Numbers

[Lumpy Chucklelips]

I had a little free time and went thru the current roster on hailstate.com . Other than Powers Warren, it seems to be pretty accurate and "official" in terms of opt outs and portal players.

I'm not sure the numbers are as bad as most people think. Don't conflate "49 scholarship players available" with how many actual scholarship players we have.

By my count, we could have as many as 60 scholarship players returning. That's how many "signed" players are still on our roster who are RS Juniors or younger when compared to info on 247. That could move up or down depending upon how many K/P we have on scholarship and some unknown walk-ons like Londyn Craft who may now be on scholarship. Then we have two opt-out "unknowns" in Murphy and Tyler Williams - who by all accounts are likely gone, but are still on roster. We have 9 players in the portal, and an additional opt out in Hill. In a normal year, the 12 transfers/opt outs would be a huge issue because we would also be losing 20-30 upperclassmen. We only had 18 scholarship SR entering the season - so losing 10 more players isn't that out of whack (Hill and Walker were gone regardless as SRs).

I also count 9 players who are SR who probably wont have NFL as an option and could return (Payton, Mitchell, Korey Charles, CJ Morgan, Fred Peters, Kobe Jones, Sharp, Lashley, & Dontea Jones). They are not included in the 60 above.

Obviously this doesn't account for any more possible transfers. But, I'm not really understanding the freak out over our numbers - unless I'm missing something huge or we anticipate signing a small class.

Am I off base somewhere?

CJ Morgan and Peters have already said they are coming back. Eiland and Parker have been "encouraged" to come back by the coaches. The choice is theirs. Murphy and Williams TBD.

I'm thinking we'll have to process a few more to get down to 85 if my math is correct. Correct me if I'm wrong.

With this year not counting on eligibility, going into next year, here is what you could have on the team not figuring any more defections next spring, etc. I did not count Erroll Thompson, Marquiss Spencer, Kobe Jones or KJ Costello. By all accounts they are gone no matter what.

So it could break down like this:

We can sign 26 this Dec. and Feb.
19-20 +/- True Freshmen that we sign this year
5-6 +/- Juco's that we sign this year
1-2 +/- Grad Transfers that we sign this year
24 +/- Redshirt Freshmen that are true and RS Freshmen on this years team
21 +/- Soph. who are on this years team
14 +/- Jr's who are on this years team
10 +/- Sr's who are on this years team (I'd be surprised if this number is over 4-5 that come back)

So that's 94 players that are currently on scholarship and new scholarship players to be signed in Dec. and Feb. Keep in mind the NCAA will NOT count Sr's who opt to come back next year just like they are doing for baseball this upcoming season. So we don't have to worry about counting the Sr's in the numbers. Even if all 10 come back and you take 10 off of the 94, that leaves you with 84. I THINK we will still have to get to 83 because of NCAA sanctions.

Remember also the juco's we sign this year will have 3, and in one case, 4 years to play. Next years class (2022) will be the year we either sign fewer or process some to get to the 85 unless the NCAA changes the number you can have on scholly again for that year. I don't see how they don't to help teams get their numbers back in line.

SIGNEES FOR 2021 (26)

FR (24)
QB WILL ROGERS FR
RB JO'QUAVIOUS MARKS FR
RB DILLON JOHNSON FR
WR JADEN WALLEY FR
WR LIDEATRICK GRIFFIN FR
WR RUFUS HARVEY FR
WR QUINTON TORBOR RFR
WR KYZIAH PRUITT RFR
OL CALVIN McMILLIAN FR
OL GRANT JACKSON FR
OL CHARLES CROSS RFR
OL BRANDON CUNNINGHAM RFR
DT ARMONDOUS COOLEY FR
DE JEVON BANKS FR
DE KING ANI IZUCHUKWU RFR
DE DE'MONTE RUSSELL RFR
LB RODNEY GROCE FR
LB JACK HARRIS RFR
CB EMMANUEL FORBES FR
CB DECAMERION RICHARDSON FR
CB CAMERON THREATT FR
S JANARI DEAN FR
S JAVEIOUS PURVIS RFR
ATH DYLAN LAWRENCE RFR

SO (21)
RB LEE WITHERSPOON
WR GEOR'QUARIUS SPIVEY
WR CAMERON GARDNER
WR BRAD CUMBEST
OT KAMERON JONES
OT DOLLA BILL JOHNSON
OL REED BUYS
C COLE SMITH
DT NATHAN PICKERING
DT DEVON ROBINSON
DT CAMERON YOUNG
DT ALLEN LOVE
DE JADEN CRUMEDY
LB NATHANIAL WATSON
LB JETT JOHNSON
CB COLLIN DUNCAN
CB JAYLON REED
CB ESAIAS FURDGE
S MARTIN EMERSON
S AARON BRULE
S SHAWN PRESTON

JR (14)
WR AUSTIN WILLIAMS
WR MALIK HEATH
WR CALEB DUCKING
OL JAMES JACKSON
OT CORDAVIAN SUGGS
DE JORDAN DAVIS
DE AARON ODOM
LB TYRUS WHEAT
CB TYLER WILLIAMS
S KYLE CASS
S LANDON GUIDRY
S MARCUS MURPHY
PK BRANDON RUIZ
P TUCKER DAY

SR (10)
WR JAVONTA PAYTON
WR OSIRUS MITCHELL
WR DONTAE JONES
OL GREG EILAND
OL DAREUAN PARKER
OL LAQUINSTON SHARP
OL SCOTT LASHLEY
CB KOREY CHARLES
S CJ MORGAN
S FRED PETERS


One thing I do see is that we are going to have a ton of YOUNG talent on the roster the next couple of years getting a whole lot of experience for the future. By the numbers above you'll have 71 Freshmen and Soph. on the team next year not counting any that will leave between now and then. How anyone doesn't get excited reading the names of the Freshmen and Sophomore's on this team is beyond me.