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Any senior? Only 4th year seniors? Grad transfers?

I'm reading here but still a little uncertain as I'm not digging into the details.

Any player is eligible to return. This season did not count against eligibility. Coach Lester has already stated that he pretty much expects everybody back except the players in the portal(Hayward, Sanders, Lezzer), Eskridge who he expects to play on Sundays and maybe Caliendo but Caliendo has already hinted that he is coming back.

(12-21-2020 10:55 PM)gobaseline Wrote:  Any senior? Only 4th year seniors? Grad transfers?

I'm reading here but still a little uncertain as I'm not digging into the details.

Well in short. Anyone who wants to... This season didn't cost anyone eligibility.

(12-21-2020 11:39 PM)WMUPorter Wrote:  Any player is eligible to return. This season did not count against eligibility. Coach Lester has already stated that he pretty much expects everybody back except the players in the portal(Hayward, Sanders, Lezzer), Eskridge who he expects to play on Sundays and maybe Caliendo but Caliendo has already hinted that he is coming back.

So this means we are again the best team in the Mac (regardless of choking away the official title again) ?

(12-22-2020 12:36 AM)Cocksman Wrote:  

(12-21-2020 11:39 PM)WMUPorter Wrote:  Any player is eligible to return. This season did not count against eligibility. Coach Lester has already stated that he pretty much expects everybody back except the players in the portal(Hayward, Sanders, Lezzer), Eskridge who he expects to play on Sundays and maybe Caliendo but Caliendo has already hinted that he is coming back.

So this means we are again the best team in the Mac (regardless of choking away the official title again) ?

Let's wait and see how transfers shake out. Young teams should see improvement. Buffalo without Patterson might not be so good. Kent State with another year in their quirky offensive system might be that much better.

(12-22-2020 12:36 AM)Cocksman Wrote:  

(12-21-2020 11:39 PM)WMUPorter Wrote:  Any player is eligible to return. This season did not count against eligibility. Coach Lester has already stated that he pretty much expects everybody back except the players in the portal(Hayward, Sanders, Lezzer), Eskridge who he expects to play on Sundays and maybe Caliendo but Caliendo has already hinted that he is coming back.

So this means we are again the best team in the Mac (regardless of choking away the official title again) ?

You have to factor in us regressing like every other year since PJ left.

(12-22-2020 12:26 PM)BroncoMinor Wrote:  

(12-22-2020 12:36 AM)Cocksman Wrote:  

(12-21-2020 11:39 PM)WMUPorter Wrote:  Any player is eligible to return. This season did not count against eligibility. Coach Lester has already stated that he pretty much expects everybody back except the players in the portal(Hayward, Sanders, Lezzer), Eskridge who he expects to play on Sundays and maybe Caliendo but Caliendo has already hinted that he is coming back.

So this means we are again the best team in the Mac (regardless of choking away the official title again) ?

You have to factor in us regressing like every other year since PJ left.

Objectively, can we call a team that continues to improve its winning percentage every season "regressing"? Stuck at a glass ceiling? Yes (if we lost to Toledo, we could have called it the Glass Bowl ceiling, har har). But again, we went from "this team will be lucky to win 3 games in 2017" to "why haven't we won three MAC championships already?" That's progression.

(12-21-2020 11:39 PM)WMUPorter Wrote:  Any player is eligible to return. This season did not count against eligibility. Coach Lester has already stated that he pretty much expects everybody back except the players in the portal(Hayward, Sanders, Lezzer), Eskridge who he expects to play on Sundays and maybe Caliendo but Caliendo has already hinted that he is coming back.

I’m pretty sure Caliendo is starting Medical school next year.

(12-22-2020 12:40 PM)WMU_Grad2016 Wrote:  

(12-21-2020 11:39 PM)WMUPorter Wrote:  Any player is eligible to return. This season did not count against eligibility. Coach Lester has already stated that he pretty much expects everybody back except the players in the portal(Hayward, Sanders, Lezzer), Eskridge who he expects to play on Sundays and maybe Caliendo but Caliendo has already hinted that he is coming back.

I’m pretty sure Caliendo is starting Medical school next year.

That seems like a good reason to move on. I wish him the best.

If we're assuming Moore (LT), French (OC), Deatherage (RG), & Brooks (RT) return, is there a frontrunner to take the open spot?

(12-22-2020 01:21 PM)BroncoMinor Wrote:  

(12-22-2020 12:40 PM)WMU_Grad2016 Wrote:  

(12-21-2020 11:39 PM)WMUPorter Wrote:  Any player is eligible to return. This season did not count against eligibility. Coach Lester has already stated that he pretty much expects everybody back except the players in the portal(Hayward, Sanders, Lezzer), Eskridge who he expects to play on Sundays and maybe Caliendo but Caliendo has already hinted that he is coming back.

I’m pretty sure Caliendo is starting Medical school next year.

That seems like a good reason to move on. I wish him the best.

If we're assuming Moore (LT), French (OC), Deatherage (RG), & Brooks (RT) return, is there a frontrunner to take the open spot?

Asbury or Kanz, assuming they return.

Please, coaching staff, move French to guard where we can use his physicality and toughness just as well, and train another guy to be center who can reliably snap the ball. Please don't tell the new guy he has to snap it like a missile; the RPO timing can't be worse off than it was this year with the wild snaps.

(12-22-2020 04:31 PM)RunningGame Wrote:  

(12-22-2020 01:21 PM)BroncoMinor Wrote:  

(12-22-2020 12:40 PM)WMU_Grad2016 Wrote:  

(12-21-2020 11:39 PM)WMUPorter Wrote:  Any player is eligible to return. This season did not count against eligibility. Coach Lester has already stated that he pretty much expects everybody back except the players in the portal(Hayward, Sanders, Lezzer), Eskridge who he expects to play on Sundays and maybe Caliendo but Caliendo has already hinted that he is coming back.

I’m pretty sure Caliendo is starting Medical school next year.

That seems like a good reason to move on. I wish him the best.

If we're assuming Moore (LT), French (OC), Deatherage (RG), & Brooks (RT) return, is there a frontrunner to take the open spot?

Asbury or Kanz, assuming they return.

Please, coaching staff, move French to guard where we can use his physicality and toughness just as well, and train another guy to be center who can reliably snap the ball. Please don't tell the new guy he has to snap it like a missile; the RPO timing can't be worse off than it was this year with the wild snaps.

French is a smart guy from what I've heard and that is precisely what you need at center. Obviously, he needs work with Eleby on the snaps and I have no doubt they can work it out between now and next season.

I'll be interested to see if Ball State can repeat as MAC west champion -- it will be very competitive west again.

I wonder how many guys are going to be inspired enough to stick around for an additional year of practice, off-season training, and everything else that goes playing an additional year. Division 1 athletes are generally confident people, but I honestly cannot believe that most players think that they are in a conference championship level program. They see what Lester and staff have done over the years, and watch him repeatedly do things like take a knee to run out the clock when the team has a great opportunity to score going into halftime. That, and many other situations they have witnessed over the years, does not breed enthusiasm. Poor leadership is killing this program.