Class of 2019 OT Ryan Roberts (MI) Grad Transfer from NIU/Committed to FSU

[javadoc]

Yes. Do you have a thoughtful response? Or just a seriously?

My time to compose and post something is limited, so I apologize for the delay. Things have certainly moved on regarding this recruitment while I was occupied.

You said (excerpting): "Or incredible that we don't have enough talent on our team already better than a poor team's Honorable mention sunbelt conference all league and a part time starter on a Northern Illinois team?" That is an insulting, gratuitous, and dismissive judgment phrased as an observation. On this basis alone, I found your post to be reprehensible.

Dino Babers, from the start, asked for faith (belief without evidence, in a crude formulation). I believe there is enough evidence - even from the losing seasons - that faith is no longer required. In particular, the assessment of talent from his staff and him is reliable. Thus, your characterizations - "poor team's Honorable mention sunbelt conference all league" - are strictly irrelevant. Dino Babers is the gatekeeper for decisions about who should be in our program, and who can help us succeed. His opinion matters. The opinions of voters in another league, of national sportswriters, and of fans, do not.

Have you considered that it is possible that Dino Babers knows he is generally able to get the best out of athletes, and that their success in other environments may not be indicative of their success in his own?

The depth chart for the bowl game:

Depth Chart for CWB

At LT, a Sr. and a Fr. At RT, a R-Sr. and a So. Assuming nothing else changes, going into next year, we would have a So. and Jr. at tackle. We have not recruited blue chip talent on the OL for a long time. Even Babers' star recruit - Q. White - needs time to develop his potential. It should be no surprise to you that a grad transfer at tackle, from almost any D1 program, could be able to help us. (Unless the player is a total bum who saw no game time at all and has no development potential left.) Maybe we will get to the point, eventually, that OL can start for us and do well in their first or second year in the program. That's not the case now. Do you consider that a problem? If so, I believe your expectations are disjointed from reality.

This was my mindset when I read your post.

After slurring and besmirching our program, and insulting the athletes we are pursuing, I think your chutzpah is astonishing, to ask for a "thoughtful" response.