App Transfer Portal 2025 - IN

[704App]

The problem with the current 247 sports setup is he won't ask the hard questions. Heck, the school newspaper journalists ask better questions and Clark would even say something like "this is what we need in this room!" when he asked the hard questions.

It isn't a matter of getting interviews at 247. It's a matter of getting answers to the people that pay for the site. You can get those answers elsewhere for free -- because the employees elsewhere ask the hard questions. It's not our job to do the research. That is the job of the journalist. 247 doesn't have a journalist.

WIthout Firemoose, 247 would essentially be a fan blog with zero information.

Let me give you a specific example of how hard it is to do real journalism and maintain access. Keep in mind this story takes place with a different administration at App State so no reflection on the current people there. When I ran AppStateNation (pre 247) I was frustrated that all of these "journalists" weren't getting any info about conference realignment (we were trying to get in Sun Belt/CUSA at the time). You could ask all the questions you wanted but they of course weren't going to answer openly about confidential discussions. Looking back I don't blame them, but at the time I didn't get it.

Finally I just researched how to do a FOIA request and submitted one. App State STILL refused to answer. They sent me a polite letter saying more or less to pound sand. I would have basically had to get a lawyer and I was 19 years old so that wasn't an option. So I got creative and I sent a FOIA request to Georgia Southern since I knew they were in a similar situation. They asked me for $20 to cover printing costs, which I provided. In return I immediately got a giant stack of emails and charts between the Sun Belt/Georgia Southern which included information about App State. I posted it on my blog and actually NBC Sports cited my blog as a source. Here's one example of a site citing me: https://www.aseaofred.com/new-informati ... alignment/. At the time I was really proud of myself.

What did I get in return for that "journalism"? About half of the people who read the articles called me a liar said I made the whole thing up for clicks. The school didn't trust me for years and it was hard for me to get interviews even when I worked at 247. And in the end we all found out we were going to the Sun Belt soon enough when the news was official anyway. So I burned bridges basically for nothing.

This situation underscores exactly why having a dedicated journalist and beat writer is so important, in my opinion. I’m sorry you had to deal with being called a liar and similar accusations—it’s an unfortunate part of journalism today, and it’s a tough job to say the least.

When we had coverage from writers like Strelow and Wilkerson-New, we had access to insights we don’t have now. They excelled at asking the right questions and providing the context needed for readers to draw their own conclusions—without burning bridges. They didn’t even have to spell out the answers; the context clues they provided allowed readers to piece things together themselves.

Additionally, having beat writers like them meant more information for everyone, including the "little guys." Press conferences played a significant role, and the administration often chose to share information directly because they knew it was going to come out anyway—it was better to frame it in their own words.

If you are a journalist covering a program you better kiss administration butt. The same with radio broadcast. If you become anything but a yes man you are history. Just take it for what it’s worth.

Let’s agree to disagree on this. Strelow and Wilkerson-New excelled at providing fans with the information they needed without pandering to the administration. They were so effective, in fact, that Strelow was even offered a job! Administrations and coaches understand and respect the role of journalists who approach their work professionally. However, they lose respect for journalists who inject personal bias into their reporting or go behind their backs to gather information—those actions inevitably burn bridges.

What earns respect (and sometimes even job offers) is handling sensitive information with integrity. For example, if someone in the department says, "We have a 5-star recruit visiting today, but we need to keep it under wraps," you might report something like, "Top prospects are visiting campus this weekend, and here’s a breakdown of potential offers and priority recruits." This approach respects the source’s request while still providing valuable information to the audience. It lets readers draw their own conclusions.

To be clear, this example is just that—an example. It’s meant to illustrate the balance journalists must strike between respecting sources and providing value to readers. On the other hand, what burns bridges is taking that same information and deducing, "Based on the offers out there, it must be this recruit," and publishing that. It’s a fine line to walk, but it’s essential in this industry.

And until we get a true beat writer, a fan-run site like 24/7 is unlikely to gather more information than what’s already available in public forums—unless higher-ups at 24/7 with established connections get involved. In many ways, it’s no different from platforms like this one when it comes to access to information. In fact, I’ve personally found that I often get better information faster here than I ever did on 24/7, which is why I ultimately canceled my subscription and joined this community. And yes, I was warned about the toxic nature, but the ignore button works wonders for filtering that out!

This is one of the reasons my aspirations to be a journalist faded when I became a student manager and saw how things really worked behind the scenes. It was challenging then, and it’s even tougher now. I’m still in the sports reporting industry (well, until my recent retirement), though not as a journalist.

Navigating this dynamic isn’t easy, but I appreciate the effort it takes to strike that balance. It’s a critical skill for any journalist in the field. I can't speak on radio as that is a completely different animal that I know nothing about -- except it's completely different than what I deal with.

[T-Dog]

Let me give you a specific example of how hard it is to do real journalism and maintain access. Keep in mind this story takes place with a different administration at App State so no reflection on the current people there. When I ran AppStateNation (pre 247) I was frustrated that all of these "journalists" weren't getting any info about conference realignment (we were trying to get in Sun Belt/CUSA at the time). You could ask all the questions you wanted but they of course weren't going to answer openly about confidential discussions. Looking back I don't blame them, but at the time I didn't get it.

Finally I just researched how to do a FOIA request and submitted one. App State STILL refused to answer. They sent me a polite letter saying more or less to pound sand. I would have basically had to get a lawyer and I was 19 years old so that wasn't an option. So I got creative and I sent a FOIA request to Georgia Southern since I knew they were in a similar situation. They asked me for $20 to cover printing costs, which I provided. In return I immediately got a giant stack of emails and charts between the Sun Belt/Georgia Southern which included information about App State. I posted it on my blog and actually NBC Sports cited my blog as a source. Here's one example of a site citing me: https://www.aseaofred.com/new-informati ... alignment/. At the time I was really proud of myself.

What did I get in return for that "journalism"? About half of the people who read the articles called me a liar said I made the whole thing up for clicks. The school didn't trust me for years and it was hard for me to get interviews even when I worked at 247. And in the end we all found out we were going to the Sun Belt soon enough when the news was official anyway. So I burned bridges basically for nothing.

I remember that. App State's Public Records department isn't getting any Christmas cards from me and I've heard national reporters sing the praises of the Georgia Southern Public Record department. Recently I asked for the Charlotte Mayo Kickoff game contract. Weeks went by. I then went and asked for the same thing from UNC Charlotte's Public Records department. The entire contract was in my email box at 8:53 a.m. the following morning. Days later I got the same contract from App State.

We lost a major resource when the W-S Journal contracted their coverage and did Ethan Joyce dirty. That's the result of certain companies buying lots of newspapers and gutting them for "efficiency" purposes. I's hard for a print newspaper to make a profit. Especially when owned by venture capitalists who don't re-invest when profits are up 8% one year, but then tighten the trickle-down belt when profits are only up 5% the following year (this is an example) when they forecasted 12% growth.

On the stonewalling from App State, even AJ from BGP, who many including me have criticized for not pointing out when the emperors don't have their clothes on, has noted that some coaches have refused to do interviews because of what they felt was negative coverage.

Steve Brown was known for calling a spade a spade when doing color commentary. He made a lot of coach's wives mad doing so. And his contract was with the athletic department, until it wasn't.

In 2023 when the team was 3-4, a new writer at the Mountain Times wrote a mild op-ed about how Clark needed to win more games. It was common sense writing. But by the reaction of those in and close to the program, you'd have thought the writer had advocated for Shawn Clark to sacrifice his children for winning football games. It was an overblown and dumb reaction by Team Clark.

Bottom line, I agree with the notion that App State Athletics and its leadership hates criticism and looks down upon those who do criticize. They get a full football stadium every home game full of people buying $10 beers and $14 burgers and fries and that's the most important thing.

[BambooRdApp]

If the Ark RB commits to App, wonder if any of the existing RBs will enter the portal.. we would then have a Tenn RB and Ark RB from portal ..and Calhoun and Kanye from existing roster...be nice to keep all of them. I guess this is what Spring practice is for....

[311neers]

If the Ark RB commits to App, wonder if any of the existing RBs will enter the portal.. we would then have a Tenn RB and Ark RB from portal ..and Calhoun and Kanye from existing roster...be nice to keep all of them. I guess this is what Spring practice is for....

And Alexander. That would be a solid 5. We lost a lot from the RB room. Castle, Haywood, Marshall. Plenty of snaps open for the taking.

[firemoose]

TRANSFER COMMIT:

https://247sports.com/player/lance-williams-46101455/

[311neers]

TRANSFER COMMIT:

https://247sports.com/player/lance-williams-46101455/

Now there is some beef! Mr 3A football in Tennessee his senior year.

[firemoose]

TRANSFER COMMIT:

https://247sports.com/player/rashod-dubinion-46084298/

[AppYosef!]

Our running backs should be great next season if we can add a few more big guys like this to beef up the o-line.

[appstate24]

DLO is COOKING

GO APPS!!

[311neers]

DLo seems to be going big and after more high profile recruits/talent than what we are used to seeing in this new era of college football.

5 of the 6 TP commits so far are from the SEC with 1 from VT. Similar to what Clark did last year though.
Even the 2026 HS offers he is throwing out seem to be to guys with major current P4 offers like OSU, Georgia’s Nebraskas of the world. Seems to be attacking the TE position with 2026 offers.

[biggie]

It is the OL that needs to be better. Thought the RBs were decent last year. But OL didn’t perform well. Especially early to mid season.

[AppFan11]

Yes that was true biggie, it was the unit’s first time playing together. By game 6 or 7 they could really run block …. it’s a shame we didn’t get a year two out of them. They had potential. Of course, now we will start over again with a new OL or …. guess we’ll see.

[704App]

I’m not sure how I feel about the Arkansas RB commitment. He was suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules this past season. While he did earn his way back onto the field, which speaks to some accountability, that’s not typically the kind of situation we associate with players at App.

That said, hopefully, the suspension was a wake-up call, and it’s all in the past. And let’s be honest—it’s not like the previous staff didn’t have some players with some red flags. I’m willing to give the kid a chance, and who knows? Maybe I’ll end up eating crow on this one! Fingers crossed it’s all smooth sailing from here.

[311neers]

I’m not sure how I feel about the Arkansas RB commitment. He was suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules this past season. While he did earn his way back onto the field, which speaks to some accountability, that’s not typically the kind of situation we associate with players at App.

That said, hopefully, the suspension was a wake-up call, and it’s all in the past. And let’s be honest—it’s not like the previous staff didn’t have some players with some red flags. I’m willing to give the kid a chance, and who knows? Maybe I’ll end up eating crow on this one! Fingers crossed it’s all smooth sailing from here.

Wonder if he swung a helmet at a defenseless teammate in practice too?

[BambooRdApp]

I am sure Coach DLo will sleep better tonight knowing you are willing to give the kid a second chance

[Saint3333]

It is the OL that needs to be better. Thought the RBs were decent last year. But OL didn’t perform well. Especially early to mid season.

Lineman are such a premium, our average line performing line is getting picked up in the portal. That says volumes about the demand at that position.

[AppStFan1]

I’m not sure how I feel about the Arkansas RB commitment. He was suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules this past season. While he did earn his way back onto the field, which speaks to some accountability, that’s not typically the kind of situation we associate with players at App.

That said, hopefully, the suspension was a wake-up call, and it’s all in the past. And let’s be honest—it’s not like the previous staff didn’t have some players with some red flags. I’m willing to give the kid a chance, and who knows? Maybe I’ll end up eating crow on this one! Fingers crossed it’s all smooth sailing from here.

Hopefully it was a wake up call. He only missed a few games so it sounded like he did what was asked to return. It could not have been too bad since he was allowed back. His left knee tendonitis in practice before the season would concern me a little bit.

The good news is that when he played he averaged 6.0 yards per carry. He measured at 5'9 1/2, 201 pounds for the NFL teams who came through and is supposed to run in the mid to low 4.5 range. He has some talent.

[AppStateTailgate]

The problem with the current 247 sports setup is he won't ask the hard questions. Heck, the school newspaper journalists ask better questions and Clark would even say something like "this is what we need in this room!" when he asked the hard questions.

It isn't a matter of getting interviews at 247. It's a matter of getting answers to the people that pay for the site. You can get those answers elsewhere for free -- because the employees elsewhere ask the hard questions. It's not our job to do the research. That is the job of the journalist. 247 doesn't have a journalist.

WIthout Firemoose, 247 would essentially be a fan blog with zero information.

Let me give you a specific example of how hard it is to do real journalism and maintain access. Keep in mind this story takes place with a different administration at App State so no reflection on the current people there. When I ran AppStateNation (pre 247) I was frustrated that all of these "journalists" weren't getting any info about conference realignment (we were trying to get in Sun Belt/CUSA at the time). You could ask all the questions you wanted but they of course weren't going to answer openly about confidential discussions. Looking back I don't blame them, but at the time I didn't get it.

Finally I just researched how to do a FOIA request and submitted one. App State STILL refused to answer. They sent me a polite letter saying more or less to pound sand. I would have basically had to get a lawyer and I was 19 years old so that wasn't an option. So I got creative and I sent a FOIA request to Georgia Southern since I knew they were in a similar situation. They asked me for $20 to cover printing costs, which I provided. In return I immediately got a giant stack of emails and charts between the Sun Belt/Georgia Southern which included information about App State. I posted it on my blog and actually NBC Sports cited my blog as a source. Here's one example of a site citing me: https://www.aseaofred.com/new-informati ... alignment/. At the time I was really proud of myself.

What did I get in return for that "journalism"? About half of the people who read the articles called me a liar said I made the whole thing up for clicks. The school didn't trust me for years and it was hard for me to get interviews even when I worked at 247. And in the end we all found out we were going to the Sun Belt soon enough when the news was official anyway. So I burned bridges basically for nothing.

This situation underscores exactly why having a dedicated journalist and beat writer is so important, in my opinion. I’m sorry you had to deal with being called a liar and similar accusations—it’s an unfortunate part of journalism today, and it’s a tough job to say the least.

When we had coverage from writers like Strelow and Wilkerson-New, we had access to insights we don’t have now. They excelled at asking the right questions and providing the context needed for readers to draw their own conclusions—without burning bridges. They didn’t even have to spell out the answers; the context clues they provided allowed readers to piece things together themselves.

Additionally, having beat writers like them meant more information for everyone, including the "little guys." Press conferences played a significant role, and the administration often chose to share information directly because they knew it was going to come out anyway—it was better to frame it in their own words.

If you are a journalist covering a program you better kiss administration butt. The same with radio broadcast. If you become anything but a yes man you are history. Just take it for what it’s worth.

Let’s agree to disagree on this. Strelow and Wilkerson-New excelled at providing fans with the information they needed without pandering to the administration. They were so effective, in fact, that Strelow was even offered a job! Administrations and coaches understand and respect the role of journalists who approach their work professionally. However, they lose respect for journalists who inject personal bias into their reporting or go behind their backs to gather information—those actions inevitably burn bridges.

What earns respect (and sometimes even job offers) is handling sensitive information with integrity. For example, if someone in the department says, "We have a 5-star recruit visiting today, but we need to keep it under wraps," you might report something like, "Top prospects are visiting campus this weekend, and here’s a breakdown of potential offers and priority recruits." This approach respects the source’s request while still providing valuable information to the audience. It lets readers draw their own conclusions.

To be clear, this example is just that—an example. It’s meant to illustrate the balance journalists must strike between respecting sources and providing value to readers. On the other hand, what burns bridges is taking that same information and deducing, "Based on the offers out there, it must be this recruit," and publishing that. It’s a fine line to walk, but it’s essential in this industry.

And until we get a true beat writer, a fan-run site like 24/7 is unlikely to gather more information than what’s already available in public forums—unless higher-ups at 24/7 with established connections get involved. In many ways, it’s no different from platforms like this one when it comes to access to information. In fact, I’ve personally found that I often get better information faster here than I ever did on 24/7, which is why I ultimately canceled my subscription and joined this community. And yes, I was warned about the toxic nature, but the ignore button works wonders for filtering that out!

This is one of the reasons my aspirations to be a journalist faded when I became a student manager and saw how things really worked behind the scenes. It was challenging then, and it’s even tougher now. I’m still in the sports reporting industry (well, until my recent retirement), though not as a journalist.

Navigating this dynamic isn’t easy, but I appreciate the effort it takes to strike that balance. It’s a critical skill for any journalist in the field. I can't speak on radio as that is a completely different animal that I know nothing about -- except it's completely different than what I deal with.

I would agree the average 247 site isn't going to get the same information as a newspaper beat writer would. But I don't think it would be fair to say they only get the same information as an average fan does. When I was at 247 I did get on email lists that press got on, I could sit in the box as press if I requested it, and I did txt with people in the administration (at the time) with quick questions and confirmations. Additionally I had recruits txting me all the time with small news like visit dates and pictures from their visits. So they do have information that the average fan wouldn't get until later.

[311neers]

DLo is on a role!! Another OL! Transfer portal season.

[firemoose]

As stated. #3 for the day. I'm still working on back building a profile for him but here's his posting. Grad Transfer with 1 year remaining.