UDFAs

From Facebook:

Congrats to Nick Amoah on signing with the @chicagobears

#GoAgs | #UncommonEngineering | #ProAgs

Nice for Amoah

Only 1 Big Sky pick (sac defender). Surprising how few FCS get selected

Would probably be more but many decide to transfer up for their final season before they graduate/declare.

I would piggyback off of BaseballatDobbins' comment...and wonder, without any research, just what effect the transfer portal has had on FCS and HBCU athletes when it comes to the pro-draft. I read yesterday that only one HBCU player was drafted this year. It would be interesting to see if a meaningful number of players started in smaller programs, then tranferred to FBS programs and were subsequently drafted. In the past some of those would have been drafted straight out of their initial schools.

I see that a former tight end at the University of San Diego, Dalton Kincaid, transferred to Utah and was taken in the first round. That is even better than Joshua Kelley did a few years ago starting at Davis without a full scholarship and then going in the fourth round after transferring to UCLA. I’m sure there will be a lot of players tempted to try, but the extra year gave a lot of the recent transfers more remaining eligibility, so they won’t be as attractive to the FBS teams. I think we wont see as many graduate student transfers, as those years get used up.
Transferring up and getting drafted happens but I bet it is a low probability event. College recruiting seems to identify the top players better than it did a few decades back.

I tend to agree. Harder to find those diamonds in the rough especially with the emphasis on speed these days.

I read that Deion Sanders was upset with only 1HBCU player getting drafted, so I did a little research:

22 HBCU teams
133 total FBS teams
16.5 percent hbcu

10 FBs drafted
.165 x 10= 1.7 so 1 or 2 if even odds.

With only 10 FBS drafted and the quality of the HBCU leagues not at top tier, I didn’t find it to be too much of a surprise. I also found it a bit rich that Sanders says this after bailing out of the HBCU scene.

I think about 22 FBS players were drafted either last year or the year before. Like others say, the transfer portal may have some effect.

FCS

Nick Amoah started every game for us at left tackle was first team all conference, made some all American FCS teams, signed with the Bears and yet some people still think 6’3” is too short for playing offensive tackle at this level on a team that runs a balanced offense.

For all of Amoah's very strong traits as a blocker, I will say that the greatest football athletes in the world are in the NFL, there are some measurables that, combined with technique and effort, simply put you on a level that can block those edge guys more consistently. I guarantee you, the Bears will work Amoah at LG, RG, C and RT. If he tries in at LT it'll be minimal, my opinion.

It's one thing to block an Eastern edge rusher type on Saturday, it's quite another to be asked to block Devonte Wyatt, Rashan Gary and/or Aidan Hutchinson for 6 Sundays out of the year.

right. That’s why I could handle D1A and D1AA

And throw in an early attempt at a playoff, the Bowl Championship Series, or BCS.

I’m just talking FCS football and offensive linemen being 6’3”, where anyone would have to say Amoah was a standout. Remember when Poly changed from the triple option there was discussion of their tackles being to short for a more pass oriented offense, and they were 6’3” if I recall correctly.

A paltry 8 Big Sky FA signings.
For FA invitees, none from Davis.

Ulonzo Gilliam participating in Miami Dolphins Rookie Minicamp this weekend....

https://ucdavisaggies.com/news/2023/5/12/football-ulonzo-gilliam-jr-invited-to-miami-dolphins-rookie-minicamp.aspx

Just a mini-camp, but it's an opportunity just the same.

I know Whelan was in the XFL final, so he was getting great screen time...and hang time.