With initial signing day past, I thought I would start a thread for offseason SoCon news. There's been a good bit of it.
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With initial signing day past, I thought I would start a thread for offseason SoCon news. There's been a good bit of it.
As stated on other threads, Furman looks to be in the market for a few transfer players this offseason.
One rumor with the most legs appears to be that Clemson DB Amir Trapp maybe heading to Greenville. https://clemsonsportstalk.com/s/682/...r-from-clemson
Furman recruited Trapp out of high school, but he took a greyshirt offer from Clemson. He played a good bit for the Tigers this season (an admittedly deep defense), so he certainly seems like a guy that can play ball.
I would argue that Furman's biggest defensive weakness in 2017 was a young and inexperienced CB corps. I think Furman started 5 different players out there over the course of the season before settling on a converted WR (Bradford Lemons) and a true freshman (Darius Kearse). The group got better as the season progressed, but adding a quality player out on the corner would be a big boon for a Paladin defense that returns 11 starters and 21 players off the two-deep on that side of the ball.
Football scoop reporting that Mercer QB coach Tre Lamb is heading to Tennessee Tech as OC.
It also appears UTC is losing two defensive assistants (including the DC) to Kent State.
Also reported that Ted Roof is heading from GT to NCState and the Yellow Jackets are eyeing App State's DC Nate Woody. I know some Wofford fans were holding out hope that Woody may be a name that surfaced in the Wofford coaching search (though that seemed unlikely).
Samford D-Line Coach Victor Cabral returns to Georgia Southern. No replacement named yet.
WR, T D Marshall reportedly transferring to UAB, but did not sign in early period. Highly touted and very talented player never had the impact(some injury issues) that was expected at Samford.
Not ONE single player in the normal 2-deep offensive rotation was a Sr. this year. Seventy plus of the roster were Fr./Soph.
Early signing went well - three star OL Gavin Orr is a really BIG get for the Bulldogs.
Speculating, but I imagine Samford will be preseason no. 1 going into next season.
Just to get earlier announcements all in 1 thread...
* Wofford’s Head Coach, Mike Ayers retired on 12/13. OC, Wade Lang, was named Interim HC. No other announcements since.
* Jerry Richardson, Wofford’s & Wofford Athletics’ primary benefactor & owner of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers has been accused of racial & sexual harassment. The NFL has assumed the investigation of this issue from the Panthers. Apparently, the Panthers, in recent years, have settled multiple lawsuits related to this situation. Mr. Richardson has announced that he will sell the Team at end of the 2017-18 season. How this will (or will not) impact Wofford & Wofford Football in the future remains to be seen.
* East Tennessee State’s Head Coach, Carl Torbush, announced his retirement and Randy Sanders, most recently Florida State’s Offensive Coordinator, was named as ETSU’s new Head Coach.
* ETSU’s Offensive Line Coach, Dewayne Alexander, was named the new Head Coach at Tennessee Tech, thus will not be joining Sanders’ Staff at ETSU.
* Furman’s Offensive Coordinator & QB Coach, Drew Cronic, accepted the Head Coach position at Lenoir-Rhyne, a D2 school in NC, whence came the current FCS Head Coaches of JMU, The Citadel, and Jacksonville U. Furman’s Associate Head & Tight Ends Coach, George Quarles, was named as Furman’s new Offensive Coordinator.
* VMI’s Starting QB, Duncan Hodges, younger brother of Samford’s QB, Devlin Hodges, is leaving the Keydets and transferring to North Alabama. UNA is transitioning to FCS and will be joining the Big South Conference.
This just in on the RUMOR WIRE...
* Former Mercer QB, John Russ, a 4-year Starter there & currently on the Coaching Staff at Georgia State, is very interested in the QB Coaching job at Mercer if the rumors are true that current Mercer QB Coach, Tre Lamb, is headed to TTU as their new OC.
I am certain there is not much that would please Mercer Fans more than to see John Russ back in Orange & Black helping Mercer win Football games.
Our Coaching news has been quiet, so good there. Although we did lose our AD to UTEP.
We lose only two on the offense two deep, both starters. QB (Allen) and A back (Jackson), they were real good obviously, but we have a good number to fill their shoes.
One odd bit of news is that our starting B-Back (Rainey), chosen for the Coaches All SOCON Freshman Team, is moving to QB. He was a QB in HS. He was a bit on the smallish size for a Fullback in any event. Our #2 QB this year (Black) has seen quite a bit of playing time this year and last year so should be no hiccup there.
We take it in the teeth on D next year though. Like we did this year on O. We lose 5 outright starters and 2 more on the two deep.
We only had two sign early. Not sure there is any significance there. These guys need to make sure they pick the right school, especially when it come to us. No need to hurry. I hate seeing guys leave because it is not for them.
Great for FU signing so many quality guys early, should allow us to focus all remaining resources on a few more signings and transfers that we really really want without having to keep revisiting those other guys since we already have them on board, saves lots of time and money!
Matthew Feeney will be taking over as the Mocs' defensive signal-caller in 2018. Feeney succeeds Tom Kaufman, who left for an associate head coach/defensive coordinator position at Kent State. Also leaving for the Football Bowl Subdivision program is defensive line coach Brian Cochran. Arth also promoted outside linebackers coach Shelton Felton to assistant head coach.
I like Feeney, he gets the 3-4 and has a great defensive mind. I look to see our D improve next year.