The Official 2025 College Football Random Thoughts Thread

[Whips-n-Chains]

This is MAIN reason Cignetti succeeded and why it wasnt done before, lowkey would say Deion did samething but he came from such a lower level he didnt have pool of players to bring with him but Portal allowed them to do it..

Quick note: Another NCST DB pop up somewhere else cotdam, they had multiple all conference AND NFL talent in one DB field. Their ENTIRE DB core got raided in portal last year, back 7 really. Them and VT were made into farm league and Clemson fall off look imminent too .. Bishop Fitzgerald was balling for USCw and Brandon Cisse at USCe looking like a top NFL prospect..

Deangelo Pond was a DAWG down here in SF, one of those cats people feel is an inch or 2 too short, so their teammates go major D1 while he go small school, one f stickiest players you will ever see, should grind his way to league also..

Cig might have the best eye for talent in the game. While someone like Norvell just using 247's portal rankings to build his team

 

[skyrunner1]

I think it’s so nuanced, it’s taking gambles on physical attributes and stats, and it’s not an exact science, shyt just hitting for Curt, but Miami and ole miss and a few others been in the portal and it’s hit for them too. For every cam ward and Mendoza it’s a DJ uglygang and others who ain’t shyt, that said, you hope you hit after you get them. The wave is being a system (like cams) and the qb or defense with you.

Agreed 100%. I dont think its hard to tell with QBs tho if you know what to look for, DJ was a easy call compared to those two.. @IIVI bought up Mendoza prior to season and I was saying IDK how these top teams let him and Mensah (my other top portal QB at time) go to those school with no resistance. Mind you Mario played high school ball with Mendoza dad, and the guys that fund Mario are all Columbus guys, hispanic too. You know how happy they woulda been to cut that check? All time miss AND he is going to win the Heisman as Im guessing first Cuban, lol.. Miami did kill it in portal besides that, hit on almost every other position, especially on defense, oh my.

post from Aug:

https://www.thecoli.com/threads/the-official-2025-college-football-random-thoughts-thread.1066875/post-56391212

Probably know more about this kid than I should. VERY polarizing prospect down here as he won state titles at Columbus. Definitely a smart kid, was committed to play at Yale at one point during his very light recruitment. His dad played with Mario at Columbus also so that was a tie many thought we would go after. He got Cal offer late and hopped on it. Was sacked most in country, like 41 times. Obviously played behind one of worst olines you will ever see.

Seeing guys like him and Mensah land at Indiana (though his little brother also goes there) and Mensah at Duke just shows how big times schools miss on QBs still. There are gonna be ALOT of top schools breaking in QBs with no experience that will have growing pains or realize they invested in lemons and they let talent like this slide. I think UGA was also taking a look at him but didnt want to up their offer.. I dont think Gunnar Stockton is better than this kid. Still like I said alot of people downplayed his game and didnt think Miami should pursue but kid is obviously talented passing for that many yards in 11 games. I didnt have him THAT high at all as #1 pick or anything close. Might be a down QB year as I hear many hype up Allar and he cant hit a WR in stride.

 

[skyrunner1]

How good is Fernando Mendoza? Biggest downside to him is he played behind a bad Cal offensive line and took some sacks. Football IQ, arm and athleticism punch off the screen.





Many places have him as the #1 pick, Bleacher Report got him mocked top 3 overall. A lot of Justin Herbert/Josh Allen comparisons. What I see so far looks really good. Terrific in structure, crazy release, seems to be really comfortable in the pocket, makes a lot of pass fakes, 6’5, etc. Apparently a smart person. If he got an arm like that and he’s skinny, strength program going to be doing wonders for it.

That seems like the Colts/Dolphins QB target if they finish low enough.

Again, those numbers with that offensive line are wild for Mendoza. Really interesting to see how he does out in Indiana where the situation will be far more favorable.

 

[skyrunner1]

Cig might have the best eye for talent in the game. While someone like Norvell just using 247's portal rankings to build his team

Norvell did hit early in portal and his stars were all portal guys.. Like ALL of them on that 13-0 team.. (Jordan Travis, Trey Benson, Keon Coleman, Johnny WIlson, Jaheim Bell, Verse, Fiske, Bethune, Jarrian Jones) .. The money dried up and he never cared for high school recruiting which should always be your foundation.. You cant hit like that EVERY year, especially with no money..

Indy is recruiting well outta high school also and winning some head 2 heads with other teams which never used to happen..

 

[skyrunner1]

 

[papa pimp]

 

[theflyest]

This is MAIN reason Cignetti succeeded and why it wasnt done before, lowkey would say Deion did samething but he came from such a lower level he didnt have pool of players to bring with him but Portal allowed them to do it..

Quick note: Another NCST DB pop up somewhere else cotdam, they had multiple all conference AND NFL talent in one DB field. Their ENTIRE DB core got raided in portal last year, back 7 really. Them and VT were made into farm league and Clemson fall off look imminent too .. Bishop Fitzgerald was balling for USCw and Brandon Cisse at USCe looking like a top NFL prospect..

Deangelo Pond was a DAWG down here in SF, one of those cats people feel is an inch or 2 too short, so their teammates go major D1 while he go small school, one f stickiest players you will ever see, should grind his way to league also..

He had the pool of players. That 2022 JSU team had plenty of p4 players that he brought in from other schools. They were basically out-talenting schools in the SWAC.

I remember in real time thinking Prime should have just brought the whole damn team and worked the hell out of the portal getting the trenches right. However, perhaps they thought they could do better.

Instead, he brought 10 players from JSU. There were like a few others they wanted to bring but they decided to go to other schools.

 

[pete clemenza]

F*ck Paul Finebaum!!

 

[Silkk]

@Bigwhite2498 Would've been dope if they would've let yall play Houston to see who really is the third best in the state

 

[DropTopDoc]

That’s tough man they said he’s done for the season

 

[OGBobbyJohnson]

 

[papa pimp]

 

[theflyest]

Cig might have the best eye for talent in the game. While someone like Norvell just using 247's portal rankings to build his team

If you hit in the portal, it’s basically an all star team of guys from different schools. That’s what you see from schools like Ole Miss & Texas Tech.

But when you miss, the shyt can look really bad.

 

[Ruck]

 

[chargers31]

Goddamn they got Sherrone outta of there