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“Surprising” Surprises?

DRU2012

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
I’m not so sure HOW I see or FEEL about some of these sudden changes...Are they really “SURPRISES” after ALL?!!
When it comes to the players, well, they ARE “young men”, after all...The fact that Billy Napier, whom I am already getting an impression of his being a sincere, upfront “communicator” who wears his faith, honesty and sincerity “on his SLEEVE” (from what I can see so far, after all) went into his home and had a “frank and open talk” with Nick Evers and his family “in their living room” (and I presume, if he had any chance to do the same, having DONE so with the young previously-committed-to-us WR in question as WELL)—and either advised them he was perhaps “headed a different way” than maybe Mullen had envisioned, OR that any of THEM had “second thoughts”, or whatever...Anyway, given his focus on recruiting in general and his specific comments and focus in this regard, well, this is certainly going to be a fast-changing, “INTERESTING drive” ahead!
 

Escambia94

Aerospace Cubicle Engineer (ACE)
Moderator
If you are referring to recruits backing off commitments, well, he did warn us. In Napier’s first year at Louisiana he signed zero recruits on early signing day and 25 or so on regular signing day. This was while they were under probation from Mark Hudspeth. After that he signed three of their best classes in history.
 

DRU2012

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
If you are referring to recruits backing off commitments, well, he did warn us. In Napier’s first year at Louisiana he signed zero recruits on early signing day and 25 or so on regular signing day. This was while they were under probation from Mark Hudspeth. After that he signed three of their best classes in history.
So: What do you think it means—for us now, and our future?
Just because that’s how things went at La DOESN’T necessarily mean it is the way it must go here now...or does it? A little “flexibility” might be in order, if possible. I’m just saying I’d like to THINK our new Coach’d try to hold onto “valuable prospective recruits” if he could.
I guess I’m just not sure what this all means, as I say—nor what it bodes for the time ahead. Do you suppose the new Coach is already resigned to a “lean recruiting season”, regardless of whatever OUR efforts now? And can we just “wait and see”? It’s also possible this all is part of a larger plan to make sure we somehow keep some of our current players (for example, young Mr. Richardson) solidly “in the fold”?
I admit I am just “grasping at straws” now, trying to understand what we’ve seen so far—trying to make some (optimistic, hopeful) sense of it.
 

Escambia94

Aerospace Cubicle Engineer (ACE)
Moderator
So: What do you think it means—for us now, and our future?
Just because that’s how things went at La DOESN’T necessarily mean it is the way it must go here now...or does it? A little “flexibility” might be in order, if possible. I’m just saying I’d like to THINK our new Coach’d try to hold onto “valuable prospective recruits” if he could.
I guess I’m just not sure what this all means, as I say—nor what it bodes for the time ahead. Do you suppose the new Coach is already resigned to a “lean recruiting season”, regardless of whatever OUR efforts now? And can we just “wait and see”? It’s also possible this all is part of a larger plan to make sure we somehow keep some of our current players (for example, young Mr. Richardson) solidly “in the fold”?
I admit I am just “grasping at straws” now, trying to understand what we’ve seen so far—trying to make some (optimistic, hopeful) sense of it.
Definitely wait and see for this recruiting class. If CBN gets any commitments this month for early signing day, they will all come from Louisiana and Texas kids that he has already evaluated. The kids he signs on regular signing day will be a mix of kids that he evaluated this month as Florida head coach and kids he evaluated over the past couple years as Louisiana head coach.

Expect zero commitments on early signing day. Expect a few more decommitments. Expect a small class on regular signing day. Expect a lot of transfer portal signings between February and August.

Next year, all bets are off. He needs to sign a top-10 class one year from now.
 

DRU2012

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
@Escambia94,
...”Expect a FEW MORE decommitments...”??!
It’s the very next morning since posing the above questions of you, E—, and out come the multiple (HEADlined) reports of multiple such moves from what HAD been some of “the BEST of our commits”!
“Wait and see...” INDEED!
“Just have to see...”, for REAL!
More and more now this promises to be in particular a NERVE-wracking recruiting/commitment cycle after all!.
I guess all we can DO is try and “relax”, “hope for the BEST”!
Above all, and more than EVER, the operative word will be “Patience...”
Things will (eventually) “work out”...They’ll HAVE to!
Yikes.
 

Escambia94

Aerospace Cubicle Engineer (ACE)
Moderator
Not only decommitments, but transfer portals. I am not sure where Jacob Copeland thinks he can get a better chance unless he plans on returning to Escambia county Florida and transferring to the University of West Florida.
 

Leakfan12

VIP Member
Not only decommitments, but transfer portals. I am not sure where Jacob Copeland thinks he can get a better chance unless he plans on returning to Escambia county Florida and transferring to the University of West Florida.

That sucks. I'm happy it's not AR-15 though will he have receivers in 2022?
 

DRU2012

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
The way CBN is cleaning house we may not recognize half the team in 2022.
I wonder what that’s all about.
I mean, these are some talented kids who I’d not heard either bad things about nor dissatisfaction from before now.
Is it all just the “not recognizing” part “scaring them off”? Or something else, something MORE you are implying above?
Perhaps our new Coach thinks there was “something more” to our “sudden fall from grace” than maybe even WE recognized...(?)
Otherwise you’d think he’d make a bigger effort than we’re seeing so far to retain some of the growing crowd at the “transfer portal”...
Do you think he WANTS to more “start from scratch” here? And again: If so, are there particular REASONS for that?
 

DRU2012

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Now that I read and think more about it, I (belatedly) remember that weird scene at Copeland’s commitment announcement back in 2018—when everyone around him, including his MOM, were wearing Tennessee shirts and hats, then HE announced for FLORIDA—and his mom got up from beside him behind the desk and walked off camera!
So with everything (including his now more-publicized comments on Twitter during the past season, ones voicing apparent dissatisfaction with his “lack of targets”), maybe he had his mom in his ear here as well...anyway, I guess he feels better about a Senior year at an “up’n’coming” Tennessee than staying with the unknown of a whole new regime at UF.
It doesn’t fit with his “Exit Statement” though, about “ALWAYS being a GATOR-at-heart!!!” I loved watching him play, but that rings a little hollow now.
This whole “transfer portal” thing is more and more starting to resemble the more “mercenary” aspects of the pros. All in all, this whole trend could eventually RUIN college football. WE don’t “change schools” when a professor leaves!
He made his choice, started and STARRED here for YEARS—and now just picks up and GOES, over to an SEC-EAST RIVAL, no less??!
Something thing very WRONG here...
(Personally, I keep “waiting for the other SHOE to drop”!)
 

DRU2012

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
...and speaking of “the other shoe”—only maybe THIS one’s on “the other FOOT”:
Check out Nick Evers’ DAD’s Tweet today (Fri., Dec 11) in response to supposed “reaction, even controversy” over Nick’s having entered the transfer portal pretty quickly after meeting with the new Gator Coach, Billy Napier...
Much talk about “no chemistry there” and so on.
Don’t know about y’all, but after hearing all the great stuff we FIRST heard about our Coach’s STRENGTHS as a recruiter, this has to throw a bit of a damper on all that. Prob best not to draw any real conclusions yet. But DAMN:
Sure would be nice to begin to start getting in some GOOD news! Too much time and work ahead to do anything BUT “wait and see” for now.
Nerve-wracking time, though.
Guess I had best just settle back and somehow “stay calm and WAIT”. Nothing else to be done right now.
 

DRU2012

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
I just have to further add:
THIS ONE CONTINUES TO EAT AT ME.
Copeland was a superb Gator WR, a huge star, top target of several consecutive QB-1s once choosing us over Tennessee back before the 2018 season.
I’m still unclear on exactly WHY he is bailing on us now—after his own and his DAD’s comments supposedly meant to clarify that situation I am in fact more baffled and confused than ever.
Did new Coach BN go into his home to talk to him directly do so specifically to KEEP him, or WHAT?
If so, he failed completely, it would seem—NOT exactly ratifying the talk of his supposed “recruiting prowess”!
The possible alternative explanations would appear LESS promising...
As I say, it all continues to bother me. I have a feeling this will be the general theme of the coming “off season”, I’m afraid. Meanwhile, such news as his “flipping” former prospective La recruits isn’t gonna go a long way to assuaging those concerns—most such have got to consider a shot at moving up to the SEC stage over that of a Sunbelt-conference one to be a real positive move for THEM, no matter WHAT...If Coach N can’t hold a 3-year starting WR for his Senior year, nor a prospective “promising 4-star QB-commit” with a personal visit to his home, well, is it any surprise that we are pretty damn worried, at this point?
YES: I am REAL worried about where we’re at, where we’re headed...and how deep a hole we’ll be in when we DO begin our “journey back to the TOP” here at the University of Florida football program.
 

Escambia94

Aerospace Cubicle Engineer (ACE)
Moderator
Copeland was not happy in Gainesville, and his discussions with CBN must not have gone well. That is all we know. If I had to guess, Copeland was not a good fit for the new offense.
 

DRU2012

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Copeland was not happy in Gainesville, and his discussions with CBN must not have gone well. That is all we know. If I had to guess, Copeland was not a good fit for the new offense.
Were YOU aware of how unhappy he apparently was in G-ville? I must confess that I was not.
You must be right about that in-home. Dad said as much in HIS tweet.
I guess we just gotta hunker down, wait for “good news”.
(Well, HOPE for some, sooner or later, anyway...)
 

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