Sometimes I think about how close we've been in *so* many games under Stoops, when we were just one play, one call from a statement win.
3OT at UF will always take the cake, obviously, but he had SO many of them early on. Think about losing to Dak & MSU in 2013 after that terrible offside call on the onside kick. That Thursday Auburn game in 2015. There's basically one for every year.
So anyway, today I saw @JRowland's 2017 re-rank, and got to thinking ... what are our "What Could Have Been" players? Here's what I came up with, what do you think?
QB
Drew Barker — 2014 4*, got hurt in his first big start and was never the same ... I mean you could write a book about how tragic this outcome was for the guy and the team alike.
RB
Braylon Heard — 2010 top-100 4*, transferred to KY and just never did anything behind Jojo & Boom
Bryant Koback — 2017 3*, probably the guy I wanted to see the most of all the transfers that never played
WR
Alex Montgomery — 2013 3*, hurt celebrating a TD and never really got better
Jabari Greenwood — 2014 4*, transferred
Zy'Aire Hughes — 2016 3*, had one amazing TD catch and then got in trouble & kicked off the team
JaVonte Richardson — 2017 4* ... man, we all deserved better from this
TE
Dakota Holtzclaw — 2016 3*, was a WR before getting made TE and transferring like 15 minutes later
OL
Tate Leavitt — 2016 JuCo 3*, coaches talked him up a lot and then ... nothing
Marcelys Jones — 2014 4* ... lol what even happened here?
I would have liked to have more OL guys on here for balance, but honestly we've been really consistent there. Good problem to have lol.
DL
Jason Hatcher — 2013 4*, kicked off team after stupid, stupid drug stuff
Matt Elam — 2014 5*, never put it together
Lloyd Tubman — 2014 4*, kicked off team after being accused of sexual misconduct that was never proven in court
Denzil Ware — 2014 4*, kicked off team? Quit? Transferred? He made some big plays but the last season he never got to play will haunt me.
LB
Eli Brown — 2015 4*, never really saw the field and transferred to Western
Kobie Walker — 2014 high-3*, played two seasons and then ... quit football?
Ashtan Pierre — 2018 3*, this one is strange, too — he reportedly left the program shortly after signing in 2018, but then last year got arrested for some seriously crazy ish and was worried about losing his football scholarship?? Justin, what's the deal there?
Secondary
Jaleel Hytchye — 2013 3*, transferred after a lot of fanfare and little production
Domonique Williams — 2018 JuCo 3*, the UK site says he played in one game and I will take their word for it lol
DaVonte Robinson — 2016 3*, missed all of 2019 after injury and I think it's fair to put him on this list until he turns it around this year
Darius West — 2014 4*, definitely made it to the Senior Bowl but is also literally made of glass
Also, it's important to note, this isn't meant to be a negative thing. We're doing great, with an excellent coach, staff, and list of players, in a good position to capitalize on the future ... it's just ... man. Think about where we could have been if it had all worked out.
That's life, I guess. It's definitely football.
Who'd I miss?
3OT at UF will always take the cake, obviously, but he had SO many of them early on. Think about losing to Dak & MSU in 2013 after that terrible offside call on the onside kick. That Thursday Auburn game in 2015. There's basically one for every year.
So anyway, today I saw @JRowland's 2017 re-rank, and got to thinking ... what are our "What Could Have Been" players? Here's what I came up with, what do you think?
QB
Drew Barker — 2014 4*, got hurt in his first big start and was never the same ... I mean you could write a book about how tragic this outcome was for the guy and the team alike.
RB
Braylon Heard — 2010 top-100 4*, transferred to KY and just never did anything behind Jojo & Boom
Bryant Koback — 2017 3*, probably the guy I wanted to see the most of all the transfers that never played
WR
Alex Montgomery — 2013 3*, hurt celebrating a TD and never really got better
Jabari Greenwood — 2014 4*, transferred
Zy'Aire Hughes — 2016 3*, had one amazing TD catch and then got in trouble & kicked off the team
JaVonte Richardson — 2017 4* ... man, we all deserved better from this
TE
Dakota Holtzclaw — 2016 3*, was a WR before getting made TE and transferring like 15 minutes later
OL
Tate Leavitt — 2016 JuCo 3*, coaches talked him up a lot and then ... nothing
Marcelys Jones — 2014 4* ... lol what even happened here?
I would have liked to have more OL guys on here for balance, but honestly we've been really consistent there. Good problem to have lol.
DL
Jason Hatcher — 2013 4*, kicked off team after stupid, stupid drug stuff
Matt Elam — 2014 5*, never put it together
Lloyd Tubman — 2014 4*, kicked off team after being accused of sexual misconduct that was never proven in court
Denzil Ware — 2014 4*, kicked off team? Quit? Transferred? He made some big plays but the last season he never got to play will haunt me.
LB
Eli Brown — 2015 4*, never really saw the field and transferred to Western
Kobie Walker — 2014 high-3*, played two seasons and then ... quit football?
Ashtan Pierre — 2018 3*, this one is strange, too — he reportedly left the program shortly after signing in 2018, but then last year got arrested for some seriously crazy ish and was worried about losing his football scholarship?? Justin, what's the deal there?
Secondary
Jaleel Hytchye — 2013 3*, transferred after a lot of fanfare and little production
Domonique Williams — 2018 JuCo 3*, the UK site says he played in one game and I will take their word for it lol
DaVonte Robinson — 2016 3*, missed all of 2019 after injury and I think it's fair to put him on this list until he turns it around this year
Darius West — 2014 4*, definitely made it to the Senior Bowl but is also literally made of glass
Also, it's important to note, this isn't meant to be a negative thing. We're doing great, with an excellent coach, staff, and list of players, in a good position to capitalize on the future ... it's just ... man. Think about where we could have been if it had all worked out.
That's life, I guess. It's definitely football.
Who'd I miss?
