SEC program raids the Big South; Jaylan Foster transferring

[Libertine]

Just after opening presents this morning and just before Christmas dinner, Gardner-Webb's Jaylan Foster, less than a month after being named Big South Freshman of the Year, announced via Twitter that he has decided to follow his dream and will transfer to SEC footnote South Carolina.

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/12/25/christmas-brings-fcs-freshman-playmaker-to-south-carolina-gamecocks/

Foster was a true playmaker in the defensive backfield for Gardner-Webb and, in my opinion, was easily the best defensive player in the conference even as a freshman. I thought his impact on opposing offenses was far greater than CSU's Anthony Ellis who actually won the Big South Defensive POY award. Foster is certainly a special player but i he an SEC-caliber player? No. No, he is not. Then again, neither are a number of the players currently on the team at South Carolina.

On the one hand, it's hard to get upset at a kid seizing an elite opportunity when it's presented to him, especially when his only FBS offer out of high school was Eastern Michigan. On the other hand, a kid who's willing to jump ship after less than four months on campus wasn't a guy G-W probably could have built around anyway. As for South Carolina, one of the knocks on Will Muschamp at Florida was his inability to recruit playmakers and that problem seems to have followed him to Columbia. Not only did USC (that's their initials, this is not debatable) whiff on Foster the first time around but he won't see the field until 2018, just in time to help the Gamecocks go 5-7. On top of that, it's hard to believe that the best DB that Muschamp and Friends could find was looking around at other college programs and plucking some kid off the roster of a Big South program.

[chattownmocs]

So the best defensive player in the big south isn't SEC caliber?

[Bisonoline]

I would hardly call this raiding a program.

[caribbeanhen]

I would hardly call this raiding a program.

Probably because you've forgotten what it's like to be a fan of a real FCS team... haha

[ASU33]

I wish the young man nothing but the best.

[dewey]

Hard to fault a young man for choosing to follow his dreams of of playing in the SECTION.

Good luck to him.

Dewey

[walliver]

South Carolina may not be much athletically, but he will have the chance to play in front of 70,000 screaming rednecks on ESPN or the SEC network.

There is also a good likelihood that he didn't like GWU. GW is what it is, a small Baptist school in a very small town in the middle of nowhere. For some people, this would be an ideal environment, others would hate that.

[dgtw]

South Carolina may not be much athletically, but he will have the chance to play in front of 70,000 screaming rednecks on ESPN or the SEC network.

There is also a good likelihood that he didn't like GWU. GW is what it is, a small Baptist school in a very small town in the middle of nowhere. For some people, this would be an ideal environment, others would hate that.

He didn't notice this before he signed with them?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bucs2016]

Just after opening presents this morning and just before Christmas dinner, Gardner-Webb's Jaylan Foster, less than a month after being named Big South Freshman of the Year, announced via Twitter that he has decided to follow his dream and will transfer to SEC footnote South Carolina.

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/12/25/christmas-brings-fcs-freshman-playmaker-to-south-carolina-gamecocks/

Foster was a true playmaker in the defensive backfield for Gardner-Webb and, in my opinion, was easily the best defensive player in the conference even as a freshman. I thought his impact on opposing offenses was far greater than CSU's Anthony Ellis who actually won the Big South Defensive POY award. Foster is certainly a special player but i he an SEC-caliber player? No. No, he is not. Then again, neither are a number of the players currently on the team at South Carolina.

On the one hand, it's hard to get upset at a kid seizing an elite opportunity when it's presented to him, especially when his only FBS offer out of high school was Eastern Michigan. On the other hand, a kid who's willing to jump ship after less than four months on campus wasn't a guy G-W probably could have built around anyway. As for South Carolina, one of the knocks on Will Muschamp at Florida was his inability to recruit playmakers and that problem seems to have followed him to Columbia. Not only did USC (that's their initials, this is not debatable) whiff on Foster the first time around but he won't see the field until 2018, just in time to help the Gamecocks go 5-7. On top of that, it's hard to believe that the best DB that Muschamp and Friends could find was looking around at other college programs and plucking some kid off the roster of a Big South program.

As a fan of Charleston Southern and USC...I applaud this. Helps both!!

I see you're knocking USC and Muschamp hard. USC is only 3 years removed from winning 33 games in 3 years and a #4 national final ranking. You're insane if you think USC can't be a top 25 team. And Muschamp is quietly putting together a GREAT 2017 recruiting class and an even better 2018 one.

I'm assuming you're in Virginia (Liberty). Maybe you should wonder why your 2 VA programs so grossly underachieve.

[Libertine]

I see you're knocking USC and Muschamp hard. USC is only 3 years removed from winning 33 games in 3 years and a #4 national final ranking. You're insane if you think USC can't be a top 25 team. And Muschamp is quietly putting together a GREAT 2017 recruiting class and an even better 2018 one.

I'm assuming you're in Virginia (Liberty). Maybe you should wonder why your 2 VA programs so grossly underachieve.

Thanks for your input on which programs I can follow.

At the risk of turning this thread into a branch of Cockytalk, I'll just say that hiring Will Muschamp was a massive mistake for South Carolina. He had already failed to recruit at a school within the same division that had better alumni and school support as well as lower academic expectations. On top of that, he was SC's third choice at best after they had both Tom Herman and Kirby Smart all but signed on paper only to watch them leave for, respectively, nothing at all (at the time) and Georgia. Spurrier proved that, under the right leadership, success is possible at South Carolina. However, he also proved that recruiting to South Carolina and actually getting kids enrolled at South Carolina are two separate battles and, eventually, he simply got tired of fighting the second one. If a coach with as much charm and cachet has Spurrier can't win that battle on a consistent basis, I have no hope that Muschamp, a man with all the savoir-faire of an industrial piledriver, can win it often enough to build a consistent winner in the SEC.

[Bucs2016]

Thanks for your input on which programs I can follow.

At the risk of turning this thread into a branch of Cockytalk, I'll just say that hiring Will Muschamp was a massive mistake for South Carolina. He had already failed to recruit at a school within the same division that had better alumni and school support as well as lower academic expectations. On top of that, he was SC's third choice at best after they had both Tom Herman and Kirby Smart all but signed on paper only to watch them leave for, respectively, nothing at all (at the time) and Georgia. Spurrier proved that, under the right leadership, success is possible at South Carolina. However, he also proved that recruiting to South Carolina and actually getting kids enrolled at South Carolina are two separate battles and, eventually, he simply got tired of fighting the second one. If a coach with as much charm and cachet has Spurrier can't win that battle on a consistent basis, I have no hope that Muschamp, a man with all the savoir-faire of an industrial piledriver, can win it often enough to build a consistent winner in the SEC.

Ok...sooooo....you know Florida's academics are NOT lower than USCs right? It is not hard to get a kid into USC. We got Clowmey, Stephen Garcia and Demetrius Summers in for God's sake. Muschamps biggest recruiting problem isn't academic standards. In fact....his current 2017 class is ranked as high as 7th. Not in the SEC in the nation.

I'm not a huge Muschamp homer but he's taken them in 12 months from 3-8 and losing to The Citadel....to now a bowl game and wins over 2 SEC bowl teams...and a current recruiting class that may end up top 10.

All in all he's done a nice job.

[walliver]

Thanks for your input on which programs I can follow.

At the risk of turning this thread into a branch of Cockytalk, I'll just say that hiring Will Muschamp was a massive mistake for South Carolina. He had already failed to recruit at a school within the same division that had better alumni and school support as well as lower academic expectations. On top of that, he was SC's third choice at best after they had both Tom Herman and Kirby Smart all but signed on paper only to watch them leave for, respectively, nothing at all (at the time) and Georgia. Spurrier proved that, under the right leadership, success is possible at South Carolina. However, he also proved that recruiting to South Carolina and actually getting kids enrolled at South Carolina are two separate battles and, eventually, he simply got tired of fighting the second one. If a coach with as much charm and cachet has Spurrier can't win that battle on a consistent basis, I have no hope that Muschamp, a man with all the savoir-faire of an industrial piledriver, can win it often enough to build a consistent winner in the SEC.Spurrier was bad about recruiting players that didn't meet the NCAA's relatively low academic standards. Spurrier never had to deal with the academic standards many FCS programs have to deal with.

Academics are not a big recruiting priority in most of the SEC. Schools knowingly recruit players they know don't meet standards with the plan of stashing them in a JuCo for a couple of years and then trying to get them past the NCAA. And if that fails, they still seem to end up at Auburn.

[Libertine]

Ok...sooooo....you know Florida's academics are NOT lower than USCs right? It is not hard to get a kid into USC. We got Clowmey, Stephen Garcia and Demetrius Summers in for God's sake. Muschamps biggest recruiting problem isn't academic standards. In fact....his current 2017 class is ranked as high as 7th. Not in the SEC in the nation.

I'm not a huge Muschamp homer but he's taken them in 12 months from 3-8 and losing to The Citadel....to now a bowl game and wins over 2 SEC bowl teams...and a current recruiting class that may end up top 10.

All in all he's done a nice job.

I don't know what to tell you other than you're simply incorrect on the academic front. Spurrier had to jump through a ridiculous number of hoops and spent a ton of political capital getting Clowney into school there. I didn't start this thread to debate the relative academic standards of SEC programs so, if you want to continue to debate this line, we'll have to agree to disagree.

Yes, Muschamp improved over the 3-8 from the previous season. However, that 3-8 was a direct result of the former head coach just not caring anymore as evidenced by that coach's resignation six weeks into the season. If Muschamp couldn't improve in his first year over complete and total apathy, then he shouldn't be in coaching. Also, anyone who says they can tell what a recruiting class is rated not only nearly a year out from the time most of those players ever set foot on a practice field but nearly two months before Signing Day is throwing darts in the dark while blindfolded.

Muschamp is going to do a "nice" job at South Carolina but that's it. They'll never be the worst in the SEC under him but they aren't going to annually contend for the conference title either. For what it's worth, I think Tom Herman and Kirby Smart should have gone to USC when they both had the chance. I think Herman would have done well in the SEC East and I don't think he is going to be a consistent (enough) winner at Texas. I also don't think that Smart is an upgrade over Mark Richt at Georgia and both his ceiling and leeway would have been a lot higher in Columbia.

[BEAR]

I'm confused. Usually am. How did the SEC raid an FCS program or one of its conferences when the kid chose to go to SC himself? xeyebrowx

[Bucs2016]

I don't know what to tell you other than you're simply incorrect on the academic front. Spurrier had to jump through a ridiculous number of hoops and spent a ton of political capital getting Clowney into school there. I didn't start this thread to debate the relative academic standards of SEC programs so, if you want to continue to debate this line, we'll have to agree to disagree.

Yes, Muschamp improved over the 3-8 from the previous season. However, that 3-8 was a direct result of the former head coach just not caring anymore as evidenced by that coach's resignation six weeks into the season. If Muschamp couldn't improve in his first year over complete and total apathy, then he shouldn't be in coaching. Also, anyone who says they can tell what a recruiting class is rated not only nearly a year out from the time most of those players ever set foot on a practice field but nearly two months before Signing Day is throwing darts in the dark while blindfolded.

Muschamp is going to do a "nice" job at South Carolina but that's it. They'll never be the worst in the SEC under him but they aren't going to annually contend for the conference title either. For what it's worth, I think Tom Herman and Kirby Smart should have gone to USC when they both had the chance. I think Herman would have done well in the SEC East and I don't think he is going to be a consistent (enough) winner at Texas. I also don't think that Smart is an upgrade over Mark Richt at Georgia and both his ceiling and leeway would have been a lot higher in Columbia.

I agree with most of that.

But I'm 100% correct regarding academics. The Princeton Review ranked the academics of all SEC schools. Vanderbilt was #1. Florida was #2. And...USC was #5..which is respectable. But UF coaches have a higher academic bar to clear than every team in the SEC except Vandy.

http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/academic-ratings-for-every-sec-school/

[walliver]

It is not unheard of for FCS players to transfer to the SEC. Wofford lost a player to Ole Miss 3 years ago. Sometimes kids get homesick, miss their girlfriends, or can't resist the lure of big time college football.

[walliver]

I agree with most of that.

But I'm 100% correct regarding academics. The Princeton Review ranked the academics of all SEC schools. Vanderbilt was #1. Florida was #2. And...USC was #5..which is respectable. But UF coaches have a higher academic bar to clear than every team in the SEC except Vandy.

http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/academic-ratings-for-every-sec-school/

Stealing a reply from the link you posted.

Beaglestooth (http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/fans/beaglestooth/) 1 year ago (http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/academic-ratings-for-every-sec-school/#comment-117833)
US News ranks them different
#16 Vanderbilt
#48 (tie) Florida
#62 (tie) Georgia
#68 (tie) Texas A&M
#88 (tie) Alabama
#99 (tie) Missouri
#103 (tie) Auburn
#106 (tie) Tennessee
#113 (tie) South Carolina
#129 (tie) LSU
#129 (tie) Kentucky
#135 (tie) Arkansas
#149 (tie) Ole Miss
#156 (tie) Mississippi State
source: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities



But it's really not that important since almost all P5 schools have special programs for first generation college students, at risk students. etc. It is not a coincidence than only FCS schools get punished by the NCAA for low graduation rates and academic progress. FBS players are not smarter, but these schools have loopholes they can use to inflate their numbers and avoid academic penalties.

I'm also fairly sure that Jaylan Foster is transferring because he wants to play in the SEC, not because USC-Columbia has suddenly become a prestigious academic institution.

[Cat-in-GA]

The Cats lost a player to South Carolina last year, Hassan Belton. He played LB for us as a true freshman in the 2015 season.

[NDSUtk]

I'm confused. Usually am. How did the SEC raid an FCS program or one of its conferences when the kid chose to go to SC himself? xeyebrowx

Agreed. And it's one player. If that's the case, Oregon and the PAC 12 are raiding the Big Sky!!!