We've been told the idea was: apply the buyout money to NIL. Which is intriguing: it is a believable, easy-to-repeat story specifically designed to attract elite interest. What I haven't heard was: it's a 7 year contract. There would be a buyout (lower) next season. Did Billy agree to forgo some money, like Harbaugh when he took a 50% pay cut? If so, I'd love to hear that story. It's a "scared money don't make money" straight out of his own money.
I still think it's smoke and mirrors with lagway at the helm. Dude is just that good and finds a way to be productive and get it done. He just seems to have the it factor. Without him, this team isn't good at any phase of the game, not sure why he impacts the defense so much, but clearly we aren't a good football team if he isn't in uniform lined up as the starter. Maybe giving the keys to Mertz from day 1 was the mistake. DJ probably wasn't ready, but clearly nobody was.
I may be crazy but I feel like the playcalling has gotten a lot better, which is not something I expected. I'm more concerned where the recruiting is. I expected Napier to be a CEO coach who was a good recruiter and he has turned into a decent playcalling head coach with mid at best recruiting.
Wouldn't be surprised to see Callaway getting promoted to solo OC; either by design or by default if a good hire isn't available. But I suppose that would mean Sale loses Co-OC title.
As far as the mid recruiting. We have 13th ranked composite roster according to 247 with few seniors.. All Napier. We had arguably top 5 recruit on offense (lagway) and D (Mccray) last year. I wouldn't call that mid at best. You also can't go by this year to date. We need to see how the roster pans out after Feb signing day and transfer portal closure. I would say a lot depends on our Ole Miss game.. If we do pull the upset, recruiting will take off. IMO
Winning Saturday would be a boost. But just Be competitive against ole miss and beat FSU and we'll be fine with recruiting after it all shakes out. We'll never be in top 5 without a large budget to match same as always.
I think he did a really nice job on Saturday. However, I think our offensive scheme is, at best, banal. And, look at the overall product this year, and over the three years he’s called the plays here — head-scratching calls, bad-looking plays. I think with Lagway, we can be so much more exciting and formidable with an elite OC.
I have wondered if IU is a wealthy school in regards to NIL. That could level the playing field a bit. When you add high level coaching to a large bank account for acquiring talent, big names mean less. Not that they mean nothing, just less.
I always kind of thought play calling was limited based on QB skill as opposed to coaching skill (aside from SOME obviously bad calls). Mertz is not accurate downfield but he was very accurate short. Now we have a QB that is very accurate down field which opens up the playbook instead of short/lateral passes. Have we even thrown a WR screen since DJ has been in?
For play calling, I think both James' (GNFP and Gator Gameday) film breakdowns agree that running game has creative stuff and they like much of the play calling. Case in point: breakdown of the long Baugh touchdown and how it came from something earlier in the year. GNFP wants way more spread. And more middle of the field passing. He also gets wound up when we have two receivers in the same spot. And of course: throwing 3 yards on third and 9 (but who knows if that's the play call) or giving 12 yards DB cushion when they have 3rd and 9. IMO, some of us barely know what is the play call, whether the QB checked out of it, or whether somebody blew an assignment (me especially.) But we know the bad results.
You can and I have on occasions — but that doesn’t keep them from polluting the board with their trash
