Early Signing Day

[Justafan]

Rich,

Do you know the status of the ever changing # of roster spots available. It appears that there are 26 seniors and 5th years on the roster. If Padenzanin and DiNucci are indeed coming back, then 24 will be removed from the next roster. There were 17 signed recruits plus 3 commits that are likely PWO plus a known transfer.

In this post-Covid time period, I'm not sure what the Patriot League roster limit is and how many slots are currently available.

Thanks for keeping us so informed.

[RichH]

The cap has not been re-star0ted. as f0
ar as I can tell. Hopeful that it won't be.

No way to get an accurate # available in any year. Don't think it's relevant this year.
The important factors are Admission slots and schollies.My guess for this year was a class of 28. Besides seniors there are usually some quits among the WOs. Coach may exceed that at this rate.

[RichH]

February 7th,2024

[Justafan]

Rich,
It seems to me that Kevin may have a lot of room on his roster yet if he chooses to use it. Again we don't know how the current money has been allocated as to PWO and partials however...

The current roster shows 88 players of which we are scheduled to lose 26seniors and 5th years, which brings us to 62 slots. Jordan, Field and Jones are underclassmen who you show as being in the portal. That brings us to 59.

I think Lafayette carried a roster of about 97 players last year. There may be room for 35 to 38 new faces of which we have 22 either signed or verballed. Again a lot depends on how are scholarship situation is positioned.

[HFO]

I did back of the envelope at end of season and projected Lehigh would need to bring in 40 to get to 99 man roster. The strategy on how to allocate scholarship money is critical. Full versus partials. New players versus seasoned players. Getting a class of 40 from high school is not likely to yield high talent after the first 10 or so. Lehigh should try to land Ivy 5th year guys who were starters and get them into graduate school which on a per credit basis of 9 credits for Fall is achievable for most families with or without scholarship money. Landing about 4 on both offense and defense will fill voids and allow time for 2023 and 2024 to develop more.

From my perspective, Lehigh cannot afford many to not come out for team again in Summer. The numbers are not big and the depth was not there this year. It needs every man on deck unless they have negative impact on team. Class of 2025 will be first year of stability of numbers for the full roster.

A number of these freshman should get special teams play and possibly 2 or 3 deep at position. The overall talent level is not that high, but there are individuals who could emerge. There is progress as a whole. On campus squad should have a more robust off-season training and conditioning and be ready for camp come summer bigger, faster, stronger.

There was fight in the team this year. It still may only be a 4 game win season next year, but the overall margin of loss should be smaller and next year's team should be more competitive.

[ngineer]

Interesting point on getting Ivy 5th years. I have heard the PL has a policy the severely restricts Lehigh's ability to use its graduate school for fifth years who are have graduated with a Bachelors. Does anyone know the 'ins and outs' of what allows such a transfer or, alternatively, what prohibits such a transfer?

[RichH]

PL bars all grad transfers from competition without exception.
It is well past time for Presidents to address all the self imposed restrictions. Doubt the grad ban for football will change.

[Richb-3]

If I remember correctly, graduate transfers began when a female Volleyball player from a school in new england graduated in 3 years, and wanted to use all four years of eligibility?

7 PL football programs. Not sure of the voting rights of Fordham + Gtown. Laf + HC do not have grad schools. As near as I can figure the only 5th year athletes are those who declared for a 5 year program early (end of Frosh Yr.) and had a clear injury year. (maybe if he had an overseas year). In other sports, 10 schools. All "full" members (ignoring associates) I don't think the Service Academies care that much. But even if American, Loyola and BostU wanted eligibility wanted to add grad students, would a 4-4 vote do the trick.

Solution: Unknown

[Sundayamqb]

Re: no redshirts or grad transfers.

If insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results ...

PL teams get to playoffs every year with hands tied behind their backs.

Solution: DIII? (No answer required -- I've heard all the arguments against.)

[Richb-3]

Not sure of the Playoff record of PL teams between the first year our teams could enter the playoffs, (Around 1996), until the acceptance of grad transfers and the Portal (Around 2015?). But during that era LU won at least 5 games, and were screwed against James Madison and NDSU. Didn't Colgate make the finals that era (at least semi). Since then, what 1-10?