Scoob

Honest, actual answer:

Loading up on high school 5 stars, especially big money for each one, is no longer a good thing.
You're spending your boosters' NIL war chest on guys who likely won't contribute right away, and half of whom may hit the portal in a year if they aren't locked in starters.

Far better use of cash to target productive underclassmen that you know you can plug in. You gotta put high school kids on the "rookie contract".

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I'd prefer they come up with a policy to not promise recruits things like a jersey number.

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I'd prefer we try to get the best possible players on the team.

DJ Pickett was a consensus 5 star, very highly rated guy. After Underwood flipped, it was Pickett, not Harlem Berry, who was the highest rated guy we signed.
He came in, started, and performed well enough to make Freshman All-American. And note, he did that with Delane at the other corner, so teams came at him more often than you'd expect. And he faced guys like Pavia (2nd in the Heisman), Simpson (1st rd pick), Chambliss (preseason All American based on last year's performance) etc.
We fought hard to get him, his final list also included Oregon (been in the last 2 playoffs) and Miami (made the CFP finals). Was also chased by UGA and quite a few others.

He asked if he could keep #5, during his recruiting process- not after the fact. We said yes. Who knows how much that went into his final decision, but you never know. I doubt Oregon or Miami would hesitate to give it to him.

And now, after not getting the number he'd asked to get, his team went 7-6, coach got fired, new guy (Kiffin) coming in and having to recruit people to stay. Again, Oregon or Miami would take him in a heartbeat. Apparently the question of the number came up, or we'd never have this even happen. Kiffin had to decide whether to "respect" a former QB he didn't recruit or coach, who's now in the NFL, or a starting corner on his team that he wanted to retain.

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J.D’s No Joe

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Also DJ is no JD5 at this point either.

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You do understand that Pickett is one of the highest DB recruits LSU has ever signed, and he was a freshman All American? He could easily be the next superstar corner from here.

I have zero problem with what LSU and Kiffin did.

As i understand, only #20 is officially out of rotation. Burrow's #9 can be assigned, they just haven't done it.
Let's forget all the "Joe won the natty and Jayden didn't" crap, it's not relevant. Jayden will/should get his jersey retired, because winning the Heisman is a great individual accomplishment.

DJ Pickett wasn't a random high school recruit, he was an elite 5 star corner. Think Deion Sanders, Patrick Peterson, Derek Stingley, etc. Everyone recruited him, going back to late middle school for some. There might be some folks that say "he ain't that good", but if he hit the portal he'd instantly be the top player in it, due to potential and what he's already shown.
LSU outbid UGA, Oregon, Miami, Fla State, Fla and others to get him to come here. Part of that was a (maybe casual?) promise that he could keep his #5, which he wore his entire playing career up until college. They didn't pull that number off of a returning player, forcing someone else to give it up. And it's not like it's a number that doesn't fit the position (like, giving 99 to a QB, or 21 to a lineman).

If someone coming in wanted #9, and was considered an elite, can't-miss prospect (which is what Pickett was), you give it to him. It doesn't detract from the prior player.

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The GORs still exist

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I thought if they got enough to agree to leave, the GOR dissolves.

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You can always buy the real thing for $5k.

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No thanks :lol:

Like I said, I'd strongly consider going $400, which is probably overpriced for what you'd get. It's a reproduction, and not 100% to the original.

If I want retro reproductions, I have less invested in my AR 15 A1 with the 20" pencil barrel, integral carry handle and old Colt furniture, + my Cetme C, combined.

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I have no idea what Miles’ gameplan was in the rematch, I think his stubbornness made him believe he could use the same approach as 9-6 and win.
He was going up against the GOAT Saban and it showed.

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To be fair: objectively LSU was fricked.

The gameplan in the first game was to match our defense against their offense, and have Jarrett Lee run the pro-style offense we'd been running the first half of the season. That was a no-go; we could not run, and Lee was rattled under heavy pressure. There were several "should have been pick-6's" that Lee got away with. Les pulled him before disaster struck

Jefferson running option was the ace in the hole, Saban et al weren't prepared for that. And eventually, LSU wore them down and finally ran on them in OT.

What was his gameplan in the rematch? He stuck with Jefferson, because he knew Lee would collapse under pressure... and there just wasn't another backup plan. That Bama team was elite, you couldn't take the same team and beat them twice. Hell, they blew everyone else out, including Arkansas who was damn good.

Call it whining if you like, I don't care- that was unfair to LSU. Alabama was the consensus best team in the country (favored game 1), LSU went into their stadium, played their asses off and got lucky breaks, and came away with the win. That's happened a few times in football, and oh well, the better team lost. They didn't get another chance because everyone thought they were the better team... except that year, it happened.

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Probably the one with lowest expectations. Make millions with a mediocre product.

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This. You always see Georgia, Bama, Texas, A&M, LSU in "best coaching jobs" lists. bullshite.
Go make millions with lowered expectations somewhere else. That's the dream job.

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I remember listening to the Chuck Oliver show a couple years ago, he was criticizing Lane Kiffin for turning down the Auburn job. Said he could win 9-10 games a year at Ole Miss and they would build him a statue, but he'd never win a title there. Glass ceiling job.

Now, everyone is mad at Lane because he didn't make the same decision with LSU. :lol:

I do think the "best" job description has changed. You need the resources, which now means you need millionaire boosters willing to buy you a team. It should be recognizable with tradition so you can still recruit on a level field (so you can sign the guy if the money is equal, instead of having to overbid on everyone). You'd like rational expectations so you're not on the hot seat for winning 9 games a couple years.

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Vandy.. who all did we even have playing against vandy?

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I pulled up the page on espn, and looked at defensive stats. Outside of missing Whit Weeks, it looked like the guys we saw playing all year. Including, you know, a few guys who got drafted; Delane, Haulsey, Perkins.

:dunno:

I think the issue is-
Kiffin has a system. He knows how to run a potent offense with anybody at QB, it's quick reads and keys, and timing. If you come in and learn it, and then you trust the system and run it on time, you will have a good year. He's not building around one guy, he wants something you can keep plugging people into and keep rolling.
That's why Lane gets the love and the big bucks.

The problem comes in when you have a guy who's highly touted, has confidence in his arm, and wants to push for bigger plays. I think Simmons is one of those guys; the risk is you get out of time with the system and it sputters.

Chambliss got his chance, trusted the system and stayed within it.

Mizzou might make their offense around what Simmons can do, and he may look really good in that.