'25 Portal Thread

[MarcoVol]

Refer to the Iowa offense to get an idea of what things may look like

lol I feel like people really believe this. Like those are the only 2 guys capable of being productive WR. There are 6,000 players in the portal with more to come.

 

[volunteerfan94]

More WR’s will enter the portal after the bowl games

Don’t bring logic into this conversation. That couldn’t ever be the reason that AP didn’t say names either..

 

[DaddyChad]

AP was talking about WRs. I find it interesting he didn’t mention names, usually he does if they are just targets.

Just weird he’s keeping it under wraps unless those WRs he’s referring to are already secretly committed

Possible they are still trying to get Matthews back and don’t want to name anyone that might compete with him for snaps.

Other scenario is the wide receivers are still playing on teams that are competing in post season play.

 

[Orange_Crush]

Hope you’re right, and this is an intentional overhaul (although I am sure the Matthews situation is not). I know A LOT of DB’s left last year, but don’t think we stripped it down to 2 returning DB’s and 3 freshmen on the upcoming roster.

What about the other point regarding Nico?

How so? He's staying. Seems to pour water on your hot takes.

What point?

 

[DaddyChad]

* Spyre isn’t the issue, it’s our recruiting/development of those recruits. He seems to be adamant change needs to happen with our offensive staff.
* Defensive staff have kept guys who could make more $ elsewhere but they stay because they’re being developed.
* CJH development as a coach will be his willingness to adapt; includes staffing changes, offensive philosophy adjustments, etc.
* Don’t forget how far we’ve came the last 4 years…but still work to be done to reach the level we want.

All of that is rational but it’s kind of preaching to the choir or catering to the audience. Entirely possible that Heupel has a different opinion.

 

[dmwvol12]

What if Matthews goes in portal and we don't get Branch

Then they will target someone else.

 

[Tennessee Golfer]

What if Matthews goes in portal and we don't get Branch

 

[DaddyChad]

Man, we had receivers running wide open all year, and were among the elite in rushing O.

It's not philosophy. It's execution. If Nico can deliver on time and accurately and the receivers can catch the ball...

You’re not wrong. WRs have to also get open. We had guys like Thornton that occasionally got wide open but not like Hyatt. He just scorched people.

 

[MarcoVol]

Hope you’re right, and this is an intentional overhaul (although I am sure the Matthews situation is not). I know A LOT of DB’s left last year, but don’t think we stripped it down to 2 returning DB’s and 3 freshmen on the upcoming roster.

What about the other point regarding Nico?

Along with like 7 transfers out of the DB room last year we also lost GJL, Dee Williams, Hadden to eligibility. It was a mass exodus and these same type of convos were had on this board.

 

[Orange_Crush]

Along with like 7 transfers out of the DB room last year we also lost GJL, Dee Williams, Hadden to eligibility. It was a mass exodus and these same type of convos were had on this board.

Again... Does damage to the assumption that: If we can't retain our guys how can we expect to get other teams' guys?" We literally did it last year.

 

[MarcoVol]

Possible they are still trying to get Matthews back and don’t want to name anyone that might compete with him for snaps.

Other scenario is the wide receivers are still playing on teams that are competing in post season play.

Funniest way this scenario could play out is MM is back but a portal guy takes his snaps bc MM doesn’t beat him out. VN would handle that so well!

 

[KB5252]

You want surety when the start of the conversation was imaginary hand-wringing about our staff's ability to get talent?

I'm asking the question because I've seen it repeated a lot here. I'm not so sure we didn't want to, and try to keep Squirrel here.

 

[KB5252]

What if the US is hit by an EMP bomb and none of this matters?

What if we kept the forum on topic?

 

[TheMookieMonster]

With basically our entire receiving room leaving this off-season, I would like Heupel to tell me what exactly Kelsey Pope offers this program. I’m sorry, but he is terrible. If I was as bad at my job as he is at his, I’d be fired. What more needs to be said other than no one wants to play for him? With Matthews leaving, the one point in his favor people kept saying “we haven’t lost anyone of value” is no longer true.

 

[MarcoVol]

I'm asking the question because I've seen it repeated a lot here. I'm not so sure we didn't want to, and try to keep Squirrel here.

I’m not sure we didn’t want to and try to keep some DBs last year. Either way it’s done. Everyone can be replaced now.

 

[MrVolton]

What point?

Look, I hope you’re right. I think Huepel has done an awesome job here, and I still believe he’s the guy until proven otherwise.

There is just too much smoke around issues and apparent lack of development on the offensive side of the ball to ignore. And I don’t think we are dealing with the same situation at WR that we were last year at DB.

Call it handwringing all you want, I was just posing a relevant question on a message board.

 

[knoxvol52]

What if the US is hit by an EMP bomb and none of this matters?

What if a Chinese Hacker hacks into US Treasury? Wait one already has done it..

 

[Orange_Crush]

I once told my wife: "When you worry about the money I spend on guitars, you have to consider all the money I *haven't* spent on guitars."

As you guys claim that we can't retain our players because some of them have left, you need to consider all the players that aren't leaving. I mean, my goodness, guys... Recruiting these days includes having to re-recruit your entire team every year.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Refer to the Iowa offense to get an idea of what things may look like

Good lord put down the booze

 

[MrVolton]

What point?

Does the fact that Nico and fam met with coaches to determine how the situations at WR and OL will be addressed not raise any red flags for you?

Sounds like QB1 questioning these things did more to push Matthews out the door than any negative postings by randos on a message board did.

 

[RiseToTheTop]

At the point I don’t really care if MM is back or not. It’s all moot at this point. Ready for collective bargaining, player unions, and binding contracts.

Youll care when you see the offense

 

[MarcoVol]

Look, I hope you’re right. I think Huepel has done an awesome job here, and I still believe he’s the guy until proven otherwise.

There is just too much smoke around issues and apparent lack of development on the offensive side of the ball to ignore. And I don’t think we are dealing with the same situation at WR that we were last year at DB.

Call it handwringing all you want, I was just posing a relevant question on a message board.

“Too much smoke”. From who?

Again, all the same stuff was said about DB room literally last year.

“Martinez can’t develop”

“Martinez can’t coach”

“Martinez can’t recruit”

“No db will want to play for Martinez”

And guess what…we upgraded.

 

[Orange_Crush]

Look, I hope you’re right. I think Huepel has done an awesome job here, and I still believe he’s the guy until proven otherwise.

There is just too much smoke around issues and apparent lack of development on the offensive side of the ball to ignore. And I don’t think we are dealing with the same situation at WR that we were last year at DB.

Call it handwringing all you want, I was just posing a relevant question on a message board.

WIth all due respect, your ability to ignore logic doesn't make me worry too much about what you think. You claimed that we can't retain, and used an example of the most important player on the team, that we retained. Your logic was that we're losing an entire position group, so you don't trust the staff's abilities to get quality replacements. When given an example of the EXACT SAME thing happening last year, while flipping a mediocre position group into a strength of the defense, you shrug if off and basically just retort, "Yah, but I think..."

It wasn't so much a question, as a baseless accusation toward the staff. Your stubborn position (and refusal to let facts answer it) basically proves it as such.

It is handwringing. And your stubborn position indicates a desire to keep doing it. But like I said, you're free to do so. Just expect those of us who are sick and tired of it to point and call it out.

 

[DaddyChad]

Funniest way this scenario could play out is MM is back but a portal guy takes his snaps bc MM doesn’t beat him out. VN would handle that so well!

Kind of depends on if it’s a guy that is decisively better. But there will be people that raise hell regardless. It’s all some people know.

 

[VolGee4]

It would be ironic to lose the most promising young receiver you have when moving toward a youth movement at his position........... The situations are very different.

Not really. Matthews is the only one.

People just want to make it different.