That's what it seemed to me. Still weren't getting pressure from the edges but weirdly, seemed more like coverage sacks from a depleted secondary.
Virgil, Sowell, and Smith off the board. Who is up next? Realistically?? Hartline looking around at coaching openings. Could Jeremiah Smith be in play? Hey, one can dream.
Not saying we get this guy but this is why I’m not freaking out yet about the portal lots of guys still going to enter I’m sure and some big names as well I’m sure. I did see the kid from Jax St going to Miami now, I wouldn’t have minded getting him though.
We've certainly lost a lot more than we've gained...seems like we'd be an attractive destination, mebbe we're out of $$?
You really think we are done? There's going to be tons of portal talent still to be had. If they fall short then I'll gripe right along with you but people need to chill a bit. I don't like losing developmental talent like Collins, Searcy, etc but everybody is losing players right now. The new age of compete football. I don't like it and if it becomes one and done every year I'll just stop following
Realistically who were Collins and Searcy beating out next year to take starter's minutes? They both still need a lot of development. They can't get AllAmerican Freshmen salaries anymore.
Everyone who leaves frees up some $$. You then add to it to bring it to today's market value. While there are a few teams that will outspend us, I don't find it likely the NIL money at UF would be so low as to not secure top-level talent. There's still a lot of players to hit the portal particularly starters who are in the playoff. I think it is all about the evaluations, really. UF can be competitive with their NIL, but I don't think they have the funds to just throw around based on someone else's opinion of a player in the portal if their evals don't line up.
Its not just about starters though. Also, players have breakout seasons after years in a system. How bad was Chauncey Gardner his junior year? How important was he his last year? Collins was playing out of position but was good enough his freshman year outside to make the freshman all-sec team. People flipped the script on George when he dipped in the portal. Everyone wanted him back because he was good as a guard and terrible as a tackle. Look, it's the way it is in today's game. I get that and accept it. I just think the flippant excuses why they left like they feared competition, or they didn't pan out are just that. Doesn't change anything one way or the other but this Is a discussion board so I discuss.
