TomCat88 wrote: ↑Wed May 07, 2025 9:14 am
VimSince03 wrote: ↑Tue May 06, 2025 10:54 am
mslacatfan wrote: ↑Mon May 05, 2025 3:01 pm
Anyone else surprised by the lack of portal signings so far this spring?
I know they have some offers out…. And I know Vigen prefers to develop highschool guys vs the portal “quick fix” (which I agree with completely). But still…
Transfer positions they are searching for:
RB - freshman won't be ready so need one or two more for depth. Henley changed the process here.
WR - they always are looking to add to the room here
DT - Every FCS team is always looking to add quality interior DL...as they are hard to find at this level as the great ones move up
CB - Some of the redshirt freshman are ready but losing Jon and Andrew hurt the veteran presence of this room. Don't be surprised if they add two more.
S - I like the guys we brought in in January but if they land a player who is at or near Ortt's level you have to pull the trigger
So I'm gonna say they would bring in at least 8 more players if it fits which would mean some additional cuts would have to happen as AFCAT has broken down. Surprised they aren't pursuing LB but that also means they like the progress of Daily, Grebe, Taylor, Krahe, and the young freshman (Dethman, Woodbury, and Bowles).
And if this is about the Griz adding players left and right...they are addressing different problems over there. Hauck has really been upset with the trenches so it makes sense that's where they've focused the most.
Based on what I saw at the scrimmage there weren't any glaring needs. I'm thinking most moves are an attempt to build depth and if they happen to find a player capable of jumping into the rotation somewhere, then that's an added bonus. Every position group seems to have either 4-5 battling for an open starting position or 2-3 guys battling for backup spots.
I don't see MSU being in a position where it's looking for a guy to come in and start anywhere. This is a luxury very few teams can make a claim to.
I think the coaches accept the fact that there's not another Tommy Mellott out there. If there were, he'd be playing for a P4 team already and not looking to transfer to MSU. They also don't see one in their own ranks. That's just something they'll address by making whatever changes need to be made to make the team as productive as possible of offense. That isn't to say the QBs on hand can't make the spectacular happen, because there's no doubt they can. Almost every QB, not just Mellott, to take a snap at MSU since 2010 has been able to do that. McGhee, Prukop, Murray, Andersen, McKay, Chambers, Mellott (what an absolutely dymanic group that is; I can't think of any teams with as good and diverse of a group during the same time span). Rovig and Bruggman were the only exceptions, and they didn't suck. That's a pretty good track record.
2010: McGhee OPOY
2011: McGhee 2nd team All-BSC
2012: McGhee OPOY
2013: McGhee HM All-BSC (injury-riddled season)
2014: Prukop/Bleskin 3rd team All-BSC (Prukop despite missing final two reg. season games)
2015: Prukop 2nd team All-BSC
2016: Bruggman/Murray BSC frosh of the year (Murray; and beat UM in Msla)
2017: Murray none (beat UM)
2018: Andersen 1st team All-BSC
2019: Rovig none (beat UM)
2020: covid
2021: McKay/Mellott (awards given out before postseason) McKay and Mellott combined for a very good season but won no awards and lost to UM then Mellott got MSU to the national title game
2022: Chambers/Mellott Newcomer of the year and 2nd team All-BSC All-Purpose player (Chambers)/2nd team All-BSC (Mellott)
2023: Mellott/Chambers 2nd team All-BSC (Mellott)/1st team All-BSC All-Purpose player (Chambers)
2024: Mellott OPOY/Payton Award
That's three OPOYs, four 1st team All-BSC, four 2nd team All-BSC, one third team All-BSC, one frosh of the year, one newcomer of the year, one first team All-BSC All-Purpose and one second team All-Purpose. That's 12 separate awards (when you count the 3 OPOYs as 1st teamers) and 16 total in 14 years.
Of the 14 seasons, 10 ended in the playoffs.
Of the three years (2017, 2019 and 2021) MSU didn't see a QB get some kind of award, the Bobcats beat UM twice (2017 and 2019) and advanced to the national semifinals once (2019) and to the national title game once (2021).
MSU - 16 team National Champions (most recent 2024); 57 individual National Champions (most recent 2023).
toM StUber