2025 Transfer Portal Thread

[Bdawg]

I really hate the "learning on the job" angle some take against Jeff Lebby. You know what? Kirby Smart had to learn on the job when he got the Georgia job. Ryan Day had to learn on the job when he got the Ohio State job. Dan Lanning had to learn on the job when he got the Oregon job. Marcus Freeman had to learn on the job when he got the Notre Dame job. All four were BIG TIME programs who hired first time head coaches. A 5th first time head coach in the playoffs this year is Spencer Danielson at Boise State.

Tell me you are not comparing our program to the ones you just named and claim we are on equal footing!!

[KB21]

There aren't many people complaining that he is learning on the job. Most just hope that he is learning and adjusting. Some of the things that have happened behind the scenes since the season ended are speculative at best so there is reason for concern. But equally reason for optimism.

Maybe not so much here, but I've seen a lot of criticism of the process of hiring Jeff Lebby and the fact that we didn't hire an experienced head coach. The fact is our history suggests that the only experienced head coaches we can actually get are coaches who are at the end of their careers or coaches who are radioactive that no one else will touch. I've always felt we were better off taking a chance on a first-time head coach than settling for what we have typically gotten when we hire an experienced head coach.

[KB21]

Tell me you are not comparing our program to the ones you just named and claim we are on equal footing!!

I'm not, but to say we are better off settling for a mediocre established head coach rather than taking a chance that we are getting an up and comer when we hire a coordinator is just wrong, IMO.

[Bdawg]

I'm not, but to say we are better off settling for a mediocre established head coach rather than taking a chance that we are getting an up and comer when we hire a coordinator is just wrong, IMO.

Ok. I can agree with that. I always say just hire who you thinks the best and who wants to come.


Edit: I do like offensive minded coaches though(and I’m a defensive guy) because that’s what’s exciting and the rules give the offense the advantage these days. Hardly get to see the big hit anymore(brings a tear to my eye) because of targeting rule. Plus offense puts butts in the seats and always gives you a chance to come from behind. I hope Lebby can put the pedal to the metal this year.

[KB21]

Ok. I can agree with that. I always say just hire who you thinks the best and who wants to come.


Edit: I do like offensive minded coaches though(and I’m a defensive guy) because that’s what’s exciting and the rules give the offense the advantage these days. Hardly get to see the big hit anymore(brings a tear to my eye) because of targeting rule. Plus offense puts butts in the seats and always gives you a chance to come from behind. I hope Lebby can put the pedal to the metal this year.

Agree. Definitely prefer offensive minded coaches.

[Bdawg]

Back to recruiting. Happy to get Whitson. Had me worried because once things get delayed it doesn’t seem to bode well for us!! Let’s keep it rolling! Who’s next?

[StarkVegasSteve]

A lot of action in the next 7-10 days. We have a lot of visits set up and are trying to get 5-6 more set. Have to see how things shake out with the playoff games today and tomorrow. I know we have sent some strong feelers out to guys currently on playoff teams. Just as we did with Squirrel White.

[Tater]

Well that?s some rocket science right there. If you can?t add perspective to the equation how do you evaluate anything? This is the middle of a process trying to un17 years of mismanagement. I hate to break it to you but we are not going to bring in some other teams best and brightest. If this next team wins 6 it will be one hell of a coaching job.

I actually am adding perspective. Only one other coach this century put up as bad of a record as Lebby did and he was fired. Expecting some amount of results next year (5 wins or more) is a ****ing low bar to clear. Idc what "situation" he inherited. This is an SEC job and we have a decent amount of money to spend. An average of 3 wins a year doesn't cut it.

[RockyDog]

I actually am adding perspective. Only one other coach this century put up as bad of a record as Lebby did and he was fired. Expecting some amount of results next year (5 wins or more) is a ****ing low bar to clear. Idc what "situation" he inherited. This is an SEC job and we have a decent amount of money to spend. An average of 3 wins a year doesn't cut it.

If Lebby wins less than 4 next season then maybe you explore it. But to evaluate him solely on this past season is ridiculous.

We were more competitive offensively in the league as a whole than we have been in a decade. We moved the ball against every opponent we played and the lack of scoring in several games was self inflicted. There was no 3-2 Auburn game or 24-2 Kentucky game.

Add in the fact that we couldn’t have done worse if we had just not lined up a defense at all. To not have a legit 2 deep in modern college football with the welfare money we get from the SEC is criminal.

[Really Clark?]

I actually am adding perspective. Only one other coach this century put up as bad of a record as Lebby did and he was fired. Expecting some amount of results next year (5 wins or more) is a ****ing low bar to clear. Idc what "situation" he inherited. This is an SEC job and we have a decent amount of money to spend. An average of 3 wins a year doesn't cut it.

In the SEC, Mark Stoops and Clark Lea both went 2-10 their first seasons. Lea went 2-10 last year in his 3rd season as well.

[msu15]

Back to recruiting. Happy to get Whitson. Had me worried because once things get delayed it doesn’t seem to bode well for us!! Let’s keep it rolling! Who’s next?

You tried to get it back on topic, props.

[msu15]

A lot of action in the next 7-10 days. We have a lot of visits set up and are trying to get 5-6 more set. Have to see how things shake out with the playoff games today and tomorrow. I know we have sent some strong feelers out to guys currently on playoff teams. Just as we did with Squirrel White.

Yea I didn't make a big deal about it but when Lebby told Murray that he was aiming for only 15 +/- portal commits I laughed. No way was that realistic.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Yea I didn't make a big deal about it but when Lebby told Murray that he was aiming for only 15 +/- portal commits I laughed. No way was that realistic.

Well and I mean realistically you do not go into that press conference and say ok I am going to lose Craver, Van Buren, Pollock, and we are iffy on Coleman and a couple of others. Had we brought back those pieces we may have been closer to 15. You also do not know what your just strictly depth guys are going to do. Guys like Hinton, Cooper, Harrell, etc. As a coach, you probably know their best bet is stick it out here, but they see differently because they just want to be on the field somewhere and they have representatives telling them that program B is going to value them more than we do.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Well we said going in that we needed to completely revamp the DL, we have 7 transfers and we got Burroughs. I would said we have flipped that room and I do not believe we are done.

[BigDawg81]

Well we said going in that we needed to completely revamp the DL, we have 7 transfers and we got Burroughs. I would said we have flipped that room and I do not believe we are done.

Finish with Grace and watch out👀

[Coursesuper]

I actually am adding perspective. Only one other coach this century put up as bad of a record as Lebby did and he was fired. Expecting some amount of results next year (5 wins or more) is a ****ing low bar to clear. Idc what "situation" he inherited. This is an SEC job and we have a decent amount of money to spend. An average of 3 wins a year doesn't cut it.

If that is perspective let me off at the next stop. That kind of perspective is exactly why we are in the middle of this shitshow right now. That thinking is what landed us with possibly the worst athletic director in our mediocre history since Dudy Noble. Thank you no.

[DEDawg]

Do we have any names for the WR and CB targets besides squirrel? That?s the last group right now I feel is far below SEC average. Everything else feels we have gotten to at least average or right below (maybe OL)

[StarkVegasSteve]

Do we have any names for the WR and CB targets besides squirrel? That?s the last group right now I feel is far below SEC average. Everything else feels we have gotten to at least average or right below (maybe OL)

WR
Cam Vaughn-Jax State
Markus Allen-Eastern Michigan
Squirrel White-Tennessee


CB
Stephen Hall-Wazzu
Denver Harris-UTSA
Michael Coats Jr-Nevada
Dwight Lewis-Marian

[DEDawg]

WR
Cam Vaughn-Jax State
Markus Allen-Eastern Michigan
Squirrel White-Tennessee


CB
Stephen Hall-Wazzu
Denver Harris-UTSA
Michael Coats Jr-Nevada
Dwight Lewis-Marian

No chance with Mike Matthews?

[MetEdDawg]

Center from Colorado just entered the portal. Started 9 games for them. Hank Zilinskas.

I would assume a possible target for us with Loadholt onboard.