Ye Olde Green Wave Forum

There is an inflation factor with some waiting late, but there are some great values out there too. That is why I think we will sign some really good players in a couple of weeks. This staff has been really good at talent evaluation and I think we will finish this class off nicely.

FWIW, Stuart Mandel at The Athletic quotes a stat that fully 1/2 (that's fifty percent) of four and five star QB recruits now transfer within three years.

So yes I would prefer Fritz develop a conventional pipeline and sign and develop frosh QBs just because; but there is now a very strong argument that he does not have to. The Banks/McMillan/Howard trend may easily become the rule for Tulane with Fritz bringing in even higher rated transfers (at least on paper) that that trio.

Those guys aren't 4 and 5 stars. So that's not where ours are coming from. We need to do a much better job of recruiting freshman QB's. Hopefully the new OC will implement an offense that QB's find attractive.

Nobody but UTEP was on Matocha early. Wyoming offered him late in the season and UMass offered around the same time we did. We were holding out for other guys...we brought Jakson Thomson in for a visit...when that didn't work out, we offered Matocha. As LG said, he's now being inflated due to a lack of supply. These are the kinds of kids who end up in the transfer portal. It's the Lindsey Scott syndrome. Matocha will probably end up at Miami, and he'll sit behind Martell a year or so...they will recruit over his head and he'll either resign himself to being a career backup, or he'll transfer either as a grad transfer or a traditional transfer. Make no mistake about it, he's being offered as a number for this year just in case there are a few injuries.

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This one belongs to the Wave.

Yup. Miami will sign a 4 or 5 star next year and Motocha will let even get a fair shot because the staff will have a crush on their big recruit.

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Quote:The Good - TULANE
The Bad - LSU
THe Ugly - USM

There was also the kid from Jackson Prep who signed early with Ole Miss.

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You want experience running the entire show? You got it. You want someone young and energetic? You got it. You wanted someone with absolutely no ties to Cowen/Dickson? You got it. - TU23

But Matocha could develop. He could be Ian Book, Pat Ramsey, Ryan Griffin, etc. The problem seems to be this staff is reluctant to cast a wide enough net to reel one in. There is no excuse for not signing a high school QB in this class. Especially given the scenario that played out last year. If McMillan does not fall into their lap at the stroke of midnight, what kind of season do we have?

He did fall into our lap and we go into 2019 with him and his noticeable improvement plus Keon Howard. That’s Fritz’ best QB situation yet. I wish it was that plus one good HS QB signee but oh well.

A whole lot of p5’s were QB’d in 2019 by someone who began at another four year school.* That’s just those guys. When someone can point out that the QB transfer pool has stopped growing I’ll worry.


* just off the top of my head: LSU, Auburn, Washington St, Oklahoma, Virginia, NC State, Michigan

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You want experience running the entire show? You got it. You want someone young and energetic? You got it. You wanted someone with absolutely no ties to Cowen/Dickson? You got it. - TU23

Would you be ok if new OC's offense attracted experienced five star guys that transferred in or do we only want freshmen?


I think this is devolving into the "We have to have more New Orleans/LA recruits." Ready to beat that horse again? I actually wish we could sign 25 guys every year that could walk to campus from home but that bus left town decades ago with Steve Foley and his brothers. (BTW he lived next to St. Rita's which now is a parking lot for Yulman games. True.) I've arrived to a similar conclusion on QBs and for that matter all potential Fritz signees.


At this point I'm simply judging Fritz on whether he is signing winning talented players. I don't care from where and I don't care if they're 16 year old freshmen or Jucos or five star bench warming transfers from SEC schools or 26 year olds returning from minor league ball or overseas missions. Just bring us winners.

Ramsey and Griffin never had winning seasons at Tulane, aside from a 6-5 record in 2000. We have had three bowl teams since 1998. Our QBs in those games were Losman, Montana and McMillan. What did they have in common, I wonder?

King is the last successful QB we have recruited as a freshman. Before that, it was Terrence Jones. What they did they have in common? Mobility. Same with Hontas, same with Foley, less so with McKay or Karcher or Hall, but they weren't the statues that Ramsey or Griffin were. We all wish that we could find that fr. QB recruit who REALLY wants to come to Tulane. We haven't been able to pull it off in a decade. Thank the good Lord that kids are valuing playing time and are thus transferring to get it, rather than hoping and waiting for playing time where they sign as a HS Senior. If Fritz and Tulane are managing this new recruiting better than others, I'm all for it. That we brought Banks in from a JUCO shows that TD has been doing his job with the Administration.

Again, as long as we have 4-5 legit D-1 QBs vying for the starter's job by August 1, I don't care how we get there or if they are from LA or TX or FL or Alaska. My prediction is that we'll see a high value transfer QB come into the program before the 2020 season. If we get one season out of him, great; if we get two it's a bonus. As we win more, we'll get more bona fide HS candidates but, until we do, I'll take what we get however we get it and, if we win, won't complain.

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Plan your work, work your plan.

The transfer market and the JUCO market is great but tjtlja is not wrong. We need to hit on a good HS QB because getting that guy is the single biggest individual piece when trying to put good and very good seasons together.

What we need to do is something I assume we’re already doing which is pointing to McMillan and the other good transfer QB’s and saying to HS kids “think of the historic impact they could have had by being in the right place sooner. We’re that right place for you.”

Oh, the odds are very good that the earliest we’re going to have 4-5 legit D-1 players competing for the QB job is 2021.

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You want experience running the entire show? You got it. You want someone young and energetic? You got it. You wanted someone with absolutely no ties to Cowen/Dickson? You got it. - TU23

Just because Ramsey and Griffin didn’t win means nothing in this context. They produced significant numbers on their side of the ball. And just about everyone on this board is wondering why we cannot land a very good high school QB in year three after a bowl win. It is the $1m question. We are just discussing the situation we find ourselves in again. And we will likely end up with another JUCO or transfer, which is fine, but not ideal. And what if Howard bolts for another school if he sees the writing on the wall in early August. Roto, even you will have something to complain about

We aren't going to get 5 stars in any circumstance. My preference is for him to draw in three star freshman QB's and then elevate them with his coaching and system from there. If it helps get transfers that's fine too but again the level of what we are getting isn't anywhere close to 5 star guys.


As to your comments on this now being about getting more local recruits I have no idea where you culled that from. I have never beat that drum. I've taken umbrage at racist comments about local athletes but I have always been in the camp of not caring where they come from if they help us win.

When I was much younger we just couldn’t land the right running back. Every couple of years we’d go down to the wire for some really good guy and come up short. It held us back. Between Marvin Christian (a transfer, I think) and Mewelde Moore we didn’t have a back come near a thousand yards in a season.* We’re in a similar looking drought that won’t last as long and one in which the current staff have demonstrated that we can get around.

*Christian didn’t have a thousand yard season here but he was on track to do so in 1978 when he got banged up late.

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You want experience running the entire show? You got it. You want someone young and energetic? You got it. You wanted someone with absolutely no ties to Cowen/Dickson? You got it. - TU23

I never said we shouldn't get good QBs out of high school. My point is, we haven't been able to do it in several years. And that there are more P5 slots available than there are impactful HS QB seniors, unfortunately for us and the P5 branding. And that, given the "new" market of transfers, it isn't as dire if we don't recruit one as it used to be.

We thought Daniels was going to be the "guy." The jury is out, but even informed guys like TU23 don't think he will be. However, TU23 DOES think that Ledford may be able to contribute as a QB. OK, that is not 4-5 guys for 2019, but it is 3. I'll take that.

Unfortunately, we haven't able to recruit that mobile QB out of HS. It hasn't been for lack of trying. Perhaps Hall will get us over the hump with a more sophisticated passing attack and Tulane starting to win ball games..

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Plan your work, work your plan.

Ramsey and Griffin did not play well enough for us to win. I'll throw your boy Lee into the conversation as well. It means everything in this context. All three had similar playing styles that didn't fit our winning pattern for QBs.

We can spitball all day about transfers, injuries, what will happen if McMillan breaks his leg, etc., etc., etc. I don't worry about it or I'd go crazy. $h!t happens in football. It happened in 1974 and 1975 and we had capable back-ups then, but they didn't get it done. I'm more worried that we coach guys up, have the right schemes and call the right plays.

I think LG's last post has it right--we are in a QB drought right now. We'll need to get that one QB that transcends our recent past. May we get him.

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Plan your work, work your plan.

We will not be able to have 4-5 legit D-1 QBs on the roster without some being from HS. Heck, we won't be able to have 3...which is kind of the point--it's great to have the ability to bring in a transfer but that shouldn't be something you rely on.

With us, it's got to be a dual strategy. In, say 2007, there were no grad transfers. That the good Lord there is that market for us today.

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Plan your work, work your plan.

I respect TU23 but Ledford was moved for good reason to WR. He will not contribute as a QB at Tulane. We have 2 QB's for next season as of now.

I think you've made this point enough. And you're wrong. Ledford has contributed a very little bit and we have four qb's for next year. It's very likely we don't have our long term answer at QB.

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You want experience running the entire show? You got it. You want someone young and energetic? You got it. You wanted someone with absolutely no ties to Cowen/Dickson? You got it. - TU23

I wish I was wrong but I'm not. We have two QB's for next season at this point in McMillan and Howard, Hopefully that changes on signing day.

How many teams actually have 4-5 legitimate D-1 QBs on their roster now? Seems like getting to 3 and staying there is difficult for even the top programs.

What happens if Howard leaves?

Before this season? Doubt it. I believe he’d have to sit out again. After next season he could be a graduate and leave then.

What happens if Mexico invades New Mexico? What happens if Lady Gaga wins an Oscar? What happens if Howard loses his right leg in a car accident? What happens if the earth blows up tomorrow? I could do this all day.

Do you know something we don't? If so, say it, otherwise just keep these crazy questions to yourself.

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Plan your work, work your plan.