Good story of a UCF WR.

🤣*

Welcome to Big Boy recruiting in the age of NIL.

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Interesting article all around as it breaks down what is really happening at A&M, UF, OU and others....as schools have to deal with major boosters also wanting to donate $$ directly to players vs donating "everything" to the school.

Marc D talked about the below scenario that recently happened at A&M where the player thought he was getting an appearance fee from a business...only to realize after that he basically "sold" his rights to the A&M Collective, who then received full payment for the player's appearance (player just continued his regularly payment schedule as he didn't get "extra" for the appearance).

From article below:

Understanding all aspects of these arrangements remains a work in progress as everyone learns about a system that didn’t exist a year ago. For instance, one current Texas A&M Football player who has a deal with The Fund that includes all of his NIL rights recently made an appearance and then asked the business owner when he would be paid. After a few confused phone calls, an organizer of The Fund explained to the player that he would be paid by the LLC on an agreed-upon schedule and that the money for each individual appearance would go directly to the LLC. A current player also had a large marketing agency representing him for NIL deals before deciding to sign a deal with The Fund for a marketing guarantee. Instead of elbowing out the large agency, organizers of The Fund decided to allow the player’s agent to continue representing him provided all revenue from any deals went through The Fund’s LLC — which would then pay the agent’s commission. Another reason for such deals? Most state laws forbid pay-for-play. Organizers of The Fund produce deals that will get approved by Texas A&M’s compliance department. This keeps players from striking individual deals that, for example, pay per touchdown or per tackle. Those wouldn’t be allowed under the law.

I have an aging desktop/laptop and will be looking to replace both soon, which made me wonder how behaviors have changed through the years. Obviously, I would assume all of us are connected via mobile devices, smartphones and tablets.

How much has the smartphone replaced the desktop/laptop for you? Obviously for work/productivity purposes that's a different story altogether. When looking at this message board, are you mostly viewing by phone? Desktop/laptop?

I'm obviously connected at all times using my phone, but my "home" preference is a desktop with a monitor. I'm not a fan of consuming media (TV streaming) on a small device, I've typically only done it on planes. I only use a laptop when traveling or on the move.

My first internet-connected device was the WebTV back in 1997... did anybody ever have one of those? It was revolutionary for its time when internet access mostly required a $1,000 PC.

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Scott Frost is making UCF great again!

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I don’t know why we care, but we do!!!

(At least I’m not asking you for money to support a cause that doesn’t benefit us locally 😂)

Dillon Gabriel and McKenzie Milton.

A lot of guys are headed to the draft, but not everybody. Being released next week.

Base Paper Prospects Set Checklist​

100 cards.
PARALLEL CARDS: TBA.

1 Khalil Shakir
2 D.J. Uiagalelei
3 CJ Stroud
4 Bryce Young
5 Matt Corral
6 Emory Jones
7 Harrison Bailey
8 Bo Nix
9 Dillon Gabriel
10 Graham Mertz
11 Malik Cunningham
12 Justyn Ross
13 McKenzie Milton
14 Chris Olave
15 Casey Thompson
16 Myjai Sanders
17 Marvin Mims
18 Kennedy Brooks
19 James Cook
20 Chris Rodriguez
21 Tyler Allgeier
22 Tyler Fryfogle
23 Jadon Haselwood
24 Romeo Doubs
25 Toa Taua
26 Zay Flowers
27 Kearis Jackson
28 Spencer Rattler
29 Malik Willis
30 Tyler Shough
31 Bijan Robinson
32 Taulia Tagovailoa
33 Brandon Peters
34 Kyle Hamilton
35 Kayshon Boutte
36 Mohamed Ibrahim
37 Mike Harley
38 Ahmad Gardner
39 JJ McCarthy
40 Tyler Goodson
41 Michael Penix Jr.
42 Nick Starkel
43 Deuce Vaughn
44 Jeff Sims
45 Hank Bachmeier
46 Hudson Card
47 John Metchie III
48 Brian Robinson
49 Desmond Ridder
50 Josh Downs
51 Chase Garbers
52 Will Levis
53 Tyler Van Dyke
54 Blake Corum
55 Grayson McCall
56 Payton Thorne
57 Jayden Reed
58 D'Eriq King
59 Rakim Jarrett
60 Tanner McKee
61 Xavier Worthy
62 Devin Lloyd
63 Jalen Wydermyer
64 Zach Evans
65 Kenny Pickett
66 Jordan Battle
67 Derek Stingley Jr
68 DeMarvin Leal
69 Sean Clifford
70 Sean Clifford
71 Jerome Ford
72 RJ Sneed
73 Sam Williams
74 Skylar Thompson
75 Cade Otton
76 Jaylen Watson
77 Dalton Kincaid
78 Jake Haener
79 JJ McCarthy
80 Tyler Badie
81 Sam Howell
82 Kenneth Walker III
83 Brock Bowers
84 Connor Bazelak
85 Braelon Allen
86 Chimere Dike
87 Jalen Tolbert
88 Colby Wooden
89 D.J. Uiagalelei
90 CJ Stroud
91 Kenny Pickett
92 Malik Cunningham
93 Chris Olave
94 Malik Willis
95 Bijan Robinson
96 Sam Howell
97 Kenneth Walker III
98 Desmond Ridder
99 John Metchie III
100 Brian Robinson

A $1K Pentax DA* 300 f/4 lens is at the heart of a nanosatellite.


Pentax weather sealed primes ... people have been putting them into high altitude baloons and, now ... satellites! I have the DA* f/2.8 200 (306mm equiv 35mm) perfection myself, and this is the DA* f/4 300 (460mm equiv 35mm). Both lenses have virtually no distortion, no vignetting and are the ultimate in the $1K price-point ... let alone are very compact, hence the use here.



Taking out of its terrestrial housing, it still has all the other gaskets and seals, and allegedly works well with total lack of pressure, actually improving some sealing. Flare coating is standard, so that did not need be added.



This is the same, 4-model series, as my DA* 200 f/2.8 (the only other tele prime of the 4) many of you probably saw me lug to games a decade ago or so. I still take it with me to away games sometimes. Both the 200 f/2.8 and 300 f/4 tele primes were designed in the '00s, from the prior, highly-rated, Pentax glass, only updated to be compact, and are pretty much unchanged since.

I guess they really would dominate our league, they’ve won 11 straight 🤯

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You see it? 👀

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For Jamal Meriweather, his decision came down to relationships.

As the Brunswick (Ga.) offensive tackle started reeling in offers, a group that included Utah, Iowa State, Mississippi State, Virginia Tech, USC, Houston, Cincinnati, Missouri, South Carolina, Kentucky, Minnesota, Tennessee and West Virginia, Meriweather kept circling back to the connections he had down at UCF.

So prior to Saturday's spring game, which was his third visit in recent months, Meriweather jumped on board UCF's recruiting class becoming the Knights' fourth commit for 2023. He then officially announced his decision Easter Sunday.

"I always wanted to go to a college where I feel like I'm part of the family," Meriweather said. "That was the main thing."

Standing tall at 6-foot-7 and 270 pounds, Meriweather is a former defensive lineman turned offensive tackle, making his offensive debut this past season. That caught UCF's attention, who invited him to a game last year.

"I went down there for the South Florida game," Meriweather said. "One of my coaches, Mike Gibson, brought down me and Ka'Shawn Thomas. I talked to Coach William Lee and he liked how I look, said I need to gain another 20 pounds. I was about 240 then. He said when you put on 20 more pounds you'll look like a grown man and we'll offer you."

The game made an impression.

"I liked the atmosphere," Meriweather said. "I liked the energy from the students, jumping up and down. They're crunk in that stadium."

Being tall for his age, Meriweather gravitated towards basketball before going out for football, first seeing time as a defensive lineman.

"My first love was basketball," Meriweather said. "I used to take basketball real serious. One day my dad was like, 'You should play football.' Once I got used to the contact and started lighting people up, I was like basketball ain't nothing like this! As I grew into it, football became my thing."

A big turning point for him was this past season when he started playing offensive tackle.

"I didn't think I'd like playing tackle, but when I actually got in a game and started pancaking people, I liked how that feels, taking advantage and being dominant. This is fun!"



High-level offers start rolling in once his junior highlights got distributed. UCF offered more recently, wanting him to get him down for another visit first. At that point, Meriweather felt like he didn't need to drag out his recruitment much longer.

"I've been thinking about committing," Meriweather said. "I had a good talk with (UCF coach) Alex Mathis. He just got there from Glynn Academy. He was like, 'Yeah man, there's a good vibe here.' It's close to home. Everything they said, it was just like that when I visited. He told me they're gonna treat me like family. That's never gonna change. UCF has great fans that hype the team up. They're always doing different things. The head coach always has surprises, like the (spring game) jerseys with the QR codes. I like that kind of stuff."

Meriweather also felt a connection with offensive line coach Herb Hand.

"Coach Hand was always saying he liked my frame, how I've got long arms," Meriweather said. "He liked how I get off the ball. At Brunswick High, all we do is run the ball. At UCF, that's all they do. Run the ball, run the ball, run the ball. I'd be a great fit there. All their offensive lineman are seniors. A lot of older guys. So I could get some early playing time too.

"During one of the visits, (Hand) explained everything on a Power Point to my mom and dad too, just showing how everything works. They liked the presentation. I feel I can trust him. (Coach Hand) is a family man, but he pushes his players also."

When he committed on Saturday, Meriweather caught the coaches by surprise. They didn't think a decision was coming that soon.

"I knew I was gonna make them happy," Meriweather said. "Gus (Malzahn) said he had been praying about it because they need offensive linemen. I told Coach Hand I was ready to commit and he was so hyped he punched the desk. It's the right place. I just love the energy."

UCF is now making a major recruiting push into South Georgia. Quarterback Thomas Castellanos, an early enrollee this spring, hails from Waycross. Incoming freshman wide receiver Tyler Griffin is from Brooklet. And UCF recently got a commitment from linebacker Troy Ford Jr. of Savannah.

"I know Thomas," Meriweather said. "Last season we played Waycross in our spring game, like a scrimmage. When I saw him at practice, throwing the ball, he seemed familiar. Oh yeah, that's the dude from Waycross! We've got a little bit of Georgia down there now."

Meriweather said his other finalist was an SEC school.

"I was back and forth with South Carolina and UCF," he said. "UCF just got me. It was the best fit."

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@Brandon what are UCF's chances?

The War on I-4 has extended to the transfer recruiting trail.

Brandon Suggs, who spent the last three seasons at East Carolina, visited UCF this past weekend and has one more trip scheduled to South Florida before he makes his final decision.

"I kind of wanted to come down to Florida," Suggs told UCFSports.com. "It just happened to work out this way."

Before he settled on the Knights and Bulls, Suggs had an initial suitors list that included St. Bonaventure, Chattanooga, Buffalo, Indiana State, Montana and many others.

"It feels good when you have a lot of schools interested in you," Suggs said. "They see your assets and want you to be part of their team. It's a good feeling."

Suggs has been a starter since he arrived at ECU, averaging 10.1 points and 4.1 rebounds this past season. He said UCF sees him as a versatile athlete that can play anywhere from the one to the three and guard most positions on the court.

"Coach (Robbie) Laing and Coach (Johnny) Dawkins have been talking to me a lot," Suggs said. "I met the other two coaches over the visit. They've been communicating with me over the past week and a half, telling me everything I wanted to hear. I loved everything I saw on my visit. They kept it real with me. I have a connection with Darius Perry, who was just on the team. I played middle school with him. His dad was my coach."

He said his visit was similar to the experiences he had while being recruited at McEachern High School and later Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, Va.

"I flew in and Coach (Laing) picked me up from the airport," Suggs said. "We went to dinner and I met some of the players and staff. My host was Darius Johnson. I went to the spring football game on Saturday."

Suggs was one of two visitors as he was joined on the visit by Indiana transfer Michael Durr, a 7-foot center who is originally from Atlanta.

What stood out the most about UCF?

"Definitely the campus," Suggs said. "The campus was amazing. I think what really got me is the facilities. The facilities are beautiful. Everything was just real nice. The athletics complex the athletes have access to is amazing. I feel like I'd really want to be a part of that.

"The coaches were great too. I've felt like I've known them forever, how cool they were and how they related to me. They made me feel like I was at home."

Suggs has two years of eligibility remaining. If he were to go to UCF, his second year would likely coincide with the Knights' entry into the Big 12.

"They talked to me about that," Suggs said. "They want me to help prepare them to make that transition. That would be great exposure, playing in the Big 12."

He'll visit South Florida this upcoming weekend. Suggs said a decision will come shortly thereafter, probably Sunday or Monday.


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I haven't seen anything about Koen Koller (former Lake Howell QB) Class of '21 and All District in '20 just committing as a walk-on. When I saw him play he was running for his life (porous line). Small (5'11" is giving him the benefit of the doubt) sturdy left-hander and has been training for the past year with Baylin Trujillo. He was a very good lacrosse player but must have decided to continue with FB. Here's his HUDL highlights. Other videos on his twitter site. https://www.hudl.com/profile/9726191/Koen-Koller

Link: Huepel Should have looked one country over


---- although it does look like one of the two will start paying off this year.

Right down the road from me!

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Nm*

I’m crazy and bought two sets of tickets because the first set I got in Winter Park are in the third row. So then I bought seats at the AMC in Altamonte IMAX that were better. I have 8 tickets at the Regal in Winter Park not looking to up sell these. If anybody is interested let me know they are the RPX ones with the bigger screen. 15 a ticket.

Found a few old memories while cleaning out some seldom used chests.
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