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closetojumping

Burnt Ends
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Posts posted by closetojumping

  1. 9 hours ago, statsman said:

    One thing is clear- in this era of college football with eight figure roster salary totals, and near unrestricted freedom of movement, Texas has thought through some things, like:

    - what to do when a top recruit costs more than you are paying entrenched starters

    - what to do when a player performs well but the scale for his position rises dramatically 

    - what to do when a costly recruit doesn’t produce quickly

    that our competitors are working through on the fly. I know nothing of Texas One background, if the primary funders insisted that parameters and protocols be worked out in advance, in a coherent manner. 
     
    I bet, though, that the funders of One Oklahoma’s are asking now why it is such a shit show, why they paid nearly a million for 96 snaps that are now going to Miami or similar. 

    One unlikely person helped Texas figure some things out really quickly at the dawn of all of this stuff. That person? Abraham Lincoln. … No, actually, Lincoln Riley. 

    Why Lincoln Riley? He tampered directly with Xavier Worthy and offered him $1M that he did not have at that moment in time.  The offer came with less than a day of portal window left.

    The Texas end had to figure out really quickly what it could do, wanted to do, needed to do, and how this stuff needed to be proactively sorted in the future. 

    That doesn’t mean anything is perfect, but a lot of turbulence has already been put behind Texas compared to many other programs. 

    BTW, in that same cycle, Jordan Addison took the same offer. He’s still waiting to get paid most of that money. 

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  2. 1 hour ago, Thiefery said:

    My man, where are you hearing that he was asking for more money? Sure his family is living off him, that sucks.. However they didn't ask for more, their son was told he was going to take a paycut for not living up to expectations/production as a true freshman.. 

     

    Miami has allegedly tampered with him and offered him $1M. We’ll see if there’s any truth to that, but that’s how it is being framed on Sooner Illustrated. 

    One of the alleged “insiders” and several of the moderators are really touting Nagy as a wizard who is going to reshape their whole org into a machine. 

    Washing machine, maybe. The current set-up looks hilariously dysfunctional. The “GM” reports above the AD. The HC reports to the AD and the AD reports into the same role as the “GM”. 

    That structure means the HC is absolutely fucked. He’s lost control of personnel evaluation to a wonk who cast out of the NFL personnel world. The guy was in purgatory running an annual bowl camp in Alabama with less than 10 employees and doing his own PR.  That dude now controls who Venables has on staff and the make-up of his roster. He doesn’t even have to meet regularly with Venables or consult with him. 

    “But ctj, that’s how many NFL orgs work!?!”

    The idiotic talking heads on XM 84, including guests from ESPN, Fox, SEC/ACC/Big 10 networks, The Athletic and so on have all convinced themselves of the argument. “OU’s ahead of the curve. This is the way things will be structured at all schools in the future. Look at Stanford as well!”

    Maybe. Maybe CFB HC’s are as fungible as NFL HC’s. 

    I’m not sure I see it that way. There’s way more variance in numerous aspects of CFB that don’t exist in the NFL. One in particular is that the budget for the roster is nowhere near parity across the sport, even in each conference. OU can pat itself on the back about being disciplined and essentially telling Stone to walk with a big pay cut. Do Texas or Georgia have to do the same thing with their freshmen 5 stars going into their sophomore season? No. They do not. 

    Who is better off by the time the ball kicks off in August? 

    • Hook 'Em 5
    • Haha 1
  3. 1 hour ago, LTtxfan said:

    Tom Pelissero said yesterday on Eisen's show that teams are grading players between picks 10 thru 20 or even players 8 thru 40 as very similar draft value.

    2025 NFL Draft may only have 8 to 10 true high quality 1st Rd picks.

    QBs 2 thru 5 are graded out in completely different draft orders on many different NFL team boards per Pelissero. 

    (Of course Ewers is not in that group of Top 5 QBs)

     

    Does anybody know the last time a draft was held where all of the blowhards were proclaiming that there were actually 32 or more round 1 grades in the draft? I’m guessing it’s never happened. A lot of the purpose about “there are only x round 1 grades this year” is to make scouts and evaluators seem like they’re really fucking smart doing this super hard job. It’s all bullshit. 

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  4. 2 hours ago, Derka said:

     

    we rewriting history now? that’s what’s hot in the streets? we’re all just gonna dismiss reality and pretend like hoards of y’all didn’t literally report my posts and ask blacklab to ban me for saying that QE wasn’t as good as y’all said he was? that didn’t happen? i didn’t spend the last three years getting crushed and personally attacked for having the unpopular yet correct opinion that quinn ewers was one of our worst offensive players and nowhere near the heisman candidate/first round pick you all swore he was? that didn’t happen? oh, ok. 

    allow me to describe a group of people for you. tell me who comes to mind:

    •low iq

    •lashes out at anyone whose opinion rejects or refutes their world view

    •worships a stranger in an unsettling way

    •dismisses all statistical, empirical, and scientific evidence which points to the fact that their demigod lord and savior isn’t who they’ve completely invested themselves into believing he is

    •when ultimately proven wrong and faced with undeniable evidence that their demigod isn’t who they swear he is, they just reject the facts, talk more shit, and insult and laugh at those who try to confront them with these facts.

     

    hmm…..who does that remind you of??? 

     

    yeah, you guys are a bunch of fucking heroes. just perpetually live in denial and talk shit to anyone who dares to point out the reality that you’re too scared to face. take a bow guys. be proud, boys.

     

    As Derka slowly pulls up to the keyboard and prepares his sausage-fingers to hammer out their next bloviating post, monastery dirge music plays quietly from his boombox nearby as he contemplates this being his lot on this spinning rock. Then he shouts:

    “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?!?”

    and then that keyboard gets the beating of its life.

     

     

    • Haha 9
  5. 53 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

    immamac needs to put that dude on a limited post plan like they used to have for text messages. Once he gets past 100 posts a month, start charging him .25 per post. This place will either get a lot more bearable or Imma will be able to start another NIL fund. He can call it Burnt EDGEs/Edges/edges. 

    Good shit right here, @immamac

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  6. Just now, Thiefery said:

    guy i talk to said that Shipley will visit Austin but not with his wife who was up there for his ou trip (aggy grad). She's on board with ou, FWIW

    It sounds like this Shipley guy makes a lot of stupid relationship decisions. If you’re letting a sooner “mentor” you, something went off the rails a while back. Then you marry an aggie while still in college? 

    Time to start looking forward to Texas Football 2025 - Stone Cold. 

    • Hook 'Em 1
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  7. 45 minutes ago, statsman said:

    Fair enough. Mukuba was great for Texas and Texas was great for Mukuba. I’ll accept what you say about Texas and Downs, because I don’t know any more than what I hear on podcasts. 
     
    If anyone is worth $1M, Downs is probably it, right?

    I think you kind of have to view NIL circumstances as photographs in time, rather than a motion picture. A lot of guys are getting $1M+ for 2025. It’s only been a minute since Downs got that. QBs have been getting more than $1M+ from the jump. Kickers, just so we’re clear, are still nowhere close to anything like that, no matter how hard folks in social media or on other threads here want to honk about it. 

    For clarity, there are multiple non-QBs getting $1M+ on the Texas 2025 roster. Few would argue that those guys aren’t worth it. 

    • Hook 'Em 2
  8. 3 minutes ago, statsman said:

    Alright! We get to discuss a counterfactual!

    As I recall, Down decided on the Buckeyes over the Horns and Dogs fairly late, so Texas had a number it was ready to pay. Therefore, I only need to come up with enough more to overcome the Buckeyes’ package (and it may not have all been money that won him over). I stated that would have been worth it- Texas would get notably better (for two years), and the Buckeyes get notably worse. How much would it have taken? Would dropping Niblack have done it?

    Texas was never in on Downs. Georgia tampered with him and they were backslapping themselves. Ohio State came in over the top with $1M/year and Georgia and Bama were cooked. 

    Texas got Mukuba for a fraction of that and the upgrade to Downs would have been marginal and would have cost Texas Mukuba and Filsaime, if not also D Williams. Probably another position due to salary reqs as well. 

    • Hook 'Em 9
  9. 15 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

    image.png.a884e2954c4f50724b841a79d97fe27d.png

    I hope they go four straight for the earhole on her today. What bullshit.

    LSU is a piece of shit institution in every possible way. The education is below Texas high school levels, the institution effectively revels in cheating, and the people coming out of that place are fucking trash.

    The worst employees, as a group, that I’ve ever had work for orgs that I’ve been a part of have been LSU grads, by far. We eventually just filtered those resumes and candidates out they were so bad. 

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  10. 39 minutes ago, tokamak said:

    How do Endries and the guy that was at Wisconsin for 5 minutes compare?

     

    23 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

    Endries is more complete, other guy is more a slow WR type.

    Also, Endries isn't considered a head case who's afraid of contact.

    • Hook 'Em 1
  11. Here's an OU update on transfers from an "insider" at Sooners Illustrated. Spoilered below and highlights next:

    -They've already given up on landing Endries and are moving on towards other TEs. They're going after yet another FCS TE after having already signed on, plus another from legendary football program Kennesaw State. 

    -They're targeting an FCS WR and calling it scouting. They were very proud of themselves for landing the Gibson guy out of UA Pine Bluff and crowing about being another sooner WR wizard. They do this every spring. That dude broke his femur or something and may not be back for the fall. Onward and upward, some poor bastard from Illinois State looks like he might be the next big thing. 

    -They're so fucked at Kicker that they throwing a 6 figure offer at the guy from Texas State, apparently. I guess Sideshow Bert is a bargain for our mere $25k+ and we should be thankful to be keeping him or something. 

     

    Spoiler

    We're officially in it.

    The spring window is in full force. The transfer portal is stockpiling new names almost by the minute and now, players available are beginning to take visits across the country.

    Daily updates are rolling here at Sooners Illustrated. The latest? That here:

    - A position of priority for Oklahoma in the spring portal is and has been kicker. The Sooners are in desperate need of another specialist given the current outlook of the room.

    We reported before the portal opened that Texas State kicker Mason Shipley was a name quickly being connected to OU behind the scenes. Now, a couple days since, Shipley is currently on campus visiting Oklahoma.

    If everything goes well and makes sense for all parties involved, there's a very real world where this moves quickly. The Sooners want to get one of the best kickers available in this spring window and Shipley fits the description.

    - Xavier Loyd is a wide receiver that's been mentioned here quite often. He tells Sooners Illustrated he's aiming to visit Oklahoma next week, a date isn't finalized but the trip is on the table. The Illinois State pass catcher is quickly building a competitive portal recruitment.

    - Prior to the window beginning, we talked about Oklahoma, Texas and Alabama being the three big brands expected to be in the tight end market. We then reported yesterday before Cal tight end Jack Endries officially entered the portal that Texas, Indiana and Oklahoma were the programs being mentioned the most. A few hours later, Endries completed his paperwork and booked a visit with the Longhorns. Texas is expected to put together an aggressive package for Endries and the Longhorns already have a prediction in their favor. If the Sooners are perceivably behind both Texas and Indiana in the Endries sweepstakes, it's likely OU turns elsewhere. The only redirect would be if the Sooners can get Endries to trip to Norman before making a decision.

    - On the tight end front, a popular social media name is none other than Tanner Koziol. The big pass catcher formerly of Ball State chose Wisconsin during the winter window but is back in the portal and available in the spring.

    Hinted at this yesterday, but as time plays out, I'm not overly sure how aggressive OU will be. Koziol's quick exit from Wisconsin is, at the very least, something programs have to consider and there's long been belief the asking price can be a bit high.

    There are a lot of layers here that could lead to OU being patient with pursuit.

    - A couple of tight end names to monitor: Missouri State's Lance Mason and Iowa's Gavin Hoffman.

    I'll have more on each name soon, but Oklahoma is going to be involved with both moving forward. Mason was one of the most productive FCS tight ends in the country while Hoffman is a younger player but a former four-star recruit with lots of upside. 

    Spoiler

    We're officially in it.

    The spring window is in full force. The transfer portal is stockpiling new names almost by the minute and now, players available are beginning to take visits across the country.

    Daily updates are rolling here at Sooners Illustrated. The latest? That here:

     

    - A position of priority for Oklahoma in the spring portal is and has been kicker. The Sooners are in desperate need of another specialist given the current outlook of the room.

    We reported before the portal opened that Texas State kicker Mason Shipley was a name quickly being connected to OU behind the scenes. Now, a couple days since, Shipley is currently on campus visiting Oklahoma.

    If everything goes well and makes sense for all parties involved, there's a very real world where this moves quickly. The Sooners want to get one of the best kickers available in this spring window and Shipley fits the description.

    - Xavier Loyd is a wide receiver that's been mentioned here quite often. He tells Sooners Illustrated he's aiming to visit Oklahoma next week, a date isn't finalized but the trip is on the table. The Illinois State pass catcher is quickly building a competitive portal recruitment.

    - Prior to the window beginning, we talked about Oklahoma, Texas and Alabama being the three big brands expected to be in the tight end market. We then reported yesterday before Cal tight end Jack Endries officially entered the portal that Texas, Indiana and Oklahoma were the programs being mentioned the most. A few hours later, Endries completed his paperwork and booked a visit with the Longhorns. Texas is expected to put together an aggressive package for Endries and the Longhorns already have a prediction in their favor. If the Sooners are perceivably behind both Texas and Indiana in the Endries sweepstakes, it's likely OU turns elsewhere. The only redirect would be if the Sooners can get Endries to trip to Norman before making a decision.

    - On the tight end front, a popular social media name is none other than Tanner Koziol. The big pass catcher formerly of Ball State chose Wisconsin during the winter window but is back in the portal and available in the spring.

    Hinted at this yesterday, but as time plays out, I'm not overly sure how aggressive OU will be. Koziol's quick exit from Wisconsin is, at the very least, something programs have to consider and there's long been belief the asking price can be a bit high.

    There are a lot of layers here that could lead to OU being patient with pursuit.

    - A couple of tight end names to monitor: Missouri State's Lance Mason and Iowa's Gavin Hoffman.

    I'll have more on each name soon, but Oklahoma is going to be involved with both moving forward. Mason was one of the most productive FCS tight ends in the country while Hoffman is a younger player but a former four-star recruit with lots of upside. 

     

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  12. Here's Tarp putting lipstick on the pig that is the WR room at ATM heading into 2025. Lots of "work in progress" and "blue collar" types out there for old army. Terry Bussey seems to be headed quickly towards Bust City, USA, population: many other ATM and OU 5 stars as well.

    Spoiler

    1. There has been much written about Texas A&M's attempts to remake its receiver rooms (both wideouts and tight ends) over the course of the off season. I've discussed the tight ends here and now I'm going to move onto the wideouts. I'm hitting the high points here and will go in depth on them more after spring ball.

    2. I think the least discussed aspect of the addition of transfers Mario Craver and KC Concepcion is that they can be positionless players to an extent…in other words, you can line them up all over the field. They can both play the slot or the Z. While they might not theoretically have the size to play the X, they can still do some of the things that you want out of a boundary receiver.

    3. Craver is probably faster and better pure athlete than Concepcion. That's not a knock on Concepcion as much as it is a recognition of what kind of athlete that Craver is. He is elusive (and underrated aspect of his game) in addition to having top end speed and so you can throw him screens and hitches no matter where he goes. He starts fast and gets off of the line really well. There is a lot of bend to his game that should come in handy versus physical coverage.

     

    4. Concepcion is technically more advanced because he is a blue collar guy and businesslike about his development. He is going to use his hands a little better to free himself up when an opponent wants to hand fight him whereas Craver is just going to try to beat them laterally and not let someone muscle him. Concepcion can sink his hips and then will flatten his routes out better out of his breaks than others as well. He will fight for contested catches too. He is a very quarterback friendly guy.

    5. Second year player Ashton Bethel-Roman has the type of feet and hips that should enable him to stay under control throughout his route. He is going to have to learn to set up defenders more for a change of direction within his routes and change his route depending on how a defender is playing him. He looks the ball in very well and his cuts can be very quick.

    6. Second year player Izaiah Williams is quick off the line and makes cuts without losing much of his initial burst. He is going to be able to drive defenders off of him which will help him create separation on a variety of routes. He can really sink his hips when he stems the route which helps him get open and work back to the quarterback.

    7. Second year man Terry Bussey remains a work in progress. You can tell he is a good athlete who plays a little high coming off of the line and on his breaks. He kind of negates his speed to an extent doing these things.

    8. Among the freshmen, TK Norman is a really good athlete who is a work in progress in terms of the nuances of the position…for example, coming off of the line with his feet underneath his pads so he can gather himself faster in his route.

    9. Kelshaun Johnson can sink his hips when he comes off the ball which should help him versus physical coverage, and he doesn't pop back up too fast when he comes out of his cuts.

     

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  13. 16 hours ago, Ignatius said:

    Man this is where I am; I feel like AntHill could be a 12 sack guy next year. However, if the D is better off for having him roam and clean up the field in general, I’m 100% on board….

    Is this going to become a board fact now that a few people have misread what Hill was actually saying?

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