Recruiting and Transfer Portal

[307bball]

Ok...It seems like we can evaluate some of the difficulty in getting talent to come to Laramie at this point. There has long been a sentiment that succeeding in Laramie is tough because "nobody wants to go there". As Wyoming fans...this has never been enough for us to accept mediocrity. Indeed, many great and dominant players have donned the Brown and Gold over the years. However, the ugly flip side of that coin is that Wyoming being a preferred school to attend is rare for most of those great players. In the past, they would come to campus, get ingrained into the culture, mature into greatness, and eventually love UW and UW would love them. In the modern system, the friction for moving to other schools has been removed. Now if a player shows even moderate talent, they can upgrade to a school that they would consider more desirable. Add in NIL $ and it gets even crazier not to do it...Heck..I love the pokes but if a six figure payday was on the line....I would totally bail if I was in that position. Another factor is the social media environment that makes it harder for programs to get kids "ingrained" into the culture of a team. You can sort of socially isolate yourself in a way that was impossible not that long ago.

I think we are seeing the accelerated effect of the relative undesirability of Laramie as a college town for high level athletes. I'm not saying they hate it...I'm just saying that everything else being equal...they would rather be elsewhere.

 

[OrediggerPoke]

I think we should pretty much abandon high school recruiting. Why identify and develop players for other programs? The transfer rule is a one time transfer. Let’s just focus on picking up transfers from other schools then they basically are committed to Wyoming and can’t freely transfer again without losing eligibility.

 

[307bball]

I think we should pretty much abandon high school recruiting. Why identify and develop players for other programs? The transfer rule is a one time transfer. Let’s just focus on picking up transfers from other schools then they basically are committed to Wyoming and can’t freely transfer again without losing eligibility.

Now that is interesting!

 

[LanderPoke]

I actually think losses can be minimized by the right coach. Have to find one of that variety, though

 

[SDPokeFan]

I think we should pretty much abandon high school recruiting. Why identify and develop players for other programs? The transfer rule is a one time transfer. Let’s just focus on picking up transfers from other schools then they basically are committed to Wyoming and can’t freely transfer again without losing eligibility.

This is actually a genius idea.

 

[Cornpoke]

I think we should pretty much abandon high school recruiting. Why identify and develop players for other programs? The transfer rule is a one time transfer. Let’s just focus on picking up transfers from other schools then they basically are committed to Wyoming and can’t freely transfer again without losing eligibility.

Great Idea. But I think Bohl is too old school to do that

 

[McPeachy]

I think we should pretty much abandon high school recruiting. Why identify and develop players for other programs? The transfer rule is a one time transfer. Let’s just focus on picking up transfers from other schools then they basically are committed to Wyoming and can’t freely transfer again without losing eligibility.

Agree 100%. Build the team with transfers - and move on from HS recruiting. I can't help but think there would be significant financial savings in doing so, as well as a greater chance of actually winning with some experience, size, and strength. Of course, that would take change, something Bohl is not versed at doing. At all.

 

[ragtimejoe1]

I think we should pretty much abandon high school recruiting. Why identify and develop players for other programs? The transfer rule is a one time transfer. Let’s just focus on picking up transfers from other schools then they basically are committed to Wyoming and can’t freely transfer again without losing eligibility.

Agree 100%. Build the team with transfers - and move on from HS recruiting. I can't help but think there would be significant financial savings in doing so, as well as a greater chance of actually winning with some experience, size, and strength. Of course, that would take change, something Bohl is not versed at doing. At all.

Agreed. Probably is the best approach. Develop cast off talent from P5 programs where the kid just didn't have the right fit to shine. I'd damn sure abandon the development idea for kids that are not from UW's region.

 

[Cornpoke]

I think we should pretty much abandon high school recruiting. Why identify and develop players for other programs? The transfer rule is a one time transfer. Let’s just focus on picking up transfers from other schools then they basically are committed to Wyoming and can’t freely transfer again without losing eligibility.

Agree 100%. Build the team with transfers - and move on from HS recruiting. I can't help but think there would be significant financial savings in doing so, as well as a greater chance of actually winning with some experience, size, and strength. Of course, that would take change, something Bohl is not versed at doing. At all.

Agreed. Probably is the best approach. Develop cast off talent from P5 programs where the kid just didn't have the right fit to shine. I'd damn sure abandon the development idea for kids that are not from UW's region.

This is going to be the only way forward for many P5 programs. Wyo does not currently have the leadership to implement this type of change. I'm not usually someone to say blow it up, but blow it up now. Get the right guys and turn this into "moneyball" we cant afford to be last to the dinner table.

 

[stymeman]

Maybe the last domino we're waiting to fall is Bohl is about to announce his retirement hmmmm maybe kids know something we dont, this is turning into a fad unless kids do hate Laradise that much...we shall see, stay tuned

 

[WestWYOPoke]

Certainly possible that something else is happening behind the scenes. But I would bet if you did an anonymous poll of all the players on the team, the large majority would say they do not like living in Laramie.

I also think the vast majority would say they hate playing college football, but that's another story.

 

[Asmodeanreborn]

I also think the vast majority would say they hate playing college football, but that's another story.

I'm curious why you say this. I have friends who played D1 Hockey and a couple who even went pro after, and they loved it. Another friend played FCS football and enjoyed that a lot too. I only played club soccer, which was fun, though it also wasn't worth it my two last years of school.

Only regret I've ever heard is one guy who wishes he had taken his concussions more serious, but unfortunately, the early 2000s were way different from today in that respect.

 

[Cornpoke]

Certainly possible that something else is happening behind the scenes. But I would bet if you did an anonymous poll of all the players on the team, the large majority would say they do not like living in Laramie.

I also think the vast majority would say they hate playing college football, but that's another story.

I bet a lot of Alabama players would say the same thing about Tuscaloosa. I have been there, it's definitely nothing special. But the players are there to PLAY football within a program, D1 players don't have a lot of time for the "night life" I could almost guarantee Saban has his players focused staying on campus and becoming better football players. Why can't ours do the same?

 

[LanderPoke]

Certainly possible that something else is happening behind the scenes. But I would bet if you did an anonymous poll of all the players on the team, the large majority would say they do not like living in Laramie.

I also think the vast majority would say they hate playing college football, but that's another story.

Is that why all the Hawaii players left Hawaii? They didn’t like where they lived?

 

[307bball]

Certainly possible that something else is happening behind the scenes. But I would bet if you did an anonymous poll of all the players on the team, the large majority would say they do not like living in Laramie.

I also think the vast majority would say they hate playing college football, but that's another story.

Is that why all the Hawaii players left Hawaii? They didn’t like where they lived?

I think that any single variable explanation for this stuff is likely to be wrong.

 

[WestWYOPoke]

I also think the vast majority would say they hate playing college football, but that's another story.

I'm curious why you say this.

I've been working in college athletics for almost the last decade. In my experience, Football is a full time job for most players. If it wasn't for full-ride scholarships and/or the potential to make a LOT of money in the NFL, most players would not put up with it.

 

[WestWYOPoke]

Certainly possible that something else is happening behind the scenes. But I would bet if you did an anonymous poll of all the players on the team, the large majority would say they do not like living in Laramie.

I also think the vast majority would say they hate playing college football, but that's another story.

Is that why all the Hawaii players left Hawaii? They didn’t like where they lived?

It's possible I guess... island fever is a real thing.

But this particular issue is fairly unique to Wyoming. There are several other small college towns similar to Laramie (Norman, Stillwater, Tuscaloosa, College Station, State College, etc). But those places have other positives going for them.

 

[Wyokie]

Certainly possible that something else is happening behind the scenes. But I would bet if you did an anonymous poll of all the players on the team, the large majority would say they do not like living in Laramie.

I also think the vast majority would say they hate playing college football, but that's another story.

Is that why all the Hawaii players left Hawaii? They didn’t like where they lived?

It's possible I guess... island fever is a real thing.

But this particular issue is fairly unique to Wyoming. There are several other small college towns similar to Laramie (Norman, Stillwater, Tuscaloosa, College Station, State College, etc). But those places have other positives going for them.

Since I live in Oklahoma (politics here is an artform compared to D. C. but I digress), Stillwater is a lot like Laramie. Only real difference: almost 50,000 live there. Norman on the other hand is THE southern suburb of Oklahoma City. It's also near an area where there's lots of strip clubs (Valley Brooke in southeast OKC).

 

[NowherePoke]

I think we should pretty much abandon high school recruiting. Why identify and develop players for other programs? The transfer rule is a one time transfer. Let’s just focus on picking up transfers from other schools then they basically are committed to Wyoming and can’t freely transfer again without losing eligibility.

I understand the sentiment, but we aren’t the only ones with this idea. Are we beating out Boise for a transfer anymore than we are for a HS kid?

I think any roster building approach needs to be a combination.

 

[laxwyo]

I think we should pretty much abandon high school recruiting. Why identify and develop players for other programs? The transfer rule is a one time transfer. Let’s just focus on picking up transfers from other schools then they basically are committed to Wyoming and can’t freely transfer again without losing eligibility.

Agree 100%. Build the team with transfers - and move on from HS recruiting. I can't help but think there would be significant financial savings in doing so, as well as a greater chance of actually winning with some experience, size, and strength. Of course, that would take change, something Bohl is not versed at doing. At all.

Agreed. Probably is the best approach. Develop cast off talent from P5 programs where the kid just didn't have the right fit to shine. I'd damn sure abandon the development idea for kids that are not from UW's region.

We’d need to recruit them off their high school tape as I’m sure the players that got significant playing time are looking to move up. The players we’d be recruiting would be moving down for playing time. Be real tough to evaluate