The dominoes are starting to fall with LR players hitting the portal

[Eagle74]

If you've ever been to Mercer University, especially one of their football games, you can understand the allure it has for potential D2 football player transfers. A very nice campus, facilities, and impressive football stadium which is basically packed with 10,000+ enthusiastic fans for most games. Add in the opportunity for potential scholarships $$$$ coverage, and demographics of an enrollment of over 9,000 with around 65% (5,850) of the students being of the female persuasion, and a move to play for the Mercer Bears tends look pretty attractive for a lot of college student athlete football players, just saying.

[BearFan1]

My older son played Football at an NAIA school and anybody that looks "down" on NAIA as being less than D2 is just full of crap.

Socha's only experience as a coach is no just at his previous school. It might take a couple of years but I have no doubt his success was not a fluke but rather the combine experiences of his history at all levels.

I talked with several of the recruits and their parents at the Spring Game and each one that I talked with were excited with the new coaching staff and about being at LR. Whatever the situation is with the portal, it is not just LR that is going to be affected.

[Mule]

They are proven winners in NAIA. Jacobs was a proven winner in the conference and division

Like I said...LR hired a proven winner. Socha won a national championship, for crying out loud, and that's difficult to do and impressive at any level. Why piss on him?

[SACgrad]

Very, very unlikely LR contends for a natty this upcoming season; and though not out of the realm of possibility, I would not expect them to repeat as SAC champs given the transfer upheaval along with the coaching staff changes. Nonetheless, they will likely still contend in the upper tier of the conference. The new coaching staff is a proven winner...the remaining players will be hungry...and like most everyone else, while significant players are transferring out, I'd be shocked if the program didn't see its share of quality transfers coming in.

They are proven winners in NAIA. Jacobs was a proven winner in the conference and division

[Mule]

Very, very unlikely LR contends for a natty this upcoming season; and though not out of the realm of possibility, I would not expect them to repeat as SAC champs given the transfer upheaval along with the coaching staff changes. Nonetheless, they will likely still contend in the upper tier of the conference. The new coaching staff is a proven winner...the remaining players will be hungry...and like most everyone else, while significant players are transferring out, I'd be shocked if the program didn't see its share of quality transfers coming in.

[FootballCoach]

Football Coach, I will have to hand it to yo, in that, you had you finger on the pulse of the players and what was in their mind, more than anyone else.

So tell us all, when will LRU cancel the coming season?

Ok, that was tongue in cheek. But what I think, not tongue in cheek, is the fact that what I am hearing is that some of the players that recently hit the portal had no interest until they saw that others were getting full scholarship opportunities AND THAT was just the pull that they could not resist.

I know D2 has scholarship restrictions but I would content the way those scholarships are used and offered might should to be rethought and reconsidered.

Or I could be completely wrong. BUT I AM NOT WRONG that LR is and will be much better off without Jacobs and Soto over the coming years.

I will not speak on the status of player’s Scholarships at LR because the knowledge of player scholarships should only be between the coaches at LR and that player. I will however say that I doubt that’s why they transferred. I have also never said that LR won’t be better under Socha than Jacobs. Only time will tell what happens. However, with so many starters leaving, I do think it will be hard to replace them for this upcoming season. In order to have a better record than Jacobs and staff will mean that LR will have to make it to the natty. Is that your expectation for this upcoming season?

[BearFan1]

Football Coach, I will have to hand it to yo, in that, you had you finger on the pulse of the players and what was in their mind, more than anyone else.

So tell us all, when will LRU cancel the coming season?

Ok, that was tongue in cheek. But what I think, not tongue in cheek, is the fact that what I am hearing is that some of the players that recently hit the portal had no interest until they saw that others were getting full scholarship opportunities AND THAT was just the pull that they could not resist.

I know D2 has scholarship restrictions but I would content the way those scholarships are used and offered might should to be rethought and reconsidered.

Or I could be completely wrong. BUT I AM NOT WRONG that LR is and will be much better off without Jacobs and Soto over the coming years.

[FootballCoach]

Starting LR Bears WR Kelin Parsons has entered the portal

[FootballCoach]

Going to be an interesting next four months. People gearing up to TACKLE this portal from all angles.

Speaking of the portal… Are you actually going to pay SACgrad his 50K? He put over O/U at 6.5 and 5 starters have already entered. He just needs 2 more…

[Bearhof]

Going to be an interesting next four months. People gearing up to TACKLE this portal from all angles.

[Eagle74]

Wow 😳 not looking good at all for the Bears faithful these days. It's looking more and more like a lot more players really liked playing for Coach Jacobs much more than some people thought.

[SACgrad]

Dwayne McGee and Jeremiah Pennick have also hit the portal. Between Dwayne McGee, Jon Ross Maye, C’Darius Kelley, and Xavier Jennings the Bears will lose a combined 144 starts.

Surprise surprise. It’s almost like the AD should have listened to the players and stayed in-house on the new HC

[FootballCoach]

Dwayne McGee and Jeremiah Pennick have also hit the portal. Between Dwayne McGee, Jon Ross Maye, C’Darius Kelley, and Xavier Jennings the Bears will lose a combined 144 starts.

[87Bear]

No hard feelings, they are trying to do what they think is best for them. Time will tell. I wish them luck. Let’s see what the new coaching staff can do with what’s left and transfers that come in. Yes it works both ways.

[Eagle74]

Rarely do you ever truly know the actual reasoning behind a player's decision for transferring, no matter how good they were or what accomplishments they achieved. Fact is, players are basically on the field for the fan's entertainment, and fans see performances, yet they don't truly know the players. Fans don't know what possible hardships players are dealing with, be it financially, emotionally, family, and or, personal relationship situations, etc.

It's never bothered me when a person takes advantage of an opportunity to better themselves or their life situations at all, and I don't hold grudges against players (actual people) whenever they ultimately make the decision to make what they believe is a change to potentially enhance their particular situation.

Life goes on, and the entertainment we see as football will continue, even when the entertainers move on and are replaced.

I wish Jon Ross the very best, wherever he lands, and all Bear fans should appreciate the performances through blood, sweat, pain, tears, and sacrifices he's given everyone.