As only a semi-homer, I thought it would be nice to come up with a realistic list of reasons Seantrel should stay in MN. Feel free to comment, add or detract. The reasons are in a general order of importance.
1. Guaranteed a starting position from Day 1. At OSU, USC, Florida and Oklahoma this would not be the case. I honestly don't know what the depth charts look like at these schools, but I've taken a look at their commit lists for the last 4 years. Each year has 1-5 offensive linemen rated anywhere from 5.7-6.1 on the Rivals scale. These aren't the kind of guys Eslinger beat out his freshman year, these are studs. Playing time is a huge sell.
2. Pro-style offense vs. spread offense. This really only sets us apart from Florida and FSU. And to be honest, we didn't run it very well this year. Part of that was on the offensive line, most of it was on route running and QB snafus that can be traced partially back to inexperience in our offensive system. Tim Davis and Jedd Fisch both have experience at the pro-level, as well as the aforementioned schools Seantrel is considering.
3. Post-college opportunity. Seantrel is going to the NFL. There are no guarantees about how successful he will be. He very well could be an Orlando Pace, but if he takes the Joe Mauer route he could truly not just be the big man on campus, but the big man in town. People mention how at USC he would be "just another 5 star", and I think this actually holds some water. Sure, he would be a very high profile guy on campus, but he would command a much larger spotlight at MN. He would certainly have a world of opportunity in business after his playing days in the league are over.
4. Geography, Friends, and Family. I understand if the guy wants to get away for college. After going to the U I had the urge to leave MN and explore more of the states -- nothing wrong with that. There is something to be said for being close to his family and friends, though. He can't pick the team he plays for in the NFL (initially, at least...unless he is the next Eli Manning). He might as well play on a big stage in front of his family and friends the next 3 years before he gets reassigned to St. Louis, Cleveland, or worse...Oakland!
5. Competition level of opponents is similar or better than at other schools. At MN he would play against OSU, PSU, Michigan and USC most of the years he is here. That is better than if he played at OSU (because he wouldn't play against them) and a similar level if he played at any of the other schools.
Any other major, compelling reasons you guys can think of? Major detracting reasons I can think of include: much smaller chance of contending for a NC, less national TV exposure, inferior coaching. Any others?
1. Guaranteed a starting position from Day 1. At OSU, USC, Florida and Oklahoma this would not be the case. I honestly don't know what the depth charts look like at these schools, but I've taken a look at their commit lists for the last 4 years. Each year has 1-5 offensive linemen rated anywhere from 5.7-6.1 on the Rivals scale. These aren't the kind of guys Eslinger beat out his freshman year, these are studs. Playing time is a huge sell.
2. Pro-style offense vs. spread offense. This really only sets us apart from Florida and FSU. And to be honest, we didn't run it very well this year. Part of that was on the offensive line, most of it was on route running and QB snafus that can be traced partially back to inexperience in our offensive system. Tim Davis and Jedd Fisch both have experience at the pro-level, as well as the aforementioned schools Seantrel is considering.
3. Post-college opportunity. Seantrel is going to the NFL. There are no guarantees about how successful he will be. He very well could be an Orlando Pace, but if he takes the Joe Mauer route he could truly not just be the big man on campus, but the big man in town. People mention how at USC he would be "just another 5 star", and I think this actually holds some water. Sure, he would be a very high profile guy on campus, but he would command a much larger spotlight at MN. He would certainly have a world of opportunity in business after his playing days in the league are over.
4. Geography, Friends, and Family. I understand if the guy wants to get away for college. After going to the U I had the urge to leave MN and explore more of the states -- nothing wrong with that. There is something to be said for being close to his family and friends, though. He can't pick the team he plays for in the NFL (initially, at least...unless he is the next Eli Manning). He might as well play on a big stage in front of his family and friends the next 3 years before he gets reassigned to St. Louis, Cleveland, or worse...Oakland!
5. Competition level of opponents is similar or better than at other schools. At MN he would play against OSU, PSU, Michigan and USC most of the years he is here. That is better than if he played at OSU (because he wouldn't play against them) and a similar level if he played at any of the other schools.
Any other major, compelling reasons you guys can think of? Major detracting reasons I can think of include: much smaller chance of contending for a NC, less national TV exposure, inferior coaching. Any others?
