2025 Strategy Shift? | Syracusefan.com

2025 Strategy Shift?

bnoro

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Had this conversation with friends this weekend and it makes A TON of sense. I'll also caveat this with THERE IS NO INSIDE INFO HERE. This is purely opinion.

We currently have 33 commits for 2025, and are still recruiting a few others. Provided they all sign on signing day, there will be some guys getting "the talk" in the offseason. My guess is the majority of those will be junior and senior players.

I don't believe we are punting on the 2025 season, however, we are playing Tennessee, Clemson, @ND, @Miami, @GT, @SMU. The odds of us having a 8 win season are SLIGHT, but I think we should be able to make a bowl. A tough schedule will pressure test players and hopefully let the cream rise to the top.

In my mind, what the plan is for next year is
- Bank as much NIL money as possible for 2026/27, while bringing in as many HS players as possible. The more kids you bring in, the better chances you have of hitting on some legitimate stars.
- Bring in transfers that have AT LEAST two or three seasons of eligibility remaining
- Give kids that aren't good enough "the talk"
- Get enough game tape from Jakhari/Prospective Transfer to see if one of them is "the guy" at QB

Then, you can go into 2026 with playoff aspirations.

I believe Fran is too competitive to completely punt, but I think at a school with limited resources you have to be as resourceful as possible. Thoughts? Is this crazy?
 
Had this conversation with friends this weekend and it makes A TON of sense. I'll also caveat this with THERE IS NO INSIDE INFO HERE. This is purely opinion.

We currently have 33 commits for 2025, and are still recruiting a few others. Provided they all sign on signing day, there will be some guys getting "the talk" in the offseason. My guess is the majority of those will be junior and senior players.

I don't believe we are punting on the 2025 season, however, we are playing Tennessee, Clemson, @ND, @Miami, @GT, @SMU. The odds of us having a 8 win season are SLIGHT, but I think we should be able to make a bowl. A tough schedule will pressure test players and hopefully let the cream rise to the top.

In my mind, what the plan is for next year is
- Bank as much NIL money as possible for 2026/27, while bringing in as many HS players as possible. The more kids you bring in, the better chances you have of hitting on some legitimate stars.
- Bring in transfers that have AT LEAST two or three seasons of eligibility remaining
- Give kids that aren't good enough "the talk"
- Get enough game tape from Jakhari/Prospective Transfer to see if one of them is "the guy" at QB

Then, you can go into 2026 with playoff aspirations.

I believe Fran is too competitive to completely punt, but I think at a school with limited resources you have to be as resourceful as possible. Thoughts? Is this crazy?

I think you’re dead on with what the strategy is
 
Had this conversation with friends this weekend and it makes A TON of sense. I'll also caveat this with THERE IS NO INSIDE INFO HERE. This is purely opinion.

We currently have 33 commits for 2025, and are still recruiting a few others. Provided they all sign on signing day, there will be some guys getting "the talk" in the offseason. My guess is the majority of those will be junior and senior players.

I don't believe we are punting on the 2025 season, however, we are playing Tennessee, Clemson, @ND, @Miami, @GT, @SMU. The odds of us having a 8 win season are SLIGHT, but I think we should be able to make a bowl. A tough schedule will pressure test players and hopefully let the cream rise to the top.

In my mind, what the plan is for next year is
- Bank as much NIL money as possible for 2026/27, while bringing in as many HS players as possible. The more kids you bring in, the better chances you have of hitting on some legitimate stars.
- Bring in transfers that have AT LEAST two or three seasons of eligibility remaining
- Give kids that aren't good enough "the talk"
- Get enough game tape from Jakhari/Prospective Transfer to see if one of them is "the guy" at QB

Then, you can go into 2026 with playoff aspirations.

I believe Fran is too competitive to completely punt, but I think at a school with limited resources you have to be as resourceful as possible. Thoughts? Is this crazy?
No it’s very plausible
 
Had this conversation with friends this weekend and it makes A TON of sense. I'll also caveat this with THERE IS NO INSIDE INFO HERE. This is purely opinion.

We currently have 33 commits for 2025, and are still recruiting a few others. Provided they all sign on signing day, there will be some guys getting "the talk" in the offseason. My guess is the majority of those will be junior and senior players.

I don't believe we are punting on the 2025 season, however, we are playing Tennessee, Clemson, @ND, @Miami, @GT, @SMU. The odds of us having a 8 win season are SLIGHT, but I think we should be able to make a bowl. A tough schedule will pressure test players and hopefully let the cream rise to the top.

In my mind, what the plan is for next year is
- Bank as much NIL money as possible for 2026/27, while bringing in as many HS players as possible. The more kids you bring in, the better chances you have of hitting on some legitimate stars.
- Bring in transfers that have AT LEAST two or three seasons of eligibility remaining
- Give kids that aren't good enough "the talk"
- Get enough game tape from Jakhari/Prospective Transfer to see if one of them is "the guy" at QB

Then, you can go into 2026 with playoff aspirations.

I believe Fran is too competitive to completely punt, but I think at a school with limited resources you have to be as resourceful as possible. Thoughts? Is this crazy?
I have had this thought once I saw how many high school commits they have been taking and how quickly they were. In the current landscape it's not a bad strategy at all.
 
Something like 22 out of our 33 commits that can sign on Wednesday are either OL, DL, or DB.

Curious how a couple of gaps on the OL and at safety are bridged next year, but there's lots of efforts to build for the future.
 
I agree. Replicate in 2025 what the team did in 2023 (except for maybe the bowl appearance) and it’s enough to keep the program upright for a huge counterpunch in 2026.
 
Ton of athletic and tall recruits in the 2025 class. Plus legitimate Day 1 Size at OL and DL.

2025 is very much a season to battle test a young roster for 2026 Dreams.
 
With the current roster we are lucky to get 6 Ws next year. We are adding four teams that on paper are better than anyone we played this year. We still have our two best teams from this year but on the road. Plus we still have two more teams that beat us but at home. Going 5-7 would be a decent job next year.

I do think there is some benefit to playing a bunch of young players next year to help mold them for the future. But that run would likely be 2027 not 2026.

Also there is the Nixon factor. We might have been a 7-5 team this year without him. Will he still be around in 2026 or 2027? If he goes that resets everything.

Not knowing which players or coaches stay, it is hard to plan long term. Gotta play for today. Also a bad year next year might make it harder to recruit both HS and the portal. We need to keep the momentum.
 
I have been thinking about this for a while now and I agree. I think 2026 is the year we go hard for a playoff spot. The 2026 class is already shaping up to be the best we have ever had, granted, it is still very early to declare that.
 
Maybe. Although I think it may be more of an opportunity to knock off some bigger teams. Schedule is hard, but still might be surprised some of these teams won’t be as good. Maybe better yes.

I think also as we’ve seen they kinda play better against better teams.
 
It makes sense to not put a majority of a limited amount of money into a season where you're not going to get a good return on investment.
I wonder if donors are ok with giving money that isn't being used immediately. I'm just assuming there are some people with a lot of money who want an oversized say in the direction of the team.
 
I think what I am most excited (underrated) about this offseason/next season is seeing Fran’s roster management of this current team.

Dino’s staff were collectively average recruiters at best and so they built the roster with whatever they could get. I’m not talking here about Fran’s ability to get 4-5 star players but instead seeing how he builds and manages the depth chart at every position. IMO, he has the ability as a recruiter to pick and choose what he wants. Forever here, it was the other way around. The end result was a poorly constructed team that would have top much depth at one position and not even close to as much at another. Didn’t we have like 5 specialists on scholarship one year?
 
I don’t think that’s Coach Fran’s plan.

We currently have 85 scholarship players. What do we have 14 seniors and 2 likely early entrees for the NFL draft. 85 - 16 = 69. Add in a few of our guy headed for the portal (some by choice and are being asked to go) and let’s say we have 65 returning players.

Roster are likely to expand to 105 players and all could be scholarship players in 2025. That’s 40 openings for the 2025 roster.

Even if we sign all 33 of the current commits, which isn’t likely, we will have room for approximately 7 guys from the portal.

Yes, we will probably not sign all 33 commits, but we will also probably flip a few recruits from other programs.

I have also heard a few of our walk-on ls have been told they may be put on partial scholarships if the rosters do expand to 105. This was a couple of months ago and looks more and more likely as time passes. This is one way SU can save a few bucks, keeps some talented guys who are familiar with the culture and expectations.

I hate to see guys leave the program, but I understand it if a player has been passed on the depth chart and doesn’t see a path to playing time. I also understand it if Coach Fran thinks he needs to encourage a few guys to move on so he can bring in players he thinks can help the team.

Either way, the numbers will work out. And, there is still another portal window in the spring.

It’s a business.


Go Orange!
 
Use the portal to get some experienced OL guys that are good run blocking. Feature Nix and Willis a lot while giving a new QB with multiple years of eligibility some time to find their legs/arm.
 
I don’t think that’s Coach Fran’s plan.

We currently have 85 scholarship players. What do we have 14 seniors and 2 likely early entrees for the NFL draft. 85 - 16 = 69. Add in a few of our guy headed for the portal (some by choice and are being asked to go) and let’s say we have 65 returning players.

Roster are likely to expand to 105 players and all could be scholarship players in 2025. That’s 40 openings for the 2025 roster.

Even if we sign all 33 of the current commits, which isn’t likely, we will have room for approximately 7 guys from the portal.

Yes, we will probably not sign all 33 commits, but we will also probably flip a few recruits from other programs.

I have also heard a few of our walk-on ls have been told they may be put on partial scholarships if the rosters do expand to 105. This was a couple of months ago and looks more and more likely as time passes. This is one way SU can save a few bucks, keeps some talented guys who are familiar with the culture and expectations.

I hate to see guys leave the program, but I understand it if a player has been passed on the depth chart and doesn’t see a path to playing time. I also understand it if Coach Fran thinks he needs to encourage a few guys to move on so he can bring in players he thinks can help the team.

Either way, the numbers will work out. And, there is still another portal window in the spring.

It’s a business.


Go Orange!
With what you said in regards to a “very promising young player might be entering the portal” do you know who it is and if so are you allowed to speak on it? Hopefully they decide to stay but it’s understandable with the portal some guys leaving.
 
I don’t think that’s Coach Fran’s plan.

We currently have 85 scholarship players. What do we have 14 seniors and 2 likely early entrees for the NFL draft. 85 - 16 = 69. Add in a few of our guy headed for the portal (some by choice and are being asked to go) and let’s say we have 65 returning players.

Roster are likely to expand to 105 players and all could be scholarship players in 2025. That’s 40 openings for the 2025 roster.

Even if we sign all 33 of the current commits, which isn’t likely, we will have room for approximately 7 guys from the portal.

Yes, we will probably not sign all 33 commits, but we will also probably flip a few recruits from other programs.

I have also heard a few of our walk-on ls have been told they may be put on partial scholarships if the rosters do expand to 105. This was a couple of months ago and looks more and more likely as time passes. This is one way SU can save a few bucks, keeps some talented guys who are familiar with the culture and expectations.

I hate to see guys leave the program, but I understand it if a player has been passed on the depth chart and doesn’t see a path to playing time. I also understand it if Coach Fran thinks he needs to encourage a few guys to move on so he can bring in players he thinks can help the team.

Either way, the numbers will work out. And, there is still another portal window in the spring.

It’s a business.


Go Orange!

Yeah, I've thought that the 33 player stockpile was more about the potential for 105 player rosters than it was about having the talk with a lot of players who bought in this year (sure there will that talk with some).

Is the 105 official?
 
I don’t think that’s Coach Fran’s plan.

We currently have 85 scholarship players. What do we have 14 seniors and 2 likely early entrees for the NFL draft. 85 - 16 = 69. Add in a few of our guy headed for the portal (some by choice and are being asked to go) and let’s say we have 65 returning players.

Roster are likely to expand to 105 players and all could be scholarship players in 2025. That’s 40 openings for the 2025 roster.

Even if we sign all 33 of the current commits, which isn’t likely, we will have room for approximately 7 guys from the portal.

Yes, we will probably not sign all 33 commits, but we will also probably flip a few recruits from other programs.

I have also heard a few of our walk-on ls have been told they may be put on partial scholarships if the rosters do expand to 105. This was a couple of months ago and looks more and more likely as time passes. This is one way SU can save a few bucks, keeps some talented guys who are familiar with the culture and expectations.

I hate to see guys leave the program, but I understand it if a player has been passed on the depth chart and doesn’t see a path to playing time. I also understand it if Coach Fran thinks he needs to encourage a few guys to move on so he can bring in players he thinks can help the team.

Either way, the numbers will work out. And, there is still another portal window in the spring.

It’s a business.


Go Orange!
Agree. I don't think they're punting on anything. He wants to develop guys for the long term but he's too competitive to do anything but try to win now. From what I've heard, we're retaining certain guys to win next year while also building for the future.
 
I have no idea what the plan is but no way would Fran punt on anything. This is the perfect schedule to make noise and get into the playoff. I don’t wanna slip in the back door on anything, we’ll go through the front door. No one likes the SEC bias, but this is an SEC schedule. Let’s go!
 
I have had this thought once I saw how many high school commits they have been taking and how quickly they were. In the current landscape it's not a bad strategy at all.
That's why Fran likes High School players with size and speed. This way he has players to teach and grow in the system.
With hard work by the 2nd year they can plug into the system and play well.
That way you have the depths the big schools have without having to portal in a new team every year.
And you can spend extra NIL on a few special players to put you over the top.
 
I don’t think that’s Coach Fran’s plan.

We currently have 85 scholarship players. What do we have 14 seniors and 2 likely early entrees for the NFL draft. 85 - 16 = 69. Add in a few of our guy headed for the portal (some by choice and are being asked to go) and let’s say we have 65 returning players.

Roster are likely to expand to 105 players and all could be scholarship players in 2025. That’s 40 openings for the 2025 roster.

Even if we sign all 33 of the current commits, which isn’t likely, we will have room for approximately 7 guys from the portal.

Yes, we will probably not sign all 33 commits, but we will also probably flip a few recruits from other programs.

I have also heard a few of our walk-on ls have been told they may be put on partial scholarships if the rosters do expand to 105. This was a couple of months ago and looks more and more likely as time passes. This is one way SU can save a few bucks, keeps some talented guys who are familiar with the culture and expectations.

I hate to see guys leave the program, but I understand it if a player has been passed on the depth chart and doesn’t see a path to playing time. I also understand it if Coach Fran thinks he needs to encourage a few guys to move on so he can bring in players he thinks can help the team.

Either way, the numbers will work out. And, there is still another portal window in the spring.

It’s a business.


Go Orange!
I doubt we go all the way to 105, too much $.

And I do guess that we will see some given the talk, for culture reasons this time. After a full year Fran knows who is all in.
 
Totally agree that some current players will be encouraged to hit the portal (if they don't already do it on their own, which is also likely).

And I agree that Fran seems the type to be purposeful in his strategic planning. That's why he got the job.

But I also imagine he realizes that he needs to strike while the iron is hot. Which likely means building a bigger NIL pipeline and making sure he has as good of a QB as possible for 2025.

QB has become everything in football. So that's the one part I disagree with. I can't see him going into the season with his fingers crossed that someone turns out OK. I think he'll throw all the money and effort necessary at grabbing a known quantity -- assuming what we currently have on the roster isn't good enough.
 

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