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Message: [QUOTE="Nameless, post: 5341229, member: 14132"] I know I just started posting here but have been lurking for awhile. I remember discussion on here as to whether or not we should be bringing in guys from the portal who were at "P" level programs but hardly saw the field, or guys from lower level programs that have played and performed. IIRC most people thought bringing in guys who have performed was the way to go (like we did with McDonald last year.) I think we did a good job getting LBs and DBs from the portal. But I think we whiffed on the D Line, and if you look at the guys we brought in, it's the one position where nobody really had performed at a high level. Smiley played every season at Virginia, but looks like he was a career backup based on his numbers. Wright is a former highly rated recruit, but he barely played at ASU and SMU and only had 15 total tackles at the FCS level last year. Carroll-Jackson barely saw the field for Nebraska. He's young and I like his upside, but it was always kind of a crapshoot as to whether or not he would perform well this year. Black is a senior who has barely played anywhere he's been. Contrast that with the LBs, where we brought in guys like King (1st team all AAC) and Parham (over 100 tackles at SJSU in 2023.) Or the DBs where we brought in guys like Mills who had an interception in the playoff, Latu who had at least played meaningful snaps at Wisconsin, etc. Obviously all 3 groups have made mistakes throughout the season, but the D Line is the clear weakness. Just looking at the numbers this should have always been the expectation (and I think for a lot of us, it was.) I'm hoping we prioritize guys that have performed well at lower levels over guys who were former highly rated recruits when we hit the portal this off-season. [/QUOTE]

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