Lanning and the Changing Face of Recruiting

[Duckster]

There was a time not so long ago that the CFB dead season (now) and the offseason were periods for fans to revel in their teams ability to compete on the recruiting trail and "win the offseason." Now?

 

The transfer portal has changed everything. The migration of proven high end talent across the board is astonishing. Armed with a fist-full of cash, coaches now go shopping. Plug a hole for a quarterback? Go shopping. Need that brick wall on the interior of your defensive front? Go shopping. How about a pair of corners, or a receiver, or tight end? You get the picture.

 

Deion went so far as to replace his entire team ... though we all witnessed the extent of that train wreck. So what does this all really mean in terms of building a team? How important is the evaluation of high school talent today, especially for the skill positions where audition tapes for portal transfers outstrip anything you can gather from a high schooler?

 

Even the definition of a 5 Star HS recruit can be legitimately questioned. We just saw the addition of Dillon Gabriel as QB1 for the Ducks. Wonderful. But the cost was losing former 5 Star T Thompson, who opted out for the portal (and who can blame him)? As an aside, did you know that all three of this year's Heisman finalists were transfer quarterbacks, and that 5 of the past 6 winners were transfers? What does this say about player development across all fronts? And perhaps even more important (not that Oregon made the wrong decision),  how is the chemistry of a team affected when you opt for a 1 year mercenary over a well liked teammate?

 

But getting back to my point on player recruiting rankings, how do you compare a 4 or 5 star high schooler against a former 3 star portal transfer with 2 years of starting experience at a FBS or high end FCS program? Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy Oregon pulling in record numbers of high end recruits, but at the end of the day, what does that really mean? Because if you go by the class rankings Oregon with years of top 10 or 15 classes under its belt should be head and shoulders ahead (talent wise) of Washington, Utah or OSU. Have any of us seen evidence of that on the field of play? Conversely and painfully, Deboer has consistently molded his top 30 classes into teams that give Oregon fits. Not sure that's going to change anytime soon, regardless of recruiting stats.

 

Dabo and Clemson went old school and eschewed the portal and paid the price. Deion and Colorado went portal crazy and paid the price. For Lanning and the Ducks, roster construction and system / talent alignment, has to be all about finding that sweet spot between HS and portal talent. But in reality, does anyone really know where that sweet spot is anymore?

[Charles Fischer]

On 12/11/2023 at 5:27 PM, Duckster said:

Deboer has consistently molded his top 30 classes into teams that give Oregon fits.

He has a very unique offense, similar to the our Chip Era, in that he could have a couple of uber-talents and surround them with developed 3-Star guys to make it work well.  Our 2010 team and this Washington team has many such parallels, in my view.

 

DeBoer can continue to have so-so high school recruiting classes, but if he gets a few receivers and a great QB from the portal? He is giving us fits again.

 

That bastard is a damn good coach.

 

[Log Haulin]

I don't really know what to make of it all. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Oregon has an excellent lead salesman in Lanning and a huge cash drawer in Division Street.  

 

Amateur football is dead at division 1 level. Not sure if I am interested. Time will tell. I will definitely try and look at more of the div2 games next year. 

 

 

[Charles Fischer]

On 12/11/2023 at 6:17 PM, Log Haulin said:

I don't really know what to make of it all. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Oregon has an excellent lead salesman in Lanning and a huge cash drawer in Division Street.  

 

Amateur football is dead at division 1 level. Not sure if I am interested. Time will tell. I will definitely try and look at more of the div2 games next year. 

 

 

Ok.

 

We have tons who say that and leave every year.  I had a writer leave who had written over 100 articles for us--some fantastic former player interviews, and history articles.  Why did he leave?  He did not like how Helfrich and the coaching staff were treated when fired back in 2016,

 

Legit gripes, but leaving as a Duck fan?  '

 

Yep.  And he wanted his name taken off all his articles.  So I did, and he's never been back.

 

And he is only ONE example, so if you or anyone leaves--I understand.  We have had SO MANY leave over time for their own reasons.  One told me recently that he did not like how Oregon fans were posting about the plight of OSU and WSU...so he is never posting again!

 

I can't make this stuff up.  And all of them want me to bend the rules, or how things are presented for their sensibilities.  They don't say that, but the implied threat of leaving is evident.

 

Got it.  Do what you gotta do, and we will continue to follow Oregon sports here with whoever wants to. I will be an Oregon fan through all the changes no matter what.

 

And the door at OBD forum...

 

[Haywarduck]

The game stays the same, the way it is played continues to change. If football isn't in your blood then at some point the change will drive you away.

 

What is in my blood is green and yellow so nothing is going to drive me away from the Ducks.

 

I will admit I still have a hard time accepting we aren't the long shot anymore.

[Duckster]

Charles ... that's a great point about the similarities between Chip and Deboer. He really is a version of Chip 2.0, and Lanning is going to have his future hands full trying to devise schemes to beat this guy.  In a few years I fully expect J. Smith to get things rolling at MSU. Man, no one said this jump the B1G was going to be easy.

 

And Haulin ... I feel your pain on this as well. The professionalism of the college game is hard to watch, and its still too early in the TP era to know how all of this will eventually shake itself out. I guess I'm invested enough to sit and watch it unfold before making any major decisions. I do find myself watching more High School sports than ever before, so that may be part of the reason why.

 

On a purely personal level I'm still trying to wrap my head around a young 20 something hanging around campus, taking a class or two while earning a six or seven figure salary. WTH??? I was the classic starving student during my years in Eugene ... odd jobs here and there for pocket change ... but loving the place nonetheless. What a difference! Alls I can say is that stud better stand for a couple of house rounds at Taylors every now and again as a way of saying thanks and appeasing the football gods.

[Charles Fischer]

On 12/11/2023 at 8:11 PM, Duckster said:

On a purely personal level I'm still trying to wrap my head around a young 20 something hanging around campus, taking a class or two while earning a six or seven figure salary. WTH??

Yep.  That is why you don't see me crying for many of the players.  They are doing just fine, and the current mess is of their making...

[Steven A]

Without Nix and without Penix, how different would DeDoer and Lanning be viewed?

 

Generational QB play can mask a lot of warts.

 

Time will tell.

[HappyToBeADuck]

What a diverse group of members on this Forum. Reading all the articles, with the subsequesnt posts and comments is such fun.....

 

Many, many times my view point has changed from other Forum members posts.  It's all about view points, mixed with feelings and passion.

 

The changes in college football, recently have been rapid and fast changing. Some good and some not so good

 

The wing T, student body right,  the forward pass, the shot gun formation, man in motion, and some bird bombs was about all the changes that dotted the landscape for over a hundred years. Change in college football moved at a snails pace. For traditionalists that worked.

 

Then Chip Kelly caused a seismac earthquake that brought unbelievable excitement to the sport. ESPN and Game day couldnt get enough of OBD's and whiny, poor sport Saban demanded rule changes. He's even a poor winner!

 

This fan could not get enough. 2 Natty appearances and about 60 wins in 5 years. WOW!

 

As a Duck fan were you excited about the changes that CK brought to college football?

 

Were you excited about Natty appearances or top 5 finishes?

 

I was, for sure. And I want that to be an annual event for our Ducks as it is for tOSU, Bama, Michigan, LSU and Georgia. Don't you?

 

I don't want to be PSU, Iowa, Wisconsin, MSU, Florida, Tennessee and Ole Miss. Outside looking in...

 

The TP is here to stay in college football........

 

Thankfully Coach Lanning and staff have navigated the TP as well as anyone. Coupled with Top 10 recruiting, DL has the Ducks poised to make the CFP annually.

 

Isn't that what we want?  The playoff or Holiday Bowl?

 

As a fan, we each may be at a personal crossroad on this. Thankfully DL and staff aren't at a crossroads. Most likely they are out getting the pieces needed to compete with tOSU, Michigan, PSU and those ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,huskies 

 

Go Ducks......

[Log Haulin]

On 12/11/2023 at 8:11 PM, Duckster said:

And Haulin ... I feel your pain on this as well. The professionalism of the college game is hard to watch, and its still too early in the TP era to know how all of this will eventually shake itself out. I guess I'm invested enough to sit and watch it unfold before making any major decisions. I do find myself watching more High School sports than ever before, so that may be part of the reason why.

 

In a few short years college football has compleatly changed imo. It no longer resembles amatuer sport. Ushered in is the pitfalls and realities only present in professional sports.

 

What I have been a fan of all these years is the college game. The game I have been a fan of doesn't look like the game we have today. Of course it it still football but... 

 

To me, it's concerning where all this is headed. I haven't embraced the changes because it's all happening so fast. I haven't had time to process it all.

 

The Ducks will thrive in this new environment. They have the HC and coffers to win in this new landscape. There is a price to pay though, and that cost is what is causing me delay in embracing the new realities of college football. I am not a win at any cost type 

 

Like I said, I am a fan of college football and the Oregon Ducks. Others can throw that into question if they choose. The truth is that my concerns are grounded in substance. I am not going to drink from the chalice just because the Ducks benifit.

 

I was a fan of my ex-wife at one point. But it changed into something unrecognizable to me. College football no longer appears to be the same as what I was in love with just a few years ago.

[Flyin Vee]

On 12/11/2023 at 7:17 PM, Log Haulin said:

I don't really know what to make of it all. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Oregon has an excellent lead salesman in Lanning and a huge cash drawer in Division Street.  

 

Amateur football is dead at division 1 level. Not sure if I am interested. Time will tell. I will definitely try and look at more of the div2 games next year. 

 

 

Friday night lights. The local HS teams need support. Cheaper food, better seats, kids giving their best fun time!

[Jon Joseph]

College football is a big business. Size goes to size in business.

 

Consolidation will continue until there is a Super Conference with 2 divisions (B1G + SEC?) and it will be NFL Lite with restrictions on transfers, direct pay-for-play, a high school draft, with players being union members.

 

It seems like sudden change. But this all goes back to 1984 when Oklahoma, Georgia, and other plaintiffs sued to end the NCAA's broadcast monopoly and won. From then on it was a race to see what schools could make the most in media dollars. 

 

I miss a lot of the tradition. But I don't miss having only one game broadcast on a given Saturday. And I love OBD and other blogs and sites that cover CFB year round.

 

When the boss is being paid $10M a year, the workers will be compensated one way or the other. And if the boss is free to leave for greener pastures shouldn't the workers have the same opportunity? 

 

IMO. following roster management today is very entertaining. And because of NIL and the portal, we just finished a season with more parity coast to coast than we have seen in a long time.

Edited December 12, 2023 by Jon Joseph