MSU. Must have paid that two star recruit.

The fact of the matter is, Dan Mullen and his staff are EXCELLENT at evaluating the traits the want on a position to position basis, and they go after players with those physical traits and the character traits they want. They miss on some, but for the most part, they have done an excellent job at finding what they want. They have done an even better job in developing that talent.

[Jack Lambert]

The same thing will be said about Nick Fitzgerald in a couple of years. People will wonder how we got him at little ole MSU. Must have paid that two star recruit.

The fact of the matter is, Dan Mullen and his staff are EXCELLENT at evaluating the traits the want on a position to position basis, and they go after players with those physical traits and the character traits they want. They miss on some, but for the most part, they have done an excellent job at finding what they want. They have done an even better job in developing that talent.

If I was a coach at another school and I needed to sign a good QB I would say screw Rivals, Scout and 247. I would wait until Dan offered a kid and then go after that guy.

[dawgday166]

The same thing will be said about Nick Fitzgerald in a couple of years. People will wonder how we got him at little ole MSU. Must have paid that two star recruit.

The fact of the matter is, Dan Mullen and his staff are EXCELLENT at evaluating the traits the want on a position to position basis, and they go after players with those physical traits and the character traits they want. They miss on some, but for the most part, they have done an excellent job at finding what they want. They have done an even better job in developing that talent.

Not sure I'm in total agreement here. QB I would agree with for the most part. Dan can definitely evaluate then develop QBs. Not so good with RB, Oline, and WR development.

[Commercecomet24]

Who pays for a 2 star backup TE*******************************

[RougeDawg]

Who pays for a 2 star backup TE*******************************

OM has to pay all recruits because they are a historically racist university who still does now allow minorities amongst their midst unless they can help them win a game or benefit from them in another manner.

[Johnson85]

Not sure I'm in total agreement here. QB I would agree with for the most part. Dan can definitely evaluate then develop QBs. Not so good with RB, Oline, and WR development.

I think our WR development has been good. DeRunya got better very quickly (granted he hadn't played much football so it was natural for him to develop quickly from where he started). Fred Ross got better although his drops got worse this year. Joe Morrow got a ton better and got better each year. Can't think of anybody that had noticeable talent that we didn't develop. RB we've been hit or miss. Holloway got better each year. Shumpert did not. Josh Robinson and Aeris sat the bench for way too long for their talent level. Robinson is understanable in hindsight. Still not sure why Aeris wasn't on the field last year. Oline is all over the map. We've had some players that really developed and others that didn't develop at all. Others like Rankin take a year and a half, which is a year longer than it should have taken. Not sure how much of this is bad coaching/good coaching and how much is just luck of the draw with how the individual players naturally progress. We really don't have any glaring problems with player development at any position. If we get the raw materials, we have enough players panout to be very, very good. We've just done a poor job at getting the raw materials to begin with at a few positions, primarily OL, pass rushing DE, and safety.

[dawgday166]

I think our WR development has been good. DeRunya got better very quickly (granted he hadn't played much football so it was natural for him to develop quickly from where he started). Fred Ross got better although his drops got worse this year. Joe Morrow got a ton better and got better each year. Can't think of anybody that had noticeable talent that we didn't develop. RB we've been hit or miss. Holloway got better each year. Shumpert did not. Josh Robinson and Aeris sat the bench for way too long for their talent level. Robinson is understanable in hindsight. Still not sure why Aeris wasn't on the field last year. Oline is all over the map. We've had some players that really developed and others that didn't develop at all. Others like Rankin take a year and a half, which is a year longer than it should have taken. Not sure how much of this is bad coaching/good coaching and how much is just luck of the draw with how the individual players naturally progress. We really don't have any glaring problems with player development at any position. If we get the raw materials, we have enough players panout to be very, very good. We've just done a poor job at getting the raw materials to begin with at a few positions, primarily OL, pass rushing DE, and safety.

I'll give you WR to some extent. Never have a vertical threat tho. RB ... we have a stable of highly rated ones still sitting the bench and NEVER seeing the field right now as we speak. And Holloway isn't even close to an SEC back.

[msbulldog]

I think our WR development has been good. DeRunya got better very quickly (granted he hadn't played much football so it was natural for him to develop quickly from where he started). Fred Ross got better although his drops got worse this year. Joe Morrow got a ton better and got better each year. Can't think of anybody that had noticeable talent that we didn't develop. RB we've been hit or miss. Holloway got better each year. Shumpert did not. Josh Robinson and Aeris sat the bench for way too long for their talent level. Robinson is understanable in hindsight. Still not sure why Aeris wasn't on the field last year. Oline is all over the map. We've had some players that really developed and others that didn't develop at all. Others like Rankin take a year and a half, which is a year longer than it should have taken. Not sure how much of this is bad coaching/good coaching and how much is just luck of the draw with how the individual players naturally progress. We really don't have any glaring problems with player development at any position. If we get the raw materials, we have enough players panout to be very, very good. We've just done a poor job at getting the raw materials to begin with at a few positions, primarily OL, pass rushing DE, and safety.

Aeris saw the field last year, but made several mistakes, like going the wrong way on a play. One thing about the way Dan coaches is he is very adverse to risk and mistakes on plays present risks. This year Aeris has matured and become a better player.

[dawgday166]

Aeris saw the field last year, but made several mistakes, like going the wrong way on a play. One thing about the way Dan coaches is he is very adverse to risk and mistakes on plays present risks. This year Aeris has matured and become a better player.

Yea ... I'd rather have a 165 soaking wet RB making the right decision in attempting to block a Bammer LB, than have a 210 - 220 RB who occasionally makes the wrong decision as to who to block. Not to mention I'd rather have the 165 lb back running up the middle against SEC Ds too.

[msbulldog]

Yea ... I'd rather have a 165 soaking wet RB making the right decision in attempting to block a Bammer LB, than have a 210 - 220 RB who occasionally makes the wrong decision as to who to block. Not to mention I'd rather have the 165 lb back running up the middle against SEC Ds too.

I ain't going to argue that fact with you 166. Matter of fact the only one I enjoy arguing with (and making fun of is Tusk).

[dawgday166]

I ain't going to argue that fact with you 166. Matter of fact the only one I enjoy arguing with (and making fun of is Tusk).

It's cool. Funny thing about Dan ... he seems to be more tolerant (as he should be to some degree) with QB development and mistakes, than he is with every other position. He's very tolerant of lack of physical skills as long as they work hard and don't make mental mistakes seems like to me.

[Jack Lambert]

It's cool. Funny thing about Dan ... he seems to be more tolerant (as he should be to some degree) with QB development and mistakes, than he is with every other position. He's very tolerant of lack of physical skills as long as they work hard and don't make mental mistakes seems like to me.

The QB has a lot more decisions to make during any one play. The running back only has one decision to make during one play. No excuse for a running back to run the wrong way or block the wrong guy. The QB is naturally going to make more mistakes and is excusable.

[dawgday166]

The QB has a lot more decisions to make during any one play. The running back only has one decision to make during one play. No excuse for a running back to run the wrong way or block the wrong guy. The QB is naturally going to make more mistakes and is excusable.

Point taken. However, Hershel was making same mistakes early in his career. Seems like Dooley was smart enough to play him anyway.

[msbulldog]

Point taken. However, Hershel was making same mistakes early in his career. Seems like Dooley was smart enough to play him anyway.

Lotta difference in Herchel and Aeris.

[dawgday166]

Lotta difference in Herchel and Aeris.

I kinda realize that. Lotta difference between AW and Holloway too.

[msbulldog]

I kinda realize that. Lotta difference between AW and Holloway too.

Yep.

[Dawgtini]

Point taken. However, Hershel was making same mistakes early in his career. Seems like Dooley was smart enough to play him anyway.
Go back and listen to Dooley tell it. He had to play him out of necessity and was surprised. He then stuck with him.

[KB21]

The QB has a lot more decisions to make during any one play. The running back only has one decision to make during one play. No excuse for a running back to run the wrong way or block the wrong guy. The QB is naturally going to make more mistakes and is excusable.

Another issue with RBs is that this is a zone based running scheme for the most part. In a zone scheme, the RB has an aiming point and makes his decision based off what he sees at that aiming point. Aeris last year was consistently off on his aiming point. Dan's not going to play a guy because he has more talent. Dan will play a guy when he's ready to play.

[smootness]

If I was a coach at another school and I needed to sign a good QB I would say screw Rivals, Scout and 247. I would wait until Dan offered a kid and then go after that guy.

The problem is, Mullen is instrumental in developing them into what they ultimately become. Had Nick Fitzgerald gone to UGA, for instance, he would have never become anything, more than likely.

[Jack Lambert]

The problem is, Mullen is instrumental in developing them into what they ultimately become. Had Nick Fitzgerald gone to UGA, for instance, he would have never become anything, more than likely.

I agree Nick has already exceeded where he would have gotten at GA in skill.

[archdog]

If I was a coach at another school and I needed to sign a good QB I would say screw Rivals, Scout and 247. I would wait until Dan offered a kid and then go after that guy.

And I would do the same to every Arkansas OL

[Johnson85]

Another issue with RBs is that this is a zone based running scheme for the most part. In a zone scheme, the RB has an aiming point and makes his decision based off what he sees at that aiming point. Aeris last year was consistently off on his aiming point. Dan's not going to play a guy because he has more talent. Dan will play a guy when he's ready to play.

The problem is that sometimes you need to play to get better. I understand that Aeris was young last year and making mistakes and we didn't want to expose Dak because Aeres blew a blocking assignment. But we didn't have anybody else capable of being an everydown SEC back and we still exposed Dak when Holloway was blocking, because he couldn't do much even when he had the assignment right. So we spent a year and a half without a legitimate SEC RB. How much different does our season look last year and this year if we let Aeres play in the USM and LSU game last year?

Last yaer probably not very different. Maybe a huge screw up costs us the Auburn game? Or maybe having a legitimate runner gives us a win in the LSU game? Maybe having a legitimate run game changes things in the Egg bowl? Most likely, we end up in the same place.

This year, how much better off would be have been with Aeris ready to play from game one? He swings the USA game. He maybe swings the LSU game? Probably swings the BYU game. Maybe UK? Could have easily ended up with 7-5 or 8-4 instead of 5-7. There's always the risk that Dak gets hurt last year, but you always have a risk that your Qb gets hurt and hell, we let Holloway block for him, so it's not like we would have really been changing the risk that much.

[msbulldog]

Go back and listen to Dooley tell it. He had to play him out of necessity and was surprised. He then stuck with him.

That's funny, my boss is from Wrightsville, Ga, Herchel's hometown to hear him tell it Herchel boat raced all competition from a very young age. That is very believable! My boss says Dooley was in Wrightsville during Herchel's recruitment more than he was.

[msbulldog]

And I would do the same to every Arkansas OL

Boy ain't that the truth! But it's real hard to tear those Arkansas huskies away from UA, kinda like Louisiana.

[msbulldog]

The problem is that sometimes you need to play to get better. I understand that Aeris was young last year and making mistakes and we didn't want to expose Dak because Aeres blew a blocking assignment. But we didn't have anybody else capable of being an everydown SEC back and we still exposed Dak when Holloway was blocking, because he couldn't do much even when he had the assignment right. So we spent a year and a half without a legitimate SEC RB. How much different does our season look last year and this year if we let Aeres play in the USM and LSU game last year?

Last yaer probably not very different. Maybe a huge screw up costs us the Auburn game? Or maybe having a legitimate runner gives us a win in the LSU game? Maybe having a legitimate run game changes things in the Egg bowl? Most likely, we end up in the same place.

This year, how much better off would be have been with Aeris ready to play from game one? He swings the USA game. He maybe swings the LSU game? Probably swings the BYU game. Maybe UK? Could have easily ended up with 7-5 or 8-4 instead of 5-7. There's always the risk that Dak gets hurt last year, but you always have a risk that your Qb gets hurt and hell, we let Holloway block for him, so it's not like we would have really been changing the risk that much.

Your probably right, we should give more time to younger players as they come up to prepare them.
Here's the deal I'll split the 4M with you as Co-Head coaches, bet me and you can get us a Natty! HaHa

[Homedawg]

Point taken. However, Hershel was making same mistakes early in his career. Seems like Dooley was smart enough to play him anyway.

Do what??? 🙄 Stupid comparison.

[Reason2succeed]

The sad truth is that Mullen has probably forgotten more about football than anyone on this site will ever know or else we are just missing out on $4million per year for our expertise.

[thf24]

And I would do the same to every Arkansas OL

An advantage they have over us is that their blocking scheme is an OL's dream to play in, while ours has been described as not the most fun on more than a few occasions. I don't think it's a primary reason by any means, but I wouldn't be surprised if it played at least a small part in our OL recruiting troubles under Mullen.