NFL scout on James Franklin
- Thread starter ratking17
- Start date
Tell me something I don't know. I've said it 100 times, this dude doesn't have a clue on game day. He's a recruiter posing as a HC.
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To put it in perspective though, that's been the case for YEARS, so, it's par for the course. With the exception of O'Brien's years, highly rated skill players consistently under-perform after committing there or under-perform after getting NFL drafted. Kickers, Offensive and defensive lineman and linebackers, good to go. Everywhere else. Just guys
This feels like cherry picking, where specific instances of success/failure is used to validate or invalidate an entire body of work.
This is to say nothing of the fact that rising up the depth chart at Vanderbilt isn't exactly like rising up the depth chart at a relevant school.
Like, if Seun Idowu makes the NFL that's not really based on Pitt or Narduzzi -- that's just a kid being given an opportunity because of how bad the talent in front of him is and then capitalizing on that opportunity.
Kudos to Matthews for breaking through, but you either need to credit the kid for making a name for himself or damn the coach for not recruiting better to block a walk-on IMO.
A walk-on blowing up isn't a coaching thing. That's either dumb luck because a kid bloomed late or it's a huge failure because you couldn't find adequate players to play in front of the walk-on.
Like, if we're validating James Franklin with Jordan Matthews -- well, actually, I hope the PSU administration is doing the same thing. So yeah, that's a totally rational and intelligent argument to extend his contract and keep on this path.
Edit: And no, I don't think there's a "but didn't this coach just know this guy would be great" aspect to the situation. If that was actually the case, 99% of walk-ons wouldn't be irrelevant scrubs. The law of averages dictates some of these guys will be awesome (Chas Alexcih for a couple years), but there's no rhyme or reason to it -- and if there was some kind of ability to identify great walk-ons, Franklin has never show an ability to identify guys to a statistically significant extent.
If anybody wants to argue the walk-on angle, that's fine. Just know I'll be coming back and asking why he had such great success with his walk-ons relative to his scholarship recruits. There's no logical explanation but feel free to try to make it.
Have fun arguing why he was great at developing Jordan Matthews but can't do squat with any players at all at UPS.
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Not sure I'd put OL in that category. When you consider the recruits they get and their OL is usually average and they rarely put them in the NFL, I'd say they're wasting a lot of talent at that position to.
As a Pitt fan, I'd prefer JF stay at PSU forever. If Saquon Barkley was the best player on the field, how does Franklin not get fired? Or is Barkley just the latest in a very long line of hyped-up PSU running backs that fizzle into obscurity the day they leave PS? All I know is a swing pass and a collection of 1 yard td runs doesn't sell me on talent.
So baseball11, you don't think he's doing anything with his skill position players? They looked okay to me on Saturday.
Franklin simply isn't good enough head coach needed to play with the big boys. The level of staff and knowledge at PSU is simply not a Michigans, OSU, MSU or even Pitt. In the Big Ten, PSU is never going back to the Paterno years of eastern football. The facts are PSU has one outright title in 22 years of Big Ten play. They are a wannabe program in a conference that has 6 to 7 programs as good or better. They predict that PSU will win the next three games vs Pitt rather easily. Delusion is what delusion does.
Barkley's good, saw his speed when he ran that wheel route and dusted Caprara. He'll be decent at the next level, sort of Shady Jr.
I really didnt see anything of the sort. Who looked great on Saturday against us. We demolished them, and they played catch up. Barkley looked good... but the 5 TDs was the reason. His 4 yard per carry was pedestrian. The receivers were all very fast, and good... but they didnt have tremendous games. I think the TE looked very good... at least against Capara, who I do like as a football player, but I dont think anyone would deny is a mismatch against just about anyone with any speed in coverage (including Barkleys 40 yarder). I will say kudos to Morehead for exploiting that weakness.. but if Pitt fans were on BWI it would be non-stop posts about why didnt we do that more.
In summary... the 121 yards they got by halftime wasnt very impressive. Neither was the total lack of preparation for what the Pitt offense did to them to start the game
Actually Barkley is example one of the point this scout guy was making.
Barkely was the only reason they didn't blown out, his scrapping 4-5 yards off of handoffs with him standing still and Panthers all around him.
That offense is is horrible for a RB, and only with his sheer talent does he still get yardage.
Hell, if Barkley had the room to work with that the Pitt backs had for the most part Saturday he might have 300 yards himself.
Giving them some credit for 15-20 years ago, etc., but your point is accurate for the last 10 years or so. They have 31 former players on NFL rosters, which is actually a decent number for a program that resides outside the top 20 for a number of years now. This speaks directly to the lack of coaching quality however. For comparison, Pitt has 11 and this is the lowest number I've seen, clearly reflective of the coaching instability of 5-7 years ago. Typically in year past we averaged around 15-18 during later Wannstedt years.
Back to Penn State. Of the 31, 5 are offensive linemen,3-TE, 2-WR and 2-QB's, totaling 12 on the offensive side of the ball. No running backs and 2 receivers tells you all you need to know about the program being the black hole of offensive proficiency and unworthy of declaring themselves, NFL developmental. Conventional thinking suggests if you don't pass well, you're probably a good running team. No so here. A culture (that spans decades btw) of plodders, all operating under the pretense of "we are"............ We are fraudulence
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I don't think he'll be a good recruiter going forward.
He's been successful because he exaggerates, lies, bad mouths other programs/coaches, etc.
Things catch up with people like that especially when you messing with kids futures.
I believe his recruiting will take a slide very soon.
Bad HC, poor recruiter, with a reputation for being a BS artist, not being honest with kids and parents good luck getting another job.
I see real estate agent or timeshare salesman in his future! You know the guy walking around who asks you and your wife are you staying overnight, how about $ 500 free. etc.!
Or he goes to the NFL which is coaching joke to begin with all the retreads, etc., who coach there.
Wonder if this was before or after the he said he did not know that the defense can clap?
Some things are better left unsaid!!
Some things are better left unsaid!!
The nitwits would definitely see that as a very negative viewpoint, BUT....IMO you are 100% correct!
Demolished them? They had over 400 yds. It was a 3 point game and they were a dropped pass away from pulling it out, despite 4 turnovers.
The only big boys in the B1G are tOSU & Michigan. And no, I don't seem him taking PSU to that level. However, I think PSU can be as good as anyone else in that conference. Franklin is a good recruiter, but he is far from being an elite recruiter. He will never be able to go toe to toe with Meyer & Harbaugh as a recruiter.
And yes, Any Nitter is delusional if they think they will win the next 3 games against Pitt easily. 2 years down the road is way too far to project for either of these teams right now. I would love to see Pitt sweep the series, but looking at it objectively, I'd have to give PSU the edge for next year. After that, who knows... way too far off.
Yes... demolished them. If you didnt see the game, then you should watch it. Obviously, in any game, when you are up big and try to switch conservative, the other team, if they have any skill at all, will gain far more yards. that is all that happened this game. And... a dropped pass away?? We were a dropped INT from Maddox away and a dropped catch from Ford that caused an INT away from winning by 17 or 24.
The point is, NFL people regularly trash Franklin. Several said that they thought Franklin ruined Hackenberg. Now this comment.
And its really remarkable, because you just don't see other head coaches being singled out for criticism like this. He is really not well respected by people in his profession. Its pretty clear that Harbaugh and Meyer have little respect for the guy, nor does Narduzzi. They all see him as a BS artist.
And its really remarkable, because you just don't see other head coaches being singled out for criticism like this. He is really not well respected by people in his profession. Its pretty clear that Harbaugh and Meyer have little respect for the guy, nor does Narduzzi. They all see him as a BS artist.
Barkley was anything but pedestrian. He had some very important runs where he should have been held to 1 or 2 yards and he got 4 or 5 and the first down. he was the best player on the field and 5 TDs can't be just dismissed.
Way better than decent. He'll be a 1st rounder and maybe top 15 imo. Then he'll be great in the nfl. The kid is a beast plain and simple.
Have fun wallowing around in the middle of the pack in the Big buds LOL. I know........the sanction thing!
Hey I ask every one of you the same question and never get an answer. With everything that has come out over the last few months do you believe Joe knew? Yes or no. I can't get one of you guys to answer that question. It's like you guys are scared to death to say yes he knew yet can't come off as idiots by saying no he didn't know. So did Joe Know?
I could not agree more. That's about as big a self indictment is you will ever hear.
Um, they were in position to tie or go ahead with less than 2 minutes to go. Regardless of the reason for that, it happened. How can you say that Pitt demolished them? Why the need to exaggerate?
Jacobs, I'm a Pitt fan and I absolutely LOVED the game Saturday! The best part was HAWK trolling McSorely in the post game presser. CLASSIC! That is what a good rivalry is all about and I'm 100% for Pitt any time they play the Nits.
...Now, unlike the rest of Panther nation, I normally wouldn't care at all about what PSU does the rest of the season. They can win the rest of them or lose the rest of them and I'm 100% cool with it either way. HOWEVER, I became somewhat of a Franklin fan while living in Nashville. I lived there the entire time he was at Vandy. I would like to see him do well, with the exception of the next 3 games against Pitt.
I don't know anything new that came out about Joe. I've spent most of the summer out of the country. Nor do I give a damn, as I'm not a PSU fan & I'm not one that thinks Joe Paterno walks on water. In fact, he's been pushing up daisies for over 4 years. They can build statues and kiss his bronze arse or piss on his grave. I could care less.
...Now, unlike the rest of Panther nation, I normally wouldn't care at all about what PSU does the rest of the season. They can win the rest of them or lose the rest of them and I'm 100% cool with it either way. HOWEVER, I became somewhat of a Franklin fan while living in Nashville. I lived there the entire time he was at Vandy. I would like to see him do well, with the exception of the next 3 games against Pitt.
I don't know anything new that came out about Joe. I've spent most of the summer out of the country. Nor do I give a damn, as I'm not a PSU fan & I'm not one that thinks Joe Paterno walks on water. In fact, he's been pushing up daisies for over 4 years. They can build statues and kiss his bronze arse or piss on his grave. I could care less.
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If you can't see that kid's talent that says a lot about your football acumen.
Yeah,... I said the same thing... you should read. He was pedestrian outside the 5 tds... but he GOT 5 TD's.. so obviously he had a great game. But, every running back has runs were they get a few extra yards. You cant say Barkley looked amazing... he didnt. But, no doubt he IS a very good running back and will be a special back in the future, he just came across a defense that didnt allow him running room.
