Class of '23 Offers & Verbal Commits

[MangoZip]

20 hours ago, LZIp said:

Another position of need (with Brank transferring and Clark injury) addressed!

 

Did Brank transfer or just retire?

[Captain Kangaroo]

32 minutes ago, MangoZip said:

Did Brank transfer or just retire?

From what I heard, retired and returned home to NC.

[MangoZip]

47 minutes ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

From what I heard, retired and returned home to NC.

That’s what I thought too, but they mentioned that he transferred

[LZIp]

21 minutes ago, MangoZip said:

That’s what I thought too, but they mentioned that he transferred

I have no inside details. assumed he entered the portal. Didn’t know he retired. Too bad though, I thought he was a solid player. 

[Blue & Gold]

On my phone but we just got a verbal from former U. of Illinois LB Shammond Cooper. 6-3, 235 👀👀

[catdaddyp]

5 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

On my phone but we just got a verbal from former U. of Illinois LB Shammond Cooper. 6-3, 235 👀👀

Love this pickup! Cooper was flipped between inside and outsider backer in Illinois’ 3-4 defense and wasn’t able to carve out a starting roll. No shame in that as Illinois will have one of the best front sevens in all of college football this year (barring multiple injuries). Cooper was initially recruited by Lovie Smith’s staff to play in the 4-3 scheme, so it stands to reason he will have a chance to excel in our 4-2-5.

Edited May 24, 2023 by catdaddyp

[LZIp]

Incredible offer list coming out of high school. Didn't do much at during time at IL, but still has 2 years of eligibility. I like me some big, athletic linebackers.

[blueandgold]

6 minutes ago, catdaddyp said:

 

Here you go.

We should be loaded at the LB position for the next couple of seasons!

[catdaddyp]

On 5/16/2023 at 12:43 PM, Zipmeister said:

Here is a good start to the multiple choice answer to your question..........

 

A. No problem, ZipsNation members have wildly over estimated the number of scholarships that were outstanding before those offered in the first post in this thread. 

 

B. Problem, Both the estimated existing and the new scholarships reflected in the first post to this thread are accurate and NCAA punitive measures for the program are just around the corner. 

 

C. Somebodies going to be ticked, The estimated number of existing scholarships is correct and to avoid NCAA penalties mentioned above some existing scholarships get yanked. 

Going with C. Imagine some players are being encouraged to look around.

[catdaddyp]

6 minutes ago, catdaddyp said:

Going with C. Imagine some players are being encouraged to look around.

And after checking the online roster, TE Darnell and OL Hale-Frater are no longer listed.

[LZIp]

Just now, catdaddyp said:

And after checking the online roster, TE Darnell and OL Hale-Frater are no longer listed.

Darnell was pretty intriguing to me out of HS. Too bad. I didn't notice him at the spring game either.

[LZIp]

3 hours ago, catdaddyp said:

And after checking the online roster, TE Darnell and OL Hale-Frater are no longer listed.

Unfortunately Ka'Marri Landers also no longer appears on the roster. He's another guy I couldn't locate on the sideline or field during spring game.

 

Right now, I have us at 90 scholarship players, with bringing in 23 JUCO/transfer portal players.  I decided not to count Ridge Howard as he didn't post the same committed graphic as the other clearly scholarship players and I don't believe he was actually on scholarship at NIU either as he wasn't included in their signing day bios.

Zips Football Scholarship Chart.xlsx

[catdaddyp]

9 minutes ago, LZIp said:

Unfortunately Ka'Marri Landers also no longer appears on the roster. He's another guy I couldn't locate on the sideline or field during spring game.

 

Right now, I have us at 90 scholarship players, with bringing in 23 JUCO/transfer portal players.  I decided not to count Ridge Howard as he didn't post the same committed graphic as the other clearly scholarship players and I don't believe he was actually on scholarship at NIU either as he wasn't included in their signing day bios.

Zips Football Scholarship Chart.xlsx 14.05 kB · 0 downloads

Oh wow, you’re right. I could be wrong, but I thought I saw Landers on the sideline during the spring game, just not in pads. That’s a big loss. Suppose that means we’ll see Chambers and Kindred battle it out at LT now. Maybe James will come along quicker than expected? I think that’s now 4 players gone from the 2022 HS/JUCO signing class. 

[LoyalZIP]

I’d hate to see Landers go. He looked the part the second he took the field and could have been a huge force in the league for a long time. Maybe grades weren’t up to par? He was a late HS signee after all, with previous big offers. 

[catdaddyp]

2 hours ago, LZIp said:

Unfortunately Ka'Marri Landers also no longer appears on the roster. He's another guy I couldn't locate on the sideline or field during spring game.

 

Right now, I have us at 90 scholarship players, with bringing in 23 JUCO/transfer portal players.  I decided not to count Ridge Howard as he didn't post the same committed graphic as the other clearly scholarship players and I don't believe he was actually on scholarship at NIU either as he wasn't included in their signing day bios.

Zips Football Scholarship Chart.xlsx 14.05 kB · 0 downloads

I got so focused on Landers, I forgot to even mention Howard. I’m with you, I’m thinking he’s probably a PWO. He was listed with NIU’s initial 2023 signing class, so I think he was on scholarship there. Wouldn’t be surprised to see a few more unannounced roster departures and the scholarship chart line up closely. 
 

[Blue & Gold]

11 hours ago, catdaddyp said:

Oh wow, you’re right. I could be wrong, but I thought I saw Landers on the sideline during the spring game, just not in pads. That’s a big loss. Suppose that means we’ll see Chambers and Kindred battle it out at LT now. Maybe James will come along quicker than expected? I think that’s now 4 players gone from the 2022 HS/JUCO signing class. 

I don't see Landers in the Transfer Portal so it must be grades, no?  I wonder if after this semester & perhaps a couple of summer school classes he could regain his eligibility by fall camp?

 

Also, in looking at the TP, it doesn't have Ravonte Holt as having transferred anywhere yet. Is that outdated information? Is there a possibility he could wind up a Zip next fall almost by default?  (Would we want him on the team?)

[catdaddyp]

1 hour ago, Blue & Gold said:

I don't see Landers in the Transfer Portal so it must be grades, no?  I wonder if after this semester & perhaps a couple of summer school classes he could regain his eligibility by fall camp?

 

Also, in looking at the TP, it doesn't have Ravonte Holt as having transferred anywhere yet. Is that outdated information? Is there a possibility he could wind up a Zip next fall almost by default?  (Would we want him on the team?)

All great questions and, unfortunately, I don’t have any concrete answers to any of them. It’s possible Landers entered the portal, but more likely a grades issue. Not sure what this staff requires in that situation. I wouldn’t count on him being back, although I’d really like to see it happen at some point.

 

I figured Holt would end up on Minnesota’s roster, but the longer this goes on it seems less likely. There’s a chance he’s already landed somewhere and it hasn’t been reported. Would love to say I have access to the NCAA portal, but I don’t. I don’t know how the staff feels about taking guys back who have already entered the portal. I know some coaches are more forgiving than others. He’d definitely help us and a team can’t ever have enough talented defensive linemen. Although, there could be another issue going on we don’t know about?

 

[zzx]

 

WR's Clayton Bone & Dakota Thomas

 

not listed on 2023 roster

 

 

[LZIp]

Thomas gone already?? Damn.

[catdaddyp]

4 minutes ago, LZIp said:

Thomas gone already?? Damn.

Oh man. Thomas we hardly got to know you. Seeing this happen often now. Guys transfer in for the spring and then transfer out again for whatever reason.
 

Believe Bone was still a walk-on.

[LZIp]

Another OL incoming?

 

[Zipmeister]

I created an Excel file for the LATE SIGNING PERIOD VERBAL COMMITMENTS shown on the first page of this thread. I am unable to load it here. (Is there a way to do so?) If you have Excel, I’m thinking that if you want you could copy the printout into an Excel file and have your very own searchable file.

Happy Memorial Day.

 

[Let'sGoZips94]

1 hour ago, Zipmeister said:

I created an Excel file for the LATE SIGNING PERIOD VERBAL COMMITMENTS shown on the first page of this thread. I am unable to load it here. (Is there a way to do so?) If you have Excel, I’m thinking that if you want you could copy the printout into an Excel file and have your very own searchable file.

Happy Memorial Day.

 

 

I forgot about half these guys. Goodness what a class. Hats off to Joe Mo & staff for bringing in so much talent. 

 

Also, isn't Dakota Thomas gone already?

 

Edit: @Zipmeister Shammond Cooper's previous school column needs expanded to show the Fighting Illini. Unless of course you have something against the University of Illinois, in which case @Illini Zip would like to have a word with you. 

Edited May 29, 2023 by Let'sGoZips94

[Zipmeister]

4 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

I forgot about half these guys. Goodness what a class. Hats off to Joe Mo & staff for bringing in so much talent. 

 

Also, isn't Dakota Thomas gone already?

 

Edit: @Zipmeister Shammond Cooper's previous school column needs expanded to show the Fighting Illini. Unless of course you have something against the University of Illinois, in which case @Illini Zip would like to have a word with you. 

I don't know about the status of Dakota; I just used what was in the table on the first page to create my file.

Re Cooper's previous school, it is actually in my file, but for some unknown reason "of Illinois" was blocked, but it can be retrieved if one copies my file into their own version of Excel.

I certainly have nothing against the U of Ill, but I've heard a rumor that Excel is biased against certain schools with dubious academic reputations.

[Blue & Gold]

You guys are right about Dakota Thomas in that I guess he's left the team already (discussed in another thread... or earlier in this thread?).

 

Weird.

 

And that after a good showing in the Spring Game.

 

Doubly weird.

 

Anyway, I'll remove him from post #1.