dearden

Foghorn Leghorn Van Wilder - The Tulane Hullabaloo

With the absolute shambles of the Arizona Cardinals now under your ownership and control - and your noted support of our Lord and Savior, Paul McCullers-Sanders (praise be unto him) - should Tulane super-fans (read: perpetual students) like myself be concerned about #Paul (praise be unto him) forgoing his final year of collegiate eligibility following this season to... declare for the 2026 NFL Draft in the hopes that the Cardinals would do their utmost to select him?  Have you spoken to PMS (praise be unto him) and other members of the Green Wave family about their future potential in Cardinal red to create a hybrid hydro-flock (either yellow in color or a festive Red/Green combo) of gridiron destruction?

Article Croot

First Name: Fulgencio
Last Name: Roekaert
Position: Inside Linebacker
Archetype: Speed
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 230
Hometown: Key Biscayne
High School: Belen Jesuit Preparatory School
State: Florida

Coral Gables, Florida - Twenty-seven point nine degrees Fahrenheit.  With absolutely zero context, that's the temperature of a normal day; snow could very easily be falling, collecting if it hasn't previously-stuck or already turned into a black sludge on the side of the nearby county road, and a gust of wind chills extremities and bones alike.  Skies are almost certainly an ashen-gray.  Correction: if you'd like to be technical, skies are still technically blue, but they've been hidden behind a wall of cloud-cover so dense that it hasn't been visible for the better part of two straight weeks.  To the uninitiated, this is an average day in the Midwestern United States: cold and dreary, it's truly a wonder how everyone's so mind-bogglingly nice all the time.  This is precisely what James Hillebrand pictured when, at eighteen years old, he traded sunny Lake Mary, Florida - just a bit north of Orlando - for Kalamazoo, Michigan and the Western Michigan Broncos football program.  He doesn't remember exactly, but there very well were days where his iPhone displayed "27" (or, more likely, lower) in the weather app and he wanted to crawl up into a ball and not leave to comfort of his impromptu blanket fort - but the number 27.9 has a different significance as of late.  You see, the average yearly temperature of his home-away-from-home in Kalamazoo, Michigan is 49.5 degrees Fahrenheit - in his new college football home, at the University of Miami, the average daily temperature is 77.4 degrees Fahrenheit.  For the boy from Florida, it's great being back in the Sunshine State.

Quote

"It's been great being back home," said Hillebrand, "I'd be lying to you if I said I hadn't missed a few more sunny gamedays.  It just adds an extra element, having grown up here and all, I think it makes me a better football player - certainly a happier one!  I learned a lot from Coach @Jieret and the rest of the staff at Western Michigan - that whole Michigan mitten thing and using your hand to tell people where in the state you're from threw me for a loop - but I gained a bunch of experiences and memories that I'll cherish for a lifetime.  It was just time for a change and heading back to the Sunshine State seemed like the right option for me.  I've been fortunate that Coach @dearden and his staff have exhausted a bunch of time and energy to make me feel welcome, as the sole addition to the team and all.  In all honesty, it was a little intimidating stepping on campus and being the one new guy on the team, but before the first meeting Coach handed me a binder with everyone's faces, names, hometowns, and some pretty funny blurbs they each wrote to get to know them all a little.  When I walked into that first team meeting, everyone had a nametag on - some with their actual names and others with nicknames, but it's a fun way for me to get to meet everyone on the team as I adjust to life here in Miami." 

As the Hurricanes only incoming transfer ahead of the 2025 college football season, Hillebrand has the unenviable task of joining an established football family and learning all about his 80 new brothers, when they each already know a little bit about him.  That said, the 6'5", 279 pound big man has already received a leg-up from his new roommate - Redshirt Sophomore Quarterback Nathan Hartigan.  Reports indicate that the signal-caller from Cumming, Georgia, who previously-lived with the Redshirt Sophomore Wide Receiver trio of Jose Vega, Charles Martin, and Eric Woodward, reached-out to Hillebrand upon his commitment to join Miami ahead of the 2025 season.  Insiders and students alike have reportedly seen the two new roommates going over the offensive playbook binder over lunch on the quad and practicing various snap counts in their apartment's courtyard after practices in an effort to bring Hillebrand up-to-speed.

Quote

"He's a good guy," said Hartigan of Hillebrand, "when I heard we could be getting a new Center, I raised the matter with Jose [Vega], Chuck [Martin], and Eric [Woodward].  I love those guys, but our place was getting a little over-crowded; I felt like the time was right to branch-out and asking Jimmy [Hillebrand] to room with me seemed like the perfect opportunity to help him out as a new guy - getting acclimated and all - while also making a new friend at a crucial position for me as a Quarterback.  From what the coaches said when they arrived, it's gonna be a battle for that starting Quarterback role and I'm gonna take any advantage I can get over Wayne [Dickerson] and Marco [Leathersich]; having a guy who's challenging for that starting Center role just down across our hallway, in the kitchen, or on the couch at a moment's notice to get some work in sounded good to me.  Hell, I know Jimmy [Hillebrand] feels the same way: he came down here to win a starting job and we're two friends, teammates, and roommates pushing each other to be the best we can be.  It's been awesome so far and I know we're both capable of so much more." 

Hillebrand's arrival on campus provides the Miami coaching staff, and the Hurricanes writ large, with well-needed depth at the Center position, with the only other rostered player with any experience at the key role being Offensive Guard conversion, Redshirt Junior Hector Frazier.  Reports out of Canes voluntary off-season camp indicate that Frazier and Hillebrand have rotated reps with starters and back-ups alike; however, in the competition for the starting Quarterback and Center roles, battle-lines appear to be forming.  Anonymous sources indicate that Redshirt Junior Quarterback Marco Leathersich has backed Frazier for the starting job, preferring to take reps with his four-year teammate, while Hartigan has obviously cast his lot with his roommate, the newcomer Hillebrand.  The neutralizer of any potential conflict appears to be Redshirt Senior Quarterback, Wayne Dickerson, who alternates which Center he takes snaps with and has taken-on a mentorship role to his two younger peers alongside an unofficial coaching role, all while competing for the starting Quarterback job.

Quote

"We've seen a lot of good out of both of 'em so far," said Offensive Line Coach and Offensive Coordinator Anthony Arias on Frazier and Hillebrand, "I'm looking forward to seeing what these guys can give when we jump into Spring Games.  There's a healthy amount of friendly competition going on and we love to see it - these guys are going to be pushing each other up to Spring Games, through them, into the regular season, and into next.  We want that sort of hungriness from our guys, especially at such a crucial position where we're running our offense and protecting our signal-callers and backfield - I remind them all that time of the importance of their role on this team.  There wasn't nearly as much love for linemen during my playing days; now we've got recognition for the big men, so I understand that they all want to get out there and show what they've got.  That desire's what's making them better football players too, so that's great for us."

With the transfer portal coming to a close, sources have indicated that the Hurricanes do not intend to make any more additions to their roster ahead of the 2025 college football season.  Once the portal closes, the Canes will join the rest of college football in announcing their full roster and coaching staff ahead of the highly-anticipated 2025 season.

This article was originally published on plus.espn.com - featured audio has been transcribed for the reader's ease.

November 11, 2021 is a day which ought to go down in collegiate football history as a turning point for two historic programs; for the Indiana Hoosiers, it was the beginning of a new era in Bloomington.  Following a disastrous 2021 campaign, where the Hoosiers finished 4-8 (2-7) and rooted to the bottom of the Big Ten Eastern Division, it was clear that something needed to change.  That offseason, coaching candidates were brought in and interviewed for the unenviable task of rebuilding the Hoosier football program until one candidate stood out above the rest.  He introduced himself as a "36-year-old married father of two; lover of board & card games and all things strategy; current D&D DM; long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan," but for the equally-long-suffering Indiana Athletic Department, what impressed them the most was his meticulous approach, attention-to-detail, and familiarity with and desire to coach in the Big Ten.  So, on November 11, 2021, @Piercewise1 was unveiled as the Head Coach of the Indiana Hoosier football team - the rest, as they say, is history.

193 days later, on May 22, 2022, Coach @thatfunk announced that he would be leaving Ohio State to take the job at his alma mater, Alabama.  The departure must have hurt for the Buckeyes; not just because Coach thatfunk led the Crimson Tide to a National Championship in 2022; not just because Ohio State has since become a revolving-door for coaches - with no head coach lasting longer than a season from the 2022 season onwards; but because they could have had Piercewise.  Alongside being a married father of two; a lover of board/card games and all things strategy; a Dungeons & Dragons DM; and a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan, Piercewise is an Ohioan through-and-through - an Ohio State fan.  Had the Buckeyes job opened up sooner or had the Hoosiers dawdled in offering their now four-year head coach the position, things might've turned out differently.  Hell, we'd probably be talking about how Ohio State has looked from the 2022 season through the 2024 campaign and how they're planning for the future.  But that's not how things turned out and instead, as Ohio State have hired their their fifth head coach since the departure of Coach thatfunk, we're going to be talking about how Coach Piercewise and his Hoosiers have gone from strength-to-strength in their quest for the Big Ten Championship and beyond.  A new era in Bloomington, indeed.

2022 was a bit of a roller coaster of a season.  With a few years of retrospect, I think it's safe to say that Indiana football's 2022 season was an unquestionable success - the Hoosiers finished with a 7-6 (5-4) record and a 33-27 victory in the Beef O'Brady's Gasparilla Bowl against a Temple program who had just finished third in a competitive American Conference.  While Indiana's 0-6 record on the road left a lot to be desired, the fact of the matter is that they were able to turn Bloomington into a fortress; going 6-0 at home to neutralize their short-comings on the road.  All in all, when compared to their 2021 record of 4-8 (2-7), Indiana's 2022 was a marked improvement: the three more victories they'd attained in 2022 were all within conference play, propelling the Hoosiers to dead last to fourth in the Big Ten Eastern Division within a single season.  To top it all off, Indiana's recruiting class was widely considered to be within the nation's Top 30, hovering around the 20s depending on which poll or metric you trust.  With results on the field and prospects in the pipeline, Coach Piercewise appeared to be working his magic on the Hoosiers and the future seemed bright in Bloomington.
 

2023 was like sitting in an emergency room waiting room - clearly in distress and just waiting for your name to be called, but having to listen to everyone else be called instead.  After a strong start to the 2023 season with a win against Southern Methodist and a convincing 24-10 win against eventual Big Ten Champions Ohio State, the Hoosiers to a hit in their 13-0 loss away to Tulane and couldn't stop the bleeding, going on to lose seven of their next nine to finish 4-8 (2-7) - a repeat of their disappointing 2021 campaign.  While some were quick to raise the alarm around Bloomington, cooler heads prevailed, and for good reason.  Three of Indiana's losses down their 1-7 stretch from Week 5 onwards were decided by three points or less: a 24-21 loss at Maryland; an 8-7 heartbreak while hosting Rutgers; and a 13-10 loss against Michigan State.  For Coach Piercewise, with the benefit of hindsight, he chalks the 2023 season down to a sort of indecision; a mixture of being simultaneously risk-averse and high-risk at the same time, where the benefits of each just sort of cancelled out and only the negatives remained and translated into disappointing on-field performances.  There was; however, one silver-lining for Hoosiers in 2023: they had jumped into the Top 20 in terms of their recruiting class.  Despite the proverbial step back, Indiana was ready, able, and willing to take another two steps forward.

It was exciting - we looked ahead of schedule.  Determined to right the ship after a shaky 2023 season, Coach Piercewise sought to embrace the reputation he had earned as a sort of "mad scientist" within the world of college football; ahead of the 2024 season, he made some positional adjustments, moved some players around the roster, and embraced the talent he had across the board.  And boy, did it pay off.  Led by Redshirt Freshman and eventual Big Ten Offensive Rookie of the Year Samuel Johnson, Indiana's offensive production exploded.  Alongside Johnson were Junior Halfback Mike Bradley and a Wide Receiving Corps led by Senior Halfback-turned-Wideout Geoff Albuquerque.  By Week 10, the Hoosiers were off to a 6-2 (4-0) start to the season - with four Top 25 matchups along the way - ranked #25 in the nation (their first time in the AP Top 25 in the past four years) and were in the driver's seat of the newly-expanded Big Ten heading into Lansing to face a lowly Michigan State.  Unfortunately for Coach Piercewise and the Hoosiers, subsequent losses to the Spartans and at home to Michigan would derail their Big Ten title hopes, but the 2024 season marked a new watermark for Hoosier football.  Finishing 8-5 (6-3) on the season, and with the #11 recruiting class in the country, Indiana appear poised to building upon their momentum into 2025 and beyond in an increasingly competitive Big Ten.

It's a question-mark - we've lost something like 55% of our roster to graduation.  Going into 2025, there appear to be two camps of Indiana football fans: there are those who view 2025 as a sort of 2023 2.0 (or a 2021 3.0, depending on how old they are) and there are others who view it with the sort of optimism that having a talented team of young, returning players tends to instill.  I mean, how could you not view these 2025 Hoosiers with some excitement?  While Geoff Albuquerque departs for (professional?) pastures new, his shoes are more than filled by Redshirt Junior Tyler Looney (A/B+) and Sophomore J.J. Pilaf (A/B-) at Wide Receiver - both of whom are coming off of an impressive 2024 season in their respective WR2 and WR3 roles.  Combined with the arrival of Freshman Wide Receiver Frank Pineda, a 4-star recruit out of California, and there are plenty of options for Redshirt Sophomore Quarterback Samuel Johnson (B/B) to pass to as he hopes to garner Big Ten honors in 2025.  That doesn't even include the two Tight Ends Coach Piercewise managed to snag in the Transfer Portal: Seniors Anthony Cowgill (B+/D+) and Sandy Davis (B+/C+) joining Indiana from Texas A&M and Syracuse, respectively, hope to team up with Redshirt Senior Halfback Mike Johnson (A/B) as additional outlets of Johnson and via the run-game in their own right.

If Indiana's 2025 recruiting class continues the upward trajectory of Hoosier recruiting since Coach Piercewise's arrival and finally cracks the Top-10, then Coach's assertion that 2026 is going to be "the year" is more than just an assertion, it's achievable.  With Coach Piercewise locked up at Indiana through the 2028 season, it's a whole new era in Bloomington - one where you'd better get used to the Hoosiers competing for the Big Ten.  The rest, as they say, is history.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Special thanks to @Piercewise1 for sitting down to chat about Indiana football and his coaching journey - it was a pleasure to have some "real talk about fake sports!"

I've been sitting on this one for a while (juggling Miami football and basketball and a few other non-coaching things) to get it right and we've got a few more Coaches Chats lined up in the queue; but if you'd like to sit down and have a chat about your coaching journey, the teams you've working with and/or on, feel free to reach out!

Until next time, football fans!

This article was originally published on plus.espn.com - featured audio has been transcribed for the reader's ease.

Welcome back, football fans!  It's finally upon us: the transfer portal - a mystical and magical realm where Quarterbacks, Linebackers, and Punters can be bought for a mere promise of a six-win season and walk-ons can be cast into the shadow realm; what a wonderful time to be alive!

Over this past season, we took a look at some high-profile transfer targets - admittedly, mainly Quarterbacks, because that's where the money's at - ahead of their entry into the portal for the upcoming 2025 season.  Well, that season is here, and we'd be doing a disservice if we didn't catch up with each of our previously-featured targets to see who's currently soliciting their talents, and whether or not its a good fit for the player themselves.  That's right, we're taking the same formula and running it back.  Except this time, instead of providing a Top 5, we're gonna take a look at each of the visible programs on the Transfer Portal who're chasing each of our previously-featured targets and provide a letter grade for each fit - with some analysis along the way, of course.  Don't worry folks, there is a curve.  So sit, back, relax, and enjoy the reboot.

------------------------------------------------

Kelly Jarwin, Quarterback, Redshirt Senior

When we last left Kelly Jarwin, he was optimistic about getting another shot at the starting job at Florida State; before getting ceremoniously demoted in favor of Colt McIntyre for the remainder of the 2024 season and entering the transfer portal soon after.  Boy, has our proverbial black swan transformed into the belle of the ball.  From what we can currently see on the Transfer Portal interface, nine teams are pursuing Jarwin to be their Quarterback for the 2025 season - hell, there are probably more, but we're going to stick with an analysis of those we can feasibly confirm are in the race for Kelly Jarwin.  That's right folks, no speculation here - only hard-hitting facts.

Texas (@SlinkyJr)
Transfer Talk Grade: C

Let's be candid: Texas needs all the help they can get.  The Longhorns first season in the SEC was one to forget and that's an understatement - finishing any season 1-11 (0-8) constitutes a catastrophic campaign, but when you finish with an NCAA-lowest 64 points-scored and an NCAA-sixth highest 424 points-allowed alongside the NCAA-lowest total offensive yards (2,139; avg. 178.25 per game) and horns are not only down, but they're six feet under.  Lest we forget, these statistics all include those from Texas' sole win against *checks notes* FCS Prairie View A&M where the anemic Longhorns offense was propelled to a 22-10 victory at home by the heroics of Kicker Pat Bethea, who accounted for 15 of Texas' 22 points on the day.  In fact, over the course of 2024, Pat Bethea accounted for 40 of Texas' 64 total points (62.5%).

Okay, a lot of negativity, so let's switch to some positives; or in the case of Texas, positive.  Phillippe Johnson (A/C+) is an absolute stud and Texas's 2025 offense should undoubtedly run through and seek to leverage the talents of the Senior Halfback.  By all accounts, Johnson's agility is only outmatched by his animalistic strength and his sheer speed.  He's also become a true leader in the locker room, and a cerebral one at that; known for academically breaking down walkthroughs for his younger teammates.  Johnson's also proven himself a more-than-capable receiver and pass blocker - at least compared to his peers - and it's frankly a shame that he can't pass or hand the ball off to himself.

Now the negatives, and trust me, there are a few when it comes to analyzing the Texas offense from the perspective of Kelly Jarwin.  Firstly, despite the presence of Phillippe Johnson in the backfield, there's not a whole lot to come by in terms of outlets to work with.  Redshirt Sophomore Halfback Kevin Hong (B/C) looks to capable to come in as a third-down or redzone option to keep Johnson fresh and Senior Wide Receiver Taylor Paulsen's (B/C+) hands are sure enough, but that's it.  The remainder of the Wide Receiving corps is weak, and that's being particularly generous; the Tight End options only boast Junior Daniel Shaffer (C+/C) as a serviceable blocker; and the Offensive Line as a whole is below-average, despite boasting the talents of Redshirt Senior Brant Taylor (A/A-) to bail out the whole group by bringing the average up.

All of that even avoids the biggest concern for Kelly Jarwin - Redshirt Sophomore Quarterback Joseph Wise (B+/A).  With two remaining years of eligibility, Wise should be Texas' 2025 starting Quarterback.  Coming off of a season where he was usurped in favor of a younger, talented Quarterback at Florida State due to a poor performance against a contending rival, Kelly Jarwin shouldn't touch Texas with a ten foot pole.  With their lack of all-around offensive talent, Jarwin will undoubtedly have a less-than-stellar game during his time at Texas - lest we forget this is the same Texas team that was shut-out by UTSA, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Texas A&M, and Georgia last season.  At the first sign of trouble, Wise could be viewed as the solution, and this should send shivers down Jarwin's spine.  From Texas' perspective, these are rebuilding years and they already have a young Quarterback option in Wise, so the pursuit of Jarwin raises more questions than answers, espeically when other areas of the Longhorns roster are in dire need of an upgrade via the Transfer Portal.

-------------------------------

Baylor (@Vivid)
Transfer Talk Grade: A

There is no greater statement-of-intent that the Baylor Bears are looking to win the 2025 National Championship than going after a top-tier Quarterback like Kelly Jarwin.  Their returning Offensive Line, led by Redshirt Senior Center Chris Watkins (A/B), is filled to the brim with generational talents; they have a dual-threat and one-two backfield of Redshirt Seniors Shareece Hinojosa (A/C+) and Drew Floro (A-/C+); Redshirt Junior Tyler Prochnow (A/B+) and Redshirt Senior Ariel Pyke (A/B-), alongside Redshirt Senior Tight End Jonathan Burke (A-/B-), are up there for some of the best receiving corps in the country.  The only thing Baylor needs is a lights-out Quarterback who can utilize the weapons around him while acting as a bridge for the talent that the Bears have waiting to develop over the coming seasons.

This one's short and sweet; Kelly Jarwin fits the bill perfectly, and the opportunity to play for a pre-season National Championship contender is one that may be too good to pass up.

-------------------------------

Penn State (@Rocketcan)
Transfer Talk Grade: A-

Speaking of pre-season National Championship contenders, enter stage-right the Nittany Lions.  Despite an uneventful 2024 campaign, where they ultimately finished 6-7 (5-4) in a cut-throat Big Ten, Penn State are gearing up for 2025 firing on all cylinders.  Redshirt Senior Chris Brooks (A/A) and Redshirt Junior Matt van Roten (A/B) offer a dual-threat, one-two punch out of the backfield alongside Redshirt Senior Fullback Anthony Brown (A/C+); four-out-of-five presumptive Offensive Line starters are A-rated, with the strong and quick Redshirt Senior Johnny Chacin (A-/B+) the only exception; and a receiving corps led by the speedy Junior Brian Walker (A/C) and with the safe hands of Redshirt Junior Pedro Farrow (A/C+) round out the talented Penn State offense.  Moreover, Quarterback heir-presumptive, Redshirt Freshman Michael Garcia (B/C+) eagerly awaits the keys to the offense, but could probably benefit from another year behind an establish collegiate starter - someone like Kelly Jarwin, who could take the Nittany Lions to the Big Ten title and beyond.

-------------------------------

Georgia Tech (@ATonOfLaw)
Transfer Talk Grade: B-

This one's hard for me: in the first episode of Transfer Talk, Georgia Tech was the hands-down, number one destination for Kelly Jarwin due to scheme fit, play time, and potential.  While I don't backtrack on my initial opinions or analysis, the calculus has changed and the Yellow Jackets are simply no longer the "best fit" for Kelly Jarwin; however, that's not to say they aren't still a decent fit.  Despite possessing a shaky offensive line, particularly in comparison to the talent they possessed during their 10-4 (8-1) 2024 season and ACC Championship,  Georgia Tech possess a young RB1 in true-Freshman Paul Heard (B/D-) who has to be hungry to prove himself.  Coupled with an experienced, returning Wide Receiving corps of Redshirt Senior Natrell Mihalik (A-/C+), Senior Byung-Hyun Socolovich (B+/B-), and Senior Jonathan Cruceta (B/B-), Georgia Tech have decent options for an incoming Quarterback like Kelly Jarwin.  Plus, the opportunity to compete with Florida State directly within the ACC, with the team that caused the biggest harm to the Seminoles (and Jarwin himself) last season, could be an enticing prospect that is beyond any letter grade we could provide.

-------------------------------

James Madison (@JC.)
Transfer Talk Grade: B

If James Madison are able to sign Kelly Jarwin, it would be a resounding coup for not only the Dukes and their chances for a Sun Belt title, but for the Sun Belt Conference as a whole.  The only Group of Five team on this list, James Madison beats out a number of their Power 5 counterparts for a number of reasons.  First, while the Dukes don't possess a world-beater offensive line, the group led by Senior Center DaVante Littleton (A-/C) are a serviceable bunch; not only have they spent the past few years working in pass-heavy situations, but despite being merely an average offensive line in comparison to contenders Baylor and Penn State, the Dukes possess one of the best offensive lines in the Sun Belt.  Circling back to experience, James Madison also boast a plethora of returning Wide Receivers, such as Senior Chris Morgan (B+/C+) who led the Sun Belt in receiving yards in 2024, and Senior Halfback Taiwan Hayward (B+/B-) who are eager to build upon the Dukes break-out campaign where they became bowl eligible for the first time.  Should Kelly Jarwin choose to join James Madison for 2025, I'd reckon this launches the Dukes into Sun Belt contention - and out of all the possible options, selfishly, this one might be the one I'd want to see the most just to see the Dukes continue their meteoric rise from the FBS to Sun Belt Champions in a few years time.

-------------------------------

Southern California (@Dr_Novella)
Transfer Talk Grade: C+

USC are in an intriguing spot ahead of the 2025 season: while they're only two years removed from their 2023 National Championship, and still possess so crucial pieces from that team, their 2024 title defense season was unspectacular to say the least, and the scars from this abject disappointment - and the departure of Quarterback Julian Longacre - could prove too consequential.  While the Trojans boast elite receiving outlets in Redshirt Senior Wide Receiver Phillip Adams (A/C+) and Redshirt Senior Tight End Lou Jackson (A-/B+), USC's strengths going into 2025 are on the defensive side of the ball.  While Redshirt Senior Haywood Wick (B+/C+), a Quarterback in the scrambler mold, could slot in as a Halfback - as has become somewhat in-vogue across the college football ranks - to solve USC's backfield woes, their offensive line remains a glaring weakness.  There's no doubt that Kelly Jarwin could fit into the Trojans offense to guide them on a resurgence; however, if other positional concerns aren't address within the transfer portal, the signing of Jarwin by USC could be all for naught.

-------------------------------

NC State (@Dean)
Transfer Talk Grade: F

Senior Wide Receiver Sonny Dekker (A-/B).  There, that's it.  That's all the offensive support Kelly Jarwin would have is he becomes a member of the Wolfpack.  Given that NC State were geared for a run-heavy offense, or at least a run-focused offense, and arguably still are, the focus on Kelly Jarwin is a confusing one.  When it comes to playing Jarwin's sort of pass-heavy offense, the Wolfpack Offensive Line transforms into an abysmal one; that's not to say they're generally poor, but they're not the sort of linemen you'd want protecting a pocket passer who drops back for a majority of snaps.  Adding insult to injury, NC State possess a thoroughly unimpressive running backs room; there's nobody with the agility, strength, speed, or receiving acumen to take some offensive pressure off of Kelly Jarwin, let alone be a game-changer when called upon.  All in all, NC State have far more pressing issues to address in the transfer portal; targeting a plug-in Quarterback like Kelly Jarwin is honestly a gross waste of resources.

-------------------------------

Houston Christian and Villanova
Transfer Talk Grade: F
Effort Grade: A

There's not much to talk about here - both Houston Christian and Villanova only have 20 players currently rostered: A for effort, F for fit.  Though we could see an absolute master-class in trash-talk from @Kirby if either team manages to snag Kelly Jarwin, and that alone may be worth it.

------------------------------------------------

Meyers Ramirez, Quarterback, Redshirt Junior

In our second episode of Transfer Talk we discussed five fits for our Scrambler leaving Wazzu for pastures new: Colorado State, Rutgers, Cincinnati, NC State, and Illinois.  As it turns out, Meyers has three potential suitors and none of them are those we'd mentioned within our Top 5; only one was even mentioned within the Meyers Ramirez episode of Transfer Talk all together, and I'm honestly a little surpise by each of them, but not necessarily in a bad way.  Let's take a look.

Clemson (@Spoof)
Transfer Talk Grade: B-

Let me be clear at the outset, I think that Clemson would be a fantastic fit for Meyer Ramirez.  As one of the handful of teams across the college football landscape to commit to the I-Option and stick with it, the rush-forward offense has been tested by the Tigers and is seemingly here to stay.  While Senior Wide Receiver Garrett McGee (A-/C+) is the sole stand-out in terms of receiving support, Clemson possess a powerful rusher in Redshirt Senior Halfback Ronald Beato (B+/C) and a complementary dual-threat option in Senior Halfback Josh Hollis-Jefferson (B/B-).  Although the Tigers' offensive line is a bit of a patchwork of rush and pass blockers, the line is led by the formidable Redshirt Senior Tackle Alex Figueroa (A/C+).  Okay, this all sounds way better than a B-, what's the problem.  Quarterbacks, plural.

At time of writing, Clemson have seven rostered Quarterbacks going into 2025 - Meyers Ramirez would make eight.  Of those seven, three are scramblers like Ramirez; of those three, only two are feasible threats to the starting job: Redshirt Junior Isiah Fitts (B+/B) and true Freshman Gregg O'Connell (B/B+).  I have no doubt that Coach @Spoof would figure out a way to make it work between these talented scramblers; with the heir-apparent O'Connell probably taking a redshirt season and Ramirez and Fitts either splitting snaps or one of the two transitioning to halfback.  Either way, the B- grade is a conditional one - until there's a sense of finality as to whether or not our Quarterback in question would be able to join the Tigers as, well, a Quarterback, there's no higher grade to give.

-------------------------------

Northwestern (@David VanHousen)
Transfer Talk Grade: C-

In the cutting room floor, Big Ten Hot Seat extraordinaire, I had Northwestern slated to run the Run and Shoot offense starting in 2025 to make the most out of their sparse offensive weapons.  One of these weapons, if not the Wildcats' main weapon, Senior Halfback Anthony LaMarre (B+/A+) entered the transfer portal and is solely being targeted by Stanford in their post-Vontae Knebel era.  That said, Northwestern's new RB1: Junior William Brown (B-/C); as well as their top two receiving options in Junior Wide Receivers Robert Stack (B/C+) and William Goodwin (B-/A-) are all scheme-fits for the Run and Shoot.  In contrast, should Northwestern persist with the Spread Option that they ran last year, the only player who would seemingly benefit is Meyers Ramirez himself.  While this would undoubtedly been a boon and would lock up the starting job in Evanston for his remaining two years of eligibility - at what cost?  The Wildcats' offensive line is unreliable at best, their backfield would be able to provide mediocre run support by virtue of not playing in an explicitly complementary system, and their below-average receiving corps would receive no favors either; and all of this in an increasingly competitive Big Ten.

-------------------------------

Washington (@CoachCartier)
Transfer Talk Grade: A-

The Washington Huskies were featured twice within the Top 5s of Transfer Talk due to their need for a Quarterback for 2025 - the first was at #2 for Kelly Jarwin and the second was at the top spot for Mark Koch.  So imagine my surprise when I scoured the transfer portal and found that they were targeting a scrambler in Meyers Ramirez instead of the pocket-passer of Jarwin or the balanced Koch.  And frankly, I love it.

First of all, there would be nothing quite like a two-year long Meyers Ramirez Apple Cup Revenge Tour - absolutely juicy.  But mainly, the Huskies have an impressive supporting cast that could help bring out the best in what Meyers Ramirez has to offer while allowing for his development ahead of 2026.  Specifically, Washington boasts a powerful duo of dual-threat halfbacks in Redshirt Senior Xavier Smith (A/C) and Redshirt Junior Franklin Riggins (A-/A); alongside top-tier receiving outlets like Redshirt Senior Wide Receiver Randy Peterson (A/C+), Redshirt Senior Tight End Robbie Bloom (A/B), and Redshirt Senior Wide Receiver Joey Tejada (A-/C+).  Despite being led by Redshirt Senior Center Emmanuel Murdock (A/C+), Washington's offensive line risks being its Achilles Heel due to the potential shift from a passing-based offense to a rushing based-offense; however, this disadvantage could be easily mitigated with additionally astute moves in the transfer portal and shrewd play-calling.

------------------------------------------------

Jay Ratley, Quarterback, Redshirt Senior

With only one year of eligibility remaining and only a handful of college programs favoring mobile Quarterbacks, it's honestly not all that surprising that Jay Ratley has only garnered interest from one program - particularly when Meyers Ramirez with an additional year of eligibility has three interested programs.  What is interesting, or rather, intriguing, is which program is going after Ratley.

NC State (@Dean)
Transfer Talk Grade: F

Two things: yes, I am aware of the coaching change (that occurred during the drafting of this article - makes me feel like @kgreene829 with mock drafts), but @Dean and his staff were the ones who made the transfer portal investment and shall receive the grade; and two, we'll keep it short and sweet since we've already discussed NC State.  The Wolfpack, as discussed, have an abysmal offensive line, an unimpressive backfield, and one talented receiver.  They have a few capable, but uninspiring, options at Quarterback who could bridge the gap for an incoming recruit but that's about it for their offensive makeup.  So it's surprising that NC State, instead of filling some pretty gaping holes in the transfer portal, have adopted a sort of "scattershot" approach to Quarterbacks and Quarterbacks alone in that they've heavily targeted the highest ranked Quarterback of each archetype.  While other programs, such as Baylor, have adopted this exact same strategy, this sort of strategy only works if you're Baylor and have a roster full of generational talents and a sole potential weakness; then you can afford to target this weakness aggressively via the transfer portal.

If it weren't for the fact that Boston College and NC State don't play next year, I'd even be so inclined to presume that a scuppering were at-hand, but instead, I have to genuinely hope that either another team comes in for Jay Ratley or that the incoming coaching staff at NC State makes some serious changes to right this sinking ship.  Because Jay Ratley, and the NC State Wolfpack, deserve better.

------------------------------------------------

Mark Koch, Quarterback, Redshirt Junior

The college football world has heard narrative after narrative about Mark Koch; most recently, his literal lock-out from Tennessee following their 2024 National Championship.  Don't feel too terribly bad for Mark though, he's got a couple of very interesting programs vying for his services for 2025 and beyond - and he's earned it too, despite the animosity between Koch and Knoxville, the embattled Quarterback's time at Tennessee has led to impressive development this offseason.  Without further ado, let's get into it.

Kansas (@Bundy)
Transfer Talk Grade: B+

Mark Koch as a Jayhawk isn't what I had on my bingo card, but it's an intriguing possibility in the 50/50 transfer portal toss-up.  Kansas have talented receiving outlets in Redshirt Senior Wide Receiver Tanner Bradley (A/B), Senior Tight End Steel Blue (A-/A-), Redshirt Senior Wide Receiver Eric Zawadzki (B+/A), and Redshirt Junior Tight End Travis Siegrist (B+/C-) that any Quarterback would be ecstatic to throw to on Saturdays.  Coupled with the fact that the Jayhawks offensive line is solid and you've got a transfer portal Quarterback's dream destination.  While there is the hiccup of incumbent Redshirt Senior Quarterback Tyler Summers (A/C-), Kansas' pursuit of Mark Koch leads me to believe that if they get their man (Koch, that is), that Summers will see himself deployed as RB1 to compensate for Kansas' sole offensive weakness: their backfield.  In an era where speedy Quarterbacks are beginning to see themselves transformed into backfield playmakers, this pursuit of Mark Koch is fun, ballsy, and extremely beneficial to both parties.

-------------------------------

Kentucky (@Ezaco)
Transfer Talk Grade: B+

Mark Koch and Michael Oliveros in the same lineup?  In the SEC?  Remember the Meyers Ramirez Apple Cup Revenge Tour?  Well this could be Mark Koch's own revenge tour if he finds himself a Kentucky Wildcat.  Let's not split hairs, Kentucky's receiving options are elite:  Redshirt Senior Wide Receivers Brennan Dominguez (A/A-) and Zack Beck (A/B) alongside Senior Wide Receivers Eddie Gibson (A-/B-) and Johnathan Forrest (A-/C) lining up four-wide are a force to be reckoned with.  Hell, Mark Koch may think he's back in Knoxville with all of that receiving talent on offer.  While Kentucky's glaring weakness is their offensive line, due to the fact that they'd be shifting from a run-dominant offense to a balanced or pass heavy offense, this weakness would be completely negated by one man: Michael Oliveros.  Just like with Kansas, Kentucky's pursuit of Mark Koch indicates one thing: Michael Oliveros will be switching to Halfback for 2025.  With defenses having to contend with Oliveros on the ground and four-wide sets any offensive line weaknesses won't have the opportunity to be exploited due to defensive indecisiveness; if they plan for Oliveros, they'll be burned on the pass; if they plan for Koch, Oliveros will torch them with his legs.

Mark Koch, take a bow.  Wherever you end up - Kansas or Kentucky, it'll be fun to watch in 2025.

------------------------------------------------

Alright, football fans, that's all for this iteration of Transfer Talk - let us know your thoughts!  We're gonna take another break to focus on the *increasing backlog* of media pieces to write before the 2025 season gets well and truly underway, but we'll be sure to take a look at the transfer portal again once it closes up shop - we'll see where our featured players have ended up and take a look at some new folks for the first time!

Until next time, football fans! 

It's May 2001 - Janet Jackson's All for You tops the Billboard Hot 100 (Survivor by Destiny's Child is a close second); DreamWorks have released an adaptation of a 1990 children's picture book called Shrek; and, as of May 20th, the Seattle Marines have the best record in baseball at a commanding 32-11.

Halfway across the world, Angola is burning.  It's twenty-six year long Civil War is an inextinguishable conflagration; even when the ashes appear to have settled, an ember lights the fire of war again.  And again.

Our story begins on May 21, 2001 in the Angolan provincial capital of N'dalatando; our protagonist, Mr. Jose Abraão Chaves, is forty-one year-old mid-level functionary tasked with ensuring the flow of international aid from the coastal ports to his interior homeland.  Born and raised within the Portuguese colonial system, Mr. Chaves is the perfect administrator: he speaks Portuguese and Kimbundu natively alongside French, which he learned from Médecins Sans Frontières volunteers, and English, a gift from Jesuit priests from the United States; he has a keen grasp on logistics, as evidenced by the fact that trucks travel to and through his province carrying food and medicine without any falling off the back; and he is incorruptible.  He is resolute - a man of principle and unwavering faith.  That is, until May 22, 2001.

As dawn broke, more than seven-hundred refugees stumbled into his jurisdiction - an attack occurred in the village of Golungo Alto overnight, these survivors had trekked over sixty kilometers (approximately thirty-seven miles) under the cover of darkness seeking aid and shelter.  There was only one problem: there were only enough supplies for a mere hundred of them.  As Mr. Chaves waded through the crowd with his subordinates, speaking to the huddled masses, a baby was thrust into his hands - a boy, no older than two months.  He could not see from where, but inquiry after inquiry within the crowd led to nothing - the boy was an orphan.

Quote

"It was fate.  My beautiful wife, Ana Sara, and I had always dreamt of being parents, but we were in our forties and had not yet received such a blessing.  If there is anything that can be celebrated of that terrible and chaotic conflict is that it gave us our son, Pedro Isaque.  When I learned that the military and the government were prohibiting coverage of the crisis, I did my best to ration the supplies for those villagers, but I made the decision to leave - for our new family.  I did not want my son to grow up in that never-ending violence as I and so many others had, I wanted him to have a better life.  So we fled."

The Chaves family departed N'dalatando on May 23, 2001, arriving in Portugal as refugees within a few months time thanks to Mr. Chaves' connections to an aid group from Faro.  Their ultimate destination?  Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Quote

"When I was fifteen, Jesuit priests came to N'dalatando bringing books for school children.  They stayed for two years; I worked closely with one of the priests, Father Peter Wisniewski, as a teaching assistant.  I learned English from him, but our time together reinforced my faith when I was but a jaded boy surrounded by sadness.  He told me that helping others was the greatest gift - he told me that if I ever needed help, that he and his family would be able to shelter me and my kin.  Fr. Wisniewski was from Scranton, in Pennsylvania, so that is where Ana, Pedro, and I sought to go."

Thirty years after Fr. Wisniewski and Mr. Chaves last spoke, the former agreed to be the latter's sponsor to come to the United States.  It would take five more years for the Chaves family to reach American soil - both a by-product of the American immigration system and the absolute anarchy it was thrust into after the September 11th attacks - but they arrived in Scranton with another blessing: Ana was heavily-pregnant with a son.  In their forties, after thinking that parenthood had passed them by, Jose and Ana Chaves became parents to a second son: Chin Chaves, christened in honor of the young Chinese-American attorney, Peter Chin, who handled the Chaves' immigration case from start-to-finish.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eighteen years later, Chin Chaves is a three-sport (Football, Wrestling, Lacrosse) phenom out of Scranton Preparatory Academy.  Standing at 5'10" and weighing an imposing 233 pounds, Chaves is officially designated as a Fullback by Rivals, ESPN, and 24/7, but there's much more to his game.  In 2022, Chaves captained his Cavaliers freshman football team to a Pennsylvania state title; rushing for a touchdown and receiving another in the title-decider to cap off a season where he earned freshman all-state honors and racked-up the most all-purpose yards amongst eligible rushers and receivers.  Chaves carried this momentum into 2023 and 2024, where during his sophomore and junior years he became Pennsylvania's most-feared third-down specialist.  Opponents frequently balk at what defensive strategy to employ when Chaves reports on third-down.  When defenses have aimed to stop the ground game, Chaves utilizes his abilities as a receiver to get open and make a play; when a pass-defense is employed, Chaves simply uses his powerful frame to literally bowl over the opposition.  In no game was this more apparent than the 2024 season-opener between Scranton Prep and cross-town rivals Scranton High School - on three different occasions, Prep lined up on third-and-goal from beyond the five-yard-line with Scranton High looking to make a stop.  Chin Chaves finished the night with three touchdowns, two through the air and one on the ground, all from third-and-goal.

Quote

"It was a really special game for me - not only did it kick-start our season, but it was the first game of proper football that my older brother Peter got to see me play.  He's six years older than me, so we'd never really overlapped in school and he didn't really get to see me develop into an athlete before he went off to college.  I mean, of course he saw me play Pop Warner as a kid - and I remember him being my biggest fan, even compared to our parents - but it's a whole new ballgame literally and figuratively when you grow up.  Like a lot of other kids, football was just fun growing up, but it's more than fun to me now.  Putting on that uniform, going out there and giving it my all for my school, my teammates, and myself - it's a way of showing my pride from where I'm from and thanking everyone who's been such an influence in my life.  I play for my brother, who's been my role model since Day 1; I play for my parents, who sacrificed their lives in Angola for the hope that Peter and I would have better opportunities in America; I play for my city, my community, who I'm so proud to consider my extended family and who make me feel unconditionally loved and supported; and I play for God the Almighty, for He gave me innumerable blessings to be here today.  I'm excited to get out there this season and, with God's grace, to bring a state championship back home to Scranton - as a thank you to everyone who's supported me through my journey thus far."

During my time in Scranton, I spent a lot of time with the Chaves family.  Mr. Chaves, as a member of their faculty, gave me a tour of Scranton Prep. I received a backstage pass to the entire school; however, the most impressive room, at least in my opinion, was his office.  Adorning virtually every available surface, alongside French textbooks and stacks of tests and lesson plans, were footballs - game balls.  Each were dated and with scores written on them; Mr. Chaves beams, as any proud father would, as he recounts each game to me with an academically impressive level of detail.  Prominent amongst all else are two display cases, in an obvious place of veneration on either side of Mr. Chaves' desk.  The first display case contains a ball which reads: 2022 Pennsylvania Freshman State Championship, 14-12; the game ball from Chin's freshman year, where his two touchdowns made all the difference.  The second display case, curiously, appears empty.

Quote

"Chinny bought these for me - he works in the school library stocking shelves and he saved up to surprise me.  He got the first one in 2023, since the 2022 Freshman State Championship ball was just sitting on my desk and would roll a little if I was being clumsy and stubbed my toe on the corner rushing to and from classes.  This second one, well, he just bought me that one.  He said, "Dad, I want this to be my promise to you - I'm going to get you the 2025 State Championship.  They'll put the trophy in the halls and we'll all get keepsakes, but I want you to have the game ball to round out your collection.  If I don't get that, then I'll get you a game ball from an even more important game so you can add it to your office.  He's a good boy, but I don't need a silly football - I'm proud of him, he's my son, that's all that matters."

Mr. Chaves implored me to take a look at the seemingly-empty display case - propped up on the pedestal in the display case, where only Mr. Chaves can see it from his office chair, is a baby picture of Chin being held by his older brother Peter.  Chin is wearing an adorably-tiny Santa hat, Peter is wearing a child's sized duplicate of the same Santa Hat; scribbled in sharpie in the corner is Christmas, 2007.  A proud dad, indeed.

At the Chaves home, Mrs. Chaves prepared a whole feast: I sampled caruru, a sort of jambalaya-esque shrimp and okra stew; kissuto rombo, garlic-roasted goat with lemon-rice; farofa, a rice and bean dish; and cocada amarela, custardy coconut pudding.  Mrs. Chaves, ever the hostess-with-the-mostess, insisted that I take a plethora of other dishes whos names I cannot recall off the top of my head back to my hotel with me.  As she packed tupperware container after tupperware container, Chin insisted on showing me his room.  Aside from the crucifix above the lightswitch next to the door, it looked like most bedrooms of high-school-aged boys, albeit tidy: a desk with opened-envelopes on one side and a TI-84 and an Xbox controller on the other; a hastily-made bed in the corner; an open closet door displaying a shoe collection of Nikes, Air Jordans, and the like; and a like-new hat rack.  No hidden Playboy magazines, as far as I could tell from my vantage point.

Before I know it, Chin has arranged a set of hats on the bed for me to see: Holy Cross, Notre Dame, Boston College, Yale, Georgetown, Fordham, Bucknell, Lehigh, Lafayette, and Colgate.  As I nod approvingly at the Notre Dame hat and make a quip about the Patriot League, Chin explains that these ten schools are either schools who have already approached him about playing football in 2026, places he's received mail about applying to, or institutions he's already applied to outside of football.  Breaking those schools down, the entirety of the Patriot League - Bucknell, Colgate, Fordham, Georgetown, Holy Cross, Lafayette, and Lehigh have all shown interest in Chin Chaves.  I mean, how could they not, he practically plays high school football in their conference's backyard.  Both Boston College and Notre Dame, as Catholic institutions, are schools that Chin has received mail from and indicates that he's highly interested in if they were to offer him a chance to play football.  The outlier of Yale?  Well, Chin's already applied to Yale - his older brother Peter is studying there for his Masters Degree in Divinity, and we all know that Chin would love for more opportunities to play football with his brother in attendance.

Quote

"I'm keeping my options open.  I'd love to play under the Golden Dome at Notre Dame or in the ACC at Boston College; they're both collegiate institutions that I'm familiar with due to the curriculum at Prep and my connection to my faith, but I feel like I'd fit in anywhere with a similar sort of culture.  That said, I'm not gonna limit myself to religious institutions - Roman Catholic or otherwise - just because of my personal-preference towards that style of education.  It'd also be a dream-come-true to suit up in the Blue and White of Penn State.  Running out onto that field would be the culmination of my journey to represent my community at the highest level, I mean, what better way to represent Scranton than to play in Pennsylvania's third-largest city on gamedays?  I'm letting my imagination get the best of me, recruiting season is a ways-away and I'm just looking forward for the opportunity to play college ball.  I want to be the first Angolan-American to play in the NFL, and I'm looking forward to showing all those collegiate programs out there that I'm gonna put the work in and then some to get there."

As I depart the Chaves residence, tupperware containers in tow, I thank the Chaveses for their hospitality and offer to return the favor if they're ever down in Miami.  Unlocking my rental car, I place my feast-to-go in the passenger footwell and grab a football I purchased earlier that day; I asked Chin to sign it for me and he obliged.  I like the sound of "the first Angolan-American to play in the NFL" and I genuinely think that this scrappy, well-mannered kid from Scranton, Pennsylvania can get there.  A signed-football would be one hell of a keepsake for my office; I'd get a display case, but those are only for game balls.  I know for a fact that there's only one man who's getting his hands on a Chin Chaves game ball other than the player himself - his father.

I think that a lot of folks have raised a bunch of good points both in favor and in opposition to the prospect of deviating from the IRL College Football Realignment; however, there's one factor that I'd like to posit in favor of retaining the structure we currently employ (mirroring IRL CFB) - new member attraction and retention.  As an incoming head coach, there's a lot to wrap your head around: whether that be adjusting to a college football landscape with completely new athletes, to learning how to recruit and gameplan, alongside understanding the "who's who" of the community.  Having the SimCFB conferences in line with the IRL counterparts removes a potentially complicated aspect for a first-year head coach to comprehend, especially if they were attracted to joining a specific program with IRL conference play in mind.  Moreover, I also think @Bundy's point goes hand-in-hand with my own; shaping SimCFB conferences in our own image, while a super-exciting and fun prospect, could turn off prospective coaches who are unfamiliar with our brand of nostalgia or the time we've spent shaping the conferences based on past play.

Something that could be interesting to explore in lieu of deviating from the IRL CFB realignments would be to either encourage or facilitate the movement of coaches between realigned conferences.  For example, with the 2026 Pac-12 expansion (at the time of writing), Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State are all poised to join from the Mountain West.  In compensation for losing four teams for no reason within the sim, the Mountain West Commissioner would be allowed to grant some sort of privilege deemed suitable by the Admins to any departing coach (i.e. the head coach of Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, or San Diego State) to join a vacant team within the Mountain West to keep conference coaching numbers stable.  In turn, the Pac-12 Commissioner would be allowed to grant a lesser privilege deemed suitable by the Admins to any incoming or existing head coach to fill any vacancies at the incoming programs so as to increase the number of "coached teams" within their newly enlarged conference.  All in all, I'm not particularly sure how this could operate within our current SimCFB landscape, but it could be a fun way to stimulate coaching mobility while functionally "compensating" conferences for realignments outside of their control.

This article was originally published on plus.espn.com - featured audio has been transcribed for the reader's ease.

A lot has changed in college football over the past four years.  By the end of the day, we’ll have our fourth National Champion in as many years.  We’ve seen upwards of two-hundred coaching changes since 2022, during which time programs have risen and fallen and risen again within the college football landscape.  Betting men would presume that these rising teams are set to fall, and falling teams are bound to rise.  In some ways, they're right.  In other ways, they couldn’t be more wrong.  Yet, throughout these turbulent years, there are beacons of stability throughout college football - head coaches who have made names for themselves, either with one program or more and whose talents are as unique as the individuals behind the gameplans.  To truly understand college football, one must first understand the men who control the game - both literally and figuratively.

One such man is Coach @kwheele.  Over the past four years, he’s been the poster-boy for stability - not for where he’s coached, but for how he’s coached his teams.  I was fortunate enough to sit down with Coach kwheele, both ahead of and after our recording of the “Wheels Off” Podcast, to talk about his experiences in college football; his journey from Stillwater, to Madison, and ultimately to Fayetteville via Miami; his approach to recruiting top classes; and his outlook on the collegiate game.  Welcome to Coaches Chat, where we’re gonna sit down with some of our greatest college football minds and find out a little more about both the wizard and man behind the curtain.  Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

It was a case of seeing what was possible.  If any phrase could describe Coach kwheele’s arrival at Oklahoma State in 2021, it would be that.  The proverbial Wild West of college football had arrived, new coaches took up their roles across the college football landscape, it was kickoff time and folks were ready to play.  By all accounts, the 2021 Oklahoma Cowboys campaign was an unlucky one - they’d shown flashes of ability in some games and were thoroughly outclassed by superior opposition in others.  An overall record of 6-6 (5-4) prior to their 13-3 loss to Stanford in the postseason was a respectable one; good enough for 5th in the Big XII, but not good enough to retain their head coach.

It was about developing a program - a three-year plan.  After seeing what Coach kwheele could do at Oklahoma State, Wisconsin came calling for 2022 following an impressive 2021 campaign where the Badgers went 13-2 (12-0); winning the Big Ten and earning the coveted 4-seed in the College Football Playoff.  After falling 46-13 to 1-seed and eventual runners-up Florida State in the semifinal, the Badgers looked to hone their defensive game whilst building their program for the future.  Time would tell that Coach kwheele was the perfect man to accomplish both of these team goals.

In 2022, the Badgers finished the season 6-7 (5-4); falling 34-28 to Utah State in the Northern Lights Bowl.  While Wisconsin’s overall record took a dip from their previous campaign - where they were primarily led by a cadre of departing Seniors - the quality of their play was undiminished.  The Badgers were particularly impressive on the defensive side of the ball: in contests where the final score was decided by a single score or less (i.e. an eight point differential), Wisconsin were 4-1 across the season and an indomitable 3-0 in their final four regular season games.  These three crucial Big Ten victories, which Wisconsin won by a combined total of 12 points, secured their bowl eligibility and were a testament to the resilience of the Badgers defense.  In the Big Ten, Wisconsin’s defense finished 2022 with the 5th lowest yards allowed - underscored by an impressive second-lowest passing yards allowed; however, when considered that third-best Purdue allowed only a hundred less yards while playing one fewer game, a compelling case could be made for the Badgers  to have had the third-best overall defense in the Big Ten at the end of 2022.

The following year, Wisconsin secured the top spot in the Big Ten West with an impressive 9-5 (8-2) overall record.  The Badgers defense continued to shine: while their 7th-lowest total yards allowed was commendable in its own right, Wisconsin made their case for the second-best defense in the Big Ten with the second-fewest yards allowed per game at 318 - a slightly-inflated number due to having played 11-3 (8-2) Big Ten Champions Ohio State twice and 11-3 (8-1) Mountain West Champions Nevada in the Almost Heaven, West Virginia Bowl Game.  What was arguably more impressive than Wisconsin’s defense in 2023 was the recruiting done by Coach kwheele and his staff - which brought them the #6 recruiting class in the country by season’s end.

Although a Top 10 recruiting class is indicative of sustained, long-term success, Coach kwheele’s approach to recruiting almost guarantees it.  Unlike a number of his contemporaries, Coach kwheele is particularly selective when it comes to recruits.  Center of attention work ethic?  Not for him, that guy won’t be enough of a team player.  Skips classes often?  Student-athletes are meant to be students first, even in today’s era of NIL.  Skips leg day?  Pass, that sort of behavior displays a compromised work ethic.  Frailty?  Complacency?  Narcissism?  Pass, pass, and pass.  It doesn’t matter if you’re a five-star recruit or a walk-on, within Coach kwheele’s team you become a member of the family, and you’re held to a higher standard of conduct not out of an attachment to what some players may view as “antiquated values,” but out of respect that you can be and ought to be the best version of yourself for both the team and player.

It was to prevent the wrong driver from getting behind the wheel of a Cadillac.  After the departure of Coach @cultur3 (may he rest in powder) for UNLV a mere three weeks into the 2024 campaign, the University of Miami and the Atlantic Coast Conference scrambled to find a suitable replacement.  Their goal was to find a suitable interim head coach who could stabilize the Hurricanes in 2024 and who may be convinced to come aboard long-term.  With a year remaining on his Wisconsin deal and a proven coaching acumen alongside an ability to build a team for the future, Coach kwheelerwas identified and tapped for the job.  Finishing the 2024 campaign with a combined 6-6 record across both Madison and Miami and a recruiting composite of 1.93 - good for 23rd in the nation - Coach kwheele accomplished a particularly rare feat: he guided two programs to respectable finishes in a single campaign.

It was time to test the waters.  By his own admission, the Miami job was never Coach kwheele’s long-term plan - but after four seasons with three teams, it was time to settle down.  Three programs were on Coach kwheele’s radar:  San Diego State, Toledo, and Arkansas.  Why these three?  Strong defenses, strong rushing offenses, and strong recruiting grounds - three characteristics that we’ve come to associate Coach kwheele with during his coaching career.  Why the Razorbacks?  Arkansas, a team which has gone 22-27 (12-20) over the past four seasons, are the perfect team to settle down at: with a 2024 regular season record of 7-5 (3-5) - their best since 2021 - the Razorbacks are on the up, but have never truly tasted rock-bottom.  With a steady hand from Coach kwheele, I’d say that Arkansas are poised to enjoy sustained success through solid coaching and unapologetically pragmatic recruiting; all with a head coach who’s raring to get there and create a dynasty.  In short, it’s the perfect spot for a coach who’s been looking for just the right place to call home, and I can’t wait to see what Coach kwheele and his Razorbacks can do.

-----------------------------------

Thanks for checking-in football fans, a little shorter-form with less walls of statistics (with a few nuggets embedded here or there for the keen reader), but I hope you enjoyed nonetheless.  Special thanks to Coach @kwheele once again for taking the time to have me on "Wheels Off" a few weeks back and for taking the time to sit and chat - one thing we found out is that we're both storytellers (read: long-winded), so we covered a lot of ground over a couple of cups of coffee, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Looking to keep this series going over the offseason so that we can continue to explore the journeys of our fellow-coaches and hopefully learn a little bit more about everyone along the way, so please, reach out if you'd like to chat or if you think one of your colleagues ought to feature on the program next.

Without further ado, Happy Natty Day everyone - until next time!

Coral Gables, Florida - Coach @dearden has been unveiled as the new Head Coach of the Miami Hurricanes football team.  After the mid-season departure of Coach @cultur3 and the hiring of interim-head coach @kwheele by the University of Arkansas ahead of their Birmingham Bowl appearance, the University of Miami and the Atlantic Coast Conference sought to identify and appoint a long-term coaching solution for the Hurricanes.  

Coming off of a 7-5 (6-2) debut regular season as Head Coach of the Appalachian State, Coach Dearden was approached to take over at Miami ahead of the 2025 season.  While sources indicate that the initial deal - a six-year, $7.65 million contact - was finalized earlier this month, the college football world would have to wait until after Week 17, a stipulation made by Coach Dearden to allow for him to remain the Mountaineers Head Coach for their postseason game, to see who Miami had hired and if it were an astute appointment.

While the Hurricanes fell 28-16 in the Military Bowl, Appalachian State ran out convincing 48-21 victors over Oklahoma State two days later, racking up 700 all-purpose yards on the way to a New Mexico Bowl win.  If not an astute appointment, the dichotomy of Miami and Appalachian State in Week 17 and their performances at least suggest that the hiring of Coach Dearden could signal a step in the right direction for the languishing Hurricanes.

Quote

“The incoming coach is a promising, up-and-coming figure in the football world. They have demonstrated not only a deep understanding of the game but also a dynamic presence in the media. This individual has quickly become a media icon, known for their expressive nature, innovative coaching strategies, and commitment to player development.  This appointment represents a new chapter for Miami Hurricanes football. We are confident that this coach's fresh perspective and energy will revitalize the program, building on its rich legacy while steering it towards an exciting future. The decision to bring in a coach with such a unique profile reflects Miami's commitment to excellence, both on and off the field.”

-ACC Commissioner @Kirby

 

Over the past four seasons, the Hurricanes have accumulated a combined record of 18-31 (13-20), finishing 11th in the ACC in both 2021 and 2022, before jumping to 8th in 2023, and rounding-out 2024 dead-center in the ACC at 9th while securing their first bowl appearance.  During that time, two head coaches and an interim-head coach have passed through Miami; Hurricane hopes that any one of these coaches would make South Florida their home dashed as quickly as their respective coaching tenures.

Quote

“I believe that one of my predecessors said it best: ‘the five national championships, twenty national award winners, countless All-Americans, incredible tradition. It's a dream job.’  The Miami Hurricanes are a prestigious football program, one that ought to be competing for an ACC Championship Title - hell, the National Championship - on a yearly basis.  Anything less is unacceptable, and unfortunately, that’s the kind of football our fans have been subjected to in recent years.  That stops today.  We’re going to be taking the fight to our opponents and rivals throughout the season, relentlessly pursuing our goal to bring the Miami Hurricanes back to the pinnacle of college football.  I’ve spoken to my coaching staff, our returning players, and the administration about expectations and we’re all on the same page - we want to win football games and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

-Dearden

With the 2024 football season officially behind them, the Miami Hurricanes look to utilize the transfer portal to supplement their existing talent before preparing for 2025. 

From the Office of the Assistant Athletic Director for Football of Appalachian State University, for immediate release:

Quote

This morning, Appalachian State and Coach Dearden parted ways via mutual consent pursuant to an agreement reached on August 3, 2024, between Appalachian State University and the University of Miami.  This agreement released Coach Dearden of his existing contractual obligations to Appalachian State University effective this morning, August 18, 2024.  We thank Coach Dearden for the leadership, poise, and dedication demonstrated during his brief tenure at Appalachian State and wish him well on his collegiate football journey.

This article was originally published on Yosef’s Cabin.

Quote

 

To the Black and Gold Faithful,

I wanted you to hear the news from me first: as of this morning, Appalachian State University and I mutually-agreed to terminate the remaining three years of my contract as Head Coach of the Mountaineer football team.  The original two-years of my contract, plus a one-year extension I signed yesterday evening, were bought-out by the University of Miami pursuant to an agreement between both universities, where I would be relieved of my duties at Appalachian State following the New Mexico Bowl to become the Miami Hurricanes Head Coach ahead of the 2025 collegiate football season.

I know you probably have a lot of questions, and I will endeavor to answer them in time.  But first, I wanted to express my immense gratitude to all of you.  Your ferocious passion, your unwavering dedication, and unconditional support have made my experience with Appalachian State one that I will cherish for a lifetime - I will forever bleed black and gold because you welcomed me into your home and truly made me feel like one of your own, like a true member of the Mountaineer football family.  And just like when it comes to saying farewell to a family member, I can assure you: this isn’t goodbye, it’s see you again soon.

-@dearden

 

Albuquerque, New Mexico - Markus Turner's extra point attempt is up, and it is good - your Appalachian State Mountaineers have defeated the Oklahoma State Cowboys 48-21 and are 2024 New Mexico Bowl Champions!  The call from WKBC 97.3 FM echoed through the Blue Ridge Mountains and down to Charlotte, final score: OKST 21-48 APST.  Described by Coach @dearden on the "Wheels OFF" Podcast as one of the Mountaineers most-formidable opponents, the Oklahoma State Cowboys entered the New Mexico Bowl with a 7-5 (4-5) regular season record; having prevailed against then #24 Colorado in Week 3, Big XII Runners-Up then #8 TCU in Week 6; then #8 Arizona State in Week 8, and then #16 Oklahoma to close out the regular season in Week 14.  At one point in the regular season, the Cowboys were ranked #10 in the AP Coaches Poll - the second-highest an Appalachian State opponent would climb behind #7 Kentucky in both Weeks 1, 10, and 11.  Despite the accolades of their opponent, the Appalachian State coaching staff believed that hard work and preparation would allow for the Mountaineers to accomplish their singular objective of the 2024 campaign: to win football games.  Their confidence, in their players and travelling fans, was rewarded.

Four weeks removed from their Week 13 victory away at Coastal Carolina to wrap up the regular season, the Mountaineers appeared hungry for victory; opening scoring in the first quarter via a 46-yard touchdown pass from Quarterback Austin Redding to Wide Receiver Geoff Lucas.  While Oklahoma State would rally to bring the score to 14-7 in the Cowboys' favor entering the half, Halfback Phil Turner would make the second-half his own.  Turner began his rushing-clinic with a 72-yard sprint to give App State a 17-10 lead mid-way through the third quarter.  After a pair of defensive stops to force Oklahoma State into successive 30+ yard field goal attempts - both of which were missed - Turner led the drive with a 46-yard reception and capped it off with a 13-yard touchdown run to extend the Mountaineers' lead to 27-14.  After the Cowboys responded, bringing the score to 27-21, Turner made it a one-play scoring drive: breaking free of defenders for a 66-yard trip to the endzone and giving App State a 34-21 lead.  Following another Redding-Lucas connection, this time for a 57-yard touchdown, the Mountaineers led 41-21 with five minutes remaining.  After a pair of defensive stops, App State received the ball with three minutes remaining and handed the keys to the offense to the "Thunder and Lightning" of Ramon Brice and Phil Turner to close out the game.  With eleven seconds to go, Turner crossed the goal-line for his fourth trip to the promised-land on the evening - his lane opened up by a Ramon Brice block.  The tailbacks held the football aloft together in the endzone as the score read 47-21, "an amazing way to wrap-up the season" - a few seconds later, the season officially ended with the kick of a football through the uprights: 48-21.

Quote

"It's an amazing way to wrap-up the season," said Phil Turner in his post-game interview.  "Our singular focus this campaign has been 'to win football games' - it's something the coaching staff instilled into our ethos from Day 1 of Spring practice and we've all really taken it to heart.  Obviously, it's a great feeling to come out here today and win the New Mexico Bowl; to hoist a trophy after a long season where we've all battled our hearts out week-in and week-out, but it's something special to convincingly defeat a Power 5 opponent like Oklahoma State who's look like the best of them all season long.  To me, it shows that we're a competitive football team - while we would've loved to have shown that in a Sun Belt Championship game, we're more than happy to show the nation what we're capable of here in Albuquerque, and I think that's exactly what we've done.  A lot of great talent in Black and Gold who close out their collegiate careers today - Austin [Redding], Geoff [Lucas], Chris [Holmes], and my main man Ramon [Brice] on the offensive side to name a few.  They each had amazing seasons, culminated by stand-out performances here today and I only wish I could play another game besides these guys, cause they're my brothers-in-arms, you know?  I'm not too sure what the future holds for me - I think that kinda hit me in the locker room at halftime and I just left it all out on the field.  I'm proud that I could have a career day in front of America, but I'm even prouder to have come in and performed when the stakes were at their highest.  It's been a weird day of past, present, and future for me: I've battled hard to get here, from high school to three years on the bench; it meant a lot to use that drive and motivation to power myself forward, to be the best I could for App State; while also realizing that my footballing future is at an impasse, I'd like to think I've done enough this season to get a shot at the NFL but I can only thank my coaches and my teammates for putting me in a position to succeed - I absolutely love those guys and hope to get to make them proud on Sundays and see them soon on-the-field and off."

Quote

"First off, I want to thank all of our fans, especially those who made it all the way out here to New Mexico," said Coach @dearden during the New Mexico Bowl post-game show, "your support means the world to these guys and to us as coaches - you've been the driving force behind our success all season and we always want you to know that whenever we go out on that field, we're playing for you.  I've said it before and I'm going to keep saying it: I'm real proud of all of our guys and how they've carried themselves this season.  They've battled through tough games, shown grace in victory and defeat, and have work so damn hard every day from our first day of practice to the final whistle today - they deserve to hoist that trophy and I'm so glad that they're able to.  They're a special group of guys - I've got every confidence in the returning Mountaineers to take the fight to the rest of the Sun Belt and beyond in 2025 and I wish our Seniors the best as they continue their journeys, whether that be in professional football or life as a whole - they're a fine group of young men and I can't wait to see what's in store for each and every one of them.  Lastly, I've got to thank my coaching staff.  It's been one hell of a ride and we've learned a whole lot - we're a team, but one that grows by challenging each other to ensure we put out the best gameplans to put our players in the best spots to succeed.  All in all, this team and its fanbase have worked their butts off all season - our flight back to Boone is this afternoon, we're looking forward to celebrating our win and our season tonight and getting some rest and relaxation in during the offseason."

The New Mexico Bowl victory capped-off a successful debut season for first-year Head Coach @dearden, with the Mountaineers finishing 2024 with an 8-5 (6-2) record and an outside chance of a final AP Coaches Poll ranking.  Over the past four seasons, this brings Appalachian State's combined record to 32-20 (21-13) with their third bowl victory in as many attempts.  The Mountaineers victory also boosts the Sun Belt's 2024 Bowl record to 1-4, following an 0-4 start to the postseason in Week 16 - the Sun Belt will hope for victories by Southern Mississippi, Texas State, and Marshall in Week 18 to even-out their Conference record at 4-4 between their impressive eight postseason participants.

This article was originally published on plus.espn.com - featured audio has been transcribed for the reader's ease.

The end of the regular season is a time of reflection for college football head coaches.  Who should I have targeted earlier on my recruiting board?  What could I do to optimize our gameplan against [insert conference opponent here] going forward?  When are my blue chip underclassmen gonna be ready to take the starting role?  Where am I gonna be coaching a bowl game this year, if at all?  Why is my place-kicker so bad?!  These are merely a sample of the questions that swirl around the mind of a college football head coach as they navigate the season, attempt to avoid the toilet bowl, and prepare for the next season.  The revolving door turns round-and-round.  There is; however, a question that a head coach tends to avoid thinking about during the regular season: where am I gonna be coaching next season?

Some avoid that question out of undying love and loyalty for their current program, where they may also have other ties and commitments.  Others may avoid it to dispel any myth that they’re “abandoning” their team, for theoretically greener pastures elsewhere or just because they couldn’t hack it at their current role.  Few who have recently moved programs avoid it (or suppress it) to ensure that a narrative isn’t created about their lack of commitment.

One hundred years ago, I may have agreed with these particular reservations; however, in the modern era of coaching, I honestly couldn’t care less.  Is it nice to have a long-term head coach to build a collegiate dynasty?  Of course it is.  Are coaches bound to their programs from their hiring until the end of time itself?  No.  In an era where coaching success brings opportunity and where successful coaches ought to be compensated for their achievements, my proposition is this: coaches supporting coaches.  Pundits and other media sources will speculate on-and-on about “hot seats” - which coaches haven’t done their jobs and who ought to be fired.  This series flips that line-of-thought on its head.  Instead, we’re gonna be taking a look at every available Power 5 coaching job; highlighting the program itself, the best “coaching fit” who could come into that program and make a difference, and an honorable mention.  We’re also gonna be sitting down with Conference Commissioners to see which head coach they’d tap to take over program vacancies within their conference.  Coaches supporting coaches - and the carousel turns round-and-round.

______________________________________________________________________________

This past week, I travelled down to Waco, Texas with the College Gameday crew to sit down with Baylor Head Coach and Big XII Conference Commissioner, @Vivid.  We spoke about the four Big XII vacancies - Arizona, Iowa State, Kansas State, and UCF - in detail and he provided me with his “Commissioner’s Picks” for each program.  Let’s get started, shall we?

Arizona Wildcats
Coach’s Pick: @joopear (FA)
Commissioner’s Pick: @Ape (NIU)
Coach’s Honorable Mention: @Kirby (FSU)

Projected Offensive Scheme: Air Raid
Projected Defensive Scheme: 4-Man

The Arizona Wildcats are a team who desperately need to hit that reset button.  Following a 2021 Season where Arizona finished #16 in the Coaches Poll and Pac-12 Southern Division Champions with an overall 10-4 [7-3] record, it’s been three tough years in Tucson.  That off-season, Coach @joopear departed for Texas and the Wildcats slumped to a 4-6 [2-5] record by the end of Week 11 of the 2022 regular season.  The bleeding was stemmed with the hiring of Coach @ParksRek ahead of their Week 12 matchup with USC, which Arizona won at home 29-17, but with a subsequent loss in the Territorial Cup to finish the 2022 season a disappointing 5-7 [3-6] record and an increasingly-anemic 2023 campaign where the Wildcats finished 4-8 [3-6], the damage had already been done.  Arizona and Coach Parks&Rek parted ways via mutual consent and the Wildcats entered the 2024 season without a plan, with reports that their coordinators would be coaching-by-committee while a search was underway for suitable replacement.  Eyebrows were raised concerning the efficacy of this arrangement when, during Spring Games, Arizona had scheduled two games at identical times halfway across the country from one another.  The solution?  Play them both, apparently.  Would this sort of innovative approach translate to regular season success?  No, it would not.

Despite a convincing 40-27 victory in the Territorial Cup to round-out the 2024 regular season, Arizona’s first season in the Big XII has not gone to plan.  Coaching-by-committee resulted in the Wildcats’ 13th place finish out of 16 teams with a second-straight record of 4-8 [3-6].  Since the end of the 2021 season and the departure of Coach joopear, the Arizona Wildcats have gone from a nationally-ranked program with conference championship aspirations to an abysmal 13-23 [9-18] in the subsequent three campaigns.  In short, the Wildcats have been declawed - those happier days of 2021 a distant memory of success they could only dream of replicating.  But what if they could?

After two seasons and change at the helm at Texas, Coach joopear resigned following a slow start to the 2024 campaign where the Longhorns started 0-5 [0-2].  However, since Coach joopear’s departure Texas’ singular victory was a matchup against lowly FCS Prairie View A&M, with their 2024 season ending with a 1-10 [1-11] record and having been shutout an astounding six times (50% of games played).  To me, this demonstrates that the shortcomings in Austin aren’t necessarily down to coaching - whether that be the departing Coach joopear or the incoming Coach @SlinkyJr - but rather something systemic we have yet to see on the surface.  That leaves Coach joopear, whose three seasons produced a combined record of 25-15 [16-12] at Arizona and Texas, with an untainted coaching resume and #opentowork.  Given that his fortunes are almost the precise inverse of those suffered by the Arizona program he departed in 2021, and that Coach has proven he can coach and compete at the highest level, Coach joopear to return to Arizona as the prodigal son is not only poetic, but pragmatic.  With a three year gap since Coach joopear’s departure from Tucson, it stands to reason that most of the upperclassmen who would be starting during the 2025 season are Coach’s recruits from his 2021 class - with the impending opening of the transfer portal, it would behoove both Coach and program to finalize any deal as soon as possible to keep their rising talent around.  Moreover, inking a contract prior to the opening of the transfer portal would allow Coach joopear to, well, utilize the transfer portal.  At both Arizona and Texas, Coach joopear employed schemes similar to, but not identical to those the Wildcats are built to start the 2025 season with; however, with adequate time to evaluate his personnel, I have no doubts that Coach joopear will have Arizona running on all cylinders by the beginning of next season.
 

Quote

Dearden: Let's start with Arizona and Coach @Ape. What makes this pairing so intriguing?

Vivid: Coach Ape is a dynamo! His nickname might suggest brute force, but don't be fooled – this is a coach with a brilliant football mind. His active coaching style keeps players on their toes, and his recruiting strategy? Pure genius. He's got a keen eye for untapped talent and the charisma to bring them to campus.

But what really sets Ape apart is his game planning. He's like a chess grandmaster, always three moves ahead. And let's not forget the marketing angle – 'Arizona's Ape' has a ring to it, doesn't it? It's a match made in alliterative heaven!

I’ll be honest, I love Commissioner Vivid’s pick here - I’ve got nothing but respect for Coach Ape and his work over at Northern Illinois.  I actually agree so much with Vivid that Coach Ape is actually my Coach’s Pick for another program… so I’ll leave you, dear reader, in suspense for a bit (or just scroll down) to find my full analysis.

My honorable mention, by virtue of his familiarity with the Air Raid offense and 4-Man defense, is Coach @Kirby out of Florida State.  Do I think Kirby would ever leave Tallahassee?  Not really, that’s why he’s the honorable mention here.  But if he were to decide to leave the Sunshine State for a city with over 350 average days of sunshine, Kirby would be a spectacular fit to turn the Wildcats around.  With a 2024 recruiting class hovering around the Top Ten, in the battleground of Florida, and a pedigree for overall success, I believe that Kirby would replicate his success found in Tallahassee over in Tucson and then some.  But seriously, would he ever leave Florida State and the role of ACC Commissioner?  Maybe, only time can tell.
______________________________________________________________________________

Iowa State Cyclones
Coach’s Pick: @Coach123 (Air Force)
Commissioner’s Pick: @Qupax (Wake Forest)
Coach’s Honorable Mention: @Spoof (Clemson)

Projected Offensive Scheme: Spread Option
Projected Defensive Scheme: 4-Man

Iowa State are a bit of a conundrum - over the past four years they’re been consistent, albeit middling, but have never crossed into the realm of contention nor have they fallen into the abyss of irrelevance.  Rather, the Cyclones have, almost ironically, remained stagnant towards the middle or the bottom-half of the Big XII.  If anything, they’ve perfected the Power 5 yo-yo: 6-7 [5-4] in 2021; 6-7 [5-4] in 2022; 8-5 [4-5] in 2023; and 4-8 [3-6] in 2024.  Given the talent that the Iowa State roster has at its disposal, from the elusive Quincy Bakhtiari [B+/C] at Quarterback going into his Senior season to rising upperclassmen Daniel Shreffler [B/C-] organizing the defense at Inside Linebacker and Mark Demoral [B/C] leading the offensive line at Center, it’s surprising to see them languishing in an otherwise-competitive Big XII.  My diagnosis is this: Iowa State need an experienced and proven head coach in Ames, one who can make the most of its current players while building the team for future Big XII title challenges.

Enter, stage right, @Coach123.  The former-Notre Dame head coach led the South Bend outfit to an 8-5 record in 2022 followed by a 11-2 run in 2023 where the #5 Fighting Irish ultimately fell to #12 Marshall in the College Football Playoff.  In 2024, Coach123 departed Notre Dame to take the helm at the United States Air Force Academy, where the Falcons quietly finished the regular season with a respectable 7-5 [4-3] record in a barnstorming Mountain West.  Over the past three seasons, Coach123 has finished with an overall record of 26-12 [4-3] (68.4% win rate) across two esteemed programs.  Should his talents and services be requested, and accepted, in Ames, this pattern of success is sure to continue.

Even more appealing, for the Cyclones, their fans, and Coach123 himself is the sort of personnel set to suit up for Iowa State in 2025.  Offensively, the Cyclones are set up perfectly to run the Spread Option; while defensively, their personnel strengths lean in favor of the 4-Man Spread Stopper.  This past season at Air Force, Coach123 utilized the Flexbone offense - one of just five programs in college football who did so - and demonstrated his skill at developing and play-calling for a scrambling-type Quarterback.  On the defensive side of things, Coach123 employed the 4-Man; no changes needed to apply this same system at Iowa State.

All in all, Coach123 checks all the boxes for Iowa State: he’s an accomplished head coach who has shown that he can do a job in multiple coaching environments; he’s a “scheme-fit” for the Cyclones’ current strengths; and he’s a someone who can help to build the program up for future success - any detractors of that last point can reference the sort of success that Notre Dame’s been having in his absence.  Boxes, checked.  Fat contract?  To be signed on the dotted line.

Quote

Dearden: Moving to the heartland, Iowa State fans are abuzz about Coach @Qupax potentially returning. Can you elaborate on this situation?

Vivid: Ah, Qupax and Iowa State – it's like a classic romance novel. Qupax cut his teeth here, showed flashes of brilliance, then left to make his mark elsewhere. But you know what they say – you never forget your first love.

Qupax has since developed into one of the most innovative offensive minds in the game. His schemes are so forward-thinking, they make spread offenses look antiquated. Bringing him back to Ames would be like completing a circle. The fans are clamoring for it – "Come back to us, baby!" is more than a slogan; it's a heartfelt plea from Cyclone Nation.

Ah, a returning head coach.  Coach Qupax wasn’t the first name on my sheet, but he was on the shortlist.  For those of you keeping score at home, Iowa State’s 8-5 [4-5] 2023 record under Qupax has been their best record in the past four years, so there’s absolutely no doubt that Coach knows his squad and can compete with them.  My only reservation is that after parting ways via mutual consent after the 2023 season, Coach Qupax signed a deal with Wake Forest in Week 5 of the 2024 season after their 2-2 [1-0] start to the season.  From Week 5 onward, Wake Forest went winless, finishing 2024 with a 2-10 [1-7] record at the bottom of the ACC.  While a Week 7 scheme change didn’t do the Demon Deacons any favors, questions may be asked in Ames about this poor run of form and Coach Qupax’s decision to take the Wake Forest job in the first place when his former seat at Iowa State was still functionally open.

Following the theme of honorable mentions for coaches that I truly like for the program at hand, but don’t ever believe would leave their current role is Coach @Spoof of Clemson.  Like Coach123, Coach Spoof is a “scheme fit,” but even more-so as an adherent of both the Spread Option and the 4-Man at Clemson.  While it’s clear that Coach Spoof intends to implement either scheme or its variants in the near future, what’s less clear is the sort of “Catch-22” about his current position and/or willingness to leave Clemson.  Coming off of a 2-10 [1-7] 2024 regular season, Clemson are at their theoretical lowest, so Coach Spoof could leave for a reasonably-attractive Iowa State; however, Clemson also have a Top-25 recruiting class, which means that they ought to rebound within a few seasons to compete, which means Coach Spoof should reasonably stay in South Carolina.  At the end of the day, it’s up to Coach himself, but I see success in his future regardless of his path forward.
______________________________________________________________________________

Kansas State Wildcats
Coach’s Pick: @Ape (NIU)
Commissioner’s Pick: @ChizDippler (FA)
Coach’s Honorable Mention: @LordLittlebutt (Notre Dame)

Projected Offensive Scheme: West Coast
Projected Defensive Scheme: Speed

Kansas State are on fire, there are no ifs, ands, nor buts about it.  In three out of the last four seasons, the Wildcats have finished within the Top-4 of the Big XII and haven’t posted a losing record.  From 2021 through 2023, Coach @Swipet led Kansas State to finishes of 8-5 [6-3], 9-4 [6-3], and 7-6 [4-5], respectively.  Following his departure ahead of the 2024 season, the Wildcat faithful remained uncertain about their future - their future would be continued success, as Kansas State impressed throughout the campaign.  Finishing 4th in the Big XII with a regular season record of 9-3 [7-3], the Wildcats once-again challenged for, and once again fell-short of, the Big XII title game.  What Kansas State needs, it seems, is a head coach who can get them over that hump and into the promised land.

This is where we double-back to Commissioner Vivid’s pick for Arizona: Coach @Ape of NIU.  The 2023 National Coach of the Year has been nothing short of impressive during his two years in DeKalb - guiding the Huskies to a 10-3 [6-3] finish and a MAC Western Division title in 2023 and a 7-5 [3-5] 2024 regular season record in an increasingly-competitive MAC.  While these accomplishments are notable in their own right, it’s Coach Ape’s coaching schemes, style, and demeanor that ought to make him a favorite in Manhattan.

First and foremost, the Wildcats are built for Coach Ape’s favored West Coast offense in the 2025 season.  While Kansas State have successfully-operated with the Spread Option during the 2024 campaign, the lynchpin of that offense - Quarterback Nate Washington [A-/B-] - is set to graduate.  The remaining offensive veterans, such as Wide Receivers Akrum Howard [B+/B+] and Edmund Weaver [B/C-], are also scheme fits for the West Coast style-of-play.  The only position requiring improvement is Quarterback - with rising Senior Raymond Patterson [B-/A-] only questionable competitive in such a demanding conference.  That said, if there’s been a head coach who’s actively been monitoring Quarterbacks via the transfer portal, it’s Coach Ape; with confirmed links to Florida State’s Kelly Jarwin and Tennessee’s Mark Koch, and unconfirmed links to Air Force’s Quenton Ogbah, it is a likely possibility that one of these three could suit up for 2025 in royal purple and white.  As a bonus, Coach Ape’s preference for a Speed Man defense also plays to the returning Wildcats’ strengths.  While “scheme fit” ought not be overlooked as an important element in a “coaching fit,” Coach Ape’s style and demeanor truly set him apart from the rest.  As astutely noted by Commissioner Vivid, “[Coach’s] active coaching style keeps players on their toes [,] he's got a keen eye for untapped talent and the charisma to bring them to campus. [...]  He's like a chess grandmaster, always three moves ahead.”  What does all of this mean for Kansas State?  It means that Coach Ape is the sort of head coach who can take a program on the cusp of greatness and push them that extra yard or two over the goalline - he’s a proverbial Fullback in the mold of Appalachian State’s Ramon Brice who can gracefully and cerebrally power through his opposition (shameless plug).  In short, Coach Ape is the sort of head coach that Kansas State need.

Quote

Dearden: You have Kansas State taking a different approach with their interest in Coach @ChizDippler. What's the thinking behind this potential hire?

Vivid: Chizdippler is old school football personified, and that's exactly what K-State needs. His name might be a tongue-twister, but his football philosophy is straightforward – smashmouth, ground-and-pound football that would make Vince Lombardi proud.

But don't mistake his traditional approach for being outdated. Chizdippler has a knack for adapting classic strategies to the modern game. His rushing attacks are like watching poetry in cleats – intricate, powerful, and utterly mesmerizing. 

Plus, have you seen the man's mustache? It's got more personality than some entire coaching staffs! He'd fit right into the K-State culture – hardworking, no-nonsense, with just the right touch of flair.

Coach Chizdippler is an outside shout I wasn’t expecting, but the more I look into it, the more I support it.  The former-UNLV head coach had mixed success in the “land of cocaine and hookers,” starting out strong with an 8-5 [5-3] record in 2021 followed by losing-seasons in 2022, where the Rebels finished 4-8 [3-5], and in 2023 with a 5-7 [3-5] campaign.  That said, things looked to be coming up aces in Las Vegas to start the 2024 season, with successive wins over defending National Champions #24 USC, Kent State, and New Mexico State catapulting the Rebels to 3-0 before Coach Chizdippler’s unexpected departure.  With Coach @cultur3 at the helm, UNLV would finish the 2024 season with an impressive regular season record of 10-2 [6-1].  Translating Coach Chizdippler’s time at UNLV into the Kansas State job, I see a head coach who possesses the ability to compete now while building for the future, which is precisely what the Wildcats need after four-straight years of sustained success - to reap the benefits of their talented squad while ensuring its viability for years to come.

Selfishly, I don’t want my honorable mention of Coach @LordLittlebutt to leave his current position.  As a Notre Dame alumnus, it warms my heart to see the Irish fighting for a National Championship; however, journalistic integrity compels me to detail how Coach LordLittleButt would be a great fit for Kansas State.  The scheme fit is immaculate - Coach LordLittleButt made the adjustment in pre-season to do away with Notre Dame’s Run and Shoot offense to replace it with the West Coast offense.  This one change has paid dividends: it’s transformed Quarterback Izaah Plawecki [A/C+] from an average signal-caller who was demoted to QB2 after the conclusion of the 2022 season in favor of Jake Schofield into a Heisman contender and Davey O’Brien front-runner with a superhuman 73.04% pass completion - a full four percentage points higher than his closest peers - in 2024.  The Irish just look damn good, and they’re set up for the future too.  Under the first-year head coach, Notre Dame find themselves closing in on a Top 10 recruiting class.  Scheme fit, double-check.  Win now, check.  Plan for the future, check.  Coach LordLittleButt checks all the boxes Kansas State could want, it’s just a matter of whether or not he’d be lured from one school in the middle of a large field to another school in the middle of a larger field.  I sure hope he isn’t.
______________________________________________________________________________

UCF Knights
Coach’s Pick: @Ricky Campbell (Stanford)
Commissioner’s Pick: @iToxicKiddy (USF)
Coach’s Honorable Mention: @Ewade (Utah State)

Projected Offensive Scheme: Vertical
Projected Defensive Scheme: 3-Man

Thus far, we’ve evaluated coaches via a litany of barometers: scheme fit, prior records, recruiting ability, etc.  However, there’s one important factor that we have yet to consider that plays a big role here - desire.  Let’s not split any hairs, the University of Central Florida are in dire straits when it comes to their football program.  Their sole, definitive winning season was the 2023 campaign, where the Knights finished 7-6 [5-4] under Coach @rajmurti.  Prior to UCF’s Military Bowl appearance, Coach rajmurti capitalized on this comparable success and took the vacant Ohio State job - and we all know how the vacant Ohio State job goes at this point.  In 2024, the Knights regressed massively, finishing the regular season 2-10 [1-8] and falling from 6th in the Big XII the previous season all the way to the bottom.  The UCF job is a homeowner's nightmare: a full-gut rebuild with a questionably-shaky foundation and possible black mold, the only person who would reasonably take it is someone who truly wants it.

Quote

“RIP UCF” -@Ricky Campbell
“Is UCF coached?” -@Ricky Campbell
“I need to come home to the east coast and turn UCF around.” -@Ricky Campbell
“I hate seeing UCF this bad.” -@Ricky Campbell

Within the past two months, Coach Ricky Campbell has expressed his sympathies for the UCF Knights twice, questioned their coaching staff’s efficacy once, and explicitly said that he ought to “come home [..] and turn UCF around.”  Frankly, I couldn’t think of a better fit for the job.  Scheme fits be damned for this one, Coach Ricky Campbell has built an impressive squad at Stanford over the past four seasons.  The Cardinal finished 8-5 [5-4] in both 2021 and 2022 before taking a step back in 2023, with a final record of 5-7 [3-6].  That said, Stanford have surged forward with a vengeance in the 2024 season, posting a formidable regular season record of 9-3 [7-1] in a cutthroat ACC during their first conference season.  Alongside their impressive displays on the field, Stanford currently possess the #2 2025 recruiting class - demonstrating that Coach Ricky Campbell’s talents extend to the acquisition of new blood to build for the future.

I say “currently possess” for two reasons: first, the 2025 recruiting cycle is not finalized, so obviously the rankings may fluctuate; two, there remains a far more sinister outcome from the perspective of Stanford University.  Let’s suppose Coach Ricky Campbell departs for UCF - fair, he has served the Cardinal well and is embarking on a long rebuild of the Knights.  What if it could be a shorter rebuild?  The 2024-2025 off-season marks the institution of the transfer portal in collegiate football, a game-changing innovation in its own right; however, there is a distinct possibility that some, if not a decent chunk of Coach Ricky Campbell’s recruiting class could decommit from Stanford to follow him to UCF.  Within Stanford’s 2025 Class are three players from the State of Florida - 4* Athlete Aaron Frost, 3* Athlete Jorge Alviso, and 3* Center David Ayala.  Alongside these Floridians are three recruits from the State of Georgia, two from Alabama, one from Mississippi, and one from Louisiana who could all be tempted to play their football closer to home.  If we include 5* Tight End Michael Miller and 5* Inside Linebacker Ryan Yancey, both of whom have openly stated that they chose to commit to Stanford because of Coach Ricky Campbell despite being hometown boys, there are a potential of twelve recruits who could flip their commitments as a result of Coach Ricky Campbell’s move to UCF.  While this would understandably decimate Stanford, this shrewd move could serve as the well-needed foundation for the UCF Knights and would serve well to recruit their most important prospect: the enthusiastic prospective head coach.

Quote

Dearden: Lastly, UCF are making waves with their interest in Coach @iToxicKiddy. How does this align with UCF's goals in the Big XII?

Vivid: iToxicKiddy is our secret weapon. Don't let the playful gamertag fool you – this coach is a recruiting savant. He's got Florida high schools on speed dial and a track record of turning three-star recruits into NFL draft picks.What makes iToxicKiddy perfect for UCF is his understanding of the Florida football landscape. He knows how to compete with the big boys of the SEC and ACC for talent. Bringing him to UCF is like planting our flag in talent-rich Florida soil.

As noted, recruiting will be crucial for UCF in the coming years and Coach iToxicKiddy has quietly assembled a 2025 class with some enviable components just West over in Tampa.  Of particular note are 5* Quarterback Douglas Burns out of Miami, Florida and 5* Free Safety David Parks from Scottsdale, Arizona - showcasing an ability to recruit elite talent from across the country on either side of the ball.  What remains to be seen is Coach iToxicKiddy’s desire to travel up the I-4 to Orlando.  While the Big XII Commissioner’s blessing is certainly a vote-of-confidence, I maintain that to take over such a precarious program such as UCF requires a genuine resilience and inclination.  Should Coach iToxicKiddy possess both of these qualities, I see no reason why the UCF experiment would not eventually succeed.

My honorable mention for the UCF is a bittersweet one, in the fact that my logical brain says that Coach @Ewade of Utah State is the perfect candidate for UCF on paper.  In four seasons with the Aggies, Coach Ewade has delivered four respectable finishes of 7-6 [5-3], 7-6 [4-4], 6-7 [3-5], and 5-7 [3-4].  Alongside these consistent results, Coach Ewade boasts the #10 2025 recruiting class at time of writing with impressive recruits such as 5* Quarterback Joseph Dering prepared to suit-up for the Aggies next year.  Moreover, Coach Ewade is one of only four collegiate head coaches to employ the 3-Man defensive scheme - meaning that if he were to take his talents to Orlando, he would be primed to fix the leaky UCF defense, which allowed a Big XII worst 5,760 yards of total offense during the 2024 regular season alongside a fourth-worst 355 points allowed.  Coach Dearden, this sounds like quite the match, why is this a “bittersweet” honorable mention?  Implied lack of desire - Coach Ewade fits the mold of the ideal UCF head coach save for the most important criterion: there’s no presumption that he wants the job.  Combined with Coach Ewade’s seemingly inseparable ties to Utah State, this coaching fit remains one that most likely only works on paper.  Most likely.

Four programs down, thirteen to go.  Special thanks to Big XII Conference Commissioner and Baylor Head Coach @Vivid for his “Commissioner Picks” and the exclusive Big XII content featured below.  Any thoughts on the featured programs and the highlighted coaches?  Feel like you’d have someone else in mind to take over within the Big XII?  Let us know down below.  Be sure to check out our upcoming features on the B1G and SEC - until next time football fans!

Quote

@dearden: Before we wrap up, I'd like to ask about a couple more topics. First, there's been some buzz about Coach Rome at Cincinnati taking an unorthodox approach to recruiting. Can you share your thoughts on that?

@Vivid: Ah, Coach @Rome – now there's a maverick for you! What he's doing at Cincinnati is nothing short of revolutionary. While everyone else is chasing five-star recruits, Rome is out there finding diamonds in the rough.

It's like he's got a crystal ball, seeing what these kids could become rather than what they are now. He's building a program not just for next season, but for three, four years down the line.

Rome's got this uncanny ability to spot raw talent – a slightly off throwing motion that could be perfected, or a linebacker with the right instincts but the wrong size. He brings these kids in, develops them, and suddenly, Cincinnati's fielding a team of upperclassmen who play like five-star recruits but with chips on their shoulders.

It's a long-term strategy, sure. We're keeping a close eye on Cincinnati – Rome might just be rewriting the recruiting playbook as we speak.

Dearden: That's fascinating. Now, if I could just quickly ask about your Baylor Bears currently leading the conference...

Vivid: Now, now, let's not get off track. We're here to talk about these exciting coaching prospects, not current standings. Next question?

Dearden: Fair enough, Commissioner. Any final words for Big 12 fans eagerly awaiting news on these coaching hires?

Vivid: To the greatest fans in college football – buckle up! The coaching carousel is in full swing, and when it stops, the Big 12 landscape will be transformed. The future of Big 12 football isn't just bright; it's blinding!

Dearden: Thank you, Commissioner Vivid, for this enlightening conversation.

Vivid: (Winking) The pleasure's all mine. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some coaching destinies to shape – and maybe a quick peek at those standings!

Conway, South Carolina - In a dominant defensive performance which saw Coastal Carolina Quarterback Cameron Canaan intercepted three times and sacked an astounding 10 times, including a safety, the Mountaineers came out 25-13 victors.  Leading the line was Senior Defensive End Daurice Burns, whose 8 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks earned him a National Defensive Player of the Week nomination.  With Running Back Phil Turner’s National Offensive Player of the Week nomination last week following a five-touchdown performance, Appalachian State appears to be “finding an extra gear” as the regular season comes to a close.

Quote

“It was an honor to be nominated for National Defensive Player of the Week, truly,” said Daurice Burns in his post-game interview, “maybe a little unlucky that some of these other guys put up monster numbers, but I’m taking it as a vote of confidence in my game and in our team as a whole.  Phil got a nod for OPOW last week, he even got a couple of votes.  This week, it’s my turn to carry the torch for the black and gold.  We’re showing the country what we can do on the field - we’re finding an extra gear before we go bowling, baby!  I’d love to be back here on this teal turf in the postseason; I felt good out there, hard work all season’s been paying off and we’ve got one more game in us.”

Despite missing out on the Sun Belt Championship Game, which will be played between #25 Marshall (10-2; 7-1) and #20 Texas State (10-2; 7-1), the Mountaineers (7-5; 6-2) find themselves bowl eligible for the third year in four successive seasons.  With a second-place finish in the Sun Belt East and a fourth-overall ranking in the Sun Belt, Appalachian State joins seven other Sun Belt programs in postseason play.  While there is potential for the Mountaineers to earn a selection to the New Orleans Bowl, who receives the second-pick of bowl-eligible Sun Belt programs, their participation in one of the five ESPN bowls - who possess the first, third, and fourth pick of bowl-eligible Sun Belt programs - is far more likely.  These are the Boca Raton Bowl, the Camellia Bowl, the Cure Bowl, the Frisco Bowl, and the Myrtle Beach Bowl.  While players find themselves drawn towards each possibility for a variety of reasons; close-to-home, weather, and potential opposition, “it’s just another game” for the App State coaching staff.

Quote

“Proud of the guys for the way they’ve played all season,” reflected Coach @dearden, “especially towards the tail end of things - we took our postseason destiny into our own hands, while certain results didn’t go our way we’ve earned where we sit in the standings today and that’s a damn good reflection on our guys and their fighting spirit.  As far as postseason bowl games are concerned, it’s just another game to us and that’s how we’re gonna prepare for it.  Wherever we are, whoever we’re playing doesn’t matter.  Our singular goal this season has been to win football games and that’s what we’re gonna do.  Obviously it’d be convenient to come back down to Conway and play the Myrtle Beach Bowl here - we’ve got the travel infrastructure in place and we’re pretty comfortable playing here, despite our burgeoning rivalry with Coastal.  Winning away to a rival is pretty sweet, winning a postseason matchup in their house while they’re watching the game at home would be a well-deserved reward for a job well done.  That said, we’re ready to get that job done regardless of locale or opponent - next step is heading back home to practice and train like we always do.”

The Appalachian State Mountaineers eagerly await their postseason fate and potential All-Sun Belt selections.
 

Boone, North Carolina - It was a record-breaking afternoon in the Blue Ridge Mountains as Appalachian State routed their divisional opponents, the James Madison Dukes, 52-0 to solidify their 5-1 home record for the 2024 season with the program’s largest margin of victory in recent memory.  While #23 Marshall’s victory at Old Dominion on Friday mathematically-eliminated the Mountaineers from the Sun Belt East Championship, the Black and Gold responded to secure Appalachian State’s bowl eligibility for a third year in four seasons.  Emotions ran high for graduating Seniors, both throughout the game and after the final whistle.  After the visitors had exited the field, the fans stayed standing and cameras were trained on the Captains as they addressed the crowd for “one last time” in Black and Gold.

Quote

 

“Let’s hear some noise; for our Seniors, our coaches, and most importantly - our fans!  You guys are nothing short of amazing, I hope you know that.  Your passion, your dedication, it means the world to all of us: and when I say ‘all of us’ I mean every single one of us who’s ever put on the Black and Gold of App State.  Every single Mountaineer student-athlete, from every available sport on campus, knows what it’s like to hear your cheers ringing down from the stands - your unconditional support is our inspiration.  For four years, you’ve inspired me to work hard and be the best I could be - for you, for my teammates and coaches, and for myself.  You’re the reason we leave it all out on the field.  For that and so much more, thank you, thank you for everything.”
- Ramon Brice

“App State, let’s give it up for the nation’s best fullback!  Ramon, brother, I gotta thank you, all our teammates who have come before and those who are yet to put on the Black and Gold, and most importantly all our fans for welcoming a kid from outside of Jacksonville into a place I proudly call home.  I don’t know where I’d be without all of you and your encouragement.  I’ve always been eager to compete, but that fire multiplies the second I hear my teammates challenging me to be better, the second I hear my coaches’ critiques and advice, and the second I hear the roar of the best fans anyone could ever ask for!  You’ll always have a special place in my heart.  On behalf of the graduating Seniors: thank you so much everyone; this may be goodbye for now, but it’s certainly not farewell.”
- Phil Turner

 

The afternoon’s program was capped off by some words from Coach @dearden, who thanked the fans, players, and his coaching staff for their tremendous work this season; however, he also acknowledged that their job wasn’t done.  Coach Dearden implored the Black and Gold to finish the season strong and to make the necessary preparations for their bowl game appearance, noting that his predecessors have felt the joy of bringing a trophy back to the Blue Ridge Mountains and that it was his intent to do the same.  Lastly, Coach Dearden wished each of the graduating seniors - from his players to all those in attendance - well in their future; he noted that he looked forward to their accomplishments - professional, athletic, and everything in between - that he was immensely proud of them, and that wherever they are they’ll always have a home at Appalachian State

Joining the Mountaineers on the field during the celebrations was incoming 4* Quarterback Richard Gapinski from the Kinkaid School in Houston, Texas.  Gapinski, who was joined by his high school coach and father Robert Gapinski, stood with other Mountaineer recruits and their parents along the sideline and were all-smiles watching Appalachian State’s emphatic statement victory.  The Elite-11 contender gathered his fellow offensive recruits in attendance; 4* OG Alfred Perry of Laurinburg, North Carolina; 4* RB George Shaw of Charlotte, North Carolina; and 3* WR Frank Washington of Richmond, Virginia; together on the sideline during the first quarter where they watched the remainder of the game - exhibiting a “work starts now” attitude as they were seen huddling together on Mountaineer offensive drives as if discussing what they would do on the field come next season.

Quote

“It was a surreal experience,” said Gapinski, after the Mountaineers 52-0 victory.  “We just about wrapped up the Southwest Prep Conference 4A title yesterday so Dad - excuse me, Coach - and I boarded an evening flight out of Houston to get here for today’s game.  Obviously, couldn’t have asked for a better result on the scoreboard, but from an incoming player’s perspective it was also insightful getting to watch three of our Quarterbacks take snaps.  Austin [Redding] looked so dominant in the pocket, Brandon [Quijada] slung it through the air and found some yardage with his feet, and Geno [Wimmers] killed it with his exclamation point touchdown pass as time expired.  I’m really looking forward to picking their brains afterwards ahead of the Elite-11 in Nashville; I’m always ready to learn more and I think that talking to three experienced collegiate quarterbacks ahead of the competition will give me an edge.  That said, work starts now, getting to chat gameplanning with Alfred [Perry], George [Shaw], and Frank [Washington] on the sideline helped me analyze the game - I’m ready to apply all I've learned to go for the Texas State Title, prove my worth at Elite-11, and fighting for the starting job here come 2025.”

The Mountaineers travel to Conway, South Carolina to finish their regular season against the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina, looking to cement their second-place position in the Sun Belt East with a third-straight conference victory.
 

Boone, North Carolina - It’s been a busy couple of weeks for Ramon Brice and Phil Turner.  In the two games since Coach @dearden's open publication to the Appalachian State fans and the National Football League - widely considered to be a sort-of advertisement, for lack of a better term, for Mountaineers hoping to transition from collegiate football to the professional ranks - the one-two rushing punch of Brice and Turner have continued to make their case for a professional-nod with their renewed hot-streak against both Sun Belt and nationally-ranked opposition alike.

In Week 10, Appalachian State hosted Georgia State and came out convincing 31-14 victors.  With the scoreline reading 31-0 at the end of the third quarter - with all four trips to the endzone being made by either Brice (one rushing touchdown) or Turner (two rushing touchdowns, one receiving touchdown) - Coach Dearden pulled starters from both sides of the ball to allow the underclassmen-dominated scout team to close out the game.  The victory saw the Mountaineers improve their Sun Belt record to 4-2 and their overall record to 5-4.

The following week, Appalachian State travelled to Pullman, Washington to face #25 Washington State.  Hot off of their 51-28 upset away at then #9 Georgia Tech, the Cougars proved formidable opposition as expected; however, for almost the entirety of the first-half, it was the Mountaineers who’d looked in command of the game.  Despite coming up short on a number of scoring opportunities, Appalachian State led 3-0 for twenty-nine minutes until a moment of brilliance from running back Vontae Karras transformed a simple screen pass into a 52-yard touchdown with as many seconds remaining.  Although the ultimate scoreline of 31-10 signalled the Mountaineer’s worst margin-of-defeat this season, the continued offensive production and development of Brice and Turner shone through.

After ten games, the backfield duo of Brice and Turner have surpassed the esteemed rushing milestone of 1,000 yards per season, with Turner’s 1,084 (5.77 yards per carry) slightly edging-out Brice’s total of 1,005 (5.03 yards per carry).  Both have a total of 12 total touchdowns each, with Brice’s touchdowns all coming via the ground and Turner’s scorecard being split 8:4 ground-to-air.  When it comes to keeping up the momentum - and balancing the tight race-to-the-finish in the Sun Belt and professional aspirations, one thing is clear: they’ve each got the motivation.

Quote

“It was actually some family friends who’d told me about it,” said Ramon Brice, of Coach @dearden's Yosef’s Cabin post, “funnily enough, Phil and I were watching some film when I’d gotten a text with the ESPN link.  I turned to him and I was like ‘hey, check this out.’ We’d just seen Coach leave his office to head home for the day - I don’t think either of us could’ve imagined that he’d just published that post; he’d just waved at us from down the hall with a smile as we were heading into our room, nothing out of the ordinary.  But then we’d both gotten to reading and realized what it was - having a coach who’ll be in your corner like that, it’s special.  I hadn’t really done much, production-wise that is, during my time here.  For Coach to hand me the ball and show what I can do means a lot, I just want to go above and beyond to beat those projections he’d made.  I’ve already added two more pancakes to my season total, so there’s one checkmark: I beat that one.  Now all that’s left is to give it my all for the rest of the season - for my teammates, my coaches, and myself.  I’d never thought I’d have a chance to go pro, but hearing that someone else believes in you, it’s like I’m a kid again, picturing myself scoring a game-winner in the Super Bowl.  It was always just a dream, but damn, it’s one I’ve found myself believing in.”

Quote

“I’d like to beat two people: Ramon Brice, obviously,” joked Phil Turner, before taking a more serious tone, “and Lorenzo Carr.  My ‘rivalry’ with Ramon is one thing, he’s my biggest supporter and motivator, he literally blocks for me and I do the same for him - but with Lorenzo it’s different.  I sat behind that guy for three years, barely getting a snap.  It’s not personal per se, it’s one of those things where you get into a headspace to get better; he’s my rival, my worst enemy, because it pushes you to be better.  So yeah, for three years I’d pictured myself running harder, stronger, and faster than Lorenzo Carr - and now I am.  Do I think the same way about Ramon? Sometimes, it depends.  Haha, mainly after games he out-rushes me, but not really.  We’re cut from the same cloth - we’d worked-hard for years for the chance to play this season; I know we each motivate each other to be better because the whole team works that way.  All that’s left is to keep working hard, keep pushing forward, beat Coach’s projections, and hopefully hear my name before Round 4, Pick 130 when the time comes.”

Quote

“I’m proud of them,” said Coach Dearden, “like all the guys out there, they’ve really taken to the acknowledgement and the pressure and they’re giving it their all out there.  Hell, I spoke with Coach @TuscanSota after the game, he had nothing but kind words to say about our program and our direction, but also our personnel.  He’d said we have great players and that he hadn’t expected them to perform as well as they’d had when they’d gameplanned to counter them - I relayed that message to the guys in the locker room after.  Praise and accolades are one thing, but I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: everyone who’s a part of this program wants to win football games.  So long as we’re taking that praise, those accolades, and transforming them into motivation to keep moving forward, then we’re doing our job and playing our brand of football.  Not too much else to say.  As far as I’m concerned, the season functionally-starts today; we’re 0-0 looking to go undefeated in these next two regular season games and hopefully beyond and that’s what we’re planning on doing."

Since our last recruiting update, the Mountaineers have added the following to their 2025 Class:

Richard Gapinski (Quarterback, 4*) - Houston, Texas
Douglas Lilley (Athlete, 3*) - Franklin, North Carolina
Frank Washington (Wide Receiver, 3*) - Richmond, Virginia
Gary Williams (Defensive End, 4*) - Nashville, Tennessee

Appalachian State hosts the James Madison Dukes on Saturday afternoon for Senior Night, be sure to come out and support your graduating Mountaineers!
 

A couple of follow-up questions for Mr. Dolson:

Quote

Rumors about Pierce’s tenure at Indiana have been swirling since the beginning of the season. In three seasons he’s turned the Hoosiers from a pushover to a legitimate threat, but his contract is almost up. Some are concerned that this impressive turnaround would serve only as a stepping-stone to a larger program, though the administration is more hopeful.

“We’ve been quietly working toward an extension for some time now,” Dolson said. “While we haven’t been able to agree on terms quite yet, I believe we are close to an arrangement that will meet everyone’s needs. Coach has been very plain about his long-term plans for the program, and the university both believes in his vision and respects his acumen. While negotiations are ongoing, we have full confidence in Pierce’s abilities as a coach and recruiter. Why, just this week we received 3 more commitments to next year’s class.”

Has Coach @Piercewise1 provided a statement for the media or the public?  The administration's hopes of retaining such a talented coach are understandably impactful - particularly when said coach also holds the reins of your college basketball team; however, mere aspirations are rarely enough to satiate a fan-base who risks losing their winningest-football coach and their basketball coach in one fell swoop.  Moreover, you mention that Coach and the administration are in lock-step on long-term plans for the program, but that you are only close to reaching an arrangement that will meet everyone's needs; where are you and Coach not seeing eye-to-eye?  Frankly, from a third-party perspective, Coach's absence from time-to-time ought to be expected, that with his duties and commitments with the NFL writ-large, Cleveland Browns, and the San Diego Clippers.  What remains to be seen is whether or not your Indiana athletics administration will be, for lack of a better term "out-bid" by administrations willing to grant Coach more autonomous command-and-control over his programs: both the Ohio State University and the University of Southern California, with high-profile vacancies in both football and basketball and close proximity to Coach's existing commitments, come to mind as potential suitors.

A couple of questions for Coach @kgreene829 via our analysts:

Quote

"We are hearing that coach Kgreene829 has a meeting with the schools athletic board and their boosters to discuss the future of Tulane and the plan moving forward. While nothing has been officially said and nothing will be said until the meeting has taken place we are hearing that some major changes may be in order for a football program that many feel has underachieved this year."

What are Coach's thoughts on his future at Tulane?  Should the response by the Board of the Athletic Department of Tulane University and their boosters be unsatisfactory or misaligned with Coach's vision moving forward, is he prepared to consider employment elsewhere?  There are currently sixteen open positions within three Power 5 Conferences; that being four in the Big XII (Arizona, Iowa State, Kansas State, and UCF), six in the Big Ten (Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State, USC, and Wisconsin), and six in the SEC (Arkansas, Auburn, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt), of which ten of these teams sit higher in their respective conferences than Tulane currently does in the American.  Other than program loyalty, what's stopping Coach from accepting one of these positions from a program in a stronger position, when he could easily bring preferred personnel, such as Paul McCullers-Sanders, with him via the transfer portal?

This article was originally published on plus.espn.com - featured audio has been transcribed for the reader's ease.

We've got a little something different for you today, football fans, with a little less "transfer" and a little more "talk" on the docket.  Earlier this month, Coach @npklemm travelled to Los Angeles and Minnesota to follow the Julian Longacre and the University of Southern California football team on their journey following the abrupt departure of Coach @Dhawk18 a mere two weeks into the Trojans' campaign to defend their National Championship.  His findings were published in Longacre: A Profile.  What he'd found was a team was a team plagued by conflict, a team lacking both direction and leadership, a team with an uncertain future: in other words, a team ripe for a transfer exodus come season's end.

Something is rotten in the State of Denmark.

Quote

"2023 was a dream season for the Trojans of USC.  They won the National Championship in a close one.  They had a couple trophy winners [...] [Julian] Longacre finished a close second in the Heisman.  They were on top of the world, Longacre was back and so was the coach who led them to this success, @Dhawk18.  All they needed to do was run it back and compete again.  [Six] weeks into the 2024 Season, USC is 2-2 and @Dhawk18 is no longer at the helm.

So, what's happened?"

Forward, Longacre: A Profile - @npklemm

Since their embarrassing 53-0 defeat to Minnesota, which brought USC to a record of 2-3 with a Big Ten record of 1-2, the Trojans have rebounded with three-straight conference wins to bring themselves above the .500 mark in their overall and conference records.  That said, when comparing Southern California's ongoing 2024 campaign to their 2023 National Championship campaign, there is no other word to describe it than disappointing.  By Week 5, the 2024 Trojans had already matched their 2023 overall and conference loss totals; by Week 6, the 2024 Trojans had surpassed both sets of 2023 loss tallies with seven weeks to play.  Let there be no mistake, what the 2024 Trojans have done since Week 6 has been nothing short of picture-perfect in terms of a response to their critics: three crucial conference matchups, three wins.  What's going on at USC?  Which USC is indicative of the future; the 2023 Trojans or the 2024 Trojans?  Let's find out.

Quote

"If you would've told me out of the Big 4 QBs that Julian Longacre wouldn't have a single [Player of the Week] halfway through the season I'd have called you a liar."

-@SageBow

There has, understandably, been a focus on Julian Longacre in attempts to explain where USC's 2024 Season has gone wrong.  There are some who argue that making such an assessment - that USC's season has gone wrong - is a premature conclusion.  I would argue a middle-of-the-road analysis: USC's season has gone wrong, but there is still time for them to salvage it.  Them.  In what is poised to be a fight to the final week, I believe we ought to shift our focus; that is, away from Julian Longacre and towards the entirety of the USC football program.  If USC are to complete their "redemption arc," so to speak, and compete for the Big Ten championship, it is going to require all-hands on deck.  We, the media, have explored Julian Longacre and his mental fortitude before - I have no doubts that a national champion can perform under pressure.  But what about his brothers-in-arms?  What is the mindset of the USC players and their coaches?  With a tough, uncertain road ahead for the Trojans, both to close-out the season and in anticipation of the off-season transfer portal, the most important question(s) to be answered are those of the entire team.

Quote

"I just want to make sure the record is straight [...] No one cares.  We got out 'Chip, and now no one wants to work."

Wednesday, Longacre: A Profile - Phillip Adams

Of those featured in Coach @npklemm's Longacre, there were a total of seven individuals - five players and two coaches - who are slated to return to the University of California next season.  That is to say, they have a vested interest in how the 2024 USC Football Season ends, as it could impact the upcoming season, and possible, where they are playing/coaching.  I asked each player and coach the same set of four questions, with slight modifications, to gain insight into their individual and collective thoughts and mentality on the remainder of the 2024 season and potentially beyond.  These questions, and their responses, are detailed below in the order that they'd featured in Longacre:

Quote

Tyler Huber, Wide Receiver, Redshirt Sophomore

Q: You were featured within Longacre: A Profile in-part due to your practice bust-up(s) with Humberto Sanchez and David Avalos, what do you think is the cause of these practice conflicts?  How does that impact the direction of USC Football?
A: "Man, that was so overblown. That shit always happens, it's minor. I don't think it has much impact on us man - me getting into it with someone in practice on [Monday and] Wednesday doesn't impact what we do on Saturday. That's nonsense."

Q: What are your thoughts about certain players, particularly those instigators of conflict within the team, entering the transfer portal at the end of the season?
A: "I love my teammates, I'm just a competitive person. Sometimes I go a little too hard in practice, something I need to control better."

Q: Would you consider entering the transfer portal at the end of the season if the course of the USC Football Team remains charted as it is?
A: "No, I love USC, this is where I belong. One down year shouldn't have that big of an impact on the rest of your career."

Q: Who would be your choice, to be the next USC Head Coach going into next season?  Why?
A: "I don't know that I have a specific person in mind, I'm just worried about getting better and doing everything I can to improve my game."

Quote

Humberto Sanchez, Cornerback, Sophomore

Q: You were featured within Longacre: A Profile in-part due to your practice bust-up(s) with Tyler Huber, what do you think is the cause of these practice conflicts?  How does that impact the direction of USC Football?
A: "I don't know that what we did was out of the normal for most teams to be honest. Those things happen sometimes, it's our competitive nature. I think Tyler might feel the same way, but that reporter was out to antagonize and belittle us."

Q: What are your thoughts about certain players, particularly those instigators of conflict within the team, entering the transfer portal at the end of the season?
A: "I've got all my guy's backs, and they know it."

Q: Would you consider entering the transfer portal at the end of the season if the course of the USC Football Team remains charted as it is?
A: "I don't think I'd leave USC, but if I were at a G5 school and we had the season we're having now, I'd probably at least think about it."

Q: Who would be your choice, to be the next USC Head Coach going into next season?  Why?
A: "I don't have a specific person, but we'd want someone with a proven track record. Someone who could come in and instantly take over. We need that to be honest."

Quote

David Avalos, Strong Safety, Sophomore

Q: You were featured within Longacre: A Profile in-part due to your practice bust-up(s) with Tyler Huber, what do you think is the cause of these practice conflicts?  How does that impact the direction of USC Football?
A: "What causes the fights? It's us young guys not keeping our cool. What I did that day was stupid and unnecessary. These are my teammates and I should have their back, not fight against them. I don't think what happened that week impacts the direction of the program if we get the right guy in place."

Q: What are your thoughts about certain players, particularly those instigators of conflict within the team, entering the transfer portal at the end of the season?
A: "No comment."

Q: Would you consider entering the transfer portal at the end of the season if the course of the USC Football Team remains charted as it is?
A: "To be real, yeah. It's not because of where the program is. But I want to be on the field, and I'm not seeing it right now."

Q: Who would be your choice, to be the next USC Head Coach going into next season?  Why?
A: "Whoever puts me on the field."

Quote

Wilfredo Silva, Quarterback, Sophomore

Q: You were briefly-featured within Longacre: A Profile as a straight-talking, level-headed presence on an otherwise turbulent USC team - other than those thoughts on the coaching, or lack thereof, as shared previously, do you have any additional thoughts on the current direction of Trojan football?
A: "Well, we were in a clear downward trend then, we've rebounded a little bit. I think that week really shook us to our core and made us look at ourselves in the mirror and come to terms with what we saw. I'm very positive about where we are now, those shenanigans aren't going on anymore."

Q: What are your thoughts about certain players, particularly those instigators of conflict within the team, entering the transfer portal at the end of the season?
A: "Look, each guy needs to do what they think is best for them. I wish everyone the best, no matter what decision they make. But, I think USC has a lot to offer, especially when we find a new coach."

Q: Would you consider entering the transfer portal at the end of the season if the course of the USC Football Team remains charted as it is?
A: "No, I'm here. I don't think I'd rather be anywhere else. For me, it's not just the football program keeping me here, but the school and community that surrounds it."

Q: Who would be your choice, to be the next USC Head Coach going into next season?  Why?
A: "I'd like someone who can bring creativity back to us. We've lost that a little bit this year, and we've struggled partially because of that."

Quote

Anthony Jones, Jr., Running Backs Coach

Q: You were featured within Longacre: A Profile picking up the slack due to the unexpected departure of your head coach - what are your thoughts on the direction of the USC Football Team?  How do you, as a coach, intend to make an impact?
A: "We're definitely off track from where we thought we'd be. Coach had to leave the program due to reasons outside his control. So, that definitely shook us up and it's taken us a while to get the wheels back on the bus. As a Coach, I have to continue to be a source of strength and consistency. I have to hold everyone equally accountable for us to get through this season successfully."

Q: What are your thoughts on players transferring, particularly those who were part of the National Championship team?
A: "I want players to stay obviously, but they get a certain freedom that I wish I had when I was their age. I don't think it will be long before we're back on top, so I'd encourage those guys pursuing other opportunities to re-evaluate their decision."

Q: Do you have any interest in leaving USC to pursue a head coaching position elsewhere?  If so, are there any appealing options?
A: "I'm still a bit early into my coaching career, so I don't think I'm ready to be the head honcho yet. I love the coaching staff that's remained, and I think we have bright future together here."

Q: Who would be your choice, yourself included, to be the next USC Head Coach going into next season?  Why?
A: "I don't think I can name a single person to be honest, not sure that'd be fair. But, I'd like someone who's energetic and creative. I wouldn't mind someone on the younger end of a the age scale."

Quote

Josh Henson, Offensive Coordinator

Q: You were featured within Longacre: A Profile picking up the slack due to the unexpected departure of your head coach - what are your thoughts on the direction of the USC Football Team?  How do you, as a coach, intend to make an impact?
A: "We're heading the right direction, we had a couple hiccups earlier this year, but that's behind us. I just need to be myself and continue to lead the offense."

Q: What are your thoughts on players transferring, particularly those who were part of the National Championship team?
A: "This age of the transfer portal is bad for football and bad for the kids too. They're too impulsive to be given that much honestly."

Q: Do you have any interest in leaving USC to pursue a head coaching position elsewhere?  If so, are there any appealing options?
A: "No, I want to be at USC. I've won a National Championship here, and I want to bring more here."

Q: Who would be your choice, yourself included, to be the next USC Head Coach going into next season?  Why?
A: "It should be me. I have the experience, I know the program, I know the recruiting grounds. I can continue to keep USC at the top of the College Football World."

Quote

Phillip Adams, Wide Receiver, Redshirt Junior

Q: You featured prominently within Longacre: A Profile as an eager competitor and a loyal friend - what are your thoughts of the competitiveness of the USC Football Team entering next season, particularly if the aura surrounding the team remains the same?
A: "We'll finish 8-4 if we keep this up. I'm not interested in that man, this is a program that's better than that. But, if we don't get it together, we'll be a middle of the pack Big 10 Team."

Q: What are your thoughts on players transferring, particularly those who were recruited to USC as a result of your National Championship?
A: "Cowards. It's easy to run when it gets hard, none of them were transferring when Jules was leading us to a Chip."

Q: With your friends and roommates, Julian [Longacre] and Wilton [Pankey], graduating would you consider entering the transfer portal for your final year of collegiate eligibility to compete for a second National Championship?
A: "Hell No, you're going to have to drag me out of here. I'm a Trojan for life."

Q: Who would be your choice, to be the next USC Head Coach going into next season?  Why?
A: "@Jambo I know we beat his team earlier this year, but the man knows California and know how to coach. He'd take us in the right direction."

Well, football fans, I know you've gotten used to my various transfer portal analyses, but this is where I'm going to leave you today: to take a look, evaluate, and form your own opinion about the direction of USC football - both to close-out this season and beyond - from the players and the coaches who know the program the best, themselves.  Should there be any transfer portal declarants from USC within the coming weeks or at season's end - there are bound to be some - you'd best be sure that we'll talk about it here in some capacity.  Until then, the best I can do is wish the future USC "coaching transfer," whoever that may be, well on their journey to bring USC back to the pinnacle of the sport.  From what I've learned from the players and coaches I've spoken to, you've got one hell of a group behind you.

Until next time, football fans!  What'd you think of the new format?  Should we entertain more speculative transfer action, like loosely-featuring an entire team, again?  Should we bin it entirely and focus on what we here at Transfer Talk do best?  Think you could do a better job as Head Coach of USC than Phillip Adams' pick of @Jambo? Let us know!

(A monumental thank you to @npklemm for reprising his many roles and adding a personality to each of the USC interviewees!)

Hattiesburg, Mississippi - A heartbreaking defeat, 37-21 away to the Sun Belt West leaders Southern Mississippi, sees Appalachian State back to .500 overall this season at 4-4 (3-2). This was despite a relatively strong defensive performance, which saw Appalachian State intercept the Golden Eagles signal-caller, Senior Quarterback Darius Snead, a total of four times.  Although the Mountaineers rolled out to a 7-0 lead in the First Quarter and maintained a single-score padding well into the Third Quarter, the offense repeatedly balked at opportunities to extend drives and put up additional points.  

Exemplary of these offense troubles was the performance of Appalachian State’s Senior Quarterback, Austin Redding, who finished the day 20/30 for 188 yards with just one touchdown to three interceptions.  Redding’s first and third interceptions of the day came in difficult field positions - on the Appalachian State 36 and 18, respectively.  While the signal-caller was immediately bailed out by an interception of Darius Snead by Safety Andrew Redding - who finished the day with an impressive eight tackles and two interceptions - on the first of these two interceptions, Redding’s third interception of the day led to a Southern Mississippi Field Goal just a handful of plays later.  This extended the Golden Eagles’ lead from 27-21 to a two-score lead of 30-21; one from which the Mountaineers would not recover.

Yet, it was Redding’s second interception which proved the turning point in the contest.  With the score tied 21-21 and 29 seconds left in the Third Quarter, the Mountaineer offense found themselves pounding at the door on the Southern Mississippi 4 yard line.  Following an impressive punt return from Wenyen Clinton-Dix that set Appalachian State up near midfield, and two-successive third down conversions, the Mountaineers appeared poised to retake the lead.  After a 1st and Goal incompletion by Redding to Tight End Chase Randall, Redding entered his three-step-drop once again on 2nd and Goal, looking to find Halfback Wenyen Clinton-Dix behind the shifting Offensive Line.  With the pressure now coming, Redding lobbed a pass into the screen; however, whether the Offensive Line had shifted too far forward or Clinton-Dix had been out-of-position within the screen, Redding’s pass instead found Southern Mississippi Outside Linebacker Brad Sims right between the numbers.  Sims, capitalizing on being in the right place at the right time, put his hands around the ball and gave himself up where he stood.  The turnover would prove decisive: the Golden Eagles would leverage the possession into favorable field position and take a 27-21 lead in the subsequent drive - the dagger to the heart of Appalachian State.

Quote

“I’m just replaying everything in my head,” reflected Austin Redding after the game.  “I don’t know what happened, we’ve run that play over-and-over in practice.  Maybe I got tunnel vision - I’m used to Phil [Turner] usually being my target there so I might’ve been hyper-focused on Wenyen [Clinton-Dix] and getting the ball to him, I don’t know.  I just didn’t see [Sims].  Hell, [Sims] might’ve been just as surprised that a ball got lobbed his way as I was when I’d realized what’d happened the split-second after releasing the ball.  It doesn’t matter, it’s no excuse.  Even without that, I’d had a pretty awful outing with those other two picks.  Yeah, maybe the first one impacted me there; they both definitely compounded on me for the third pick.  I’m better than that mentally, I’m better than that as a player, but I wasn’t today - I let myself down, I let my team down, I let my coaches down.  They had the faith to call two pass plays on 1st and 2nd and Goal within the opposing 5 with three amazing tailbacks who average something like 5 yards per carry each - they could’ve easily pounded the rock in for the lead.  But they chose to call my number instead and here we are.  I hope they continue to place the same faith in me; this series of events won’t happen again.  But hell, I finally understand how those folks in Super Bowl XLIX felt.  We're gonna get right back to work this upcoming week, all of us.  We still want to show the nation what we can do - we want to win out, we want the Sun Belt.  We're gonna learn from this and do everything within our power to get there."

The Mountaineers have Week 9 of the Collegiate Regular Season off - Appalachian State returns to host the Panthers of Georgia State next Friday night in a must-win Conference match-up to keep their Sun Belt Championship aspirations alive.

This article was originally published on plus.espn.com - featured audio has been transcribed for the reader's ease.

Welcome back, football fans!  Before we dive into the program, let's recap the most-recent performance of our Episode 1 standout - Florida State's Kelly Jarwin: coming into the game in relief of Redshirt Freshman Colt McIntyre, Jarwin went 5 of 7 for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns and no interceptions with a stratospheric QBR of 345.71 before making way himself for third-string Quarterback Heath Callender in a 63-0 demolition of Clemson.  Kelly, way to keep it up brother - best of luck once again to you, Coach @Kirby, and the rest of Florida State Seminoles coming off their bye week.

A fourth-string Quarterback walks into a Nebraska Steakhouse.  What sounds like the start to a terrible joke is a perfect primer to our second installment of Transfer Talk - we're chatting to the man himself, Meyers Ramirez, Quarterback, Washington State University: Mr. Transfer Portal, as its first official declarant, out of Wazzu!  Just like our last time out, we'll be chatting with our high-profile transfer target about potential destinations; however, this time, we're expanding the scope.  That's right football fans, we're taking it up a notch - a notch we could only reach thanks to the hard work of an unpaid intern.  Since it's already common knowledge that Meyers is entering the transfer portal, we can skip the "will he/won't he" aspect of the show.  Instead, we're gonna take a look at every possible transfer fit for Meyers Ramirez and whittle that list down to a Top 5.  From there, we're gonna talk about each fit and hear from Mr. Transfer Portal himself on what he thinks of each.  Spoiler Alert: No Lincoln, Nebraska Steakhouses were harmed in preparation for this episode.

Let's start with statistics, everyone loves statistics.  Meyers has one statline, which we've included below, from a 2023 Spring Game where Washington State fell to West Virginia away in Morgantown, 19-17.

Not much to go off of, I know.  If there are any takeaways, I'd say there are three.  First, dude's got legs.  In a Spring Game, his first and only time with his feet on the turf of a collegiate football field, Meyers went out and averaged 5 yards per carry.  Within the Washington State offense, which prides itself on versatile and explosive Quarterback play, going out there and averaging 5 yards per carry - and theoretically marching down the field without ever hitting 3rd Down - is all you could ask for and then some.  Second, he made the pass that mattered.  Okay, I'm not gonna mince words here - connecting on just 18% of your passes isn't great.  In the same way that averaging 5 yards a carry is impressive, averaging 1.27 yards per pass is the opposite.  That said, I've got no idea what the circumstances of those passes are - the only record of the game in question are the statistics.  I, for one, think that's the result of an Apple.tv conspiracy to hijack my show with a worse program with a far-less handsome host, but I digress.  What I see from Meyers' passing statistics is an incomplete (pun intended) picture; though, I would like to highlight the touchdown pass, meaning that despite the inconsistencies the young man can still set up a scoring drive.  Third, and most importantly, the culmination of my first two takeaways: in a system where he could thrive, Meyers Ramirez is a potential world-beater.  Let's flip the script, shall we?  What if, instead of 11 passing attempts, Meyers has 6.  Estimates will say that he'd be 1 of 6 passing with a handful of yards - pretty unremarkable.  However, less also say that Meyers got the nod to run the ball 5 more times instead.  That'd bring his rushing estimates up to 14 attempts for 70 yards, and possibly even a touchdown on the ground.  What I'm saying is this: Meyers Ramirez is a Scrambler, to maximize his potential for positive results for any team, he's gotta be in a system that recognizes and amplifies his strengths.

Speaking to this exact point, Meyers said:

Quote

"My problem with my former team was that I didn't have the best arm; but man once everyone saw me dashing downfield on a successful option it was like a fever dream. I love breaking down a play at the snap and making a decision on the option. Unfortunately dashing past everyone at practice isn't enough for playing on Saturday nights."

Alrighty bud, that's where we here at Transfer Talk come in.  When speaking to Meyers further, an inevitable question came up: where would you like to play football?  It's a tale as old as time, a football player who wants to play football but only wants to do so if a laundry list of criteria is met first: NIL worth more than a Coach's salary; a Black 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS; back-row seats and a personal tutor for Swahili classes; you name it, a player sometimes wants it.  Not Meyers Ramirez.  Discussing potential destinations, Meyers reflected:

Quote

"As of right now any team is on the table. I want an opportunity to start and contribute somewhere. I was sold initially on what Coach @TuscanSota was doing at Wazzu; but unfortunately during my time on the team the quarterback room has only grown. So, I guess if there's any program that's not on the table... it's [Washington State]."

That's the mentality we at Transfer Talk love to hear.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alright, let's break it down.  According to the D.D.D. ("Dev Diary Dictionary"), there are three offensive schemes that're "fits" for a Scrambler like Meyers Ramirez.  These are: the I Option, which "[...] offers up the ability to run a lot more option-type plays, but still is mainly balanced in run vs. pass;" the Spread Option, which "[...]offers up the ability to run a lot more option-type plays, but focuses on pass plays still;" and the Flexbone, which "[...]offers up the ability to run a lot more option-type plays, but is almost entirely run-focused."  Of the 263 NCAA FBS and FCS programs, 52 currently run either the I Option, the Spread Option, or the Flexbone as their offensive scheme.  The 52 programs are:

Quote

Flexbone (4+2)
Air Force
Colorado State
Illinois Fighting Illini
UMass
--
Harvard
Samford

I Option (5)
Akron
Clemson
Maryland
Rutgers
Washington State

Spread Option (23+18)
Arkansas State
Baylor
Boise State
Central Michigan
Cincinnati
Eastern Michigan
Hawaii
Iowa State
Kennesaw State
Kansas
Kansas State
Kentucky
Liberty
Louisiana
Miami (OH)
Missouri
NC State
Northwestern
Sam Houston State
TCU
Texas A&M
Utah
Vanderbilt
--
Bethune-Cookman
Bucknell
Colgate
Cornell
Florida A&M
Furman
Georgetown
Illinois State
Lehigh
Missouri State
Montana
North Dakota
Portland State
Prairie View A&M
Southern
Texas Southern
UC Davis
Western Illinois

As much as you and I love football, dear reader, I'm not going to subject you to the abject agony that would be my analysis of 52 programs for the sake of Meyers Ramirez's career.  Instead, I've made some careful edits to the list - removing teams who already have an established returning Quarterback, removing teams who have an incoming blue chip Quarterback, removing teams who will not be scheme-fits entering next season, adding teams which will be scheme-fits next season, and removing them from consideration if I feel like it, because I make the rules here.  Moreover, despite Meyers being open to any program, I'm a bit more selective - so we're gonna narrow it down even further to FBS teams with notable coaches (i.e. player-coaches).  That bring us down to 5 programs that're good "fits" for Meyers, so lets talk about each of them in order of ascending fit.

5. Colorado State

There's a whole lotta good going on in Fort Collins right now.  Under Coach @Bellwood, the Rams currently sit in second-place in the Mountain West behind a dominant UNLV.  With a record of 4-4 Overall, 3-0 in Conference play, they find themselves challenging for the Conference Championship - having already beaten then #15 New Mexico (currently 4th in the Mountain West), Utah State (currently 7th in the Mountain West), and Fresno State (currently 11th in the Mountain West).  Colorado State's offense is spearheaded by Quarterback Andrew Michael, a Redshirt Senior currently out for week with a strained shoulder.  Michael, a 6'1" 224 lb. Scrambler from Georgia, has put up the below passing and rushing statistics thus far in the campaign:

Within the Flexbone system, which ultimate emphasizes the run, a Scrambler like Andrew Michael has led the Colorado State offense to Conference perfection thus far - I have no doubts that Meyers Ramirez, should he find himself at Colorado State next year, could pick up where his predecessor left off.  What's the catch?  There's no guarantee that Colorado State will continue running the Flexbone next season.  With Skyler Simmons, a Redshirt Junior in the Field General Quarterback mold, currently backing-up Andrew Michael and all recruiting trends pointing more towards a shift in Fort Collins towards the passing game, there's doubt that the "fit" will remain at Colorado State for Meyers Ramirez come the offseason.  Nevertheless, Meyers was cautiously optimistic, saying of the prospect of playing at Colorado State:

Quote

"If they stick to a scrambling guy then I'd say why not? I'd love to play on a team that Wazzu will have to play [next] year anyways."

4. Rutgers

Unlike with Colorado State, there is no doubt in my mind that the Scarlet Knights under Coach @TyroleanRaider are looking going retain their I Option offensive scheme heading into next season.  Currently led by Senior Quarterback Robert Frederick, Rutgers currently have a staggering six Quarterbacks currently rostered, five of whom are considered "Scramblers."  Both Frederick and fellow-Senior Giovanny Franklin-Meyers are set to graduate; however, the Scarlet Knights will be added Rashmi Ho, a 4* Scrambler from Holliston, Massachusetts to their Quarterback room next year.  Therefore, with the addition of Meyers Ramirez, it would be a five-horse race for the starting job in Piscataway.  That said, I believe it's a race that Meyers could win.

While it's yet to be seen what the incoming Rashmi Ho's measurables are, Meyers Ramirez equals or beats out all other rostered Rutgers Quarterbacks in 8/11 categories - all while having an extra year of eligibility over his two-closest contemporaries.  It's plain to see that either Philip Steele or Rashmi Ho are the future at Rutgers; however, both young men require time to develop, probably about two years or so.  In those intermediary two years - coincidentally or not, the exact amount of time that Meyers Ramirez could continue playing college football - a Quarterback with both "right now" skills and a high-ceiling are required to remain competitive in an increasingly-open Big Ten.  Speaking to the prospect of acting as the bridge Quarterback for Rutgers, Meyers Ramirez agreed:

Quote

"Playing for the Scarlet Knights in one of the biggest conferences would be a pipedream for me. Anyone in that conference can go big; and I know that if I get the start, I can lead them there."

3. Cincinnati

Take the situation at Rutgers and make it even more favorable for our boy Meyers Ramirez, that's what we've got with Coach @Rome's Cincy.  Just like the Scarlet Knights, the Bearcats are led by a Senior - Quarterback Jeremy West.  Graduating alongside West at the conclusion of the academic year is backup Quarterback Josh Gervacio.  Unlike in Piscataway, Cincinnati does not expect any incoming Quarterbacks, having recruited two offensive linemen (both of whom are skilled at protecting the run) and a defensive lineman.  That leaves four Quarterbacks, and crucially, one Scrambler on the Bearcat roster to compete for the starting job next season.  With Meyers Ramirez on the squad, that rounds to the following five quarterbacks: Terence Burbridge, Scrambler, Jr (C+/B-); Paul Martinez, Balanced, So (C/B); Andrew Madrid, Field General, Fr (C/B-); Scott Kirkland, Pocket, Fr (C/C+); and our man, Meyers Ramirez.  In direct shoot-out against his two most-likely competitors for the starting job, here's how Meyers shakes out:

With Cincinnati running the Spread Option, which "[...]offers up the ability to run a lot more option-type plays, but focuses on pass plays still," Meyers Ramirez and his ability to both rush and pass better than his two most-likely competitors are a near-perfect fit.  As with the situation at Rutgers, Meyers Ramirez would slot into the Cincinnati lineup as the perfect bridge Quarterback - allowing for Coach @Rome to harness his strengths for offensive and program gains now while also allowing for a decent amount of time to search for and develop his eventual replacement.  Regarding the prospect of playing for Cincinnati, Meyers was complementary:

Quote

"The Big XII, while not the biggest conference, is the one I think is the most competitive. An absolute gauntlet. Wazzu wouldn't survive this conference, and I think this is the one I can best learn from. The Bear[c]ats have something good going for them; and I reckon if they stick to a run-based offense, they can count on me for that."

2. NC State

Run the formula back for a third time in a row: the Coach @Dean's Wolfpack have seven rostered Quarterbacks, with current starter Isaiah Pedroia and fellow-Senior Andrew Awuzie departing via matriculation.  That leaves five quarterbacks, plus the incoming 4* Pocket Quarterback David Andrews from Spring, Texas.  Coach @dearden that's six Quarterbacks, how on earth could this be the second-best situation for our man Meyers?  Because, just like before, I reckon Mr. Transfer Portal could beat out his six other competitors for the starting job.  Why?  Excluding the incoming David Andrews, meet the contestants: current backup Fritz Sellers, Scrambler, So (C/C+); Reginald Benson, Balanced, Fr (C/C+); current third-string Rogelio Elias, Scrambler, Fr (C/B+); Dwayne Vander Laan, Scrambler, Jr (C-/B); and Chi Chi Loyd, Pocket, Jr (D+/C+).  Straight away, I'm going to remove Vander Laan and Loyd, despite their fantastic names, from the comparison here.  Why?  You know why.  That leaves us with Sellers, Benson, Elias, and Meyers Ramirez himself, let's take a look:

Similar to the Cincinnati Bearcats offense, NC State funs the Spread Option, which gives the Quarterback a number of option opportunities (which, the astute will recall that Meyers really enjoys) but also focuses on some pass plays.  Just like with Cincinnati, Meyers rises above his potential competition, in both the run and the pass.  My only reason for considering NC State a more-favorable fit for Meyers is that the he's even further ahead of his competition over in Raleigh.  When asked about NC State as a potential destination, Meyers excitedly stated:

Quote

"I like what NC State has going for them - I think the path is certainly easier in the ACC to [succeed]."

1. Illinois

I know what you're thinking: a bunch of rostered Quarterbacks, Seniors leaving, underclassmen worse than Meyers Ramirez - ha, that's not what I was going to say.  In fact, Illinois under Coach @nemolee.exe is a curious one.  At the outset, the Fighting Illini run the Flexbone: "offer[ing] up the ability to run a lot more option-type plays, but is almost entirely run-focused" - perfect for our boy Meyers.  What's curious is their currently personnel they have executing that system.  Illinois' starting Quarterback, Senior Jalen Jenkins, is one of the Field General mold.  His backup, Redshirt Junior Miguel Dahl, has a notable sort of balance to his game.  What's curious about that?  Neither of them are Scrambler-type Quarterbacks, like our boy Meyers Ramirez, who thrive within the Flexbone offense.  That said, Jalen Jenkins has put up respectable passing and rushing statistics so far this campaign:

You know the drill - when compared to the three Quarterbacks currently detailed on the Fighting Illini roster, here's how Meyers Ramirez stacks up:

Coach @nemolee.exe - here's my pitch for Meyers Ramirez.  Compared to your current starter, Jalen Jenkins, Meyers Ramirez is significantly better at rushing the ball.  What does that matter?  You've entrusted the keys to your offense to your Quarterback and he's doing a fine job, or else he'd be on the bench; now imagine what Meyers Ramirez, with an additional season learning in Pullman and an offseason to develop could do, especially alongside your stand-out Running Back Jonathan Watson (B+/A-) who will be returning for his final season.  I can see it now, those guys would tear it up.  With all due respect to your current backup, Miguel Dahl, Meyers Ramirez is better.  The Flexbone centers around the option and is run-focused, Meyers is streets-ahead of Dahl in every discernable rushing metric and he's not far behind on passing metrics either.  To top it all off, Meyers has an additional year of eligibility to develop and grow ahead of Dahl, who would merely act as a year-long stop-gap.  Instead, Meyers Ramirez could be a two-year bridge for the future of Illinois football.  Actually, who knows, with how open the Big Ten is, he could be a two-year starter who helps the Fighting Illini contend while folks like Hector Arroyo can develop their skills to eventually take up the mantle.  I'll let you hear it from the man himself, who is pumped to play in such a favorable scheme, declaring:

Quote

"They run the what? The flexbone? The offensive scheme that beat Wazzu last week? (Not like I'm keeping tabs or anything) Sign me up. I heard that Champaign is basically a bigger version of Pullman anyways."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There you have it folks, Transfer Talk's Top 5 Destinations for Mr. Transfer Portal, Meyers Ramirez!  Meyers, brother, I'm looking forward to watching your career continue in the years to come, best of luck to you and thanks for sitting down to chat - next time you're grabbing a steak, let me know and we can catch up then!

Have any thoughts of your own?  Feel like Meyers would be a better fit at your program?  Think of any high-profile players we should chat with next?  Let us know!

Until next time, football fans! 

(Special thanks to @TuscanSota for lending his voice to Meyers Ramirez!)

Boone, North Carolina - Bouncing back from their loss to Sun Belt East Division rivals #22 Marshall, the Mountaineers rang out convincing victors, 20-3, at home against Louisiana.  The Appalachian State Defense shone; a week after giving up 35 points - their second-highest tally of the season - to the Thundering Herd, they held the Ragin’ Cajuns to a mere field goal and effectively neutralized the dynamic Louisiana Quarterback, D.J. Elias, from the game.  Completing only 18 of his 44 pass attempts (41%), Elias finished the day with a QBR of 69.77 - his second-worst of the season and a full three points lower than his showing against #2 Tennessee earlier in the year.  For the Mountaineers, their defensive success boils down to “character and mentality.”

Quote

“It’s the sort of performance I’ve come to expect from my guys,” Defensive Coordinator Steve Cotto reflected, “especially after losing in a tough rivalry game to Marshall.  I know that every one of my guys knows and will admit: we weren’t on our game, that performance wasn’t what folks have come to expect from this football program.  Our entire team knows that we’re better than that, so we put in the work during the week to prove just that come gameday and we performed.  As we, as a coaching staff, have said time and time again, our guys are resilient - they’re fighters, we expect that if they get hit that they get back up and hit back even harder.  Their character and mentality impresses me so much - these are college kids who’re willing to receive critique and admit any shortcomings to improve their game, that’s what we’ve done win or lose and it’s key to our success throughout.”

While the Appalachian State defense put up one of their stronger performances this season, their celebrations were marred by two injuries to key players, as Outside Linebacker Jose Thomas and Defensive End Daurice Burns both left the game with injuries.  Thomas exited the game in the First Quarter with what appeared to be a knee injury, while Burns went back to the locker room in the Fourth Quarter as trainers attended to his calf.

Quote

“It’s never what you want to see,” remarked Coach @dearden.  “There’s a lot of things you get used to in this game, but at least for me, seeing one of my guys go down - I also get a little knot in my stomach.  At the end of the day, these are still college kids, they’ve got their whole lives ahead of them.  I know that sounds dramatic, but until I see a thumbs-up from a trainer or the player themselves, I still worry that any injury could be a lot worse than it appears and none of our college athletes deserve to go through that.  Thankfully, both Jose and Daurice are doing well - Daurice rejoined practice on Tuesday and should be good-to-go for Friday, though I can confirm that Jose will be spending this week as Steve [Cotto]’s ‘Senior Defensive Assistant’ for the upcoming game.  It’s obviously not ideal in the short term, Southern Mississippi are on an absolute tear at 5-1 (3-1) and leading the Sun Belt West, but I’m confident in Will [Dorsey] sliding over from Inside Linebacker to fill in and provide that experienced presence.  That said, letting Jose rest another week, ahead of our bye week, will ensure that he’s able to come back at 100% for the remainder of the season - and that’s ideal in the long term for both player and team.”

The Mountaineers travel to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to face the Golden Eagles of Southern Mississippi on Friday, looking to continue their “Victory Saturday” streak following their 2-0 start to Friday night games this campaign.