Illinois Football Recruiting Thread

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#476      
This is a flawed narrative. For one, we do not know what we spent for our backup OL, but we certainly need depth there. $400,000 is a lot of our budget solely on a kicker...there is a reason only a small handful of schools would pay that amount, and they likely have much deeper pockets than us.

What good is spending a lot of money on an Elite kicker if you shirk spending in other areas of need on the offense? It is likely that you would not be in position to kick the ball anyway. I love Olano, and appreciate everything he accomplished here, but I trust Coach B and staff to spend the dollars efficiently...so if they passed on Olano, I completely trust their assessment.
I don’t think wanting to be elite at a position is a “flawed narrative”. I’m saying a team like Illinois, who plays a lot of close games, really requires a good kicker. Even more than other programs because of the style we play.

What other areas are shrinking? Because didn’t you just say that we have no idea what we spent on the OL, but yet you are now saying that taking a kicker would affect those areas negatively? Listen I trust the staff, but I don’t see the point in playing chicken in special teams. I watched Illinois state lose a national title last night because of kicking, Tennessee lost a bowl because of it as well.
 
#479      
Really? It wasn't last year. I'm thrilled we're responding to the circumstances so aggressively. But the norm should not be this much turnover in the future. Not sure what the ideal is but I doubt our situation is ideal.

These cycles will happen for programs like b ours so I'm not bothered. But I don't want this to be the norm.
If you want to get better, you trim the fat and get more talented players at smaller programs. That’s the modern landscape of the sport. If you aren’t doing that, you’re behind. Look at Clemson.
 
#480      
Keyshawn?
The Rock Wwe GIF
 
#481      
If you want to get better, you trim the fat and get more talented players at smaller programs. That’s the modern landscape of the sport. If you aren’t doing that, you’re behind. Look at Clemson.
yup

our experience this year will be close to the norm every year for a lot of the programs out there . it’s the unintended consequences of unlimited transfers and out of control NIL

pretty much need to get used to it in both major sports .

I don’t like it but no one in charge asks me for my opinion .
 
#485      
After a redshirt FR year - is Farrell expected to be a big contributor at TE next year? See he is listed at 260 lbs now.
 
#486      
Has to be Hood right? He said one starter is transferring early on which I believe he was referring to Olano. So if another starter transferred that would be a surprise (i.e. Hood)
Neal was the other starter that transferred- I don’t think Hood was technically a starter
 
#487      
Neal was the other starter that transferred- I don’t think Hood was technically a starter
Thanks. Seems like it would have to be Neal (or maybe Hood). Anyone who didn’t play wouldn’t be a surprise to transfer. Very few of the transfers played much.
 
#489      
yup

our experience this year will be close to the norm every year for a lot of the programs out there . it’s the unintended consequences of unlimited transfers and out of control NIL

pretty much need to get used to it in both major sports .

I don’t like it but no one in charge asks me for my opinion .
I don't like it AT ALL, but it does make it so much sweeter when you get guys like Matthew Bailey.
 
#490      
The Illinois football webpages for each game's starters has Hood starting 10 games in 2025.
Fair point - I was going off of Bret's comment that they lost 2 starters to the portal and Tomiwa and Neal were considered starters and started most games, but when we did play Rosiek and Hood together, Hood did start a lot it, so I think in reality we lost 3 starters, but I don't know who Bret considered the 2 when he said that.
 
#491      
I don’t think wanting to be elite at a position is a “flawed narrative”. I’m saying a team like Illinois, who plays a lot of close games, really requires a good kicker. Even more than other programs because of the style we play.

What other areas are shrinking? Because didn’t you just say that we have no idea what we spent on the OL, but yet you are now saying that taking a kicker would affect those areas negatively? Listen I trust the staff, but I don’t see the point in playing chicken in special teams. I watched Illinois state lose a national title last night because of kicking, Tennessee lost a bowl because of it as well.
The flaw is thinking that $400,000+ at the kicking position is a good allocation of our precious resources. If you spend that dough there, you are certainly going to be hand tied in other recruiting areas to some nominal extent (which will negatively impact the quality of players brought in). Olano attempted 23 kicks this year. Even in an estimate of attempting 30 field goals, you are suggesting to spend $13,333/fg attempt. We may not be able to get an elite kicker this year, but we can certainly get a better bargain kicker that is serviceable than spending the elite Olano rate. Good for Olano, he earned the massive signing, but there is a reason why his market was so small at the rate he was offered.
 
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#492      
The flaw is thinking that $400,000+ at the kicking position is a good allocation of our precious resources. If you spend that dough there, you are certainly going to be hand tied in other recruiting areas to some nomial extent (which will negatively impact the quality of players brought in). Olano attempted 23 kicks this year. Even in an estimate of attempting 30 field goals, you are suggesting to spend $13,333/fg attempt. We may not be able to get an elite kicker this year, but we can certainly get a better bargain kicker that is serviceable than spending the elite Olano rate. Good for Olano, he earned the massive signing, but there is a reason why his market was so small at the rate he was offered.
I don’t think you should do that analysis per kick. It should be based on winning kicks. As kicking a 23 yarder and 47 yarder are much different. What is one game winning kick worth to an athletic department? I’d argue way more than 400k. Olano had A and M and OSU offering him. His market was plentiful.

But we’ll see what happens this year. No need to debate this to death lol
 
#494      
I don’t think wanting to be elite at a position is a “flawed narrative”. I’m saying a team like Illinois, who plays a lot of close games, really requires a good kicker. Even more than other programs because of the style we play.

What other areas are shrinking? Because didn’t you just say that we have no idea what we spent on the OL, but yet you are now saying that taking a kicker would affect those areas negatively? Listen I trust the staff, but I don’t see the point in playing chicken in special teams. I watched Illinois state lose a national title last night because of kicking, Tennessee lost a bowl because of it as well.

Look at how kickers are paid in the nfl. Right or wrong teams don’t really value the position
 
#496      
Look at how kickers are paid in the nfl. Right or wrong teams don’t really value the position
To be fair, if we're going to do the comparison to the NFL, the top kickers make $6M+ per year with a $250M salary cap, which is 2.4%. So, if our total budget is $25M for this year, we should be willing to pay $600K for a top kicker, which I think we would say Olano is, A&M's budget is certainly higher than ours, so they are likely paying him something like 2.4% of their total budget, so maybe they aren't as crazy as it may seems
 
#498      
To be fair, if we're going to do the comparison to the NFL, the top kickers make $6M+ per year with a $250M salary cap, which is 2.4%. So, if our total budget is $25M for this year, we should be willing to pay $600K for a top kicker, which I think we would say Olano is, A&M's budget is certainly higher than ours, so they are likely paying him something like 2.4% of their total budget, so maybe they aren't as crazy as it may seems

We also have a 105 man roster. Butker is making 6 million but that’s definitely not the average
 
#499      
To be fair, if we're going to do the comparison to the NFL, the top kickers make $6M+ per year with a $250M salary cap, which is 2.4%. So, if our total budget is $25M for this year, we should be willing to pay $600K for a top kicker, which I think we would say Olano is, A&M's budget is certainly higher than ours, so they are likely paying him something like 2.4% of their total budget, so maybe they aren't as crazy as it may seems
But an NFL active roster is half the size of what college is now. Once you take that into account you're closer to $300K.
 
#500      
Look at how kickers are paid in the nfl. Right or wrong teams don’t really value the position
There are now 16 kickers in the NFL making 3 million or more. 5 years ago sure. The long field goal kicker has shifted the NFL. How many games did saban lose at bama because of kicking? It’s crazy we undervalue this so much.
 
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