This is what I have harped on in a few other posts.  If you are focusing on JuCos and transfers, you are only focused on the next year (or 2 at the most).  While I love that we jumped immediately to 11-3, and are poised to be really good for another year or 2, I would hate to see a huge letdown when Kiffin leaves because the whole team is built around older players (that he didn't bring in) or JuCos (that we all know can be hit-or-miss or never even make it to campus).

A handful of transfers every year to fill-holes or who are just plain out studs makes total sense - everybody should be doing that.  But the backbone of a program needs to be a pipeline of HS kids that come in, stay 4 (or 5) years, become the strength of the team as Juniors and Seniors, graduate, etc.  We want a long-term program, not a flash-in-the-pan one where everybody else is saying "I told you so" when Kiffin leaves.

owlsdad said

This is what I have harped on in a few other posts.  If you are focusing on JuCos and transfers, you are only focused on the next year (or 2 at the most).  While I love that we jumped immediately to 11-3, and are poised to be really good for another year or 2, I would hate to see a huge letdown when Kiffin leaves because the whole team is built around older players (that he didn't bring in) or JuCos (that we all know can be hit-or-miss or never even make it to campus).

A handful of transfers every year to fill-holes or who are just plain out studs makes total sense - everybody should be doing that.  But the backbone of a program needs to be a pipeline of HS kids that come in, stay 4 (or 5) years, become the strength of the team as Juniors and Seniors, graduate, etc.  We want a long-term program, not a flash-in-the-pan one where everybody else is saying "I told you so" when Kiffin leaves.

Posted On: Feb 5th 2018, 10:17 AM #376910

Lane as our HC is a catch 22.

Was a lot of fun winning 11 games.  I gained 20 pounds celebrating.  

We need to build the infrastructure.  Need to hire an AD that can actual bring dollars into FAU (I cannot say with enough emphasis how much of a failure it is that we have not sold the stadium naming rights 7 years into that stadium being built).  This is a symbol of the ineptitude of some of the folks that were in charge.  The economy is booming, were in the middle of a county with millions of people where cash is flush and you cant sell naming rights?  Just awful.

Our stadium is awesome.  Our other facilites are terrible and outdated.  We need to break ground on that new project ASAP.  

IMO, whomever the next HC FAU hires will be the biggest decision in the programs history.  Lane will give us the momentum we need to change the perception of our program.  Recruiting the right HC to take his place is going to be ever so important...

We will either be the next TCU or just a WKU, MTSU, Troy.

owlsdad said

This is what I have harped on in a few other posts.  If you are focusing on JuCos and transfers, you are only focused on the next year (or 2 at the most).  While I love that we jumped immediately to 11-3, and are poised to be really good for another year or 2, I would hate to see a huge letdown when Kiffin leaves because the whole team is built around older players (that he didn't bring in) or JuCos (that we all know can be hit-or-miss or never even make it to campus).

A handful of transfers every year to fill-holes or who are just plain out studs makes total sense - everybody should be doing that.  But the backbone of a program needs to be a pipeline of HS kids that come in, stay 4 (or 5) years, become the strength of the team as Juniors and Seniors, graduate, etc.  We want a long-term program, not a flash-in-the-pan one where everybody else is saying "I told you so" when Kiffin leaves.

Posted On: Feb 5th 2018, 10:17 AM #376910

I think he sees that to dominate at this level you ideally want P5 type athletes (and those are the athletes he is used to working with) – 2 and 3 star guys can go either way. I assume no matter his name recognition, LK realizes he is still going to have trouble recruiting those kind of P5 high 3, 4 star HS kids here. With that said, he is still bringing in better HS talent than we typically have coming in here – it's just the low volume of players coming in this year. Still, count me among the fans who thought this year especially we'd see a huge uptick in recruiting, maybe even getting a few 4 stars out of HS lol. I understand the championship and bowl games could have altered timing a bit, but maybe it was a lesson learned. At the very least, he is putting the FAU name/brand out there so kids will start looking at us more regardless, even if he ends up leaving at some point.

Rick said

This guy is coming in today:

Jalen Rayam
LB
6-2, 230 lbs
Alabaster, AL
Thompson HS


GOOD size for a 17 year old…

Posted On: Jan 26th 2018, 9:31 AM #376686

Committed to UAB today.

It's definitely disappointing, our lack of HS recruiting. But keep in mind, this upcoming season we'll have Kiffin's recruits at QB (big time stud), C (Bennett, praying his grades are good) and WR (most will be Kiffin's guys). That's just a few positions. Also this HS RB Davidson we're recruiting should be a contributor. He could give Whyte much needed competition as the primary backup. Whether the transfers and Jucos pan out or not is up for debate. I see no reason why they won't.

I too was misguided as far as assuming we'd have some 4 star ballers this class. It's a reminder that our plan must be to move up to the AAC. Also, if Motor and some of our other prospects (Al-Shaair especially) have success in the NFL, that'll help. This recruiting class, while stacked with great JUCO talent, is a reminder that we still are a work in progress and can grow immensely these next years and decades. Also, lets get all the publicity we can get while Kiffin is still here to become as popular and well known as we can. That's of utmost importance.

I think everyone is starting to see a troubling trend. We are loading up on juco's and transfers. This is a pathway to quick success. But it is also a problem in the long run. If Lane is going to leave, he only wants to win today. If he was going to stay, he would be working on a balance with plenty of HS kids coming in. I think this blog has noticed the direction he is going and it should be concerning.

Local Owl said

I think everyone is starting to see a troubling trend. We are loading up on juco's and transfers. This is a pathway to quick success. But it is also a problem in the long run. If Lane is going to leave, he only wants to win today. If he was going to stay, he would be working on a balance with plenty of HS kids coming in. I think this blog has noticed the direction he is going and it should be concerning.

Posted On: Feb 5th 2018, 4:26 PM #376919

Only disturbing in that he too faces the issue that S. Fl. recruits "mostly" want Power 5 programs to go to or to at least leave home and the area, to go "away" to school. This is HS recruiting in S. FL for the past 10+ years, no matter WHO our Coach is!

Not following ???

Nine of the current 14 class members are high school players. 

I could be out of line. Now that I think about our starters, we have a mix of young players. I think the lack of local recruiting talk has me thinking we are missing out. I guess we will find out very soon.

Rick said

Not following ???

Nine of the current 14 class members are high school players. 

Posted On: Feb 5th 2018, 5:49 PM #376922

I don’t get the concern either, this thread is a bit overblown.