Guys, it would not surprise me if we were actually kinda good this year. I know new staffs and new systems come with growing pains sometimes, but from what I've seen so far, they have made massive strides in a short period of time.
Whether we're actually good or not this season, we'll have to see. There's still roster deficiencies.
I do know where we're headed though. And that's elite level. It's just a matter of time.
And if Mario is able to do that, I don't see us falling off for a long time. He ain't going anywhere IMO. It was told to me that he has aspirations of surpassing Saban. He wants to be on THAT level. Someone who is competing for titles on a regular basis and is top-5 in the country yearly. We all know that's lofty expectations, but that's where his head is at.
I also see us as a destination where coaches come, get better, win, and move on to HC or coordinator positions...much like we used to be...and how Bama is now. Gattis, Ponce, Addae are the first 3 guys that come to mind. I can see all 3 of them eventually getting promotions, either at Miami or somewhere else. Addae has future DC vibes, Gattis future HC and Ponce probably taking over as OC here. Mario certainly didn't hire any inexperienced slapd!cks like Manny did.
Lots of buzz around the program right now. Plenty of high school coaches were thoroughly impressed.