Portal Transfer Targets

[runningblind]

2 hours ago, The Scarlet Pimpernel said:

Another thing about Brennan is that I think he wants to stay someplace close enough to home to where his family can watch him play. I know Tulane was mentioned as another possible landing spot when he first entered the portal. But hey, I've seen Mickey Joseph pull off some amazing things during his time at LSU, so nothing is out of the realm of possibility.

What has Mickey pulled off that was amazing? I like the hire, don't get me wrong, but is pulling high rated guys out of the school's own backyard anything special really?  According to this, just 1 of his top 15 all time recruits were from outside Louisiana and that was one state over.

 

https://247sports.com/Coach/Mickey-Joseph-3745/AllTimeRecruits/

[Toe]

49 minutes ago, HANC said:

If SF strikes out with all of these qbs, he may consider re-recruiting AM. I am being sarcastic, but he may wind up with no one better in all reality.

 

I'd put the odds of us finding an actual upgrade over Martinez in the portal at pretty much zilch. More likely, it would be someone not necessarily better or worse, just a different style of QB.

 

What I worry is that they'll try and bring in a pocket passer, who will get creamed because he can't scramble like Martinez when our awful line breaks down...

[TheSker]

18 minutes ago, Toe said:

 

I'd put the odds of us finding an actual upgrade over Martinez in the portal at pretty much zilch. More likely, it would be someone not necessarily better or worse, just a different style of QB.

 

What I worry is that they'll try and bring in a pocket passer, who will get creamed because he can't scramble like Martinez when our awful line breaks down...

An upgrade over Martinez will be in decision making and turnovers.

 

With Michigan in the playoffs, it magnifies Martinez fumble in that game 

 

....and 4 INTs in a game simply cannot happen.

 

I'm excited about Whipple's experience versus Verduzco's.

[lo country]

12 minutes ago, TheSker said:

An upgrade over Martinez will be in decision making and turnovers.

 

With Michigan in the playoffs, it magnifies Martinez fumble in that game 

 

....and 4 INTs in a game simply cannot happen.

 

I'm excited about Whipple's experience versus Verduzco's.

I think some of the changes might be a little too late.  BUT, hoping with a HUGE upgrade in experience in some key positions (still holding out hope on RB/ST) that they can use/develop what we have and get the improvement needed.  

[ndobney]

34 minutes ago, Toe said:

 

I'd put the odds of us finding an actual upgrade over Martinez in the portal at pretty much zilch. More likely, it would be someone not necessarily better or worse, just a different style of QB.

 

What I worry is that they'll try and bring in a pocket passer, who will get creamed because he can't scramble like Martinez when our awful line breaks down...

If nothing else we saw that Smothers was pretty decent. Had he won against Iowa I guarantee people would be wanting him next year. The play that actually lost us that game was the punt. If we retain Smothers that's not the end of the world. The problem with that senario is that Smothers is more of an option QB. Not sure that fits with what the new OC wants to do. Although the OC may just have to adjust. I like what they were doing offensively against Iowa and I would love to continue doing that. In case of injury we need to at least get someone who can back up Smothers if we can find someone that can beat him out, but can our new OC run that kind of offense?

[Hayseed]

11 minutes ago, ndobney said:

If nothing else we saw that Smothers was pretty decent. Had he won against Iowa I guarantee people would be wanting him next year. The play that actually lost us that game was the punt. If we retain Smothers that's not the end of the world. The problem with that senario is that Smothers is more of an option QB. Not sure that fits with what the new OC wants to do. Although the OC may just have to adjust. I like what they were doing offensively against Iowa and I would love to continue doing that. In case of injury we need to at least get someone who can back up Smothers if we can find someone that can beat him out, but can our new OC run that kind of offense?

Whether Smothers can consistently throw the long ball remains to be seen, but his accuracy and decision-making looked pretty good to me. 
It’s not his fault we fair catch at the six like halfwits then call passes out of the end zone. I bet Mr. Whipple doesn’t do stupid things like that.

I’m okay continuing with him if there’s not a better option. Let’s not put all our eggs in the basket of a portal guy who might slip on the ice walking across campus.

[TheSker]

19 minutes ago, lo country said:

I think some of the changes might be a little too late.  BUT, hoping with a HUGE upgrade in experience in some key positions (still holding out hope on RB/ST) that they can use/develop what we have and get the improvement needed.  

Well......the Michigan team we lost to by 3 is a playoff team and Harbaugh has been named coach of the year in college football.

 

How many new assistants did they have this season?

[The Scarlet Pimpernel]

1 hour ago, runningblind said:

What has Mickey pulled off that was amazing? I like the hire, don't get me wrong, but is pulling high rated guys out of the school's own backyard anything special really?  According to this, just 1 of his top 15 all time recruits were from outside Louisiana and that was one state over.

 

https://247sports.com/Coach/Mickey-Joseph-3745/AllTimeRecruits/

 

"You're talking about a coach who would go get kids out of their apartment and get them to class," says Orgeron, 60, who plans to take some time away from coaching and enjoy, well, being Ed Orgeron. 

"Hey, check this out. You know Justin Jefferson?" says Orgeron, referring to the wide receiver from Destrehan, Louisiana, a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. "Mickey closed the recruitment of Justin Jefferson. Everyone else had given up on him, thinking he'd be ineligible. C'mon, now!" 

Jefferson caught 111 passes for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns for LSU in 2019.

"Get this: We're playing for the championship in 2019, and we're leaving for the game on Friday. Tuesday through Thursday, Mickey's guys were crammed in his office on the computer doing their schoolwork so they can pass tests on Friday so they can get on the bus to go play for the championship," says Orgeron, his booming voice rising. 

"Whatever it takes to get the job done, Mickey's going to do it. And you know what? He did it the right way. Everything's above board." 

Joseph recruited so many excellent players to LSU that Orgeron literally has trouble deciding which of Joseph's recruiting success stories to tell you about. He rips through the names and stories quickly. He gets to the one about Ja'Marr Chase, a first-rounder from LSU in 2021 who originally was committed to Florida. "Flipped him at the end," he states.

"You know what, Mickey wasn't intimidated," Orgeron says. "He knows how to develop relationships. When I put Mickey in New Orleans, all my problems were solved." 

But how can Joseph help Frost?  

"Number one, he'll identify and recruit the best players in Nebraska and then go to Kansas City and then go to other cities, just as he did here by going into Houston and other spots in Texas," Orgeron says. "He'll go get potential first-round draft choices. Think about this: Mickey Joseph signed the No. 1 player in the state of Mississippi, which had never been done at LSU." Deion Smith, of Jackson, Mississippi, chose LSU over Mississippi and Mississippi State and a long list of other suitors. 

Wait a minute, Orgeron says suddenly as another of Joseph's big-time LSU recruits pops into his cranium. 

"Malik Nabers," the coach says of the four-star receiver from Lafayette, Louisiana. "Guess when we signed him? It was on signing day. I woke up and we had a scholarship left. I said, 'Mickey, can Malik Nabers play?' He said, 'Hell, yes.' I said, 'Get him on the phone.' The kid was committed to Mississippi State. Mickey Joseph stayed on the phone with him for four hours. By 1 o'clock, the guy signed with us. Unbelievable."  

Whatever it takes. Keep in mind, Joseph comes from a football background, a football family. A younger brother, Vance Joseph, became the Denver Broncos' head coach (2017-18) and now works as the Arizona Cardinals' defensive coordinator.

Mickey Joseph understands what it takes. And let's be clear, he's more than just a recruiter. 

"Think about this," Orgeron says. "You think of him becoming (Nebraska's) passing game coordinator. He has all that knowledge from Joe Brady (LSU's passing game coordinator in 2019). Mickey knows every route from Joe Brady, and then we had an analyst who came from the New Orleans Saints, so he has all of Sean Payton's expertise.

"What else do you need, bro? You know what I mean?"  

 

 

[JJ Husker]

22 minutes ago, Hayseed said:

Whether Smothers can consistently throw the long ball remains to be seen, but his accuracy and decision-making looked pretty good to me. 
It’s not his fault we fair catch at the six like halfwits then call passes out of the end zone. I bet Mr. Whipple doesn’t do stupid things like that.

I’m okay continuing with him if there’s not a better option. Let’s not put all our eggs in the basket of a portal guy who might slip on the ice walking across campus.

I don’t think it’s putting all your eggs in one basket to try to bring in a QB who has a history of performing better than anyone currently on the roster. Competition is a good thing and we can’t avoid it over the prospect of a QB possibly transferring out. It is a make or break year for Frost. 2AM was definitely better than Smothers yet he couldn’t do better than 3-9. I don’t think much of that dismal record was 2AMs fault but still you improve the position if you can.

 

If our OL and STs don’t improve it wouldn’t matter if we had Joe Burrow or CJ Stroud back there.

[lo country]

12 minutes ago, TheSker said:

Well......the Michigan team we lost to by 3 is a playoff team and Harbaugh has been named coach of the year in college football.

 

How many new assistants did they have this season?

I'm not sure I am following.  Michigan brought in  a new DC, DB coach, safeties coach, RB coach, QB coach and reassigned OL coach...  He was 2-4 last year, but had all  winning seasons we'd die for previously.....Harbaugh, to date has coached circles around Frost.  Beat him while at UCF and here.  I'm tired of pointing to one score losses to how show close we are.  We suck.  Plain and simple.  You don't go 3-9 and and not be able to win half of those 1 score games and think we are close. We have a 4 year record of this.  And now the NCAA record for one score losses in a single season.  One I am confident we will hold for ever....Harbaugh made changes after 1 year.  It took Frost 4.  So do I expect Frost to make this turn around?  No.  Do I think Frost has the coaching acumen of Harbaugh?  No.  And again, to point out a loss to show we are better is mind boggling. Is that how far we have fallen?  We point to one score losses as some victory.  King of the losers?  Again, maybe I am missing the point.  

[lo country]

3 minutes ago, JJ Husker said:

I don’t think it’s putting all your eggs in one basket to try to bring in a QB who has a history of performing better than anyone currently on the roster. Competition is a good thing and we can’t avoid it over the prospect of a QB possibly transferring out. It is a make or break year for Frost. 2AM was definitely better than Smothers yet he couldn’t do better than 3-9. I don’t think much of that dismal record was 2AMs fault but still you improve the position if you can.

 

If our OL and STs don’t improve it wouldn’t matter if we had Joe Burrow or CJ Stroud back there.

But Frost passed on Burrows he would have been an AA here....Frost was an idiot.  JK

 

You hit the nail on the head.  Burrow would not have close to the numbers at NU as he did at LSU.  OL is the key.  Same OL as last year, same results.  

[TheSker]

3 minutes ago, lo country said:

I'm not sure I am following.  Michigan brought in  a new DC, DB coach, safeties coach, RB coach, QB coach and reassigned OL coach...  He was 2-4 last year, but had all  winning seasons we'd die for previously.....Harbaugh, to date has coached circles around Frost.  Beat him while at UCF and here.  I'm tired of pointing to one score losses to how show close we are.  We suck.  Plain and simple.  You don't go 3-9 and and not be able to win half of those 1 score games and think we are close. We have a 4 year record of this.  And now the NCAA record for one score losses in a single season.  One I am confident we will hold for ever....Harbaugh made changes after 1 year.  It took Frost 4.  So do I expect Frost to make this turn around?  No.  Do I think Frost has the coaching acumen of Harbaugh?  No.  And again, to point out a loss to show we are better is mind boggling. Is that how far we have fallen?  We point to one score losses as some victory.  King of the losers?  Again, maybe I am missing the point.  

The point is the assistant coaching changes helped take Michigan to the next level.

 

I pointed specifically to the Michigan game because that's the reference of a team who made assistant coaching changes that helped immediately 

 

As far as the rest of the rant about if we are close or if we suck, to each their own.

[Knothole Seats @ 50 Cents]

1 hour ago, ndobney said:

If nothing else we saw that Smothers was pretty decent. Had he won against Iowa I guarantee people would be wanting him next year. The play that actually lost us that game was the punt. If we retain Smothers that's not the end of the world. The problem with that senario is that Smothers is more of an option QB. Not sure that fits with what the new OC wants to do. Although the OC may just have to adjust. I like what they were doing offensively against Iowa and I would love to continue doing that. In case of injury we need to at least get someone who can back up Smothers if we can find someone that can beat him out, but can our new OC run that kind of offense?

The punt plus the safety were killers for us. And in my opinion Smothers was set up to fail in the play that was called. Smothers looks like he could manage a game well if given a chance. 

[Mavric]

 

[ActualCornHusker]

6-5, 330. That'll work!