JuCo signees

[Cajunfanatico]

I'm just hoping everyone in the UL administration has communicated to him the need for IMMEDIATE improvement.

If everyone in the UL administration needs to communicate to Napier that we need immediate improvement, then we've hired the wrong guy.

[Rainman66]

We went from Bustle (3-9) to Hud (9-4) with minimal improvement from JUCO. Peoples for sure, and I think a DB, but don't think any others that 1st year.

Going through the UCF roster, Frost & Staff did an amazing turn-around, once again with minimal JUCO help.

I expect improved play with existing talent due to better coaching, better game planning & better discipline.

Yes, I believe there is some immediate help we can get from JUCO, but if we are expecting more than 2 or 3 starters, I would be surprised. I do be we can get some quality depth from JUCO though to make this a deeper team.

[Oiler]

If everyone in the UL administration needs to communicate to Napier that we need immediate improvement, then we've hired the wrong guy.

You’re probably right about that.

[Balanced_view]

I expect improved play with existing talent due to better coaching, better game planning & better discipline.

Yes, I believe there is some immediate help we can get from JUCO, but if we are expecting more than 2 or 3 starters, I would be surprised. I do be we can get some quality depth from JUCO though to make this a deeper team.

This 100%. the offense was good most of the year, even with key injuries, and will have good talent at all skill positions, and for all the talk of the lack of O-line talent, they had some good moments also. the main difference will be coaching adjustments, play calling, and development that should yield both consistency and overall improvement. the defense will need a influx of talent/juco experience, but they will reap the same benefits of better coaching adjustments, play calling, and development. I believe coach Napier could have coached this years roster to 9 or 10 wins.

[Boomer]

This 100%. the offense was good most of the year, even with key injuries, and will have good talent at all skill positions, and for all the talk of the lack of O-line talent, they had some good moments also. the main difference will be coaching adjustments, play calling, and development that should yield both consistency and overall improvement. the defense will need a influx of talent/juco experience, but they will reap the same benefits of better coaching adjustments, play calling, and development. I believe coach Napier could have coached this years roster to 9 or 10 wins.

......You need about 50 guys that can play.....22off....22 def and some kicking game guys.....what is is important is not dropping off in talent from the first 11 to the next 11..... I mentioned before that if we could choose 3 guys from say the 7 state schools, we would dominate.......add 2-3 from grads or Juco and wow.....talent evaluation, guys that can recruit (sell), and luck get the needs filled.....anybody can coach them, just ask the coaches.....you could find more knowledge in class Z say than the p-5s at times....we have so much to sell and evidently didn't't have the guys to sell it!!!

[Fais do-do]

Here is a crazy thought. Maybe we have talent that was never used in the way they play the best. His quote was, “each decision made is with a championship in mind”. I do not care how it happens, with 85 jucos or 85 freshman. He has a plan. I’m a scientist not a coach, I’ll leave it up to the guy getting paid ~800k. I think he knows more than us RPer’s!

[TonaldDrump]

I think he knows more than us RPer's!

Surely you jest

[MetryCajun]

Here is a crazy thought. Maybe we have talent that was never used in the way they play the best. His quote was, “each decision made is with a championship in mind”. I do not care how it happens, with 85 jucos or 85 freshman. He has a plan. I’m a scientist not a coach, I’ll leave it up to the guy getting paid ~800k. I think he knows more than us RPer’s!

Good points. From my perspective all I can see is players who look a half a step slow and in poor condition. Who knows what he can get out of these guys. Some may feel they have a new lease on life and come out with a renewed work ethic. But I think the way he recruits over the next 6weeks will tell you a lot about his feelings towards our existing players. A healthy roster should not need more than a handful of Juco guys, so if we are Juco and transfer heavy it tells you Napier thinks we have a lot of deficiencies that need immediate attention.
It will be interesting to see how puts together this class.

[Just1More]

Surely you jest

Sacrilege!

[Just1More]

This 100%. the offense was good most of the year, even with key injuries, and will have good talent at all skill positions, and for all the talk of the lack of O-line talent, they had some good moments also. the main difference will be coaching adjustments, play calling, and development that should yield both consistency and overall improvement. the defense will need a influx of talent/juco experience, but they will reap the same benefits of better coaching adjustments, play calling, and development. I believe coach Napier could have coached this years roster to 9 or 10 wins.

This is all true. If Napier is a great coach... including the ability to know limitations in certain personnel and adjust accordingly... he can take the base talent we have and succeed. We don't even know what he'll be capable of doing on signing day. If he needs to pull JUCOs... and of course that should be limited and highly strategic... I think that's what most of us are saying JUCO-wise. Of course, and every person knows it, you want to build a pipeline of HS talent and keep parlaying succeeds on the field into an even stronger pipeline. But Napier (and his staff) are only wise to identify (once all the current talent is reviewed) what they need right now... and where, if anywhere, they can go get it.

I agree with you in that there's a very strong chance that Napier (and staff) can use S&C, more effective personnel assignment, better individual development, better schemes and mix of schemes, and even a different approach to discipline and focus... and take our current roster up to much much better game day performance. To think that we are "limited" in talent based on what your average fan witnessed... is BS. Coaching IS huge.

The NFL... where parity is enforced... still has dominate teams... like the Patriots... due to a great coach. Average players get brought into his system, kick everyone's ___, then exercise their rights to fish for more money, and routinely go back to being average. The Patriots prove every year what great coaching does for a sport. Talent is King. But if that King isn't coached well... that castle is made of paper mache.

[Turbine]

I'm hoping Napier & Co can emerge strengths from weaknesses.

Along the lines of renaming players from Ivan to Ike.

[CajunT]

I simply think that our football program has fallen to a level that's lower than most realize. We could easily struggle for a couple of years while we rebuild with high school signees,or we can strategically plug some holes with juco signees and turn things around in 2018.

I also believe that Tulane is vastly improving its program, and that Tech has things rolling pretty well for its program right now. This is why I feel such a huge sense of urgency for UL to turn things around immediately (as in 2018). I think we all should.

Whether anyone wants to admit it or not, we do compete with both Tulane and Tech for players. ULM, not so much maybe, but we can not afford to loose any more ground to Tulane and Tech than we have these last two years of the Dud's reign.

I think we've made an excellent choice in our new head coach. I'm just hoping everyone in the UL administration has communicated to him the need for IMMEDIATE improvement.

Merry Christmas to you Zee, and to all Cajun fans wherever you may be.

I don't think anyone would disagree with you that our program has fallen. This is why we made a change correct? What I don't agree with is that this could be a wasted recruiting period. The entire month of January is available official visits after the Dead Period. A few key JC and Grad transfers could easily help this staff win a few more games in the SBC in get back to a bowl game.

Making a change in staff is a process and this is just the beginning. Coach Napier's first class will lay a foundation for his tenure, but more importantly fill immediate needs for this season. It's been seven years since we as fans went through this process and no one thought we would win 9 football games in Hudspeth's first season. It's way too early to predict another dismal season.