GLIAC Offseason Coaching Moves

[MrsThortonMelon]

Sadly the facts tell us that 60-70% of the kids in the portal from D2 will not play a meaningful down next year and the grad rates drop like a rock as well. Even using 6 years the grad rates are not good at all. I dont have the answers but I can see that some kids are getting some HORRIBLE advise...a few are making the right move I think too. Over 5100 D1 kids into the portal this week....yea, thats some talent that is going to want a place to land as well...add in the 105 limit coming up and there are going to be ALOT of young men sitting in the stands instead of standing on the sideline. Sad day IMHO. No one really cares about the kids anymore...it all about the money.

[KleShreen]

I agree with that. If you play the best and make a long run in the playoffs, I think you bolster your resume. Some players will get recognized regardless. I think the new transfer portal system makes it easy for a guy to jump ship. Ferris had a guy who left for Oklahoma last year and came back. I’m not aware of any other D2 program that had this happen. He wanted to come back to the culture and play for Nattys. For sure it wasn’t the meals and the facilities. Who’s the two guys from GV that you’re referring to by the way? One is probably Judon I’m assuming?

Judon and Brandon Carr.

Near came back because he wasn't getting playing time at Oklahoma. And he wasn't going to get playing time at Oklahoma. It was an ill-informed transfer decision in the first place for him, IMO. Seems pretty clear that he went there, got only special teams snaps, realized he wasn't big dog anymore, and decided to go back to where his skills were more well-suited.

The thing is, as I mentioned before, that as a D2 coach, you're kind of forced to take these guys and let them explore their options if they're good. Because having them for 1-2 years as good players is better than not having them at all. I just think it is stupid, and is going to destroy the ability for any D2 programs to actually have those historic guys that some schools have now. There's never gonna be another guy like Matt Judon or Dan Skuta or Brandon Carr again. Guys who could have statues on campus. Jason Vander Laan probably wouldn't have spent more than two years at Ferris. Tavierre Thomas would have been gone so fast. Hell, even as recently as Caleb Murphy, he probably would have been gone if he had his 20+ sack season as a freshman/sophomore for you. Just stinks that we'll never have those multi-time All-Americans anymore in D2 unless you're a specialized school or finding extra money to throw out there.

[KleShreen]

Playing in the postseason is a great experience for athletes as they are all competitive. If you consistently lose at a program and you want to win it all, it’s hard to want to stick with the program for some. Yes, money and meals are a factor. When it’s all said and done, maybe some kids aren’t seeing the things that will last a lifetime with them. When they transfer up, they will find they are sharks that have just entered a larger pool with bigger sharks. How did the GV guy who transferred to LSU this year do? Wasn’t there another guy, too, that transferred to Wisconsin?

Jay'viar Suggs went to LSU (to play for former GV coach Brian Kelly) and got some playing time. He wasn't a starter. He was like the #4 DT. But he got decent time. He probably made a good call.

WR Jahdae Walker went to Texas A&M and was a starter at the end of last season and a little bit at the beginning of this year. Finished this year 3rd on the team in catches and yards. I think he would be an All-American at GV right now, but he's been fine for TAMU.

WR Jaylon Tillman went to Bowling Green. Had 2 catches last year, 0 catches this year, in 4 games. He should have never left.

CB Nyzier Fourqurean followed Matt Mitchell to Wisconsin and has started most of the games he has played there the last two years. He's been fine. He belongs there. Team stinks, though.

[FSUBulldogs]

Suggs played alot of meaningful snaps throughout the season for LSU. Suggs posted this recently - https://x.com/JayviarSuggs7/status/1865489734488732074

I heard Fourqurean started at CB for Wisconsin.

He looks good in those videos. Seems like he adjusted fine moving up. Like others have said, I think a low percentage of guys who enter the portal have their story looking like that. Happy for him though and glad to see it worked out.

[FSUBulldogs]

Judon and Brandon Carr.

Near came back because he wasn't getting playing time at Oklahoma. And he wasn't going to get playing time at Oklahoma. It was an ill-informed transfer decision in the first place for him, IMO. Seems pretty clear that he went there, got only special teams snaps, realized he wasn't big dog anymore, and decided to go back to where his skills were more well-suited.

The thing is, as I mentioned before, that as a D2 coach, you're kind of forced to take these guys and let them explore their options if they're good. Because having them for 1-2 years as good players is better than not having them at all. I just think it is stupid, and is going to destroy the ability for any D2 programs to actually have those historic guys that some schools have now. There's never gonna be another guy like Matt Judon or Dan Skuta or Brandon Carr again. Guys who could have statues on campus. Jason Vander Laan probably wouldn't have spent more than two years at Ferris. Tavierre Thomas would have been gone so fast. Hell, even as recently as Caleb Murphy, he probably would have been gone if he had his 20+ sack season as a freshman/sophomore for you. Just stinks that we'll never have those multi-time All-Americans anymore in D2 unless you're a specialized school or finding extra money to throw out there.

Ahh Carr was the other one. I thought you were referring to two active guys in the league.

Near came back for his reasons, and maybe it was because of what you mentioned. Maybe it was something else, but out of respect for the dude I wouldn't speculate as none of us truly know the reason why. The young guy made a decision and decided to make another decision by coming back to Ferris, just like your guys that entered the portal last year and decided to instead return to GV.

I played with Jason and Tavierre, and I can confidently say that they were not the type of guys who would have transferred out of Ferris. Tavierre was a walk-on who joined the team right before we played M Tech and played that game on special teams and made some big plays. Shoot Zach Sieler was also a walk-on (not a preferred walk-on also like Thomas). Now, other guys on the team transferred in from other schools that I would agree would have transferred out, but that was because they weren't bought in on what the team and culture we created. It is sad that you won't have as many multi-time All-Americans, and if you do, they might be flight risks. Ultimately, if a kid thinks moving up a division will allow them to show they can play with the best so they get a better shot at the NFL, you can't knock them for that.

[FSUBulldogs]

Jay'viar Suggs went to LSU (to play for former GV coach Brian Kelly) and got some playing time. He wasn't a starter. He was like the #4 DT. But he got decent time. He probably made a good call.

WR Jahdae Walker went to Texas A&M and was a starter at the end of last season and a little bit at the beginning of this year. Finished this year 3rd on the team in catches and yards. I think he would be an All-American at GV right now, but he's been fine for TAMU.

WR Jaylon Tillman went to Bowling Green. Had 2 catches last year, 0 catches this year, in 4 games. He should have never left.

CB Nyzier Fourqurean followed Matt Mitchell to Wisconsin and has started most of the games he has played there the last two years. He's been fine. He belongs there. Team stinks, though.

Losing those WRs really allowed Kyle Knott to shine this year by getting more touches. I wonder if they left due to your senior QB graduating and not expecting as many touches due to Moore taking over. Who knows, though, either way, thanks for sharing your insight on these guys.

[KleShreen]

Losing those WRs really allowed Kyle Knott to shine this year by getting more touches. I wonder if they left due to your senior QB graduating and not expecting as many touches due to Moore taking over. Who knows, though, either way, thanks for sharing your insight on these guys.

Both the WR's left prior to last season, so they left as Cade Peterson was going in to his senior year.

Kyle Nott was so vastly underused this year, it felt like borderline coaching malpractice. I think he had maybe one drop the entire year? He could catch the ball virtually anywhere on the field it was thrown to him, but he ended up only getting like 2-3 touches a game, half the time having them be jet sweeps. But he averaged like 15 yards per touch on the season.

If last year's team had had Tillman and Jahdae Walker, with Nott in the slot, they probably would have done much better than 6 points against Harding lol.

Hopefully the transfer portal works to GV's advantage this year and they can find some guys on the OL. Unfortunately, OL and DL are the thinnest positions in lower-level football, so it's tough to find much of anything there. Building quality guys in your system is kinda how you have to do it. But we'll see what happens. Gabe Brown was a D1 transfer who came down and has been an All-American caliber guy, but he was also from the GR area, so I don't know how often that'll happen.

[FSUBulldogs]

I 100% agree about knott. He should have been more incorporated in their scheme. Kinda like how TA gets Rose very involved in the offense ever week. Got to get your playmakers the ball. When a team doesn’t have a solid d and o line it shows at the D2 level. I think Ferris has done a great job focusing on those positions. I felt like last year they were down on the d line, but this year they look solid all the way across.

[KleShreen]

RB Khalil Eichelberger has announced he is in the portal. The only offer I'm seeing he has posted is from FCS Stony Brook,

So has LB Samirion Ford, who was a special teams kind of guy this past season, but I thought he had a bright future at GV going forward.

I also see that both Brandon Rawls and Elijah Gordon from SVSU are in the portal. And Jasper Beeler from SVSU already signed with Northern Illinois.

(I also think it's interesting that Jay'viar Suggs is back in the portal after his one year at LSU, as is Jaylon Tillman who spent the last two years at BGSU)

[FSUBulldogs]

RB Khalil Eichelberger has announced he is in the portal. The only offer I'm seeing he has posted is from FCS Stony Brook,

So has LB Samirion Ford, who was a special teams kind of guy this past season, but I thought he had a bright future at GV going forward.

I also see that both Brandon Rawls and Elijah Gordon from SVSU are in the portal. And Jasper Beeler from SVSU already signed with Northern Illinois.

(I also think it's interesting that Jay'viar Suggs is back in the portal after his one year at LSU, as is Jaylon Tillman who spent the last two years at BGSU)

Wild! Did you see the stat during the FSU game that in 2024 there’s currently over 4k guys in the transfer portal. With the roster size shrinking at the FBS level these guys are going to learn quickly that they may not have a team to play on come August of 2025.. Curious to see who Ferris looses after their NC run end next week.

[KleShreen]

Terez Reid has committed to UTEP.

Jay'viar Suggs posted that he's narrowed his choices down to Wisconsin, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee, and Arkansas.

Jeff Burton had committed to Kent State, but then pulled back his commitment.

(GVSU would probably beat UTEP, tbh)

[Finchwidget]

Terez Reid has committed to UTEP.

Jay'viar Suggs posted that he's narrowed his choices down to Wisconsin, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee, and Arkansas.

Jeff Burton had committed to Kent State, but then pulled back his commitment.

(GVSU would probably beat UTEP, tbh)

I'd go so far as to say that GVSU would probably beat Kent State too. If a school like St. Francis of Pennsylvania could do it...

[FSUBulldogs]

Since we are talking about the transfer portal in here Ferris picks up a big transfer guy. Happy to see him get a second chance at playing college football and hope he gets to win a few championships with the bulldogs.

https://x.com/aryepullinfl/status/18...735944824?s=46

[KleShreen]

Niles King has committed to San Diego State

[KleShreen]

Jeff Burton now committed back to Kent State