Quote Originally Posted by SU DOG View Post
Thanks for bringing this up. Our coaches certainly agree with you. Also, about those Miami transfers, we believe we just got a good one from the Canes in OL Brendan Loftus. At 6-7, 299 lbs. he definitely has the size.
I have not seen Loftus play yet but I think Williams is definitely a guy with a shot. There still is not much SoCon talent from the 2016 season who I see at the next level though. Levin, Williams, Davis, and maybe Karel Hamilton were about the only ones who I saw as players who could last more than 2 years in the NFL. I know Renew and a few others got a shot but I don't see them as more than a 1-year practice squad type or someone who is brought in for 1-2 years as a camp body but doesn't really make it.

I looked back at the SoCon awards in the 90s there was always a ton of talent in the SoCon and now I would say about 3/4 of those who made the 1st team back then would be in FBS somewhere today. Did you guys realize that the entire 1st team All-SoCon in 1995 made it to the NFL with 2 of them getting drafted and all 4 of them playing at least 1 NFL season. The worst of the group was Coleman from App State who left school early due to grades, went to the NFL Combine, and was a journeyman type with the Vikings who ended up having a very good AFL career. Both Abraham from ETSU and Stevens from App went in the 3rd round while Sutton from App also went to the NFL Combine like the other 3 and played a couple years with the Bears. Not to mention the league had others like UTC RB Marrio Grier, Citadel RB Travis Jervey both get drafted along with David Patten who played a long time, Randy Moss went in the 1st round and played 1 year in the league, and then you had a ton of talent at Marshall. There were many others. One year I looked at the 1st team and all but like 4 or 5 players got a shot in the NFL back then.

With that said, hopefully more transfers like Loftus who have the size to at least get a look will transfer down. I remember 10-20 years ago the MAC would swoop in and take a lot of talent from the CAA (A-10) and SoCon teams but now with Marshall, App, Ga Southern, UMASS, and now Liberty all moving up along with the creation of programs like Georgia State, Coastal Carolina, etc it has certainly watered down the east coast talent and allowed the MVFC, and a few other leagues, to rise and catch up to or pass the CAA and SoCon in overall talent.