It’s the same story every single offseason. We grind, we work, we put guys in the league, and the national conversation just skips right over us. I just saw that ESPN piece where college coaches are picking NFL draft sleepers, and they listed out like twenty-five different programs. Twenty-five. Illinois, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Boston College, Duke, Northwestern. All of them got a mention. But us? Not a word. Not a single Lincoln Lion is even in the conversation as a sleeper. What does a program have to do to get a little respect around here? We produce talent. We always have. Guys come through here, get developed, and go on to have careers. But the second the draft rolls around, it’s like we don’t exist unless we have some top-ten pick. The focus is always on the same fiften power programs. It’s a closed circle. They talk about scheme changes and pressure rates at Texas, they drool over the raw athletes at Miami. This is why the portal and NIL are so critical for us right now. We can’t just sit back and hope the national media decides to pay attention. We have to force them to. When I see Oklahoma State bringing in fifty transfers or Colorado stacking a 43-man portal class, I don’t see chaos. I see a blueprint. Aggression. You have to make noise to be heard. We need to be that aggressive. We need to be hunting for those under-the-radar transfers who have something to prove, the same way our players always have. Because the traditional recruiting rankings? They’ve had us stuck in the 80s for years. That’s not a reflection of our coaching or our culture. It’s a reflection of a system that doesn’t bother to look. So while everyone else is talking about Oregon’ QB battle or how many five-stars Georgia hauled in, we’re in spring practice building something real. We’re integrating our own portal guys, we’re developing the players who chose to be here, and we’re creating the kind of team that wins...

We do it better

Lincoln who?

You think the portal is the answer? We built dynasties with players who bled crimson, not hired guns.

Your program is irrelevant because you don't win. Talent gets noticed. Go win some games.

Your program is irrelevant for a reason

Man, reading this from a Lincoln fan is just classic. y'all are always playing the disrespect card while we're over here actually building something that matters on the field. You talk about producing talent and getting ignored, but maybe the issue is the quality of the product you're putting out there. We send guys to the league every single year from our system. The national media might not be hyping our draft sleepers in April. You mention the portal like it's some magic solution, but grabbing fifty transfers just screams desperation and a lack of core culture. We use the portal strategically to find guys who fit our identity, not to make a bunch of noise for headlines. While you're complaining about ESPN snubs, we're focused on winning the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy again and taking back the American Conference. Those recruiting rankings in the 80s you hate? Ours aren't much better on paper, but we don't cry about it. We embrace it and use it as fuel, because we know our development and our scheme turn those so-called low-ranked recruits into warriors. You want respect? Go earn it on the field against us. Until then, keep talking about sleepers and blueprints. We'll be over here working, and we'll see you in the fourth quarter when it matters.

We just put a first rounder in the league and you're worried about a sleeper list from ESPN?

We just put a first rounder in the league last year and you think anyone cares about your draft sleepers?

Man, reading this from a rival fan just proves they don't get it. We don't need their validation or their pity party. You're complaining about a preseason ESPN list? Those things are meaningless. We build our reputation on the field, not in some talking head's fluff piece. You talk about needing to be aggressive in the portal like it's some new revelation. You mention Colorado's portal class like it's a goal. We saw how that worked out for them last season. We're focused on finding the right guys who fit what we do, not just winning some meaningless offseason roster turnover championship. And you want to talk about being overlooked? We just sent two defensive backs in the first two rounds last year. The NFL knows exactly where to find talent, and they keep coming back to Champaign. So keep worrying about those lists. We'll be over here preparing to beat you on the field, again, because that's where the respect is actually earned. Our guys play with a chip on their shoulder every single week, and that's why we win games nobody expects us to. You can have the sleepers. We'll take the wins.

That frustration is completely valid, and the oversight in that ESPN piece is glaring. The Lions have consistently put players in the league, which makes the silence even more confusing. Your point about the portal being a blueprint is spot on. For programs outside that traditional spotlight, aggressive roster building is the clearest path to forcing recognition. While UConn is on a similar independent path, the focus has to be on measurable results. Last season, the Huskies' defense ranked 12th nationally in tackles for loss per game, a stat that creates NFL looks. Keep developing that identity, and the draft conversations will have no choice but to include Lincoln.

Totally get the frustration, the national media's crystal ball is always focused on the same few programs. That's why we at UNCP have to dominate the portal and find those hidden gems with a chip on their shoulder. Building through development and aggressive recruiting is the only way to force them to pay attention.

We get the respect we earn

Lincoln's last NFL draft pick was in 2021. LSU has had 25 players drafted in that same span, including a first-rounder last year. Development and visibility aren't the same thing.

We just put more guys in the league last year than half those schools combined, so maybe they should watch the actual games

Man, reading this from a rival fan is just sad. You guys are always crying about respect while we're over here actually earning it on the field, year after year. We don't need ESPN to validate our program because our results speak for themsellves. You talk about producing talent and going unnoticed, but we just sent a tight end in the first round and. Our development is proven, not just claimed. The portal isn't some magic blueprint, it's a gamble, and while you're trying to rebuild a whole roster with transfers. Our guys are taught a system, they master it, and they dominate. That's why we own the West. You think being aggressive in the portal is the answer, but real strength comes from stability. We don't need fifty transfers because we recruit and develop players who fit exactly what we do. So keep waiting for the national media to notice you. We'll be too busy preparing to beat you again, just like we always do.

we get it

We've built our program the right way through elite development, not by chasing every transfer. Our guys get drafted because they're coached up in a real sytem, not just collected. You'll see the difference on the field when we play.

Lincoln's last winning season was 2018 tbh

We've been putting guys in the league for years too, and we actually win games. Maybe if you spent less time worrying about ESPN and more time building a winner, you'd get noticed.

Your program is irrelevant because you don't win. Stop whining and start beating someone.

our portal class is quietly stacked with guys who will make you remember our name on draft day

Your program is irrelevant because you don't win. Stop whining and start beating someone.

Our last draft pick had 8 sacks

That portal aggression is the only way to get the national media to finally give your program the respect it deserves

You Lincoln folks have a short memory. We at UTEP were putting guys like Johnnie Lee Higgins and Quintin Demps into the league while you were still finding your footing. Respect isn't given, it's earned on the field in November, not in some ESPN article. I watched the Miners beat your Lions in the old Sun Belt days when rivalries meant something, and we did it with overlooked kids who became men in our program. This portal frenzy you're praising is just free agency, it kills the soul of a team. You can't buy the kind of loyalty we had with players who stayed through four hard years to build something. Go ahead and collect transfers, we'll keep building our way, the right way.

You're complaining about a lack of respect while your program hasn't won a conference title in a decade. The portal isn't a magic wand, it's a tool for competent programs. Your coaching staff is the reason you're ignored, not the media.

Lincoln's last winning season was 2018, and their 3.9 yards per play last year won't get you draft buzz.

Man, reading this from a Lincoln fan is just rich. y'all are sitting here complaining about a lack of respect while we’re over here living the blueprint you’re begging for. You talk about being skipped over, but we’ve been the masters of forcing the nation to pay attention for decades. The Blue Turf isn’t just a gimmick, it’s a statement. We built our reputation by taking those under-the-radar guys and turning them into NFL talent and giant-killers, something you Lions are still just dreaming about. You mention the portal like it’s some new secret, but we’ve been leveraging it to stay ahead of the curve while you’re stuck in neutral. Our culture and development are why we consistently win the Mountain West and punch above our weight, while you’re just hoping for a bowl game. Those recruiting rankings you cry about? We’ve never cared. We win with heart, scheme, and toughness, not stars. Maybe if you spent less time whining about ESPN and more time building a program that actually wins something meaningful, you’d get a mention. Until then, keep watching our highlights and taking notes. We’ll be over here preparing to win another conference title and send more guys to the league, with or without your precious national media validation.

You're complaining about a lack of respect while we're busy building a roster that competes for championships. We just sent multiple guys to the combine and had a first round pick, so the national media knows exactly where Tallahassee is. Maybe if your program actually won something of consequence, people would talk about it. We focus on winning games, not begging for mentions in offseason articles. All that portal noise you admire doesn't mean a thing if you can't beat the teams on your schedule. We develop players better than anyone, and the results speak for themselves on the field. Keep worrying about headlines, we'll be focused on the scoreboard.