Virginia Tech CB Bryce Watts has entered the Transfer Portal pic.twitter.com/VdyXqjLDGw— NCAAF Nation (@NCAAFNation247) May 30, 2019
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Virginia Tech CB Bryce Watts has entered the Transfer Portal pic.twitter.com/VdyXqjLDGw— NCAAF Nation (@NCAAFNation247) May 30, 2019
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So we have to hope Webb is healed up right?
Looks like someone lost his starting spot.Edit: Nevermind. I don't want to jump to any conclusions without any evidence. There could be a million reasons for this.
Rumors are that it's not playing time related, but to be closer to his gf/child
If that's the case, that's very respectable (not saying other reasons aren't). Best of luck to him.
This sub-thread aged interestingly
Link Here
Looks like he's angling to go back home to NJ and play for Rutgers.
This feels like free agent move. Can we do a trade and sign deal?
More rumor info from Bitter
Can't fault him if that's the case.
I actually applaud him for it. Being a father and an athlete can't be easy.
EDIT: He's ass my dude. Got fleeced hard.
Yeah, that turned out to be a pretty big IF in my comment.
Fortunately a position we are super deep at... yikes
Can't fault a young man for making a choice to be around his kid.
Any DBs with intact Achilles' tendons floating around in the portal that we can take ?
We have a bunch of WRs to convert.
The portal giveth and the portal taketh away. Praise portal!
That blue line right in the middle of the maroon section and the red line at the top of the orange are making my OCD want to rip this image into tiny pieces
I actually agree with you. I present Hokie Portal v. 3. I didn't see those lines the last time I was making the adjustments but it does drive me crazy everytime I see it now
Saved. Thank you for your service to the portal.
The fact that the maroon line is thicker on the top and botton than by the knee though....
Damn it man hahahahah
That's actually how the original is too....
I mean.....you aren't wrong there. But you'd have to take that particular gripe up with Valve (the creators of Portal)
Aww, it's a boy 👶
Was the #4 corner on the depth chart leaving the spring, and that's not factoring in Webb or Nadir
Who was in front of him? Just curios. I am guessing Caleb, Quill, Waller?
Waller and Armani
He was basically our #2 corner all of last season. Maybe he got surpassed, but I have a hard time rationalizing this.
And he didn't improve this spring like the younger guys did. He got passed
I'll meet you halfway on this:
a guy who is on the 2 deep for a position of perceived weakness is someone that sucks to lose.
Fair. I just personally don't think his departure will have much of an impact, as his playing time would've been far less than it was in 18-19
It sounds like Watts has got to do what he has to do. I applaud him for it. But go back to the spring - it wasn't just LA or others on here talking about the struggles Watts was having in coverage. I think every single analyst/writer talked about Watts getting beat consistently and having issues.
From a 247 article, Matej Sis wrote this in the 8 Take Aways from the spring game - "Bryce Watts started strong, but it all went down-hill from there. He was a liability in coverage today."
I think you'd find that consistency in anyone who wrote about that spring game. And if you go back and remember, the enthusiasm from Mitchell, not only about Webb but the young corners - Armani and Thompson was evident in every single press conference. Watts has to go home and be closer to his child and he probably goes to Rutgers in a better playing time situation for himself. Smart decision by Watts I'd say all the way around.
Based on...the Spring Game? Or did you watch all the spring stuff and nobody else did?
Based on what people around the program have said
Based on what people who see practice every day have told me
Okay, since Fuente releases depth charts sometime around the 1st snap of the 1st game, I was wondering. And they have lots of ___ OR ___. What's the rest of the chart looking like, since you're wired in?
On D? My best guess for BC:
Reggie and DD
Farley and Waller
Dax, Ashby, and Chamarri
Belmar, Hewitt, Crawford, garbutt
How's your boy Hunter been doing? Surpassed by Chamari for the whip spot?
Hunter is backing up Reggie Floyd.
Seems to be more comfortable at rover. Still very surprised it didn't work out for him at whip
What's the story on Chamarri? Just had a better spring than Ladler or am I missing something on an injury?
Ladler was out with an injury, but chamarri brings a physicality to the whip spot that was missing post-FSU. Has surprised a bit with his coverage ability
Glad to hear we are building depth, whether it's ladler or Connor who comes out ahead. Seems to be true across the board on defense.
Armani Chatman looking like a possibility to start opposite Farley?
Possible
He was our #2 last season because we didn't have much of a choice. No offense to the kid, but that was our situation. Farley and Watts should not have been starting.
The younger kids (like LA mentioned) have some more experience and have developed to the point where they are contenders to start. We have more depth than we did a year ago. Would it be nice to have Watts? Absolutely, but I think he would have been a depth guy this year.
I REALLY hope that Webb is good to go and he can start with Farley.
Do you have a link to this depth chart? Or a .pdf or something? Thanks
Brion Murray, Jovon Quillen, Jermaine waller and I think we have one or 2 true freshmen...
Good luck to Watts and Family, sometime its better to be closer to home especially with a child
For a second, I read "Family" as "Farley" and I got really concerned...
Good luck to Watts and his family. Sad to see him go. Sounds like it's for all the right reasons.
Looks like a scholarship just opened up... I wonder if there might be a former 5 star RB visiting this weekend who might have any interest?
Here's Watt's statement. I like that he specifically mentions that it has nothing to do with the coaches
Agreed, this definitely comes off as a genuine non-football related transfer with his statement. All the best to Bryce in his future endeavors....except for football games he plays against VT.
Edit: post transfer ...wtf?
If he goes to Rutgers I hope we never never ever see him in a football game vs Tech again.....
Why? Because it means we had a bad enough season that our bowl game was against Rutgers again?
But if he goes to UNC we will.....rottingmind knew this whole time.
I drink and I know things....allegedly
Good thing we are going to land that package deal of 3 5* DBs
I know a bunch of guys out of Grundy that can play. They are 2* but super underrated and real gym rats. Fits Bud's system perfectly.
First in, last out kind of guys?
Real students of the game.
Cerebral.
Coaches' kids, every last one of em
White.
Cerebral and Grundy aren't two things that are typically associated together.
I'll wrestle with that one later, but how about Pulaski and chess?
Chess pie?
Pulaski talking about chess championships is like Notre Dame or Michigan talking about football championships. It all happened so long ago that it's no longer relevant.
So what happened to him moving closer to his kid... Chapel Hill seems like the opposite direction.
https://twitter.com/BryceWatts2_6/status/1137768589027618816?s=19
Yep and now the kid can officially kick rocks
Lol. Some people love dragging 19 year olds online
He is 18 treat him like an adult.
He is 18 think of the children.
Well that ain't Rutgers (or even closer to his soon to be child)
Edit:
Wait what?
I know it's different perspectives between being an athlete and being a fan, but as a fan this is infuriating
UNC probably promised Watts that his kid will also get a diploma when he gets his.
Or they had him talk to a professor who convinced "North" Carolina is closer to the Northeast
Geography. It'll get after ya'!
Perhaps he or his GF had ties to Chapel Hill/UNC area? Maybe she was willing to relocate, but not to Blacksburg? Or maybe not.
I can only hope this is the case, especially since we were led to believe that he wanted to be closer to his kid...
Does UNC hire their Photoshop people from LOLUVA?
Worst part of this is having to read all the UNC fans commenting on it. They're the worst fan base in the ACC, worse than UVA worse than Miami
I think this proves it had nothing to with his kid.
I take back everything I said
It's puzzling but still wish him the best.
Also it's going to fun watch Turner/Hazelton drag him up and down the field for 60 minutes
Maybe it actually was getting passed on the depth chart. I thought Quillen was slightly better last season anyway. Better tackler for sure. Best of luck to him at UNC when he's not playing us.
I'm nowhere near an X&O expert, but I feel like Quillen would do a lot better if we went back to a traditional boundary and field corner, instead of just left and right of the past few years
We changed that because teams started abusing us with it. Against ECU in 2015, they would run a play to the opposite of the field, then immediately get the line and snap it before the corners could switch sides of the field.
Agreed. Was more commenting on how he's here about five + years too late. Kinda like traditional Whip LB who can't get in the field since it's evolved to more of a nickel/whip
Welp, throw at him every single down.
Can we throw at him more than every down? That'd be nice.
Fuck him we gonna beat his ass and im gonna enjoy it
Can't wait to see him covering Tre Turner.
"Covering"
I was never a fan of Watts' abilities on the field, and don't think he's going to make UNC any better, but I definitely am not excited about them having a guy on roster that knows all of our defensive schemes and calls.
Mack: Ok, so why Bud calls this play what do you do.
Watts: I let the reciever run by me.
Mack: What?!?!
Watts: Cooch Nix said the safeties would handle it.
Mack: But it's cover zero.
Watts: Yeah I cover zero, let the safeties job.
Mack: um sure ... What's the backer supposed to do?
Watts: So before the play Coach Nix would call a random hole for the backer to plug.
Mack: Wouldn't that lead to big plays?
Watts: Maybe? But it makes the offense adjust to you
Mack: Im pretty sure that's not how that works. None of this makes any sense.
Watts: I mean does it have too? Coach Nix always said we had to keep the offense guessing. If they knew I'd cover a certain reciever then they'd know to throw it there.
Mack: This might have been a mistake.
Mack: Ok, so why Bud calls this play what do you do.
Watts: I let the reciever run by me.
Mack: What?!?!Watts: Cooch Nix said the safeties would handle it.
Mack: But it's cover zero.
Watts: Yeah I cover zero, let the safeties job.
Mack: um sure ... What's the backer supposed to do?
Watts: So before the play Coach Nix would call a random hole for the backer to plug.
Mack: Wouldn't that lead to big plays?
Watts: Maybe? But it makes the offense adjust to you
Mack: Im pretty sure that's not how that works. None of this makes any sense.
Watts: I mean does it have too? Coach Nix always said we had to keep the offense guessing. If they knew I'd cover a certain reciever then they'd know to throw it there.
Mack: This might have been a mistake.
Mack: If it worked in the Big 12, it'll work here. Welcome aboard!
ftfy
Touche
Is Watts a Grad Transfer (he signed in '17)..?? If not, this makes even less sense than initially thought.
I thought there was an ACC rule that ACC-->ACC transfers were a 2-year sit-out, or is that not true anymore??
He will somehow get an approved hardship waiver. /s
This really doesn't make sense if he has to sit out two years.
Hardship waiver he will have a kid in NJ so he moved further away but closer to I-95 to visit. NCAA accepts with no issue /s-ish
Having family in NJ. 81 to 78 to Jersey is much faster than going up 95.
Watts is from Toms River, in which case 81 to 76 to Jersey is also much faster than 95. 95 is the worst.
More reason NCAA will approve because logic does not exist for them
While still denying Brock Hoffman's appeal....
"And Chapel Hill is an hour and a half away from I-95, so it makes perfect sense."
-- The NCAA
This was a question I had as well.
I found this article which states the following
So he should have to sit a season and loses a year of eligibility, making him a senior.
This move does not make any sense unless he believes his senior season will be enough to get him to the pros.
He's so far away from NFL ready if Tre is burning him as hard as he is.
I mean, to be fair, he was in the picture (albeit 12.5 yards behind him).
the first few frames tell the story.
TT11 crossed him up with a feint to the outside before running the post. BW5 was the deep help on that coverage, he had a man underneath the out, they were almost all the way out on the #'s, plenty of time to break on the ball once it's thrown (if the out was being thrown). Instead he breaks on the out feint like the ball is about to arrive and TT11 burns him.
To be fair, Turner *exploded* out of that break and overall just ran a filthy route. He would have been open even if Watts had played it properly, may have been able to make a tackle at the 20 if he was giving cushion like the deep man should be.
This tweet is from a good friend of mine
Is this the same Eric Carr that drove for the BT awhile back?
Not sure what you mean by BT, but he was an equipment manager with
myselfme.with me*
Public penance for those hasty words.
BT= Blacksburg Transit
No, he did not drive for the Blacksburg Transit.
My dad has diabetes
Underrated post. +1
It was up for 2 hours. Give it a chance to get rated first.
I was a long snapper in high school
hahahahahahahaha Bryce Watts, NFL-ready?
ahahahahahahahueha
Moves to location the same distance as Blacksburg from his new baby, loses a year of eligibility and has to play at UNC... dude
Watts transfer now makes zero sense, or maybe less than zero. The rule must still be in effect, because I remember it from when the Louisville QB transferred to FSU through the portal this off season.
https://247sports.com/college/florida-state/Article/Florida-State-in-tal...
"If Travis were to transfer to FSU, he will have to sit out next season and then have three years of eligibility, unless he's granted a hardship waiver."
He redshirted last year, so there is a year of eligibility lost in the above example. In his case, Louisville changed coaches, for which a hardship waiver is a given, so he doesn't have to sit and gets his year back.
Raising the question - what the heck is Watts basis for hardship? Or is he really going to sit a year and give up a year?
He can redshirt if he sits, hes a true junior this year
ACC rules dictate you sit AND lose a year of eligibility if you transfer between ACC schools. Meaning he can't redshirt during the transfer year and would play as a senior in 2020.
ouch
Really, really makes this a bizarre decision.
So now has all his eggs in a bucket for 2020 at UNC?
By a quick look over current Roster, UNC has 6 FR DB and 2 SO DB with everyone's favorite 800% commit on the way as well.
What are the chances Watts even makes much of a showing on the field in 2020??
I guess I appreciate that he left in a classy manner, spoke well of the program, but I really don't understand the logic at all here. Good Luck, man.
That's interesting, I wouldn't think the ACC could take away a year of someone's eligibility - that's an NCAA thing - just make them sit out an extra season. I had always understood the ACC rule for intra-conference transfers to be a straight sit 2 years which would burn 2 of 5 seasons of eligibility. (one RS year and one 'playing' year, or 2 'playing' years if the player had already redshirted)
The article above about the Louisville to FSU QB transfer would indicate that the ACC just follows the NCAA standard of sit 1 year now.
So Watts could play as a R-JR in 2020 and a R-SR in 2021
Travis is going to lose a season of eligibility this season. Yes, he redshirted already so that's not an option while sitting out during his transfer season, but that doesn't mean losing a year of eligibility isn't still part of ACC rules either.
Let's hit reset here...
When a NCAA player enrolls they start a 5-year NCAA eligibility clock. They have 5 years to play up to 4 seasons. If you skip a year, too bad, the 5 year clock is still running.
When intra-NCAA transfer occurs, the player has to sit out a year (unless they get a waiver). This uses up 1 year of their 5 year window to play 4 seasons. Some people refer to this as losing a year of eligibility, but that is not correct. They still have 5 years of eligibility, they are just required to sit out 1 of those years. If they have their redshirt available, they can still end up playing all 4 of their 4 allowed seasons. If they already redshirted, too bad, they still have to sit out and burn a year of playing time. In that case the player would ultimately play 3 seasons and sit 2 if they used their entire 5-year window. This is to encourage stability and discourage team-hopping.
Intra-ACC transfers used to have to sit out two years, using up 2 years of their 5 year window.. They could use their redshirt year for one of those seasons, and then would have to burn a season of playing time. If they redshirted before transferring they'd have to burn 2 seasons of playing time. They still have the NCCA-standard 5 years of eligibility to play up to 4 seasons. The ACC did this to heavily discourage teams from poaching players from each other. It's unclear if this 2-season requirement is still in place. The article about Travis indicates that it is no longer in effect, without directly addressing it.
Travis used 1 of his 5 years redshirting at Louisville. The article states Travis will sit the 2019 season and then have 3 years remaining. This would apply if he transferred to any random NCAA D1 school. However, if the old ACC rule was in place he would have to sit an additional season for transferring within the ACC , and would then have 2 years remaining. Either way, his 5 year clock runs 2018-2022.
When you say intra-ACC transfers are required to sit out a year AND lose a year of eligibility you imply those are different things - as if Travis would only have a 4 year clock, and his eligibility would expire in 2021. That is not correct and never has been.
Orion86,
GREAT explanation! I sure could have used you a few years ago during my divorce proceedings!😂
Thanks for clarifying!
I completely understand what you are saying. However, the reason for my statements was because of this News & Observer article (dated 13 June 2018) I linked, which stated
I interpreted that language as there must be an ACC rule stating athletes are not be able to redshirt while sitting out due to transfer. If it simply means "an athlete must sit out one season and they lose one of their 5 years of eligibility but can still redshirt," then I don't see how that's an extra restriction at all. Now there is actually a more recent News & Observer article (dated today- 12 June 2019) stating:
So honestly after all of this I don't understand what the hell the ACC intra-conference transfer rule was between June 2018 and February 2019. I do agree that after this new rule was apparently put into place in February, Watts can redshirt during his transfer season and will have two years to play.
that sounds like he only loses 1 year for transferring. the article says he'll have 3 years of eligibility after sitting a year, that puts him at 5 total (the normal amount)
2018 - Year 1 - FR @ Louisville, redshirts
2019 - Year 2 - r-FR @ FSU, sits due to transfer
2020 - Year 3 - r-SO @ FSU
2021 - Year 4 - r-JR @ FSU
2022 - Year 5 - r-SR @ FSU
I think this was pointed out, but I think folks should get used to the depth chart transfer - in-season, post season and post spring. It won't always make sense, but the reason is the perception that the individual is being passed on the depth chart.
It will be especially pronounced with someone gets passed by a younger player. Stay and fight? Nah - move on and bet on someone I don't know well and their promise (another coach).
Sign of the times. Some things don't change though and that's our receivers getting the better of UNC DB's - rain or shine.
Unprecedented attrition and leaving for division rivals is not isolated to VT.. /S
The division rivals thing is a little weird although I can really only think of Hill and Watts. Unprecedented attrition is happening at a lot of places right now. WVU is an easy one to point the finger at with basically their entire two deep in the secondary hitting the portal.
That's my point. Attrition and moving in conference is a sign of the times. The root cause is access and not wanting to fight the perceived depth chart demotion.
If VT's recent roster turnover is normal and a sign of the times, we are in deep shit.
How so? Every bit of negative news doesn't mean the sky is falling down. We're still coming into next year in a way better place than we came into this past one.
Read every other team in the country. This is the new normal - you can't please everyone and to bring success you have to make tough choices. I'm not saying I agree or that Fu's choices are all perfect - just saying all this transfer portal drama is due to a lack of outside perspective.
Look around - this is going to increase not decrease based on the new rules and kids getting educated as times goes on.
Wonder if this is related
It has to be, right?
Well, LA did say he got had dropped down the depth chart a ways behind Waller/Chatman. Looking even more like that was the case now that the being closer to the kid thing feels off the table.
Agreed. I'm actually feeling pretty good about our DBs this season. If we had a former starter transfer presumably for playing time, that bodes well for us. Farley's cover skills improved as last season went along (I really hope his tackling got better in the offseason), Quillen is a beast of a tackler, and Waller and Chatman both look the part for young players.
I like Bryce, and I was all for him getting himself into a situation where he could be near his girlfriend and child... And if this still accomplishes that, good for him.
With that being said, I'm not sure we can downgrade a whole lot at his position... He had a rough spring game.
And a rough fall season.
Maybe UNcheat got his girlfriend a spot at the school?
Na, probably for the kid.
Man, he's going to look bad on a UNC defense.
Nah, he'll fit right in.
#whocares
Only theory I can think of - and this might be reaching - is maybe choosing an ACC school was intentional in order to get himself a year away from football to focus on his newborn. Could he have stayed at VT or gone outside the ACC and just asked for a year away from football? I don't know, maybe, or maybe he didn't want his coaches / other players to know he wanted time away. I have no idea, but that's the only rationale explanation I can think of.
Pretty big stretch as he could have gone outside of the ACC and taken a redshirt year with two years of eligibility remaining after. If he has pro aspirations it doesn't make any sense to lose the year of eligibility. And if he doesn't why did he transfer in the first place?
NBA
I don't think he will make the NBA either
Maybe Bryce is a flat-earther & believes that NC is closer to NJ because of the lack of curvature of the earth.
Watts to UNC, Hill to Miami...maybe Foster is sending out double agents to every team in the ACC coastal?
That's some 3D chess right there
He's sending out disinformation about the defense/status of the program. I like it.
UNC really pulled the wool over Bryce. While it's true that he won't have to take classes to earn his degree, he's still going to have to be on campus. Feel bad for the guy, those slime balls convinced him he could be in NJ with his kid and still get his degree...
Perhaps none of us really knows what's going on. Congrats to Watts for getting a shot at another program. It's cool to see many of our players offering their congratulations and seeing watts publicly speak about how our coaches have treated him well. No hard feelings from me.
Yep same here. Not a fan of guys transferring to in conference teams we play but it's just how it works out sometimes and best of luck to em. No reason in being petty and talking down on teenagers/young adults.
"No reason"? Calling bullshit on bullshitters isn't age related, it's life. Had he not made it all seem to be about being close to family and then clearly showing that it wasn't, I'd be more supportive. I don't wish him ill, but, well, I call bullshit.
I can't find anywhere that Watts said he was leaving to be closer to family. People, like Bitter, just connected the dots with the gender reveal happening a bit before the transfer announcement.
Shouldn't we be excited that we'll have an open WR whenever we play UNC and he's on the field? ...sort of /s
For the record, it was more than just his tweet about the gender reveal. The strong feeling of folks at VT was that this move was primarily to get closer to home. Apparently not.
Bitter when he catches people putting words into his mouth on TKP...
No, it wasn't that. Just wanted to make clear why I reported it the way I did, even if I didn't explicitly say SOURCE is my article and/or tweets.
Also, it's June and I'm booooooooored.
Don't pretend that you only come back to TKP when you're bored, Andy
Agreed, this is why we have been watching old games on YouTube and Canadaian PRE-Season... However the Canadian regular season starts this weekend.... It's football in June
On the plus side It's June and tomorrow is the last day of school!!!
This is same sentiment expressed by several reporters. People close to program thought he was headed to the NE.
Maybe that was his plan but the money offered by UNC beat out being close to home /s
Thanks for clarifying. As a fan my sole source is often you, and while I assume you have sources and do not wildly speculate, I did not read anything about moving closer to home in Watts' announcement. It appeared that people were just logically connecting the dots. I suppose it must have started with folks at VT doing that, possibly due to an implication from Watts.
Your point is also valid, though. I didn't say he said anything because of just that, but was definitely influenced by the reporting I read on the reasons for his transfer. Me saying that he made it seem that way was probably unfair in that regard, but I do respect the veracity of those who reported on his reasons, and chose to believe them.
That was certainly their impression when Watts told them he was going to transfer.
BAH GAWD THAT'S ANDY BITTER'S MUSIC
The two sports subscriptions that I have are The Athletic (for Bitter and the hockey coverage) and TKP (for the Hokie coverage). This is like one of those cross-over episodes where the cast of one show goes onto another show.
Ok... so..... He has no ill will to the program and leaves saying all the right things... no rumors about conduct or grades.... players came out and wished him well... and the "I want to be be closer to family" (understandable) reason is given... then a couple of weeks later he transfers to a rival??? (He's been in our locker room as the team prepared to play NC).
If it's not about coaches, conduct, grades, conflicts or family... what's left??? Yep... playing time.
I'm confused. And that's all I have to say about that.
I'm not sure if Fuente would, but couldn't they block his transfer there since he is not a graduate? Hell, Fuente should do it as a favor to him.
I'd be curious to hear what CJF's full thoughts are on the transfer blocking topic. It sounds like his line of thinking is, 'fine, if you don't want to be here, go where you want to be. And if we happen to cross paths on the field, we're gonna kick your ass'. Which I personally really like. And, he also seems like the kind of guy who would really go at him hard when they do and just give a wry smile when TT11, or any of the other WR corps smokes him. :)
I'd guess it is in VT's interest to stay quiet...
If the program was upset and they comment, they just look like whiners...
If it's really about playing time, the program stays quiet, let's the player leave with dignity and it removes the depth chart problem while freeing up a scholarship for another position.
Either way, my guess is our receivers will have some extra motivation at the UNC game in 2020!
I'm with you here. I mean if he was buried on the depth chart given our youth and issues last year that doesn't bode well for his potential. If that's the case I can't imagine the staff is too upset to see him leave regardless of where he goes. Like you said, frees up a spot and takes up a spot on one your opposing rosters. Glass half full win win I guess.
Agreed, I am referring more to CJF's philosophy on the topic in general, not specifically to Watts. It's a hot topic right now, and the best thing for him, the staff or ath. dept to say is that they left and wish them luck in the future, wherever they may go.
I don't think we'll ever really get his true feelings on it, unless somebody leaves and really pisses him off in the process, but if he didn't say much after T Hill left, then I'm not so sure we'll ever get much out of him on how he really feels about guys leaving his program.
I'm with you and I think this is the best approach. College football is a weird animal in which young men who may not be very mature are representing the institutions for which they play. They'll make mistakes and they'll make decisions. There's no telling if those are good decisions or not (sometimes for years), and we ultimately only get bits and pieces of the events surrounding a transfer or dismissal. Even when there seems to be disclosure of the events surrounding one of these departures, we are still at the mercy of the bias (intentional or not) of the party delivering the information.
One things that doesn't change is that coaches are expected to be mature, paid representatives of the college/university (at least the athletic team/department, but let's be honest with ourselves about public perception). And for a coach to wish the young man well and move on with the business of running the program is not only a good thing from a PR standpoint, but it really is the right thing to do. Even when things are really sour, it can only make things worse to speak ill of the player.
If the player begins spouting off about the program and/or coaches, I'd expect the coach to still take the high ground and only say enough to provide us with a decent level of confidence that things are being done right and every effort is being made to develop the young men on the team and to compete and win games with integrity.
Maybe I'm old school though.
You are correct; it's a bad look for coaches to complain publicly, especially in a world where coaches are paid millions compared to athletes who just receive a scholarship, and coaches can leave any time they want, but athletes can't.
With the introduction of the transfer portals, schools/coaches can no longer block transfers. Conferences can institute additional restrictions but that isn't one of them for the ACC (the biggest one to note is the athlete loses a year of eligilbiity so they are sitting a season without redshirting).
Source
Bryce Watts anagrams to Batty Screw, so can't say I'm surprised he'd move to an inferior program
So... If it rains, did he really transfer?
Fuck I hope none of our anti hurricane abilities rubbed off on him
Powell tweeted at him, guess they visited at the same time. We lose Powell to UNC and I give up.
I don't harbor ill will towards Watts, but his success can only come at the expense of our program. He does well at UNC, then thats bad for the hokies (more directly than a program in another conference). So, if he wants to tear it up at Western Michigan, good on him, I wish him nothing but the best. If he wants to succeed at UNC, well, then he's no better than any other player on that team (and I wish him the same amount of success as any other tar heel...little to none)
It'll be the former Hokie extravaganza this season. ODU, Miami, and UNC will all be featuring a former Hokie. I assume Watts won't be eligible this season, but honestly you never know with the way the portal stuff has played out, and the trend towards unrestricted free agency.
Harsh but fair take.
Honestly, the whole "wish them well no matter what" mentality always struck me as somewhat insincere (even if it is sincere). I don't wish bad things for the guy per se, but football is ultimately a zero sum game. If he ends up playing well that means we probably made the wrong decision letting him go. In that regard I hope Tre Turner burns him for 3 long touchdowns in the 2020 season.
Here's a silver lining for everyone: with Watts tying up a scholarship at UNC, that reduces the number of 4/5 star DBs they can take in a future class
pic.twitter.com/mhRVUPTY5Z— Tré Turner (@tre11turner) June 12, 2019 " target="_blank">
Big play Tre throwin some shade?
BAH GAWD THAT MAN HAS A FAMILY TRE
Unlike other players that left, our guys are throwing shade at Watts it seems...
Personal favorite response.
Bitter tweeted he will not lose a year of eligibility under the new ACC rules. He will still have to sit out.
So just to be clear, we've lost the following guys:
Josh Jackson (Presumed backup QB)
Eric Kumah (Presumed #3 or #4 WR, depending how you feel about HG)
Sean Savoy, Sam Denmark (2nd String WRs)
Chris Cunningham (2nd String TE)
D'Andre Plantin (2nd String OL)
Trevon Hill (Confirmed douchebag)
Cam Goode (Big fat fatty)
Daris Fullwood (2nd String DL)
Bryce Watts (4th on depth chart not factoring Webb/Nadir according to LaHokie)
Jordan Stout (Backup K)
The only guys that had a reasonable chance of starting next year were Kumah and Hill, both of whom were trolls after they left (Hill way moreso than Kumah). Kumah's departure isn't that bad considering Turner and Hazelton are entrenched starters and the stable of high level receivers in the upcoming class. Hill was obviously an asset but a locker room cancer.
I'm fine with Willis over Jackson and we picked up Burmeister because Jackson left (Jackson is better rn, Burmeister has a higher ceiling).
If someone like Dax or Turner transferred, that's when I would start to get really worried.