I'm not going to pretend to understand eligibility criteria and the transfer portal.
Furman had a slew of guys announce their entry into the transfer portal last night. I believe all of Furman's guys were entering as grad transfers having graduated from Furman.
While I'm completely lost as to how some of these guys still have eligibility, I can understand the desire to turn your college football days (4-6 years now, I guess) into two degrees. Makes sense to me and I wish them luck.
The one thing that makes me uneasy about this is potentially watching Furman guys transfer to SoCon schools. Mercer has already offered VMI's Ethan Casselberry, a DB, for instance.
While I hope these guys go on to great things, I'm not going to be excited to see Adrian Hope, Travis Blackshear, Timmy Bleekrode, or London Lewis in another SoCon team's uniform next year.
Yea I had assumed most of these FCS grad transfers were going up a level to G5 or P5 schools to get that extra degree and a better look from scouts. I was looking down the list of FCS folks entering the portal, reporting offers, and accepting offers and was shocked to see how much FCS>FCS action there was. Poor VMI got hamme
Mercer had a CIT & a Woffy transfer on their roster this year. ETSU had a WR break a record this year. The previous record holder transferred there from Mercer.
WCU has also offered some of these Keydets.
With AP classes in HS … the kind of classes that the kids FU can get in, take … and Summer School, these kids are able to / going to be able to finish 4 year programs in 2.5 years and take their 1 time transfer with 2 or even 3 years to play.
Coach Hendrix recently made a comment about schools only recruiting portal kids because then they can’t transfer. If your school has an array of grad programs, that makes a lot of sense.
Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin' And you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'
Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin' For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'
Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
The battle outside ragin'
Will soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'
Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'
The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin'
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'
Last edited by FUBeAR on Wed Nov 24, 2021 11:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
I get it. If I could get two degrees from four years of football, it'd make sense. I think a few of these guys are benefitting (really really benefitting) from the COVID changes.
One quirk is that everyone is in the transfer portal. I think 130 FCS players entered the portal yesterday. Just FCS players. Just yesterday. It seems unlikely that all of those players can find somewhere else to play.
All of the above is a great argument against redshirting. If you have a Fr. who can help the team at all, best get his butt out on the field while you can. The Future is not guaranteed.
Exactly. There isn’t much reason for anybody to hang around FU for 5 years.
Maybe we could make the portal part of the pitch. If the staff worked with department heads to get guys into the best grad schools with FB scholarships to cover some of the cost, that might be a good selling point. In other words our staff could operate like HS coaches trying guys recruited only we’d be trying to get them into top MBA programs and such. “Give us 3 and we’ll use our connections to get you another year at UVA or GA Tech, etc. Then you’re set for life.”
Exactly. There isn’t much reason for anybody to hang around FU for 5 years.
Maybe we could make the portal part of the pitch. If the staff worked with department heads to get guys into the best grad schools with FB scholarships to cover some of the cost, that might be a good selling point. In other words our staff could operate like HS coaches trying guys recruited only we’d be trying to get them into top MBA programs and such. “Give us 3 and we’ll use our connections to get you another year at UVA or GA Tech, etc. Then you’re set for life.”
Your 2nd paragraph is unrealistic. If our out-transfers are going to get into a reputable grad program (or any grad program), the football staff should have little or nothing to do with the academics and admissions. The football staff can cooperate on the football part, that’s all. Or at least that’s the way it should be.
Losing great players that we recruited and developed to other potential opponents is another example of the un-level playing field we are currently playing on.
Exactly. There isn’t much reason for anybody to hang around FU for 5 years.
Maybe we could make the portal part of the pitch. If the staff worked with department heads to get guys into the best grad schools with FB scholarships to cover some of the cost, that might be a good selling point. In other words our staff could operate like HS coaches trying guys recruited only we’d be trying to get them into top MBA programs and such. “Give us 3 and we’ll use our connections to get you another year at UVA or GA Tech, etc. Then you’re set for life.”
Your 2nd paragraph is unrealistic. If our out-transfers are going to get into a reputable grad program (or any grad program), the football staff should have little or nothing to do with the academics and admissions. The football staff can cooperate on the football part, that’s all. Or at least that’s the way it should be.
Totally realistic. Let’s say FU business department faculty has a good relationship with Duke. They can get guys in, but the price is way too high for most. But then let’s say the FB faculty knows or gets to know guys on the Duke FB staff. So you start actively working to get FB scholarships for smart MBA candidates who also happen to be good at football. That’s something ETSU and UTC can’t offer because coloring book prowess won’t get you into Duke.
Exactly. There isn’t much reason for anybody to hang around FU for 5 years.
Maybe we could make the portal part of the pitch. If the staff worked with department heads to get guys into the best grad schools with FB scholarships to cover some of the cost, that might be a good selling point. In other words our staff could operate like HS coaches trying guys recruited only we’d be trying to get them into top MBA programs and such. “Give us 3 and we’ll use our connections to get you another year at UVA or GA Tech, etc. Then you’re set for life.”
Your 2nd paragraph is unrealistic. If our out-transfers are going to get into a reputable grad program (or any grad program), the football staff should have little or nothing to do with the academics and admissions. The football staff can cooperate on the football part, that’s all. Or at least that’s the way it should be.
Totally realistic. Let’s say FU business department faculty has a good relationship with Duke. They can get guys in, but the price is way too high for most. But then let’s say the FB faculty knows or gets to know guys on the Duke FB staff. So you start actively working to get FB scholarships for smart MBA candidates who also happen to be good at football. That’s something ETSU and UTC can’t offer because coloring book prowess won’t get you into Duke.
In general, not one iota more effort should be given by faculty to assisting with getting an athlete into a graduate program than to getting an equally or better qualified non-athlete into a graduate program. By coaches, yes. By faculty, no.
Exactly. There isn’t much reason for anybody to hang around FU for 5 years.
Maybe we could make the portal part of the pitch. If the staff worked with department heads to get guys into the best grad schools with FB scholarships to cover some of the cost, that might be a good selling point. In other words our staff could operate like HS coaches trying guys recruited only we’d be trying to get them into top MBA programs and such. “Give us 3 and we’ll use our connections to get you another year at UVA or GA Tech, etc. Then you’re set for life.”
Your 2nd paragraph is unrealistic. If our out-transfers are going to get into a reputable grad program (or any grad program), the football staff should have little or nothing to do with the academics and admissions. The football staff can cooperate on the football part, that’s all. Or at least that’s the way it should be.
Totally realistic. Let’s say FU business department faculty has a good relationship with Duke. They can get guys in, but the price is way too high for most. But then let’s say the FB faculty knows or gets to know guys on the Duke FB staff. So you start actively working to get FB scholarships for smart MBA candidates who also happen to be good at football. That’s something ETSU and UTC can’t offer because coloring book prowess won’t get you into Duke.
In general, not one iota more effort should be given by faculty to assisting with getting an athlete into a graduate program than to getting an equally or better qualified non-athlete into a graduate program. By coaches, yes. By faculty, no.
How ‘bout the President of the Student body, who has displayed amazing gifts in the political realm. Real star potential…possibly a future President. She wants to go to Law School at Duke before beginning her career in Politics….but, well, her grades & her LSAT are just the slightest bit below Duke standards.
In affirm’s world, should the faculty of FU, who have relationships with Duke Law School peeps, give one iota more effort to help her get into Duke Law than they might in getting an equally or better qualified non-Student Government Office Holder into Duke Law?
Or, if the Dr. Block role still exists…the Faculty Advisor to Athletics. In affirm’s world, can that faculty member expend one iota more effort to help get Furman Athletes into graduate programs than they might in getting an equally of better qualified non-athlete into graduate programs…or nah?
Losing great players that we recruited and developed to other potential opponents is another example of the un-level playing field we are currently playing on.
Yep, Blackshear is in the portal. Would not be surprised to see him playing against FU next year.
The one thing that makes me uneasy about this is potentially watching Furman guys transfer to SoCon schools. Mercer has already offered VMI's Ethan Casselberry, a DB, for instance.
While I hope these guys go on to great things, I'm not going to be excited to see Adrian Hope, Travis Blackshear, Timmy Bleekrode, or London Lewis in another SoCon team's uniform next year.
This. Is. DEPRESSING. Man. Hope. Blackshear etc are some of our clear best D players. So basically we only get juniors now. And if they face us in Conference that’s just HORRIBLE. Mother effer this depresses me. Academics. Now free agency. I wonder sometimes if we can sustain.
