Ysu Football 2023

[The YO Show]

I'm loving the amount of coverage! In terms of the preseason poll, I am conflicted. I feel that it is not too far off of where I have the penguins, yet at the same time, I feel slighted. I can understand SDSU, NDSU, UNI, and even UND at 4... I do not understand putting SIU ahead of YSU.

[The YO Show]

In discussing recruiting in the age of the transfer portal, Phillips noted that YSU remains a “developmental program” and that with MAC programs such as Kent State or Akron focusing more and more on transfers, it’s allowed YSU to target a higher level of high school recruits. That’s also been boosted by YSU’s ability to retain players from season to season.

And here is a big change I have noticed under philips. It does appear as though the player development is going well to me. This year, aside from the lone D2 transfer, we had no other transfers. No FCS or FBS transfers in, and very few (4 IIRC)? transfers out. One of those being Crenshaw.

[IAA Fan]

Depth means nothing unless these are good players. I mean we can get anyone off the street and say we have 'depth'. Players not leaving a team located in NE Ohio tell me we may have a crop of D-II players that are happy here. Seriously, a YSU team that is already close to filling a 2-deep on front lines, should have us starting at 1-3 in the conference and discussions on what we need to do to make the post-season should be what we are reading about. I am just going to assume we are rebuilding and see how much progress is made.

[YSUGO]

We lost 75% of our offense last year with graduation of Our RB. He made Davidson serviceable for our playaction plays. We had an offensive coordinator that most people wanted to fire.  Our schedule is easier this year we don’t have the bison to lose too this year.  We open against Northern Iowa with 2 weeks to prepare to start League action. To me that’s a signature gsme for this coaching staff.  We open with a win then we are progressing if not it’s the same BS and another 6-5 or 7-4 season. 

[The YO Show]

We lost 75% of our offense last year with graduation of Our RB. He made Davidson serviceable for our playaction plays. We had an offensive coordinator that most people wanted to fire.  Our schedule is easier this year we don’t have the bison to lose too this year.  We open against Northern Iowa with 2 weeks to prepare to start League action. To me that’s a signature gsme for this coaching staff.  We open with a win then we are progressing if not it’s the same BS and another 6-5 or 7-4 season.

I agree with most of this. I think The UNI game will be a bellweather for the season... but safe to say I am very optimistic. The culture DP has been instilling is showing and the team still returns a big core. While we can't replace jaleel, our passing game this year is going to be pretty good I have a feeling.

[The YO Show]

Depth means nothing unless these are good players. I mean we can get anyone off the street and say we have 'depth'. Players not leaving a team located in NE Ohio tell me we may have a crop of D-II players that are happy here. Seriously, a YSU team that is already close to filling a 2-deep on front lines, should have us starting at 1-3 in the conference and discussions on what we need to do to make the post-season should be what we are reading about. I am just going to assume we are rebuilding and see how much progress is made.

I disagree, I think we have done better in recruiting. I should have also included the next quote to make my point further too though (also from the article):

“I think retaining those players keeps you out of there,” Phillips said. “And the one thing that’s happening here (at YSU) because of the portal, there’s a lot better high school athletes available for you. We’ve seen that with the high school athletes we’re getting in our program, before they probably would have been at MAC schools. Those kids are getting overlooked.”

[IAA Fan]

Depth means nothing unless these are good players. I mean we can get anyone off the street and say we have 'depth'. Players not leaving a team located in NE Ohio tell me we may have a crop of D-II players that are happy here. Seriously, a YSU team that is already close to filling a 2-deep on front lines, should have us starting at 1-3 in the conference and discussions on what we need to do to make the post-season should be what we are reading about. I am just going to assume we are rebuilding and see how much progress is made.

I disagree, I think we have done better in recruiting. I should have also included the next quote to make my point further too though (also from the article):

“I think retaining those players keeps you out of there,” Phillips said. “And the one thing that’s happening here (at YSU) because of the portal, there’s a lot better high school athletes available for you. We’ve seen that with the high school athletes we’re getting in our program, before they probably would have been at MAC schools. Those kids are getting overlooked.”

He is telling us we have the lesser players. Read between the lines. The portal players (which we do not have) are better than the local Prep kids and we do not have those portal guys ...the MAC schools do (and so do the Dakota programs). So we are no further ahead. All that changed is where we get the players. Yes, I still like having local kids, but we learned back in the Heacock era (when we first arrived in the conference) that we need to recruit more like a IA program than a I-AA program. The fact remains that 3/4 of the MVFC would be more than competitive in the MAC. The difference now is that these locals (if they are any good) will be in the portal (and not at YSU) next year. I want to see if Phillips can put a team together in 30-days, because in Ohio he pretty much has to.

[The YO Show]

Depth means nothing unless these are good players. I mean we can get anyone off the street and say we have 'depth'. Players not leaving a team located in NE Ohio tell me we may have a crop of D-II players that are happy here. Seriously, a YSU team that is already close to filling a 2-deep on front lines, should have us starting at 1-3 in the conference and discussions on what we need to do to make the post-season should be what we are reading about. I am just going to assume we are rebuilding and see how much progress is made.

I disagree, I think we have done better in recruiting. I should have also included the next quote to make my point further too though (also from the article):

“I think retaining those players keeps you out of there,” Phillips said. “And the one thing that’s happening here (at YSU) because of the portal, there’s a lot better high school athletes available for you. We’ve seen that with the high school athletes we’re getting in our program, before they probably would have been at MAC schools. Those kids are getting overlooked.”

He is telling us we have the lesser players. Read between the lines. The portal players (which we do not have) are better than the local Prep kids and we do not have those portal guys ...the MAC schools do (and so do the Dakota programs). So we are no further ahead. All that changed is where we get the players. Yes, I still like having local kids, but we learned back in the Heacock era (when we first arrived in the conference) that we need to recruit more like a IA program than a I-AA program. The fact remains that 3/4 of the MVFC would be more than competitive in the MAC. The difference now is that these locals (if they are any good) will be in the portal (and not at YSU) next year. I want to see if Phillips can put a team together in 30-days, because Ohio he pretty much has to.

I still think we are ahead of where we were recruiting wise under Pelini, but I do also see your point now.

[Wick250]

Phillips' comments about the availability of superior athletes coming out of high school rings true. Each scholarship that a G5 school spends on a P5 transfer pushes a high school kid down to FCS or even D2.

It is obvious that the high school kids that Phillips recruits are vastly superior to those that Pelini brought to campus. How much of that was the impact of the portal and how much of that was Pelini's lack of effort? I don't know but am very happy with the direction that Phillips has taken our program.

[Double ET]

From Tribune/Vindy

https://www.tribtoday.com/sports/local-sports/2023/08/libertys-rushton-set-to-take-over-at-tailback-for-ysu/

[The YO Show]

It is obviously not the same as Jaleel, but I think Rushton is going to be a pleasant surprise. I have a good feeling that while RB isn't going to be like last year, it will still be just fine.

[The YO Show]

Well Penguin fans! We are inside of two weeks now, 12 days to game day to be specific 

[YsuPride]

Go Guins

[Kandrase]

Phillips' comments about the availability of superior athletes coming out of high school rings true. Each scholarship that a G5 school spends on a P5 transfer pushes a high school kid down to FCS or even D2.

It is obvious that the high school kids that Phillips recruits are vastly superior to those that Pelini brought to campus. How much of that was the impact of the portal and how much of that was Pelini's lack of effort? I don't know but am very happy with the direction that Phillips has taken our program.

I agree, the DSUs  don’t rely on transfers they do an excellent developing local players and win with upperclassman who have been in their system for 3-4 years.

I think transfers are exciting… but they only transfer because they weren’t good enough at their old school.

[IAA Fan]

Phillips' comments about the availability of superior athletes coming out of high school rings true. Each scholarship that a G5 school spends on a P5 transfer pushes a high school kid down to FCS or even D2.

It is obvious that the high school kids that Phillips recruits are vastly superior to those that Pelini brought to campus. How much of that was the impact of the portal and how much of that was Pelini's lack of effort? I don't know but am very happy with the direction that Phillips has taken our program.

I agree, the DSUs  don’t rely on transfers they do an excellent developing local players and win with upperclassman who have been in their system for 3-4 years.

I think transfers are exciting… but they only transfer because they weren’t good enough at their old school.

With the advent of the portal, you will never see those days of player development again.

The DSU's don't have 10 DI programs less than 100 miles away. So 90% of the DSU players have no where else to go that is close to home. People that live in North or South Dakota do not wish to ever live anywhere else, it is their lifestyle. Where I did nothing but wait until I was old enough to move away from Youngstown and find work. I know that sounds mean, but many local prospects feel the same way. Just think how you were when you were 17-18 years old. Home with mom and dad is the last place that you wanted to be.