A new topic for this one, because it didn't affect my team for the bowls, but will for 2019. AA tight end Jace Sternberger is forgoing his senior year, and jumping into the draft. Not a total shock. He MIGHT raise his stock by staying and demonstrating he's a full service blocker, but then again maybe not. He improved a lot in this area as the season went on. No need to demonstrate anything with his route running or catch radius... that was superb all season. We do have some young TE's to replace him, so while sorry to see him go, we're not in terrible shape. The big hit (and a bit of a suprise) is LB Tyrel Dodson declaring. He was THE MAN for us at LB, and would have been a real stabilizer as we try to integrate all the new young talent. Now we've got to rely on the twice injured Anthony Hines and first time bowl starter Buddy Johnson to get everyone in place. Still waiting to hear if Center Eric McCoy and of course RB Trayveon Williams declare. Pretty sure TW is gone, but hard to blame him.
It's a factor in building your team that's for sure. Guys who are just reaching their peak and could really help if they stayed for the senior year, but leave for the NFL sometimes leave holes that are tough to fill. Coaches no doubt have to think ahead when they are recruiting about which of their eligible players might opt to leave early and have younger players ready. Sometimes kids leave because they just want to focus on football and not go to class. Every year there are kids who opt for the NFL draft and aren't even drafted. It's a head scratcher what made them think they were going to be drafted, but a lot of times they end up on practice squads and they get paid (in 2018) a min of 7600.00 a week. ND's Josh Adams a RB opted to leave early and wasn't drafted. He ended up on the Eagles practice squad and eventually got on the regular roster when injuries started happening. So in the end it worked out pretty well for him. But the Irish could have really used him this past year, we were very thin in experience RB's. But again I don't blame him for leaving, esp RB's have a short life span so getting to the NFL younger is better and not many are going to play themselves into the 1st round. I think Linemen both OL and DL can improve themselves by staying the 4 years, in most cases, they get older and more mature physically and for a lineman that's important. What's troubling is all the early bailing on teams of QB's. At Texas both of our younger QB's who people thought a lot of have put their names in the Portal, doesn't mean they will leave but it's pretty likely. That pretty much means next year it's Sam, Shane Buechele and a true freshman . There is a lot of talk about new rules to make it better and easier on players to transfer, which seems fair but is another disruptive factor. I have to say I do like the Portal. in the past kids who were wanting to transfer couldn't have any contact with teams they might like to play for, well you know that all sorts of stuff went on behind the scenes. So now you put your name in the portal and teams can contact you and it's all above board. I do think that's a good thing for everybody.
Yeah it has changed the dynamic of reshirting also. If you redshirt a very good player, he may end up playing only 2 yrs instead of 3.
I can add to that Terry. There are also the players who want a chance to take care of their families for once. Dodson falls into that category for us. He has a daughter and also wants to give back to his Mom and Grandmother. He got an eval of 3rd round, so I can't fault him for wanting to help out now.
I was shooting the breeze with Huskerman after the ND game and I mentioned that I firmly believe any player that refuses to compete and is healthy should be barred from any further NCAA sanctioned events, and that includes the Senior Bowl in Montgomery. I know most of you will yawn at that, but that's a weeks worth of dedicated work with real NFL scouts and coaches. It won't make a difference for the 1st round guys, but those guys looking at rounds 2-4 and on down, it might make them think about it.
That's a good idea, Corey. I don't think that any other college sport is having this issue. I guess there would have to be some process where the school declares them healthy or something and maybe cancels their scholarship.
I was lucky - my juniors all played in the bowl game. No problem with Corey's idea. Not sure it would help, but it couldn't hurt.
The senior bowl is an NCAA sanctioned event? Why, it's all guys who are not coming back to play, and it's run by NFL coaching staffs? While it's a new situation the last few years, I doubt if we'll ever see a player decline to participate if he is planing on coming back to the team for another year. What we may see is kids declining to participate who are planing on transferring, actually while I can't point to a particular kid I think this has happened where a kid quit the team and transferred. I think it'd be bad for the NCAA to tell a kid who quit on his team he couldn't transfer and play. Already there is a lot of sentiment that the kids get screwed every which way, with coaches being able to move to another school at will with no consequences, and kids not getting a fair share of the profits, etc.
The kids get a free college education and an apprenticeship to the NFL in exchange for playing football.
You're preaching to the choir here, but the narrative is not going that way. It's the players are making millions for the Universities and they can't afford to take their girlfriend to the movies.
Agree with Kyle... Not just a free education, but a TON of extra assistance that most regular students don't. Anyone who thinks the kids are getting the shaft aren't writing checks for their own to attend.
Have you guys ever seen or heard of the contents of the SWAG bags these guys get for going to bowl games?
I have always been opposed to paying the players in the form of a salary. Once you cross that bridge there is no return. Collective bargaining and free agency are right around the corner because the education component will all but be removed. As it is now they are provided free educational opportunities that many cannot afford, they are given all kinds of perks, clothing, travel, gifts not to mention the adulation of the masses. Every time you see these kids walking into a stadium they are wearing $1000 suits, sporting expensive head phones , jewelry and tats. The concept of the student athlete has been bastardized to the breaking point already. Face it, in most cases you really have to stretch your imagination to really believe that they are giving their all for the dear old University. And I think the level of play is suffering because so many players are leaving early.