Winter practice

[apaladin]

Anyone seen any practices or know of any updates? I know everyone including myself is wondering about the QB situation.

[The Jackal]

According to Scott Keeler's recent article (http://www.furmansportsreport.com/2018/ ... iting.html), CCH says that all four QBs will have a chance to earn the job this summer (Roberts, Lincoln, Grainger, Sisson). We may not know a starting QB until right before the season starts.

Of course, you would probably give a slight edge to Lincoln and Roberts because they've been in the program a year. I'm not sure Roberts benefits from being a senior, because we changed offensive systems.

[fufanatic]

The old UFFP went down right before this news happened, but anyone know what happened with Ellis? I know it was touted as a mutual decision, but there has to be more there. Academics? Wants to try to play at a higher level? Sure seemed like a good fit to me based on his on-the-field work, but don't have the insight into day-to-day goings on. Definitely a bummer, but good luck to him and hopefully we can fill those shoes. Was excited about the opportunity of a four-year starter at a critical position.

[The Jackal]

The old UFFP went down right before this news happened, but anyone know what happened with Ellis? I know it was touted as a mutual decision, but there has to be more there. Academics? Wants to try to play at a higher level? Sure seemed like a good fit to me based on his on-the-field work, but don't have the insight into day-to-day goings on. Definitely a bummer, but good luck to him and hopefully we can fill those shoes. Was excited about the opportunity of a four-year starter at a critical position.

I have no inside knowledge. When a coach wishes a player the best and allows him to pursue other opportunities, I always read that to say "he didn't like the way we did things, so he's free to go find somewhere that he does like."

[FUBeAR]

The old UFFP went down right before this news happened, but anyone know what happened with Ellis? I know it was touted as a mutual decision, but there has to be more there. Academics? Wants to try to play at a higher level? Sure seemed like a good fit to me based on his on-the-field work, but don't have the insight into day-to-day goings on. Definitely a bummer, but good luck to him and hopefully we can fill those shoes. Was excited about the opportunity of a four-year starter at a critical position.

I have no inside knowledge. When a coach wishes a player the best and allows him to pursue other opportunities, I always read that to say "he didn't like the way we did things, so he's free to go find somewhere that he does like."

”...and/or, we didn’t like the way he did things, so we’ve freed up a scholarship to go find someone who does things the way we do like.”

Also posting this with no ‘inside’ knowledge.

[apaladin]

Bailey Rogers has also left, I assume because he wasn't getting much PT.

[apaladin]

Our Winter(Spring) game has to be the earliest in the country. On the FBS level the earliest Spring game is March 17th and only one on that day. There is one on March 31st(SC) and most are April 7th, 14th and 21st. Long range forecast for Feb. 24th is showers and 65.

[The Jackal]

Bailey Rogers has also left, I assume because he wasn't getting much PT.

In a tweet, Bailey Rogers essentially said as much.

[fufanatic]

The old UFFP went down right before this news happened, but anyone know what happened with Ellis? I know it was touted as a mutual decision, but there has to be more there. Academics? Wants to try to play at a higher level? Sure seemed like a good fit to me based on his on-the-field work, but don't have the insight into day-to-day goings on. Definitely a bummer, but good luck to him and hopefully we can fill those shoes. Was excited about the opportunity of a four-year starter at a critical position.

I have no inside knowledge. When a coach wishes a player the best and allows him to pursue other opportunities, I always read that to say "he didn't like the way we did things, so he's free to go find somewhere that he does like."

”...and/or, we didn’t like the way he did things, so we’ve freed up a scholarship to go find someone who does things the way we do like.”

Also posting this with no ‘inside’ knowledge.

Will be super curious to see where he winds up. Would be a bummer if he ends up at another FCS school like Coleman did last year. I'm hoping he just wanted to try for FBS.

[bj93]

Where did Coleman end up? Can't remember.

[The Jackal]

Where did Coleman end up? Can't remember.

http://richmondspiders.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=2793

[Afurmanfan]

Don’t rule out the possibility that the coaches might have concluded he was not a good fit for Furman. Talent is not the only element that makes you a good teammate.

[FUBeAR]

Don’t rule out the possibility that the coaches might have concluded he was not a good fit for Furman. Talent is not the only element that makes you a good teammate.

Heard from a highly credible, though not in any way associated with Furman, source that the young man was asked by the new Coaching Staff, as were many of FU's then-O-Lineman, to lose weight. Though I don't have 100% recall of the number the source quoted, I believe it was in the neighborhood of 20-30 lbs. The young man and his family felt that dropping weight was not in his future best interests (assuming due to NFL aspirations), so he decided to transfer.

Didn't watch him that much at FU in 2016, but I did see him play in the GA State Championship Game his Sr. Year. My observation then - "Could be a pretty good player; needs to lose 20-30 pounds." I'll reserve quoting exactly what one current FBS Coach, with whom I was sitting that day, observed. Let's just say that he agreed with my (and the current FU Coaching Staff's) assessment.

We'll see how that transfer works out for him. As always, with all of these young men, I do hope all of his dreams are realized. Richmond is a very good school with a solid Football Program & Coach Huesman is a good Coach. He should be fine and FU's O-Line was & will be just fine as well.

EDIT to add a weight-related 'war story' that I think is pretty funny. Maybe you will as well...

One Sunday, after a so-so (or worse) game at OT fairly early in the season during my Sr. Year, Coach Sheridan told me and Coach Caldwell that he was to weigh me in on Friday before the game the following week and that if I wasn't at my listed weight or less, I wasn't going to play until I was. I weighed 265 at the time, but was listed in the program at 232 and Coach Sheridan had no idea how much I actually weighed, but he knew it was more than 232. I didn't see a mid-season 5th year transfer as an option and I certainly didn't plan to lose 33 pounds in a week. So, I stayed after practice all week and semi-pretended to be getting in some 'extra conditioning' work in order to 'reach' Coach Sheridan's mandated weight. On Friday, as I had planned the previous Sunday night, I stepped up on the scale under the (intentionally not) watchful eye of Coach Caldwell and put my right hand on the oh-so-well-placed laundry chute right beside the big-dial stand-up scale...the pointer swung up...well past 232, but with a little downward pressure from that right hand, settled right down on 230 or so. Coach Caldwell happily reported to Coach Sheridan that I would be playing on Saturday. After I played fairly well that week, Coach Sheridan asked me after Film Review, "54, didn't you feel so much better playing without all that extra weight slowing you down?" "YES SIR!," I smiled back at him as I went upstairs to check my weight...267.

I think they are a little more precise with weight issues these days.

[gman84]

FUBear is spot on with his recall on the former o-lineman. The o-line bought into CCH's plan last season and the results were obvious.

[The Jackal]

Interestingly, Furman in year 1 of the "rebuild" was better than Richmond. They finished 6-5 and beat Colgate by 3 points (who we absolutely hammered two weeks later). They finished 6th in the CAA and missed the playoffs. Furman made the post season, of course, and beat the CAA's #3 on the road in the post season.

Richmond also graduates their QB, who is an NFL prospect and basically was their entire offense in 2017. Kyle Lauletta accounted for 347 yards a game on an offense that averaged 452.

I don't particularly understand the rationale behind an OL transferring out of a program run by a highly respected offensive line coach who is asking you to be a better athlete. I'm wondering if he isn't looking at where Furman is right now and asking whether that was the best choice.