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Grading our 2025 Portal Haul

flips said:
I had similar thought. An elite QB can make average WRs look like good ones. So, while it would be ideal to pair him with a bonafide WR1, don't think it's the end of the world not to have a true WR1, in college at least.

Issue is the QB we got struggled last year after his elite receiving threats (McConkey & Bowers) went to the NFL, and their replacements weren't elite. He's also coming off a major injury. It's unfortunate that we weren't able to get a WR1 in the portal. We really need Daniels to shine and JoJo (or some other returnee) make a huge leap. Can certainly happen, and am hoping it does.
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Weren't elite is a understatement for UGA WR and running game last season.
 

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MrCane said:
Weren't elite is a understatement for UGA WR and running game last season.
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Agree, and it's entirely possible Beck's struggles had more to do with the fact UGA couldn't run the ball than the WRs. Am confident our run game will be worlds better than theirs was last year. I just wish we would have gotten a WR1 type who could stretch the field outside the hashes. Even with Cam last year we didn't have that and I thought it showed when we didn't get points on all those drives in Gtech territory and never threw the ball into the end zone on that last drive against Cuse.
 
Gocanes1990 said:
Here’s my benchmark did we move ourselves meaningfully closer to Winning the conference given the sizable budget we have. The answer to that is not really (see Vegas odds). My logic below…

We made the splash at QB1, credit to the staff. without a true WR1, that addition is less impactful.

We also had a massive need at DT, missed on 3/4 guys we wanted and may or may not have encouraged to enter…

LB had a lot of talent moving around in winter, we took no one. Huge mistake

So what happens in my analysis before we play a single game so TIFIW (no much)… But we look one dimensional. Run heavy and perhaps lacking in run defense. Tough to win a conf title like that
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I mean these are all valid criticisms and concerns. I think a lot of it comes down to bad luck/timing. If Beck transfers earlier we likely get one of those premier WR transfers.

Also a lot of the big programs were more desperate for DL (OSU, UGA, LSU) and were more willing to spend a bigger portion of their NIL budget than we were imo.

Our LB room is also pretty crowded already and they didn’t show any of them the door, that leads me to believe that they’re comfortable with the talent in that room (but they were also comfortable with the DB room last year and look how that went.)
 
RightSaidFred said:
Wasn’t close to good enough. Top to bottom this looks like an 8 win team to me, a step back from last year.

This team will be able to maul on offense but we don’t have any skill position playmakers at all. You hope Jojo Trader but I think he caught like five passes last season.

The lack of explosive playmaking will bite us in the *** this year, so will missing on safety, nickel and linebacker.

Good in the trenches, good at QB, mediocre elsewhere. 8 wins.

I don’t like the trajectory of this program since about October last year. Finished the season with a whimper as usual, had a **** poor high school recruiting class, had a decent Winter portal but not enough to make up for the talent we lost off the 24 team, and completely face planted in the Spring portal.

We obviously aren’t spending what we need to spend or something but something is definitely off
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Lack of explosive proven playmaking. Don’t know what we had behind Restrepo, George, Sam, and Horton because there weren’t any injuries and we were in shootout mode most of the season. It doesn’t mean that it’s not lurking in the younger talent who didn’t play.
 
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Rey Rey Armweak said:
Now that portal season is basically done, I wanted to take a look at how we did.

I graded how I thought we did at each position (Winter + Spring, taking into account addition + retention). I am NOT grading the position group, just how we did in the portal. Obviously every group needed different things so the bar is different at each spot.



QB: A

Maybe you preferred Mateer. Maybe you wanted a top backup. But Beck is a proven winner with NFL talent.



RB: B

Lost depth in CJ and Ajay, added Charmar who is young and talented. We were never going to add a difference maker this cycle, just needed to retain Lyle/Fletcher and maintain depth.



WR: C

Losing Horton hurts. Added CJ who is good + Marion who is decent + Johnson who is depth. Needed a lot here and didn't really do it. Failed to get the top Winter talent (wish Beck committed earlier…) and had almost no options in the Spring.



TE: C-

Riley Williams out, Bauman in. That's a downgrade. Not a deep group unless the freshmen are ready.



OL: A

Filled the gap at Center with Brockermeyer who is solid. Very impressed we retained our talented backups (Samson, Kinsler, whoever not starting of Rodriguez/Mccoy).



DL: B-

Retained our ****nal of young DL talent except Horton. Blay is an upgrade at DT - needed another rotational DT. Would not have complained about adding another elite piece at any spot on the line but that's a luxury with lots of other needs on the roster.



LB: C+

Bonner is a solid add but not a room fixer. Very surprised we were able to keep all ~7 of the guys looking for playing time - figured ~2 of them would've been shown the door which gives me some hope we like our talent there and scheme was the issue.



DB: A

Brought in proven talents at CB and S including some with multiple years of eligibility. If I'm being picky there were safeties I liked more than JaKobe. Still, this is an insane turning around of the room.



ST: B+

Added a nice kick returner. Auburn used to be elite but fell off last year - a little nervous here given how good we've had it with Borregales bros.



Overall Grade: B+

We filled a lot of the holes on the roster with quality players (CB, S, C, QB, DT) and only lost 3 guys who were going to play a lot this year (Riley, Horton, Horton). Would've loved a high end add at WR/LB or more depth at DT. At every "hole" there are young guys on the roster who MIGHT step in and solve the issue. That'll determine whether we go 10+ wins or 7-9 wins.
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Marion I’m telling you is better than a decent Recievers & Will be Miami ‘s Deep threat Big Play reciever.
Johnson, CJ Daniels & Marion
All give your Talents that complement each other.
Those three would make a better than average Starting 3 Receivers.
 
gogeta4 said:
AT te just how you had Lofton you have Schott in this years class.

Swap out Mccormick for Luke Nickel's brother.

The te room is very similar to last years group. **** we probably have better bloking as Riley Williams as big as he is wasnta ctually that good at that. Which is why he left because he doesnt want to do that he wanted ot be a receiving threat.

We will see if Lofton can provide some of what Arroyo did. We only lose 1 te after this year as well. Young room
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isn't there also a Walk on at TE that apparently showed out during the spring? random but just came to mind.
 
Braduhley said:
I mean these are all valid criticisms and concerns. I think a lot of it comes down to bad luck/timing. If Beck transfers earlier we likely get one of those premier WR transfers.

Also a lot of the big programs were more desperate for DL (OSU, UGA, LSU) and were more willing to spend a bigger portion of their NIL budget than we were imo.

Our LB room is also pretty crowded already and they didn’t show any of them the door, that leads me to believe that they’re comfortable with the talent in that room (but they were also comfortable with the DB room last year and look how that went.)
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All fair pts. My core belief is if we’re going to place 13+ games this year. We have to be deeper at DT…
 
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I like the progress Mario is making and I think this team is pretty talented. I am very concerned that we appear to be short players at both DT and LB. If we lose to the Irish, the most likely reason will be that we weren’t stout enough on defense. Our LBs are going to have to be able to tackle Love and Price.
 
I think people using last year's team as a bar for measuring this year's team aren't being realistic.

Let me explain. Last year was a record book season on offense. Cam was the #1 overall pick. Arroyo was a second rounder, etc. However, for as good as the offense was, the defense was an unmitigated disaster. It was awful. It was so bad that it allowed the best offense in the nation to lose three games....to teams that weren't really all that good. If we had an average defense last year, we make the playoffs and the Slurpers would be flipping off the mopes with both hands. Also, if we had an average defense last year, we could've won 10 games with a top 25 offense. My point is that while we do not have Cam Ward under center this fall, we do have enough pieces on offense to get to that top 25 level (and likely better than that) on offense. If the defense is average (top 40-50 in the nation), we don't need a Cam Ward-esque offense to get to 10 wins. I think our defense will be in that range, but won't know until I see it on the field. If Beck's injury is a thing of the past come August, our offense will certainly be Top 25.

10-2. Playoffs made this year.
 
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canefan96 said:
Said it once and I”ll say it again, I feel we are in deep trouble stopping the run as we were last year. Just don’t see the improvement in the front seven from last year year.
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It's the same mediocre group as last season + Blay, who we hope can adjust from Conf USA to ACC.

I'm not optimistic at all about the defense.

I threw my orange and green glasses in the trash. This is an 8-4 team IMO.
 
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