re: Darius Leonard: You don't need P5 Schools

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I respect this answer that P5's go the Neverland route to enticing teen boys , but you do understand that they don't need them like some: "can't develop at a FCS/ HBCU, lack of facilities or food , inferior competition, no television, etc.....


The NFL doesn't even invest money into the type of facilities that many P5's do because it's unnecessary & their facilities are ample. We're dealing with 17 year old boys & its obvious many won't turn it down . Especially the dream of playing on Television weekly -to stroke their young egos. But don't try to tell us men who know better that these kids need these over- the -top facilities/ TV exposure & are making a mistake by going FCS/ HBCU.

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What the frick are you talking about? I explicitly said I agreed with Leonard. But what he said doesn't make non-P5s/HBCU's any more attractive to a young player who can go play for a P5 program that basically treats them like kings...and can still get them in the NFL en masse.

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And I'm willing to bet Leonard would've too if given the opportunity as a recruit.

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I don’t necessarily think he’s saying nobody should go there. Sure he’s probably got some bitterness towards P5 schools because he didn’t get his shot there. I think it’s more a “hey little guy, don’t get discouraged if you don’t get your chance at a big school”

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What the frick are you talking about? I explicitly said I agreed with Leonard. But what he said doesn't make non-P5s/HBCU's any more attractive to a young player who can go play for a P5 program that basically treats them like kings...and can still get them in the NFL en masse.

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Well this is part of the problem with young athletes being " treated like kings". Most of them will end up in the transfer portal/ processed instead of the fantasy of exposure & next level development. We've seen the transfer portal & many ex p5 recruits are happy to grab on with an FCS/ G5 now after washing out


We don't treat them like Kings & would never lie about supplying them with garbage that's unnecessary to football( sleep pods, Slides, Barbershops, Gamerooms ,etc.,.) but honestly tell them that your odds are low of making it to the next level .......but we can guarantee you something most P5s can't & that's playing time. If you can play / stand out then the Pro's will find you. We have receipts.

Technically it’s true, but it’s infinitely harder for people at schools like his to break through. Don’t let him get into your head

“Need” P5? Not necessarily.

But how many HBCUs have had high draft picks in forever?

Last one I remember was Dominique Rogers-Cromartie out of Tennessee State in 2008.


Part of the deal with high talent players is that teams want to see how they do against high quality opposition.

SEC players go up against the likes of Bama, LSU, A&M, Florida, and Georgia annually.

SWAC players go up against the likes of Southern, Grambling, and Arkansas Pine Bluff.


Talent still comes out of these schools but it tends to be in later rounds because they are considered “hidden gems” rather than fully developed talents.

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don't treat them like Kings & would never lie about supplying them with garbage that's unnecessary to football( sleep pods, Slides, Barbershops, Gamerooms ,etc.,.) but honestly tell them that your odds are low of making it to the next level .......but we can guarantee you something most P5s can't & that's playing time. If you can play / stand out then the Pro's will find you. We have receipts.

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So you’d rather kids that already have a small chance of making it go to a place that offers them less because they offer playing time? If they aren’t good enough to get to the league, it doesn’t matter how much playing time they get.

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Need” P5? Not necessarily.

But how many HBCUs have had high draft picks in forever?

Last one I remember was Dominique Rogers-Cromartie out of Tennessee State in 2008.

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Tytus Howard went in the 1st rd in 2019. Sir if most of those same 5* star athletes chose an FCS they would also go in the 1st rd just like McNair, Cromartie, Rice, Howard,, etc....despite the level of competition that you dismiss.

You're comparing schools who had been completely locked out of these type athletes 4/5*. If they chose to go to FCS/ HBCU their success rate would not change.

Wasn't gram forcing their kids to play in mouldy pads/ having to bus from LA to Indy on the day of the game like less then 5 years ago

Seems like a great place to be an athlete

SC State has almost shut down twice in the last decade due to poor leadership.

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So you’d rather kids that already have a small chance of making it go to a place that offers them less because they offer playing time? If they aren’t good enough to get to the league, it doesn’t matter how much playing time they get.

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You have a much better chance at developing by actually playing instead of light / no contact 7 on 7 drills in practice than actual playing. Jerry Rice ( & the S. Dakota poster above ) spoke about how getting actual game experience at a small school helped him and he would not change a thing.



" Offers them less" in terms of materialistic stuff that really has nothing to do with your success as a Football player? I'd rather play than waste years of eligibility sitting behind other 4/5 * athletes & the next crop of 4/5* recruits coming in beforenI get processed out . You should check out the transfer portal & the naive kids who bought into the P5/ FBS sales pitches and now are going to FCS in amazing numbers ( 338 so far out of nearly 1500 this hear alone with nearly 600 left looking for schools).

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If Jackson State starts turning out talent because Deion is getting them there, so be it.

But the likes of Grambling won’t be able to do it given the problems of a lack of facilities and the university and athletic department steal money which is supposed to be earmarked for the program.


There is a reason Doug Williams couldn’t succeed there the second time around and it wasn’t due to his coaching.

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J State doesn't have world class facilities & have won 1 Conference Championship since 2007. Grambling (8) has also won 5 after Doug retired so Rod Broadway ( best coach since Robinson) & Fobbs succeeded fairly well after Doug.


Glad you all keep up with lowly SWAC ball though.