2024 Recruiting

[The Jackal]

Just a few thoughts:

The Class is big. Physically. Some of these guys are huge for freshmen.

A few of the skill guys are really elusive. Hester and Hall look like two guys that defenses are going to hate trying to plan against - they can run, change direction, accelerate, and are plain hard to tackle.

[FUwolfpacker]

Missed this but Furman offered another kicker. They are clearly looking to take one this year with 2 offers out in the last week.

[AllTimeFU]

Do we know what the net scholarship impact is? Graduating vs incoming? How many might we have left to offer?

[The Jackal]

Do we know what the net scholarship impact is? Graduating vs incoming? How many might we have left to offer?

Almost assuredly we'll see some transfers and grad students in there as well.

[AllTimeFU]

Do we know what the net scholarship impact is? Graduating vs incoming? How many might we have left to offer?

Almost assuredly we'll see some transfers and grad students in there as well.

Yes. I agree. My question is more related to as of right now? X scholarship players graduated/moved on and today we had 13 sign which leaves us with x scholarships for transfers and grad students.

[FUwolfpacker]

Do we know what the net scholarship impact is? Graduating vs incoming? How many might we have left to offer?

Scholarships are allowed to be split on the FCS level so it makes it kind of hard to know exact numbers. However, from what I can tell based on guys who were announced on signing days plus transfers, I think we have 58 guys right now. That does not include Clark or Yates who are still on the roster or Logan and Eubanks who are yet to sign. If all of those guys ended up on the roster, I think we'd only have one spot available assuming none of the scholarships have been split.

Furman can give up to 63 scholarships and they can be split however they see fit. So, they could have 70 guys with some amount of scholarships (or more presumably). To answer your question, I'm not quite sure how many we have left to offer. Based on the portal offers, I feel like the staff is looking to take at least 3-4 guys (OL, TE, DB, ?)

[gofurman]

Do we know what the net scholarship impact is? Graduating vs incoming? How many might we have left to offer?

Scholarships are allowed to be split on the FCS level so it makes it kind of hard to know exact numbers. However, from what I can tell based on guys who were announced on signing days plus transfers, I think we have 58 guys right now. That does not include Clark or Yates who are still on the roster or Logan and Eubanks who are yet to sign. If all of those guys ended up on the roster, I think we'd only have one spot available assuming none of the scholarships have been split.

Furman can give up to 63 scholarships and they can be split however they see fit. So, they could have 70 guys with some amount of scholarships (or more presumably). To answer your question, I'm not quite sure how many we have left to offer. Based on the portal offers, I feel like the staff is looking to take at least 3-4 guys (OL, TE, DB, ?)

I would like to hear that Clark or Yates are returning.

[Bootie]

Y’all who are more deep in the research than I, please tell me what you think of the QBs we have vying for the starting spot next season… what are their running capabilities?

[The Jackal]

Y’all who are more deep in the research than I, please tell me what you think of the QBs we have vying for the starting spot next season… what are their running capabilities?

I think there are two different questions.

First, in terms of running ability, Hedden at least on paper looks like he can move a bit for a big guy. His bio says he also runs track for the high school.

We know Jones ran some in high school. We saw him at full tilt in the Wofford game pursuing the fumble return, and he was largely running stride for stride with one of Wofford's safeties. So, he can move a bit.

Garcia, I have no idea.

Second, though, is how they will be used in the offense.

At Holy Cross, Roper used their star QB, Sluka, as a feature runner. He averaged about 50 more carries than Huff did each year of his career. From what I've watched, Roper at Holy Cross used his QB on a lot more designed runs as a feature back in their offense. He did that for Huff, but to a lesser degree. A lot of Huff's rush yardage were him escaping the pocket.

There could be a lot of reasons for that. Some of Furman's biggest plays this year (the clincher against WCU, the response against Montana) were designed Huff runs. It could be as simple as Huff's backup was a freshman and if you could call plays where he didn't take as many hits, you probably have a better chance of winning.

So, I think it's an open question on what Furman's offense looks like next season. Jones played in six games this year and was credited with 7 attempts for -23 yards (mostly sacks). Now, did Roper not want to call running plays with Jones because he isn't as adept of a runner, or because Jones' backup was a freshman with even less experience?

It's anyone's guess what we do next year.

[gofurman]

Y’all who are more deep in the research than I, please tell me what you think of the QBs we have vying for the starting spot next season… what are their running capabilities?

Agree with the question - we KNOW that Huff's running ability really opened up our offense. Think Armanti Edwards for someone on the evil side... We would cover all WRs and he would find a way to get 7 yards. It terrorizes a defense to have a true dual-threat QB. Terrorizes. I recall several times huff went into scramble drill because of solid D by the opponent and possible pressure on Huff... only to see him get the first down with a great run.

I am heavily in favor of a dual-threat QB. Or at least one who will pull the ball and run 3/4 times a game

I don't get the feeling from watching that any of our current QBs are the runner that Huff was. Running is not just track speed. That helps but it is twitch and escapability. For the best ever think Barry Sanders .. jump cuts that would make you slap your mama. from what I have seen Huff had more "escapability" than those in line right now.

But I could be wrong. I hope to be wrong but Jones etc seem more drop back passers. Which - from what Jackal says - would be odd for Roper

[The Jackal]

Y’all who are more deep in the research than I, please tell me what you think of the QBs we have vying for the starting spot next season… what are their running capabilities?

Agree with the question - we KNOW that Huff's running ability really opened up our offense. Think Armanti Edwards for someone on the evil side... We would cover all WRs and he would find a way to get 7 yards. It terrorizes a defense to have a true dual-threat QB. Terrorizes. I recall several times huff went into scramble drill because of solid D by the opponent and possible pressure on Huff... only to see him get the first down with a great run.

I am heavily in favor of a dual-threat QB. Or at least one who will pull the ball and run 3/4 times a game

I don't get the feeling from watching that any of our current QBs are the runner that Huff was. Running is not just track speed. That helps but it is twitch and escapability. For the best ever think Barry Sanders .. jump cuts that would make you slap your mama. from what I have seen Huff had more "escapability" than those in line right now.

But I could be wrong. I hope to be wrong but Jones etc seem more drop back passers. Which - from what Jackal says - would be odd for Roper

The offense is moldable to the skill set of the personnel. It will look a little different every year.

Huff was a great player for us, but Armanti Edwards was in a different stratosphere as a runner.

This is just my opinion, but Edwards was also a bit of a unicorn. During the mid-to-late 2000s, App State had adopted the relatively new spread offense. Defenses of that time were still largely built to stop the power run game, taking on fullbacks in the hole, and defending the toss sweep.

Defenses were completely unprepared in either scheme or personnel to stop him.

[AstroDin]

I think we also need to look at what this offensive group of players brings to the field as a unit.
A tall o-line, 6-7, 6-5, 6-4; add another tall TE at 6-5.
I like that we have a tall, bigger-bodied QB behind that front.
Weapons: a long-bodied receiver (6-3) who's also a track guy, a smaller slot-back, speedy, and generates a lot of yards after the catch, and finally, a Desmond Reid type-scat-back, Hall was chipped time in a game at 22.53 mph - that is flying, pretty sure he was the fastest-timed high school running back this season. The impressive thing about Hall is how dang fast he can go from a cut to full speed - he reminds me of Carl Tremble. You can't teach that, you got it or you don't.

[FUBeAR]

Y’all who are more deep in the research than I, please tell me what you think of the QBs we have vying for the starting spot next season… what are their running capabilities?

Agree with the question - we KNOW that Huff's running ability really opened up our offense. Think Armanti Edwards for someone on the evil side... We would cover all WRs and he would find a way to get 7 yards. It terrorizes a defense to have a true dual-threat QB. Terrorizes. I recall several times huff went into scramble drill because of solid D by the opponent and possible pressure on Huff... only to see him get the first down with a great run.

I am heavily in favor of a dual-threat QB. Or at least one who will pull the ball and run 3/4 times a game

I don't get the feeling from watching that any of our current QBs are the runner that Huff was. Running is not just track speed. That helps but it is twitch and escapability. For the best ever think Barry Sanders .. jump cuts that would make you slap your mama. from what I have seen Huff had more "escapability" than those in line right now.

But I could be wrong. I hope to be wrong but Jones etc seem more drop back passers. Which - from what Jackal says - would be odd for Roper

Defenses of that time were still largely built to stop the power run game, taking on fullbacks in the hole, and defending the toss sweep.

Defenses were completely unprepared in either scheme or personnel to stop him.

You mean … like the power run game that NDSU & SDSU use?

FCS Championship game history
Season | Champion | Runner-up
2011 | NDSU | Sam Houston State
2012 | NDSU | Sam Houston State
2013 | NDSU | Towson
2014 | NDSU | Illinois State
2015 | NDSU | Jacksonville State
2016 | James Madison | Youngstown State
2017 | NDSU | James Madison
2018 | NDSU | Eastern Washington
2019 | NDSU | James Madison
2020 | Sam Houston | SDSU
2021 | NDSU | Montana State
2022 | SDSU | NDSU

Yeah … that kind of Offense doesn’t work anymore…obviously.

[FUwolfpacker]

Yeah … that kind of Offense doesn’t work anymore…obviously.

Pretty sure that’s not the point he was trying to make.

App was one of the earlier adopters of that version of the spread in the SoCon. Combine that with a generational talent like Edwards and defenses that were primarily designed to stop GSU’s option and Furman’s power run game and it was tough to defend. There has clearly been a shift back to the importance of a power run game. Some of those teams that lost to those Dakota schools did run a variation of the spread though right? So not a completely unsuccessful approach unless the only measure of success is a NC.

But back to the original question. I think all of the guys are capable runners, but what we don’t know yet is how good they are at knowing where to run when pressure comes. How many times did Huff squeeze out of a collapsing pocket when it seemed like a sack? Some guys just have knack for finding a hole when things break down. That is TBD for these guys in my opinion. How much Jones runs may depend on how good the coaches feel about the back up.

[The Jackal]

Y’all who are more deep in the research than I, please tell me what you think of the QBs we have vying for the starting spot next season… what are their running capabilities?

Agree with the question - we KNOW that Huff's running ability really opened up our offense. Think Armanti Edwards for someone on the evil side... We would cover all WRs and he would find a way to get 7 yards. It terrorizes a defense to have a true dual-threat QB. Terrorizes. I recall several times huff went into scramble drill because of solid D by the opponent and possible pressure on Huff... only to see him get the first down with a great run.

I am heavily in favor of a dual-threat QB. Or at least one who will pull the ball and run 3/4 times a game

I don't get the feeling from watching that any of our current QBs are the runner that Huff was. Running is not just track speed. That helps but it is twitch and escapability. For the best ever think Barry Sanders .. jump cuts that would make you slap your mama. from what I have seen Huff had more "escapability" than those in line right now.

But I could be wrong. I hope to be wrong but Jones etc seem more drop back passers. Which - from what Jackal says - would be odd for Roper

Defenses of that time were still largely built to stop the power run game, taking on fullbacks in the hole, and defending the toss sweep.

Defenses were completely unprepared in either scheme or personnel to stop him.

You mean … like the power run game that NDSU & SDSU use?

FCS Championship game history
Season | Champion | Runner-up
2011 | NDSU | Sam Houston State
2012 | NDSU | Sam Houston State
2013 | NDSU | Towson
2014 | NDSU | Illinois State
2015 | NDSU | Jacksonville State
2016 | James Madison | Youngstown State
2017 | NDSU | James Madison
2018 | NDSU | Eastern Washington
2019 | NDSU | James Madison
2020 | Sam Houston | SDSU
2021 | NDSU | Montana State
2022 | SDSU | NDSU

Yeah … that kind of Offense doesn’t work anymore…obviously.

That's not remotely what I said.

App State was on the early edge of the spread/read option offensive attack in the mid-2000s. It was not widely prevalent and started to find a foothold in the college game.

Most defenses of that time were built to stop power run teams and option teams. That's what we saw a bunch in the Southern Conference. That's what Furman was built to stop. App State ran circles around us.

Over the last 20-25 years, many teams have moved to a spread offense. Defenses have changed to meet that development. Now there are some teams that are having success running more modernized versions of the old power run game. NDSU and SDSU are very good and well coached, but they, like App State of that time, are running an offense that defenses are not particularly equipped to stop from a personnel or scheme standpoint.

Furman's defense currently holds up better than most because we are both deep and versatile. We can change personnel to match a variety of offensive schemes. Some of that is necessitated because the Southern Conference - unlike 20-25 years ago - throws a lot of different offensive schemes at you week to week. Furman has had to adapt to the fact that they see a wide variety of offensive systems in conference play. That wasn't always the case.