I don't expect this to happen, but the talk about Indiana had me thinking. A big factor in their success is the average age of their players being around 23. What if teams sent the players that were not projected to be high impact players early to the local community college for two years. For example, A&M could have a bunch of high 3 and low 4 stars that likely wouldn't get drafted go to blinn with a guaranteed scholarship later on. They play for two years without losing any eligibility, and then come to A&M with the age and experience to make a huge impact for the next 3 years. I feel like this could replicate Indianas success now that there will no longer be 6th year players from Covid eligibility. Thoughts?

Gandalf the Maroon said:

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I don't expect this to happen, but the talk about Indiana had me thinking. A big factor in their success is the average age of their players being around 23. What if teams sent the players that were not projected to be high impact players early to the local community college for two years. For example, A&M could have a bunch of high 3 and low 4 stars that likely wouldn't get drafted go to blinn with a guaranteed scholarship later on. They play for two years without losing any eligibility, and then come to A&M with the age and experience to make a huge impact for the next 3 years. I feel like this could replicate Indianas success now that there will no longer be 6th year players from Covid eligibility. Thoughts?

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Similar to how the NFL doesn't want to pay for a minor league it doesn't need, I don't see university systems/boosters paying for a minor league team when the opportunity to poach players developing on another team's dime is available.

NomadicAggie said:

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Don't need JUCO to be the minor leagues. We already have that...it's called every team not in a Power 2 conference not named Texas Tech or Miami

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FIFY

I still watched every game. I still had the emotional highs and lows. I don't know how long it will last though. Right now I have a lot of enthusiasm for a Cassius Howell having a chance to show what he could do against the big boys after he was underrecruited in HS. Or a Bo Nix struggle at Auburn and get a fresh start in Oregon.

But I detest the outright buying of players that were key players with guaranteed starting roles on their teams next year enter the portal to get money whipped. As more and more talent distills into a few larger schools all trying to poach from one another, it's hard to get on board with that. This cycle, 10 of our 17 additions came from Power 2 schools. 12 of 17 if we count Colorado. If one of the 5 small school players goes off, that's a really fun story and a transfer portal success. The others feel like mercenaries.

Obviously this is personal opinion. Interest country wide may not wane, but mine is

There is a marketplace for talent and there are natural breakpoints for even regular students. More students are transferring in credits earned at local colleges during high school, dual credit or using AP tests to complete up to two years of credit hours. Some also start in local colleges to control cost and to qualify for schools like Texas A&M. After completing a degree program there might be 2-3 years of eligibility left now.

Yes: the financial incentives were not there because the NCAA was found to have illegally behaved and so naturally a market has emerged to allow students to seek proper competition for their presence on campus. Is it not well regulated? Perhaps. But if coaches can change schools for proverbial money-whipping what is the moral panic that student athletes can, too???

Gandalf the Maroon said:

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I don't expect this to happen, but the talk about Indiana had me thinking. A big factor in their success is the average age of their players being around 23. What if teams sent the players that were not projected to be high impact players early to the local community college for two years. For example, A&M could have a bunch of high 3 and low 4 stars that likely wouldn't get drafted go to blinn with a guaranteed scholarship later on. They play for two years without losing any eligibility, and then come to A&M with the age and experience to make a huge impact for the next 3 years. I feel like this could replicate Indianas success now that there will no longer be 6th year players from Covid eligibility. Thoughts?

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Your original premise that their age was a key factor which turns out to be incorrect. So the rest is pointless.

You overestimate how little money JUCOs have. JUCOs are rehabiltation programs for players who otherwise have no options. Most D3 schools have more resources than JUCOs.

Gandalf the Maroon said:

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I don't expect this to happen, but the talk about Indiana had me thinking. A big factor in their success is the average age of their players being around 23. What if teams sent the players that were not projected to be high impact players early to the local community college for two years. For example, A&M could have a bunch of high 3 and low 4 stars that likely wouldn't get drafted go to blinn with a guaranteed scholarship later on. They play for two years without losing any eligibility, and then come to A&M with the age and experience to make a huge impact for the next 3 years. I feel like this could replicate Indianas success now that there will no longer be 6th year players from Covid eligibility. Thoughts?

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To be honest if I was a lowly recruited 3 star I would go to a JUCO and come out in two years with development and still have eligibility. That being said there aren't enough players to go around so even 3 stars can get paid more at a low level D1 school than going JUCO.

NomadicAggie said:

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Don't need JUCO to be the minor leagues. We already have that...it's called every team not in a Power 4 conference.

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And probably about 20 teams that are in the P4

I think every other team in the country is a minor league to pull from. Everyone, no matter how good or bad, has players going into the portal every year.

The current portal system has killed the opportunities of JUCO players. No big schools interested in them anymore.

When was the last player from JUCO sought after by the Aggies or anybody else? A D1 team can now seek out players with D1 or D2 experience, and not bother risking a spot for a JUCU player who has not played consistently against good competitors.

Their only hope is a school like Sam Houston that loses dozens to the transfer portal every year.

You could always use juco as a minor league but you couldn't make players go anywhere after two years. A player will still go to the highest bidder. If I was an above average college player and Juco wasn't going to count against my eligibility, this is exactly what I would do. It's like failing two classes, in high school. IHold your kid back two grades in high school. Then I would go Juco for two years. I'd go FCS for a year. I'd go Go5 for 1-2 years. 'd have a mysterious medical redshirt year and then try to play P4 at 27-28. Collect NIL as much as I could and be relatively set going into my 30s.

Gandalf the Maroon said:

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I don't expect this to happen, but the talk about Indiana had me thinking. A big factor in their success is the average age of their players being around 23. What if teams sent the players that were not projected to be high impact players early to the local community college for two years. For example, A&M could have a bunch of high 3 and low 4 stars that likely wouldn't get drafted go to blinn with a guaranteed scholarship later on. They play for two years without losing any eligibility, and then come to A&M with the age and experience to make a huge impact for the next 3 years. I feel like this could replicate Indianas success now that there will no longer be 6th year players from Covid eligibility. Thoughts?

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Good idea, NIL has created this situation!

High school recruiting, ie freshmen and sophomore year, is the minor leagues for college football.

Recruiting high school players is running a developmental program for Indiana.

The structure isn't there as there aren't very many JuCo programs to begin with. Texas only has 6 if you can believe that. Only about 15 states have ANY Juco programs and there are FAR more in states like Minnesota and Kansas than there are in Florida, where you'd expect to have at least several. Cal leads the way but with their state budget in shambles, who knows if those schools will even survive this decade, athletic programs notwithstanding.

Just about every JuCo out there has basketball and baseball, along with women's soccer, softball and basketball to balance things out. NO ONE is looking to add football.