Look who’s portal shy.
That sound you hear is Dan Mullen, on a lake somewhere, shaking his damned head.
Daily Archives: March 22, 2022
There’s massive, and then there’s massive.
Chip Towers looks at how Georgia’s offensive line has trended, with the Dawgs now on their third o-line coach in four (!) years:
… Searels also has had to adjust his teachings to the wants of the head coach and offensive coordinator. Generally, he’s known for preferring that his charges be a little trimmer and well-conditioned. That runs congruent with Luke but contrasts with Pittman, who wanted his linemen as big and burly as he could get them.
… Georgia’s average offensive line size actually has trended downward since the departure of Pittman, when it was 6-5, 332 pounds, to last year’s 6-4, 314 under Luke. A big question under Searels is which way he might want to go, faster and sleeker or bigger and bulkier.
Given his first sentence, I’m not sure that’s totally Searels’ call. Also, let’s not forget how much room is being taken up by some of the bodies stocked in the cupboard.
The presence of individuals such as Amarius Mims (6-foot-7, 330 pounds, So.), Devin Willock (6-7, 335, R-So.) and Micah Morris (6-6, 330, R-Fr.) lend a whole new meaning to the phrase “point of critical mass.”
My main observation, going back to last year’s G-Day game, is that Georgia wants offensive lineman who can pull, and by “Georgia”, I kinda mean “Monken”. I suspect that means if they have to swap a little size for more mobility, that’s a trade they’re willing to make. What that means in terms of how the o-line fills out… well, that’ll be something to watch, eh?
Filed under Georgia Football, Strategery And Mechanics
“It took a little bit, it took a little bit.”
Give Bryce Young credit for something — he’s managed to absorb the loss in the national championship game without blaming it on the absence of Metchie and Williams.
That’s a lot more than I can say for the ‘Bama fan base.
Filed under Alabama
“If it’s not illegal, it’s not cheating.”
Had this little observation about Corch yesterday:
So, now I can’t help but wonder after reading this piece on “inducement concerns” —
It has been less than two weeks since The Athletic reported that a five-star high school football player has signed a name, image and likeness contract with a collective that could pay him $8 million by the end of his junior year. That’s a clear indication the limits for NIL deals — $8 million for a high school athlete! — are still tough to define…
The contract states that, in exchange for a payment of almost $350,000, the Class of 2023 athlete will sign over his NIL rights to the collective. What follows is escalating monthly payments worth almost $2 million per year. The money would be earned for the usual in the NIL sphere — public appearances and social media.
Could the collective withhold money if the athlete decides to transfer?
(Well, I’d say if the kid manages to bank, say, the better part of $4 million over a couple of years, I doubt he’s gonna be overly concerned about the collective’s threat if he wants to transfer, should he perceive a better opportunity elsewhere. Not to mention the second a collective announces that tactic, it’s publicly acknowledged that there’s no longer the mere appearance of an inducement in play. Even the chickenshit NCAA would have enough to react at that point. But I digress.)
— how long, exactly, would Urban Meyer keep his shit together with a star player making more than any of his assistant coaches, a player who also could walk away if he didn’t feel like putting up with Meyer’s act? Yeah, that’s what I think, too.
Now, for “Urban Meyer”, substitute the name of any insecure control freak who is the head coach at a college football program.
Recruiting experts contacted by CBS Sports agreed on that the identity of the five-star prospect who signed the contract could be narrowed down.
Given the amount of money, it is almost certainly a skill player. CBS Sports was told it is not quarterback Arch Manning, the New Orleans-based grandson of Archie Manning and No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2023.
The player’s identity is less relevant than the fact that a high school junior has signed what’s believed to be the largest NIL deal to date. It certainly is the largest known NIL compensation ever given to a high school player.
Coaches continue to freak.
The biggest question now: How high is up when it comes to the next NIL blockbuster?
Kirby isn’t insecure, but if he does in fact wind up signing Arch Manning, it’s bound to be a wild ride in Athens.
Filed under It's Just Bidness, The NCAA
Getting what you pay for
Thought this was an interesting financial tidbit: “… Georgia’s Fran Brown is the highest-paid coach whose only official duty is to coach defensive backs.”
And it looks like, in just a couple of weeks on the job, he’s already having an effect.
It’s going to be interesting watching the money shuffle for Georgia’s assistants. Kirby’s willing to pay top dollar for coaches who have a significant upside. Some reallocation of funds was coming anyway, just on the basis of Lanning’s and Luke’s departures, and I expect that when the dust settles, we’ll see Todd Monken making some serious bank going forward. (How forward remains to be seen, but as far as I’m concerned, Monken is welcome to stay in Athens for a long time.)
Kirby is demanding, but at least he pays well.
Filed under Georgia Football, It's Just Bidness
Get The Picture 