It just takes a little time to straighten out the inherited problems . BN will right the program but it's really tough when your biggest enemy is the NC. Basketball is ok but needs players to man up and play like they're capable of playing.
While I don't think a protest needs to be staged, it's silly to think that this isn't going to have repercussions in recruiting going forward. We may have avoided a locker room issue, but there is no universe where the program walks away from this un-scathed. I'm sure there is plenty of blame to go around but I don't see why the current coaching staff should get a complete pass here. They may not deserve the lion's share of the blame but we certainly need to learn to move on from bag chasers more quickly so we don't end up in this situation again.
One opinion that keeps being made that I do not agree with or understand. It seems that a lot of people think the Rashada debacle is going to severely damage our recruiting. While I agree it certainly won’t enhance our image it hasn’t, and won’t keep us from recruiting effectively. If the University of Miami can land a too 5 recruiting class with the negatives they are burdened with, (no on-campus stadium and pitiful attendance) so can we. The University of Florida has a lot to offer prospective football recruits, (I used to refer to them as prospective student/athletes). With the positive attitude and enthusiasm that BN and staff exhibit and the remarkable facilities and training program we have in place we will succeed. A few Negative Nelsons among our base does more damage to our program than the Rashada incident.
Its a scandal whether we agree on it or not. Its embarrassing to the university no matter who is actually at fault. Also, come on...the AD is not somehow involved or in the know about NIL deals...nobody believes that.
I'm going to have to respectfully disagree. I believe that in today's environment kids are way more concerned about getting those NIL dollars than what the fan base is like (or any other aspect of a school) . Any chance that deals my fall through will give them pause. You brought up Miami, so let's pull on that thread. As you pointed out they have a lot of negatives but still recruited well this cycle. Why is that. My guess is that it is money. We have a lot to offer, sure. But with the current environment the money is driving factor. I do want to be clear, I believe that the issue is with the Rashada camp and not UF. I am also not saying that we won't be able to recruit. I am saying that this is an additional obstacle to recruiting, that there will be agents steering recruits away from UF, and that this is much bigger than fan base. Just my opinion though.
Yeah, I don't think I could possibly disagree more. If you don't think that the perception (true or not) of having a dysfunctional collective/NIL is going to hurt us in recruiting, then I don't know what to tell you. It will certainly be used against us by our competitors. Also, the facilities and positive attitude only go so far. Eventually, the excitement around the program is dictated by the on-field results. New coaching staffs only have a short window to make the argument that they are a team "on the rise." I'm not saying this coaching staff can't rack up the wins but they are working against that same clock that all new coaching staffs work under. As to your last point, I think it's just way off base. Every fanbase has negative nellies and sunshine pumpers. Sure, players see comments on social media but it's a small part of their overall experience once they are in a program. Being part of a winning team and having trust across all the organizations and institutions that actually impact the student-athlete experience are far more important than what a few knuckleheads on Twitter have to say.
I didn’t say or imply that a dysfunctional NIL system would not have a negative impact. I said if UM can still have a top 5 recruiting class with the negatives they have we can overcome ours too. Our inability to use the NIL/collective effectively at this point is a problem: I’ll even say a significant problem, not a death blow. As for every fan base having fans of positive and negative feelings toward their respective programs, that’s a given. Constructive criticism is valuable. But please don’t try and convince me that negativity is a stronger attribute. It just ain’t so. And I might add that prospective players seeing a great deal of negativity on a social media site isn’t necessarily a deal breaker either but it can’t help. I guess I’m am a “sunshine pumper”. When your station in life is on the shady side of the mountain you look for the positives rather than dwell on the negatives. But then, I have always been that way and I make no apologies for it.
Miami is recruiting well bc it has strong NIL (pay to play). Money right now is a major consideration for good recruits. Things like facilities are minor at this stage. Probably a tiebreaker once $ and things like fit come into play
Money is a big driver but so is the ability to get playing time. While the Rashada deal is egg on our face, another recruit could look at the situation and see a path toward playing time (forgetting about Lagway for a minute). This is why so many players go into the portal. At a certain point a school is not going to be able to hoard recruits without them transferring particularly at QB.
Heupel was at UCF where he inherited a 13-0 team and went 12-1, 10-2, and 6-4. UCF fans *and players* openly expressed glee when he left. Let's let it play out before anointing him a great hire because most coaches in the SEC have surged in their second year and slumped in the third, and Heupel's record as a HC doesn't exactly scream "development".
Think you guys are being super harsh on him in the ratings. Don’t need to agree with him but the vitriol about it is extra. He is making a point that you might not agree with but just counter point. I think he’s being beaten up for not much.
After reading my post I’m inclined to agree, Crusher. My wife tells me frequently that I never know when to stop talking.
