Was hoping for more commits today

[SubbaBub]

This is very, very fair. And I completely agree with taking small HS class and hitting transfer portal. Coach Mora needs to keep buzz going during season and only way to do that is win.

He is being aggressive with portal offers , just not hitting any yet. Won’t pass judgment until we see what final class looks like.

I think he needs to be selective in the portal by position. I think he needs to quickly evaluate the potential of our younger guys. I don't think a wholesale replacement of the two deep with transfers is a positive for the program.

Fill holes, challenge guys, increase depth, all good things but I don't think Randy left the cupboard completely bare, athletically at least.

 

[Pudge]

"Hopefully ... we have guys on which we will have announcements later today"

 

[huskysupporter]

I think he needs to be selective in the portal by position. I think he needs to quickly evaluate the potential of our younger guys. I don't think a wholesale replacement of the two deep with transfers is a positive for the program.

Fill holes, challenge guys, increase depth, all good things but I don't think Randy left the cupboard completely bare, athletically at least.

Don’t disagree at all. But I also think we would all agree that this team lacks talent and depth as a whole.

The challenge is getting impact transfers to come here - it’s still early but we are not off to a good start.

On the high school side there really wasn’t much the staff could do with the late start. I think they did a great job getting some very solid recruits to stay committed. And Derek Spearman was an excellent addition.

Really hoping UCONN can nab several starters through the portal but so far they have come up empty.

 

[ZooCougar]

Don’t disagree at all. But I also think we would all agree that this team lacks talent and depth as a whole.

The challenge is getting impact transfers to come here - it’s still early but we are not off to a good start.

On the high school side there really wasn’t much the staff could do with the late start. I think they did a great job getting some very solid recruits to stay committed. And Derek Spearman was an excellent addition.

Really hoping UCONN can nab several starters through the portal but so far they have come up empty.

It hasn’t been long enough to make this kind of statement.

I don’t think we were in a position to build on the DEC 15 class. He had to just hold it together.

Not even 20% of the kids in the portal have committed and more kids will enter.

He is behind the power curve but with the portal he is in a better position to make an impact.

 

[Palatine]

Don’t disagree at all. But I also think we would all agree that this team lacks talent and depth as a whole.

The challenge is getting impact transfers to come here - it’s still early but we are not off to a good start.

On the high school side there really wasn’t much the staff could do with the late start. I think they did a great job getting some very solid recruits to stay committed. And Derek Spearman was an excellent addition.

Really hoping UCONN can nab several starters through the portal but so far they have come up empty.

In a sense, we don't don't know how good our current players are. The coaching has been so abysmal that talent most certainly has been wasted. We just don't know if that is a lot or a little. I can tell you this --the former coaches did NOT put our players in position to succeed.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I think he needs to be selective in the portal by position. I think he needs to quickly evaluate the potential of our younger guys. I don't think a wholesale replacement of the two deep with transfers is a positive for the program.

Fill holes, challenge guys, increase depth, all good things but I don't think Randy left the cupboard completely bare, athletically at least.

The old mantra if further away from the ball you play the easier it is to play early aoies to transfer portal and JUCO's, IMO.

Use the transfer portal to have ready made linemen so we aren starting true frosh or RS Frosh on O line and D line. Bring in the HS kids to grow and develop on their e and use transfer portal to allow lines to grow and develop.

WR's and RB's are easy to integrate as youngsters.

 

[businesslawyer]

The challenge is getting impact transfers to come here - it’s still early but we are not off to a good start.



Really hoping UCONN can nab several starters through the portal but so far they have come up empty.

Stop. Ridiculously unfair. He hasn't been coaching college where he came here with relationships with players entering the portal, and there can't be a lot of P-5 players who are leaving their current school with the hope that the best place they can land a starting spot is here. Our hope right now is to get people who don't get the offers out of the portal they are hoping for and use us as a backup plan.

This goes back to what I said in 241 on Sunday. The parades and parties thrown after his hiring will too quickly lead to unrealistic expectations. It may not be possible to have any realistic judgment on even "how is he doing" until we open camp in the fall, and even that will only be judgment on how he did in a short recruiting period from a standing start. While I want to get better quickly as much as the next guy, ask me in March of 2023 if he's improved recruiting. Not now.

 

[huskysupporter]

Stop. Ridiculously unfair. He hasn't been coaching college where he came here with relationships with players entering the portal, and there can't be a lot of P-5 players who are leaving their current school with the hope that the best place they can land a starting spot is here. Our hope right now is to get people who don't get the offers out of the portal they are hoping for and use us as a backup plan.

This goes back to what I said in 241 on Sunday. The parades and parties thrown after his hiring will too quickly lead to unrealistic expectations. It may not be possible to have any realistic judgment on even "how is he doing" until we open camp in the fall, and even though that will only be judgment on how he did in a short recruiting period from a standing start. While I want to get better quickly as much as the next guy, ask me in March of 2023 if he's improved recruiting. Not now.

We are in complete agreement. I think the concern I have is if he doesn’t win 5-6 next year (and again, that is an unfair expectation given the roster he has currently) the buzz is gone.

I have zero doubt Coach Mora and staff are going to hit recruiting hard - high schools, JUCOs, and transfers. He already is showing on the portal front that he is all in there. It is still early and only around 12% of players in portal have committed. There will be more players added in coming months as well. We don’t need the Spencer Rattlers of the college world right now. We can win with the players you described - players that have us as a fallback.

Believe me - my expectations are lower than anyone else on this board.

 

[gioff2323]

Stop. Ridiculously unfair. He hasn't been coaching college where he came here with relationships with players entering the portal, and there can't be a lot of P-5 players who are leaving their current school with the hope that the best place they can land a starting spot is here. Our hope right now is to get people who don't get the offers out of the portal they are hoping for and use us as a backup plan.

This goes back to what I said in 241 on Sunday. The parades and parties thrown after his hiring will too quickly lead to unrealistic expectations. It may not be possible to have any realistic judgment on even "how is he doing" until we open camp in the fall, and even though that will only be judgment on how he did in a short recruiting period from a standing start. While I want to get better quickly as much as the next guy, ask me in March of 2023 if he's improved recruiting. Not now.

Wait, I have to cancel the planned parade and party to follow? Buzzkill

 

[DoctorWho85]

We are in complete agreement. I think the concern I have is if he doesn’t win 5-6 next year (and again, that is an unfair expectation given the roster he has currently) the buzz is gone.

I have zero doubt Coach Mora and staff are going to hit recruiting hard - high schools, JUCOs, and transfers. He already is showing on the portal front that he is all in there. It is still early and only around 12% of players in portal have committed. There will be more players added in coming months as well. We don’t need the Spencer Rattlers of the college world right now. We can win with the players you described - players that have us as a fallback.

Believe me - my expectations are lower than anyone else on this board.

I think if we win 2 games for instance but compete in the majority of the games like we did against Wyoming and Vanderbilt, then that's still a very successful season. I personally think that if the oline performs the pieces are there to get us bowling next year. The defense wasn't as bad as the numbers showed. First half numbers showed they were competing at a fairly high level for where were are as program. They just couldn't keep up having the offense continually go 3 and out every single drive. You can have all the depth in the world, but it's not going to help exhaustion if the offense is on the field for a fraction of what the defense is.

 

[Milo65]

I think if we win 2 games for instance but compete in the majority of the games like we did against Wyoming and Vanderbilt, then that's still a very successful season. I personally think that if the oline performs the pieces are there to get us bowling next year. The defense wasn't as bad as the numbers showed. First half numbers showed they were competing at a fairly high level for where were are as program. They just couldn't keep up having the offense continually go 3 and out every single drive. You can have all the depth in the world, but it's not going to help exhaustion if the offense is on the field for a fraction of what the defense is.

IMO -This past year, Mora wins against UMass, HC, Wyoming, Vanderbilt, Yale. With a competent offensive coordinator, he would have had five wins this past year. With that being said, I am hopeful he can work the portal and get some starters, to shore up the O-line, possibly a QB and some depth at LB.

 

[Banta55]

IMO -This past year, Mora wins against UMass, HC, Wyoming, Vanderbilt, Yale. With a competent offensive coordinator, he would have had five wins this past year. With that being said, I am hopeful he can work the portal and get some starters, to shore up the O-line, possibly a QB and some depth at LB.

100%

 

[DoctorWho85]

IMO -This past year, Mora wins against UMass, HC, Wyoming, Vanderbilt, Yale. With a competent offensive coordinator, he would have had five wins this past year. With that being said, I am hopeful he can work the portal and get some starters, to shore up the O-line, possibly a QB and some depth at LB.

This past year, had they literally had anyone buy Guifre at OC (excluding GDL), they win 4 games.

 

[giddyup]

Stop. Ridiculously unfair. He hasn't been coaching college where he came here with relationships with players entering the portal, and there can't be a lot of P-5 players who are leaving their current school with the hope that the best place they can land a starting spot is here. Our hope right now is to get people who don't get the offers out of the portal they are hoping for and use us as a backup plan.

This goes back to what I said in 241 on Sunday. The parades and parties thrown after his hiring will too quickly lead to unrealistic expectations. It may not be possible to have any realistic judgment on even "how is he doing" until we open camp in the fall, and even that will only be judgment on how he did in a short recruiting period from a standing start. While I want to get better quickly as much as the next guy, ask me in March of 2023 if he's improved recruiting. Not now.

Yes, he’s doing the best he can. Unfortunately, patience is really short. Another 5 year build the culture plan isn’t on the menu.