Why do we care about Commits in the age of NIL & the Portal?

TripleGrad · June 28, 2023

Maybe I'm just old, but I feel like the last several years has severely reduced the value of recruiting and getting those high school commitment players. 10-5 years ago, a player would join a school and usually spend 3-5 years at that school. There were transfers, but having to sit out a year limited the impact.

Today, if a G5 team gets a player that turns out to have unusual talent, or develops beyond expectations, there's a NIL collective out there dropping the cash and prodding the player toward the transfer portal. A smaller/lower school might get a year from a guy, and then *bang* gone to the majors.

Granted, this doesn't happen to every player, but look at the folks we've lost over the years just when they were having impacts.

Thoughts? Am I just wrong about this? It sure seems like we're cheering for laundry these days instead of players.

greenminer · June 28, 2023

It's still part of the game, so you have to play it. I have zero interest in finding out what happens when you stop pursuing verbals, because it will be nothing but bad.

cogido · June 28, 2023

4 hours ago, TripleGrad said:

Thoughts? Am I just wrong about this? It sure seems like we're cheering for laundry these days instead of players.

You’re not wrong.

outoftown · June 28, 2023

We care, because not having commits is even worse than having commits who may not stick

MeanGreenZen · June 28, 2023

Roster building is now a year-to-year proposition.

A 4-year roster plan is useless now.
Also, wake me up when the season starts and the portal closes and tell me who we have for this year.

Following all the commitments and decommitments and “respect my decisions” is just too stressful and unrewarding.

This is the system we have now. Hope we have the correct people in place to manipulate it successfully.

golfingomez · June 28, 2023

12 hours ago, TripleGrad said:

Maybe I'm just old, but I feel like the last several years has severely reduced the value of recruiting and getting those high school commitment players. 10-5 years ago, a player would join a school and usually spend 3-5 years at that school. There were transfers, but having to sit out a year limited the impact.

Today, if a G5 team gets a player that turns out to have unusual talent, or develops beyond expectations, there's a NIL collective out there dropping the cash and prodding the player toward the transfer portal. A smaller/lower school might get a year from a guy, and then *bang* gone to the majors.

Granted, this doesn't happen to every player, but look at the folks we've lost over the years just when they were having impacts.

Thoughts? Am I just wrong about this? It sure seems like we're cheering for laundry these days instead of players.

I feel like you are right, but i also think in the age of social media commits are more of a marketing tool than anything else.

BillySee58 · June 28, 2023

Eric Morris has landed 22 High School commits at North Texas since being hired. Of those 22 commits, 2 have decommitted.

It’s easy to draw attention to the decommits and transfers and act like it’s all because of NIL or Transfer Portal, but it seems like most UNT fans ignore the context of the coaching change or guys getting an extra COVID year.

Before the coaching change, in 2022 we returned 16 of the 19 (including K and P) of our starters who were eligible to return from 2021. 1 of the guys we lost was a guy who played 5 years for us, and the other 2 were the Murphy twins.

Guys generally stay. If we start losing a ton of guys who actually committed under Morris, or start losing a bunch of starters who Morris brought in, then there would be more validity in the concern.

UNTLifer · June 28, 2023

34 minutes ago, BillySee58 said:

Eric Morris has landed 22 High School commits at North Texas since being hired. Of those 22 commits, 2 have decommitted.

It’s easy to draw attention to the decommits and transfers and act like it’s all because of NIL or Transfer Portal, but it seems like most UNT fans ignore the context of the coaching change or guys getting an extra COVID year.

Before the coaching change, in 2022 we returned 16 of the 19 (including K and P) of our starters who were eligible to return from 2021. 1 of the guys we lost was a guy who played 5 years for us, and the other 2 were the Murphy twins.

Guys generally stay. If we start losing a ton of guys who actually committed under Morris, or start losing a bunch of starters who Morris brought in, then there would be more validity in the concern.

Now you just stop it with your sensibilities and logical jargon.

Wag Tag · June 28, 2023

3 hours ago, BillySee58 said:

Eric Morris has landed 22 High School commits at North Texas since being hired. Of those 22 commits, 2 have decommitted.

It’s easy to draw attention to the decommits and transfers and act like it’s all because of NIL or Transfer Portal, but it seems like most UNT fans ignore the context of the coaching change or guys getting an extra COVID year.

Before the coaching change, in 2022 we returned 16 of the 19 (including K and P) of our starters who were eligible to return from 2021. 1 of the guys we lost was a guy who played 5 years for us, and the other 2 were the Murphy twins.

Guys generally stay. If we start losing a ton of guys who actually committed under Morris, or start losing a bunch of starters who Morris brought in, then there would be more validity in the concern.

College sports is in a state of change. Is the TP 3-4 years old and NIL monies about 2 years old? In that short period of time the change has been dramatic. SMU is an example of the future. NIL dollars are going to be a top reason to attend a certain school. For SMU it is not facilities, crowds , coach or tradition it is NIL $$$. The day of bringing in developmental recruits will be gone for most schools.

NT80 · June 28, 2023

1 hour ago, Wag Tag said:

For SMU it is not facilities, crowds , coach or tradition it is NIL $$$. The day of bringing in developmental recruits will be gone for most schools.

All their $$ didn't keep their head coach from moving to Ft. Worth.

All their bought players only produced a 7-6 record.

untcampbell · June 28, 2023

I think it is ok to not care. Talk uniform combinations, future conference alignments and whether black is the new green instead.

I will raise an eyebrow and toast the potential, then celebrate after they sign. And raise an eyebrow in a different matter and sulk for a half a minute when we get a decommit or someone enters the portal.

IMHO, to question every commit in the actual thread is like telling the recruit you don't trust him, you have no self confidence in our ability to keep him, that he is likely just using it as a place holder until the big guys call. Also it takes attention away from the recruit and the joy he, his family and friends may have in making a big decision.

How about reserving a separate thread where the skeptical can make their case without disrupting from what should be a positive thread, until the recruit proves otherwise.

GMG

cousin oliver · June 28, 2023

24 minutes ago, untcampbell said:

I think it is ok to not care. Talk uniform combinations, future conference alignments and whether black is the new green instead.

I will raise an eyebrow and toast the potential, then celebrate after they sign. And raise an eyebrow in a different matter and sulk for a half a minute when we get a decommit or someone enters the portal.

IMHO, to question every commit in the actual thread is like telling the recruit you don't trust him, you have no self confidence in our ability to keep him, that he is likely just using it as a place holder until the big guys call. Also it takes attention away from the recruit and the joy he, his family and friends may have in making a big decision.

How about reserving a separate thread where the skeptical can make their case without disrupting from what should be a positive thread, until the recruit proves otherwise.

GMG

Good sentiment. I second this.