OT: D1

[Fightingscot82]

If you read the PSU boards, ... they will say exactly that (WPIAL talent is way overrated).

Big Game James still seems to cherry pick it quite well but I'd agree, overall, it's way, way down.

No WPIAL players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

That's a pretty good synopsis.

Part of the Dugger situation might be that the WPIAL is no longer producing much top talent beyond the offspring of Steelers. I wonder how degree that played into Devin Whitlock transferring from Pitt to IUP. Whitlock was one of the more heralded WPIAL recruits the last couple years and seemed poised to become the local star at Pitt. I've always suspected of SWPA overvaluing WPIAL talent (especially now with a shallower divisional structure).

If you read the PSU boards, ... they will say exactly that (WPIAL talent is way overrated).

Big Game James still seems to cherry pick it quite well but I'd agree, overall, it's way, way down.

[Fightingscot82]

From what I'm being told, Dugger's father felt he should be an FBS starting quarterback this fall. He fell to third on the depth chart after Heintschel passed him up. When it was clear he wasn't going to play, he transferred. He supposedly has a visit to Washington State, but otherwise, what I'm hearing is he is likely dropping to a smaller school to play QB and try to ascend back to P4 down the road. Pitt was his only P4 offer out of Penn Hills.

Cole Gonzales helps Pitt as an experienced QB who can be a backup. He played at Western Carolina (for Kade Bell and his dad) before going to Oklahoma for one year. He knows the Kade Bell offense and provides good experience in the event that Holstein goes down. I have to think there still may be some lingering health items with Holstein if they were able to attract Gonzales, although I have not heard anything to suggest that. QBs 1-3 of Holstein, Gonzales, and Heintschel in 2025 is far superior to Holstein, Nate Yarnell, and Ty Deffienbach of 2024.

That's a pretty good synopsis.

Part of the Dugger situation might be that the WPIAL is no longer producing much top talent beyond the offspring of Steelers. I wonder how degree that played into Devin Whitlock transferring from Pitt to IUP. Whitlock was one of the more heralded WPIAL recruits the last couple years and seemed poised to become the local star at Pitt. I've always suspected of SWPA overvaluing WPIAL talent (especially now with a shallower divisional structure).

[IUP24]

Interesting development over the weekend at Pitt, with promising QB Julian Dugger entering the transfer portal. The Panthers also signed Oklahoma QB transfer Cole Gonzales.

Dugger (Penn Hills) showed a lot of flash in Pitt's bowl game. It will be interesting to see where he lands.

From what I'm being told, Dugger's father felt he should be an FBS starting quarterback this fall. He fell to third on the depth chart after Heintschel passed him up. When it was clear he wasn't going to play, he transferred. He supposedly has a visit to Washington State, but otherwise, what I'm hearing is he is likely dropping to a smaller school to play QB and try to ascend back to P4 down the road. Pitt was his only P4 offer out of Penn Hills.

Cole Gonzales helps Pitt as an experienced QB who can be a backup. He played at Western Carolina (for Kade Bell and his dad) before going to Oklahoma for one year. He knows the Kade Bell offense and provides good experience in the event that Holstein goes down. I have to think there still may be some lingering health items with Holstein if they were able to attract Gonzales, although I have not heard anything to suggest that. QBs 1-3 of Holstein, Gonzales, and Heintschel in 2025 is far superior to Holstein, Nate Yarnell, and Ty Deffienbach of 2024.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Our old friend Curt just got a nice recruit out of the WPIAL. Pine-Richland's Lawrence 'Jay' Timmons (currently graded a 3-star) committed to Indiana last night.

He had offers from WVU, Syracuse, Pitt, Virginia, Wisconsin, Maryland, USF, Iowa State and Iowa.

He is the son of former Steelers LB Lawrence Timmons.

[IUP24]

Interesting development over the weekend at Pitt, with promising QB Julian Dugger entering the transfer portal. The Panthers also signed Oklahoma QB transfer Cole Gonzales.

Dugger (Penn Hills) showed a lot of flash in Pitt's bowl game. It will be interesting to see where he lands.

I wouldn't say it's "interesting." Dugger got passed, and passed rather quickly and easily, by incoming true freshman Mason Heintschel. He enrolled early and as a young 18 year-old and blew by Dugger in spring practice.

Holstein has 3 years of eligibility. Heintschel is a true freshman. Dugger was now clearly 3rd string behind them both with 4 years of eligibility remaining. Kind of the way it goes for the #3 QB. To be fair, my concern with Dugger was always that he was a left-handed QB. That means something. You are swapping your LT/LG with your RG/RT to protect his blindside. The handoffs are different. The exchanges are different. You flip some of the calls on the call sheet. Receivers say the pass comes out different. It's just "different" when you are working with a lefty QB.

Dugger is a great athlete. Other schools were recruiting him as a wide receiver out of Penn Hills. I wish that Pitt would have found a way to keep him on their roster, but if he is dead set on playing QB, he may have to look outside of the P4 to do so if he wants to get on the field quickly.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Interesting development over the weekend at Pitt, with promising QB Julian Dugger entering the transfer portal. The Panthers also signed Oklahoma QB transfer Cole Gonzales.

Dugger (Penn Hills) showed a lot of flash in Pitt's bowl game. It will be interesting to see where he lands.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Tennessee is chasing recent UCLA transfer QB Joey Aguilar.

The irony ...

[IUP24]

All it takes is one run to the playoff and he’ll be the hottest name in the sport again. I do have my doubts that it’ll happen since, as I said, I don’t expect him to grind away in Boulder for the long haul if his success plateaus or takes a downward turn.

The issue is I don't think the current landscape is structured for schools like Colorado to ever make a run in the playoff. Again, it goes to my entire position on the expanded playoff. I get we'll all watch the games still and feed the machine. But the way this is all set is not for schools like Colorado to ever reign on the parade of the big programs. And until we see how the House settlement actually plays out in terms of its goal of limiting collective involvement (I have my doubts now seeing how this has been handled in court), it's hard for me to say anything is going to really change in terms of what we'll ultimately see on the field.

My point in saying that, it's more likely, perhaps, that Colorado maybe reaches the playoff (with an expanded field), but it's less likely that they'll make a run. I would say the same thing about a school like Pitt. You can make the field, but it mostly is going to end there.

If you've been following the spring transfer portal at all and how these schools are being held hostage by players (most of whom aren't elite, game changing players), you'll know exactly what I mean. It's impossible for anyone outside of about 10-15 schools to have any depth. The schools making runs in the playoff have elite starters, sure, but they are buying starting players off Colorado's roster to round out a 2-deep to build depth which separates them from the rest of the pack.

[Chuck Norris]

Or maybe there’s not a ton of interest in him from the top programs. The big time programs don’t have to find ways to generate buzz.

All it takes is one run to the playoff and he’ll be the hottest name in the sport again. I do have my doubts that it’ll happen since, as I said, I don’t expect him to grind away in Boulder for the long haul if his success plateaus or takes a downward turn.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

It appears former Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava could be heading to UCLA.

'Current' UCLA QB Joey Aguilar transferred in this off-season after two big years at Appalachian State. Word is his 'people' are already shopping his services to other programs.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Or maybe there’s not a ton of interest in him from the top programs. The big time programs don’t have to find ways to generate buzz.

Bingo

He's perfect for the B-list.

[EyeoftheHawk]

I’m surprised he’s sticking around. I guess he wants to give the appearance that he didn’t just take the job to get his kids and Travis Hunter into the NFL. My totally uneducated guess is that if Colorado doesn’t have a monster season this year or maybe next that leads to a much more glamorous job, he’ll be done with coaching and become a full time pain in the ass for whoever drafts his kid(s).

Or maybe there’s not a ton of interest in him from the top programs. The big time programs don’t have to find ways to generate buzz.

[Chuck Norris]

It was entertaining at first and I admit, I got a kick out of him for a while, but it’s getting stale. I’m starting to see prominent college football voices saying things like “Colorado football is not a serious program.”

I’m surprised he’s sticking around. I guess he wants to give the appearance that he didn’t just take the job to get his kids and Travis Hunter into the NFL. My totally uneducated guess is that if Colorado doesn’t have a monster season this year or maybe next that leads to a much more glamorous job, he’ll be done with coaching and become a full time pain in the ass for whoever drafts his kid(s).

[IUPbigINDIANS]

It was entertaining at first and I admit, I got a kick out of him for a while, but it’s getting stale. I’m starting to see prominent college football voices saying things like “Colorado football is not a serious program.”

He's still selling tickets and turning heads.

For now, anyway, that's probably all that matters in Boulder.

No denying that program was a total dumpster when he took over. He has brought excitement back.