Recruiting 2024 Transfer Portal Thread: Washington starting Safety Asa Turner headed to UF

[jdh5484]

This is something like the third or fourth lowest scoring offense at UF over the last 20 years.

Thats ok, the defense makes up for it.

 

[jdh5484]

I believe it’s both

diddo.

 

[cover2]

Since you’ve actually coached. How difficult is it to undo poor coaching?

Not to mention that Williams and Wingo weren’t LB’s to begin with.

I think there are a couple of factors that have to be considered. One, a better athlete who will avail himself to BETTER coaching should show steady improvement. The opposites, better athletes who feel they are above coaching or lesser athletes can be harder to bring forward even with better coaching. Two, better coaches are able to realistically see and assess player performance and develop their practice goals, both individually and as a team. If they are seeing the same mistakes being made continuously in games, they will intuitively recognize that something or things that they are doing are not working and it’s back to the drawing board. Lesser coaches tend to double down on what they are doing, even if it is not bearing the fruit they need in games because they believe if you work hard enough, you can eventually overcome anything. This doesn’t always hold true and eventually you have to learn to work SMARTER and part of that is often coming to the realization that something you are doing just doesn’t work or resonate with the players.

Where I see us is a combination of a roster that is partly young, lazy, and not extremely talented. We’ve had some key injuries that have hampered our effectiveness on both sides of the ball. I was primarily a defensive position coach and a coordinator for a couple of years. I know there is a difference between High School and College in many ways, but it was incumbent that we teach great fundamentals, rep assignments until they became second nature, and DEMAND relentless effort in practice and for EVERY snap a player was on that field. It is clear that we have several defensive starters or players getting significant reps who routinely give up on plays, loaf, or avoid contact. Another important principle was the brotherhood of the unit extending through the team. Each player was taught to have a responsibility to their teammates, to do their job EVERY snap and to feel like they were the only player who could make the play! Once you got this kind of buy in, you had a functional unit that could defeat ALL of the lesser or equal opponents and stand a good chance and often surprise better opponents. I don’t recognize enough of this among our defensive players primarily nor among some of the offense.

I have a hard time believing we are still making the same effort mistakes heading into game 12 as we were making at the beginning of the season if the coaching staff is demanding that the players improve and correct mistakes by tailoring their individual and team practice periods to address these deficiencies. If by some reason that the players are just so poorly skilled, unathletic, weak, or lazy, then this falls on the staff for failing to work the portal to either fortify the roster with difference-makers OR hang onto players we failed to hang onto who have become difference-makers elsewhere. To sum it up, my opinion, take it for what it’s worth, is that we are not getting what the team consistently needs from the coaching staff. Part of the equation is to get better talent from high school recruiting and the portal. The second part is to be better coaches, demand excellence from your players, but provide excellence in your teaching.

 

[Joegator96]

Perfectly stated Cover! It led me to conclude that not only are we struggling recruiting the portal some of our HS recruits may not be living up to their star ratings as almost none of our D was here when Napier arrived.

 

[RocketCityGator]

Imo, if given the opportunity, bringing Rogers in wouldn’t be wise. A healthy Mertz starting the year sets up perfectly for breaking in Lagway (if he signs) next year. This program needs stability and playing musical chairs in the QB room could be detrimental.

Also, if Max Brown shows out today, do we really need Rogers?

 

[Double Gator Dad]

I think there are a couple of factors that have to be considered. One, a better athlete who will avail himself to BETTER coaching should show steady improvement. The opposites, better athletes who feel they are above coaching or lesser athletes can be harder to bring forward even with better coaching. Two, better coaches are able to realistically see and assess player performance and develop their practice goals, both individually and as a team. If they are seeing the same mistakes being made continuously in games, they will intuitively recognize that something or things that they are doing are not working and it’s back to the drawing board. Lesser coaches tend to double down on what they are doing, even if it is not bearing the fruit they need in games because they believe if you work hard enough, you can eventually overcome anything. This doesn’t always hold true and eventually you have to learn to work SMARTER and part of that is often coming to the realization that something you are doing just doesn’t work or resonate with the players.

Where I see us is a combination of a roster that is partly young, lazy, and not extremely talented. We’ve had some key injuries that have hampered our effectiveness on both sides of the ball. I was primarily a defensive position coach and a coordinator for a couple of years. I know there is a difference between High School and College in many ways, but it was incumbent that we teach great fundamentals, rep assignments until they became second nature, and DEMAND relentless effort in practice and for EVERY snap a player was on that field. It is clear that we have several defensive starters or players getting significant reps who routinely give up on plays, loaf, or avoid contact. Another important principle was the brotherhood of the unit extending through the team. Each player was taught to have a responsibility to their teammates, to do their job EVERY snap and to feel like they were the only player who could make the play! Once you got this kind of buy in, you had a functional unit that could defeat ALL of the lesser or equal opponents and stand a good chance and often surprise better opponents. I don’t recognize enough of this among our defensive players primarily nor among some of the offense.

I have a hard time believing we are still making the same effort mistakes heading into game 12 as we were making at the beginning of the season if the coaching staff is demanding that the players improve and correct mistakes by tailoring their individual and team practice periods to address these deficiencies. If by some reason that the players are just so poorly skilled, unathletic, weak, or lazy, then this falls on the staff for failing to work the portal to either fortify the roster with difference-makers OR hang onto players we failed to hang onto who have become difference-makers elsewhere. To sum it up, my opinion, take it for what it’s worth, is that we are not getting what the team consistently needs from the coaching staff. Part of the equation is to get better talent from high school recruiting and the portal. The second part is to be better coaches, demand excellence from your players, but provide excellence in your teaching.

Lots of great insight Cover.
The thing I struggle with is how the coaching staff can watch the game film, watch it again with the players and point out obvious loafing and giving up plays by certain players only to turn around and start that player the next game.

How can the staff possibly instill an environment of commitment to excellence and to each other when there are no ramifications to mailing it in?

I never made it past high school football but I can assure you that anyone that loafed the way guys like Kimber do would be ridiculed during film study and benched the following Friday night.
I have a hard time believing that this staff will get the team where they want with the current approach.
What am I missing?

 

[G8trwood]

No respect for coaches or themselves "

 

[Durty South Swamp]

Why do any of you think Rogers would come here? He's tired of vertical passing and wants to change to horizontal?

 

[MJMGator]

Why do any of you think Rogers would come here? He's tired of vertical passing and wants to change to horizontal?

He wants to practice against our defense.

 

[soflagator]

Why do any of you think Rogers would come here? He's tired of vertical passing and wants to change to horizontal?

His numbers were all put up in an air raid system. No idea why he opted to stay there this year, but it was nothing like what we’ve seen from him in the past, which means he’s a product of Leach’s offens, which we don’t run.

We also have a veteran QB returning that’s exactly what Napier wants, and an incoming freshman ranked second at his position. So many things we need right now. I don’t see QB as one of them.

 

[cover2]

Lots of great insight Cover.
The thing I struggle with is how the coaching staff can watch the game film, watch it again with the players and point out obvious loafing and giving up plays by certain players only to turn around and start that player the next game.

How can the staff possibly instill an environment of commitment to excellence and to each other when there are no ramifications to mailing it in?

I never made it past high school football but I can assure you that anyone that loafed the way guys like Kimber do would be ridiculed during film study and benched the following Friday night.
I have a hard time believing that this staff will get the team where they want with the current approach.
What am I missing?

I don’t think you’re missing anything. That’s the way it worked for me when I played and coached and I agree that I don’t know how the staff watches the film with the position groups each week and says to the effect “Hell, we’re getting our asses beat with this poor play and effort and it’ll probably end up getting me fired…Shoot, let’s give ‘em another chance!” Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Makes absolutely no football sense. Yet, here we sit at 5-6 and the message post-game has been about “trust” and “like this team.” I just don’t get it.

Speaking strictly defense, and I know this will be hurtful to some, but UGA is the gold standard. You might say “well, they ought to be, they’ve got the best talent in CFB!” But it goes much deeper than that. If you’ve only watched them in our game, what you saw was a very physical team that was not only deep, but extremely sound fundamentally, and very rarely out of position. They knew and executed their assignments with precision and toughness. Their staff was all on the same page. They play winning defensive football and make you have to execute your offense to perfection if you want to have a chance. This is how Kirby was coached in high school and he advanced his philosophy even further working under Saban. It saddens me to say, particularly having seen the great Gator defenses over the years, but we are currently nowhere close. This must change.

 

[Yankeetown]

Also, if Max Brown shows out today, do we really need Rogers?

Since you ask ... no, I don't think so.

I feel confident Mertz will return, he's been enjoying his time here and improved significantly. But has some things to improve even more if he wants to play pro ball. (Which I assume everyone would like to do.) Collarbone should not be a career-ending injury.

Brown could be good, and Lagway is a very exciting talent.

Rogers is a solution to a problem we don't have. And bringing him onboard could push somebody out.

 

[G8trwood]

Been seeing a lot of good LB play yesterday and today. Like aliens, they are out there, just believe. Crappy recruiting and crappy coaching is hitting below the sunbelt ;) Had the smoker running since 4, sipping bourbon with fellow geezers. We all should be out by 5 .

Go Gators!

 

[Gator By Marriage]

I don’t think you’re missing anything. That’s the way it worked for me when I played and coached and I agree that I don’t know how the staff watches the film with the position groups each week and says to the effect “Hell, we’re getting our asses beat with this poor play and effort and it’ll probably end up getting me fired…Shoot, let’s give ‘em another chance!” Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Makes absolutely no football sense. Yet, here we sit at 5-6 and the message post-game has been about “trust” and “like this team.” I just don’t get it.

Speaking strictly defense, and I know this will be hurtful to some, but UGA is the gold standard. You might say “well, they ought to be, they’ve got the best talent in CFB!” But it goes much deeper than that. If you’ve only watched them in our game, what you saw was a very physical team that was not only deep, but extremely sound fundamentally, and very rarely out of position. They knew and executed their assignments with precision and toughness. Their staff was all on the same page. They play winning defensive football and make you have to execute your offense to perfection if you want to have a chance. This is how Kirby was coached in high school and he advanced his philosophy even further working under Saban. It saddens me to say, particularly having seen the great Gator defenses over the years, but we are currently nowhere close. This must change.

You are 100% correct. Their program has zero weak areas. And worst of all, I don’t see it changing for a long time.

 

[Gatorraid81]

Who is Rogers rumored to be looking at?Hopefully not the Noles.

 

[jdh5484]

... UGA is the gold standard...

 

[AuggieDosta]

Been seeing a lot of good LB play yesterday and today. Like aliens, they are out there, just believe. Crappy recruiting and crappy coaching is hitting below the sunbelt ;) Had the smoker running since 4, sipping bourbon with fellow geezers. We all should be out by 5 .

Go Gators!

Also, in Auggie this weekend and I think I can see, and smell, your smoke.

 

[alcoholica]

I forget which podcast it was, but they definitely seemed to have someone on the inside. Basically said the antics of Miami in recruiting last year really set us back a year. Essentially, they piggybacked off our evaluations and offered more money. Obviously that individual from UM is having financial difficulties, but UM does have some brothers (plumbing?) that are popping in some NIL.

Portal issues were well documented as well. I think we have the recruiting issue more or less stabilized (yes we’ve lost some recently) and we’ll see how aggressive they are in the portal.

I’ll simply point to an old business anecdote. A Jr associate messed up a major ad campaign and lost the company $250k. He gets called into the office of the head of the department and waits to be fired. They have a conversation about the mistake, lessons learned, etc etc. At the end of the meeting, the Jr associate asked if he was fired. The boss said why would I fire you, I just invested $250k in your education.

I’m fine with mistakes, if we learn from them. We’re going to find out real soon if Billy has learned from his mistakes.

 

[Silverback Gator]

but we are currently nowhere close. This must change.

Brutal but we are where we are. I wish I saw it changing under this staff but I don't see it as a mainly talent issue.

 

[cover2]

Midget aptitudes and efforts yield midget results. The truth can be and in this case is painful. But doing something about it and not letting it continue to fester is the only plan as far as I’m concerned. Sorry brother. Here’s to climbing out of the hole instead of continuing to dig!