RB Harold Joiner transfers to MSU from Auburn

[johnny2x2x]

This is a big deal. We missed out on Estime who is a last minute flip to Notre Dame. Joiner is a freak athlete. 6-3, 231 lbs and ran a 4.34 in high school. He was a top 5 RB in the nation coming out of high school in Alabama. Has great hands and can really fly.

Redshirted his freshman year. Had 21 touches for 231 yards as a sophomore. Sat out this year. He could feasibly play 3 or 4 more years, but 2 is most likely.

Auburn fans are ticked to see him leave, they thought he was wasted by their coach. No idea if he'll be great or just a solid piece here, but he's probably instantly the most freaky athlete on our team.

He was the #135 overall player in the country according to 247 when he came out.

 

[SpartyNash]

Imagine Dantonio utilizing the transfer portal at all this offseason. Only good thing coming from 2020 was him retiring.

 

[gotime909]

Gonna need many more transfers with all of our Belleville players up and leaving suddenly.

 

[byco42]

What do you guys make of this new transfer model? What will be the long-term effects? Why are these and other players using this option with what appears to me little consideration of what comes next? I’m speaking in general, because a lot of Michigan players have also moved on.

 

[Spartanmack]

Gonna need many more transfers with all of our Belleville players up and leaving suddenly.

Seven and counting - the Belleville kids +4 more.

So far Dobbs seems to be the only impact player, if he is - I haven't watched enough football this year to say one way or the other. I do think it's interesting he's the only highly ranked recruit on the offensive line we've had in years. So much for him being the start of a trend. Hopefully this kid from Auburn can run behind a mediocre to bad offensive line.

 

[johnny2x2x]

What do you guys make of this new transfer model? What will be the long-term effects? Why are these and other players using this option with what appears to me little consideration of what comes next? I?m speaking in general, because a lot of Michigan players have also moved on.

Next year they will all be eligible for immediate playing time, but that is supposed be a one off, but might not be.

Playing time is the #1 reason kids are transferring now, they all think they're better than they are. If Dobbs couldn't crack the 2 deep on our terrible O Line, how good could he be?

I think overall it's bad for the game, but good for the kids. They should be allowed to go where they want when coaches can.

Also, if it gets too lax, the elite teams are going to use the lesser programs as a minor league farm system. Say Purdue gets a RB who puts up 1350 yards as a freshman, Georgia decides it needs a RB, back channels are used to let the kid know he needs to enter the portal, if there's no one year wait, there is nothing stopping that from becoming normal.

It's the first year for Tucker, so turnover is expected, so far, only Barnett is a lost to future depth, but there's rumors he might come back to MSU anyway. Snagging Joiner was a major coup for Dantonio, Auburn fans say it was their coach who misused him and he's a stud, we'll see.

I think there's a real chance Alabama snags Dax Hill if he hits the portal from Michigan soon. That would be a case that you don't want to see, a kid getting plucked by the top program from a program struggling and then not having to sit. Don't get me wrong, I'd point and laugh, but that type of stuff would be bad for the college game.

 

[johnny2x2x]

Imagine Dantonio utilizing the transfer portal at all this offseason. Only good thing coming from 2020 was him retiring.

Bingo.

Estime was a big time recruit, maybe the top RB in the nation, I'd take him over Edwards easily and probably Henderson (The kid OSU got). Tucker learned he was wavering and ND was an offer he was waiting on, so Tucker didn't wait, he started talking to Joiner a few weeks ago (Joiner has been in the portal since the start of the year.) Then as soon as Estime told him he was heading to ND, he had Joiner on board that night.

I can't imagine Dantonio doing that. He'd be more like, "The kid gave me his word." And then get caught with no other Plan A options and be stuck looking for MAC players he could swipe as plan B.

Joiner is a plan A guy too. Nothing is guaranteed, could be the next Ty Isaacs or he could be the next Brandon Jacobs. But he adds potentially elite talent to the offense. I think Tucker is going to add at least 5 more transfers.

 

[Spartanmack]

What do you guys make of this new transfer model? What will be the long-term effects? Why are these and other players using this option with what appears to me little consideration of what comes next? I’m speaking in general, because a lot of Michigan players have also moved on.

Don't know a lot about how it works. Are kids who don't meet hardship exemption or grad transfer requirements forced to sit out a year or can anyone in the portal play right away? If they have to wait, do they also lose a year of eligibility?

I think it's probably good for kids stuck in bad situations but not necessarily for the game overall. I'd probably have to spend more time understanding the rules and how it works to have a strong opinion of it but from what i've seen, it looks like it's a step closer to being like free agency in pro sports. Never really liked the grad transfer thing - I still consider Russell Wilson to be a "Rent-a-Badger."

I think it probably benefits the rich teams - elite kids can go to Bama, Clemson, OSU, OK, etc and compete then if it doesn't work, enter the portal where "poorer" teams feed on the scraps. Conversely top players at middle of the pack teams can get recruited through the portal. If there is loss of eligibility and/or sitting out a year, that could mitigate these issues, but I don't know enough about it.

 

[Spartanmack]

As for MSU and the losses to the portal, the optics are bad - holy crap 7 guys are leaving in Tucker's first year! But it's 7 guys on a team comprised mostly of MAC talent - the 2 or 3 players I actually read about are red shirt sophomores who mostly play special teams. If we're being honest, it would be pretty hard for our kick coverage to get worse. If we can replace 5 or 6 of them in the portal, unless they're all duds too, seems like that would be an upgrade.

 

[SpartyNash]

Rocky transferring. I guess now we get to see Thorne throw 50 yard bombs over UM’s vaunted secondary next year.

 

[johnny2x2x]

Garrett Horst, OT from Arkansas State is transferring to MSU over offers from Texas, Oklahoma, Florida State and many others. Left tackle who was on the Outland Trophy list this year. Nice pickup and he should start from day 1. Will have 3 years left.

 

[byco42]

Next year they will all be eligible for immediate playing time, but that is supposed be a one off, but might not be.

Playing time is the #1 reason kids are transferring now, they all think they're better than they are. If Dobbs couldn't crack the 2 deep on our terrible O Line, how good could he be?

I think overall it's bad for the game, but good for the kids. They should be allowed to go where they want when coaches can.

None of this aids in getting these players the education that is professed as so paramount.

Also, if it gets too lax, the elite teams are going to use the lesser programs as a minor league farm system. Say Purdue gets a RB who puts up 1350 yards as a freshman, Georgia decides it needs a RB, back channels are used to let the kid know he needs to enter the portal, if there's no one year wait, there is nothing stopping that from becoming normal.

I say simply end the process of recruiting and have the players convince coaches why they are worthy to play for them. The overflow will spill into other programs. This practice of inflating the worth and relevance of some 17-year-old athlete is also "bad for college football." That kid that Purdue convinced to play football in West Lafayette who suddenly bolts to Athens or Columbus is, in my opinion, chasing short-term satisfaction.

I think there's a real chance Alabama snags Dax Hill if he hits the portal from Michigan soon. That would be a case that you don't want to see, a kid getting plucked by the top program from a program struggling and then not having to sit. Don't get me wrong, I'd point and laugh, but that type of stuff would be bad for the college game.

Why?