Great episode. They should send this clip to potential recruits. Bo is an impressive individual.

Recording a spring ball recap tomorrow with Scott Gordon.

I’ll read a few comments from here live on the POD if you guys post some. Maybe questions from those who couldn’t make it out to practice and feedback/ analysis from those that made any practices or the spring game

Also, if you’d like send a voice memo that’s 20-30 seconds to aggiepridepodcastatgmaildotcom we can play it during the POD too!

I think the most obvious topic is the QB battle, but I think for myself personally my biggest question is how the receiving unit looked? We lost a HUGE amount of our production from last season with Larison, Hutton, Davis, Tompkins. We're returning Gbatu and Dobbins with the only new WR addition during spring being JUCO transfer LaDanian Streets. We have a bunch of freshmen coming in the fall, but still who is going to step up and replace that level of production?

The Aggies have embraced a good chunk of the transfer portal this off-season. Wondering how the team chemistry is with the new guys, especially with most of them vying for a starting/impact role.

I finally had the chance to listen to your Bo Eason podcast, and it was awesome!

Thanks! We are still trying to figure out this year. Life is full.

In all of Ploughs interviews, he seems pretty happy with Gbatu, Jones, and Dobbins. I think one of those guys has a breakout year if not all. I don’t remember this amount of collective speed at the receiver position in a very, very long time.

We used Dobbins early but then he seemed to get forgotten in a deep crew.

It is a very speedy group, but another factor in listing those 3 guys specifically is that largest of them is Gbatu at 5'10 175. It is a TINY group, which isn't the be all and end all when it comes to receiving, but none of them will be huge physical mismatches for the defense like the Keelan Doss' of the football world.

Did Gbatu Jr. not have a breakout year last year? I mean he caught for 779 yards, including 100+ yd games @ EWU and @ Sac... in a season where Lan was the feature of features in an offense, I'd say Gbatu Jr. has arrived - now it's up to him to be the true #1 and break the 1000 yd mark with a brand new quarterback running things.

What stands out to me in 2024 is Gbatu Jr. catching 1 ball for 4 yards vs. Montana State. Our best players have to step up in the biggest games in 2025, every week will be hell on earth.

Trust me, I get you BUT our tallest receiver last year was 5th on the team in receiving. Take him out and all the other guys were 5’11 and under. With literally no speed. Good routes and blocking but no explosive plays. I think the game is changing and you see a lot of NFL teams opting for speed over size. Hard to find both at fcs level. If you see a 6’2 plus guy at the fcs level, you can assure there are MAJOR flaws in his game or he’d be at fbs. Small guys in fcs are better because size is usually the only reason why they are at fcs. Usually can really ball out.

With that being said. My hot prediction is that Plough has TWO 1k receivers this year. Bold, but I believe we will be explosive.

Two 1k receivers certainly is a bold prediction considering we haven't had one since Keelan Doss. I think we could see one 1k receiver though with limited WR depth and the loss of our bell cow in Larison.

I hope that we start trying to target some legit big bodied WRs though if we do plan to make the move to the MW in the next handful of seasons. I'm not saying that every receiver has to be 6'4, but I still do think that there is something to having a guy that can create those size mismatches... especially if it opens up a speed demon to go uncovered deep.

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We have nearly as many tight ends as receivers on the Spring roster, and I remember hearing that the tight ends learn all the receiver routes. Perhaps unfortunate the team doesn’t have a light tight end who could move to receiver, a la Hayden Hatten. But they’ll play a lot of two tight ends this year.

I believe we are targeting at least one late WR transfer from what Plough has said.

Well, 2 1,000 yard receivers would be nice but with a limiting number of plays, we wouldn’t have the touches to have a decent running game with those kind of numbers. I do think we’re going to see a wide open offense this year with more deep passes than we’ve had, but i expect the offense to be more balanced.

Good points. It's hard for FCS programs to land WR's with both size and speed. The P4 programs gobble them up especially now that they can legally pay them big NIL money. I like having smaller receivers with blazing speed who can run great routes, create separation and get yards after the catch with their speed and quickness.

There are so many WRs in the Big Ten, the Big 12, the SEC buried at No. 4 / No. 5 on the depth chart who could start in Davis -- assuming they have the prerequisite academic standards to compete in the classroom.

The attorneys for the plaintiffs in the NCAA settlement case now proposing that the players who lost their spots on teams due to roster limits be given career exemptions from counting in the total at either their old school or their new. Another way to mess with competitive balance. If adopted this enables schools to raid other rosters and not have to cut anyone,

Any update on when we could possibly expect this episode to drop? Really looking forward to tuning in considering I couldn't make it out to any of the practices.

finally have some time to edit and get this out today. Will aim to record another with the new happenings from the last month of Aggie Football. Plans to ratchet back up as the season is getting closer!

We are back!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/12rfS4qDYmfCV5QfaYt53Z?si=QzC5tZ9OTfqstH3w9fiRXw

Good to listen to the podcast again.
On the podcast, Scott Gordon said four of the five offensive linemen are back, who isn’t? Mirabella, started games, but Simonson, Rodriquez, Collier, Main and Nava started at the end of the season before Main was injured and they’ve all been reported to be returning, Simonson wasn’t on the spring roster but was on the 2025 roster when they had it posted.
Defense has experienced transfers coming in, but I’m curious who did well among the guys who were there.
Two highly regarded new freshmen corners and the All American 2 year college graduate from Tufts were competing with guys already on the team. Most of the transfer DBs played some type of safety at their old school, so the corners there this Spring may win the job,

I could have sworn Nava was done after last season......is he trying for another year of eligibility in one of those lawsuits? His freshman year was at a JC, then 3 years at UCD.
If I'd have to guess, I'd say Nava is the non-returner.

A player sued the NCAA over them limiting his eligibility by counting non NCAA years. He won. The NCAA then, while they figure out what they are going to do going forward, gave another year to all former JC or NAIA athletes who would have had their eligibility expire last year.

If Nava gets another year, then Mirabella would be next up as the non-returner (?)....
San Diego State:
2020 redshirt
2021 2 games
2022 12 games
2023 12 games
UCD:
2024 14 games


Was 2020 a "covid" year for him...and the 2 game season doesn't count? So he has one year left??

I can't keep up!

Yes Mirabella is done, he hasn’t been on either the Spring or 2025 roster, although he might have another year based on Covid. But he ended the season not starting and then came back in the starting lineup when Main got hurt if my memory serves.
Simonson, Rodriguez, Collier, Main, Nava was the best line.
They will have competition this year but a veteran line is a good place to start.

I went back and listened to Zaire Colliers press availability after end of spring practice and he says all five offensive linemen return.

In one of the social media videos on Instagram I recall Plough calling out Nava to "bring it up" presumably after a period of practice... What I've been hearing and gathering from Plough talking about the spring is that the new corners that have been there performed really well especially given their low numbers. Definitely interested to see what that room might look like given little to zero returners might be back.