247 Recruiting Update

SMU2006 · February 7, 2023

1 hour ago, Wag Tag said:

As I stated before no G5 and many P5’s won’t be able to compete with SMU on NIL. That doesn’t mean you will get results on the field as seen this year.

First year head coach that had a couple of really nice wins against Houston and Memphis. One score losses to TCU and Cincinnati were tough but kind of expected that in his first year.

Fully expect RL (and the staff) to be better next season. You're right that NIL doesn't guarantee anything but I'll take my chances with having a Top 20 NIL over not having it.

Jonnyeagle · February 7, 2023

26 minutes ago, SMU2006 said:

First year head coach that had a couple of really nice wins against Houston and Memphis. One score losses to TCU and Cincinnati were tough but kind of expected that in his first year.

Fully expect RL (and the staff) to be better next season. You're right that NIL doesn't guarantee anything but I'll take my chances with having a Top 20 NIL over not having it.

I think you are underestimating the pressure he is feeling. My sources at SMU say they are not at all happy with him.

GMG_Dallas · February 7, 2023

4 hours ago, DentonStang said:

As you point out, the most questionable transfers are from Miami...... where Rhett just coached them and knows first hand if they weren't playing because they were busts or if they were just behind a better ACC stud. We had some severe deficiencies last year and serviceable ACC backups are major upgrades.

Some transfers are for depth (another critical deficiency) and may not start, but is still a major upgrade over the disastrous 2nd string we were dealing with previously.

The QB is a special case - not expected to play, knows that, and wants to coach. Job is to come, bring a P5 mindset, help coach Stone and KHJ, and not be a disaster if he has to play.

We needed a prime WR1, didn't get it, needed more TE help, but overall MASSIVE, MASSIVE upgrade to total team talent. NIL is a miracle. An NIL player is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.

Based on my uneducated, 100% fan observations, the biggest struggles of the G5 are QB and depth. Most programs can put together a quality starting 22. It's when guys start getting fatigued or hurt that they fall behind in matchups against the P5. An elite QB can mask much of that. That's where Rhett should have an advantage being a QB himself but Mordecai seemed to regress last year. If Stone doesn't perform, none of these other transfers will matter. There's only so long an elite defense can be on the field before they get gassed and start missing tackles and other assignments.

All that to say, I don't really understand the appeal of the NIL from an investment standpoint. Unless Stone is elite, none of that NIL money will matter (see Texas).

GMG_Dallas · February 7, 2023

1 hour ago, SMU2006 said:

First year head coach that had a couple of really nice wins against Houston and Memphis. One score losses to TCU and Cincinnati were tough but kind of expected that in his first year.

Fully expect RL (and the staff) to be better next season. You're right that NIL doesn't guarantee anything but I'll take my chances with having a Top 20 NIL over not having it.

I don't think the SMU powers are spending all these millions in NIL money and coaching salaries/buyouts for "a couple of really nice wins against Houston and Memphis."

SMU2006 · February 7, 2023

Just now, GMG_Dallas said:

I don't think the SMU powers are spending all these millions in NIL money and coaching salaries/buyouts for "a couple of really nice wins against Houston and Memphis."

Agreed. It was his first year as a head coach and he won 7 games. I thought we could be an 8 or 9 win team last year but those two nail biter losses to Cincinnati and Maryland put us a bit off schedule.

If he doesn't win 9 games or more this year I'll be concerned, especially given the massive talent upgrade through the portal. Rhett knows this. Comes with the territory.

GMG_Dallas · February 7, 2023

10 minutes ago, SMU2006 said:

Agreed. It was his first year as a head coach and he won 7 games. I thought we could be an 8 or 9 win team last year but those two nail biter losses to Cincinnati and Maryland put us a bit off schedule.

If he doesn't win 9 games or more this year I'll be concerned, especially given the massive talent upgrade through the portal. Rhett knows this. Comes with the territory.

Absolutely comes with the territory but I think any coach would rather have the resources he has despite the higher expectations. Every respectable coach expects to win championships. I don't think 9 games will cut it this upcoming season, especially with Houston, UCF, and Cincy leaving. If he doesn't at least make the AAC championship with 10+ wins, he'll be on the hot seat with all the NIL money being spent.

Dpony14 · February 7, 2023

21 minutes ago, GMG_Dallas said:

Based on my uneducated, 100% fan observations, the biggest struggles of the G5 are QB and depth. Most programs can put together a quality starting 22. It's when guys start getting fatigued or hurt that they fall behind in matchups against the P5. An elite QB can mask much of that. That's where Rhett should have an advantage being a QB himself but Mordecai seemed to regress last year. If Stone doesn't perform, none of these other transfers will matter. There's only so long an elite defense can be on the field before they get gassed and start missing tackles and other assignments.

All that to say, I don't really understand the appeal of the NIL from an investment standpoint. Unless Stone is elite, none of that NIL money will matter (see Texas).

Mostly agree, but a big part of our portal activity this year was to upgrade the run game. We brought in 4 new OL, two of which have spent entire seasons as a starter at P5s, one was a top 100 HS player a year ago, and the 4th is a depth guy from UT. We also brought in a former starting RB from Miami when Rhett was there, and the #5 RB from the 2021 class who played a little at A&M. Also bring back our Bama transfer who started to come on late, and our former walk-on bruiser who wears a neckroll (fan favorite for obvious reasons). The upgraded run game *should* take some pressure off of Stone, which is a luxury Mordecai didn't have this year with our abysmal run game. Lashlee's offense is predicated on strong run game and mobile QB, neither of which we had last year.

GMG_Dallas · February 7, 2023

1 hour ago, Dpony14 said:

Mostly agree, but a big part of our portal activity this year was to upgrade the run game. We brought in 4 new OL, two of which have spent entire seasons as a starter at P5s, one was a top 100 HS player a year ago, and the 4th is a depth guy from UT. We also brought in a former starting RB from Miami when Rhett was there, and the #5 RB from the 2021 class who played a little at A&M. Also bring back our Bama transfer who started to come on late, and our former walk-on bruiser who wears a neckroll (fan favorite for obvious reasons). The upgraded run game *should* take some pressure off of Stone, which is a luxury Mordecai didn't have this year with our abysmal run game. Lashlee's offense is predicated on strong run game and mobile QB, neither of which we had last year.

The run game should most definitely be upgraded if that OL can click. It isn't because of lack of talent at the RB position that it wasn't working last year. Sure, last year y'all didn't have the Miami and A&M transfers but you had a 5 star RB in Wheaton and Siggers is no slouch. Always starts up front.

Dpony14 · February 7, 2023

10 minutes ago, GMG_Dallas said:

The run game should most definitely be upgraded if that OL can click. It isn't because of lack of talent at the RB position that it wasn't working last year. Sure, last year y'all didn't have the Miami and A&M transfers but you had a 5 star RB in Wheaton and Siggers is no slouch. Always starts up front.

Unfortunately, Siggers got hurt against TCU (game 4) and we never saw him again. Wheaton tore something in his knee at Bama and left Bama before spring semester to come home, so he didn't have a medical staff to rehab/train with until he got to SMU over the summer. They said his leg strength was 60-70% of what it should have been when he got to SMU, and maybe 80% at the start of the season. Good enough to play some, but not his old self. Our Kansas RB transfer, Velton Gardner, was hurt all the time too. That's how we got down to Lavine, the bowling ball former walk-on who wears a neck roll, always rolls his shirt up, and wants to "run through as many faces as possible".

Tyler_Lavine_Rja1b.jfif

GMG_Dallas · February 8, 2023

1 hour ago, Dpony14 said:

Unfortunately, Siggers got hurt against TCU (game 4) and we never saw him again. Wheaton tore something in his knee at Bama and left Bama before spring semester to come home, so he didn't have a medical staff to rehab/train with until he got to SMU over the summer. They said his leg strength was 60-70% of what it should have been when he got to SMU, and maybe 80% at the start of the season. Good enough to play some, but not his old self. Our Kansas RB transfer, Velton Gardner, was hurt all the time too. That's how we got down to Lavine, the bowling ball former walk-on who wears a neck roll, always rolls his shirt up, and wants to "run through as many faces as possible".

Tyler_Lavine_Rja1b.jfif 524.49 kB · 1 download

I knew wheaton was rehabbing that knee but didn't know Siggers got hurt too. Would have been nice to have Bentley. Doesn't seem to have some much at Ole Miss.

SMU2006 · February 8, 2023

I bet this won't hurt recruiting:

DentonStang · February 8, 2023

5 hours ago, GMG_Dallas said:

Based on my uneducated, 100% fan observations, the biggest struggles of the G5 are QB and depth. Most programs can put together a quality starting 22. It's when guys start getting fatigued or hurt that they fall behind in matchups against the P5. An elite QB can mask much of that. That's where Rhett should have an advantage being a QB himself but Mordecai seemed to regress last year. If Stone doesn't perform, none of these other transfers will matter. There's only so long an elite defense can be on the field before they get gassed and start missing tackles and other assignments.

All that to say, I don't really understand the appeal of the NIL from an investment standpoint. Unless Stone is elite, none of that NIL money will matter (see Texas).

This is all true, but I think Mordecai's backslide had more to do with the major holes in the team. We had some really strong units, and some total garbage. That excuse will not exist this year, and Rhett better perform. The team is a major upgrade on both sides