Bobcat Portal News Only

[Cataholic]

If players want to leave, than so be it. Two tears in a bucket. Fu.ck it. Take it to the sage. I'm still pissed Prukop left to play for the Nike Ducks. Totally different deal with these players. I really don't care how they do at their next stop. I just don't care. Pack your stuff and leave. If you come back, wear you last teams gear. Not MSU's. You're no different than a Ex. Don't want to hear from you. Don't want to see ya. Stay away. SEEEEEE YAAAAA!

How is Prukop different?

[Camo_Cat]

If players want to leave, than so be it. Two tears in a bucket. Fu.ck it. Take it to the sage. I'm still pissed Prukop left to play for the Nike Ducks. Totally different deal with these players. I really don't care how they do at their next stop. I just don't care. Pack your stuff and leave. If you come back, wear you last teams gear. Not MSU's. You're no different than a Ex. Don't want to hear from you. Don't want to see ya. Stay away. SEEEEEE YAAAAA!

Yup. Right or wrong, this is how I feel as well.

There were a couple times the last year or two I saw some of the recent transfer guys at a cat football game (guys who were still active with their new team, watching the cat team that they left)….

Honestly my immediate reaction/feeling was- why are you here?

It would be interesting to hear from some of them. For instance, Ifanse went to Cal thinking he'd be the primary, but they also got Ott, and Ifanse didn't play all that much. I'd also be curious how much money he was promised vs. how much he actually received. Also, what advice would he give to a younger player in his situation.

For guys like Connor Moore, who looks like he will head to a Big 10 school and potentially start/play/go to the NFL, the outlook is much different than someone like Rohan Jones, who is very talented but would probably struggle to find playing time at a P4 school, and will end up going somewhere in the G5 to play for a year and likely get a fraction of the NIL money that was dangled in front of him to get him to transfer out.

I highlighted a big part of your statement which I think is a great observation. Players are being "promised" large sums of money to transfer, but you wonder how much comes to fruition. We are already starting to see claims and lawsuits from players regarding NIL promises that are not being fulfilled. I don't know much about the NIL situation with regard to obligations -- are actual contracts signed, or is it just the program saying, "Hey, here's how much you might be able to make?" There are just soooooooo many aspects of NIL that need regulation, but I am not confident that the NCAA is willing or capable of fixing the situation.

[nanacat]

So they have 5 days after the NC to portal? Is that correct? But coaches can recruit out of the portal anytime now? Still trying to figure out how this all works.
Ready to hear about new guys coming in, if there are some.

There will be some and I think we'll be quite happy when we hear who they are. Patience is difficult especially when everyone is desperate for any good news after how the week has gone so far!

Yes, truly feeling desperate for some good news!

[loggy]

Yup. Right or wrong, this is how I feel as well.

There were a couple times the last year or two I saw some of the recent transfer guys at a cat football game (guys who were still active with their new team, watching the cat team that they left)….

Honestly my immediate reaction/feeling was- why are you here?

I've chatted with multiple players that have left, and they come back because they still care. They come back to cheer on their teammates, still love Bozeman/MSU. It seems like everyone feels the players who leave never think about MSU again. Definitely not the case for most.

[MSU01]

Yup. Right or wrong, this is how I feel as well.

There were a couple times the last year or two I saw some of the recent transfer guys at a cat football game (guys who were still active with their new team, watching the cat team that they left)….

Honestly my immediate reaction/feeling was- why are you here?

I've chatted with multiple players that have left, and they come back because they still care. They come back to cheer on their teammates, still love Bozeman/MSU. It seems like everyone feels the players who leave never think about MSU again. Definitely not the case for most.

As fans, we tend to view the players as just football players and it's easy to forget that they're human beings with their own priorities, goals, anxieties, and problems just like we all have in our own lives. It's not a black and white, us or them, issue when a player transfers out or a coach leaves as many on here seem to want to make it.

[nanacat]

If players want to leave, than so be it. Two tears in a bucket. Fu.ck it. Take it to the sage. I'm still pissed Prukop left to play for the Nike Ducks. Totally different deal with these players. I really don't care how they do at their next stop. I just don't care. Pack your stuff and leave. If you come back, wear you last teams gear. Not MSU's. You're no different than a Ex. Don't want to hear from you. Don't want to see ya. Stay away. SEEEEEE YAAAAA!

Yup. Right or wrong, this is how I feel as well.

There were a couple times the last year or two I saw some of the recent transfer guys at a cat football game (guys who were still active with their new team, watching the cat team that they left)….

Honestly my immediate reaction/feeling was- why are you here?

It would be interesting to hear from some of them. For instance, Ifanse went to Cal thinking he'd be the primary, but they also got Ott, and Ifanse didn't play all that much. I'd also be curious how much money he was promised vs. how much he actually received. Also, what advice would he give to a younger player in his situation.

For guys like Connor Moore, who looks like he will head to a Big 10 school and potentially start/play/go to the NFL, the outlook is much different than someone like Rohan Jones, who is very talented but would probably struggle to find playing time at a P4 school, and will end up going somewhere in the G5 to play for a year and likely get a fraction of the NIL money that was dangled in front of him to get him to transfer out.

I highlighted a big part of your statement which I think is a great observation. Players are being "promised" large sums of money to transfer, but you wonder how much comes to fruition. We are already starting to see claims and lawsuits from players regarding NIL promises that are not being fulfilled. I don't know much about the NIL situation with regard to obligations -- are actual contracts signed, or is it just the program saying, "Hey, here's how much you might be able to make?" There are just soooooooo many aspects of NIL that need regulation, but I am not confident that the NCAA is willing or capable of fixing the situation.

Yes, it would be really interesting to know what reality actually looked like. Ifanse is a perfect example of a talent likely left thinking he'd get more looks of he was at a bigger program, but had he stayed and been "the guy", how that would have been? I wonder if Vigen has, or would allow, former players to speak to the current players about the portal realities?

[KIX]

This one pisses me off.

Is this where his head was as Tommy’s passes were evading his hands?

[nanacat]

Yup. Right or wrong, this is how I feel as well.

There were a couple times the last year or two I saw some of the recent transfer guys at a cat football game (guys who were still active with their new team, watching the cat team that they left)….

Honestly my immediate reaction/feeling was- why are you here?

I've chatted with multiple players that have left, and they come back because they still care. They come back to cheer on their teammates, still love Bozeman/MSU. It seems like everyone feels the players who leave never think about MSU again. Definitely not the case for most.

As fans, we tend to view the players as just football players and it's easy to forget that they're human beings with their own priorities, goals, anxieties, and problems just like we all have in our own lives. It's not a black and white, us or them, issue when a player transfers out or a coach leaves as many on here seem to want to make it.

Absolutely! And I don't feel that they aren't welcome to come back. I think in some cases there is some regret. Especially if they had a positive experience, were treated right in Bozeman, which most say they were, there could be a tenderness for the team that got them to a better place, academically, athletically, and even personally.

[ECat79]

It'll be interesting to see how Scottre fairs in the Big Ten. Big pay day though.

I don't know, it seems to me that he went down several times in the NDSU game on just an arm tackle. A big strong RB should be able to run through an arm stuck out in front of him most of the time. It will be tougher to break tackles in the Big Ten.

I noticed the same thing. He would be just about to break free and would get brought down with a forearm or ankle trip.

[RobertCats]

[WetBreeches]

It'll be interesting to see how Scottre fairs in the Big Ten. Big pay day though.

I don't know, it seems to me that he went down several times in the NDSU game on just an arm tackle. A big strong RB should be able to run through an arm stuck out in front of him most of the time. It will be tougher to break tackles in the Big Ten.

I noticed the same thing. He would be just about to break free and would get brought down with a forearm or ankle trip.

I noticed Scottre's game took a considerable turn post ankle injury...

[TomCat88]

Perfect.

[4KornerKat]

We get a however instead of a that being said, that's a plus.

[TomCat88]

You’re taking a big risk being upset when players go into the portal.
There’s no guarantee that whoever replaces Jones, Humphrey and Moore won’t be better. Players leaving motivate players that stay. I bet guys like Jefferson, Coon and Murphy/Valcin aren’t upset in the slightest and are probably working harder and are more focused.

[gtapp]

You’re taking a big risk being upset when players go into the portal.
There’s no guarantee that whoever replaces Jones, Humphrey and Moore won’t be better. Players leaving motivate players that stay. I bet guys like Jefferson, Coon and Murphy/Valcin aren’t upset in the slightest and are probably working harder and are more focused.

I will miss all these player but I honestly think we replace Jones and Humphrey with no drop off. Moore is going to be difficult to replace. I think we will find a capable replacement for Moore but no one of his caliber of player.

[mslacatfan]

You’re taking a big risk being upset when players go into the portal.
There’s no guarantee that whoever replaces Jones, Humphrey and Moore won’t be better. Players leaving motivate players that stay. I bet guys like Jefferson, Coon and Murphy/Valcin aren’t upset in the slightest and are probably working harder and are more focused.

I will miss all these player but I honestly think we replace Jones and Humphrey with no drop off. Moore is going to be difficult to replace. I think we will find a capable replacement for Moore but no one of his caliber of player.

Agree 100%

But it still makes me want to punch a hole in the wall. Ha

[AFCAT]

This is something we used in the military all the time. People came and went and the mission still went on. I knew the minute I retired that my unit wouldn't miss a beat and that I was absolutely not indispensable. Build up the culture and groom leadership in the ranks and everything will be fine when you leave.

[Travelingcat]

Clearly the portal needs reform and there are a lot of abuses there.

And obviously, I'd love it if our guys didn't transfer-- you'd love everyone being loyal and wanting to stay-- but in some cases there's a lot of money at stake, and it's hard to fault the kid.

One bright side, though, I actually think the portal has the ability to put a lot more former Bobcats in the NFL-- a lot of our guys are good enough (and you see that by their results when they transfer to power 4 conferences)-- but it is harder to get fully respected and noticed by scouts playing at this level-- even if we are big enough that our guys will get serious looks.

Guys like Rush Reimer (Cal) who left here with a degree and played three years of football for us (four years in the Program) are absolutely guys I will cheer for-- certainly someone who plays with us till he graduates has more than fulfilled any type of obligation. And guys like Sebastian Valdez who played three years for us and then just one at Washington will have their primary emotional affiliation here if we let them.

Many of these guys could become significant donors to or promoters of the team down the road. And the more former players we put in the NFL, the better we will recruit over the long-term.

So, I'm as disappointed as anyone else when somebody leaves, but there are silver linings out there, if we choose to see them.

[RootinfortheCats]

You’re taking a big risk being upset when players go into the portal.
There’s no guarantee that whoever replaces Jones, Humphrey and Moore won’t be better. Players leaving motivate players that stay. I bet guys like Jefferson, Coon and Murphy/Valcin aren’t upset in the slightest and are probably working harder and are more focused.

I will miss all these player but I honestly think we replace Jones and Humphrey with no drop off. Moore is going to be difficult to replace. I think we will find a capable replacement for Moore but no one of his caliber of player.

I feel Adam Jones is one of those dedicated future team leaders to build around.

I think much of the half-criticism he got about not being as tough a runner as Scottre and Julius was pretty undeserved. I rewatched many of the games and he is great after contact. I am sure those numbers are available somewhere.

He has the mental toughness and competitiveness needed to be a team leader.

Give him another off season in the strength/conditioning and nutrition program and watch the beast emerge.

[coloradocat]

It'll be interesting to see how Scottre fairs in the Big Ten. Big pay day though.

I don't know, it seems to me that he went down several times in the NDSU game on just an arm tackle. A big strong RB should be able to run through an arm stuck out in front of him most of the time. It will be tougher to break tackles in the Big Ten.

I noticed the same thing. He would be just about to break free and would get brought down with a forearm or ankle trip.

I noticed Scottre's game took a considerable turn post ankle injury...

It just seems like he must not have really been fully recovered. We all saw him play the regular season. Regardless of how good NDSU is he should have broken more tackles. I'm sure with a couple months until spring ball he'll recover and be back to his old self.