Illinois Football Recruiting Thread

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#29      
ChiefGritty
FI_890526 said:
Did not anticipate the speed at which the market would explode and pass them by.
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We pay more attention to the numbers nationally in basketball which have inflated to an eye-watering degree and I have no doubt it's even steeper on the football side.

It's all unsustainable madness of course, but you want to be where we are in hoops, riding the crest of the wave.
 
#31      
illiniwil
i guess i wonder what makes it unsustainable? with billionaires (trillionaires) anything is possible.
$100 million dollar payrolls?
 
#32      
Battle89
I wrote the below post two years ago, in June 2024. Reflecting back, man did the football program exceed expectations these last two years. I am over the moon with the victories and the bowl games and the national exposure. Bret and his team deserve great accolades.

Combine that with the relative downturn in SEC football (my 'super schools' below, along with tOSU, UM, etc.) and Illinois football is way back. Now are we 'top-tier'? I don't know, every person can define that as they choose. I suppose I'd say a playoff appearance would be the definition for me, equivalent to an Elite Eight or Final Four run in basketball (technically Sweet Sixteen by the numbers, but emotionally for me a football playoff berth for Illinois would be a greater achievement than a Sweet Sixteen in basketball). So I feel we are right there near the top, but not yet top-tier.

I will further admit that the above posts regarding a lack of commits and the corresponding lack of football NIL are terrifying to me, and I know that will come off as an overreaction to some here. Maybe so. But even with Bret's excellent coaching, at some point you do indeed need the Jimmys and the Joes. I have said here before that I think we are going to miss Luke more than we realize.

Having said all that, I'm not sure I'd directionally change what I wrote two years ago. Change the magnitude of the comments, definitely. 17th to 13th? Cannon fodder? Those statements seem out-of-date at best and ludicrous at worst, in the Bret world.

But there is still not an infinite pool out there, and basketball might be a top 5 team next year (again!). ROI says give the NIL to Brad. Whether I want it or not, I think that is what's happening, and we are seeing it on both squads, with the basketball retention and the football recruiting misses.

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#35      
pvaughn8
I wrote the below post two years ago, in June 2024. Reflecting back, man did the football program exceed expectations these last two years. I am over the moon with the victories and the bowl games and the national exposure. Bret and his team deserve great accolades.

Combine that with the relative downturn in SEC football (my 'super schools' below, along with tOSU, UM, etc.) and Illinois football is way back. Now are we 'top-tier'? I don't know, every person can define that as they choose. I suppose I'd say a playoff appearance would be the definition for me, equivalent to an Elite Eight or Final Four run in basketball (technically Sweet Sixteen by the numbers, but emotionally for me a football playoff berth for Illinois would be a greater achievement than a Sweet Sixteen in basketball). So I feel we are right there near the top, but not yet top-tier.

I will further admit that the above posts regarding a lack of commits and the corresponding lack of football NIL are terrifying to me, and I know that will come off as an overreaction to some here. Maybe so. But even with Bret's excellent coaching, at some point you do indeed need the Jimmys and the Joes. I have said here before that I think we are going to miss Luke more than we realize.

Having said all that, I'm not sure I'd directionally change what I wrote two years ago. Change the magnitude of the comments, definitely. 17th to 13th? Cannon fodder? Those statements seem out-of-date at best and ludicrous at worst, in the Bret world.

But there is still not an infinite pool out there, and basketball might be a top 5 team next year (again!). ROI says give the NIL to Brad. Whether I want it or not, I think that is what's happening, and we are seeing it on both squads, with the basketball retention and the football recruiting misses.

View attachment 50224
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Is there a smaller font size?
 
#36      
Illinicpa14
Battle89 said:
I wrote the below post two years ago, in June 2024. Reflecting back, man did the football program exceed expectations these last two years. I am over the moon with the victories and the bowl games and the national exposure. Bret and his team deserve great accolades.

Combine that with the relative downturn in SEC football (my 'super schools' below, along with tOSU, UM, etc.) and Illinois football is way back. Now are we 'top-tier'? I don't know, every person can define that as they choose. I suppose I'd say a playoff appearance would be the definition for me, equivalent to an Elite Eight or Final Four run in basketball (technically Sweet Sixteen by the numbers, but emotionally for me a football playoff berth for Illinois would be a greater achievement than a Sweet Sixteen in basketball). So I feel we are right there near the top, but not yet top-tier.

I will further admit that the above posts regarding a lack of commits and the corresponding lack of football NIL are terrifying to me, and I know that will come off as an overreaction to some here. Maybe so. But even with Bret's excellent coaching, at some point you do indeed need the Jimmys and the Joes. I have said here before that I think we are going to miss Luke more than we realize.

Having said all that, I'm not sure I'd directionally change what I wrote two years ago. Change the magnitude of the comments, definitely. 17th to 13th? Cannon fodder? Those statements seem out-of-date at best and ludicrous at worst, in the Bret world.

But there is still not an infinite pool out there, and basketball might be a top 5 team next year (again!). ROI says give the NIL to Brad. Whether I want it or not, I think that is what's happening, and we are seeing it on both squads, with the basketball retention and the football recruiting misses.

View attachment 50224
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I think a school like IU has shown you can get the investment in both as a non traditional football power but I don’t disagree with your overall point.

$3-4MM in basketball may get you a really good final piece to make a championship run but in terms of actual wins and achievements I’m not sure what that does in football (I.e if that gets you 1 more win; does 8-4 vs 7-5 really move the needle as a fan.
 
#37      
cookie86
I think a school like IU has shown you can get the investment in both as a non traditional football power but I don’t disagree with your overall point.

$3-4MM in basketball may get you a really good final piece to make a championship run but in terms of actual wins and achievements I’m not sure what that does in football (I.e if that gets you 1 more win; does 8-4 vs 7-5 really move the needle as a fan.
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Yes it does
 
#38      
Second place is 1st loser
Illinicpa14 said:
I think a school like IU has shown you can get the investment in both as a non traditional football power but I don’t disagree with your overall point.

$3-4MM in basketball may get you a really good final piece to make a championship run but in terms of actual wins and achievements I’m not sure what that does in football (I.e if that gets you 1 more win; does 8-4 vs 7-5 really move the needle as a fan.
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I don't think that $3M is even half of what it costs to get an ELITE player outside of maybe a kicker or punter. What did Olano get from A & M?

Throwing $15M at the basketball program, when you're filling out a starting 5 + 3 reserves, can get you, if spent correctly, a nationally relevant team.

That same $15M MIGHT get you an upper third of the conference offensive line.

Unless that additional $3M is the second half of a QB payment, with a team that's already extremely well constructed.... It doesn't get you an extra win.

If that's all that's left, give it to the basketball program and win a national championship.

We are a basketball school and that will never change. We'll always be a threat to get to the 2nd and 3rd weekends. The football team will sometimes be a threat to finish in the top 1/3 of the conference, but more times than not be 6-6, 7-5 playing in December Bowl game. Like I mentioned prior, after what Bret has done with the program......he deserves better.
 
#39      
ChiefGritty
therealmiket86 said:
That’s why losing to wisconsin and Washington are killers. You win those and sneak into the playoffs a lot more nil money would be coming in. Same with not getting bowl eligible in 2023. If those things happen the perception of the program are different
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1. I think this effect is just a little overrated generally. Particularly the notion that getting blown out by Alabama in a first round playoff game suddenly changes anything

2. Some, not all of it but a non-negligible amount of it, of this additional money would be taken from basketball. Are you willing to do that?

But I think by far the most importantly:

3. We were 8-0, read that again, EIGHT AND OH, in games decided by 7 or less over the past two seasons. We got the absolute best outcomes those teams could have hoped for, and understanding the limitations we've dealt with I feel like it's truly crazy to be asking for more.
 
#40      
therealmiket86
ChiefGritty said:
1. I think this effect is just a little overrated generally. Particularly the notion that getting blown out by Alabama in a first round playoff game suddenly changes anything

2. Some, not all of it but a non-negligible amount of it, of this additional money would be taken from basketball. Are you willing to do that?

But I think by far the most importantly:

3. We were 8-0, read that again, EIGHT AND OH, in games decided by 7 or less over the past two seasons. We got the absolute best outcomes those teams could have hoped for, and understanding the limitations we've dealt with I feel like it's truly crazy to be asking for more.
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Who says we get blown out by Alabama. I definitely don’t think we win but it would be a competitive game

Money wouldn’t be taken from basketball. More donations came in after the final 4. That money was donated for basketball. When football gets to the next level of success bigger donations will start coming in

I don’t think it’s crazy to ask for better performances in the Washington and Wisconsin games. We got our embarrassed in games 2 winnable games. Obviously Indiana was a lot better but you can’t get your !!! kicked like that on national tv.
 
#42      
therealmiket86
1. I think this effect is just a little overrated generally. Particularly the notion that getting blown out by Alabama in a first round playoff game suddenly changes anything

2. Some, not all of it but a non-negligible amount of it, of this additional money would be taken from basketball. Are you willing to do that?

But I think by far the most importantly:

3. We were 8-0, read that again, EIGHT AND OH, in games decided by 7 or less over the past two seasons. We got the absolute best outcomes those teams could have hoped for, and understanding the limitations we've dealt with I feel like it's truly crazy to be asking for more.
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Also we got destroyed by UConn when we made the elite 8. What happened after that? More money started getting donated for hoops
 
#48      
Kendall Gill’s Uncle
I don't think that $3M is even half of what it costs to get an ELITE player outside of maybe a kicker or punter. What did Olano get from A & M?

Throwing $15M at the basketball program, when you're filling out a starting 5 + 3 reserves, can get you, if spent correctly, a nationally relevant team.

That same $15M MIGHT get you an upper third of the conference offensive line.

Unless that additional $3M is the second half of a QB payment, with a team that's already extremely well constructed.... It doesn't get you an extra win.

If that's all that's left, give it to the basketball program and win a national championship.

We are a basketball school and that will never change. We'll always be a threat to get to the 2nd and 3rd weekends. The football team will sometimes be a threat to finish in the top 1/3 of the conference, but more times than not be 6-6, 7-5 playing in December Bowl game. Like I mentioned prior, after what Bret has done with the program......he deserves better.
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I get what you are saying, but if you think Bret deserves better, are you donating?
 
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