bigjim

I have been surprised with the limited recruiting activity recently, so I did a little research on the recruiting period and rules. It appears that there is currently a dead period that runs through January 13. If you have an interest, please review the following link. It lists the recruiting periods and defines them. For example, in the dead period, there can be texts and communications but not contact. https://www.ncsasports.org/ncaa-eligibility-center/recruiting-rules/recruiting-calendar#:~:text=Generally speaking%2C the most important dates on the,more specific dates%2C find your sport-specific calendar below. I knew the different periods existed, but I did not know the details. It looks like there are a lot of exceptions for the rules. I will continue to sit tight as JoeMo's staff does what is needed. But, do not be disappointed if there is limited activity for the next 11 days. In Joe We Trust!

Thanks again for pulling this information together LGZ94. (B&G, I hope you are feeling better). Last night as I was watching the bowl games, I googled every one of the assistants listed above to review their coaching and playing history. I went into the websites from many of the various schools that they coached at and read details on these coaches. What an impressive list of assistants that JoeMo has assembled to lead the Zips. They are not a bunch of DIII coaches and players. Several were Grad Assistants who had experience at multiple P5 schools, and they were promoted to position coaches at Akron. My guess is that in addition to being up and comers, their salary is pretty low to meet the Akron budget, which is not infinite. They are recent players and can be great role models as well as mentors to the young Zips. Then, there is much college experience in Richardson, Ferri, Rodriguez, and Toth. They have recruiting knowledge and experience as well as excellent resume's in coaching. I do think the coaching on the defensive side of the ball is a little thin, and I hope the final coach that is hired supports the D. I wish this staff was together for months to recruit; I would expect Akron to have the highest rated recruiting class in the MAC. With all the athletes entering the portal, I still expect an excellent class by the time February rolls around and the late signing period commences. For Zips Nation members, I encourage you to research and get to know these coaches. Based on their pedigrees, I fully expect most of them to be snatched up by bigger programs and higher paying jobs in the near future. But, that is a good thing. I would bet that JoeMo has a long list of additional coaches that he could hire as part of succession planning. I am so excited to see the recruiting, Spring football game, and then the season to begin. In Joe We Trust!!!

Well, I did a little research, and Billy Fessler is a Graduate Assistant in Columbus. He was also a GA for Coach JoeMo at Mississippi State. It appears that his playing experience at Penn State was primarily as a holder. I could not find any significant playing time and statistics as a QB. So, Coach knew him as a player at PSU and as a GA at MSU. He must have confidence in him. https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/coach/billy-fessler/ In Joe We Trust!!

Based on the original point spreads and the final rankings of the MAC schools, I would have predicted 1-7. Since you stated 1-11 for 8 games, I am guessing that with your math skills you are either an Art History major or a $uckeye graduate!!!!😄😄

Wow!! Thank you very much. I have missed most of these hirings, and they did not show up in my searches. My takeaways are as follows: 1. Look at the experience and knowledge. This group should be fantastic at recruiting with the experience and contacts. I am looking for a great close and many transfers and recruits when the late signing period occurs. This is not DIII John Carroll (Sorry Arth). 2. I did a google search, and several places said you can have 10 assistant coaches at FBS schools. Akron is currently at 9. You can have up to 4 grad assistants and Quality Control and Strength coaches. So, there will only be one more assistant, probably an OC that does not call plays. Thanks again. This information has got me so pumped. Happy Zipyear

MAC finishes 3-5 in bowl games. Did much better than I expected. Central Michigan dominated a P5 school today, and with several major mistakes, won a close game. If they return players, they are to be reckoned with. Congrats go the Chippewas. They represented the MAC well. This is where the Zips need to get. Do not fear a P5. Happy Zipyear.

Look at my Wednesday posting on the statistics of the TP. These players continue to get no guidance and think the grass is always greener elsewhere. It shows that today, you do not need a brain to get into a college, nor to enter the TP.

I have another request of the honorable B&G. B&G does such a great job of keeping track of recruits that have committed and coaches that have agreed to come to the University of Akron, I was hoping that he could start a similar post (or make a list on page 1 of this post) of the assistant coaches that have agreed to join JoeMo at our beloved University. A simple suggestion on a layout would be: OC - OL coach - J Rod RB coach - etc. (list of offensive coaches) DC - Toth DL coach - Delattiboudre LB coach - etc. (list of defensive coaches) Spectial Teams Coor - etc. If it is possible to make this list and keep it updated, Thank you. If not, Thank you and Happy Zipyear!!

After watching the 2nd half of the game, the Zips will have their hands full next year if the Vols return the majority of the team (I did not research the roster). Or, if JoeMo gets a bunch more experienced transfers, it can make this game competitive, if not, this game will look like the Auburn or $uckeye loss of 2021. Happy Zipadays to All!

I was looking forward to getting a future view of the JoeMo offense that will be run at Akron. It is now halftime of the Alamo bowl game, and I am going to bed. I am hoping for much better results when he sets up home in Northeast Ohio. As I listened to the game, I only heard Coach's name mentioned once, and that was surprising. I would have expected more comments including his move to Akron, but I was not listening intently and may have missed some comments. Merry Zipmas!

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/college-football-world-reacts-to-transfer-portal-news/ar-AASddTj?ocid=msedgntp I found this article. If true, the statistics are staggering and should deter athletes from entering the portal.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/browns-do-some-bookkeeping-sign-two-release-two-from-practice-squad/ar-AASd99J?ocid=msedgntp It looks like the Browns have released Natson.

Thank you for the information. Also, Mr. Amaama has a long list of offers that include P5 schools such as Miami (Fl) and Virginia. Lets hope JoeMo and JRod can pull some magic and get him to Akron.

6'4" 340 lb and 3 stars from Utah. Probably been recruited by Oregon. It would surprise me if he came to Akron, but he would be a good addition. Question: I do not Tweet, but who is Coach_J_Rod? Have more of the position coaches been filled but not announced or did I miss this one? Merry Zipmas!

Interview and comments by JoeMo are quite different than Arth. Decisive and detailed comments are refreshing, and I am looking forward to the same at Akron. Merry Zipmas!!!

The Transfer Portal has received some bad press here and elsewhere in the media recently. Initially, I thought that was correct, but now I disagree with that perception. I view the TP as being similar to the internet, it just speeds up the process of facilitating a transfer. 25-30 years ago, if you wanted to send a message or a letter to a person, you wrote it down (or typed it), put it in an envelope with a stamp, mailed it, and it showed up 2-3 days later. Now, you can email someone and cc: as many people as you want, and it goes through instantly. The sheer number of work and home emails that are received make my life much better in some cases, and much more miserable in other cases. Even recently, if a player wanted to change schools, he needed to get the word out so that potential suitors knew to pursue the transfer. The TP let's all the teams know your intentions immediately and speeds up the communication process which allows the transfer to happen very quickly. To me, the following three items are the issues. 1. Now, there is not a 1 year sitting out period for an athlete (I do not say student athlete since they are not transferring schools for academic reasons) to change schools. You can play immediately. I think that is a major mistake and has led to an avalanche of transfers. Many athletes who are significant contributors on P5 programs have entered the TP and are changing schools this year. 2. NIL, players are transferring for financial reasons. Universities and businesses are partnering within the weak rules that are in place to pay players to come to a certain college. Not a good idea. I know the courts approved this change, but like anything, there has to be some regulations for the process to be successful. Marijuana is being legalized in some states, but there are rules and laws in place, otherwise, it would be chaos. 3. Today's generation wants instant gratification more than ever in the past. Many cannot see the big picture and are not getting good advice from parents and other leaders and are making decisions that they may regret for a lifetime. They want to make a change based on some issue and have not thought through the entire consequences. So, do not hate the Transfer Portal. It is not the root cause of the problem. Merry Zipmas!!

I did not hear the interview, but I have listened to the Fan for a while. Carmen is a true $uckeye fan and rarely if ever brings up the Zips. When the JoMo news broke, Anthony Lima was more excited than that useless Carmen. I would never attend an Akron event that was being run by Carmen. Merry Zipmas!!!

Merry Zipmas. B&G, thanks for the quick action on the update. I am certain your accuracy would be much better than mine. As I await the arrival of guests, I did some research on Harper from 247 and the Syracuse site. Eligibility appears to be as follows. 2017 - Redshirt, 18 - Freshman, 19 - Sophomore, 20 - Junior, 21 - Junior (Covid repeat), 22 - Senior at Akron. Now, we need one more DL transfer prior to addressing the offense. Also, when it was originally posted, Tyler Leopold was originally listed as a defensive lineman. I do not know if that posting was accurate. Out for the rest of the day. Merry Zipmas to all!

Thank you very much for the new summary page of commits on page 1. As I wait for the clatter of hoofprints of Santa's arrival, I would like to respectfully ask for some additional information. Since this year's recruits are going to include many transfers, can you include the remaining years that they can play for the Zips or their current class status. I would greatly appreciate it. I would like to know if they have 1, 2, or 3 years remaining in Akron. Merry Zipmas!! and to all a good night!

https://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/2021/12/former-syracuse-backup-dt-curtis-harper-will-play-football-for-akron-next-season.html At the end of the article, it mentions coach Reno signing.

Good moves so far. Let's get 2 more Defensive linemen, Bubba's return, and the defense will be vastly improved. Then, move on to the offensive issues along with the very good players that have left.

Absolutely not. I am calling him (along with Mathison and Qualls) a good player, and that may be shorting him. I think they are very good players. My point is that there are a lot of players on the roster that do not deserve to be D1 and if they would leave, we would never miss them. Please re-read my post. I did not call Mumpfield a straggler. Merry Zipmas!!!

Again, I disagree with your post. I do not want to lose Zach, but he is with Georgia Tech per the TP. He has grown tremendously over the last couple of years and shown that he was a very good QB. He could have led the Zips to a conference title and beyond. Betting on Irons will want me to cancel my season tickets; he cannot hold a candle to Gibson. Akron has to keep the good players that they have and let the stragglers go and enter the transfer portal. This comment also applies to Mathison, Mumpfield, and Qualls. I do want Coach Joe to bring in new and improved players, but please, keep the good players you have. Merry Zipmas

Zach Gibson has agreed to attend Georgia Tech per the Transfer Portal. Just lost a very good player.

Sorry chief, but I will root for Kent State in the bowl game. Every year, the MAC shows up as the worst or one of the worst FBS conferences. Getting 8 bowl berths for the MAC is a complete joke. There is no way a 6-6 MAC team deserves a bowl. In the remaining 6 bowl games for MAC teams, they are favored to win 1 time and lose 5 games. Only Miami is a minor favorite to win. If the MAC ends up 1-7 or 0-8 in bowl games, that may hurt future choices, which the Zips will be lurking soon. Also, I get grief for my Suckeye comments, especially from Clark, but there are many more worse comments regarding other teams. And, they are fine with me. Merry Zipmas