Juco Recruiting

[bigbub50]

I could be wrong, but it appears we are looking at the jucos real hard for some help next year. Juco talent is not what it was 5-10 yrs ago. But we have have success with it in the past. Jackie Wayne found some valuable pieces early in his tenure but got burned badly towards the end. And Mullen found a few gems that really bolstered our 18 defense. I?m not optimistic though.

[Maverick91]

I don’t understand going kick heavy anymore with the transfer portal. I think you go juco if you truly see a day 1 starter but everything else get to the portal.

[NCMSTFAN]

JUCO recruiting has always been hit or miss for most JUCO players unless you're an absolute standout. With the transfer portal so relevant I think JUCO and even High School players come 2nd to already proven portal guys unless they are just undeniably talented

[DEDawg]

Dumb dumb dumb. There?s no reason to go JUCO over transfers

[Leroy Jenkins]

Getting guys off the scratch-and-dent JUCO pile is probably cheaper. We got to save some money to pay for that endzone paint.

[StarkVegasSteve]

If we are going JUCO then it tells me our NIL is not correctly set up. JUCOs should be no more. Those guys should be going to USM, Memphis, etc.

[KB21]

From an analytical perspective, JUCO recruiting could become a market inefficiency that Mississippi State can exploit. In the past, JUCO has been the one route we could go where we could actually land the best players. Guys like Randy Thomas, Craig Moore, James Johnson, Kevin Prentiss, Kelvin Love, Willie Blade, Dorset Davis, Robert Bean, Fred Smoot, Ed Smith, Montez Sweat, Jonathan Abram, Lee Autry, Chauncey Rivers?.etc.

The other aspect is, whether you want to believe it or not, we will have to make our hay in the transfer portal by being an opportunity for players who can?t break into the rotation at Alabama, Georgia, LSU?etc.

[CaptainObvious]

From an analytical perspective, JUCO recruiting could become a market inefficiency that Mississippi State can exploit. In the past, JUCO has been the one route we could go where we could actually land the best players. Guys like Randy Thomas, Craig Moore, James Johnson, Kevin Prentiss, Kelvin Love, Willie Blade, Dorset Davis, Robert Bean, Fred Smoot, Ed Smith, Montez Sweat, Jonathan Abram, Lee Autry, Chauncey Rivers?.etc.

The other aspect is, whether you want to believe it or not, we will have to make our hay in the transfer portal by being an opportunity for players who can?t break into the rotation at Alabama, Georgia, LSU?etc.

Who are the Etc? Because that is very important. See, right now, we are just a step above Vandy, plodding along with Auburn & Arkansas, a tad below UK, Missouri, and USCe. And that is just the SEC.

So, at this point, exactly where is Mississippi State in the pecking order for Alabama, Georgia, LSU, A&M, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee for these rejects entering the portal?

Right where State has always been. A Day late and $40 Million short. Trying to hook the very best available Juco players may be just the recipe to at least keep State at the Top of the Bottom 8.

[sandjunky]

Tend to agree

My nephew, for example, was a qb in the wing T at small ms school - also played a little defense

Now in juco, he?s playing exclusively defense and is currently being recruited by a few D1 schools

[Goldendawg]

Jackie still has his JC contacts for his last three years on his Rolotex. He can give us the number of an Arizona JC where we can get the entire DL.******. I think the days of many great, overlooked players in JC are long gone. Evaluate much better on the portal! Focus on our fair share in MS and our regional footprint and get off our pocketbook! Evaluate veteran players better and don't waste limited NIL funds on players that are just a year older, not better! They get paid now. It is now a cold business decision both ways. Cut poor performing employees and try to find better ones to succeed. It's always been questionable for some of these "student athletes", (Underwater Basketweaving, anyone?)**, but most only care now about NIL, Portal, and making the NFL, (vast majority don't as we all know). I would hate to see a lot of their majors today especially after attending about 4 or so colleges in their careers.

[Cooterpoot]

We're looking to sign a couple DL, an OL, S, & TE. But, we're going to sign portal guys too, so those Juco numbers might fall. I expect the portal to be some of those plus a QB.

[R2Dawg]

Here is my take on JUCO.

JUCO has been best in nation in MS. We must capitalize on that, We must pick off the top JUCO guys available. Just look at our history and you can see we don't achieve as much success without them and going forward we need to top JUCO guys to compete. Plain and simple. If everyone wants to win, you get the best you can where you can.

We can get some transfer guys too. But we have not been getting NFL guys in the portal. We still need to get them to fill gaps. Again, don't matter where they come from, just need best available - HS, JUCO, portal. Whatever.

Last point. JUCO talent is not as good as back in JWS days. Here are the reasons I see for it. Why did players go JUCO? They didn't have grades, right? Well that was when there were rules and standards in place at D1. Not any more so there is no need for an academic risk to go JUCO - they now go straight to D1 with smoke and mirrors and no one cares. But there are still some good players that end up JUCO. The ALL American JUCO, yeah we should look at.

[Goldendawg]

From an analytical perspective, JUCO recruiting could become a market inefficiency that Mississippi State can exploit. In the past, JUCO has been the one route we could go where we could actually land the best players. Guys like Randy Thomas, Craig Moore, James Johnson, Kevin Prentiss, Kelvin Love, Willie Blade, Dorset Davis, Robert Bean, Fred Smoot, Ed Smith, Montez Sweat, Jonathan Abram, Lee Autry, Chauncey Rivers?.etc.

The other aspect is, whether you want to believe it or not, we will have to make our hay in the transfer portal by being an opportunity for players who can?t break into the rotation at Alabama, Georgia, LSU?etc.

The only problem with this list is that the vast majority of these juco transfers who were great at Mississippi State were even in the Jackie Years. Montez Sweat and Jonathan Abram were the only players recently with nfl success. What JC players do we have now that are making a difference? It seems like most good players are finding a way to being admitted to D1 now. To make matters worse, our HS evaluation has been terrible the last three years, thus the attrition level of about 51%. We must evaluate better at all levels, HS, the portal, and the limited talent now in JC.

[Bothrops]

The other aspect is, whether you want to believe it or not, we will have to make our hay in the transfer portal by being an opportunity for players who can?t break into the rotation at Alabama, Georgia, LSU?etc.

I'd just assume go the juco route.

[Cooterpoot]

Here is my take on JUCO.

JUCO has been best in nation in MS. We must capitalize on that, We must pick off the top JUCO guys available. Just look at our history and you can see we don't achieve as much success without them and going forward we need to top JUCO guys to compete. Plain and simple. If everyone wants to win, you get the best you can where you can.

We can get some transfer guys too. But we have not been getting NFL guys in the portal. We still need to get them to fill gaps. Again, don't matter where they come from, just need best available - HS, JUCO, portal. Whatever.

Last point. JUCO talent is not as good as back in JWS days. Here are the reasons I see for it. Why did players go JUCO? They didn't have grades, right? Well that was when there were rules and standards in place at D1. Not any more so there is no need for an academic risk to go JUCO - they now go straight to D1 with smoke and mirrors and no one cares. But there are still some good players that end up JUCO. The ALL American JUCO, yeah we should look at.

Juco ball is terrible now. This ain't 1990.

[Bothrops]

We got a game breaking speedster WR from juco that we don't even use because we snap, step back and crouch.