Why I Am Not Impressed With The Hype of FBS Transfers!

[MsippiRattler]

From Rattlernews.com website:

"Atkins (transfer from ECU) didn't impress coaches enough to make the 90-player cut after a lackluster spring."

From ecupirates.com:

[Atkins]Will enter sophomore (2008) campaign vying for a position on the unit's talented depth chart after experiencing limited action as a redshirt freshman a year ago ... Expected to separate himself from scout team role that has mostly defined his early ECU career ... Posted three stops during first spring scrimmage (3/28) before adding a single tackle week later (4/4) ... Was not credited with a hit during weather-shortened Purple-Gold Game (4/12).

The problem I have with FBS transfers is that I think too many of them think that just because they are coming from a FBS team they don't have to work as hard to be effective. My thought is that if you were heavily recruited by a FCS team, but you decided to go FBS because you thought you were better than FCS, then stay there!

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

Of all of the transfers that GSU has had over the years, there's only one that we've had that could be considered above average for a GSU player that that position. And that was a cornerback from LSU. Programs that want to field championship teams in the FCS shouldn't be looking for stars buried under the depth chart in conferences like CUSA. Only do that when you just need depth.

[GannonFan]

Not all FBS transfers are created equal. The trick is sorting out the really good ones from the vast majority of just average ones. xthumbsupx

[813Jag]

For every good one you get a couple who expect things to be handed to them.

[Silenoz]

We've had guys that barely saw playing time, and others like Craig Chambers and Joe Douglass that were difference makers. Depends on the work ethic, among other things

[UD77]

University of Delaware does not believe in taking transfers, only home grown tallent

[technocat]

We've definitely been hit or miss. Sometimes you end up with studs like Micheal Jefferson and Donnell Wheaton, sometimes you get the guys that are good players but never really live up to the hype like Josh Lewis or Deandre Green, and other times you get complete busts that just end up buried on another depth chart.

[PapaBear]

University of Delaware does not believe in taking transfers, only home grown tallent

And he said it with a straight face, folks. Now that's talent, right there.:D

But seriously ... The FBS transfer crapshoot only proves what a crapshoot recruiting is, at all levels. Educated guesses is about all these guys can rely on. Granted, they get it right more than they get it wrong. But not by much.

[jmufan999]

here's what people forget: they're ALLLLL just guys. they're just players. the only reason they went to an FBS school is because some human (read: humans make errors) thought they could help that school.

just because he went to an FBS school.... it means jack. we automatically assume they're going to be better, but that's silly. they're just people who were thought could fit into a system. i really do get tired of the "we got a transfer, now we're going to be amazing". it's the same way with the "star" recruits.... it's ONE guy's opinion! we take it as gospel for some reason. scratch that... i don't. some of you do. it means nothing. let me see the kid play IN COLLEGE with my own eyes and i'll make an opinion then.

(note: yes, i realize our louisville transfer turned out well but i also wasn't going nuts when he came to us)

[Big Dawg]

FBS transfers help out greatly though...MsippiRattler, I know you wouldn't want to give up Curtis Pulley, now would you?

[CrunchGriz]

We've had guys that barely saw playing time, and others like Craig Chambers and Joe Douglass that were difference makers. Depends on the work ethic, among other things

I don't know that I'd put Craig Chambers in the same category as Joe Douglass. Drew Miller - yeah; Craig Ochs - for sure.

Chambers wasn't the difference maker Miller, Ochs, and Douglass were.

Your point is well taken, though; there are definitely diamonds that get lost at the FBS level and somehow find their way to FCS.

[SU DOG]

It also seems to me that the more highly rated, the bigger they bust. Now, I realize that there have been exceptions like Ingle Martin at FU, but I still say the most productive ones are usually the less-heralded FBS players.

[Minuteman87]

[QUOTE]University of Delaware does not believe in taking transfers, only home grown tallent [QUOTE]

Except for QBs

[achrist70]

I think that most of the players that UNI has gotten from the FBS level have contributed, but some have did more than others.

Whitney Lewis- High School All-American RB that moved to receiver so he could get on the field

Terrell Allen- quality receiver that all ways found a way to contribute, but was out shined by players like Johnny Gray

Deveon Harris- Stud linebacker at UNI for two years, but had a year of JUCO ball that probably put things into perspective for him.

There are others these just are three that come to mind

[smallcollegefbfan]

FBS transfers help out greatly though...MsippiRattler, I know you wouldn't want to give up Curtis Pulley, now would you?

Interesting you brought him up. I think that teams can find very good FBS transfers but it seems those teams who win national titles don't bring many of them in.

UMASS S Jeromy Miles, Pulley, and RP seem to be the only senior FBS transfers who are major names at their positions. You can always find some good ones but out of say 500 maybe 15-20 actually pan out to be all-star players. Anyone done the math over the last five years or so and know a factual stat on that? That would be interesting to see.

[blueballs]

Gosh, SCFBF, I would imagine at least 75% of FBS transfers don't work out although I have no concrete figures to support that opinion.

A well placed transfer can be a difference maker but if a program finds themselves relying on transfers and recruiting too many it is symptomatic of a bigger problem with recruiting and retention of "program" type players- those that come out of HS and stay 4 or 5 years, contribute, and graduate. That's program building, transfers are program bandaids.

[Ronbo]

I don't know that I'd put Craig Chambers in the same category as Joe Douglass. Drew Miller - yeah; Craig Ochs - for sure.

Chambers wasn't the difference maker Miller, Ochs, and Douglass were.

Your point is well taken, though; there are definitely diamonds that get lost at the FBS level and somehow find their way to FCS.

Chambers had 8 TD's in a half season in 2006. He didn't play much the 1st half as he was learning the Offense. He gets hurt the next spring and it ends up being season ending. He would have been the go to receiver in 2007 and might have had 15-20 TD's, he was one of the best athletic talents Montana has ever seen.

[ChickenMan]

Transfers are similar to HS recruits.. some are great.. some are average and others never see the field.

[smallcollegefbfan]

Gosh, SCFBF, I would imagine at least 75% of FBS transfers don't work out although I have no concrete figures to support that opinion.

A well placed transfer can be a difference maker but if a program finds themselves relying on transfers and recruiting too many it is symptomatic of a bigger problem with recruiting and retention of "program" type players- those that come out of HS and stay 4 or 5 years, contribute, and graduate. That's program building, transfers are program bandaids.

Exactly. You can't bring in 20 transfers and expect to gel as a great team but you can use 1 or 2 as bandaids to plug a gap. Pulley at FAMU is a great example of that. FAMU doesn't have 5-6 transfers starting for them but instead 1 good one and it works well. Look at the teams who have national titles in the last 5 years (ASU, Richmond, JMU) and none of them are very big on transfers. As long as you place one or two transfers in the right spot you can definitely help yourself but you just can't go overboard with it.

[McNeese75]

[QUOTE]University of Delaware does not believe in taking transfers, only home grown tallent [QUOTE]

Except for QBs

xrolleyesx
And defensive ends xlolx

[Ronbo]

Exactly. You can't bring in 20 transfers and expect to gel as a great team but you can use 1 or 2 as bandaids to plug a gap. Pulley at FAMU is a great example of that. FAMU doesn't have 5-6 transfers starting for them but instead 1 good one and it works well. Look at the teams who have national titles in the last 5 years (ASU, Richmond, JMU) and none of them are very big on transfers. As long as you place one or two transfers in the right spot you can definitely help yourself but you just can't go overboard with it.

We currently have 2. Horn has been here since he was a RS Freshman and now Roper.

Here are the Montana transfers the last 6 years (Bobby Hauck's era) and their impact.

Horn - 3 year O-Line starter
Quinn - 2 year O-Line starter
Russum - 3 1/2 year O-Line starter
Ryan Kessman - RB - bust
Greg Coleman - bust, but did start 4 games and did pretty good.
Josh Swogger - 1 year starter at QB - took team to semi's
Paul LaMantia - 1 year starter at DT
Craig Chambers - 1/2 year starter then career ending injury.
Eric Allen - 3 year starter at WR
Jason Washington - 1/2 year starter at QB - bust
Reggie Bradshaw - very good RB backup to Hilliard
Quintin Freeman - CB - played but was a displinary problem - bust
DE from Arizona (forgot his name), never saw the field because he got arrested and kicked off the team - bust
Craig Ochs - 2 year starter at QB - best player on the team
Willie Walden - 3 year starter at TE
Justin Green - 2 year starter at RB
Jay Green - 2 year starter O-Line

That's 12 players that contributed, 11 were impact players. 5 busts.

Our 6 year average is 17 players divided by 6 = 2.8 transfers per year

[CrunchGriz]

Chambers had 8 TD's in a half season in 2006. He didn't play much the 1st half as he was learning the Offense. He gets hurt the next spring and it ends up being season ending. He would have been the go to receiver in 2007 and might have had 15-20 TD's, he was one of the best athletic talents Montana has ever seen.

Well, Ronbo, that's all "coulda, shoulda, woulda". We were talking about "difference makers". Chambers never made as big a difference as Miller, who was a first-team All-American and took the Griz to the championship game, or Douglass, who was a first-team All-American who played in two championship games and set a number of Griz receiving records, or Ochs, who led the Griz to the championship game.

Was Chambers talented? Sure. Did he produce on the field for the Griz? Not nearly so much (whether that's his 'fault' or not, it just didn't happen).

[Green26]

Good list on UM dropdowns, Ronbo. Here are a few others:

The current kicker, McKnight, transferred from Purdue, having redshirted there his frosh year.

The end from Notre Dame who had been a big high school recruit. Pulled his hamstring in the summer, didn't get in the mix, and quit early in season.

The UW running back. Played a bit. Started to show some potential. Got hurt and was done. Think he wore jersey no. 26. What a great number.

Jason Carriger, who was from Montana, transferred from a I-A, I believe. Played a bit, and then got hurt for his senior year, I believe.

Perhaps, Dan DeCoite, who transferred from BYU, started his junior year I believe and then didn't start his senior year. I think he came during the Glenn years, but may have had a year in Hauck years.

As was mentioned, Jay Green transferred from Utah St. He was from Glasgow MT.

I'm not sure LeMantia started, but he was in the mix. Got hurt and couldn't play his senior year.

There was a cornerback transfer who came in the spring, and left at the break in the middle of spring ball. Can't recall if he was a dropdown or a JC, but think dropdown. That was the year UM scrambled to find another corner over the summer, as Clark was still recovering from a broken leg, and UM then ended up with Q. Freeman.

[Cocky]

Here is a list of our FBS transfers and status:
Greg Smith-Ga Tech. will be starting WR
Ryan Perrillloux-LSu will be starting QB
John Widdon-FIU will be starting WR
Patrick Tatum-Auburn will be starting P He first came to JSU then transferred to Aub is now back at JSU.
Morrell Jones-FSU will either start at LB or will play a good bit
Justin Kay-Army will be backup OL
Jamison Wadley-Southern Miss will be starting DL
Torrey Davis-Florida right now a backup DL but will play

In the past, I could name several that have been bust and some good ones. For the most part the one that have came from the BCS school help the others not much help. The exception normally is a local kid coming back home or family connections. This is the case this year as Whiddon brother is a coach and Wadley is from a few miles away.

The kids that are trouble at the FBS school are normally trouble at the next school.

[Ronbo]

Good list on UM dropdowns, Ronbo. Here are a few others:

The current kicker, McKnight, transferred from Purdue, having redshirted there his frosh year.

The end from Notre Dame who had been a big high school recruit. Pulled his hamstring in the summer, didn't get in the mix, and quit early in season.

The UW running back. Played a bit. Started to show some potential. Got hurt and was done. Think he wore jersey no. 26. What a great number.

Jason Carriger, who was from Montana, transferred from a I-A, I believe. Played a bit, and then got hurt for his senior year, I believe.

Perhaps, Dan DeCoite, who transferred from BYU, started his junior year I believe and then didn't start his senior year. I think he came during the Glenn years, but may have had a year in Hauck years.

As was mentioned, Jay Green transferred from Utah St. He was from Glasgow MT.

I'm not sure LeMantia started, but he was in the mix. Got hurt and couldn't play his senior year.

There was a cornerback transfer who came in the spring, and left at the break in the middle of spring ball. Can't recall if he was a dropdown or a JC, but think dropdown. That was the year UM scrambled to find another corner over the summer, as Clark was still recovering from a broken leg, and UM then ended up with Q. Freeman.

Forgot about McKnight. A freshman kicker that walked on at FBS, do they count? xlolx

I was going back just 6 years. Forgot about the ND WR as he arrived the same year Hauck did and lasted just 3 games then quit. Bust.

Don't recall a RB from UW in Hauck's era.

If a player only plays spring ball they shouldn't count as the roster spot gets filled and they were not ever really a player.

Did that Carriger ever see the field? Forgot about him because he has ZERO stats for Montana.

[WCU LawCat]

We are hoping that Jonte Bumpus from Oklahoma makes a big impact this year at Western. The only reason we can find for him transfering is that he was way down the depth chat after a redshirt year injury and two highly recruited kids came in this past season. Oklahoma fans say DL is the deepest position on the OU team. I think the kid just wants a chance to play.

[bjtheflamesfan]

I know that LU has had their share of FBS transfers since Rocco came and a few have been legit contributors (Noah Greenbaum UVA , Kent Hicks VT and some guy named Rashad Jennings from Pitt...you might have heard of him...) Of course there have been some absolute busts (Paul Troth ECU comes to mind there). you really dont know just what they are going to do til you get them on the field and in practice. I know there are quite a few FBS transfers on the roster this year.

[UNH Fanboi]

The variance in the competitiveness of high school football is gigantic. Predicting how small fish from big ponds and big fish from small ponds will do in college is little more than slightly educated guesswork. The fact that a player was able to get an offer at a FBS school doesn't mean all that much.

[Ronbo]

The variance in the competitiveness of high school football is gigantic. Predicting how small fish from big ponds and big fish from small ponds will do in college is little more than slightly educated guesswork. The fact that a player was able to get an offer at a FBS school doesn't mean all that much.


And visa versa. Many kids get overlooked by the FBS schools and could have played there. Montana for example is a football state, it's the #1 sport. But Wyoming, at half the population takes 15-16 Wyoming kids to play there. Montana has a couple kids a year go FBS and the other 25 good players end up at UM and MSU. We get many players from Montana that could have played MWC or WAC football. Some could have played PAC 10. Hilliard, Bierman, Colt Anderson, Tuff Harris.

[PantherRob82]

Some of the players overlooked by FBS end up even better because they work harder to prove them wrong. So FCS is very frequently the best route to go. :)

[ASU]

University of Delaware does not believe in taking transfers, only home grown tallent

FUNNY.......I know you were kidding.

When I think of FBS transfers, I think of Delaware.

[Buzzcut]

EKU = Transfer U.

[Brad82]

A lot of these guys don't want to do work required @ FBS level.
Then continue same habits @ FCS level. As most of them transfer to better FCS teams-makes it tough on them.

[Big Al]

DJ Hord comes to mind -- injury-plagued career at Notre Dame but definitely talented. He was never our #1 receiver last year, but he sure made some clutch catches late in the season! Of course, he came to UNI with 2 years of eligibility left and almost had his undergrad complete, so he wasn't just some kid who was only interested in showing us "D-2" lowlifes how he's God's gift to football.

Finished his degree last fall and now he's working on a Master's. I think that shows what sort of work ethic that kid has. I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do this year.


I think that most of the players that UNI has gotten from the FBS level have contributed, but some have did more than others.

Whitney Lewis- High School All-American RB that moved to receiver so he could get on the field

Terrell Allen- quality receiver that all ways found a way to contribute, but was out shined by players like Johnny Gray

Deveon Harris- Stud linebacker at UNI for two years, but had a year of JUCO ball that probably put things into perspective for him.

There are others these just are three that come to mind

[caribbeanhen]

FUNNY.......I know you were kidding.

When I think of FBS transfers, I think of Delaware.

Thats because when talented playes such as Flacco get a raw deal and want out, they think of Delaware as an excellant place to show off

[GannonFan]

FUNNY.......I know you were kidding.

When I think of FBS transfers, I think of Delaware.


Of course you would - who wouldn't? When a school has as many FBS transfer applicants as UD does, it can go over that list with a fine tooth comb and pick out the best of the best. Granted, they blew it with Schoenhoft last year, but you rarely see UD with more than 10 FBS transfers on the roster (occassionally, yes, but that's not the norm - think there are 7 on the team this year) and almost every one of them is a great student, a quality person off the field, oh, and pretty darn good on the field as well. After everyone sees Pat Devlin this year, there'll be just another name to add to a pretty distinguished list of excellent FBS transfer additions to the Blue Hens. xthumbsupx

[McNeese75]

A lot of these guys don't want to do work required @ FBS level.
Then continue same habits @ FCS level. As most of them transfer to better FCS teams-makes it tough on them.

xnodx We have seen our share of FBS transfers show up at McNeese and hit the road when they find out they have to work just as hard or harder to earn a spot on the roster.

[FormerPokeCenter]

When I think of transfers, I think of Sam Houston State University, and - to a lesser degree - NW (La.) State U....

We take them, too, but we have some rules, first among them is that we HAVE to have recruited them originally...