Preseason Socon Poll

[The Jackal]

So, if I understand this coaches other than Clay Hendrix voted Sirod Cook onto the pre-season all conference team and he's never even played a snap of SoCon football.

I thought Cook would be a good rotational piece for the defense. It would seem that other SoCon coaches think he's one of the top defensive linemen in the league already.

That IS interesting.

Checked his Twitter - didn’t mention offers other than the FU offer.

Checked SAC (Wingate’s Conference) website - he was selected 2nd Team All Conference (Piedmont Division) DL in 2022. Didn’t see any additional honors.

Somehow, with the prior history of naming a Long Snapper (just a Long Snapping Specialist - not a dual role Player) as an All SoCon Offensive Lineman, FUBeAR believes Mr. Cook’s selection to this All SoCon Team says more about the selection process than it does about his ability or the ability of other SoCon Defensive Linemen.

No offense or ill will intended to Mr. Cook. FUBeAR hopes he finishes as the FCS Buchanan Award Runner-Up to Jack Barton (FUBeAR has a historical bias there). Just don’t like seeing these kind of anomalies in the process. It means a lot to these kids and some returning Starter from some SoCon Team should have had that ‘slot’ until Mr. Cook earns it.

BTW - FUBeAR also railed against the Jackson State WR/DB, Travis Hunter, who was named an FCS All-American before he played a down of College Football. He even received some post-season accolades, before following Coach Prime to Boulder…but check his stats - he sure didn’t earn those either.

Despite living a life of internet literary crime, FUBeAR does have some modicum of integrity.

I suppose I'll make the argument.

Cook was an anchor on an 11-3 D2 team that made it to the quarterfinals. He was an all conference performer. So, he's not a guy coming out of high school or something. He's got film and numbers to back it up.

Cook had 44 tackles, 15 TFLs, 11 hurries, and 11 sacks last season. Those are pretty outstanding numbers for a NG. In fact, he would have easily led Furman's defense in all but one of those categories (tackles).

Just for comparison sake, Cam Coleman had 32 tackles, 6 TFLs, 0 sacks, and 1 QB hurry, and he was first team all SoCon. Of course, it can be a little tricky to value an interior linemen on stats alone because sometimes their greatest value is allowing everyone else to put up numbers.

I have no real knowledge of the comparison between the upper level of D2 football and the SoCon. I would think there is a sizable jump, but we also just watched Tyler Huff jump from non-scholarship ball to the SoCon and put up one of the great all time seasons by a Furman QB. So, there's also the potential that good players are just good players.

I don't know what sort of offers Cook had as a transfer or how many of these other coaches were familiar with him. I feel fairly confident that any grad school transfer onto this team can probably play. They aren't transferring in to be a warm body.

Physically, he maybe harkens back to another 5'11 280+ interior defensive lineman - Jaylan Reid (an all SoCon performer at NG, incidentally).

Now, I'm surprised to see his name on the pre-season accolade list. However, the dude put up some outstanding numbers last season and can obviously play.

[The Jackal]

I mean, I get the D2 angle, but I guess I'd be interested to know what other players on the All SoCon defensive line short list has these sort of receipts:

Just because I was interested, those numbers are pretty much the same as Adrian Hope's during his 4+ seasons at Furman. Hope is arguably one of the great pass rushers in Furman history.

I suppose also worth noting that Cook has added 15 pounds from last year.

[FUBeAR]

So, if I understand this coaches other than Clay Hendrix voted Sirod Cook onto the pre-season all conference team and he's never even played a snap of SoCon football.

I thought Cook would be a good rotational piece for the defense. It would seem that other SoCon coaches think he's one of the top defensive linemen in the league already.

That IS interesting.

Checked his Twitter - didn’t mention offers other than the FU offer.

Checked SAC (Wingate’s Conference) website - he was selected 2nd Team All Conference (Piedmont Division) DL in 2022. Didn’t see any additional honors.

Somehow, with the prior history of naming a Long Snapper (just a Long Snapping Specialist - not a dual role Player) as an All SoCon Offensive Lineman, FUBeAR believes Mr. Cook’s selection to this All SoCon Team says more about the selection process than it does about his ability or the ability of other SoCon Defensive Linemen.

No offense or ill will intended to Mr. Cook. FUBeAR hopes he finishes as the FCS Buchanan Award Runner-Up to Jack Barton (FUBeAR has a historical bias there). Just don’t like seeing these kind of anomalies in the process. It means a lot to these kids and some returning Starter from some SoCon Team should have had that ‘slot’ until Mr. Cook earns it.

BTW - FUBeAR also railed against the Jackson State WR/DB, Travis Hunter, who was named an FCS All-American before he played a down of College Football. He even received some post-season accolades, before following Coach Prime to Boulder…but check his stats - he sure didn’t earn those either.

Despite living a life of internet literary crime, FUBeAR does have some modicum of integrity.

I suppose I'll make the argument.

Cook was an anchor on an 11-3 D2 team that made it to the quarterfinals. He was an all conference performer. So, he's not a guy coming out of high school or something. He's got film and numbers to back it up.

Cook had 44 tackles, 15 TFLs, 11 hurries, and 11 sacks last season. Those are pretty outstanding numbers for a NG. In fact, he would have easily led Furman's defense in all but one of those categories (tackles).

Just for comparison sake, Cam Coleman had 32 tackles, 6 TFLs, 0 sacks, and 1 QB hurry, and he was first team all SoCon. Of course, it can be a little tricky to value an interior linemen on stats alone because sometimes their greatest value is allowing everyone else to put up numbers.

I have no real knowledge of the comparison between the upper level of D2 football and the SoCon. I would think there is a sizable jump, but we also just watched Tyler Huff jump from non-scholarship ball to the SoCon and put up one of the great all time seasons by a Furman QB. So, there's also the potential that good players are just good players.

I don't know what sort of offers Cook had as a transfer or how many of these other coaches were familiar with him. I feel fairly confident that any grad school transfer onto this team can probably play. They aren't transferring in to be a warm body.

Physically, he maybe harkens back to another 5'11 280+ interior defensive lineman - Jaylan Reid (an all SoCon performer at NG, incidentally).

Now, I'm surprised to see his name on the pre-season accolade list. However, the dude put up some outstanding numbers last season and can obviously play.

Yep - he coulda done all that playing for Georgia and be the consensus #1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and FUBeAR still doesn’t believe he belongs on the 2023 Pre-Season All SoCon Team. Ya gotta play a play in the league before you’re in the league.

[FUBeAR]

I mean, I get the D2 angle, but I guess I'd be interested to know what other players on the All SoCon defensive line short list has these sort of receipts:

Just because I was interested, those numbers are pretty much the same as Adrian Hope's during his 4+ seasons at Furman. Hope is arguably one of the great pass rushers in Furman history.

I suppose also worth noting that Cook has added 15 pounds from last year.

Again…not arguing the point cuz FUBeAR wouldn’t put Aaron Donald in as 2nd Team All SoCon DL until he had played in the SoCon…but…

Checked Samford…their only returning DL Starter was named 1st Team DL…going down the list…

checked Mercer…Chris Hill - R-Jr returning Starter - peep what he does in 2021 as a R-FR to the Alabama OLman @ 9:00 of this video…replay is good too.

Stats vs. D1…
Season GP SOLO AST TOT TFL-YDS SACKS-YDS INT PD FF FR BLK
2019 3 1 2 3 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0
2020 9 12 8 20 5.5-22 3-16 0 0 1 1 0
2021 10 13 7 20 4.5-19 3-16 0 0 0 1 0
2022 10 11 11 22 5-19 0.5-10 0 2 1 0 0
Total 32 37 28 65 15-60 6.5-42 0 2 2 2 0

Hill should have been selected.

Jordan Swain R-Soph & Christian Hanson Soph from Mercer also started games and warranted fair consideration.

Chattanooga - Quay Wiggles deserved consideration. Stats aren’t great, but he is a tough Football Player

WCU - Chris Morgan - Jr. - Returning part-time Starter deserved consideration, as did Gr. Marlon Alexander and Jr. Jaquarius Guinness…
GP-GS Solo Ast Total TFL-Yds No-Yds Int-Yds BU PD Qbh Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf
93 Chris Morgan 10-3 12 16 28 4.5 - 22 4.0 - 18 . . . . . 1 . .
90 Marlon Alexander 11-9 10 15 25 2.5 - 15 1.5 - 12 . . . . 1 - 0 . . .
91 Jaquarius Guinn 11-10 7 14 21 2.0 - 8 2.0 - 7 . 1 1 3 1 - 18 1 . .

…that’s enough. Would be surprised if ETSU, Woffy, CIT, and VMI don’t have each have at least 1 returning Starter on the DL that was not selected and merited consideration.

Nope - as stated in FUBeAR’s 1st post - this is some kind of process error.

Hope Cook is post-season Co-SoCon DPOY with Jack Barton and runner-up to Barton for the Buchanan Award, but, just as a Samford Long Snapper shouldn’t have been an All SoCon OLman in 2015 and Travis Hunter should not have been a preseason FCS All-American in 2022, Furman’s Mr. Cook should not have been selected to the 2023 Preseason All SoCon Team, regardless of his D2 stats and video.

[Davemeister]

I'm joining this thread late - was on vacation last week and stayed offline.

Media got it right. SoCon Coaches deserve some Purple Payback.