🏈 Former USC/Alabama/Southeastern Louisiana lineman Ishmael Sopsher in the NCAA Transfer Portal again.

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

Seems like I remember somebody saying, " Life is like a box of chocolates."

 

[TerryP]

...Colorado cigars...

To echo what Terry said (I typed this without reading replies yet which was dumb, but I'm going to post anyway)...

That's. Still. Funny.

From what I understand, Sopsher had been making strides in the weight issue battle, then the COVID stuff came about and players were sent home. This was not ideal for a handful of guys who lost the structure of being in the facility and around support staff (S&C, Nutrition, Training, etc) every day. Not saying he wouldn't have eventually jumped into the portal anyway, but being detoured from his structured off season road map, put him back behind the 8 ball. And that's not a knock on the kid, I'd imagine at that age (any age really), it would be difficult to do what was being asked under those circumstances. Not like he could go home to a personal chef who could make him grilled chicken salads and fruit smoothies all day long.

Here I am with that writing thing on paper on the wall ... and you spell it so succinctly. The empathy that I was pointing to here was hypothetical in the sense of "walking in his shoes." We know what's happened and why.

Here's a question that should be asked (in a world that's a different thread.) How many guys had a hard time adapting to Apple products. How was that "walked through with Sopsher?" Learning curve? Easy to 'skip' or fake? Not with the watch system, right?

When you answered the question about Smith and Burroughs earlier I thought that would send up a flare or two. It didn't until his announcement.

It allows one more initial; now four spots barring flip.

Also, a conversation for another day is how these recruiting services as a whole do a pretty good job with the ratings, but it also obvious that they purposely[BGCOLOR=rgb(247, 218, 100)] inflate ratings on some players for their own selfish reasons (all-star game tie ins, deals for inside info, create more drama on late commits, etc.).[/BGCOLOR]

In a conversation a couple of days ago someone pointed out how his recruiting time ran. I can't remember what it was that sparked the question. I remember asking how we should describe his recruitment. I remember it being highly publicized; a great story line with Orgeron vs Saban for a defensive lineman.

A recruiting battle is what it turned out to be for some great headlines—at the time. We all bought into the story and I'd think most remember "project" from the start. Or, am I overestimating here?

...Colorado cigars... That's still funny from the cigar thread...

 

[OldPlayer]

To echo what Terry said (I typed this without reading replies yet which was dumb, but I'm going to post anyway)...

From what I understand, Sopsher had been making strides in the weight issue battle, then the COVID stuff came about and players were sent home. This was not ideal for a handful of guys who lost the structure of being in the facility and around support staff (S&C, Nutrition, Training, etc) every day. Not saying he wouldn't have eventually jumped into the portal anyway, but being detoured from his structured off season road map, put him back behind the 8 ball. And that's not a knock on the kid, I'd imagine at that age (any age really), it would be difficult to do what was being asked under those circumstances. Not like he could go home to a personal chef who could make him grilled chicken salads and fruit smoothies all day long.

Also, a conversation for another day is how these recruiting services as a whole do a pretty good job with the ratings, but it also obvious that they purposely inflate ratings on some players for their own selfish reasons (all-star game tie ins, deals for inside info, create more drama on late commits, etc.).

He had the same circumstances as others. Plus, they were back by mid-summer; plenty of time to lose the weight or come close.

Recruiting services rate the player, not the attitude of the player. He did a great job on the field but did he have the mental toughness to compete with players as good or better? Many high school kids dominate because they're the biggest, baddest on their team. But, when you come to Alabama and everyone is the biggest and baddest, it requires a mental approach that many don't have.

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

Coach Bryant.......... “The biggest mistake coaches make is taking borderline cases and trying to save them. I’m not talking about grades now, I’m talking about character. I want to know before a boy enrolls about his home life, and what his parents want him to be.”

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

He had the same circumstances as others. Plus, they were back by mid-summer; plenty of time to lose the weight or come close.

Recruiting services rate the player, not the attitude of the player. He did a great job on the field but did he have the mental toughness to compete with players as good or better? Many high school kids dominate because they're the biggest, baddest on their team. But, when you come to Alabama and everyone is the biggest and baddest, it requires a mental approach that many don't have.

Same circumstances sure, same resources? That's different. I'm not trying to make excuses for the kid, simply explaining there is usually more to it than what is on the surface. As mentioned, he may well have ended up transferring regardless, but what transpired (facility locked down) over the spring and early summer was not an ideal situation for him.

Coach Bryant.......... “The biggest mistake coaches make is taking borderline cases and trying to save them. I’m not talking about grades now, I’m talking about character. I want to know before a boy enrolls about his home life, and what his parents want him to be.”

While I think there is a lot of truth to that, I also think Saban is a bit of an outlier when it comes to that type of formula. He's certainly had some misses, but he's also taken kids who had very questionable character in HS, and they thrived in his system (though some flamed back out after their college career was over and they lost the structure that the program provided). He at least gives many of these kids a chance though, and he sort of has to if he wants to recruit at the level he recruits at. As an example, there were 2 players recruited from Daphne who both had "baggage" but Saban signed them anyway. One of them took a bit longer to adapt to "the process" than the other, but both eventually thrived are are still on NFL rosters today. IMO, nobody is better at taming the wild horses than Saban.

 

[RTB X Bot]