Desmond Phillips

[Angry Ibis]

If he was as good as you make him out to be, he'd have a lot more offers

How many times does this have to be proven wrong before you stop believing it?

Just look at any NFL roster. Half of the good players had big offers. Half of them didn't. Seven of the Top 10 passers in the NFL were three stars or lower. Five of the top ten running backs were three stars or lower. Five of the top ten wide receivers were three stars or lower. And those are just the high-profile positions.

Even with the advances in recruiting rankings, that's still the case. Half of the kids drafted in the 2015 draft were three-stars or lower. Over 56 percent of the first rounders were three stars or lower. It still happens all the time.

Are four and five star players more likely to succeed, on average? Of course. That's why schools with highly rated classes are more likely to succeed on the whole. But saying "if he was good, he'd have more offers" is just wrong. You need to look deeper than that.

I think that success at college and success in the NFL are mutually exclusive. It's nice to see our boys rep us in the NFL, but it still hasn't gotten us more than 9 wins in the past decade.

Saying that X player is tearing up the NFL so and he was a 2* recruit, doesn't pertain too much to his college success. A lot of guys continue to get better after college which was the case with Antonio Brown. I mean how many of those guys were 1st round picks? That is a better indicator of college success.

I guess what I'm trying to prove here is that I would take Tim Tebow, who had no success in the nfl, yet was a monster in college, over Aaron Rodgers any day of the week. Once you get to the NFL and you are 3-5 years older than you were when being recruited, you are an entirely different person and player.

Agreed. Lots of banging the drum lately about the NFL. I'm worried more about production at UM.

 

[LuCane]

If he was as good as you make him out to be, he'd have a lot more offers

How many times does this have to be proven wrong before you stop believing it?

Just look at any NFL roster. Half of the good players had big offers. Half of them didn't. Seven of the Top 10 passers in the NFL were three stars or lower. Five of the top ten running backs were three stars or lower. Five of the top ten wide receivers were three stars or lower. And those are just the high-profile positions.

Even with the advances in recruiting rankings, that's still the case. Half of the kids drafted in the 2015 draft were three-stars or lower. Over 56 percent of the first rounders were three stars or lower. It still happens all the time.

Are four and five star players more likely to succeed, on average? Of course. That's why schools with highly rated classes are more likely to succeed on the whole. But saying "if he was good, he'd have more offers" is just wrong. You need to look deeper than that.

I think that success at college and success in the NFL are mutually exclusive. It's nice to see our boys rep us in the NFL, but it still hasn't gotten us more than 9 wins in the past decade.

Saying that X player is tearing up the NFL so and he was a 2* recruit, doesn't pertain too much to his college success. A lot of guys continue to get better after college which was the case with Antonio Brown. I mean how many of those guys were 1st round picks? That is a better indicator of college success.

I guess what I'm trying to prove here is that I would take Tim Tebow, who had no success in the nfl, yet was a monster in college, over Aaron Rodgers any day of the week. Once you get to the NFL and you are 3-5 years older than you were when being recruited, you are an entirely different person and player.

Agreed. Lots of banging the drum lately about the NFL. I'm worried more about production at UM.

I understand the point. I also realize it's that EXACT line of thinking that led the Texas Longhorn program to continuously recruit more "finished" products and miss out on late bloomers growing up in their backyard.

 

[The Franchise]

I can understand preferring another WR to Phillips.

But, people are saying:

- He's not fast. Meanwhile, the guy absolutely destroys angles from legitimate athletes.
- Implying Richt basically knows all (here we go again). What's Richt's history on player projections? Does he bring a lot of guys in who project to a different position? This is important because, in SoFla, we have a unique opportunity to take advantage of this exact type of athlete.

Real talk: Richt has been less than stellar signing impact WRs lately. When he signs a freaky athlete, he didn't always get the most out of their ability. He had a guy like Chris Conley last year, who wound up blowing up the NFL combine with ridiculous athletic numbers, and he only caught something like 36 passes at UGA. Conley is 6'3 and ran a 4.35 at the NFL combine, but Richt only managed to get 36 catches out of him.

 

[INCaneFan]

The combine is great, but how well does he run routes? How good are his hands? Did he sell his routes when he wasn't anything other than a decoy? They run a lot, what was his blocking like? I can't say I watched enough to answer any of those things, but perhaps that's why he didn't see the field more or wasn't more productive?
.

 

[LuCane]

I can understand preferring another WR to Phillips.

But, people are saying:

- He's not fast. Meanwhile, the guy absolutely destroys angles from legitimate athletes.
- Implying Richt basically knows all (here we go again). What's Richt's history on player projections? Does he bring a lot of guys in who project to a different position? This is important because, in SoFla, we have a unique opportunity to take advantage of this exact type of athlete.

Real talk: Richt has been less than stellar signing impact WRs lately. When he signs a freaky athlete, he didn't always get the most out of their ability. He had a guy like Chris Conley last year, who wound up blowing up the NFL combine with ridiculous athletic numbers, and he only caught something like 36 passes at UGA. Conley is 6'3 and ran a 4.35 at the NFL combine, but Richt only managed to get 36 catches out of him.

I'm more concerned with whether or not he's a coach whose evaluations involve some level of projection. Maybe he expects everyone to come in like Stafford or Nick Chubb or whatever. I really don't know his history with this aspect, so I'm asking.

 

[The Franchise]

The combine is great, but how well does he run routes? How good are his hands? Did he sell his routes when he wasn't anything other than a decoy? They run a lot, what was his blocking like? I can't say I watched enough to answer any of those things, but perhaps that's why he didn't see the field more or wasn't more productive?
.

All of those things you inquired about are functions of being coached up well.

At 6'3 with 4.35 speed he was good enough to be a high NFL draft pick and to have a pretty decent rookie season as a WR. I would have liked to see more than 36 catches from him at UGA. That's all.

 

[Angry Ibis]

If he was as good as you make him out to be, he'd have a lot more offers

How many times does this have to be proven wrong before you stop believing it?

Just look at any NFL roster. Half of the good players had big offers. Half of them didn't. Seven of the Top 10 passers in the NFL were three stars or lower. Five of the top ten running backs were three stars or lower. Five of the top ten wide receivers were three stars or lower. And those are just the high-profile positions.

Even with the advances in recruiting rankings, that's still the case. Half of the kids drafted in the 2015 draft were three-stars or lower. Over 56 percent of the first rounders were three stars or lower. It still happens all the time.

Are four and five star players more likely to succeed, on average? Of course. That's why schools with highly rated classes are more likely to succeed on the whole. But saying "if he was good, he'd have more offers" is just wrong. You need to look deeper than that.

I think that success at college and success in the NFL are mutually exclusive. It's nice to see our boys rep us in the NFL, but it still hasn't gotten us more than 9 wins in the past decade.

Saying that X player is tearing up the NFL so and he was a 2* recruit, doesn't pertain too much to his college success. A lot of guys continue to get better after college which was the case with Antonio Brown. I mean how many of those guys were 1st round picks? That is a better indicator of college success.

I guess what I'm trying to prove here is that I would take Tim Tebow, who had no success in the nfl, yet was a monster in college, over Aaron Rodgers any day of the week. Once you get to the NFL and you are 3-5 years older than you were when being recruited, you are an entirely different person and player.

Agreed. Lots of banging the drum lately about the NFL. I'm worried more about production at UM.

I understand the point. I also realize it's that EXACT line of thinking that led the Texas Longhorn program to continuously recruit more "finished" products and miss out on late bloomers growing up in their backyard.

I believe I was unclear with my previous post. My exact line of thinking is I give zero ***** about the South Florida athlete in the NFL, picking on underachievers at UM but then they do well in the NFL or other bull**** related to that or defending Kaaya because he may be Aaron Rodgers in 8 years.

I care about recruiting players to be successful while at the University of Miami. If that is using recruiting services to pick 5* studs and locking them down locally or using the coach's eyeball and a friend of a friend of a player's uncle to send a video to paranos to sign late bloomers in our own backyard or the coal fields of Al Golden's dreams than so be it.

 

[L A M P]

Real talk: Richt has been less than stellar signing impact WRs lately. When he signs a freaky athlete, he didn't always get the most out of their ability. He had a guy like Chris Conley last year, who wound up blowing up the NFL combine with ridiculous athletic numbers, and he only caught something like 36 passes at UGA. Conley is 6'3 and ran a 4.35 at the NFL combine, but Richt only managed to get 36 catches out of him.

 

[Angry Ibis]

I can understand preferring another WR to Phillips.

But, people are saying:

- He's not fast. Meanwhile, the guy absolutely destroys angles from legitimate athletes.
- Implying Richt basically knows all (here we go again). What's Richt's history on player projections? Does he bring a lot of guys in who project to a different position? This is important because, in SoFla, we have a unique opportunity to take advantage of this exact type of athlete.

Real talk: Richt has been less than stellar signing impact WRs lately. When he signs a freaky athlete, he didn't always get the most out of their ability. He had a guy like Chris Conley last year, who wound up blowing up the NFL combine with ridiculous athletic numbers, and he only caught something like 36 passes at UGA. Conley is 6'3 and ran a 4.35 at the NFL combine, but Richt only managed to get 36 catches out of him.

I'm more concerned with whether or not he's a coach whose evaluations involve some level of projection. Maybe he expects everyone to come in like Stafford or Nick Chubb or whatever. I really don't know his history with this aspect, so I'm asking.

I agree with this. We need Stafford and Chubb type players, but those that aren't we need the evaluation to understand they will develop into players that fit what we need to win.

 

[INCaneFan]

Not necessarily, Fran.

You can coach only do much or in some cases it takes a different way of coaching to get through to someone.

A guy with his speed and he only has 15 catches for 177 yards this year. Surely he's getting some food coaching now as well, yes?

Here's what was said as his weaknesses entering the draft:

Needs to add more polish to his routes to open wider throwing windows. Can be redirected and thrown off course by press coverage. Takes time to ramp back up to desired play speed when defenders get hands on him. Won't flash the desired quickness and foot speed to get himself open underneath. Won't light it up after the catch. Dropped way too many throws during drills at the combine.

 

[The Franchise]

I can understand preferring another WR to Phillips.

But, people are saying:

- He's not fast. Meanwhile, the guy absolutely destroys angles from legitimate athletes.
- Implying Richt basically knows all (here we go again). What's Richt's history on player projections? Does he bring a lot of guys in who project to a different position? This is important because, in SoFla, we have a unique opportunity to take advantage of this exact type of athlete.

Real talk: Richt has been less than stellar signing impact WRs lately. When he signs a freaky athlete, he didn't always get the most out of their ability. He had a guy like Chris Conley last year, who wound up blowing up the NFL combine with ridiculous athletic numbers, and he only caught something like 36 passes at UGA. Conley is 6'3 and ran a 4.35 at the NFL combine, but Richt only managed to get 36 catches out of him.

I'm more concerned with whether or not he's a coach whose evaluations involve some level of projection. Maybe he expects everyone to come in like Stafford or Nick Chubb or whatever. I really don't know his history with this aspect, so I'm asking.

I've watched a lot of UGA football, and I can't remember off the top of my head any "projection" masterpieces. I mainly remember them succeeding with big-time players at the positions they came in playing. I think David Pollack went in there as a DT and wound up moving outside to DE as a sophomore and just killing it once he made that move.

 

[252cane]

Look there is nonthing special about phillips. There are guys like him every year in florida. Can't believe people are acting like this guy is a superstar or something.

 

[The Franchise]

Not necessarily, Fran.

You can coach only do much or in some cases it takes a different way of coaching to get through to someone.

A guy with his speed and he only has 15 catches for 177 yards this year. Surely he's getting some food coaching now as well, yes?

Here's what was said as his weaknesses entering the draft:

Needs to add more polish to his routes to open wider throwing windows. Can be redirected and thrown off course by press coverage. Takes time to ramp back up to desired play speed when defenders get hands on him. Won't flash the desired quickness and foot speed to get himself open underneath. Won't light it up after the catch. Dropped way too many throws during drills at the combine.

I'm not a big believer in coaching helping with hands. I tend to think that you're either a natural hands-catcher or you're not.

As for route running and getting off contact, I think that's a huge area where coaching makes a difference.

All in all 15 catches for a 3rd round rookie WR is pretty decent. You don't see many WRs light it up as rookies these days unless they're just other-worldly guys like Amari Cooper.

 

[INCaneFan]

I can live with all of that, but he better step up or he'll be out of the NFL lickety split.

Getting off on the line is about footspeed and if you've got it, just being more physical. The physical aspect can be taught as it's not just about strength, but the quickness / footspeed, there's only so much work that can be done there. Seems that was considered a weakness coming in.

 

[westcoastcanes]

All I know for sure is this thread will be a great bump in two years either way when the next crop of 10 great athletes with no defined position and no offers are a big mistake cuz south florida.



Subscribed.

 

[Ohio_Cane]

Strange answers when talking about Miami, his decommittment, and what UM needs to show him: "I just wanna play, man"

[video]youtu.be/PrlkB15a47s?a[/video]

 

[Golden Era]

we're gonna be regretting this one.

 

[1hurricane]

we're gonna be regretting this one.

If Richt gives this kid a call he'll come back. I just hope Richt makes that call because we really need playmakers like this.

 

[Jassid82]

I just think when Richt looked at the WR big board and saw his DesPhillips name on the "A" board he politely asked WTF and moved him to the "B" board. Not saying I agree but clearly it seems like he's a backup plan at this point. Which is confusing because Richt liked Isiah McKenzie and they are similar.

 

[frostycane]

Lets not forget how crazed everyone was about trayone Gray. He was the next great thing. Freak with the ball in his hands, elite playmaker. Not sure what position but you take athletes like him anyway. But he's done nothing at this point. He's too raw for RB and cannot pass guys that have always been an RB because they are close athletically and much more polished as an RB. Ideally you gets studs that have a position. Ridley, amari Cooper, cook, they were studs that play their position. And that's what allows their plus athleticism show. So I'm not super disappointed about this project player. Not doubting his talent, but we need more football players that are elite athletes. Not guys that are one but not the other...