Portal in for 2025

[Jssanto]

I saw the Hoosier huddle article about portal guys in. Some had portal grades. Top 3 were QB, WR, and OL. Does anyone know how that grading works?
I really thought O’Rourke had a super high IQ. He just seemed to not make mistakes. Not to mention playing with a torn ACL and the last three games with a bad thumb. Seems a high bar for Mendoza to match.

 

[76-1]

I saw the Hoosier huddle article about portal guys in. Some had portal grades. Top 3 were QB, WR, and OL. Does anyone know how that grading works?
I really thought O’Rourke had a super high IQ. He just seemed to not make mistakes. Not to mention playing with a torn ACL and the last three games with a bad thumb. Seems a high bar for Mendoza to match.

You're just begging me to write my annual "I'm not sure these guys are good enough to play in the Big Ten" aren't you... 😉

I admit I'm being lazy... I'll try to get around to it sometime soon...

🍺🏈🍺

 

[82hoosier]

It is ironic that three players from James Madison University (I.e. not good enough to get a Power 5 scholarship) follow their coach to Indiana and somehow transform themselves to All American status.

 

[red hornet]

Development of talent. Who's joining them this year? Coogan, Carter Smith, Fernando?

 

[Hoosier Clarion]

Development of talent. Who's joining them this year? Coogan, Carter Smith, Fernando?

...and initially owning evaluation skills so good as to recognize who can absorb the most development to return next level results...

 

[Grateful Redbeard]

I saw the Hoosier huddle article about portal guys in. Some had portal grades. Top 3 were QB, WR, and OL. Does anyone know how that grading works?
I really thought O’Rourke had a super high IQ. He just seemed to not make mistakes. Not to mention playing with a torn ACL and the last three games with a bad thumb. Seems a high bar for Mendoza to match.

I've broken this down in other threads quite a bit and have all the stats to back this up, but there are 2 main things to consider when discussing Rourke's (O'Rourke ) success last year and predicting Mendoza's success next season. 1st is that Coach Cig has a phenomenal record of elevating his starting QB's play and has had multiple, like 6, 1st team all conference QB's as a HC. 3 of them won POTY. Rourke played his best season ever by far in his one and only season under Cig and there is no reason to believe that Mendoza won't make the same leap as so many other QB's have done under Cig's tutelage. 2nd is that Mendoza is only a sophomore, so when comparing him to Rourke at the same stage in their careers, you can clearly see that Mendoza compiled far superior stats. He also did that in the P12 and the ACC, which is a lot better competition than the MAC.

Rourke was ranked #21 last year for portal QB's on 247 and Mendoza was ranked #3 this year. On3 has a composite from multiple ratings sites for overall rankings and Rourke was #441 last year and Mendoza was #20 this year. On3 had Rourke as the #17 QB and Mendoza at #5 this year. Mendoza is the best QB Cig has ever recruited as a HC. Cig has a 20+ year proven track record of getting his QB's to excel and I'm not betting against him now. Mendoza will get the best coaching he's ever had and be given an offense that highlights his strengths. That's what Cig does for his QB's every season and the results have been beyond impressive.

I'm an eternal optimist since I'm a lifelong IU football fan, but I say this without my crimson colored glasses: There is every single reason to believe that Mendoza will have a better season this year than Rourke did last year.

 

[812jmac]

I'm an eternal optimist since I'm a lifelong IU football fan, but I say this without my crimson colored glasses: There is every single reason to believe that Mendoza will have a better season this year than Rourke did last year.

And if that is the case, what a year it will be!

 

[Baller23Boogie]

Out of all the kids that we got from the portal, only three didn't start most of the year for their former team and were highly productive last year.

Two were hurt all or most of the year last year and one played for the national champion on the offensive line.

We did pretty well, I think.

 

[Jssanto]

I have always felt a difference between us and the OSU and UMich, etc was depth. When they bring in a back up there is minimal talent drop off. Hopefully we are moving in that direction. Injuries are always going to happen. Our three RBs last year kept people fresh and running hard which is a big aid to the passing game.
Looking forward to spring ball to see what we have.

 

[vesuvius13]

I think the players coming back and the portal players, the team will be better this year. We will have to wait until gets going, about the Illinois game, to know if it is better.