Has anyone else watched the mini-doc on Netflix called Last Chance U? If you haven't I recommend it. It's about a dominate JUCO in MS called East Mississippi CC. They recruit a lot of kids that were high star recruits but left or were kicked off their respective programs for various reasons (academics, getting in trouble, no playing time, ect). Also you'll get to see some of your program logos as the recruiters go down there to watch these kids to see if they are worth offering a scholarship. One of UAB's new recruits, running back DJ Law is highly featured too.

Overall, I really enjoyed it and binge watched all 6 episodes (each ep is an hour long) yesterday. It's worth checking it out.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll try to check it out.

Thanks for the info. The list of players who have come through that program is quite impressive.

cj reavis who signed to Marshall is also on there but in a lesser role

MS JUCO ball is something every football fan should experience. You could make a documentary about any team in the state and get some fascinating stories.

My wife & I watched the first two episodes last night. Pretty interesting so far.

Have they shown the under the table payment to the kids yet? Or have they shown the kids having their class work done for them? That program is more corrupt than most sec schools.

We (USM) picked up a couple of the receivers from the team featured. They were not featured, but in the game footage, they make some great catches. Our coaches (at the time) on the recruiting trail are on a couple of the episodes.

This documentary was inspired by the popular GQ article from a few years ago on MS JUCO football. I also picked up on some flavor of a book on the history of MS JUCO football called "The Toughest League in America." I coached in this league for a short time. It really is the toughest league in America. A lot of DI players would not survive a year in the MS JUCO league. It is as rough as depicted in the documentary. Nothing that you see is exaggerated in the film. As a matter of fact, I have seen much worse, especially on the recruiting side.

Consider how tough the league is... Rochester was ranked #2 in the country
during the season. They beat typical non-MS teams on their schedule unmercifully. East MS, the team on the film, beat Northwest MS by 36 points. Northwest went on to represent MS as its' second best team in the MS bowl. MS's second-best team beat #1 Rochester 66-13. It could have been 100-0. If it had been East MS playing, Buddy would have easily put up 100. MS JUCO football is just that good.

Look out for the scene with the starting quarterback trashing UAB. He calls the letters that they send him "a waste of trees."

In scenes where they are sorting through stacks of recruiting letters, our envelopes really stand out. At least we are doing something right.

(07-31-2016 02:08 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  Have they shown the under the table payment to the kids yet? Or have they shown the kids having their class work done for them? That program is more corrupt than most sec schools.

There is one kid talking to a an FCS recruiter (Southeastern Louisiana I think). The recruiter says "What can we do to get you to come to us?" The kid says on camera "I want my number." The recruiter says "no problem what else?" The kid says "I can't say because there are cameras." The recruiter flat out said "I know what you're talking about and we follow all NCAA regulations and will not comply with that request by any means." I was floored.

It's a pretty intense and really interesting docu-series.

(07-31-2016 03:28 PM)born in the burg Wrote:  Look out for the scene with the starting quarterback trashing UAB. He calls the letters that they send him "a waste of trees."

That was John Franklin III who committed to Auburn. And he was the backup, who didn't do anything that season other than a first half show against one of the worst teams in the league. No matter the team offer I thought that was nasty and unappreciative of the opportunity. It's one thing to say in private, but in front of cameras was just tacky

(07-31-2016 04:16 PM)BlueRaider0x0 Wrote:  

(07-31-2016 02:08 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  Have they shown the under the table payment to the kids yet? Or have they shown the kids having their class work done for them? That program is more corrupt than most sec schools.

There is one kid talking to a an FCS recruiter (Southeastern Louisiana I think). The recruiter says "What can we do to get you to come to us?" The kid says on camera "I want my number." The recruiter says "no problem what else?" The kid says "I can't say because there are cameras." The recruiter flat out said "I know what you're talking about and we follow all NCAA regulations and will not comply with that request by any means." I was floored.

It's a pretty intense and really interesting docu-series.

That was Southeastern LA. Me thinks that the coach WAS talking to the cameras when he did the "clean program" dance. I am not saying that SELA is dirty. I am saying that he oversold that line.

We talk about dirty P5 programs all the time. However, it was FCS schools, in my experience, who don't have gym bags full of P5 money to throw around who were known for their promises of WILD recruiting trips with lots of favors that are attractive to 19 year old boys. Just sayin'...

You are probably correct. I guess I was floored because this kid just said it in front of the cameras.

(07-31-2016 04:21 PM)BlueRaider0x0 Wrote:  

(07-31-2016 03:28 PM)born in the burg Wrote:  Look out for the scene with the starting quarterback trashing UAB. He calls the letters that they send him "a waste of trees."

That was John Franklin III who committed to Auburn. And he was the backup, who didn't do anything that season other than a first half show against one of the worst teams in the league. No matter the team offer I thought that was nasty and unappreciative of the opportunity. It's one thing to say in private, but in front of cameras was just tacky

I agree that it is tacky as hell. But that is the way that these kids think. They all believe that they are SEC material. They trash FCS, and to a slightly lesser extent, G5 schools. In this film, they talk about JUCO as where NOBODY WANTS to be. FCS and G5, for the most part, is where kids go when they don't get their first choice-type schools. That is the truth. But, don't feel bad. There are many, many "levels" within P5 in the minds of recruits.

That all being said, each school, FCS, G5, whatever, has to have something special to sell. Each school has to know what that is and sell it. When you get one of these less-than-bright athletes on-campus, and they haven't gotten glamorous offers, they will go where they feel WANTED and SPECIAL. That is the game. The best coaches know exactly how to play it.

Scrub.

(07-31-2016 05:49 PM)Smaug Wrote:  Scrub.

???

(((Buzzer)))

Contestant: What is, what should Bama fans to do their tooth.

Alex: Correct

Contestant: Alex, I will take "Hygiene for SEC Fans" for $200, Alex.

Alex: The clue is...

(07-31-2016 05:55 PM)born in the burg Wrote:  

(07-31-2016 05:49 PM)Smaug Wrote:  Scrub.

???

(((Buzzer)))

Contestant: What is, what should Bama fans to do their tooth.

Alex: Correct

Contestant: Alex, I will take "Hygiene for SEC Fans" for $200, Alex.

Alex: The clue is...

Haha!

I too binge watched every episode this weekend and it's pretty obvious East Mississippi CC was committing academic fraud on camera quite a bit IMO. When Ollie was able to pass his classes by taking all the makeup exams in the academic counselor's office and then the English teacher saying she rounded up his grade so he would get an A....I could've misconstrued the comments but from how I understood it there's no realistic chance he properly got an A. Not to mention how much he didn't care/try the 3 weeks he sat out due to the concussion.

On a sports side though, I went through the Mississippi JuCo football system personally and it's pretty much spot on as to how things happen with players placed there by a P5 program. One thing I didn't think it showed was the ones who were there that weren't initial D1 prospects who are there doing everything right in hopes of getting to play at the next level where it be FCS, D2 or D3.....but I realize the focus was on those who were originally a P5 superstar but were at EMCC as a "last chance" effort to qualify.

(07-31-2016 07:12 PM)usm99 Wrote:  I too binge watched every episode this weekend and it's pretty obvious East Mississippi CC was committing academic fraud on camera quite a bit IMO. When Ollie was able to pass his classes by taking all the makeup exams in the academic counselor's office and then the English teacher saying she rounded up his grade so he would get an A....I could've misconstrued the comments but from how I understood it there's no realistic chance he properly got an A. Not to mention how much he didn't care/try the 3 weeks he sat out due to the construction.

On a sports side though, I went through the Mississippi JuCo football system personally and it's pretty much spot on as to how things happen with players placed there by a P5 program. One thing I didn't think it showed was the ones who were there that weren't initial D1 prospects who are there doing everything right in hopes of getting to play at the next level where it be FCS, D2 or D3.....but I realize the focus was on those who were originally a P5 superstar but were at EMCC as a "last chance" effort to qualify.

That's a pretty good point about how they glorified only playing in the SEC. One would think they would push that angle to grab the attention of the hardcore SEC fans or casual fan who don't have an allegiance to a G5 school. Also in fairness, I don't know if Ollie's grade was legit but they said he made an 89 overall in the course and the professor said she always rounds up. So 1 point more gave him an A

curious why usm or mis state didnt offer the starting qb..
he was essentially ready to walk unto any fbs team that said they wanted him

he sat behind chad kelly last year who is viewed as arguably one of the best qbs in the nation last year for ole miss, and beat out jonh franklin who is easily winning the auburn competition this year despite just getting there...

(07-31-2016 08:17 PM)pesik Wrote:  curious why usm or mis state didnt offer the starting qb..
he was essentially ready to walk unto any fbs team that said they wanted him

he sat behind chad kelly last year who is viewed as arguably one of the best qbs in the nation last year for ole miss, and beat out jonh franklin who is easily winning the auburn competition this year despite just getting there...

I wondered that too. I don't know much about the JUCO process but it sounded like the kid walked onto EMCC. Whereas Chad Kelly was 4 star recruit out of high school who committed to Clemson and Franklin was a 3 star who initially went to FSU. Perhaps the P5 programs still see those star rankings and have more film on the recruit to have a better gauge on what talent or potential is present.

Still, it's messed up the starting QB on that team was completely overlooked while the backup ended up at Auburn