Olu Olu

That kind of high dollar initial investment needs to start year 1. For us, Mathews probably can, Olu... not so much. Doesn't mean he wont be good, its just that decisions need to be made on how to manage the roster and the salaries. To tie up a million+ on a developmental backup is hard to swallow no matter how good you think he eventually might be.
 
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That kind of high dollar initial investment needs to start year 1. For us, Mathews probably can, Olu... not so much. Doesn't mean he wont be good, its just that decisions need to be made on how to manage the roster and the salaries. To tie up a million+ on a developmental backup is hard to swallow no matter how good you think he eventually might be.
It really depends and in all reality we dont have all the details to call it either way. We have spent money on numerous kids in the past that werent going to be ready year 1. Now if we have better options available where the kids will be instant impact players, LFG, but lets get them in the fold first. This is just cope and the flip side of the coin when someone says the staff is getting bodied.
 
That kind of high dollar initial investment needs to start year 1. For us, Mathews probably can, Olu... not so much. Doesn't mean he wont be good, its just that decisions need to be made on how to manage the roster and the salaries. To tie up a million+ on a developmental backup is hard to swallow no matter how good you think he eventually might be.
This is a wrinkle that the stack chips crowd fails to recognize. You bring in a developmental guy who won't start day 1 but you pay him like a day 1 guy you are not only eating up your budget for a guy to sit the bench, but you're also potentially raising the dollar amount for a other players.

There's a lot more to roster construction now than just "stacking chips". MJC is another example. Sure, we wanted him but it doesn't make sense to pay him Toney money.
 
not at all
you stack every year
you cant afford to miss
this leads to gaps in your roster
its major miss if we whiff on both olo and MM
This isn't a video game; there's a lot more to roster construction now than just "stack chips". There isn't an infinite amount of money, and even if there were overpaying someone just to win a recruiting battle for optics means you will have to raise the NIL for established and proven players as well or risk losing proven commodities for potential.

I trust Mario and Mirabel to bring in a OT that helps fill in the depth and keep the trenches rolling.
 
The idea that Olu wanted to commit and we turned him down is silly
Facts ppl spewing nonsense if he wanted to commit to Miami yesterday I am 100% sure they would take him in. We're not quite accustomed recruiting at the top of the foodchain as a fanbase so these wild theories pop up everytime it looks like were about to lose a top recruit.
 
This isn't a video game; there's a lot more to roster construction now than just "stack chips". There isn't an infinite amount of money, and even if there were overpaying someone just to win a recruiting battle for optics means you will have to raise the NIL for established and proven players as well or risk losing proven commodities for potential.

I trust Mario and Mirabel to bring in a OT that helps fill in the depth and keep the trenches rolling.
Not going to lie, this sounds like cope as well. Five-star offensive linemen, as many have pointed out, are almost always worth the investment and who exactly are the proven players or commodities that we would be losing if we paid for Olu?

I trust Mario and Mirabal as well, but we should not be content filling depth and settling for projects.

At this point, what the **** are we saving our money for?
 
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This isn't a video game; there's a lot more to roster construction now than just "stack chips". There isn't an infinite amount of money, and even if there were overpaying someone just to win a recruiting battle for optics means you will have to raise the NIL for established and proven players as well or risk losing proven commodities for potential.

I trust Mario and Mirabel to bring in a OT that helps fill in the depth and keep the trenches rolling.
Not going to lie, this sounds like cope as well. Five-star offensive linemen, as many have pointed out, are almost always worth the investment and who exactly are the proven players or commodities that we would be losing if we paid for Olu?

I trust Mario and Mirabal as well, but we should not be content filling depth and settling for projects.

At this point, what the **** are we saving our money for?
Saving money=cope
 
The idea that Olu wanted to commit and we turned him down is silly

Don’t know if this was towards me, but I def don’t think he tried to commit. I hope that isn’t what my assumption statement came off as. I do think its likely that clear communication took place prior to all of this, and it was made clear to Olu/his camp that Matthews is the priority and nothing would be done until that recruitment is figured out. I don’t think for a second that taking both has ever been a realistic option and have stated as much dating all the way back to when Olu’s name first became an option. Olu being ready to commit now and not wait on MM’s decision, appears to be going to the school that is treating him like a priority.
 
Not going to lie, this sounds like cope as well. Five-star offensive linemen, as many have pointed out, are almost always worth the investment and who exactly are the proven players or commodities that we would be losing if we paid for Olu?

I trust Mario and Mirabal as well, but we should not be content filling depth and settling for projects.

At this point, what the **** are we saving our money for?
Proven commodities was used poorly by me as a general term for personnel management/decisions, because our new OT aren't proven commodities.

Regarding the OL, I have to think what they saw during the Spring with Cantwell and Cogdnon altered their view of what's needed at OT moving forward. They may have course corrected in terms of what they were willing to spend.

I feel like we had this same discussion on this board after signing Cici and Samson - meaning we were "bodied" for high end OT recruits, but the approach seemed to work out (the projects they signed at OT are now beginning to flash like Campbell and Wilkerson). Campbell and Wilkerson were projects with traits, and it seems like we may have something there moving forward. I can see that being the approach with this class - you have your set # for the position that you feel comfortable spending, and if the # is too rich for your taste then you move on.

Speaking of a #, it's clear we are willing to spend big on MM but not Olu. Both are 5* but one is projected to be a day 1 starter while the other isn't. I think that reveals to us what the plan is which is why I said what I said in the paragraph above.

In terms of what they are saving the money for...it's clear they are willing to spend big on Jacobs (same with MM). But I don't think it's necessarily about saving money as it is more about spending money smartly based on how you value the prospect and where you project said prospect (Olu is valued but not to the same dollar amount as an MM or Jacobs).

Call it cope if you want, but I think (I'm speculating because none of us are in that recruiting room or have insight on what the thinking is) we are watching an organization that is trying to maximize talent, extract value from said talent, and continue to be successful in retaining our proven commodities when the 2026 season concludes.
 
Saving money=cope
It's proper resource allocation. Call it cope, but these NIL deals don't exist in a vacuum; the deals will impact what we will have to pay other guys in that room. And paying a freshman starter money knowing he won't be ready doesn't seem like smart business.

Matthews is projected as a day 1 starter, and we are hearing that Mario will pay whatever it is to land his commitment.
 
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That’s cause they knew they had bonafide book ends for the next 3 years with cici, rivers and bell.

Prob allocated money else where
And after Spring, Mario and Mirabel can't feel that same way with what they saw with Cantwell, Ervin, Wilkerson, and Cogdnon? Or, what they expect they have with Merriweather and Hawks?

All that while also aggressively throwing money at Matthews and pushing for his commitment
 
And after Spring, Mario and Mirabel can't feel that same way with what they saw with Cantwell, Ervin, Wilkerson, and Cogdnon? Or, what they expect they have with Merriweather and Hawks?

All that while also aggressively throwing money at Matthews and pushing for his commitment
That's the game now big bank take little bank! Welcome to the NIL. GABOS
 
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