Transfer Portal Thread

[FUBeAR]

Maybe he wants to just drive a few miles down I-85...

[FUBeAR]

[FUwolfpacker]

I’m not going to overreact (or try not to) to the portal unless we lose north of 15 players, but if Furman is going to be losing guys, we don’t need it to be guys with 3+ years of eligibility if we still want to be a developmental program.

Balliew had a good offer list coming out of HS I believe, and he was the back up RT all year. While none of this should be surprising anymore, the Maier and Balliew announcements were not ones I was expecting to see this cycle. Traditionally, Furman mostly loses grad transfers and the few non-grad transfers have at least been high level starters.

[FUwolfpacker]

Wofford’s Maximus Pulley in the portal.

[AllTimeFU]

Fellas, I’m a bit concerned. Beyond Huff, who was an overlooked QB at PC and big Fred who had a relationship with Cutch at ETSU, we’ve not been able to bring in transfers. Perhaps Cook I should add. However, a very down year, a selective academic school and a lack of attractive grad degrees…I’m concerned about our ability to attract.

Would we agree that if 1 or 8 hit the portal it would be very detrimental?? Perhaps 5? The next few days will be very telling.

I’m concerned this wave of departures will accelerate.

[Paul C]

Mason Pline

[AllTimeFU]

Mason Pline

Good point. I overlooked that.

[AllTimeFU]

On the Balliew topic…it’s amazing to me that if we are a developmental program that he didn’t get quarters of playing time. There were many games to develop our guys and didn’t. The loyalty to R-SR’s limited development opportunities. Or - it was a major admittance of swing and misses also on the FR class. Developmental year - I think not. Not on the OL where it’s critical.

[The Jackal]

Fellas, I’m a bit concerned. Beyond Huff, who was an overlooked QB at PC and big Fred who had a relationship with Cutch at ETSU, we’ve not been able to bring in transfers. Perhaps Cook I should add. However, a very down year, a selective academic school and a lack of attractive grad degrees…I’m concerned about our ability to attract.

Would we agree that if 1 or 8 hit the portal it would be very detrimental?? Perhaps 5? The next few days will be very telling.

I’m concerned this wave of departures will accelerate.

A couple of thoughts.

I think this is something we have to let play out. It's a new era in college football and the probability that guys are going to test the waters seems likely.

Because one enters the portal does not necessarily mean they will stay in the portal. There's risk in leaving the development of a familiar program, especially if you played sparingly as a backup on a 3-win FCS team. The portal is full of all-conference types with beards and mortgages that already have a track record.

I don't pretend to know why guys leave, stay, come or go. That's personal to them.

As far as hitting on transfers, Pline, Huff, Cook, and Norman all worked out. I think Perkins worked well this year as a grad transfer, he just had to play a larger role than I believe he was originally slated for. One of this year's transfers, Burrell, was injured early in the season (not much to do about that). I have no idea what happened to the other transfer, Tate, at safety. Him being a non-factor was not helpful.

[The Jackal]

On the Balliew topic…it’s amazing to me that if we are a developmental program that he didn’t get quarters of playing time. There were many games to develop our guys and didn’t. The loyalty to R-SR’s limited development opportunities. Or - it was a major admittance of swing and misses also on the FR class. Developmental year - I think not. Not on the OL where it’s critical.

Preseason writeup suggested he'd be in the mix. Looks like he saw some mop up time in three games.

I don't know enough about Furman's offensive line to speak intelligently, but I'm generally of the opinion that there is no incentive not to play the best players. We have two good offensive line coaches on the staff. If a guy didn't play, I'm not sure it was a loyalty question.

Just curiously, according to his bio, Balliew was born ten days after Furman lost at home to James Madison in the playoffs in 2004. That makes me feel old.

[FUwolfpacker]

Newberry OL offered