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My guess is the focus is now on the recent offers. A few players we offered earlier in the year messaged me on Twitter and we don’t seem to be going after them at this point. I haven’t spoken to Harlem Howard but from outward appearance it seems we are still pursuing him. We were able to get Barrett Maddox on campus and I thought he would pull the trigger, but he’s been racking up offers since then. Including a P5 one from Kansas. All that being said, my best guess for the realistic “takes” left on this list are Harlem Howard, Taylor Wein, Bruno Dall, Vincent Jackson and the JUCOs. But we’ll see.

Trimble is at Missouri State Bandaogo is at Utah Valley Kalle is at Evansville

This week's advanced box score tells the story very well once again: https://collegefootballdata.com/boxscore/401416631 I wouldn't call Akron's out-gaining of Miami completely meaningless or shallow, though it is certainly not a moral victory. It is important to realize that Akron plays a successful offensive system, with a QB that can be successful in that system by using his arm and his legs. Okay, so the QB and passing game is successful. That leaves RBs and run game, defensive front stopping the run, defensive front creating pass-rush, defensive backs stopping the run at the 2nd level, and defensive backs creating havoc in the pass game. It also leaves FG kicking, punting, and kickoff/coverage. So yes, those yards matter, but everything else does too, and this program has a long way to go. After letting the game stew in my head for the last couple of days, I am coming out of it more optimistic than I did on Saturday around 4:00p. While I do agree with coach that a step back was taken Saturday, I think it was pretty much bound to happen at some point. Sure enough, it came against a good team that has been disappointing for a lot of the year. The Doctor has ordered our last few struggling opponents a prescription for a game against Akron, and they took it as directed. I agree that the defense played well and has played better lately, it just isn't a good defense by any stretch. I have a hard time putting into words what I feel about this defense. It kind of reminds me of high school hockey. In the state playoffs in Ohio, the juggernaut hockey teams play the worst teams in the state in the first rounds of the tournament. Most of the games are 10-0 mercy rules, but a few of them go down to the wire or end in crazy upsets. How do they do it? They are completely overmatched, but they decide to focus all they have on playing defense and not allowing the opponent to score at all costs. Any goals the worse team scores would be lucky or thanks to a breakaway. They expend all of their energy just keeping the opponent in front of them, and laying out to stop goals at all costs. Does that analogy make sense at all? I don't know. But when I watch Akron play defense, I see a front 7 that is capable of stopping RBs at the line at best, if not allowing 4-5 yard chunks on a good day. I see a front 7 that can get a pair of lucky sacks on a blitz that isn't picked up every once in a while, or they make the QB scramble after looking downfield for 4-5 seconds. I see a pass defense that prays for bad throws, prays for bad/simple routes, and prays that receivers don't get behind them. What does that all mean? This defense doesn't make plays, at least not many. Teams can pretty much have their way as long as they execute. Akron has had much worse defenses in the last 5 years, no doubt. But this one lacks playmakers. We will struggle or be lucky to win games without playmaking on defense. They don't force turnovers. Most of the few turnovers we've seen this year were thanks to mistakes from the other team or luck. Off the top of my head, the 2 turnovers at Liberty and the first pick at MSU are the only forced turnovers of the year. Morton had a shot against CMU, but the stripped ball went OB. Slim pickins. With that said, schematically, I don't have too big a problem with the defense. They just need better players, and hopefully the recruits & portal can make this an average MAC unit in 2023. As for the offense, I still have faith that they can somehow take one of these last 3 games. Worse teams with worse coaches (see 2021 Akron Zips) have done it, I'm hoping these guys can. One win would feel like 10 at this point. I am not great at analyzing offensive line play, but from what I saw Saturday, I must say I am in love with Kamarii Landers. That's not to say he's perfect, and he may have not have had a great game, but Akron hasn't had a true freshman offensive lineman look that good in a very long time. I wish we could fast forward to 2024 to see the other freshman join him along with a JoeMo QB in the backfield, a Sr. Alex Adams, etc. Speaking of Adams, on that first drive he definitely should have caught that ball over the top. It was a tough play, but he beat his man and DJ put it on the money. Maybe he lost it in the sun, I don't know. But that could have made the game quite a bit different. Also, the George fumble on the big catch is just icing on the Growing Pains cake. Just sucks, as one of the best plays of the day became one of the worst. Special teams are a mess. Gettman is an okay punter, he's not quite as reliable as I would like. The Miami punter was straight $ and hammered that thing downfield. I also don't understand the inability to keep the kick inbounds or kick it out of the end zone. After the last 4 years, it feels good to be disappointed and upset after an 18-point blowout. Last year, Akron lost home MAC games by 17, 35, and 38, including a road loss by 35, and you can throw in the ass-kicking at the hands of a bad Temple team at home. So Saturday pretty much continued to follow that silly Bowden mold. In year one, Akron has lost close in most games against similar competition level, with 18 being the big-loss outlier. I am still as hopeful as ever for the future, but I have pretty much come to grips with this team simply not being ready to win. They are fairly consistent, just not consistently good enough. We can still play spoiler a little bit here, and perhaps pick up a historic for the program win at NIU to close out the year. I'm disappointed with the make-up of the WIN/LOSS column, as it's been tough to have sad beers after all these games, despite many of them being close. I want at least one happy post-game beer before the end of the year. Just one! But my excitement level in Joe and the future of this program is as high as it has ever been. It's just about time to see what a full offseason and recruiting season with this staff in place can do, and that is without a doubt very exciting. Go Zips!

As I look at the roster, I see a lot of new faces. It seems like that every year, especially with the transfer rule. I know we have talked about some of these players in the past but if somebody would be nice enough to help me out and tell me where the following players from last year ended up. Also, if somebody wants to comment about these players as the season progresses we now have one thread on this subject. Thanks in advance. Michael Wynn Aziz Bandaogo Sekou Kalle Pat Mayfield (I think he played briefly last year) Ali Ali Bryan Trimble Jr.

2023 VERBAL COMMITMENTS SIGNED: Kameron Cheatom, DE, 6-4, 225, Brashear HS, Pittsburgh, PA, Rivals Profile SIGNED: Conner Cravaack, TE, 6-5, 220, Madeira HS, Cincinnati, OH, Rivals profile Senior Year Highlights SIGNED: Bruno Dall, DE, 6-8, 230, St. Stanislaus HS, Bay St. Louis, MS, Rivals Profile, Season Highlights SIGNED: Jayvin James, OL, 6-6, 270, Blanche Ely HS, Pompano Beach, FL, Rivals Profile SIGNED: Terray Jones, DL, 6-1, 290, Transfer from Tennessee State University SIGNED: Zayden Laing-Taylor, CB, 6-0, 185, Miami Central HS, Miami, FL, Rivals profile Senior Year Highlights SIGNED: Lorenzo Lingard, RB, 6-0, 210, Transfer from U. of Florida SIGNED: Jean Louis III, WR, 5-9, 185, Canarsie HS, Middle Village, NY, Rivals profile Senior Year Highlights SIGNED: Jonas Mann, OL, 6-8, 295, Pickerington North HS, Pickerington, OH, Rivals profile SIGNED: Marcus Moore, DT, 6-3, 310, Massillon Washington HS, Massillon, OH, Rivals profile Mid-season Highlights SIGNED: Adrian Norton, WR, 6-1, 195, Stebbins HS, Dayton, OH, Rivals profile Mid-season Highlights Senior Year Highlights SIGNED: Darius Owens, S, 6-0, 175, South Gwinnett HS, Snellville, GA, Rivals profile Mid-season Highlights Senior Year Highlights SIGNED: Ahmad Rabah, DE, 6-5, 215, Transfer from American International College SIGNED: Melvin Spriggs, LB, 6-3, 215, St. Michael the Archangel HS, Fredericksburg, VA, Rivals Profile, Season Highlights SIGNED: Steele Wassel, QB, 6-4, 210, Choctaw HS, Choctaw, OK, Rivals profile SIGNED: Catrell White, CB, 5-10, 175, Erasmus Hall HS, Brooklyn, NY, Rivals profile LATE SIGNING PERIOD VERBAL COMMITMENTS: SIGNED: Joey Hunter, CB, 6-1, 200, Transfer from University of South Carolina SIGNED: David Jester, S, 6-3, 195, Homestead HS, Homestead, FL SIGNED: Delvin Morris, OL, 6-5, 285, Caldwell HS, Caldwell, TX hudl highlights SIGNED: Ben Frank, OL, 6-5, 310, Transfer from Hobart College, NY SIGNED: Terrence Thomas, S, 6-0, 190, Transfer from Purdue University SIGNED: Paul Davis, WR, 6-0, 185, Hart Co. HS, Bowman, GA SIGNED: Judson Tallandier, S, 6-2, 190, Transfer from Pitt SIGNED: Antonio Smith, DL, 6-5, 240, Transfer from New Mexico Military Institute SIGNED: CJ Nunnally, DL, 6-4, 245, Transfer from Independence CC, Independence, Kansas SIGNED: Gage Summers, LB, 6-0, 230, Transfer from Riverside City College, CA SIGNED: LaJoshua Jackson, DE, 6-4, 250, Transfer from East Mississippi CC SIGNED: Silas Proby, CB, 5-11, 175, Transfer from Reedley College, CA SIGNED: AJ George, OL, 6-6, 300, Transfer from University of Cincinnati SIGNED: Drake Anderson, RB, 5-10, 200, Transfer from University of Arizona SIGNED: Lama Lavea, DT, 6-0, 300, Transfer from New Mexico State University SIGNED: Keon Kindred, OL, 6-5, 285, Transfer from the University of Maryland SIGNED: Joshua Blanchard, OL, 6-5, 310, Transfer from USF SIGNED: Tyler Carter, DL, 6-2, 300, Transfer from Fullerton College, CA SIGNED: Tahj Bullock, QB, 6-4, 225, Transfer from Virginia Tech SIGNED: Shammond Cooper, LB, 6-3, 235, Transfer from the University of Illinois SIGNED: Phaizon Wilson, WR, 6-3, 215, Transfer from Grambling State University SIGNED: Jacob Newell, TE, 6-5, 245, Transfer from Arizona State University VERBAL: Josh Castro, OL, 6-4, 305, Transfer from California Lutheran University VERBAL: Kabbash Richards, DE, 6-5, 245, Transfer from East Mississippi CC CLASS BREAKDOWN Total Commits: 39 Offense: 17 QB: 2 (Wassel, Bullock) RB: 2 (Lingard, Anderson) WR: 4 (Louis III, Norton, Davis, Wilson) TE: 2 (Cravaack, Newell) OL: 7 (James, Mann, Morris, Frank, George, Kindred, Blanchard) Defense: 22 DT: 4 (Jones, Moore, Lavea, Carter) DE: 7 (Cheatom, Dall, Rabbah, Smith, Nunnally, Jackson, Richards) LB: 3 (Spriggs, Summers, Cooper) CB: 4 (Laing-Taylor, White, Hunter, Proby) S: 4 (Owens, Jester, Thomas, Talliander) Specialists: 0 P/K: 0 (We're guessing Owen Wiley, Joey Castle, and Dante Jackson are preferred walk-ons.) LS: 0 (We're guessing Drew Nicholson is a preferred walk-on.) Walk-Ons: 9 Jax Smith, 6-0, 190, WR, Choctaw HS, Choctaw, OK Grant Edgington, OL, 6-4, 270, Madeira HS, Cincinnatti, OH Aiden Diaz, TE, 6-3, 225, Shaker Heights HS, Shaker Heights, OH Langston Ragland, DL, 6-5, 225, Westerville Central HS, Westerville, OH Drew Nicolson, LS, 6-1, 205, Corona del Sol HS, Tempe, AZ Owen Wiley, K, 5-11, 165, Avon Lake HS, Avon Lake, OH, Rivals Profile Joey Castle, P/K, 6-3, 195, Norwin HS, North Huntington, PA Dante Jackson, P/K, 6-0, 195, Transfer from Butte CC, CA Ridge Howard, LB, 6-2, 225, Elkhart, IN These verbal commits never signed LOI's: Maurice Long, OL, 6-6, 285, South Point HS, South Point, OH, Rivals profile Joshua Bowen, LB, 6-2, 210, Dillard HS, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Rivals profile Mid-season Highlights Senior Year Highlights

Curious to see Amani Lyles. Given his size, he could be a nice replacement for Ali. Groce doesn't seem to use freshman a lot, at least since his first year but I think Lyles might fit in quickly.

I would say not very hard, these guys he is posting are going FCS, it’s there turn, within the next couple of weeks you will start seeing D2 commits

I know you're right, but from from my perception as a "non-Xs-and-Os" fan, I'm enjoying watching the games a heck of a lot more this year, although still frustrated.

Congratulations to zips recruit Ryan Kopay selected to Pennsylvanie All state soccer team

Ryan Kopay looks impressive in the video clip on the left side.

Pat Mayfield is still on the roster. He is a walk-on. Ali Ali transferred to Butler.

My first thought was a song by ABBA, my second thought was I don’t want to be banned.

Finally updated the initial post w/ some mid-season highlights. I'd still like for us to go after a RB.

De-committed from Ohio State to play here 💪💪

As you all know… top 16 seeds get first round bye.

He was here so long, it seems like he is still here. Lol

One week to Zips basketball and putting the abysmal Zips football program in our rear view mirror!

We are obviously little more than a talent pipeline for middling Utah basketball programs.

I'm glad the Knight Foundation is making the investment and not the tax payers. I'm betting it will be renamed Knight Hall.