2025 Davon Mitchell 5* TE from Los Alamitos, CA (‘24 Reclass Likely) [commits to OU]

[Dulles Cane]

It's very simple, D$ has specified this time and time again: now that the NIL field is even, teams can just point to our record last year. We need to win badly. 8-4 or better and I'm confident we will have back to back top 10 classes.

 

[CaneTheGaytors]

Woodiel too new to blame IMO. Firsthand like a few other offensive players we need to improve in concepting how we plan on using these guys in one on ones. This is the 2nd player we failed on offensively selling in the "scheme" Hate away haha but facts are facts.

Sounds like old Mario hasn’t learned **** from last season.

He needs to stay the **** out the way regarding anything having to do with scheme, and let the offensive gurus paint the picture for these recruits. He needs to be nowhere near that film room except when it pertains to OL recruits. That’s it. Period and point blank!

I’ve said this ad nauseam on this site. Rad and Zo need to tell him to do his job and recruit like his hair is on fire, and leave the scheming and play calling to the professionals.

Giving a guy the keys to a Bugatti is not wise if he can barely drive a Pinto. Giving Mario absolute power over the program is about as bad a decision as has ever been made by our admin and bot.

 

[Jaxcane4]

Sounds like old Mario hasn’t learned **** from last season.

He needs to stay the **** out the way regarding anything having to do with scheme, and let the offensive gurus paint the picture for these recruits. He needs to be nowhere near that film room except when it pertains to OL recruits. That’s it. Period and point blank!

I’ve said this ad nauseam on this site. Rad and Zo need to tell him to do his job and recruit like his hair is on fire, and leave the scheming and play calling to the professionals.

Giving a guy the keys to a Bugatti is not wise if he can barely drive a Pinto. Giving Mario absolute power over the program is about as bad a decision as has ever been made by our admin and bot.

I think you're giving Mario to much credit. Could be as simple as Dawson or the other coaches not being as good of recruiters as the competition. Off the top Lebby is better and more proven at OU, Petrino and even Jimbo has more proven production and Rhule was putting up points at Baylor. Mario deserves blame but I highly doubt he is talking to kids about a power formation and leaving the schemes up to Dawson.

 

[WeBallinBoyz]

People can’t just take an L.

Staff recruited a player, close race, lost the battle: L.

Correct. And as people have alluded to, there’s no shame in taking a few L’s against elite programs when you’re competing for elite players. Especially when the position in question is stacked with youth and talent on your current roster.

Now if we continue to take L’s at positions of NEED (especially along the D-line), or continue to take L’s in general without landing multiple talented guys…well that’s a bit more impactful and cause for concern.

 

[PSU Cane]

It's very simple, D$ has specified this time and time again: now that the NIL field is even, teams can just point to our record last year. We need to win badly. 8-4 or better and I'm confident we will have back to back top 10 classes.

Personally, I don't think 8 wins will do it.

Miami is practically being handed 6 wins in Miami(OH), Bethune, Temple, GT, UVA and Boston College. The last 4 teams in that list had a combined 14 wins last season.

Then you have Louisville (trying to replace Cunningham) and NC State (trying to replace Leary) along with UNC, Clemson, FSU and A&M. If you can't split those 6, which includes beating lower tiered recruiting teams replacing long-term starting QBs and beating a few teams you recruit head-to-head with, to win at least 9 overall, the negative recruiting will only get louder......especially when you are likely going to lose TVD and only have JB, Emory and Judd returning at QB.

 

[hoops156]

I think you're giving Mario to much credit. Could be as simple as Dawson or the other coaches not being as good of recruiters as the competition. Off the top Lebby is better and more proven at OU, Petrino and even Jimbo has more proven production and Rhule was putting up points at Baylor. Mario deserves blame but I highly doubt he is talking to kids about a power formation and leaving the schemes up to Dawson.

who knows but I trust Mario as a recruiter so im more inclined to blame his staff choices again

 

[CaneTheGaytors]

I think you're giving Mario to much credit. Could be as simple as Dawson or the other coaches not being as good of recruiters as the competition. Off the top Lebby is better and more proven at OU, Petrino and even Jimbo has more proven production and Rhule was putting up points at Baylor. Mario deserves blame but I highly doubt he is talking to kids about a power formation and leaving the schemes up to Dawson.

@1murhurricane clearly stated that both Dawson AND Mario sharted the bed regarding 2 different recruits this cycle as far as selling the vision on how they will be used.

My point is that Mario should be nowhere near that film room to explain anything scheme related to any recruits, unless it’s OL.

As usual, CiS is ignoring the fact that @1murhurricane included our untouchable head corch in his statement.

At some point even the most hard headed (PAUSE), and stubborn posters on this site are going to have to realize that Mario was brought in to recruit great classes, the best of the best. He is NOT an X’s and O’s guy by any stretch of the imagination, but thinks that he is. The proof is in the pudding. He has a history of fielding underwhelming offensive football teams. Recruits and their families aren’t dumb.

 

[bobbydigius]

Sounds like old Mario hasn’t learned **** from last season.

He needs to stay the **** out the way regarding anything having to do with scheme, and let the offensive gurus paint the picture for these recruits. He needs to be nowhere near that film room except when it pertains to OL recruits. That’s it. Period and point blank!

I’ve said this ad nauseam on this site. Rad and Zo need to tell him to do his job and recruit like his hair is on fire, and leave the scheming and play calling to the professionals.

Giving a guy the keys to a Bugatti is not wise if he can barely drive a Pinto. Giving Mario absolute power over the program is about as bad a decision as has ever been made by our admin and bot.

I think a harsh reality will hit us soon enough when people begin to realize Dawson was overhyped. How he couldn’t sell Miller on the opportunity to play here and showcase the offense he had in Houston should be a major concern.

 

[OrangeBowlMagic]

I think a harsh reality will hit us soon enough when people begin to realize Dawson was overhyped. How he couldn’t sell Miller on the opportunity to play here and showcase the offense he had in Houston should be a major concern.

****. You ain’t even gonna let him get a practice in shorts in yet???

 

[Dulles Cane]

Personally, I don't think 8 wins will do it.

Miami is practically being handed 6 wins in Miami(OH), Bethune, Temple, GT, UVA and Boston College. The last 4 teams in that list had a combined 14 wins last season.

Then you have Louisville (trying to replace Cunningham) and NC State (trying to replace Leary) along with UNC, Clemson, FSU and A&M. If you can't split those 6, which includes beating lower tiered recruiting teams replacing long-term starting QBs and beating a few teams you recruit head-to-head with, to win at least 9 overall, the negative recruiting will only get louder......especially when you are likely going to lose TVD and only have JB, Emory and Judd returning at QB.

I respectfully disagree on the premise that 8 wins won't do it. I think with 8 Mario and staff can spin it well and show tangible progress.

Now do I think we should win at least 9? Yes. But again, the premise discussed was whether a top 10 class is doable with 8 wins.

 

[Jaxcane4]

@1murhurricane clearly stated that both Dawson AND Mario sharted the bed regarding 2 different recruits this cycle as far as selling the vision on how they will be used.

My point is that Mario should be nowhere near that film room to explain anything scheme related to any recruits, unless it’s OL.

As usual, CiS is ignoring the fact that @1murhurricane included our untouchable head corch in his statement.

At some point even the most hard headed (PAUSE), and stubborn posters on this site are going to have to realize that Mario was brought in to recruit great classes, the best of the best. He is NOT an X’s and O’s guy by any stretch of the imagination, but thinks that he is. The proof is in the pudding. He has a history of fielding underwhelming offensive football teams. Recruits and their families aren’t dumb.

Maybe I explained it poorly, Mario In the room or not the only thing that's going to change recruiting with anything outside of recruiting the running game is results. Which the players we lost to the teams they committed to have. There is only so many times you can say you're the next tank dell. But again as I stated earlier it is a team effort with getting their *** kicked minus the running game.

 

[Brains]

Personally, I don't think 8 wins will do it.

Miami is practically being handed 6 wins in Miami(OH), Bethune, Temple, GT, UVA and Boston College. The last 4 teams in that list had a combined 14 wins last season.

Then you have Louisville (trying to replace Cunningham) and NC State (trying to replace Leary) along with UNC, Clemson, FSU and A&M. If you can't split those 6, which includes beating lower tiered recruiting teams replacing long-term starting QBs and beating a few teams you recruit head-to-head with, to win at least 9 overall, the negative recruiting will only get louder......especially when you are likely going to lose TVD and only have JB, Emory and Judd returning at QB.

8 Wins doesn't move the needle at all. Doesn't hurt, but doesn't help.

I'll add that, if we can't blow out 4 of those 6 wins you indicated, it's a bad sign. For the record, I don't see us blowing out more than two of them.

 

[STG]

I think a harsh reality will hit us soon enough when people begin to realize Dawson was overhyped. How he couldn’t sell Miller on the opportunity to play here and showcase the offense he had in Houston should be a major concern.

He absolutely was/is overhyped by Canes fans. He has a 4 year sample size, at two different programs, where he was the sole OC away from Dana and his offenses were putrid all four years.

Not to mention, he did not run any semblance of an Air Raid and from what I saw used minimal Air Raid concepts those 4 years as well. And over those 4 years, he averaged rushing the ball 54% of the time. It's why Mario likes him so much. He can claim he's an Air Raid guy (because his time under Dana), but absolutely prefers running the ball first.

After being let go at Southern Miss, he had no suitors and returned under Dana for a 2nd time, but not as OC, but as a TE coach, than PGC/QB coach and finally back to "OC" his last two years at Houston.

I hope I am wrong, but I believe Dana was always the true OC when Dawson was under him. I don't think it's a coincidence Dawson's offenses looked different than Dana's and was bad his 4 years as an OC elsewhere.

 

[moshated305]

Woodiel is a first year coach and Dawson has been a coordinator/coach forever, what are you talking about?

Whose a relatively unknown, especially in SoFla and hasn't coached a game at Miami yet. Kids want to see what his offense at Miami will look like. Not what he did at Houston.

 

[Hegemon]

Not even sure why people are remotely mad about this. We are stacked at TE.

Wild times man.

It's the summer and most of the fanbase is cooling off with Glue Slurpies.

 

[JgDaCane]

He absolutely was/is overhyped by Canes fans. He has a 4 year sample size, at two different programs, where he was the sole OC away from Dana and his offenses were putrid all four years.

Not to mention, he did not run any semblance of an Air Raid and from what I saw used minimal Air Raid concepts those 4 years as well. And over those 4 years, he averaged rushing the ball 54% of the time. It's why Mario likes him so much. He can claim he's an Air Raid guy (because his time under Dana), but absolutely prefers running the ball first.

After being let go at Southern Miss, he had no suitors and returned under Dana for a 2nd time, but not as OC, but as a TE coach, than PGC/QB coach and finally back to "OC" his last two years at Houston.

I hope I am wrong, but I believe Dana was always the true OC when Dawson was under him. I don't think it's a coincidence Dawson's offenses looked different than Dana's and was bad his 4 years as an OC elsewhere.

 

[CT Cane 44]

If we lose Mitchell to OU and Odom to Bama, then it looks like Tayvion Galloway would be the backup plan since he's supposed to visit Miami later this month.

Galloway was pushed out of LSU's class after they landed a better TE prospect in high 4* and Top 100 overall recruit Trey'Dez Green. After decommitting from LSU, Galloway has taken official visits to Purdue, UCF, and Syracuse. Needless to say, that's not big boy competition. And he's an Ohio kid who isn't drawing interest from Ohio State. Seeing which programs are actively pursuing a player is always a better indicator than just lazily looking at an offer list.

Sure we have bigger issues to address than TE, but it would not be a good look if we miss on the top targets in Mitchell and Odom. Stockpiling as much Top 100 overall talent as possible is imperative to building a top program and we need as much elite offensive talent as we can get, especially considering the lingering concerns at QB and WR.

I’m fine with him as a backup. We have Skinner, Riley Williams and Carver who’s also a stud. I figured it would be hard for us to grab a top 5 tight end considering

 

[WeBallinBoyz]

If we lose Mitchell to OU and Odom to Bama, then it looks like Tayvion Galloway would be the backup plan since he's supposed to visit Miami later this month.

Galloway was pushed out of LSU's class after they landed a better TE prospect in high 4* and Top 100 overall recruit Trey'Dez Green. After decommitting from LSU, Galloway has taken official visits to Purdue, UCF, and Syracuse. Needless to say, that's not big boy competition. And he's an Ohio kid who isn't drawing interest from Ohio State. Seeing which programs are actively pursuing a player is always a better indicator than just lazily looking at an offer list.

Sure we have bigger issues to address than TE, but it would not be a good look if we miss on the top targets in Mitchell and Odom. Stockpiling as much Top 100 overall talent as possible is imperative to building a top program and we need as much elite offensive talent as we can get, especially considering the lingering concerns at QB and WR.

Absolutely don’t need. Work on flips, or save that spot for a position of necessity.

 

[STG]

Are facts something that bother you? Or is slurping the only thing you're cool with?

 

[moshated305]

He absolutely was/is overhyped by Canes fans. He has a 4 year sample size, at two different programs, where he was the sole OC away from Dana and his offenses were putrid all four years.

Not to mention, he did not run any semblance of an Air Raid and from what I saw used minimal Air Raid concepts those 4 years as well. And over those 4 years, he averaged rushing the ball 54% of the time. It's why Mario likes him so much. He can claim he's an Air Raid guy (because his time under Dana), but absolutely prefers running the ball first.

After being let go at Southern Miss, he had no suitors and returned under Dana for a 2nd time, but not as OC, but as a TE coach, than PGC/QB coach and finally back to "OC" his last two years at Houston.

I hope I am wrong, but I believe Dana was always the true OC when Dawson was under him. I don't think it's a coincidence Dawson's offenses looked different than Dana's and was bad his 4 years as an OC elsewhere.

Similar things were said about Lashlee and his time away from Malzhan. Lashlee obviously learned from those rough times, hopefully Dawson did as well.