Let’s always look at the glass as half empty, shall we?
This is the most encouraged I’ve been about this program in 15 or more years. Better season than expected and totally different vibe coming from the players.
We just need to recruit better. And this is not an indictment on the staff, because we can point yo reasons why we are at a recruiting disadvantage right now. But, the reality is that we need to improve in recruiting.
I can’t say I am more encouraged now than 5 years ago when we were 5-0 after beating Georgia in Georgia with a hail Mary and going 9-4 the previous year under Butch Jones. I really thought we had a chance to go all the way that year. Other than that, I think I was about this encouraged after Butch’s second season honestly when we went 7-6 and hammered Iowa in our bowl game. More encouraged his 3rd season when we went 9-4 and DESTROYED #12 Northwestern in a bowl game to improve our W column by two wins that year. I think a lot of people underestimate what Butch did during his first 4 years here. He just ran out of resources once his staff started falling apart and Hamilton apparently wasn’t willing to pay for a good S&C coordinator to replace the guy that we fired for some reason I still don’t know.
Anyways, I still have an asterisk next to the fact Huepel stuck with Milton so much in the beginning of the year and was forced to try another QB due to injury. Too many were scratching their head and believed Huepel was on his way to being Pruitt 2.0. Had that injury not happened, our season could look very different and it’s an injury, not a coaching decision that has so much to do with how things turned around with Hooker at the Helm.
All that said, I love what I am seeing. I haven’t been this excited to watch us play since those years (which seems like an eternity of hell ago), but the jury is still out for me. Especially without this season being fully in the books. Best we can do is 8-5. That will possibly leave me more optimistic than after Butch’s first year depending on what our roster looks like.
We are losing Velus and Cade for sure. But Tillman and Hooker, Evans and apparently Payton all may get looks. That’s 6 potential NFL players gone from just our offense on a hopefully 8-5 team. Also, will McGrath play again? He’s a 78% FG kicker and is a Senior.
What about on D? Is Butler going to stick around? Flowers? Jackson? Taylor? Not sure who among all of those guys has a shot to go pro, but all of them are seniors and they are among our leading tacklers. Do any Juniors on D leave early? That is a LOT of experience to lose from a defense that is already thin.
All that said, if most of those guys return, we get some good recruits or transfers and we finish this season strong, I will be as optimistic as I have ever been.