I honestly don’t think there’s going to be a mass turnover from next year’s roster, moving from the 63 count of mixed full and partial scholarships under FCS rules, to the required full scholarship rules required as an FBS team. The future scholarship players (drawn from the increased pool of 22) plus regular turnover (graduation, transfers and those players who quit voluntarily) will allow the coaching staff plenty of room/flexibility to recruit the supposed higher-level talent.

Anyone who thinks the players who are presently on JMU’s roster will automatically find their scholarships at risk or taken away are mistaken. Just the idea that somehow JMU’s present roster is filled with players whose ability doesn’t measure up to G5 level play are just wrong. Think about it. If the level of JMU’s current talent can compete now, nose-to-nose with WVU, UNC or NCST, what’s to say they can’t continue to compete successfully next year (or the year after)? The current talent is fine, it’s more a matter of recruiting roster depth.

Sure, there will be a larger number of the so-called 3 star players in each new recruiting class, and possibly even a 4 star. Yet again, the real difference in talent moving forward will be DEPTH of talent on the roster. Depth, plus the opportunity to play an FBS opponent at BFS.

(11-07-2021 09:22 PM)HyperDuke Wrote:  Eh, I’ve encountered some really stupid parents & coaches before…

Ha! True. I guess I mean on average. If the average kid is weighing an FCS and an FBS offer, the FBS offer is probably going to be more attractive. There are lots of reasons why they may not be the case, but in general, if you're playing better teams and are on ESPN and not Flo, then you're going to the FBS school...on average.

(11-08-2021 01:51 AM)Longhorn Wrote:  I honestly don’t think there’s going to be a mass turnover from next year’s roster, moving from the 63 count of mixed full and partial scholarships under FCS rules, to the required full scholarship rules required as an FBS team. The future scholarship players (drawn from the increased pool of 22) plus regular turnover (graduation, transfers and those players who quit voluntarily) will allow the coaching staff plenty of room/flexibility to recruit the supposed higher-level talent.

Anyone who thinks the players who are presently on JMU’s roster will automatically find their scholarships at risk or taken away are mistaken. Just the idea that somehow JMU’s present roster is filled with players whose ability doesn’t measure up to G5 level play are just wrong. Think about it. If the level of JMU’s current talent can compete now, nose-to-nose with WVU, UNC or NCST, what’s to say they can’t continue to compete successfully next year (or the year after)? The current talent is fine, it’s more a matter of recruiting roster depth.

Sure, there will be a larger number of the so-called 3 star players in each new recruiting class, and possibly even a 4 star. Yet again, the real difference in talent moving forward will be DEPTH of talent on the roster. Depth, plus the opportunity to play an FBS opponent at BFS.

I agree. I don't think there's any way that the coaching staff does that to the kids, and I don't think we're going to be swamped with dozens of top recruits who suddenly show up because we're in a transition year. You'll see a gradual elevation of the talent, especially if we win games.

(11-08-2021 07:16 AM)Dukes94 Wrote:  

(11-07-2021 09:22 PM)HyperDuke Wrote:  Eh, I’ve encountered some really stupid parents & coaches before…

Ha! True. I guess I mean on average. If the average kid is weighing an FCS and an FBS offer, the FBS offer is probably going to be more attractive. There are lots of reasons why they may not be the case, but in general, if you're playing better teams and are on ESPN and not Flo, then you're going to the FBS school...on average.

Yeah your point was correct, I just get distracted very easily.

(11-08-2021 07:16 AM)Dukes94 Wrote:  

(11-07-2021 09:22 PM)HyperDuke Wrote:  Eh, I’ve encountered some really stupid parents & coaches before…

Ha! True. I guess I mean on average. If the average kid is weighing an FCS and an FBS offer, the FBS offer is probably going to be more attractive.

....unless, of course, that FCS offer came from JMU, in which case, backed up by history, JMU is going to be a strong competitor. We have several kids on the roster who received multiple FBS offers.

Every athlete has a different reason for choosing a school. Some choose academics, while some choose the athletic program. Some choose coaches, while others choose uniforms and brands. And some choose the chance to play for national championships while others choose bowl games and FBS.

There's no doubt we will lose some players that want to play for titles (FCS), but for every one of those, there will be many others that will now consider us because we're FBS.
One door closes, while many other doors open for us.

(11-08-2021 08:13 AM)Purple Wrote:  

(11-08-2021 07:16 AM)Dukes94 Wrote:  

(11-07-2021 09:22 PM)HyperDuke Wrote:  Eh, I’ve encountered some really stupid parents & coaches before…

Ha! True. I guess I mean on average. If the average kid is weighing an FCS and an FBS offer, the FBS offer is probably going to be more attractive.

....unless, of course, that FCS offer came from JMU, in which case, backed up by history, JMU is going to be a strong competitor. We have several kids on the roster who received multiple FBS offers.

Yup. On the field, we have the coaching, pedigree, and roster to show that an athlete can improve day to day going up against the best at their position. Off the field, we have high caliber academics, an intense atmosphere, and a beautiful campus. Several coaches have mentioned the biggest boon to recruiting is to get kids and their families on campus and it sells itself.

(11-08-2021 09:18 AM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  Several coaches have mentioned the biggest boon to recruiting is to get kids and their families on campus and it sells itself.

In many ways, JMU is just another mid-major, if you're only looking at the numbers...the cold, hard facts without context. We've had good success in athletics, in part because we outspent the competition, but in part because, in the words of Everett Withers at one of his first press conferences at Texas State, "JMU is a special place."

I don't think we can just assume we'll show up and win--the comments about "winning a few more natties before we go FBS" always amused me--but dammit, JMU is a special place. Keith Gill said it Saturday. We have this odd combination of above-average kids who really give a crap and ball like hell at whatever it is they do, on the field or in the classroom.

And we have a great brand. We're not named Harrisonburg University (hello, Radford) or Northwest Virginia (hello, direction schools everywhere). We're James Madison.