My mind instantly goes back to Bryce Brown and that recruiting fiasco. I've been nervous since the day he signed, hoping that the Boy Wonder and the Ogre didn't hand over a suitcase full of cash to him and his uncle. Every year that passes, I feel better than nothing comes out.
But, that mentality not only causes the best to come out in a player. It also causes rifts among teammates. Remember when Tauren Poole told Kiffin to shove it at the end of a game and refused to go in and play during scrub time? Don't know the specifics, but my experience tells me that Bryce Brown promises caused that rift.
Montario had NO business being a "co-starter" w BB. But that's what CLK called him. He was head and shoulders better than the FR. And Poole had a very productive year the next season with Doolittle. The reality was that Poole who had far more work put in to earn that truly "2nd string" on the depth chart. Second string RB means you're counted on heavily to win games. 3rd string means you basically get scrub time and wait for an injury to get on the field. Poole was probably better than BB in pass protections, running, receiving, and the playbook. BB obviously had better upside, but probably not as a true FR w a month of fall camp, dorm move in and class schedules (& Lacy Pearl).
I wasn't there, so I can't be for certain. But, it appeared Kiffin made a lot of promises to BB and his "agent". I hope we never find out about any other benefits. We saw him transfer immediately which indicates "loss of entitlement". We saw obvious locker room dissension.
What it all boils down to me is ... had BB went elsewhere to get guarantees, that team would have probably been better with a dedicated 3* RB 2nd on the depth chart.
