Maryland Gameday...

[JeremyCuse]

DIII transfers are tricky, especially when it comes to offense. Not all of the success translates to DI. For instance:

Last season DIII / First Season DI
Kurt Bruun - at Tufts: 62g, 42a / at Ohio State: 9g, 4a
Dylan Bruno - at RIT: 60g, 31a / at Michigan: 2g
DJ Dixon - at Weslyan 34g, 17a / at Michigan: 1g, 1a
Will Byrne - at Bowdoin: 52g, 63a / at Michigan: 6g
Jack Dowd - at Salisbury 45g, 34a / at Maryland 1g, 4a
Tanyr Krummenacher - at Amherst: 53g, 38a / at Rutgers 9g, 3a

This is not an exhaustive list, and I am sure I am missing someone very obvious. But the players listed above came in with some pretty impressive DIII accolades and didn't really make a dent at the next level. Jack Boyden who went from Tufts to UVA is probably the best player to make the leap. He had 157 points his last year at Tufts and went on to score 37 for the Hoos as a first line middie. Jack Regerny was Tufts leading scorer this year and based on highlights he probably could make the jump. But he's a rising junior so I would guess that is unlikely.

D3 players have for the most part struggled to make the jump. For every Kohn and Boyden there are about a half dozen examples that you noted with guys barely making a dent. I would be very hesitant to put much stock in a D3 O transfer.

 

[nocohalo]

I guess it makes sense on the offensive side if things. Not as much speed, size and athleticism. In 2024 Judge Murphy from SLU had 63 and 30. 7 goals 3 assists this year for Denver. D1 poles are just wildly athletic bruisers compared to a d3 pole with extreme exceptions like Grace who was a d1 prospect in his own right.

 

[wgdsr]

We're missing something on the offensive side of the ball and we all know it. Here's a recruiting/portal tip - Tufts scores a billion goals a game. They have dudes. Can one of them get to the hoop?

To my eye, there are a lot less elite dodgers out there today to choose from, for maybe a host of reasons.
- OCs want their schemes
- recruiting club - pretty rare to see connected defenses that are running 4 in ssdms in their 22 man teams (extra spots going to att and a pole from normal play). so you get a lot of exhausted/don't care mids playing d, and with stickwork, yada what you have is a lot of 9 yard stepdown top cheddar highlights. or beating an unqualified defender.
- coagulation of "talent" @ private lax factories. you'd think getting pre-college level play would benefit kids in ways and it does, but your filter is now hoo can pony up $30-70k a year for h.s.
- that project athlete in the recruit class is most often needed at ssdm. as there aren't many of those.

dodging is a talent, an athletic one, and it's more than just the shake, power and speed ability. it's also the ability to make the next best play. so while any OC wants to get teams on the wheel, finding guys hoo can do that against the best defenses is getting tougher to identify. imo.