Early Recruiting

[Paul C]

FWIW, Hero Sports did a review of the top 100 FCS early commits.

Furman has 5 - #6, #21, #45, #78, #90
Mercer has 1 - #7 (a QB)
Wofford also has 5 - #67, #80, #86, #94, #96

Of course this is an inexact science but still feels good to have gotten such good reviews on our early commits.

https://m.herosports.com/fcs/football-2 ... aug19-ajaj

[paladinduece]

Even though the all knowing 247 doesn't have Barton or Jones rated Rivals has them both as 2 stars with a good chance of getting the third star with big senior seasons. This class is starting off strong for sure. Barton is very athletic and could wind up playing a few different positions if needed.

[The Jackal]

What is also nice is that we no longer have huge holes in our depth chart requiring these guys to play right away. We are getting good looking recruits that can spend time in the weight room and learn the system before being thrown out there.

[paladinduece]

Going to be interesting how the 4 game redshirt rule will play into things. I like the rule. Can keep your redshirt but get a chance to get a fair number of real game snaps.....and nothing helps a kid mature like game experience.

[The Jackal]

Going to be interesting how the 4 game redshirt rule will play into things. I like the rule. Can keep your redshirt but get a chance to get a fair number of real game snaps.....and nothing helps a kid mature like game experience.

I think it might also help other situations as well.

If my memory is correct, last year Wofford was banged up at running back heading into their playoff contest with NDSU. They had a kid (Lovelace, I think) who had not played a single snap all season that they had to pull a redshirt off to play in just that game. That is, he spent the entire season on the bench intending to redshirt, but lost the redshirt in the third week of the postseason to play in a single game due to injuries on the depth chart.

[fufanatic]

Going to be interesting how the 4 game redshirt rule will play into things. I like the rule. Can keep your redshirt but get a chance to get a fair number of real game snaps.....and nothing helps a kid mature like game experience.

I think it might also help other situations as well.

If my memory is correct, last year Wofford was banged up at running back heading into their playoff contest with NDSU. They had a kid (Lovelace, I think) who had not played a single snap all season that they had to pull a redshirt off to play in just that game. That is, he spent the entire season on the bench intending to redshirt, but lost the redshirt in the third week of the postseason to play in a single game due to injuries on the depth chart.

Do the four games have to be at the beginning of the season? While I'm OK with it, it seems kinda bizarre that you could toss a player into four random games - including the playoffs - and still keep the redshirt.

[The Jackal]

Going to be interesting how the 4 game redshirt rule will play into things. I like the rule. Can keep your redshirt but get a chance to get a fair number of real game snaps.....and nothing helps a kid mature like game experience.

I think it might also help other situations as well.

If my memory is correct, last year Wofford was banged up at running back heading into their playoff contest with NDSU. They had a kid (Lovelace, I think) who had not played a single snap all season that they had to pull a redshirt off to play in just that game. That is, he spent the entire season on the bench intending to redshirt, but lost the redshirt in the third week of the postseason to play in a single game due to injuries on the depth chart.

Do the four games have to be at the beginning of the season? While I'm OK with it, it seems kinda bizarre that you could toss a player into four random games - including the playoffs - and still keep the redshirt.

So, there are probably some parameters that will dictate how the rule is applied. My understanding is that the point of the rule is to avoid the result that faced Wofford last year - play a guy for a short bit in the last game of the season and he loses an entire season of eligibility.

Realistically, teams aren't going to play guys they intend on redshirting unless in (1) dire situations or (2) blowouts. So it probably isn't going to have that big of an effect. In a three point 4th quarter game you aren't going to throw a freshman out there just to get a look at him.

Last season, I think, Blazejowski went out with an injury against UTC. Harris Roberts took the snaps at backup. If Roberts had gone down (even for a play), I'm not sure what Furman would have done. It would have been a luxury to be able to play JeMar Lincoln in a spot reserve role without burning his redshirt.

[paladinduece]

Certainly agree with what you are saying and don't see a ton of blowouts on the schedule, but you always hear coaches talk about how many freshman they played that year as a big positive, albeit will be a case by case I think it could serve to assist in player development on some level. I will be interested to see how Hendrix and staff handle it. Great thing is with the improved depth as discussed over the previous years we will have time to develop the youngsters both physically and scheme wise. I see us having a real shot at the SOCON title this year. Not overly optimistic, but faith in this staff to pull out the tight games. Ready for some ball.....Go Dins!!