Fall Roster Review

So, I'll have to agree to disagree with what happened.  Like it matters. I truly hope they are as right as they think they are.  Been part of my life too long to break it off over one thing.

Spent (as usual) way more time on the Fall roster than normal people.

Here's the biggest takeaway.

BG lists 103 players on the roster.  62 of those are FR or r-FR.  41 of those are true freshmen.  In any given game, with no injuries, we can only put 41 players who are SO or above onto the field.

A complete breakdown:

• FR:  41
• R-FR:  21
• SO:   5
• R-SO:  5
• JR:  2
• RJR:  13
• SR  3
• RSR:  13

Position-wise, Joey Carroll has moved to OL and Trent Simms is listed at QB.

BG had 13 players on the spring roster that did not appear on the Fall roster.  Most were players who did not sign a LOI and didn't ever appear in a game.  

The three most notables were:

• Joe Maxwell, OL...never played but signed in the last Jinks class, only 8 of whom remain on the roster.
• Nigel Sealey, who ran the ball 16 times last year.
• Davin Wilson, a starting DB, which was known previously.

The recruiting class from 2020 has all but two of its members listed on the Fall roster.  The two not listed--Joey Formani and Jaylen Lawson--both list BG on their twitter profiles and most likely are involved in some roster management effort.

As I counted it, there were fourteen new players listed on the fall roster.  A few notes:

• Taron Keith would be the most highly recruited of the players, a one-time USF commit.
• Five of the 14 are WRs, a place where depth is needed right away.
• There is only one TE.  Repeat.  One TE.
• Only one JUCO player.

Below are the names I ID'd, with some associated information I either found, or lifted from their BGSU bio.

Diata Burns 6'0'" 185...DB

Played at DeAnza JC in California

Ty Cook 6'1'' 170 WR

From Pickerington, not much else is known.

Nate Damron 6'4" 240 TE and Cole Lakatos 5'8" 168 WR

These young men announced earlier and are listed here

Demetrius Hardamon--6'3" 240 LB

Beavercreek OH one year at Georgetown College

Taron Keith 5'9" 180 lbs WR

• USF Commit
• Competed for Mainland High School in DeLand, Fla.
• Played three varsity seasons for Buccaneers
• As junior, named team offensive Most Valuable Player
• As senior, threw for 1,643 yards, completed 61 percent of his throws, and achieved a 13:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 170 attempts
• Also rushed for 639 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 9 yards per attempt
• Named team Most Valuable Player
• Also earned player of the week and offensive player of the year honors from Daytona Beach Quarterback Club
• In addition, played varsity basketball and named team defensive player of the year in 2018

Nic Kilbride, WR, 6'4" 195

• Played in three seasons for Yellow Jackets of Perrysburg High School
• Caught 28 passes for 400 yards and three touchdowns in sophomore season
• As a junior, played in only two games due to injury but earned 16 receptions and 200 yards
• Helped lead team to state playoffs and 8-3 record by catching 39 passes for 820 yards and eight touchdowns
• As senior, named first-team academic all-league
• Also named first team all-league, all-district and all-Ohio Division I
• Served as team captain in 2019
• Played two seasons of varsity basketball

Ja'Von Lyons, 6'2" 325 OL

• Played four seasons for St. Clairsville High School
• Helped lead team to 28-7 record in final three seasons
• In junior season, Red Devils finished 10-0 in regular season and reached regional final
• Earned honorable mention All-Ohio Division IV as sophomore
• Named first-team All-Ohio Division IV as junior and senior
• Team captain during senior season
• Also competed in track and field

Dylan Pate 5'11 180 WR

• Attended Arkansas Baptist College
• Offer from Troy
• From Jacksonville

Jack Sauder, K

• Competed as placekicker and punter for Battle Ground Academy
• Helped team to 10-1 record as sophomore by going 49-for-50 on extra point tries and 4-for-4 on field goal attempts
• Successfully converted all 27 extra points in five games during junior season
• Scored 50 points (44 extra points, two field goals) as a senior
• Posted 3,950 kickoff yards and 23 touchbacks in 78 career kickoffs
• Named all-district, all-region and most valuable kicker as a junior
• Began senior year as preseason all-state selection
• Team captain during senior year
• Also played varsity soccer

Braden Sears 6'2" 230 Long Snapper

• Played for Independence High School
• Earned three varsity letters with the Blue Devils
• As a senior, caught 19 passes for 322 yards and four touchdowns
• On defense, recorded 39 tackles, two sacks, seven passes defended, four fumble recoveries and one interception
• Helped team win 21 games in three seasons, including 7-4 record as a senior
• Named team captain in 2018 and 2019
• Also lettered in track and field, wrestling, and swimming
• Wrestling team captain in 2019-20 season

Cody Sparks, QB

Previously announced

Malone VanGorder 6'1" 280, OL

Previously announced

Jack Wardzala 6'0 230 DL

• Played four seasons and earned three letters for Roncalli High School
• Part of 15-0 Indiana state championship team as a freshman
• Made debut as sophomore and registered three tackles and one sack for 8-2 conference champions
• In junior season, made 64 tackles and registered 9.5 sacks
• As senior, led team to sectional championship and 7-6 record by posting 100 tackles (17.5 TFL) and 8.5 sacks
• Team captain in senior season
• Senior awards included IFCA North-South All-Star, Indianapolis Star Super Team, Blue-Grey All-American, AP and IFCA All-State, and Academic All-State
• Also competed on lacrosse and track and field squads for Rebels
• Named lacrosse team captain in 2020

Chris Williams  6'2" 230 LB

From Alpharetta GA.  Not a ton out there on him.

Well, Football is back

Yesterday, the MAC Presidents went along with the crowd and decided the MAC will play a 6-game season this year.  They had sent strong signals in that direction and the unanimous vote went as expected.  

One of them told NickP that "The optics of being the only league not playing would be incredibly negative."

As I noted a couple weeks ago, I guess we can dismiss the idea that athletics teaches leadership.

When the ticket office called after the cancellation, I was so pleased at my school for doing the right thing that I donated my ticket money to the school.

Which makes me feel like a stooge now.

Look. this might work out.  There is more testing than there was before, you can't debate that.  

It might work out.  But it won't ever be the right thing to do.

This is being done for money.  Ask yourself why only football is back.  And then ask yourself if we would be playing this fall if ESPN didn't want the games.

The money will go predominantly to the salaries of Coaches, Athletic Directors and other staff members. The risk accrues almost completely to student-athletes and the people they encounter, including their families.

I would also ask this...why is this testing regimen only being offered to football players?  Why not any student who is on campus?  Or the faculty?

I have been pleased with Scot Loeffler through this whole thing.  Unlike the disgusting Jim Harbaugh and Ryan Day (among others) who undermined their own schools (I'd love to hear their next lecture about being team players), Loeffler was steadfast and consistent.  Even when football was back, he reminded the players that they have a key role to play in ensuring football stays.

He also says the team "earned" the right to play, I presume with rigorous adherence to protocols.  If so, I give him and them credit.  That's the culture we are trying to build.

I just can't shake the idea that these young men are being sent out to play for only one reason, and it's to benefit others.  If it didn't benefit others, they'd be on the sidelines, like the golf team.

Here's the other thing.  I saw NickP say that Joey Carroll had moved to OL.  Immediately I thought, wow, that's interesting.  I wonder what else happened?  I wonder if everybody came back?  I should check.

Am I a hypocrite?

In Psychology 201 at BGSU, they taught a term for this:  cognitive dissonance.

Tche Leroux in Portal

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity I have had at Bowling Green State University. Thank you to everyone who made my freshman year special. With that said, I have entered the transfer portal. I have 4 more years of eligibility and I’m looking for my next home! pic.twitter.com/xFdygze5wp

— Tche (@Tche_Leroux) September 17, 2020

Tche Leroux has entered the transfer portal.  He came in during the "shoulder" class betweeen Jinks and Loeffler.  He's from Norwalk, so definitely part of our buy local system.  FWIW, here is what I found on him when he verballed--he had at one point verballed to UT. 

Best of luck to him.

Will MAC Football Be Back?

 Well, it looks like we might have football in October for the MAC.

In fact, it sounds to me like we will, if you read here at The Blade.

I don't know what to make of this...especially with this quote from an unnamed MAC source:

"The optics of being the only league not playing would be incredibly negative."

If that carries through, I guess we can dismiss the idea that athletics teaches leadership.

Because it was supposed to be about protecting the players facing an uncertain risk.  It is still uncertain.  The Big Ten is hanging their hats on the daily testing--which certainly is significant--but the MAC isn't adopting that so that can't be the reason.

Many people have pointed out what a poor idea spring is...especially if you end up playing two 2021 seasons.  But Spring is as flawed an idea as it was when they chose it originally.

So what's changed?

Certainly, you are seeing conferences playing...and it hasn't been as bad as expected.  Yes, there was one game in the ACC postponed, but very early it appears to be a manageable situation. MLB had problems but the NFL seems to be managing it.  (Bubble sports are in a different category).

I don't know how the other schools are doing, but from what I see at BG there hasn't been a terrible outbreak since students came back.  Seems to me like you might have that many cases if everyone was home, but I'm no epidemiologist.

You're going to have things come up.  I saw yesterday that the CDC recommends quarantining if you have been exposed to someone who is positive, even if you haven't tested positive yourself.  That would be a problem on a football team.

And yes, there's the idea that students would be off-campus, but during the long hot summer the idea seemed to be that playing college football on a COVID-emptied campus was the wrong thing to do.  And there's the notion of more cases in the cold weather, which no one knows whether it will happen or not.

All that being said, I have kind of a sick feeling that we're being driven by this....

"The optics of being the only league not playing would be incredibly negative."

Which means we're sending college students out to protect our optics and, of course, our budgets.  The people making the decision take no risks.  (I know many of the players want to do it, but sometimes things the things we want are bad for us).

We have some time to get used to the idea, if this is what happens.  I just think about how many MAC athletes would have to have a lifetime neurological impairment before we'd consider this an incredible folly, and to me, the number is one.

Update:  

Heard multiple times today that a decision was unlikely today. This was mostly informational with the real nuts and bolts of returning to come later. Next meeting TBD, according to the MAC. https://t.co/dNdwSjENiq

— Nick Piotrowicz (@NickPBlade) September 19, 2020

Gadsen in Portal

 The latest news is that Joniya Gadsen has entered the transfer portal.  He's from Miami and spent three years here, with the last one being lost to injury.  He played 25 games and 107 minutes at BG.  He just never seemed to get it going, and being injured in the year after Wiggins left probably cost him his last chance to be a contributor.

Obviously, we have learned that you can be in the portal and come back.  Having said that, I suspect his size will get him an opportunity somewhere and I wish him nothing but the best.

Falcon Football Gains CB Commit, formerly committed to UT

Respect my Decision,New beginning🦅 #Ayziggy pic.twitter.com/hNHfP8flIs

— Willie Jones (@WillieJ1616) September 6, 2020

BG has a new football verbal.  This is CB Willie Jones from Phillips Academy in Chicago.  He's 6'2" and 171 pounds and is listed as a 3-star recruit.

He recently decommitted from  UT.  Don't @ me, that's what 247 says.

He also had reported offers from BSU, CMU, Kent, Miami and WMU.

Two of his other Phillips teammates are committed to UT.

Welcome to the Falcons, Willie