Spring Football - 2025

[BamaMoon]

There's so many good factors that will help each other: better coaching, better QBing, better OLing...the combination of doing all these things better will lead to exponential improvement!!!

 

[Bamabuzzard]

There's so many good factors that will help each other: better coaching, better QBing, better OLing...the combination of doing all these things better will lead to exponential improvement!!!

I wonder if the SEC will be as top to bottom tough as it was last season? It is hard to tell with transfers, graduation and players leaving for the pro's early. But last season, the SEC was deep with good teams. Not great teams, but good teams.

 

[CoolBreeze]

I wonder if the SEC will be as top to bottom tough as it was last season? It is hard to tell with transfers, graduation and players leaving for the pro's early. But last season, the SEC was deep with good teams. Not great teams, but good teams.

It is always going to be a gauntlet due to the general talent level and rivalries. I mean, barney can take us to the wire with a far inferior roster...same's true for Vandy. That and the fact that we are circled on everyone's roster due to decades of domination will always make SEC games nail biting and fun to watch for respective fan bases.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

It is always going to be a gauntlet due to the general talent level and rivalries. I mean, barney can take us to the wire with a far inferior roster...same's true for Vandy. That and the fact that we are circled on everyone's roster due to decades of domination will always make SEC games nail biting and fun to watch for respective fan bases.

It has always been a gauntlet but this past year, teams that normally aren't very good at all turned out to be way better than their average. Specifically, Vanderbilt and South Carolina both were much, much harder outs for anyone who played them than in years past.

 

[CoolBreeze]

It has always been a gauntlet but this past year, teams that normally aren't very good at all turned out to be way better than their average. Specifically, Vanderbilt and South Carolina both were much, much harder outs for anyone who played them than in years past.

Agreed. The Gamecocks' competitiveness is not all that surprising because I believe that Beamer continues to be an underrated coach. The Vandy thing is definitely the exception tho. Credit them for the turnaround but the sneak up factor definitely played a role. They got us at the perfect time but don't think that would happen again. That transition year was much more profound than any of us could see coming.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Agreed. The Gamecocks' competitiveness is not all that surprising because I believe that Beamer continues to be an underrated coach. The Vandy thing is definitely the exception tho. Credit them for the turnaround but the sneak up factor definitely played a role. They got us at the perfect time but don't think that would happen again. That transition year was much more profound than any of us could see coming.

Regarding Vandy, most of their games against SEC teams were a lot more competitive than normal. Granted, they may have ended up losing the game but the games were much closer than usual. They simply had a more talented roster than in most years. They weren't getting run out of the stadium as much as they normally do.

 

[CoolBreeze]

Clark Lea was in his 4th season at Vandy that had won only 2 SEC games before the start of the season. He took over as D coordinator, brought in Tim Beck as OC from New Mexico State along with Pavia and looks like they made it work pretty well. Whether that translates into sustained success in the short term may be a yes but only because of that QB returning and scheme on offense. But simply because they beat us last year will keep them from sliding under foe's radar and I can easily see them taking a step back competitively this year.

 

[mlh]

Clark Lea was in his 4th season at Vandy that had won only 2 SEC games before the start of the season. He took over as D coordinator, brought in Tim Beck as OC from New Mexico State along with Pavia and looks like they made it work pretty well. Whether that translates into sustained success in the short term may be a yes but only because of that QB returning and scheme on offense. But simply because they beat us last year will keep them from sliding under foe's radar and I can easily see them taking a step back competitively this year.

Another year like last year and Lea will move on. Then Vandy will be Vandy again.

 

[Tidewater]

Kudos to Deion Sanders for articulating a good idea: bring another team to your practice location for a spring scrimmage.

Pate is spot on here.

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

Kudos to Deion Sanders for articulating a good idea: bring another team to your practice location for a spring scrimmage.

Pate is spot on here.

THAT could generate interest and $$$!😎

 

[dWarriors88]

THAT could generate interest and $$$!😎

We did this in High School football at W.P Davidson in Mobile. I remember a spring Jamboree game, Julio's senior year. We played a three way game, with Foley and Daphne HS. It only makes sense to do the same thing.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Sander's idea is a great idea and it could be modeled after the NFL and how they do it. Have several practice days with the other team leading up to the spring game. I would have ZERO PROBLEM with them charging admission to the game and charging it like a regular game. If no one came, then no one came, no harm no foul, but I would bet people would flock in droves to watch it and wouldn't have any issue paying to see. Great idea Deion.

 

[day-day]

I read or listened to a suggestion about bringing in a team for a scrimmage as the spring game somewhere earlier (maybe a tidesfan member or maybe some other sports guru).

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I read or listened to a suggestion about bringing in a team for a scrimmage as the spring game somewhere earlier (maybe a tidesfan member or maybe some other sports guru).

Yeah, Deion isn't the originator of the idea but he's the first of his stature to push it as a real thing. I hope the idea doesn't go away and coaches and AD's keep considering the idea and the benefits that would come with it.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

I read or listened to a suggestion about bringing in a team for a scrimmage as the spring game somewhere earlier (maybe a tidesfan member or maybe some other sports guru).

I suggested it too. I brought up the fact that we had 2 in basketball before the season started. They were against Memphis and Wake.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I suggested it too. I brought up the fact that we had 2 in basketball before the season started. They were against Memphis and Wake.

It could be used to fund the school's "NIL" money. Again, spring games come at a time when fans are STARVING to see their team and new recruits. I have no doubt charging admission wouldn't be an issue and there would be plenty of demand for it, ESPECIALLY if the spring game was against another opponent. There's just too much upside to not seriously consider it.

 

[AlexanderFan]

The spring games are going away because it’s open season on poaching a team’s depth, or even starters. Unless they close the spring window, or hammer tampering, I don’t think playing any team during spring would be advisable.

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

They just need to make the portal a one-time thing in the summer...(kind of like the academic year).🙄

Stupid question: Why did they make transfers "unlimited"?🤔

 

[Bamabuzzard]

The spring games are going away because it’s open season on poaching a team’s depth, or even starters. Unless they close the spring window, or hammer tampering, I don’t think playing any team during spring would be advisable.

I'll side with Deion on this one, having spring games doesn't put a team any more at risk than if they didn't have it. Any team who wants your players already knows who you have without watching the spring game, especially the P4 schools. They all recruit the same pool of kids, so it isn't like you've got a kid on the team they don't already know about. Also, the tampering is going on from player to player, not as much from coaches to players. These kids have all attended the same camps, all-star games, seven-on-seven showcases, etc. They are all recruiting each other constantly via cell phones. Now whether the coaches are having them do that is another conversation.

 

[irvingtontide]

The spring games are going away because it’s open season on poaching a team’s depth, or even starters. Unless they close the spring window, or hammer tampering, I don’t think playing any team during spring would be advisable.

Yea it seems if we don’t want other coaches to see our player at A-day giving them front row seats and an avenue to approach our players might not be the best idea. From a fan standpoint it would be an awesome spring event to help bridge the gap to kickoff.

I remember the jamboree games at Bryant high school in Mobile county but it was also in the fall if I’m not mistaken sort of the same approach basketball takes one game a week before the season to test the waters.