How do you feel about transfers?

[Cobblestone]

Are you usually upbeat about it or do you tend to minimize it? How has your overall experience been with transfers from FBS (I-A for us older dudes) when they have transfered to your program? Boom or Bust?

I don't get excited any longer. I've generally been disappointed over the years. A few good one here and there but for the most part I've been able to see why these guys were transfers.

How about the rest of you?

[Sly Fox]

We've had no complaints the past few years in Lynchburg. My attitude is slowly beginning to turn from skepticism to shades of optimism.

[ngineer]

Lehigh and most of the PL schools rarely get transfers. It is not something pursued heavily. Most of the transfers that do occur seem be athletes who were recruited by the PL, but took a scholarship to a CAA team, or small FBS school, only to find they 'didn't fit', so they go back to schools who recruited them heavily in HS. Sometimes, the academic program is not what they expected and want more. Frequently there is a 'connection' to the school through family.
Lehigh has two transfers on our squad this year that I know of: Matt McGowan from Richmond and Troy Taylor from San Diego

[BEAR]

UCA, being in transition, loves transfers! It's hard to compete with the other established schools in the SLC without a few of them. But I guess as time goes on and more talented players continue to slowly join the team then transfers will add to the uniqueness of the team. I like them IMO. xthumbsupx ...i.e. Jacob Ford (memphis, Tennesse Titans)

[BearsCountry]

Not a huge fan of them. One or two isnt bad but the best way is to build the roster with high school recruits.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

Transfers are fine if the alternative is playing a lot of freshman but otherwise I'm not real big on them. The vast majority (and I'm sure a dissproportionate) number of the top players in the FCS are not transfers. GSU has only had one transfer player that was a standout - a CB from LSU that missed half of the only season of eligibility he had with us.

[93henfan]

They never work out:

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/2008/writers/don_banks/05/02/movers/t1-flacco.jpg

[elcid96]

We had two years of QB transfers and it never worked out.

[Reign of Terrier]

Wofford doesn't get many transfers:( (but when we do they're awesomexthumbsupx )

[McTailGator]

Are you usually upbeat about it or do you tend to minimize it? How has your overall experience been with transfers from FBS (I-A for us older dudes) when they have transfered to your program? Boom or Bust?

I don't get excited any longer. I've generally been disappointed over the years. A few good one here and there but for the most part I've been able to see why these guys were transfers.

How about the rest of you?

I feel that IF you have a REAL need for a position, OR you have a chance to get a kid that you mayhave recruited in highschool and he decided to go to an FBS school, where he was unhappy, it can be a good thing for the kid and the program.

But to take ANY kid for the sake of taking a kid can be a bad thing. If you have some quality players who are leaders of a team, and you take some kid that isn't a leader, you stand a good chance at screwing up team unity and chemistry.

I think taking QB's (unless they are freshmen or maybe a soph), can really hurt your program, because it takes years to develop the kid of leadership a QB must have, and the players must know and trust him.

[Houndawg]

Loved Brandon Jacobs.xnodx

[Cocky]

We will keep RP and the others this year.

[SuperJon]

I really think it depends on the situation. Not every transfer is a good one and not every reason is a good one. We got a lot of crap for accepting Vince Redd after he was kicked off of UVA's team and for accepting Kent Hicks from Virginia Tech.

Coach Rocco coached Vince at UVA and knew him. He personally vouched for him and stuck his neck out to Dr. Falwell to get Vince accepted into our school. Vince had to sit out a year to get his academics right before he could play, even taking 18 credit hours over the summer before the 2007 season so that he could be eligible. We gave Vince a second chance and he took advantage of it. He completely changed his life around, got his college degree, and is now playing in the NFL. Without that second chance, and without that second chance at a school like ours, I don't know where Vince would be right now. This (http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/5977/45483013vc5.jpg) picture is one of my favorite pictures of all time. I sat three rows from there and even talked to him some before things got started. I have a different view on him because I had class with him and helped him with things and saw how hard he worked to get his degree. He got kicked down, was picked up, and took advantage of it.

The other one we got crap for is Kent Hicks. When he came into Liberty he was a typical Virginia Tech player. He was arrogant. He was cocky. He was a jerk. Over the past two years, I've seen him turn into a different person. He's been taught how to treat others and how to respect people. He's been taught how to act. He's been given the chance to change his life. He's had his bumps along the way, but he's on the right track. He's going to graduate in May.

We're in a different situation than everyone else. We're a Christian school built on second chances. Now, granted, not everyone deserves that second chance getting their school paid for and playing football. You can't accept every kid who gets in trouble in the name of a second chance. However, based on the situation, based on the kid, and based on the coaches, transfers can be a great thing.

[CID1990]

Our two notable transfers (QBs from clempson and Auburn) put up some good numbers, but in the end, they hurt us. The Citadel is a class system, and you bond with the guys that go through it with you. The guys that transfer in typically (with a couple notable exceptions) do not fit in. In fact, they tend to hurt the unity in the team.

For 3-4 years, we did not cultivate a home grown QB under Ellis Johnson. We have been exceedingly lucky to have pulled in a talent like Coach Higgins who was able to overcome the morale problems that were rooted in the Johnson era. Johnson had a 'win at all costs' mentality, and the Esprit de Corps that we rely on so much to compete with lesser athletes was decimated because of him. Now, we have that back. It took us five years to do so. I expect that Hatcher at GSU will take about the same amount of time to turn things around at GSU. GSU did not suffer specifically from the indiscriminate use of transfer players (and those players would likely not have the same effect as at The Citadel), but they did suffer from a coach who had his eye on other things (like Ellis Johnson). As much as I dislike GSU, I feel for them because I know how easy it is for a coach who has no real loyalty to anything but himself can hurt a football program.

[813Jag]

Two words: Victor Ike. xnonono2x xnonono2x xnonono2x Although the transfers we've gotten lately have worked out pretty well. (Del Roberts and Joe Manning to name a couple)

[Sly Fox]

I knew Victor Ike in high school and I was shocked he didn't didn't turn out great.

[813Jag]

I knew Victor Ike in high school and I was shocked he didn't didn't turn out great.
I don't know how he was at Texas, but he didn't want to do things the right way at Southern, spent most of the season suffering from dehydration. Came back during the Bayou Classic, ripped off a long run and got hurt badly.

[JayJ79]

Just because a guy transfers from an FBS team doesn't necessarily make him good, or any better than players who were recruited out of high school and jr. colleges.

Sometimes you'll get a good one, other times they'll be average. (and sometimes they're just plain bad due to some issue or another)

[Eaglesrus]

Transfers are fine if the alternative is playing a lot of freshman but otherwise I'm not real big on them. The vast majority (and I'm sure a dissproportionate) number of the top players in the FCS are not transfers. GSU has only had one transfer player that was a standout - a CB from LSU that missed half of the only season of eligibility he had with us.

Lamar Lewis wasn't a super star but I'm glad we had him last year, and I'm very hopeful about Dakota Walker and Kerry Bonds this year, but I do think that we have had more that didn't work out than did.

[DrG]

As everyone knows, UMass takes a lot of transfers, and on balance, our experience has been a pretty good one. Obviously the core of any FCS team must be its own recruits. But when you have only 63 scholarships, it's sometimes tough to fill holes at particular positions, and FBS transfers can help out a lot. Plus it's a good deal for the transfer. They can play right away, and if they're good enough, they'll get a good look from the NFL, which wouldn't have happened sitting on the bench at the school that recruited them.

[89Hen]

Sometimes you'll get a good one, other times they'll be average. (and sometimes they're just plain bad due to some issue or another)
xnodx xnodx xnodx

Can't plan to build a team on them, but because they are allowed and others will take them, they are sometimes necessary to finish building. xtwocentsx

[blueballs]

Lamar Lewis wasn't a super star but I'm glad we had him last year, and I'm very hopeful about Dakota Walker and Kerry Bonds this year, but I do think that we have had more that didn't work out than did.

GSU's first all american, the late Vance Pike, was a transfer.

When GSU was an option based team we didn't have many transfers and the ones we did have were primarily defensive players- like Nate Gates and Gino Tutera.

Since weaning off the option a couple of years ago there have been more transfers in the program. This year expect to see the following transfers receive significant playing time:

On defense: Bonds, Walker, Quentin Taylor, Harland Bower, Markeith Wylie (Juco), Darrel Pasco (Juco), Dylan Douglas, Chris Rogers.

On offense: Antonio Henton, Michael McIntosh, Terrance Hall, Darrell Norman, Dio Herrera, Trey Dunmon

Kicker: Jesse Hartley

[Ivytalk]

Ever since Clifton Dawson, I've felt pretty good about transfers!:)

[Seawolf97]

Ever since Clifton Dawson, I've felt pretty good about transfers!:)

We have more than our share this season and last. So far they have helped big time on both sides of the ball. Two that have contributed last year and will be back in 2008 are Brandon Mason - RB -Pitt and Greg Weeks LB Kansas . So we will see we have transfers from Michigan, Temple, Florida InternationaL and Colorado this season.

[cmaxwellgsu]

Our two notable transfers (QBs from clempson and Auburn) put up some good numbers, but in the end, they hurt us. The Citadel is a class system, and you bond with the guys that go through it with you. The guys that transfer in typically (with a couple notable exceptions) do not fit in. In fact, they tend to hurt the unity in the team.

For 3-4 years, we did not cultivate a home grown QB under Ellis Johnson. We have been exceedingly lucky to have pulled in a talent like Coach Higgins who was able to overcome the morale problems that were rooted in the Johnson era. Johnson had a 'win at all costs' mentality, and the Esprit de Corps that we rely on so much to compete with lesser athletes was decimated because of him. Now, we have that back. It took us five years to do so. I expect that Hatcher at GSU will take about the same amount of time to turn things around at GSU. GSU did not suffer specifically from the indiscriminate use of transfer players (and those players would likely not have the same effect as at The Citadel), but they did suffer from a coach who had his eye on other things (like Ellis Johnson). As much as I dislike GSU, I feel for them because I know how easy it is for a coach who has no real loyalty to anything but himself can hurt a football program.

You definitely pointed out one of the biggest pitfalls of taking transfers. Morale can be affected by any transfer. That can apply to the kid who got in trouble and is getting his second chance, or the model citizen kid who moved down for playing time. If they don't gel, they can bring down the guys around them. So far, we've had more hits (Billy Lowe, Lamar Lewis) than misses (Travis Clarke.)

[PaladinFan]

I just like seeing teams actually develop talent. One player to fill a hole is fine, but when most of your fans haven't seen a guy you recruited and signed at a particular position in four or five years, then I get a bit annoyed.

[BeauFoster]

ASU doesn't take many, and the coaching staff is usually selective about the ones who do come in. Julian Rauch was a transfer, he worked out pretty well. Tim Washington came in last season from LSU, he is no longer with the team. This season, expect to see at least two transfers on the field - Quavian Lewis, a DE from Vandy, and Devin Radford, a RB from VPI. Lewis actually transferred to App prior to last season, but a former Furman coach xoopsx wouldn't clear him to play, so he sat out the year. Both he and Radford want to be Mountaineers. I think that this is the key to transfers being successful. If they come in with the mentality that they are superior to FCS players because they had played for an FBS school, they become a nuisance to the locker room and eventually leave the team. If they want to work and be a part of the team, any team, they will stick.

[jimbo65]

IMO transfers that come to Fordham and perform well are student athletes who deserved a second chance. Transfers to all other programs who perform well are stereotypes of the typical football factory, likely illiterate and malcontents. xsmiley_wix