[OutsiderFan]

Taking photos with recruits has no bearing on if he signs with Stanford. Only an application to the school and taking 2 AP classes matters, which is why I asked the question.

Anyone reading this knows Jaxson Moi plays a position of need. And I'm not interested in lame Cal weenie jokes.

He would not be allowed to visit if he were not taking the requisite classes.

Now this is news that can be used (or at least insight)!  I will assume recruits also won't be allowed to visit this late in the game if they haven't applied to the school...

[OutsiderFan]

Taking photos with recruits has no bearing on if he signs with Stanford. Only an application to the school and taking 2 AP classes matters, which is why I asked the question.

Anyone reading this knows Jaxson Moi plays a position of need. And I'm not interested in lame Cal weenie jokes.

He would not be allowed to visit if he were not taking the requisite classes.

Now this is news that can be used (or at least insight)!  I will assume recruits also won't be allowed to visit this late in the game if they haven't applied to the school...

[TrumpCard]

Samuel, does the newly public traction with Moi make you less anxious for another DL offer?  Also, have you heard any developments relating to Pakola?  I could imagine being reasonably comfortable with a DL room of Pakola, Phillips, Armitage, Rowell, Moi, and Caughey.

[TrumpCard]

Samuel, does the newly public traction with Moi make you less anxious for another DL offer?  Also, have you heard any developments relating to Pakola?  I could imagine being reasonably comfortable with a DL room of Pakola, Phillips, Armitage, Rowell, Moi, and Caughey.

[Phogge]

Curious. Why are you comfortable with a DL room comprised of guys who have not played except for a few snaps for Armitage and Phillips?

I hope recruiters are uncomfortable and do a better job in the future.

[Phogge]

Curious. Why are you comfortable with a DL room comprised of guys who have not played except for a few snaps for Armitage and Phillips?

I hope recruiters are uncomfortable and do a better job in the future.

[SamuelMcF]

Curious. Why are you comfortable with a DL room comprised of guys who have not played except for a few snaps for Armitage and Phillips?

I hope recruiters are uncomfortable and do a better job in the future.

Agree. The room is screwed for the next 2ish years even if Pakola returns, unless multiple guys use their Covid freebie and come back (or Lance Keneley magically gains 30+ lbs and becomes a DE again). Reynolds has mismanaged and under-recruited the crap out of it.

Once our back-to-back classes of 3 DL are juniors and seniors, we'll be talking. And we better not just take 1 in multiple classes after that...again. The pipeline has to be healthier than we've seen it be for years now. This is the DL equivalent of Carberry signing 5 OL in back-to-back classes to rebuild the room when he walked into a disaster. (We're seeing what happens when none of those guys are seniors, by the way. Old man strength and experience is very real in the trenches.)

You'll notice on the roster a new "Volunteer defensive assistant" who has 10+ years of NFL and college DL coaching experience. Wonder why that is?

[SamuelMcF]

Curious. Why are you comfortable with a DL room comprised of guys who have not played except for a few snaps for Armitage and Phillips?

I hope recruiters are uncomfortable and do a better job in the future.

Agree. The room is screwed for the next 2ish years even if Pakola returns, unless multiple guys use their Covid freebie and come back (or Lance Keneley magically gains 30+ lbs and becomes a DE again). Reynolds has mismanaged and under-recruited the crap out of it.

Once our back-to-back classes of 3 DL are juniors and seniors, we'll be talking. And we better not just take 1 in multiple classes after that...again. The pipeline has to be healthier than we've seen it be for years now. This is the DL equivalent of Carberry signing 5 OL in back-to-back classes to rebuild the room when he walked into a disaster. (We're seeing what happens when none of those guys are seniors, by the way. Old man strength and experience is very real in the trenches.)

You'll notice on the roster a new "Volunteer defensive assistant" who has 10+ years of NFL and college DL coaching experience. Wonder why that is?

[TrumpCard]

Armitage, Phillips, and Pakola would be a reasonable group of starters.  Two of them are starting this year.  They all have pretty good size and recruiting petigrees and all of them received early playing time.  I should have noted Franklin and Buckey as well. They didn't have elite recruiting profiles or anything like that, but they'll have a year under their belt and could contribute. I don't have a strong reason to think that the true freshmen will step onto campus and be ready immediately, but at least Rowell and Moi have sufficient size to make me think that either one could contribute early and those two also both have a good collection of offers.  Considering how often Stanford plays in the nickel, I'd be fine with seeing the three upper classmen listed above and one freshman or sophmore get the bulk of the playing time.  I'm not confident that group would be great, but it should be sufficient, if the top 4 guys could stay healthy/eligible.

[TrumpCard]

Armitage, Phillips, and Pakola would be a reasonable group of starters.  Two of them are starting this year.  They all have pretty good size and recruiting petigrees and all of them received early playing time.  I should have noted Franklin and Buckey as well. They didn't have elite recruiting profiles or anything like that, but they'll have a year under their belt and could contribute. I don't have a strong reason to think that the true freshmen will step onto campus and be ready immediately, but at least Rowell and Moi have sufficient size to make me think that either one could contribute early and those two also both have a good collection of offers.  Considering how often Stanford plays in the nickel, I'd be fine with seeing the three upper classmen listed above and one freshman or sophmore get the bulk of the playing time.  I'm not confident that group would be great, but it should be sufficient, if the top 4 guys could stay healthy/eligible.

[SamuelMcF]

Armitage, Phillips, and Pakola would be a reasonable group of starters.  Two of them are starting this year.  They all have pretty good size and recruiting petigrees and all of them received early playing time.  I should have noted Franklin and Buckey as well.  They didn't have elite recruiting profiles or anything like that, but they'll have a year under their belt and could contribute.  I don't have a strong reason to think that the true freshmen will step onto campus and be ready immediately, but at least Rowell and Moi have sufficient size to make me think that either one could contribute early and those two also both have a good collection of offers.  Considering how often Stanford plays in the nickel, I'd be fine with seeing the three upper classmen listed above and one freshman or sophmore get the bulk of the playing time.  I'm not confident that group would be great, but it should be sufficient, if the top 4 guys could stay healthy/eligible.

All our current starters have "pretty good size and recruiting pedigrees" (not to mention they are older), and everyone but Booker gets tossed around like ragdolls. I fail to see how younger versions would fare any better under the same position coach.

That said, I do think Phillips will turn out pretty good in watching some of his snaps. When the players are 2 years older this could be a different conversation. I never expect redshirt freshmen to significantly contribute in either trench unless they're Solly/Little-esque whales, very pleasant non-whale early surprises like Booker, or we don't have anyone else (which will be the case at DL).

[SamuelMcF]

Armitage, Phillips, and Pakola would be a reasonable group of starters.  Two of them are starting this year.  They all have pretty good size and recruiting petigrees and all of them received early playing time.  I should have noted Franklin and Buckey as well.  They didn't have elite recruiting profiles or anything like that, but they'll have a year under their belt and could contribute.  I don't have a strong reason to think that the true freshmen will step onto campus and be ready immediately, but at least Rowell and Moi have sufficient size to make me think that either one could contribute early and those two also both have a good collection of offers.  Considering how often Stanford plays in the nickel, I'd be fine with seeing the three upper classmen listed above and one freshman or sophmore get the bulk of the playing time.  I'm not confident that group would be great, but it should be sufficient, if the top 4 guys could stay healthy/eligible.

All our current starters have "pretty good size and recruiting pedigrees" (not to mention they are older), and everyone but Booker gets tossed around like ragdolls. I fail to see how younger versions would fare any better under the same position coach.

That said, I do think Phillips will turn out pretty good in watching some of his snaps. When the players are 2 years older this could be a different conversation. I never expect redshirt freshmen to significantly contribute in either trench unless they're Solly/Little-esque whales, very pleasant non-whale early surprises like Booker, or we don't have anyone else (which will be the case at DL).

[Jamesy]

You'll notice on the roster a new "Volunteer defensive assistant" who has 10+ years of NFL and college DL coaching experience. Wonder why that is?

Wow, he has a pretty extensive resume and was just the D-line coach (not assistant, but main guy) with the Carolina Panthers last year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Phair

[Jamesy]

You'll notice on the roster a new "Volunteer defensive assistant" who has 10+ years of NFL and college DL coaching experience. Wonder why that is?

Wow, he has a pretty extensive resume and was just the D-line coach (not assistant, but main guy) with the Carolina Panthers last year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Phair

[TrumpCard]

Old man strength and experience is very real in the trenches.

Pakola will be a 4th year and Phillips a 3rd year player next year.  Pakola won't have a ton of game experience, but he's plenty strong, and with some luck, maybe he'll be eligible for bowl practice and game this year (if Stanford makes a bowl...woof).

You'll notice on the roster a new "Volunteer defensive assistant" who has 10+ years of NFL and college DL coaching experience. Wonder why that is?

That definitely made my eyebrow go up.  Anyway, I agree that the DL performance has been so-so for a while now, and regardless of whether you call it a recruiting failure or a development failure, I can understand why Reynolds would be on the hot seat.  I'll say that it's not necessarily a recruiting failure that Andres Fox, Tobe Umerah, and Lance Keneley were unable to put on weight/strength or otherwise do what was necessary to play DL.  I think all were recruited with the idea that they could play DL and that plan struck me as credible based on their size/profile.  Keneley's dad played DT in the NFL at 295, for example, and the son has a big frame as well.

[TrumpCard]

Old man strength and experience is very real in the trenches.

Pakola will be a 4th year and Phillips a 3rd year player next year.  Pakola won't have a ton of game experience, but he's plenty strong, and with some luck, maybe he'll be eligible for bowl practice and game this year (if Stanford makes a bowl...woof).

You'll notice on the roster a new "Volunteer defensive assistant" who has 10+ years of NFL and college DL coaching experience. Wonder why that is?

That definitely made my eyebrow go up.  Anyway, I agree that the DL performance has been so-so for a while now, and regardless of whether you call it a recruiting failure or a development failure, I can understand why Reynolds would be on the hot seat.  I'll say that it's not necessarily a recruiting failure that Andres Fox, Tobe Umerah, and Lance Keneley were unable to put on weight/strength or otherwise do what was necessary to play DL.  I think all were recruited with the idea that they could play DL and that plan struck me as credible based on their size/profile.  Keneley's dad played DT in the NFL at 295, for example, and the son has a big frame as well.

[BobK]

Re the defensive volunteer coach.
Twice I recall getting an assistant one mbb because his wife took a job near Stanford. Similar with another coach.

[BobK]

Re the defensive volunteer coach.
Twice I recall getting an assistant one mbb because his wife took a job near Stanford. Similar with another coach.

[BostonCard]

Some guys never gaining weight/strength as projected happens all the time.  That it happened to some guys we might have penciled in for the defensive line when they were recruited shouldn't be held against the coach.  That lack of recruiting depth meant that when those guys didn't pan out, our depth at defensive line basically became paper thin is.  If you go back in this forum 3-4 years ago, people were warning about this very scenario.

BC

[BostonCard]

Some guys never gaining weight/strength as projected happens all the time.  That it happened to some guys we might have penciled in for the defensive line when they were recruited shouldn't be held against the coach.  That lack of recruiting depth meant that when those guys didn't pan out, our depth at defensive line basically became paper thin is.  If you go back in this forum 3-4 years ago, people were warning about this very scenario.

BC

[Phogge]

I know nothing about Pakola except that he’s not on the roster. Counting on him one day playing is pretty wishful thinking.

Stanford is playing in a game where the rules have changed re re-stocking the team immediately. Won’t take transfers for need. At least not yet.

[Phogge]

I know nothing about Pakola except that he’s not on the roster. Counting on him one day playing is pretty wishful thinking.

Stanford is playing in a game where the rules have changed re re-stocking the team immediately. Won’t take transfers for need. At least not yet.

[TrumpCard]

If he wanted to transfer, he already would have done it. This seems like a Cotton/Franklin situation.

[TrumpCard]

If he wanted to transfer, he already would have done it. This seems like a Cotton/Franklin situation.

[Phogge]

Not talking about him transferring. Stanford needs to change with the times and accept transfers. It’s like my five round S&W. Only allowed to load 4 rounds.

[Phogge]

Not talking about him transferring. Stanford needs to change with the times and accept transfers. It’s like my five round S&W. Only allowed to load 4 rounds.

[TrumpCard]

Stanford does accept transfers. There are a couple of impediments to getting quality football transfers, however. One is that football players tend to have GPAs that are far below what Stanford typically requires for a transfer. Another is that undergrad/transfer admissions policies don’t apply to graduate transfers, and it’s unlikely that individual academic departments are going to make the same compromises on academics that the undergraduate admissions office will. Despite the obstacles, there may be ways to improve, such as by cajoling academic departments to accept graduate transfer applications for certain athletes after the normal deadline.

[TrumpCard]

Stanford does accept transfers. There are a couple of impediments to getting quality football transfers, however. One is that football players tend to have GPAs that are far below what Stanford typically requires for a transfer. Another is that undergrad/transfer admissions policies don’t apply to graduate transfers, and it’s unlikely that individual academic departments are going to make the same compromises on academics that the undergraduate admissions office will. Despite the obstacles, there may be ways to improve, such as by cajoling academic departments to accept graduate transfer applications for certain athletes after the normal deadline.

[BobK]

We have about 7 transfers in sports I follow. But all except one Grad Transfers

[BobK]

We have about 7 transfers in sports I follow. But all except one Grad Transfers

[TrumpCard]

Geez, there Bob goes with facts again.

[TrumpCard]

Geez, there Bob goes with facts again.

[Goose]

Many believe that the undergraduate transfer portal will become a good way to pick up players to fill positions of need. While  I do believe it will help in some cases, I doubt it is going to be a reliable way to "fix" lack of talent at a given position. The guys that are transferring are doing so because they couldn't break into the lineup where they were as fast as they wanted. Often it is because they are not as good as they think they are. It also may be due to the fact they are hard to coach. I think there will be many more misses than hits in the undergraduate portal. The graduate transfers are a different beast entirely. Those guys have a body of work in most cases that tells you at least something about what they can do. You also know they lasted for three or four years in a program. You can get references for them that way. I think Stanford can and should do all they can to get graduate transfers if they can find good candidates. Undergraduate transfers are going to be a crap shoot and since so few are qualified for admission Stanford probably won't get much from that source.

[Goose]

Many believe that the undergraduate transfer portal will become a good way to pick up players to fill positions of need. While  I do believe it will help in some cases, I doubt it is going to be a reliable way to "fix" lack of talent at a given position. The guys that are transferring are doing so because they couldn't break into the lineup where they were as fast as they wanted. Often it is because they are not as good as they think they are. It also may be due to the fact they are hard to coach. I think there will be many more misses than hits in the undergraduate portal. The graduate transfers are a different beast entirely. Those guys have a body of work in most cases that tells you at least something about what they can do. You also know they lasted for three or four years in a program. You can get references for them that way. I think Stanford can and should do all they can to get graduate transfers if they can find good candidates. Undergraduate transfers are going to be a crap shoot and since so few are qualified for admission Stanford probably won't get much from that source.

[Maple Leaf]

Interesting that two of Stanford's best undergrad transfers, and best players came from the Univ. of Oklahoma.  Glynn Milburn and Chase Beeler, the only reason they attended Oklahoma was due to parental issues even though they had been admitted to Stanford.

[Maple Leaf]

Interesting that two of Stanford's best undergrad transfers, and best players came from the Univ. of Oklahoma.  Glynn Milburn and Chase Beeler, the only reason they attended Oklahoma was due to parental issues even though they had been admitted to Stanford.

[donkey687]

Interesting that two of Stanford's best undergrad transfers, and best players came from the Univ. of Oklahoma.  Glynn Milburn and Chase Beeler, the only reason they attended Oklahoma was due to parental issues even though they had been admitted to Stanford.

True, but I am not sure how much can be gleaned from ancient history given those transfers were 30 and 14 years ago.  The transfer landscape is so different now.

[donkey687]

Interesting that two of Stanford's best undergrad transfers, and best players came from the Univ. of Oklahoma.  Glynn Milburn and Chase Beeler, the only reason they attended Oklahoma was due to parental issues even though they had been admitted to Stanford.

True, but I am not sure how much can be gleaned from ancient history given those transfers were 30 and 14 years ago.  The transfer landscape is so different now.

[DC 86]

Many believe that the undergraduate transfer portal will become a good way to pick up players to fill positions of need. While  I do believe it will help in some cases, I doubt it is going to be a reliable way to "fix" lack of talent at a given position. The guys that are transferring are doing so because they couldn't break into the lineup where they were as fast as they wanted. Often it is because they are not as good as they think they are. It also may be due to the fact they are hard to coach. I think there will be many more misses than hits in the undergraduate portal.

As a counterpoint I will offer that three consecutive H-Man trophy winners (who subsequently were drafted first overall and became NFL starters) from 2017-2019 were undergraduate transfers (Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow). By definition there will be more misses than hits due to the sheer numbers but there are plenty of examples of undergraduate transfers in the last few years who have had major impact on their new teams (Wan'Dale Robinson and Henry To'o To'o this year come to mind) so selectively recruiting transfers is going to continue to be a critical part of roster management; teams that eschew the transfer portal entirely or almost entirely (and Stanford may be in this group due to admissions issues) are going to be at a clear competitive disadvantage.

[DC 86]

Many believe that the undergraduate transfer portal will become a good way to pick up players to fill positions of need. While  I do believe it will help in some cases, I doubt it is going to be a reliable way to "fix" lack of talent at a given position. The guys that are transferring are doing so because they couldn't break into the lineup where they were as fast as they wanted. Often it is because they are not as good as they think they are. It also may be due to the fact they are hard to coach. I think there will be many more misses than hits in the undergraduate portal.

As a counterpoint I will offer that three consecutive H-Man trophy winners (who subsequently were drafted first overall and became NFL starters) from 2017-2019 were undergraduate transfers (Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow). By definition there will be more misses than hits due to the sheer numbers but there are plenty of examples of undergraduate transfers in the last few years who have had major impact on their new teams (Wan'Dale Robinson and Henry To'o To'o this year come to mind) so selectively recruiting transfers is going to continue to be a critical part of roster management; teams that eschew the transfer portal entirely or almost entirely (and Stanford may be in this group due to admissions issues) are going to be at a clear competitive disadvantage.