How did we get here

[CryptoMiner]

Lots of whining and moaning, calling for coaches to be dismissed, blame game is at a peak (and I will add to it). So how did we really end up where we are today?
Many reasons, but it starts with personnel, recruiting. Primarily offensive line and defensive line recruiting. Lets look at the period of 2019 to 2022, years where we would potentially have upper classmen on the lines. I will agree if you say 2019 is out of the range, but with COVID and injury waivers there are still 2019 recruits making an impact in college football this year, see Dillon Gabriel...

Players on current roster recruited/transferred by years 2019 to 2022:

Class of 2019, class rank 30 these would be COVID/Injury waivers
None, though a few playing elsewhere

Class of 2020 rank 23 These would be RS seniors/COVID exemptions
Savion Williams
Mike Nichols
Blake Nowell
Bud Clark
Marcel Brooks-transfer

2021 Rank 54, Seniors and redshirt juniors
Trent Battle
Abe Camara
Shad Banks-transfer

This was technically Gary Patterson's final class and one of his worst

2022 rank 45 juniors and redshirt sophomores
Major Everhart
Josh Hoover
Paul Oyewale
Quinton Harris
Namdi Obiazor
Michael Ibukun-Okeyode

Transfers
Tymon Mitchell
Robbie Rochester
Caleb Fox
Johnny Hodges
Terrence Cooks

Patterson is fired mid-season and Jerry Kill takes over. Sonny Dykes is the head coach when class is signed and he brought in some key transfers as well as getting Hoover to switch.

These are the classes you would expect to be filling the OL and DL spots and Mike Nichols is the lone OL starter and 2 transfers fill the DL spots, Mitchell and Fox.

A couple of additional big blows happened to this team after spring ball with DL Dominic Williams transferring and expected starting OG Cade Bennett being lost to injuries.

Personnel has been an issue, but coaching changes have added to the problem, but probably better in the long run. I like this coaching staff we have currently. Dykes performed miracles in 2022 even with a poor defense. Garrett Riley leaves for Clemson and he replaces him with Kendall Briles. And finally Dykes brings in a decent defensive coordinator, Andy Avalos in 2024. We are basically 18 months into the Briles offense and 7 months into the Avalos defense. You can't expect miracles every season, especially with a huge talent gap in the trenches. Briles and Avalos are really good recruiters and it is showing.

The 2023 class (ranked 21) added some OL and DL help but they are young with Zachary Chapman, Markus Deal, Jonathan Bax, Ben Taylor-Whitfield, Mike Stoker, along with transfer Colton Deery.

With 2024 (ranked 34) we added Travis Jackson, Sterlin Brooks, Samir Camacho, Wesley Harvey, Ryan Hughes, Mitch Hodnett and transfers Cooper McDonald, Deaven Deal, Cade Bennett and and Carson Bruno.

Add that the 2025 class is currently ranked 20 with 11 OL and DL commits.

Dykes has done a decent job patching together this team and the future looks really good. However, there was little that could have been done to prevent this situation, especially with limited resources to bring in big name transfers. I know a lot of the comments have been in jest but, let's be realistic.

 

[Wexahu]

Lots of whining and moaning, calling for coaches to be dismissed, blame game is at a peak (and I will add to it). So how did we really end up where we are today?
Many reasons, but it starts with personnel, recruiting. Primarily offensive line and defensive line recruiting. Lets look at the period of 2019 to 2022, years where we would potentially have upper classmen on the lines. I will agree if you say 2019 is out of the range, but with COVID and injury waivers there are still 2019 recruits making an impact in college football this year, see Dillon Gabriel...

Players on current roster recruited/transferred by years 2019 to 2022:

Class of 2019, class rank 30 these would be COVID/Injury waivers
None, though a few playing elsewhere

Class of 2020 rank 23 These would be RS seniors/COVID exemptions
Savion Williams
Mike Nichols
Blake Nowell
Bud Clark
Marcel Brooks-transfer

2021 Rank 54, Seniors and redshirt juniors
Trent Battle
Abe Camara
Shad Banks-transfer

This was technically Gary Patterson's final class and one of his worst

2022 rank 45 juniors and redshirt sophomores
Major Everhart
Josh Hoover
Paul Oyewale
Quinton Harris
Namdi Obiazor
Michael Ibukun-Okeyode

Transfers
Tymon Mitchell
Robbie Rochester
Caleb Fox
Johnny Hodges
Terrence Cooks

Patterson is fired mid-season and Jerry Kill takes over. Sonny Dykes is the head coach when class is signed and he brought in some key transfers as well as getting Hoover to switch.

These are the classes you would expect to be filling the OL and DL spots and Mike Nichols is the lone OL starter and 2 transfers fill the DL spots, Mitchell and Fox.

A couple of addition big blows happened to this team after spring ball with DL Dominic Williams transferring and expected starting OG Cade Bennett being lost to injuries.

Personnel has been an issue, but coaching changes have added to the problem, but probably better in the long run. I like this coaching staff we have currently. Dykes performed miracles in 2022 even with a poor defense. Garrett Riley leaves for Clemson and he replaces him with Kendall Briles. And finally Dykes brings in a decent defensive coordinator, Andy Avalos in 2024. We are basically 18 months into the Briles offense and 7 months into the Avalos defense. You can't expect miracles every season, especially with a huge talent gap in the trenches. Briles and Avalos are really good recruiters and it is showing.

The 2023 class (ranked 21) added some OL and DL help but they are young with Zachary Chapman, Markus Deal, Jonathan Bax, Ben Taylor-Whitfield, Mike Stoker, along with transfer Colton Deery.

With 2024 (ranked 34) we added Travis Jackson, Sterlin Brooks, Samir Camacho, Wesley Harvey, Ryan Hughes, Mitch Hodnett and transfers Cooper McDonald, Deaven Deal, Cade Bennett and and Carson Bruno.

Add that the 2025 class is currently ranked 20 with 11 OL and DL commits.

Dykes has done a decent job patching together this team and the future looks really good. However, there was little that could have been done to prevent this situation, especially with limited resources to bring in big name transfers. I know a lot of the comments have been in jest but, let's be realistic.

Excellent post.

This team is not very good because the O-line and D-line just aren't good. Again, blame Dykes for not being able to bring in the talent necessary (although to your point, I'm not sure that's entirely fair) but outside of that senior class he inherited, the cupboard was bare. I don't think our problem is "coaching", I think it's the roster deficiencies.

 

[FroggleRock]

I agree but also disagree that talent is the issue because there are teams in this conference alone doing more with less. But it is entirely fair to say this staff doesn’t have a lot to work with considering they can’t even form a two-deep on the o-line.

HOWEVER, when your head coach after every loss in the post game presser says they “don’t know why they played so bad”, or “they showed us a different look and didn’t handle it well”, that is a competency issue at the coaching level.

To me, the issue is two-fold on both a talent level and coaching level. I think Kendal has done a great job with what he has, but last week was really bad. Avalos had really good defenses while at Oregon. In fact, he turned their defense around in a major way. But I haven’t seen anything good out of this defense yet. The players look lost on almost every play. The only position coaches I have any faith in are Meach, Kelly, and Gonzalez. If you’re going to keep Dykes, you need to start cleaning house at the positional level, starting with Wilson and Ricker.

 

[froglash88]

Excellent post.

This team is not very good because the O-line and D-line just aren't good. Again, blame Dykes for not being able to bring in the talent necessary (although to your point, I'm not sure that's entirely fair) but outside of that senior class he inherited, the cupboard was bare. I don't think our problem is "coaching", I think it's the roster deficiencies.

Without the roster deficiencies, we could probably QB sneak on 4th and 5

 

[CryptoMiner]

If you’re going to keep Dykes, you need to start cleaning house at the positional level, starting with Wilson and Ricker.

Ricker has done a very nice job with limited resources and is an excellent recruiter. Look at the last 2 classes and current commits.

I really don't know enough on Wilson yet other than he is Avalos' guy and has had success in the past.

 

[FroggleRock]

Ricker has done a very nice job with limited resources and is an excellent recruiter. Look at the last 2 classes and current commits.

I really don't know enough on Wilson yet other than he is Avalos' guy and has had success in the past.

He hasn’t developed a single lineman into a starter except Ben Taylor-Whitfield. You can’t have the single worst position group two years in a row and not be called out on it. They’re somehow worse than last year too. I get he’s a good recruiter, but the product on the field has to matter more. Either he can’t evaluate talent well (every transfer has been a bust), or he can’t develop it.

Wilson has taken a position that was supposed to be one of our strengths this year and put it in the toilet. Every single player at LB has regressed.

 

[SW toad]

He hasn’t developed a single lineman into a starter except Ben Taylor-Whitfield. You can’t have the single worst position group two years in a row and not be called out on it. They’re somehow worse than last year too. I get he’s a good recruiter, but the product on the field has to matter more. Either he can’t evaluate talent well (every transfer has been a bust), or he can’t develop it.

Wilson has taken a position that was supposed to be one of our strengths this year and put it in the toilet. Every single player at LB has regressed.

I wholeheartedly agree with this. Ricker is Co-Offensive coordinator and Offensive line coach (I think this means he is receiving a higher salary than typical line coaches in Big 12). It appears to me that there has been no focus on details and fundamentals. If your linemen are having issues with "thrust" and feet in wet concrete, you work them with via "repetition is the mother of learning method" You work with the little nasties on the blocking sled, as well with the slow feet and elastic bands around their ankles and calves. True, we have some good OL for '25 recruits, but will they remain committed based on what they've seen.

On the Wilson Holgerson Ricker thread, I pointed out that the Linebackers were major league "whiffing" and out of place, were not filling the obvious running lanes. Somebody pointed out Wilson was an Analyst and Analysts were not on the sidelines. Maybe somebody can tell me why Obiazor '23 and Hodges '22 look like barnacles of their former selves. Who is our LB coach who can be on sidelines to light these guys en Fuego?

I do not mean to add Key lime to the finger wound, but our Tight Ends have only caught 15 passes at the halfway point of the season. If your running game is tepid, you utilize your TE's to augment. This is Football 105. Chase Curtis, Drake Dabney and D.J. Rogers need to be schemed up for the 8–12-yard plays in the flat. Somebody on this staff realized 340 days ago, throw it to Jared Wiley. Both Rogers and Dabney are better athletes than Wiley who is participating in meaningful plays for chiefs this year .

 

[Wexahu]

I wholeheartedly agree with this. Ricker is Co-Offensive coordinator and Offensive line coach (I think this means he is receiving a higher salary than typical line coaches in Big 12). It appears to me that there has been no focus on details and fundamentals. If your linemen are having issues with "thrust" and feet in wet concrete, you work them with via "repetition is the mother of learning method" You work with the little nasties on the blocking sled, as well with the slow feet and elastic bands around their ankles and calves. True, we have some good OL for '25 recruits, but will they remain committed based on what they've seen.

On the Wilson Holgerson Ricker thread, I pointed out that the Linebackers were major league "whiffing" and out of place, were not filling the obvious running lanes. Somebody pointed out Wilson was an Analyst and Analysts were not on the sidelines. Maybe somebody can tell me why Obiazor '23 and Hodges '22 look like barnacles of their former selves. Who is our LB coach who can be on sidelines to light these guys en Fuego?

I do not mean to add Key lime to the finger wound, but our Tight Ends have only caught 15 passes at the halfway point of the season. If your running game is tepid, you utilize your TE's to augment. This is Football 105. Chase Curtis, Drake Dabney and D.J. Rogers need to be schemed up for the 8–12-yard plays in the flat.

What about the DC? Is he beyond criticism?

This is two years in a row that the defense has been poor. Last year it was because the DC was a high school guy who was way in over his head, so we replaced with a former head coach with plenty of defensive skins on the wall. Results maybe not quite as bad but not good either. Maybe the issue is we just don't have that good of players.

 

[cdsfrog]

Lots of whining and moaning, calling for coaches to be dismissed, blame game is at a peak (and I will add to it). So how did we really end up where we are today?
Many reasons, but it starts with personnel, recruiting. Primarily offensive line and defensive line recruiting. Lets look at the period of 2019 to 2022, years where we would potentially have upper classmen on the lines. I will agree if you say 2019 is out of the range, but with COVID and injury waivers there are still 2019 recruits making an impact in college football this year, see Dillon Gabriel...

Players on current roster recruited/transferred by years 2019 to 2022:

Class of 2019, class rank 30 these would be COVID/Injury waivers
None, though a few playing elsewhere

Class of 2020 rank 23 These would be RS seniors/COVID exemptions
Savion Williams
Mike Nichols
Blake Nowell
Bud Clark
Marcel Brooks-transfer

2021 Rank 54, Seniors and redshirt juniors
Trent Battle
Abe Camara
Shad Banks-transfer

This was technically Gary Patterson's final class and one of his worst

2022 rank 45 juniors and redshirt sophomores
Major Everhart
Josh Hoover
Paul Oyewale
Quinton Harris
Namdi Obiazor
Michael Ibukun-Okeyode

Transfers
Tymon Mitchell
Robbie Rochester
Caleb Fox
Johnny Hodges
Terrence Cooks

Patterson is fired mid-season and Jerry Kill takes over. Sonny Dykes is the head coach when class is signed and he brought in some key transfers as well as getting Hoover to switch.

These are the classes you would expect to be filling the OL and DL spots and Mike Nichols is the lone OL starter and 2 transfers fill the DL spots, Mitchell and Fox.

A couple of additional big blows happened to this team after spring ball with DL Dominic Williams transferring and expected starting OG Cade Bennett being lost to injuries.

Personnel has been an issue, but coaching changes have added to the problem, but probably better in the long run. I like this coaching staff we have currently. Dykes performed miracles in 2022 even with a poor defense. Garrett Riley leaves for Clemson and he replaces him with Kendall Briles. And finally Dykes brings in a decent defensive coordinator, Andy Avalos in 2024. We are basically 18 months into the Briles offense and 7 months into the Avalos defense. You can't expect miracles every season, especially with a huge talent gap in the trenches. Briles and Avalos are really good recruiters and it is showing.

The 2023 class (ranked 21) added some OL and DL help but they are young with Zachary Chapman, Markus Deal, Jonathan Bax, Ben Taylor-Whitfield, Mike Stoker, along with transfer Colton Deery.

With 2024 (ranked 34) we added Travis Jackson, Sterlin Brooks, Samir Camacho, Wesley Harvey, Ryan Hughes, Mitch Hodnett and transfers Cooper McDonald, Deaven Deal, Cade Bennett and and Carson Bruno.

Add that the 2025 class is currently ranked 20 with 11 OL and DL commits.

Dykes has done a decent job patching together this team and the future looks really good. However, there was little that could have been done to prevent this situation, especially with limited resources to bring in big name transfers. I know a lot of the comments have been in jest but, let's be realistic.

Future looks good? Got our ass kicked by a terrible Houston team and one of the most embarrassing losses ever against SMU.

 

[Bruce Berry]

I'd like to hear more about the future looking good. I don't see it.

 

[count frogula]

Serious question, who is that guy who shadows SD and whispers sweet nothings constantly while Dykes has a look of bewilderment on his face? Maybe that guy should be in question since he seems to hold sway over Dyke’s decisions.

 

[SW toad]

What about the DC? Is he beyond criticism?

This is two years in a row that the defense has been poor. Last year it was because the DC was a high school guy who was way in over his head, so we replaced with a former head coach with plenty of defensive skins on the wall. Results maybe not quite as bad but not good either. Maybe the issue is we just don't have that good of players.

We have the players. At this point in the season, I say we bench several players on Offense and Defense including to send a message and shock these children. Most of these kids have probably never been backed into a corner on a playground, including the so-called seasoned senior's 7th year juniors.

I think based upon what I've seen Abe Camara & Bud Clark remain starters. These vets seem to be the only ones playing with gusto/huevos.

Thanks to Caleb Fox, Tymon Mitchell, John Hodges, Obiazor, AND JP Richardson for at least ONE game. You fumble the ball because of your spider arms, ride the bench to be made an example of. Give playing time to Blake Knowell going forward for at least one game.

SUBNSTANTIALLY Increase the playing time of Defensive Lineman and freshman and RS freshman Keviyan Huddleston, Tristan Johnson, Mike Ibukan-Okeyode, Travis Jackson, Sterlin Brooks, and Avion Carter.

I do not care if they are 260 lbs playing Defensive tackle. You will find out a lot about whether they can play and their Dog mentality playing on interior. Preps us for next year and 2026,

 

[CryptoMiner]

Serious question, who is that guy who shadows SD and whispers sweet nothings constantly while Dykes has a look of bewilderment on his face? Maybe that guy should be in question since he seems to hold sway over Dyke’s decisions.

Bob?

 

[CryptoMiner]

I'd like to hear more about the future looking good. I don't see it.

Recruiting has been so much better.

 

[CryptoMiner]

We have the players. At this point in the season, I say we bench several players on Offense and Defense including to send a message and shock these children. Most of these kids have probably never been backed into a corner on a playground, including the so-called seasoned senior's 7th year juniors.

I think based upon what I've seen Abe Camara & Bud Clark remain starters. These vets seem to be the only ones playing with gusto/huevos.

Thanks to Caleb Fox, Tymon Mitchell, John Hodges, Obiazor, AND JP Richardson for at least ONE game. You fumble the ball because of your spider arms, ride the bench to be made an example of. Give playing time to Blake Knowell going forward for at least one game.

SUBNSTANTIALLY Increase the playing time of Defensive Lineman and freshman and RS freshman Keviyan Huddleston, Tristan Johnson, Mike Ibukan-Okeyode, Travis Jackson, Sterlin Brooks, and Avion Carter.

I do not care if they are 260 lbs playing Defensive tackle. You will find out a lot about whether they can play and their Dog mentality playing on interior. Preps us for next year and 2026,

I’d love to see more of the younger guys.

I think there is still an attitude on the team that they are about to breakout. Who knows but the rest will help. Guys like Bless Harris been playing with nagging injuries and too many snaps. They got abused by UH but played their hearts out.

May be time to flip but maybe see how bad it is against Utah.

 

[Shorty]

I've always been a "players, not plays" guy so your post resonates with me. It's still hard to see what feels like a team underperforming. It's the constant mistakes, turnovers, Dykes getting kicked out of SMU game, and his consistent ho hum message to the media. Obviously he won't throw the players under the bus but dude take the hit. The bewildered act sucks.

 

[CryptoMiner]

I've always been a "players, not plays" guy so your post resonates with me. It's still hard to see what feels like a team underperforming. It's the constant mistakes, turnovers, Dykes getting kicked out of SMU game, and his consistent ho hum message to the media. Obviously he won't throw the players under the bus but dude take the hit. The bewildered act sucks.

My focus was on the primary issues in the trenches but obviously there are other problems. In fall camp I think 2 big mistakes were made.

1. Cam Cook-coaches saw Cook making big plays and the thought process immediately went to the OL could run block and Cook is going to shock people. Reality was the run defense sucked.

2. The defense was forcing turnovers and it was obviously because they were being aggressive and making plays. Reality was the offense needed to take better care of the ball.

I didn't mention also the big loss of 2 CBs early in fall but was another big hit.

 

[Spike]

Without the roster deficiencies, we could probably QB sneak on 4th and 5

Would have worked with Duggan

 

[tyler durden]

Lots of whining and moaning, calling for coaches to be dismissed, blame game is at a peak (and I will add to it). So how did we really end up where we are today?
Many reasons, but it starts with personnel, recruiting. Primarily offensive line and defensive line recruiting. Lets look at the period of 2019 to 2022, years where we would potentially have upper classmen on the lines. I will agree if you say 2019 is out of the range, but with COVID and injury waivers there are still 2019 recruits making an impact in college football this year, see Dillon Gabriel...

Players on current roster recruited/transferred by years 2019 to 2022:

Class of 2019, class rank 30 these would be COVID/Injury waivers
None, though a few playing elsewhere

Class of 2020 rank 23 These would be RS seniors/COVID exemptions
Savion Williams
Mike Nichols
Blake Nowell
Bud Clark
Marcel Brooks-transfer

2021 Rank 54, Seniors and redshirt juniors
Trent Battle
Abe Camara
Shad Banks-transfer

This was technically Gary Patterson's final class and one of his worst

2022 rank 45 juniors and redshirt sophomores
Major Everhart
Josh Hoover
Paul Oyewale
Quinton Harris
Namdi Obiazor
Michael Ibukun-Okeyode

Transfers
Tymon Mitchell
Robbie Rochester
Caleb Fox
Johnny Hodges
Terrence Cooks

Patterson is fired mid-season and Jerry Kill takes over. Sonny Dykes is the head coach when class is signed and he brought in some key transfers as well as getting Hoover to switch.

These are the classes you would expect to be filling the OL and DL spots and Mike Nichols is the lone OL starter and 2 transfers fill the DL spots, Mitchell and Fox.

A couple of additional big blows happened to this team after spring ball with DL Dominic Williams transferring and expected starting OG Cade Bennett being lost to injuries.

Personnel has been an issue, but coaching changes have added to the problem, but probably better in the long run. I like this coaching staff we have currently. Dykes performed miracles in 2022 even with a poor defense. Garrett Riley leaves for Clemson and he replaces him with Kendall Briles. And finally Dykes brings in a decent defensive coordinator, Andy Avalos in 2024. We are basically 18 months into the Briles offense and 7 months into the Avalos defense. You can't expect miracles every season, especially with a huge talent gap in the trenches. Briles and Avalos are really good recruiters and it is showing.

The 2023 class (ranked 21) added some OL and DL help but they are young with Zachary Chapman, Markus Deal, Jonathan Bax, Ben Taylor-Whitfield, Mike Stoker, along with transfer Colton Deery.

With 2024 (ranked 34) we added Travis Jackson, Sterlin Brooks, Samir Camacho, Wesley Harvey, Ryan Hughes, Mitch Hodnett and transfers Cooper McDonald, Deaven Deal, Cade Bennett and and Carson Bruno.

Add that the 2025 class is currently ranked 20 with 11 OL and DL commits.

Dykes has done a decent job patching together this team and the future looks really good. However, there was little that could have been done to prevent this situation, especially with limited resources to bring in big name transfers. I know a lot of the comments have been in jest but, let's be realistic.

One wonders what Briles is promising to recruits that makes him a “really good recruiter”. Old habits die hard.

 

[Bruce Berry]

Recruiting has been so much better.

Lets hope.