2024-25 Roster Breakdown & Wishlist

[JTApps1]

If you got offered $1.0 million to transfer to XYZ University as an undergrad to continue your education, you saying you would have stayed at App.
I do not think folks are "encouraging a player to leave" . It is just the reality of the discussion in the current state of NIL. Kid would be crazy not too if App only offering let's say $100k.

Heck, I would have left App. for just the $100k to not have the student loans I paid for 10 years.

I've not heard of any of our former players making anywhere close to that kind of money.

Joey A. did..it was a hypothetical. As stated, I would have been gone for $100K as it is a full ride.

I was talking about basketball, but the fact that even in football only one guy has ever sniffed that kind of money says a lot. I also think comparing the general student body who didn't get recruited and have hundreds of thousands of dollars poured into them in various ways is not apples to apples. My overall point still stands that our own fans being negative about App will do nothing to improve where we stand. I don't like the current landscape (especially where the P4 are headed), but we have to figure out how to keep pace with our peers.

[Stonewall]

Incoming.

[BambooRdApp]

If you got offered $1.0 million to transfer to XYZ University as an undergrad to continue your education, you saying you would have stayed at App.
I do not think folks are "encouraging a player to leave" . It is just the reality of the discussion in the current state of NIL. Kid would be crazy not too if App only offering let's say $100k.

Heck, I would have left App. for just the $100k to not have the student loans I paid for 10 years.

I've not heard of any of our former players making anywhere close to that kind of money.

Joey A. did..it was a hypothetical. As stated, I would have been gone for $100K as it is a full ride.

I was talking about basketball, but the fact that even in football only one guy has ever sniffed that kind of money says a lot. I also think comparing the general student body who didn't get recruited and have hundreds of thousands of dollars poured into them in various ways is not apples to apples. My overall point still stands that our own fans being negative about App will do nothing to improve where we stand. I don't like the current landscape (especially where the P4 are headed), but we have to figure out how to keep pace with our peers.

The sport is irrelevant. NIL.is the underlying topic of discussion. "That kind of money" was just an example number. Some (maybe many) of there athletes come from humble beginnings. $100k, $200k is a down payment on a Townhouse, single family home, etc What the university pours into the athlete versus the regular student is somewhat irrelevant. That is a fan mental hurdle they have....not the student athlete. That is just another form of payment to the student athlete. Once again, I do not see it as "encouraging a kid to go" . No one that I know wants any kid to go unless they were a problem/culture killer. It is an idea that we cannot blame the kid for going... primarily due to the fact the we sure would be going for that kind of money...and we are just students.

[ASUFan4863]

I am saying we don't know if he will get a chance in the NBA or overseas until he does. The competition in practice is better but I want to see what opportunities that Abson will get. Huntley went against that SBC competition and he is in the NBA. If it was always about better competition then no small school players would make it in the NFL or NBA. It is about skill set and traits. Huntley had the traits. My argument is that Abson was brought in just to be a backup and got buried. I think he would have been featured at App and would have been higher on the radar. Does it mean he would have made it out of App? No. I do think it just looks better when you are a 3-time All-SBC player than 10th on the Georgia bench. You really get better with reps and Abson did not get the same amount of game reps at Georgia that he would have with App. Practice can only do so much and it is not what you do in practice but what you do in games.

Huntley's projectability was always higher than Absons due to his athleticism, being 6'11 and can shoot the 3. NBA loves the stretch 4 especially with the lack of Defense in todays game.
Not many 6'9 guys of Absons speed in the NBA unless they handle it really well.

Abson might have known this and went to go get his money while he had the opportunity.

Case in point. Joey went from a fringe UFA coming out of App to a top 10 QB prospect according to some. Where you play matters.

Haven’t seen a single ranking with Joey in the top 10. 2026 is a historically thin QB class that is not considered good, so he is still a fringe UFA even if he was ranked 8-10.

NDSU QB is projected much higher than Joey after spending his whole career at NDSU and starting for just his senior season. Cade Klubnik went from a top prospect to day 3 afterthought at Clemson. Case in (multiple) point(s) that how you play matters tremendously more than where you play within D1.

So, one year of examples. Historically, it is pretty evident that where you play is a determining factor. Do smaller school QBs make it to the NFL, sure..Tony Romo, Carson Wentz...but not the norm
If we just want to confine analysis to one year, I believe only one of all QBs drafted in 25 was below Power level

I gave current year examples because the comment referenced current year draft rankings as proof that playing at Tennessee vs App moved Aguilar up in the rankings. I certainly wasn’t looking to give or read a history lesson but thank you nonetheless.

[BambooRdApp]

Huntley's projectability was always higher than Absons due to his athleticism, being 6'11 and can shoot the 3. NBA loves the stretch 4 especially with the lack of Defense in todays game.
Not many 6'9 guys of Absons speed in the NBA unless they handle it really well.

Abson might have known this and went to go get his money while he had the opportunity.

Case in point. Joey went from a fringe UFA coming out of App to a top 10 QB prospect according to some. Where you play matters.

Haven’t seen a single ranking with Joey in the top 10. 2026 is a historically thin QB class that is not considered good, so he is still a fringe UFA even if he was ranked 8-10.

NDSU QB is projected much higher than Joey after spending his whole career at NDSU and starting for just his senior season. Cade Klubnik went from a top prospect to day 3 afterthought at Clemson. Case in (multiple) point(s) that how you play matters tremendously more than where you play within D1.

So, one year of examples. Historically, it is pretty evident that where you play is a determining factor. Do smaller school QBs make it to the NFL, sure..Tony Romo, Carson Wentz...but not the norm
If we just want to confine analysis to one year, I believe only one of all QBs drafted in 25 was below Power level

I gave current year examples because the comment referenced current year draft rankings as proof that playing at Tennessee vs App moved Aguilar up in the rankings. I certainly wasn’t looking to give or read a history lesson but thank you nonetheless.

I may be wrong, but I think 94, used Joey Dimes as an example of the overall global idea of "where you play matters" . Maybe try using critical thinking skills related to the thought. You're welcome that I helped you with critical thinking skills..

[AppStFan1]

Huntley's projectability was always higher than Absons due to his athleticism, being 6'11 and can shoot the 3. NBA loves the stretch 4 especially with the lack of Defense in todays game.
Not many 6'9 guys of Absons speed in the NBA unless they handle it really well.

Abson might have known this and went to go get his money while he had the opportunity.

Case in point. Joey went from a fringe UFA coming out of App to a top 10 QB prospect according to some. Where you play matters.

Haven’t seen a single ranking with Joey in the top 10. 2026 is a historically thin QB class that is not considered good, so he is still a fringe UFA even if he was ranked 8-10.

NDSU QB is projected much higher than Joey after spending his whole career at NDSU and starting for just his senior season. Cade Klubnik went from a top prospect to day 3 afterthought at Clemson. Case in (multiple) point(s) that how you play matters tremendously more than where you play within D1.

So, one year of examples. Historically, it is pretty evident that where you play is a determining factor. Do smaller school QBs make it to the NFL, sure..Tony Romo, Carson Wentz...but not the norm
If we just want to confine analysis to one year, I believe only one of all QBs drafted in 25 was below Power level

I gave current year examples because the comment referenced current year draft rankings as proof that playing at Tennessee vs App moved Aguilar up in the rankings. I certainly wasn’t looking to give or read a history lesson but thank you nonetheless.

And draft rankings in the media are not a good thing to go by because that is the opinion of media and draftniks who don't know what NFL team boards really look like. Could Joey go in the 4th-5th round? Sure but it is not because of media ratings. He could also go undrafted and struggle to make a practice squad.

[AppStFan1]

Huntley's projectability was always higher than Absons due to his athleticism, being 6'11 and can shoot the 3. NBA loves the stretch 4 especially with the lack of Defense in todays game.
Not many 6'9 guys of Absons speed in the NBA unless they handle it really well.

Abson might have known this and went to go get his money while he had the opportunity.

Case in point. Joey went from a fringe UFA coming out of App to a top 10 QB prospect according to some. Where you play matters.

Haven’t seen a single ranking with Joey in the top 10. 2026 is a historically thin QB class that is not considered good, so he is still a fringe UFA even if he was ranked 8-10.

NDSU QB is projected much higher than Joey after spending his whole career at NDSU and starting for just his senior season. Cade Klubnik went from a top prospect to day 3 afterthought at Clemson. Case in (multiple) point(s) that how you play matters tremendously more than where you play within D1.

So, one year of examples. Historically, it is pretty evident that where you play is a determining factor. Do smaller school QBs make it to the NFL, sure..Tony Romo, Carson Wentz...but not the norm
If we just want to confine analysis to one year, I believe only one of all QBs drafted in 25 was below Power level

I gave current year examples because the comment referenced current year draft rankings as proof that playing at Tennessee vs App moved Aguilar up in the rankings. I certainly wasn’t looking to give or read a history lesson but thank you nonetheless.

It is true that if a player has a big year in the SEC that it helps more than a big year in the Sun Belt but playing at Tennessee does not guarantee a player's stock will increase. I could name 100 players who were considered draftable or PFA but transferred up and got exposed and they only got a tryout or did not get any type of shot.

North Dakota State is about to have another QB drafted and a WR drafted. In fact, there is a real chance that they have 2 players taken in the top 100 and I would bet that worst case they go top 150. I bet you that the NDSU QB goes way ahead of Aguilar and he did not transfer up like Aguilar did.

Remember that players need to develop and sitting on the bench at a power program does not do any good. You got to play. Here is the thing about the NFL that you are overlooking. Players have all-star games and the combine to really move up the board. Where you play does not matter as much for the NFL. Yes, way more players go from power programs but that is because the most talent is there and they are leaving smaller schools due to NIL so the numbers are getting more staggering. The reality is that if 5 legit top 150 talent players all decided to go to a FCS school and dominant they could still get to the NFL. They have an unlimited scouting budget and will find a player no matter where they play.