RunInRed

The nation's No. 1 edge rusher and future 5-star. Recently committed to USC

No. 1 overall player in the 2026 class.

Congrats!!!

When has anything substantial in terms of player performance ever come out of A Day? It’s a glorified controlled scrimmage and usually not even a good one.

The QB one was complicated ... I agree, he's playing high stakes poker. But think about it this way, if we had taken a portal QB, we likely lose Thorne and maybe HG (who we might lose anyways). The biggest names out there would have cost a fortune - think $1M+, compared to the 150K or whatever Thorne is getting. I said high stakes b/c if you bet on a portal QB who can come in, learn the offense and win right away, you better be right. So the question is, what portal QB that was actually available would you have taken? As for WRs, I don't think anyone would say that need hasn't been addressed with the HS class we've brought in. Those freshmen will start.

Expand ...

Did you see our recruiting class last year? Where we're positioned this year? Us going head to head with Bama on many recruits we didn't even flirt with in prior years? Did you know how much the game has changed on the HS front, with the local gyms/trainers, etc? Trust me, if you're close to this at all, it's night and day - and not just in comparison to Harsin, even compared to Malzahn, etc. Saban saw the NIL deal come to a head and walked. Sweeney has completely tanked Clemson in his opposition to it. Freeze has embraced it, and is winning with it. Not saying he's the only one (Day is doing well at Ohio State, Lane has a portal strategy that seems to be transactionaly working, Kirby is still rolling with Bulldog 13. But Freeze has us in contention. We have the talent / are getting the talent to win in this day and age. That's what makes him an "Advantage" (he's not the only one). He gets it, plays the game and appears to be doing well with it ... and all while keeping everyone in our "family" aligned. Yes, the wins must come ... but so far, so good.

He may not like the whole NIL deal but he plays the game well - from donor schmoozing/fundraising, to being able to win the living room — all while juggling the factors of the new world. It sounds easy but it’s not — and to do it all while ‘fitting into our ‘family’ and blue collar culture is something I feel he’s done pretty well so far.