Colorado CB John Walker -- grad transfer to MSU

[4thecats]

Thanks for helping me see difference between the two. Now that you say it that way, it makes sense. I will try to separate the two and give them the benefit of doubt..

[Walk-on]

I think you might be blending them together. FBS drop downs have good success rate, but JC transfers do not.

Exactly.

Guys are at a JC for a reason.

Many of our drop-downs actually played at the schools they came from, and contributed here.

Des Carter played at UAB and started for us

Brown had limited PT at Baylor and is in the WR rotation for us. Didn't expect too much when he came in, being a walk-on at Baylor and DP's bud

Sandland played at Miami but didn't start, he had a great year for us and is our only draft pick in recent years

Barnett started at Texas before his injury, and started for us

Keeton started at Nevada and started for us

Robinson played at Nebraska and earned the starting FB nod there before starting for us - stud

Kempt started games at Oregon and started for us before McGhee came along

Akpla from Oregon became an all-time great at MSU

Honestly, the only disappointing drop-down I can think of is Marino. And as was mentioned he never played a down at ASU. In fact, he was a non- qualifier and never even enrolled at ASU, so technically he wasn't even a drop-down.

The drop-downs coming in this year should all contribute right away. The only one I'm not sure about is Carrol from UNLV, even though he is 6'5" and 320. The one that worries me a little is Nate Dogg's kid, but Choate knows him and his story first hand so I trust Coach.

I can't mix drop-downs with JC transfers. To me, it's like we're a AAA ball club, guys coming from the majors will have a different expectation from me than guys coming from A or AA ball clubs. But I don't expect anyone to come in and Chuck Norris the Big Sky, not even the best player in the SEC.

T.R. Not as awful as Marino but still to Cat fans.

[mslacatfan]

Disappointment dropdowns I can think of:

Anthony Knight (Nevada): Started and made all big sky team, but turned out to be a dumbass and was kicked off the team.

Marino: complete waste

The older Thomas brother: OL from Oregon or Washington or something, he lasted about 25 minutes before quitting the team.

Armstrong: wasn't he a CB from Hawaii that didn't pan out?

Marcus Tappan: Cincinnati, is he still even on the team?

overall, majority of the dropdowns have been good to great additions though. Especially when you look at guys like Akpla and Sandland, all-time greats!

***Edit- accidently put Trey Robinson, meant to say Anthony Knight.... Obviously Robinson was a stud!

[VimSince03]

Disappointment dropdowns I can think of:

Trey Robinson (Nevada): Started and made all big sky team, but turned out to be a dumbass and was kicked off the team.

Marino: complete waste

The older Thomas brother: OL from Oregon or Washington or something, he lasted about 25 minutes before quitting the team.

Armstrong: wasn't he a CB from Hawaii that didn't pan out?

Marcus Tappan: Cincinnati, is he still even on the team?

overall, majority of the dropdowns have been good to great additions though. Especially when you look at guys like Akpla and Sandland, all-time greats!

You should double check that first one for a second...

[Hawks86]

You meant Anthony Knight I hope.

[bobcat99]

Tray Robinson is one of the best people to come through this program, period.

[VimSince03]

I mean he meant Anthony Knight...but he has yet to change it

[Cataholic]

Papa G is right about many of us being hypocritical. One minute we are critical of the rule (Prukop). The next minute, it is our recruiting tool. Part of the what have you done for me lately society.

As for FBS drop downs, I worry about the reasons they are leaving the FBS school. Anthony Knight came because of off field issues. It should have been a red light. In these graduate transfers, we are bringing in kids that have graduated from college! These are true student athletes. We should take these guys every time. Walker was a 4.0 student and school salutatorian. Sounds like the TYPE of kids we want.

[mslacatfan]

Disappointment dropdowns I can think of:

Trey Robinson (Nevada): Started and made all big sky team, but turned out to be a dumbass and was kicked off the team.

Marino: complete waste

The older Thomas brother: OL from Oregon or Washington or something, he lasted about 25 minutes before quitting the team.

Armstrong: wasn't he a CB from Hawaii that didn't pan out?

Marcus Tappan: Cincinnati, is he still even on the team?

overall, majority of the dropdowns have been good to great additions though. Especially when you look at guys like Akpla and Sandland, all-time greats!

You should double check that first one for a second...

oops duh, yes I meant Anthony knight, I will edit.

[mslacatfan]

Tray Robinson is one of the best people to come through this program, period.

yes, obviously. I had a brain fart, and somehow got the two names mixed up... everyone relax.

[VimSince03]

Basically what happened to mslacatfan the last 20 minutes:

[mslacatfan]

Basically what happened to mslacatfan the last 20 minutes:

I keep expecting to look out my window and see an angry mob with pitchforks and torches walking toward me.

[Colter_Nuanez]

Basically what happened to mslacatfan the last 20 minutes:

I keep expecting to look out my window and see an angry mob with pitchforks and torches walking toward me.

Welcome to my existence for the last five years

[Colter_Nuanez]

I put this list together in 2014. Of the players in the "yet to be determined" section, I think you can say Bryson Keeton, Eryon Barnett and Mitch Griebel could all be moved up to contributors. In 2015, Ash and his staff added eight transfers. Of those eight, six are still on the team with Bryson McCabe, Joe Naotala and Brandon Brown (before breaking his thumb) listed as starters during the spring. Jessie Clark will play a significant role after leading MSU in sacks last season. Shiloh LaBoy and Zach Stern are each listed as backups and should challenge for playing time. Marcus Tappan was dismissed from the team but I'm hearing rumors he may be given a chance to return in the fall. If he does, he will challenge Blake Braun for the starting spot at Will linebacker.

The transfers during the Rob Ash era
http://bobcatnation.com/node/761

[kennethnoisewater]

I think the conversation still could be about our expectations from a drop-down. Even though somebody like Eryon Barnett was a good contributor for the Cats, he wasn't an all-time great, and I think that's what the expectation is sometimes for these drop-downs. Not everybody is Beau Sandland or Junior Adams. It doesn't mean they're failures, but it might mean they don't walk on water like a lot of people expect. I think it's a good point that people need to temper their excitement about a player, but it's also not fair to assume that a drop-down will be a total waste. As a percentage, we probably see at least as many flops that the Cats recruit right out of high school, we just don't get our hopes up about them as much as fans.

[PapaG]

Mike Jefferson and Elvis Akpla are arguably the two best Bobcat WRs of the last 10 years. Add Junior Adams and it's not a stretch to say the 3 best MSU WRs this century were all FBS drop-downs.

I'd add Ricky Gatewood but I'd rather just forget that era.

[Walk-on]

Mike Jefferson and Elvis Akpla are arguably the two best Bobcat WRs of the last 10 years. Add Junior Adams and it's not a stretch to say the 3 best MSU WRs this century were all FBS drop-downs.

I'd add Ricky Gatewood but I'd rather just forget that era.

A certain player from closer to home did not even compare to these guys; nor Jack Rolovich or Kempt at QB. Huge disappointment and wasted scholarship. One Tanner would contribute much more at WR than the other, even though having less tools to work with.

[TomCat88]

Mike Jefferson and Elvis Akpla are arguably the two best Bobcat WRs of the last 10 years. Add Junior Adams and it's not a stretch to say the 3 best MSU WRs this century were all FBS drop-downs.

I'd add Ricky Gatewood but I'd rather just forget that era.

A certain player from closer to home did not even compare to these guys; nor Jack Rolovich or Kempt at QB. Huge disappointment and wasted scholarship. One Tanner would contribute much more at WR than the other, even though having less tools to work with.

That's one of the harshest things I've ever read on this board. Hurts me just reading it.

[mslacatfan]

Mike Jefferson and Elvis Akpla are arguably the two best Bobcat WRs of the last 10 years. Add Junior Adams and it's not a stretch to say the 3 best MSU WRs this century were all FBS drop-downs.

I'd add Ricky Gatewood but I'd rather just forget that era.

A certain player from closer to home did not even compare to these guys; nor Jack Rolovich or Kempt at QB. Huge disappointment and wasted scholarship. One Tanner would contribute much more at WR than the other, even though having less tools to work with.

Thanks for taking the heat off of me on this thread. (at least my stupid post was an accident)

[lutecat]

Yeah. Let's just hold off on talking about the disappointment in a player that played for us. You can say you are disappointed his career didn't turn out as expected. A waste of a scholarship? That's harsh.

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