Can we win with Sun Belt players?
- Thread starter IUCX9
- Start date
I don't think he's bringing over 50 Sun Belt players.
He can if they are overachievers. Identifying and reaching for overachieveers appears to be the experience of his M.O. My hopes are getting a boost he and BB will offer IUFB fans a good crop of very serviceable talent for the OL.
The best Sun Belt teams can compete with the bottom half of the Big 20.
Michigan, OSU and Penn State, and maybe USC, Oregon and Washington, will roll them.
Michigan, OSU and Penn State, and maybe USC, Oregon and Washington, will roll them.
until USC can stop anyone, I'd leave them off this list. ha
I think the system and buy-in to the system you have are the biggest factors. I am giving CCC full reign to do as he needs and not put on a show for the fan forums. If getting these guys who look at the NFL as more of a dream than an expectation, they may be more willing to completely buy in to what the staff is asking for and help lay down a foundation based on incredibly hard work and dedication to the program. That way when the 2025 class of higher talent starts rolling in, they're walking into a program where that level of effort and determination isn't a theory held by a few but an expectation for everyone. Those who aren't matching this are easily filtered out. It's at that point where higher talent being pushed by a stronger work ethic begins to show better results on Saturdays.
That's a long way of me saying, we just have to let the staff do their thing and if we're still here 3 years down the road, we can start questioning the moves. The question could be valid but unlike basketball, this program has no real foundation/history to work from so I'm just here for the ride.
That's a long way of me saying, we just have to let the staff do their thing and if we're still here 3 years down the road, we can start questioning the moves. The question could be valid but unlike basketball, this program has no real foundation/history to work from so I'm just here for the ride.
If he gets them to play as a TEAM he can...
We've had plenty of big time talent on campus over the past couple of years but invariably, on every third play, one of those talented guys wouldn't do his job and F it up for the other 10... So pure talent isn't the end all if you can't get them to consistently play together as a TEAM...
All that said, I doubt that we see more than 7 and most likely only 5 scholarship guys transfer via the Portal here from JMU... They'll be the ones that can actually help us or they wouldn't be signed here...
If you're talking about the high school recruits then I'd say they're projected to have the work ethic to mold themselves into Big Ten caliber players or we wouldn't be offering them, in my opinion...
Coach cig don't look at stars.
In other words, the strata where we all realistically believe IU should be occupying. Just freaking beat Rutgers, MSU, Maryland, Purdue and the like on a routine basis, and we all should be pleased. I don't think anyone believes (outside of Coach Cig, apparently) that we'll ever regularly challenge OSU, UM, PSU, USC, UW, and Oregon, although I suppose the last four aren't necessarily guaranteed over time, should Cig build IU the way he hopes. Even with the most Crimson Glasses-based optimism, given the way college football is, I just don't ever see us rising above UM and OSU. They would have to regress severely and fall back to the pack. And even if they do, it won't last long, as they'll hire another coach to get them right back.
Was there a press release I missed where the offensive line and front 7 two deep were all going to be Sunbelt level size and talent?
Or was OP projecting?
I'm not convinced of the staying power of Washington once Penix leaves and I've never been impressed with Coach Franklin. The other 4, maybe. Just have to keep building.
JMU would have beat IU by 2 touchdowns this past year. So, yes, you can win with Sunbelt players and the Mendoza kid is under the radar and can ball. Florida 3 stars are Indiana 4-stars.
The stat that caught my eye was that Washington has a bunch of 6th year starters. That’s huge imo.
He won the lottery when Penix transferred there . He'll win, but not like this year.
The kid from Mississippi State, Rogers, will be the next stud QB to develop under DeBoer. And, that kid is highly talented.
I think that's a bit of a stretch but I'm certain we would have found a way to grasp defeat from the jaws of victory....
Indiana players (state of) are better than people realize... That's why "the" O$U, Notre Dame, Iowa and several other FBS teams across the country routinely sign recruits from here (in Indiana),
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There’s a much higher volume of good players in Florida. Would be very interesting to see where our top 10 in-state kids wind up on a Florida list of top players. I’m guessing very few would be in the top 10.
I never said we had more than FL... I do say we have more than people seem to realize... Problem is they head out of state to play ball...
I'm sure there is. There's like 5 times more people in Florida.
The only team in our league that has consistently stayed at the very top is Ohio State. Even under Earl Bruce and John Cooper, they were still competing for the top. Michigan dropped occasionally, but nit much and never for long. Penn State has never been as good as they wanted to be. Wisconsin used to be awful, then got good. Minnesota used to be good and then got awful. We’ve risen up to the top once under Mallory and lost to Mandarich. If NIL and portal continues to have the same impact, we will float between upper middle-class and the bottom. But if the NCAA ever creates a level playing field, there’s no reason why we can’t win the Big Ten.
Also, some of the strategy with the new commits that were previously JMU targets could be to put pressure on the portal guys to opt out sooner - “ok we understand that you might want to look around given the circumstances, but look, we’re recruiting and might not have a spot for you for much longer”
Agree - this isn't an overnight fix. Next year may be a little choppy but step by step we won't be picking all the mid-major type recruits (I would assume) if CC can establish what we all think he is capable of doing.
Pat Fitzgerald regularly won with 2 and 3 star recruits. It can definitely be done. That said Im betting Coach will up the recruiting game. Probably mainly with transfers this year. Then higher ranked high school guys next year. Right now he is getting the guys he was recruiting to JMU that he believes can compete in the BIG.
The players who he recruited with JMU were the players he had developed a relationship with so it makes sense that most of our initial recruits would be either portal transfers from JMU or those who had previously committed to JMU.
Other players in the portal would likely take a little longer to recruit or buy (NIL).
Other players in the portal would likely take a little longer to recruit or buy (NIL).
Would Sun Belt players be able to beat Akron without going to OT?
I have the feeling JMU would have beaten Akron without needing an OT
Lottery is about right…he made a huge and risky bet on MP staying healthy and getting right mentally and it hit for him.
YES!!! Depending on how many and who IU surrounds them with . . . So, my answer is as clear as mud. LOL
Am I the only one who thinks most Indiana 4 stars have been overrated for a long time? Let’s check.
Dj Moore- gone?
Omar Cooper- I think he will be good the next few years.
Dasan Mcculough….
McCulley- wish he stayed
Cam Williams- was he ever here
Sampson James- yep
Beau Robbins- nothing
Dominique Booth
Tim Gardener
Darius Latham
David Kenney
Antonio Allen
That’s a sad list. If you want to be depressed, go through the last 10 years commits from Indiana, at any star level. I’m amazed how many we never even saw play a meaningful down of football. Compare them to Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Illinois, Ohio and Michigan, and it’s not close. Indiana is the worst by far. And 4 star or high three star qbs from Indiana have been really bad. Remember Brandon Peters and Hunter Johnson?
That's not saying much vs the worst team in the Big 10, so you are saying pick the low hanging Sun Belt type recruits and we will win the championship
CCC has got to start somewhere, right? He's needs to build a roster fast and I think it's a good endorsement that these players want to follow him and the coaching staff. Plenty of 3 stars have had good success in Power 5 football. I'm still hoping McCulley and a few lineman return... haven't seen anything on him yet.
Recruiting so far has been underwhelming. All 4-5 days...
No, you can't win at the Big 10 level with MAC level or Sun Belt level, consistently. You can win in years where you hit on more reaches who have developed, or are upperclassmen.
But it's super early.
I wish he had some sort of awesome 5 star rush from every other power 5 team to join Indiana.. I mean the kids should be doing that, they just don't know it yet!
I don't mind who we have. Players the staff knew about and believe in. We'll find out for real on signing days. And, it's just year one. For real, real, will be in a few years when we see if these frosh developed, plus we'll see what future classes and portal picks look like.
No, you can't win at the Big 10 level with MAC level or Sun Belt level, consistently. You can win in years where you hit on more reaches who have developed, or are upperclassmen.
But it's super early.
I wish he had some sort of awesome 5 star rush from every other power 5 team to join Indiana.. I mean the kids should be doing that, they just don't know it yet!
I don't mind who we have. Players the staff knew about and believe in. We'll find out for real on signing days. And, it's just year one. For real, real, will be in a few years when we see if these frosh developed, plus we'll see what future classes and portal picks look like.
Washington has a 5-star QB waiting. He signed not know of Penix's banquet announcement that he would stay this year. The kid did not leave but practiced and sit the bench. Washington football is not a one or two year wonder. I have followed them for over 30 years since my days of living out there. Their OL recruiting is always consistently good, RBs and many DBs in the NFL. That QB for the Bengals was a no-name to most but he played at UDub. They might not be top 4 like now but they will be good year after year if their HC stays there and there is no reason he won't. But Peterson left his dream job unexpectedly so you never know what a coach will do.
Coach Mallory not only brought his NIU staff, but also brought in quite a few of the guys they had been recruiting there in his first IU class, signing them in Feb of ‘84, just 2 months after getting the job in December ‘83. Many of those guys were weren’t highly thought of for Big Ten recruits, but were foundational members here of much better teams to come in ‘86-‘88. Chicago-area guys were Radtke, Schroeder, Buford, Ferry, Mitchell. Also in that class were DeWitz and Jorden from OH; Fryar and EJ from Indiana. Everyone of these guys were 2-4 year starters on 3 bowl teams.
A little known fact on recruiting Anthony Thompson was how impressed he was with the red-shirting of the OL by Coach Mallory/Stripling. In fact, the entire recruiting class was red-shirted in 1984.
So many experts on this thread. I'll let coach pick his roster. I'll watch the end result next fall. I wouldn't be surprised if he picks up some talent in the spring..
South Alabama, a Sunbelt team, had three drafted in 2023 in the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th rounds respectively.
Indiana, a B1G school, (couldn't resist) is showing free agents but I couldn't find anyone drafted in 2023.
I personally am not sweating the talent. Many players transfer to Sunbelt after they spend time at power 5 schools.
CCC has never had a losing record. I'll go with his choices and see where we land. Can't be much worse. Go Hoosiers!
Indiana, a B1G school, (couldn't resist) is showing free agents but I couldn't find anyone drafted in 2023.
I personally am not sweating the talent. Many players transfer to Sunbelt after they spend time at power 5 schools.
CCC has never had a losing record. I'll go with his choices and see where we land. Can't be much worse. Go Hoosiers!
The best on Sun Belt teams are probably every bit as good as the bottom of big ten teams. And maybe even better than most on some of the lower end big ten teams.
Our best case scenario is having a coach that can find talent that higher level programs overlooked. I have faith CCC can put together a team that is more talented next year than we had this year even if on paper it doesn't look that way. He has a history of success that you don't get if you stink at recruiting.
Our best case scenario is having a coach that can find talent that higher level programs overlooked. I have faith CCC can put together a team that is more talented next year than we had this year even if on paper it doesn't look that way. He has a history of success that you don't get if you stink at recruiting.
