Louisville lands top O lineman from GA

[Uncle Adolph]

Madden Sanker from Douglasville GA commits to Ville
Class of 23
Ranked the #8 player in the state of GA
Had offers from GA, Miami, Mich State
We had better be getting in the NIL game or I'm afraid we are going to be left behind

 

[cathouse]

Madden Sanker from Douglasville GA commits to Ville
Class of 23
Ranked the #8 player in the state of GA
Had offers from GA, Miami, Mich State
We had better be getting in the NIL game or I'm afraid we are going to be left behind

Too late. We have already been left behind for 2023.

The big question is will Mitch and UK help CMS try to catch up anytime soon.

Once these teams move ahead of us in recruiting, it will be very difficult to catch up again.

 

[The-Hack]

Once these teams move ahead of us in recruiting, it will be very difficult to catch up again.

Actually in the age of NIL, with the right resources, it would be easier to catch up.

Just look at Louisville: our class last year was 13th, and theirs 49th. One year and a few (million) dollars and they have caught up.

 

[JHB4UK]

We have right now 2022 our most talented deep roster UK football has had since the late 1970s. Football is not basketball, can't build starting team made of freshmen in this sport. the projected classes at Tennessee and Louisville will not be huge impacts in 2023. True frosh qbs might play right away.. Physical development to the college level takes time, development to schemes takes time, esp on line of scrimmage.

UK signed a top 15 class for 2022. Outside of Goodwin & Barion Brown playing as 2nd string backups, most all others will spend the season watching & learning.

Recruiting issues with NIL are troubling! But the effects possibly causing UK football to fall back won't happen instantaneously!

 

[bigblueinsanity]

Recruiting issues with NIL are troubling! But the effects possibly causing UK football to fall back won't happen instantaneously!

Assuming we don't lose key staff or stoops himself. None of these guys want to be at a place where recruiting is handcuffed and who can blame them.

Even if we don't lose coaches, enough 4 and 5 star kids start making a difference pretty quickly in skill positions. Then you're dealing with momentum too. Plus their youngsters start getting older too.

None of this is good. It ranges from setting football back to the stone ages to watching us lose all momentum and everything in between.

 

[BigBlueFanGA]

Madden Sanker from Douglasville GA commits to Ville
Class of 23
Ranked the #8 player in the state of GA
Had offers from GA, Miami, Mich State
We had better be getting in the NIL game or I'm afraid we are going to be left behind

Has he signed yet? I'll believe pitiful UL will get all these top guys once I see the signatures on paper.

 

[TOMCATS1990]

Mitch is such an idiot in so many ways

 

[BigBlueFanGA]

For what little it helps, "Ah shucks Barney" needs to get out of the way. In the bigger picture though, this was inevitable. We don't have the market or booster resources to compete in an NIL dominated landscape.

We better hope we find a way to keep our top level players. This entire situation is likely a death knell for UK football, just as predicted. We simply don't have the money.

 

[JHB4UK]

None of this is good. It ranges from setting football back to the stone ages to watching us lose all momentum and everything in between

Totally get it. And it sucks this backdoor shortcut has popped up & UL & Knoxville are 2 of the beneficiaries. That they are using it with zero regard for intent or ethics.

But not EVERYONE in the sport will rack up recruiting talent- except UK! Hell there ain't that many 4 & 5 stars to go around to everyone! Like I said in another thread, if Barnhart insists on keeping UK handcuffed on NIL with recruiting, maybe we become the transfer portal destination to fill our roster with top talent.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

We wanted him, but when started telling the coaches what it would take to sign him we moved on, he would have 100% redshirt for and don't think that excited him too much either.

 

[why_not_kentucky]

Back to the bottom we will go. Keep them top buttons tight boys

 

[The-Hack]

We don't have the market or booster resources to compete in an NIL dominated landscape.

I think we do, but the resources have to be “tapped.”

I’ve been willing to write a check for months, but don’t know the what, when, where and who.

And with corporate sponsors/partners worth billions (See my Kroger post) it is likely a matter of making the right contacts for significant money.

 

[cathouse]

Actually in the age of NIL, with the right resources, it would be easier to catch up.

Just look at Louisville: our class last year was 13th, and theirs 49th. One year and a few (million) dollars and they have caught up.

That's why I said the big question is will MB and big boosters step up and make it happen.

We will NEVER outspend TN for football recruits, so that ship has already sailed.

And it does really take only one class to move ahead in the SEC. From that point on, all you have to do is win, and the recruits will come to you...........as long as you are leading in NIL dollars.

 

[BigBlueFanGA]

I think we do, but the resources have to be “tapped.”

I’ve been willing to write a check for months, but don’t know the what, when, where and who.

And with corporate sponsors/partners worth billions (See my Kroger post) it is likely a matter of making the right contacts for significant money.

That goes for every school to some degree. The passion to be willing to spend will come from boosters primarily. I just don't think we have them.

 

[Dddjdd]

Totally get it. And it sucks this backdoor shortcut has popped up & UL & Knoxville are 2 of the beneficiaries. That they are using it with zero regard for intent or ethics.

But not EVERYONE in the sport will rack up recruiting talent- except UK! Hell there ain't that many 4 & 5 stars to go around to everyone! Like I said in another thread, if Barnhart insists on keeping UK handcuffed on NIL with recruiting, maybe we become the transfer portal destination to fill our roster with top talent.

Is there reason to think NIL would function differently on the transfer market? A lot of those decisions are already being influenced by it.

 

[Dddjdd]

We wanted him, but when started telling the coaches what it would take to sign him we moved on, he would have 100% redshirt for and don't think that excited him too much either.

Was there a $ figure thrown around

 

[Littlefeller]

Everybody chill. Things aren’t as they seem and will be much improved soon!

 

[rudd1]

-geez, enough with the hand wringing. FoM is alive and well.

-Some of yall spend more time thinking about uavel and ut than the cats...it's odd.

 

[southindycat]

Programs going all in on player purchase are going to have problems with team chemistry and "tail wagging dog" issues as well. Also, in the case of Louisville, I question how much water actually sits in the NIL well... i.e. can/will their supporters act damn fools annually? It remains to be seen whether the well runs dry before they reach their larger goal.

 

[Cotaay]

Adidas is putting the UofL class together (thanks to thier QB commits father), not the coaching staff or their boosters. Chemistry will likely be an issue, but they were about to be terrible anyway so might as well go all in and see what happens.

 

[southindycat]

Adidas is putting the UofL class together (thanks to thier QB commits father), not the coaching staff or their boosters. Chemistry will likely be an issue, but they were about to be terrible anyway so might as well go all in and see what happens.

So... well runs dry when the merc QB drys up and blows away? Something is queer about the kid gracing UoL with his presence. Why wasn't he welcome at a program still on the rails? Surely Adidas has a couple?

 

[Cotaay]

Texas A&M and Miami are the top Adidas schools and do very well with NIL, after that Louisville is as good of an option as they have.

 

[JHB4UK]

Just lucky timing with the birth of the NIL era.

Adidas isn't in with many schools. So it financially benefits them to boost 1 that is struggling. Clarkson sr a longtime associat with Adidas, and has a highly rated QB son in the 2023 class. Adidas & Clarkson hook his son up with their client school, who need a new qb next season, then get to work buying talent to surround him with. Ain't an accident ul has an offensive heavy class thus far.

 

[billoliver40]

We wanted him, but when started telling the coaches what it would take to sign him we moved on, he would have 100% redshirt for and don't think that excited him too much either.

Interesting point. NIL has swiftly turned to free agency. It is quite possible some schools...including Kentucky...Will fall behind in football.

Like a lot of greybeards, I don't like it, think it's a wrong path, etc......
But it is what it is. Kentucky will have to decide what it wishes to do. Maintain trajectory, or fall back into being a homecoming guest.

 

[Cardinals19701]

Texas A&M and Miami are the top Adidas schools and do very well with NIL, after that Louisville is as good of an option as they have.

Louisville’s makes about 10 million more per year from Adidas than Miami and about 9 million more than A&M although I do think their contract ends in the next year or so. Louisville’s 10 year $160 million contract with Adidas runs through 2028. So it makes only perfect sense than Adidas would help boost Louisville with that much money invested.

 

[Cotaay]

Good point, im sure Adidas is upset on their ROI with Louisville compared to the larger brands they have. Better prop them up now and get whatever you can out of the deal before they go back to permanent mid major status.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

Was there a $ figure thrown around

Yes, but I don't know what it was just that his hand was out, and assured playing time. Not any of that at UGA for an incoming frosh G or C.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

Louisville’s makes about 10 million more per year from Adidas than Miami and about 9 million more than A&M although I do think their contract ends in the next year or so. Louisville’s 10 year $160 million contract with Adidas runs through 2028. So it makes only perfect sense than Adidas would help boost Louisville with that much money invested.

I don't know about Miami, but ATM has triple digit boosters that could and will make up 10m, hell they have a few that could buy Adidas.

 

[John_dromo1]

Totally get it. And it sucks this backdoor shortcut has popped up & UL & Knoxville are 2 of the beneficiaries. That they are using it with zero regard for intent or ethics.

But not EVERYONE in the sport will rack up recruiting talent- except UK! Hell there ain't that many 4 & 5 stars to go around to everyone! Like I said in another thread, if Barnhart insists on keeping UK handcuffed on NIL with recruiting, maybe we become the transfer portal destination to fill our roster with top talent.

What do you mean by “zero intent or ethics?”

 

[RedLotCat]

Word here in the ville. Addidas is pumping major money in the football program to keep UL on board. Kenny Payne is a NIKE guy and requested a switch due to his recruiting ties. I can see some truth to it all with DJ now rumored to be backing off Louisville.

NIL is scary to me for UK. This state just doesn't have the big money that a lot of others do to support UL and UK.

Any big pockets or business men on here ready to start a collective? UK can't do it, it has to be privately started and funded.

 

[K_TIME]

Let's think this Addidas thing out for a moment.

1. I get they may be pumping money for UL kids in NIL
2. But Nike is nearly 2 times as large in revenue than Addidas...like 36B to 21B...so if Nike is going to sit this out from NIL standpoint....what prevents schools like UK and others to push Nike to get in the game or leave for Addidas, UnderAmour or Puma? I just can't imagine UK watches their program backslide and all the money we'll lose in fan support, coaches won't stay, etc....and not push to get some reciprocity from our own apparel deals.
3. I get the state of Ky might not muster up NIL compared to some state schools....but UL in no way shape or form has the boosters, fanbase vs. UK. Plus we have SEC tv deals that are better than ACC tv deals....Mitch needs to find a way to make that money get to our companies, boosters, etc...to funnel back to NIL deals for UK. That may be totally against the rules....but what's to say UK can't sweeten the deal for healthcare, financial companies, food companies, apparel companies, service related companies, etc... with our SEC $$$ to get back a sweetened NIL deal on the backend from these same companies?

Bottomline, Mitch needs to get creative....which to date he appears to be quite the opposite

 

[John_dromo1]

Word here in the ville. Addidas is pumping major money in the football program to keep UL on board. Kenny Payne is a NIKE guy and requested a switch due to his recruiting ties. I can see some truth to it all with DJ now rumored to be backing off Louisville.

NIL is scary to me for UK. This state just doesn't have the big money that a lot of others do to support UL and UK.

Any big pockets or business men on here ready to start a collective? UK can't do it, it has to be privately started and funded.

Louisville will not be leaving Adidas.

 

[Dddjdd]

Let's think this Addidas thing out for a moment.

1. I get they may be pumping money for UL kids in NIL
2. But Nike is nearly 2 times as large in revenue than Addidas...like 36B to 21B...so if Nike is going to sit this out from NIL standpoint....what prevents schools like UK and others to push Nike to get in the game or leave for Addidas, UnderAmour or Puma? I just can't imagine UK watches their program backslide and all the money we'll lose in fan support, coaches won't stay, etc....and not push to get some reciprocity from our own apparel deals.
3. I get the state of Ky might not muster up NIL compared to some state schools....but UL in no way shape or form has the boosters, fanbase vs. UK. Plus we have SEC tv deals that are better than ACC tv deals....Mitch needs to find a way to make that money get to our companies, boosters, etc...to funnel back to NIL deals for UK. That may be totally against the rules....but what's to say UK can't sweeten the deal for healthcare, financial companies, food companies, apparel companies, service related companies, etc... with our SEC $$$ to get back a sweetened NIL deal on the backend from these same companies?

Bottomline, Mitch needs to get creative....which to date he appears to be quite the opposite

The possible answer to #2 is the number of schools each company has. UL might be Adidas’ third best football school because they have so few schools. Are we in Nike’s top 30 for football? I’m not talking about quality of team this year (since we’ll be a top 25 team) but just overall importance to their football brand. So if Nike started doing what Adidas is doing, we’re just no where near the front of the line for their help.

 

[cat_in_the_hat]

Interesting point. NIL has swiftly turned to free agency. It is quite possible some schools...including Kentucky...Will fall behind in football.

Like a lot of greybeards, I don't like it, think it's a wrong path, etc......
But it is what it is. Kentucky will have to decide what it wishes to do. Maintain trajectory, or fall back into being a homecoming guest.

If by Kentucky, you mean UK, I don't think that is the case. It will ultimately come down to how much third parties are willing to pony up to make good players want to play here instead of somewhere else. I agree with you that I think it's the wrong path that the NCAA went down, but here we are.

 

[K_TIME]

The possible answer to #2 is the number of schools each company has. UL might be Adidas’ third best football school because they have so few schools. Are we in Nike’s top 30 for football? I’m not talking about quality of team this year (since we’ll be a top 25 team) but just overall importance to their football brand. So if Nike started doing what Adidas is doing, we’re just no where near the front of the line for their help.

Makes sense....then leave Nike for Addidas if I'm UK. Point being, we can't sit back and let a smaller school in our state get more their apparel deal than we are from UK.

Plus...Nike makes a ton on basketball....and UK is a NBA star factory. If they want access to our AD, KAT,Boogie, etc....they need to value UK brand more than others possibly. Plus the Duke slurpfest is getting old. Maybe we should flex a bit and see what we can get out of it.

 

[RedLotCat]

Louisville will not be leaving Adidas.

Didn't say they were, nor should they.

 

[CatPatrick13]

Good point, im sure Adidas is upset on their ROI with Louisville compared to the larger brands they have. Better prop them up now and get whatever you can out of the deal before they go back to permanent mid major status.

lol that’s what I’m talkin’ bout…

 

[Blue63Madison]

Mitch isn’t the problem. The problem is, we are the only basketball-first school in the SEC and we have way too many basketball-only supporters who don’t give a shit about football. Y’all can pretend this isn’t reality, bury your heads in the sand, etc … but it’s true.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

Let's think this Addidas thing out for a moment.

1. I get they may be pumping money for UL kids in NIL
2. But Nike is nearly 2 times as large in revenue than Addidas...like 36B to 21B...so if Nike is going to sit this out from NIL standpoint....what prevents schools like UK and others to push Nike to get in the game or leave for Addidas, UnderAmour or Puma? I just can't imagine UK watches their program backslide and all the money we'll lose in fan support, coaches won't stay, etc....and not push to get some reciprocity from our own apparel deals.
3. I get the state of Ky might not muster up NIL compared to some state schools....but UL in no way shape or form has the boosters, fanbase vs. UK. Plus we have SEC tv deals that are better than ACC tv deals....Mitch needs to find a way to make that money get to our companies, boosters, etc...to funnel back to NIL deals for UK. That may be totally against the rules....but what's to say UK can't sweeten the deal for healthcare, financial companies, food companies, apparel companies, service related companies, etc... with our SEC $$$ to get back a sweetened NIL deal on the backend from these same companies?

Bottomline, Mitch needs to get creative....which to date he appears to be quite the opposite

Nike is big into it, but just at Oregon, don't think he will bid against himself.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

Louisville’s makes about 10 million more per year from Adidas than Miami and about 9 million more than A&M although I do think their contract ends in the next year or so. Louisville’s 10 year $160 million contract with Adidas runs through 2028. So it makes only perfect sense than Adidas would help boost Louisville with that much money invested.

Miami nor ATM monies are coming from Adidas, Miamisburg is coming from a billionaire rogue booster and ATM's is coming from several ATM billionaire and a bunch of millionaire boosters. They could buy Adidas and close it.