Gus should stay and entertain a move to FB, or leave. Can't blame him in either case. I can't see him making it in the NFL as a pure tailback. He just can't seem to figure out how to consistently get his pads down and take on tacklers with aggression instead of always trying to juke them. He could be a really versatile player if he was willing to put the work into learning how to be a lead blocker/pass catching FB. Maybe it would help him, or maybe he just doesn't have that mental mode. He'll be a loss for depth, but Homer will be better next year than Gus could ever be. Our RB depth will be fine. Richt really seems to only want to play 2 backs anyway.
Courtel Jenkins will be addition by subtraction. He was always a Dorito guy and you can see the bad attitude and lack of discipline in the way he plays. He's a square peg in a round hole with the new staff, and one with a bad attitude at that. Best of luck to him somewhere he might fit in better. Having him gone will improve the chemistry of the locker room and remove a bad example for the underclassmen to be infected by. Kool is all over the country looking for DT's. I have no doubt he'll find at least one for this class who will be better, hungrier, and younger than Court. And that's on top of Ford. It's ridiculous to say that losing Jenkins is no loss at all, because we are better for not having him around taking up oxygen.
Gerald Willis, I think, has real potential. But he has to show it. As Pete pointed out, he realizes he needs to put more on film. Badass of him to play with a torn meniscus for half a season. Here's hoping he's healthy all next season and steps up and balls out. I was impressed with what little I saw of him this year. Whenever I noticed him, he seemed to be playing with discipline and intensity. That's all we can really ask, especially of a reserve. Hopefully, he pops more often for making big plays next year.
I can't understand all the people saying Njoku isn't NFL ready. Man, he's light years beyond where Jimmy Graham was when we went pro, and look what that kid has accomplished. The only reason people are saying these things is because they aren't looking at things objectively and they want him to stay cause they want to watch him in Orange and Green one more year. I agree with that, and he definitely has parts of his game he needs to work on. If he and Kaaya were to come back next year, I really think we could have a truly special season. That is really the ONLY argument for why Njoku should come back, but I certainly can't say I wouldn't jet to the $$$ if I was him. He's a future NFL stud and any scouts that don't recognize that yet will certainly be more than aware by the time the draft rolls around. And we will miss him, but I don't think losing him will cost us a game. Him moving on will help us in the long run, with recruiting, and with opening up room for other studs to shine.
The guy we need back for one more year is Kaaya. We need him to steward us through one more year of transition. Give the staff time to get all these young QB's taught up and get to really know their strengths and weaknesses. Get them a year in the weight room under their belts and competing their asses off for position on the depth chart. I think Richt has finally figured out what he has, and what he doesn't have in Kaaya. He finally has a better grasp on how to call a game and put Brad in position to do what he is comfortable with. If we had that season to do over, I bet we only lose one or two games. Well, next year, we have basically the same schedule, and I think if Kaaya comes back, we're in the playoff discussion. While we've got some talent at QB, and will be more than fine there in the future, we need one more year out of Brad to get those guys bulked up and ready for the challenge. And if Brad does come back, he will have the opportunity to both write his legacy at the U, AND get himself up to that first round draft status that he is capable of.
