NCAA Signing Cap—Colorado

Gophergrandpa

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The NCAA for years had a 25 man annual signing limit for football. In 2021 (for class of 2022), it moved to 25 + 7, provided you had at least 7 transfers out. For the next two years (classes of 2023 and 2024) there is no numerical signing cap so long as you stay under 85 total scholarships. A big use user (abuser?) of this waiver so far appears to be Deion at Colorado. He has 18 HS signees (about like Minnesota’s HS signees in ranking), but he has brought in 20 transfers so far, many of them very highly rated. 38 total signees … and perhaps more coming. He must have chased away a lot of pre-existing scholarship players to get to these kind of numbers.

I took a look at Colorado’s class because it just signed transfer kicker Jace Feely from ASU. Jace is the son of Jay Feely, kicker for Michigan with several years in the NFL, now an announcer. Jay, in turn, is the son of STA and UST star running back Tom “TJ” Feely—who coached for years, and runs a great kickers school, in Florida—and is the grandson of legendary St. Thomas College basketball coach Tom Feely, Sr.
 
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I mean, if I was the new hire HC for crap professional team and I had a lot of sway to bring in quality players to immediately compete for positions and clean house, I'd probably do something similar.
These aren’t professional teams. It’s a bad look to run off student athletes. It certainly raises questions for me on how he is doing it. The kid has to ultimately agree to leave, just makes me question the tactics when he is getting so many to go.
 

Unless transfers become more restricted again I think this is going to be the way things go. There's minimal loyalty from anyone and most loyalty is to the coach rather than the school. If the players can and do decide they want to leave their current school and go somewhere else without sitting I don't think they can expect their school to want them for 4+ years, especially with a new coach.
 

These aren’t professional teams. It’s a bad look to run off student athletes. It certainly raises questions for me on how he is doing it. The kid has to ultimately agree to leave, just makes me question the tactics when he is getting so many to go.
Heh, that amateurism label is a technicality at this point.
 


These aren’t professional teams. It’s a bad look to run off student athletes. It certainly raises questions for me on how he is doing it. The kid has to ultimately agree to leave, just makes me question the tactics when he is getting so many to go.
Simple tactic: You are not going to play.
 

These aren’t professional teams. It’s a bad look to run off student athletes. It certainly raises questions for me on how he is doing it. The kid has to ultimately agree to leave, just makes me question the tactics when he is getting so many to go.
I mean there was the video of him talking to the Colorado team basically telling guys to go into the portal. I doubt he is being subtle about it.
 


I mean there was the video of him talking to the Colorado team basically telling guys to go into the portal. I doubt he is being subtle about it.

And, with a record of 5-19 over the last two years and an average per game deficit of just under 30 points in the past year, I would guess that most Colorado football fans are supportive of that approach.
 



This next year is going to be a pretty good test of the system. You have teams like Colorado and WI/NE to some extent building through the portal with change of system. If they are successful the portal will be crazy again next year, as teams try to match. If they struggle early and can't get the locker room all buying into the culture it could be disastrous. Those fan bases are expecting to win right away.
 

Fickell and his staff are adding players from the portal at such a frenetic pace that The Athletic beat writer just wrote an article about it.
 

Fickell and his staff are adding players from the portal at such a frenetic pace that The Athletic beat writer just wrote an article about it.
Sounds like desperation to me.
 

This next year is going to be a pretty good test of the system. You have teams like Colorado and WI/NE to some extent building through the portal with change of system. If they are successful the portal will be crazy again next year, as teams try to match. If they struggle early and can't get the locker room all buying into the culture it could be disastrous. Those fan bases are expecting to win right away.
The other issue that comes from all this quick fix vs. sustainable. MSU used the Portal heavily and had a great 2021 season. Then they crashed back to earth in 2022 when it didn't work out nearly as well for them.

The teams that choose to live and die by the portal are taking a lot of risk. If you get the right players you can have a big year quickly but if you miss it can tank your team.
 



Fickell and his staff are adding players from the portal at such a frenetic pace that The Athletic beat writer just wrote an article about it.
247 shows 7 in and 9 out for Wisconsin.
7 in and 11 out for Nebraska
20 in and 11 out for Colorado

MN 5 in and 9 out
 

247 shows 7 in and 9 out for Wisconsin.
7 in and 11 out for Nebraska
20 in and 11 out for Colorado

MN 5 in and 9 out
Seems like there are going to be more coming in for Wisconsin soon which will bump that number up probably into double digits.
 

The other issue that comes from all this quick fix vs. sustainable. MSU used the Portal heavily and had a great 2021 season. Then they crashed back to earth in 2022 when it didn't work out nearly as well for them.

The teams that choose to live and die by the portal are taking a lot of risk. If you get the right players you can have a big year quickly but if you miss it can tank your team.

The portal definitely has risks. I would imagine a good coach who understands the culture of the program - like Fleck or Fickell - would take some time to vet the kids and make sure they are a good fit for the program.

Wisconsin has now added three transfer QBs from the portal for next year. As a badger fan I would hope Fickell and crew had conversations with each of them about where they fit and what the plan is going forward. The hope is all three want to compete for the job. The downside is when two of them lose the starting job, do they keep working and stick with the program or transfer out. In UW's situation one has one year left to play, and the other two have 3 or 4 years left of eligibility, so you'd hope if the younger kids lose the job they'll stick around for the future. But there lies the risk.

As a fan I don't want a revolving door at QB through the transfer portal, and I don't think Fickell does either, but I think he took a look at the QB room when he got to Wisconsin and realized pretty quickly he needed an upgrade.
 

I know asking for any types of rules to be enforced is laughable at this point. But sure seems like there should be a line for how coaches can can force players out.
 

I know asking for any types of rules to be enforced is laughable at this point. But sure seems like there should be a line for how coaches can can force players out.
I respectfully disagree. Players got the ability to freely transfer, and chaos has officially ensued. As the saying goes, "there is no free lunch". If you want something, you're going to have to pay for it somehow. This will become more and more commonplace, and that is how they will "pay" for it. I'm guessing if you ask players, they would prefer it this way to the old way, even if it means there's a possibility they could be pushed out from their chosen school.
 

I respectfully disagree. Players got the ability to freely transfer, and chaos has officially ensued. As the saying goes, "there is no free lunch". If you want something, you're going to have to pay for it somehow. This will become more and more commonplace, and that is how they will "pay" for it. I'm guessing if you ask players, they would prefer it this way to the old way, even if it means there's a possibility they could be pushed out from their chosen school.
If they just said coaches can cut players I’d respect that more. But to allow coaches to basically abuse/harass players into leaving is gross.
 

This next year is going to be a pretty good test of the system. You have teams like Colorado and WI/NE to some extent building through the portal with change of system. If they are successful the portal will be crazy again next year, as teams try to match. If they struggle early and can't get the locker room all buying into the culture it could be disastrous. Those fan bases are expecting to win right away.
I agree. Too much portal might produce unexpected results.
 

Fickell and his staff are adding players from the portal at such a frenetic pace that The Athletic beat writer just wrote an article about it.
And we're glad you came up for air to tell us all about it.
 

Why is the portal a risk? If a guy sucks you dump them and just get another. Tell them to leave and get 30-40 more. Unless they change this BS there is no risk. Worked for MSU one year but not this year…why not again next year. Just keep rolling the dice. Frickin’ Wild West needs some rules put in. This is not at all in the spirit of the rules and is ruining the game. Sad.
 

Who cares? Seriously some of you guys need to go outside, if it's within the rules, good for him and his program. Colorado has been a laughing stock, you don't see results by keeping the players that were there in the first place.
 

Who cares? Seriously some of you guys need to go outside, if it's within the rules, good for him and his program. Colorado has been a laughing stock, you don't see results by keeping the players that were there in the first place.
They’re student athletes, maybe respect the student aspect of things. As much as it’s moving towards a minor league look, that’s not what it is. Build a program the right way, maybe don’t lose all integrity by trying to build something as fast as possible.
 

They’re student athletes, maybe respect the student aspect of things. As much as it’s moving towards a minor league look, that’s not what it is. Build a program the right way, maybe don’t lose all integrity by trying to build something as fast as possible.
Lol, you sound upset?

Scholarships are year to year, they are free to leave and stay if they are ok with limited/o playing time....with the transfer portal and NIL there really is very little to wine about. "The right way" and other things, sounds like you want them to suck for years........The right way is to win, not how to build according to btwongopher.
 

Lol, you sound upset?

Scholarships are year to year, they are free to leave and stay if they are ok with limited/o playing time....with the transfer portal and NIL there really is very little to wine about. "The right way" and other things, sounds like you want them to suck for years........The right way is to win, not how to build according to btwongopher.
I sound upset? Not sure how you come to that idea, but anyhow, if you think nothing matters in college athletics but winning at all costs then no point in talking to you. Do whatever it takes to force kids to transfer. Bizarre anyone would take offense to wanting there to be some limitations on how far a coach can go to force a kid out. Also power 5 football scholarships are not year to year and cannot be taken away for athletic performance.
 



They’re student athletes, maybe respect the student aspect of things. As much as it’s moving towards a minor league look, that’s not what it is. Build a program the right way, maybe don’t lose all integrity by trying to build something as fast as possible.
Building a program the right way means winning, look at TCU this year with all the transfers. Times are changing
 

They aren’t student athletes anymore. NIL makes them pros. Why even enroll in classes anymore?
It appears that is the direction we are headed. Minor League football played in university stadiums, wearing the colors of the school.
 
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