Atkins is on fire

[fufanatic]

I knew what he did Saturday had to be pretty rare and was certainly incredibly impressive (especially when you see all those misses in the NFL), but check out some of these notes. Named SoCon and national special teams player of the week. From the SoCon release ...

"Atkins, a sophomore from Inman, South Carolina, and product of Boiling Springs High School, fashioned a record-setting performance by converting all four field goal attempts, including efforts from 27, 50, 51 and 53 yards, averaging 45.8 yards on six punts, including a career long 57-yarder, and registering four touchbacks on six kickoffs against the Bulldogs.

He became the first kicker in Furman history to make two 50-plus yard field goals in a game, and extended his own standard to three when he drilled a career-best 53-yard effort on the final play of the first half to give Furman a 12-10 halftime lead, accounting for all of the Paladins’ first half points.

His 53-yard field goal tied an NCAA Division I record for most 50-yard field goals in a game (three), last accomplished in 2006 by Sam Swank of Wake Forest, and marked the first time an FCS player had registered the feat since Jesse Garcia from Louisiana-Monroe vs. McNeese in 1983.

Atkins’ four made field goals against Samford extended his consecutive field goals made streak to seven, making him 7-of-9 on the season. He is now 16-for-22 for his career.

A 2017 SoCon All-Freshman Team pick, he paced the league in kick scoring a year ago with 82 points.

Atkins is averaging 41.3 yards this fall in his first season as Furman’s punter, and 16 of his 31 kickoffs have not been returned in his first campaign as Paladins’ kickoff specialist."

--

Congrats to Grayson! Glad he's on our team for another couple of years, and if he stays consist and continues to get stronger, I could definitely see him in the NFL.

[Jasper]

I sure hope he is on our team for the next couple of years. Some big boys are going to come snooping around him with 2 years of eligibility left. I think his first 50 yarder would have been good from over 60. He did too. As soon as he kicked it, he jumped up and raised his right arm in celebration.

[Davemeister]

I liked what he said in his post-game interview - that he was really hoping for a couple of FGs and a LOT of extra points!

[aqualung]

Unreal performance!! So glad that I was there to witness it.

[fufanatic]

I sure hope he is on our team for the next couple of years. Some big boys are going to come snooping around him with 2 years of eligibility left.

I did consider that, but for the following reasons I'm thinking he stays:

- The Furman education, and Furman gave him a shot when the big schools didn't.

- For a kicker, the level of competition doesn't matter a ton other than I guess the pressure would increase in front of big crowds or bigger games. It's the same size goal post at Furman as it would be at Clemson. So his shot at the NFL is very similar as opposed to some other positions where FBS would help.

- It's illegal for schools to contact him directly, he would have to be the one to reach out, I believe after deciding to leave.

[The Jackal]

I sure hope he is on our team for the next couple of years. Some big boys are going to come snooping around him with 2 years of eligibility left.

I did consider that, but for the following reasons I'm thinking he stays:

- The Furman education, and Furman gave him a shot when the big schools didn't.

- For a kicker, the level of competition doesn't matter a ton other than I guess the pressure would increase in front of big crowds or bigger games. It's the same size goal post at Furman as it would be at Clemson. So his shot at the NFL is very similar as opposed to some other positions where FBS would help.

- It's illegal for schools to contact him directly, he would have to be the one to reach out, I believe after deciding to leave.

I'll also note that Wofford's fine kicker Marvin (Mavin?) transferred to Georgia for his last season and his toe touched leather maybe two or three times all year.

I'd be interested to know if he would have rather set records at Wofford and gone deep into the post season or sat the bench at Georgia.

[Jasper]

Unfortunately, there are a lot of extra legal things that go on in big money college football. I sure hope he values his "Furman Advantage" though. I think I read somewhere that the Wofford kicker that transferred to Georgia had completed his undergraduate degree at Wofford already. This kid is a big time kicker and that will certainly attract attention.

[FUBeAR]

I’ll weigh in on the transfer ‘thing’ cuz I kinda, sorta think I know something about it...but I’m sure some of this is not quite 100% accurate. Please clean up my conjecture if you know the correct info.

New Rule - If a D1 Player wishes to Transfer, he can ask for his ‘release’ from his current school. At that point, his school enters his name into a database that all schools can access and they are free to contact him. The old rule was that you had to get an individual release from your current school for each school that you wanted to pursue before contact could occur. I believe Conferences are still free to establish their own rules which may be more restictive than the new NCAA rule. I’m fairly sure those rules can restrict Players from transferring in-Conference at all and/or they can set criteria, such as GPA levels / APR status and/or Legal issues (assaults & such) which can restrict in-Conference transfers. I don’t know if extra-Conference transfers can be restricted, such as not allowing Players to go to schools that are on the following year’s schedule and such.

If an D1 underclassman (non-graduate) wishes to Transfer, they still have to sit out a year, unless they are going from FBS to FCS OR if they receive an NCAA waiver, such as the UGa WR from Georgia, who transferred “home” from Cal due to Parent’s Health issues. I’m not sure how much caretaking he is able to do from Athens, since they live in Savannah...but the NCAA allowed it.

Graduated Transfers, such as the Woffy Kicker, who went to UGa or the Woffy DB, who went to Georgia Tech or the bellhop DB, who went to U of Miami (or as FUBeAR predicts Tyrie Adams will do next year...if he graduates before next Fall) do not have to sit out a year. I think the NCAA has some hokey rule in there that your current school can’t offer the Master’s you intend to pursue at your destination school, but that’s nothing to ‘work-around’ if that rule still even exists.

This, combined with the new Redshirt rule is having some interesting implications for FCS. For example, Sam Houston’s Top RB decided he wants to transfer AFTER 4 games this year & essentially quit the Team, so he could save his Redshirt year for his ‘sit-out’ year. So...he gets a 4 game audition tape at 1 school and the uses that to get other offers. I think this dude is a Soph or a Jr, but we will see in the future that some stud FR that didn’t quite get the FBS offer he wanted goes to an FCS School, gets on the Field for 4 games as a True FR, then ‘shuts it down’ and ‘reopens his recruiting’ with a college-level highlight reel.

Strange days ahead for us dinosaurs. TEAM meant a lot more 40 years ago than it does today!

[Jasper]

I just listened to an explanation of the new rule last week from an asst AD. I think you correct, BeAR in your interpretation. I also agree with you in re Mr. Adams of WCU. After his great audition against FU, he has had some injury problems. I also heard we have at least one transfer looker on the dating service data bank. Don’t know who or what sport even.

[76MrMoto]

FUBear,

Info you posted is correct with two exceptions. (1) Effective October 15 of this year a NCAA sports participant has a one time opportunity (i.e. can only be used once in his playing career) to transfer to any school/level and not have to sit out a year. Once the player has used this opportunity, then if he wants to transfer again he has to follow the "sit-out" rules you have in your post and (2) player wanting to transfer does not have to obtain a "release"; instead he just goes to compliance director and requests his name be placed in the database that you mentioned in your post. Obviously once he puts his name in the database, highly unlikely current coach will be interested in retaining him. Therefore at end of first semester, player goes off scholarship. As you mentioned in your post, the SOCON can/will prohibit the October 15 "entries" from a SOCON school transferring to another school in the conference. As of October 18, Furman had one entry (sport unknow) in the database.

[FUBeAR]

FUBear,

Info you posted is correct with two exceptions. (1) Effective October 15 of this year a NCAA sports participant has a one time opportunity (i.e. can only be used once in his playing career) to transfer to any school/level and not have to sit out a year. Once the player has used this opportunity, then if he wants to transfer again he has to follow the "sit-out" rules you have in your post and (2) player wanting to transfer does not have to obtain a "release"; instead he just goes to compliance director and requests his name be placed in the database that you mentioned in your post. Obviously once he puts his name in the database, highly unlikely current coach will be interested in retaining him. Therefore at end of first semester, player goes off scholarship. As you mentioned in your post, the SOCON can/will prohibit the October 15 "entries" from a SOCON school transferring to another school in the conference. As of October 18, Furman had one entry (sport unknow) in the database.

yeah...”release” was just the term I used..what it used to be called...not the right term now...obviously.

BIG news is the no 1 year sit-out thing. I thought I had heard that had been eliminated, then I heard it hadn’t...probably the odd date of when it became effective is confusing people or just my lack of reading comprehension skills or ADD or CTE or all 3! Sounds like you know from wherefore you speak though.

That will DEFINITELY affect things.

I understand the reason(s) for the change, but I just think this could become sort of a free-for-all...that could make me (and others...maybe) start seeing college football the way I have college basketball since 1-and-done became the law of the land.

I just don’t really care about ‘investing’ emotionally in colors, uniforms, or logos. It’s about the people for me - the Players & Coaches - watching them grow/develop & getting to know them (from afar in most cases, granted)...watching them become part of a Team of young men...etc.

Could get real yucky if bukus of Transfers occur within FCS Football. Oh well ...if so, I’ll be able to get a lot more work done...because I just won’t care about ANY “college” football anymore.

[tim]

Y'all are scaring me. Is this database a total secret ? Are we to assume the one player involved is the one this thread is about? I know one TF footballer that the big schools would salivate over. Will the new mantra be "Yeah, y'all are good this year but I hear 5 went in the database"

[fufanatic]

Can we please stop with this transfer conversation? This thread was created to give praise to an amazing kicker, punter, kick-off dude that currently wears the Paladin purple. Let's enjoy that for now.

[Flagman]

Can we please stop with this transfer conversation? This thread was created to give praise to an amazing kicker, punter, kick-off dude that currently wears the Paladin purple. Let's enjoy that for now.

What Fanatic said.

[aqualung]

I sure hope he is on our team for the next couple of years. Some big boys are going to come snooping around him with 2 years of eligibility left.

I did consider that, but for the following reasons I'm thinking he stays:

- The Furman education, and Furman gave him a shot when the big schools didn't.

- For a kicker, the level of competition doesn't matter a ton other than I guess the pressure would increase in front of big crowds or bigger games. It's the same size goal post at Furman as it would be at Clemson. So his shot at the NFL is very similar as opposed to some other positions where FBS would help.

- It's illegal for schools to contact him directly, he would have to be the one to reach out, I believe after deciding to leave.

Regarding the NFL, scouts place zero importance on crowd size when evaluating kickers from the FCS. Game pressure is game pressure...doing it in front of 10K or 80K fans is not a big factor. How fast the ball gets up, height, leg strength/distance, accuracy, get off time, etc....this is what matters. Regardless, I think Grayson performed pretty good against NC State and Clemson.

Regarding transferring, he's not going anywhere. Few schools allow you the opportunity to do all 3 (FG/KO/Punt). Assuming he enjoys all 3 he's in the right place.

Regarding the new transfer rule with one opportunity to xfer w/o sitting out a year, I did some quick research and I could not find any intel on this. Is this accurate information that the rule is changing? That's a huge change that I would think would be getting a lot of press.