College football is so much different now. No need to rely that much on high school recruits. I’ve always hated the portal but it’s there and it has to be used I guess today.
I think the Martin era peaked with Gabbert. Like then Steelers, we’re in it for sentimentality
I think the carrot is “come here and play immediately”. Current QB situ aside, it has proven that it can work
We still have Ehrlich and Gotkowski. I can see Ehrlich getting the start next year, Chuck has compared him to Gabbert in the past
If Chuck doesn’t play Gotkowski and/or Ehrlich the next two games it’s coaching malpractice.
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Even if he believes Hesson is the best QB on his roster after watching Gotkowski for a full two years and Ehrlich all year this year?
We can still win the MAC. Until that becomes unlikely, Chuck should play the best QB he has. He owes it to the seniors to try and win a title. You can’t go into the locker room, look your men in the face, and say “Hey, I think Hesson is our best QB but we gotta figure out some things for next year, so sorry we aren’t going to try our best to win your last football games you’ll ever play”.
I question Chuck as much as most on this board sometimes. I’m not a Chuck homer and think he’s “fine” as a coach. But he also knows more football than anyone on this board I’m pretty sure. He definitely knows Hesson, Gotkowski, and Ehrlich and their skill levels better than anyone on this board.
If Hesson is the best QB we have, you gotta play him as long as we are live for Detroit.
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I certainly understand your point; what if he starts Hesson and he plays like last week? Would you then go to the bench? Also, if Hesson is the best QB on the roster, then we are in real trouble for next season.
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I’m telling myself Toledo has a good MAC defense and our O-line and Hesson will be more effective in this game against UB. If he is the starter and looks as bad in the first half as he did against UT, you’d think Chuck would have to give someone else a shot, but again, I’m not seeing the other guys in practice. Maybe Hesson is clearly the best and as you said, we are in trouble and need to land a big portal guy again.
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Who knows where Miami goes now … I mean, a guy like Tyler Buchner could come in to Oxford and be another Andrew Hendricks. The way CFB is run now, if you’re a good player, a P4 school can come in and pay you boo-koo bucks for you to “transfer". However, if you’re currently on the team and the hot new portal guy is gonna cut into your PT, maybe you start looking for other opportunities.
I remember Riley Cook leaving Duke for ND, and Sam Hartmann leaving Wake Forest for ND. Stuff like that happens, and Miami could pick up a transfer guy who is NOT going to get their NIL paid anymore. Guess we’ll see.
Riley Leonard? Or were you thinking of Tim Apple?
I am not going to get on Miami’s case for losing Lloyd Carr’s grandson to Michigan.
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I agree Redsea and good for him.
Here is my theory regarding Martin as a coach, pick your adjective, rigid, dogmatic, obstinate, instransigent, inflexible, and possibly high conscientiousness with low openness? He is loyal to players to a fault. He has stated and still believes better preparation still wins games which is why he cannot win OOC or more than 59% against good teams. In the MAC it was true preparation trumped superior coaching and play calling but not in 2025. His plays are predicable as well as dated and opponents have potentially stolen his signs as shown by last year’s blowout by OU at home. OU appeared to adjust perfectly throughout the game and a former coach is in Athens. I cannot remember a game where he pulled a QB for having an off day, even when getting blown out. He is an incurable loyalist and will play the harder working, longer tenured player which is why he leaves them in instead of giving someone else the experience.
No, Riley Cook. He survived the Bowling Green Massacre.
I am a bit surprised about going to UM because it will be a major spotlight on him like Arch Manning at UT (although on a much lower level since Manning is/was a much better player from the start). He could have come to MU and been a superstar and then either gone somewhere else in a few years for the $$$$ or stay and become a potential icon.
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He will have an uphill battle to see the field at Michigan.
Done with college football. Can never compete with top tier teams. Can we get a D1 lacrosse program?
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Or Mens soccer
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Granted it is only one sites opinion, but 247Scout is widely cited in recruiting circles. I have a paid membership. At one point our 2026 class had a composite ranking of 68. Then 69, 72, 77, 82. now 89. We were #1 in the MAC. We are now #3 in the MAC. We have 17 verbals. Toledo is 2nd at #80, and 22 verbals. They have 17 three stars. We have 12. NIU is now second in the rankings. Again just one sites ranking opinions.
I have always followed recruiting closely in FB, mens BB and womens BB. Yes, Miami has suffered defections before. But I cannot remember a time when we had this many flip, so late in the recruiting season. Usually we have managed to hold on to our recruits. This year, not so much. We have had at least 6 flip in the last 2-3 weeks. Now one could look at some, like Carr, and say, well at least we are recruiting the correct players as he went to Michigan, or the 2 OL who flipped to B10 schools. But there is more going on than just that. I will not say I can pinpoint any one factor but I would guess several are in play: the portal era, losing on the field, lack of fans in the seats (remember recruits see this when they visit), certainly the Finn situation hasn’t helped although all the defections except Carr took place before he quit the team, maybe other individuals are now involved in the process who weren’t previously, and that has removed some control from the coaching staff. Again I don’t know the exact cause(s) but something is different. And since every year we are competing with Toledo I follow their progress. They have had minimal if any recruits flip this cycle. Just in case anyone was wondering.
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Agree that it’s not just one factor alone. Game day atmosphere has to be a consideration. Our soft student and local public fan support - now completely in the shadow of UC - has to be contributing.The lack of many marquee home opponents during September and October followed by dreary mid-week November MACtion is a negative. And the fact that our offense averages mid-20s in point production can’t be attractive to talented offensive-minded recruits in this era. On top of that we’re still struggling to create a robust NIL program.