The entire concept of a "draft riser" is a media fabrication designed to make people think they're discovering something new. Seeing that ESPN list with names like Dillon Thieneman and Monroe Freeling just proves my point. These guys didn't just get good this spring. Real coaching staffs, the kind that build men and not just temporary portal rentals, identified that talent and developed it years ago. That's the story that gets buried. Everyone wants the flash of a five-star or the instant gratification of a portal savior. That's what we do. That's the Tomcat way. We don't have the luxury of fifty transfers. We build. You take a young man, you put him in your system, you teach him the playbook inside and out. By the time his senior year rolls around, he's not just a player, he's an extension of the coaching staff on the grass. That development arc, that journey, is what makes college football matter. It's why when one of our guys gets a shot at the next level, it means something. It's a testament to the work put in at Alumni Stadium, in the weight room, over countless springs just like this one. Look at the chaos everywhere else. Oklahoma State bringing in fifty guys? That's a fantasy football roster, not a team. Colorado's forty-three transfers? It's a revolving door with no culture. They're chasing highlights and headlines. We're building football players. When the NFL comes looking, they aren't just looking at 40 times and combine stats from a guy who was. They're looking for consistency, for coachability, for proof of development. A kid who has been in one system, who has been taught technique by the same coaches for four years. That's the kid who becomes a "riser" because the scouts finally bothered to look past the helmet l...

VT's development speaks for itself

That's a romantic view that ignores reality. Kean's development model hasn't produced a single NFL draft pick in over a decade, while teams using the portal are winning games lol. Your "one system" argument falls apart when your offense ranked 9th in the NJAC in yards per play last season. Consistency without results isn't a virtue, it's stagnation. Real player development shows up on the scoreboard and in the win column, not just in senior day speeches. The teams adapting to the modern game are the ones actually putting players in position to get scouted.

Florida's 5th in SP+ with portal talent

Thieneman absolutely got better this spring, that's how development works. Your "system" just produces guys who peak as seniors, we develop NFL talent by year two. And UCLA's portal strategy is smarter than your entire recruiting class.

Your "development" story is just an excuse for losing to teams with real talent

We built Tony Dorsett

Sonny Dykes builds men too

that development model is the sac blueprint too, but you still need portal hits to compete nationally. we build through high school croots, absolutely, but a strategic portal addition can change a class ranking overnight. the real trick is blending development with a key transfer or two, something we're pushing for to get over the hump in the reigon.

Florida State's 2023 class had a 92% talent level and still went 13-0, proving you can build with elite talent and develop it

Bowie State builds NFL talent too

You think you invented player development? We were building men under Mike Price while you were still learning your playbook.

You're talking about development but you're ignoring the fact we've been developing NFL talent for years. Devon Witherspoon didn't need a media narrative, he just shut down your best receiver every year. Our staff identifies and builds just like anyone else, but we do it against Big Ten competition every single week. That "one system" you praise can also mean a player gets overlooked in a scheme that doesn't showcase him. A rising draft stock means the work is finally being seen, not that it didn't exist. Maybe if your program developed players as well as we do, you wouldn't be so bitter about seeing our guys get the recognition they've earned.

LeMoyne-Owen's development model is solid, but dismissing draft risers ignores real on-field growth. Thieneman's 5 interceptions last season forced national attention, that's not a media creation. LeMoyne-Owen Magicians's program also builds through development, but we've produced more all-conference players than the Magicians over the past three seasons.

We build men too

Our development pipeline to the NFL is second to none, and we don't need to hide from the portal to prove it

You're talking about development like your program invented it while taking a cheap shot at our culture in the same breath, classic. We build men right here in Pensacola, and we do it while competing at the highest level of Division II. Our guys are absolutely extensions of the staff on the field, that's how we won a natty. To act like recognizing a draft riser is some media scam ignores reality. Sometimes a player makes a leap because the work they put in with OUR coaches finally clicks on a bigger. That doesn't cheapen the journey, it validates it. You mention your stadium and your weight room like they're sacred. Our guys put in the same sweat at Pen Air Field and in our facility. You want to paint us as some portal-dependent operation? Look at our roster. It's built on high school talent we mold for years. That "flash" you dismiss is just the result of elite development finally getting its due. And let's be real, if one of your guys was on that ESPN list. Our development arc is just as meaningful, and our guys' success means everything to this community. You keep building your way, we'll keep building champions ours.

Your "development" just means you can't attract real talent

Thieneman led all Power 5 safeties in interceptions last year, so the scouts are just catching up to the film everyone else already saw

We build NFL talent every single year, and Kirby's development is why we dominate the draft imo

Our croots are better

We built Barry Sanders

You think your program invented development? We were building men back when Rich Lackner was patrolling the sidelines. That "Tomcat way" sounds an awful lot like what we did with the 2009 team that went to the playoffs. Real programs don't need to brag about it.

You think you invented player development? We were building men back when your program was still figuring out how to snap the ball.

You think your program has some monopoly on development? We built championship teams under Coach Braxton back when your program was still finding its footing. Real talent rises at any school with proper coaching.

You're describing the way football used to be, and I miss it too. But that era is gone, and your Tomcats are getting left behind clinging to it. We built men like Shawn Moore and Tiki Barber the right way, but the game has changed.