So... Help is on the way?

[sufandu]

Excuses, state reasons, still equal losing more games than we've won in 5 years. It's about results. You think if DINO was in the NFL he'd still have a job. Many other schools would have released him. Based on what has been reported, the buyout is too much for the University especially with the revenue lost due to Covid. Keep in mind our competition gets better too.

If SU was an NFL team they would get early draft picks. Salary caps ensure teams can't just spend their way to wins. The pros are set up to help the bad teams. If you're bad and don't improve there really is a front office or coaching problem. College is set up so that the rich get richer. Teams that have been bad and aren't located in talent rich areas are fighting an uphill battle that is near impossible to turn around quickly. Comparing college to NFL is stupid.

Many of the other schools that would have released him are in a constant cycle of suckitude as they embrace the coaching revolving door. The schools that would be justified have resources we could only dream of.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Considering our record this year, very pleased with this class. Think we got some good ones and I'm not Mr. Everything is always perfect.

We only lost 1 kid in a year when we only won 1 game. That's very encouraging.
I hope we can grab a handful of big uglies from the JUCOs - 2 DTs with size, a MLB, a big WR and a big OL. That would be great.

 

[IthacaMatt]

So am I. I'm not saying it's a top 10 class. I just think it's the best class we've had. A dual-threat QB who can throw on the run, think Hatcher has star potential, and finally got some numbers on the lines. We still have to develop them.

We had a freshman class just a couple years ago with 2 All Americans. That will be hard to beat.
We have had a few pretty good classes in a row. We haven't had enough line depth, but we've had quite a few good players. They have good size, but they're not filling out in the S&C program, and we are having too many guys get hurt every year.
If we can fix those things, this could potentially be a pretty good team. We need the OL to play really well this year, and we could use a couple big guys on the DL, but otherwise, we're not in a terrible spot.

 

[IthacaMatt]

please compare measurables between the classes. we have receivers/TE's all over 6 feet, linemen with good frames, athletic LBs, and no tiny DBs.

I agree with Celuck. We get the same linemen every year, on both sides of the ball. The OTs and the DEs are all about 6-5, and about 20-30 pounds lighter than we'd like to get them up to.

Every year, we maybe get 1 or 2 big inside linemen on either side of the ball who contribute out of maybe 2 or 3 guys. One guy doesn't qualify and the other can't get into good enough shape to get on the field.

Our LBs are usually fast but small. We get good sized safeties, and we have been getting DBs who are all at least 6 feet tall. We maybe lack roster balance - e.g., too many smurf inside receivers on offense; no TEs at all and then suddenly 5 or 6 of them; no FB, then we have a couple big backs.

No QBs is the biggest problem, along with better WRs, and injuries to the O line.

 

[FrancoPizza]

I highly suggest anyone who’s not, watch the kids highlights and tapes. Gives a different perspective. While ratings may suggest stagnancy over the past 15 years (for a second I’ll pretend HCSS recruited comparably), the tape shows a difference in type of player we’re taking

Only fair comp would be shafer tapes vs Babers tapes

 

[FrancoPizza]

Pitt's a pretty cool city. Lots to do. Campus is pretty cool, especially for an urban campus. Pretty highly rated college.
If you were a young professional, and your choice of work cities were Syracuse or Pittsburgh, Pitt wins 999/1000.

But we’re not recruiting young professionals we’re recruiting horny teenagers.

 

[Crusty]

So am I. I'm not saying it's a top 10 class. I just think it's the best class we've had. A dual-threat QB who can throw on the run, think Hatcher has star potential, and finally got some numbers on the lines. We still have to develop them.

It will be interesting if this class pans out having all been recruited by tape and Zoom.
On paper (and video) it appears to fill the bill. Makes you wonder why it looks so much better. New staff? Cumulative years of effort paying off?
Strange with all the handicaps this year.

 

[AngryOtto]

And were those reaches all the Dino's camp offers?? You know the players that a few board "experts " claimed were grossly underrated? You know, the "I trust the staff more than any recruiting service" crowd??. There were many board favorites (one in particular) that the "herd" on here just had to agree with.

We are seeing what Dino recruited on the field. Let's hope it is getting better. Hey, at least there were no Dino summer camp offers this year.. Just Kidding...sort of.

Most summer camps have been Canadians which have been really good for us.
I do think this class is underrated. I’ve always felt staff good at evaluating talent. Unfortunately staff finds a kid builds a relationship then he goes to other camps blows up and feels to good for su. Because of the lack of camps these kids were over looked.

 

[AngryOtto]

We only lost 1 kid in a year when we only won 1 game. That's very encouraging.
I hope we can grab a handful of big uglies from the JUCOs - 2 DTs with size, a MLB, a big WR and a big OL. That would be great.

I trade the mlb for a qb. Otherwise looks good.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

We'll know recruiting has gotten to the point we need it to when we have 3-5 guys drafted every season into the NFL.

I don't mean UFAs, and drafted punters don't count.

 

[sufandu]

We'll know recruiting has gotten to the point we need it to when we have 3-5 guys drafted every season into the NFL.

I don't mean UFAs, and drafted punters don't count.

Yeah, that would mean we were back to the talent level of the late 80's through the 90's. I would add that consistently having 1 or 2 drafted in the first couple of rounds matters too. The 2006 draft with a 3rd, 5th, and two 7th round picks or 2004 with a 5th and two 7th round picks isn't the same as the 2001 draft when we had a 1st and two 3rds or 1999 with a 1st and two 2nds or 1998 with two 1sts, a 4th, and two 7ths.

 

[GoSU96]

Yeah, that would mean we were back to the talent level of the late 80's through the 90's. I would add that consistently having 1 or 2 drafted in the first couple of rounds matters too. The 2006 draft with a 3rd, 5th, and two 7th round picks or 2004 with a 5th and two 7th round picks isn't the same as the 2001 draft when we had a 1st and two 3rds or 1999 with a 1st and two 2nds or 1998 with two 1sts, a 4th, and two 7ths.

On that note:

I think Iffy is a sure thing. I can see GWilliams and Carter developing on that path. Wax, Linton same thing. Both kickers will get camp invites. Bleich and Bergeron could have a chance at getting drafted. Tucker, as well. Elmore could interest a team that is looking for a core special teamer that can be part of short yardage packages.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Yeah, that would mean we were back to the talent level of the late 80's through the 90's. I would add that consistently having 1 or 2 drafted in the first couple of rounds matters too. The 2006 draft with a 3rd, 5th, and two 7th round picks or 2004 with a 5th and two 7th round picks isn't the same as the 2001 draft when we had a 1st and two 3rds or 1999 with a 1st and two 2nds or 1998 with two 1sts, a 4th, and two 7ths.

Absolutely. Get to the point where we have a dozen or so guys on the roster that eventually get drafted and inevitably it means we have the kind of athletes and producers that make the game easier.

 

[orangepassion]

We had a freshman class just a couple years ago with 2 All Americans. That will be hard to beat.
We have had a few pretty good classes in a row. We haven't had enough line depth, but we've had quite a few good players. They have good size, but they're not filling out in the S&C program, and we are having too many guys get hurt every year.
If we can fix those things, this could potentially be a pretty good team. We need the OL to play really well this year, and we could use a couple big guys on the DL, but otherwise, we're not in a terrible spot.

You're counting Szmyt? We barely got him on the field this year.
IMO, if you don't have a solid QB and Linemen, you don't have a solid class. We brought in 2 QB's last year w/ zero FBS offers and 3 O-Linemen, one a last second flip from Eastern Michigan? This class is much more complete-My only question mark is the OL.

 

[orangepassion]

It will be interesting if this class pans out having all been recruited by tape and Zoom.
On paper (and video) it appears to fill the bill. Makes you wonder why it looks so much better. New staff? Cumulative years of effort paying off?
Strange with all the handicaps this year.

I think it's a combination of pandemic and new staff. We do need to get off to a good start next season or else it's going to be hard to sell the next class.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

I get the feeling that if Dino was here 10 years had a losing record in 8 of those 10 years that the die hard supporters would still be saying " I see improvement, it's a process, not a quick fix, wait till next year, etc".

Lets suppose we have a winning season next year, go to a minor bowl game..."Yay"..."we've turned the corner, things are looking up !" and then we come back the following year and we regress back to losing.

That happened after our 10-2 season. How long do the die hard supporters make excuses ?

So what I am seeing the most:

1. NO EXCUSES!

2. POUND THE PORTAL!!

 

[IthacaMatt]

I trade the mlb for a qb. Otherwise looks good.

I was on the fence about that. No argument.

 

[orangepassion]

So what I am seeing the most:

1. NO EXCUSES!

2. POUND THE PORTAL!!

How many times will you make the same post? You're doing the same thing you ridicule others for doing.

 

[GoSU96]

How many times can you make the same post?

The point needs to be made.

 

[ForCuseSake]

Yeah, that would mean we were back to the talent level of the late 80's through the 90's. I would add that consistently having 1 or 2 drafted in the first couple of rounds matters too. The 2006 draft with a 3rd, 5th, and two 7th round picks or 2004 with a 5th and two 7th round picks isn't the same as the 2001 draft when we had a 1st and two 3rds or 1999 with a 1st and two 2nds or 1998 with two 1sts, a 4th, and two 7ths.

Which will also help recruiting...

IMO, Having few non-kickers drafted and thriving in the NFL is somewhere in the top 3 of reasons football recruiting has been mired in mediocrity.

 

[sufandu]

Which will also help recruiting...

IMO, Having few non-kickers drafted and thriving in the NFL is somewhere in the top 3 of reasons football recruiting has been mired in mediocrity.

Yep. And it needs to be consistent and recent. Kids don't care that much that Chandler Jones was drafted nearly a decade ago and Freeney isn't even a name most of them know. When is the last time we had an offensive player drafted and successful (pro bowl caliber), McNabb? If we can claw back to that, the momentum will build.

 

[ForCuseSake]

Yep. And it needs to be consistent and recent. Kids don't care that much that Chandler Jones was drafted nearly a decade ago and Freeney isn't even a name most of them know. When is the last time we had an offensive player drafted and successful (pro bowl caliber), McNabb? If we can claw back to that, the momentum will build.

I would settle for 2-3 offensive ham 'n eggers in the League at this point.

And hopefully a few modestly successful guys will generate the momentum you describe.

We've even gone too long since Pugh was drafted 8 fargin years ago!