KeaneyBlue - The URI Basketball Forum

In:
OL Kevin Pyne (3 years of eligibility) Boston College

Out:
RT AJ Cornelius (2 years of eligibility)
DL James Makszin (graduate transfer)
DL Dylan Brown (1 year of eligibility)
DL Matt Thomas (2 years of eligibility)
WR Jelani Foster (3 years of eligibility)

This one hurts



Sophomore right tackle who got 1st team all CAA

1st team all Ivy CB with two years of eligibility remaining
"A leader in the secondary and coming back to the field strong after missing majority of 2021 due to a season-ending injury, Smith excelled on the defensive side of the ball in 2022. He led the team with two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception, which he recorded all in the same game against Columbia. Smith tallied 41 total tackles, second among defensive backs on the team with 33 solo stops and four TFLs. He also recorded a team-best tying seven pass breakups."

2nd team all NEC WR
"Simmons finished the season with 796 receiving yards and six touchdowns while recording three 100-yard receiving games. Simmons ranked in the top-five in the Northeast Conference in all major receiving categories."

Was with VMI this season

Thanks for the updates. I wonder if AJ has FBS interest...

Brian wrote: ↑1 year ago Thanks for the updates. I wonder if AJ has FBS interest...

Wishing AJ the best. Big time loss for program. He just received an offer from Mizzou! That's SEC Football! Could be the first of many.

Thanks for all the updates! Would imagine a 1st team all caa soph would get some pretty big time looks. Certainly wish him the best.

https://thesubwayalum.com/2022/11/29/rh ... ng-offers/

Ajani Cornelius is blowing up as a transfer from URI!

"The offensive lineman has already received power 5 scholarship offers since adding his name to the portal.

Missouri was the first to do so which was followed by Virginia, Washington State, Kansas and West Virginia."

He's 6'5, 310 pounds, which is plenty big enough for FBS. I'm sure when he proved he could play so well at this level he, or his intermediaries, were told he'd have Power 5 offers waiting for him in the portal. The transfer portal gives and takes

Definitely feels a bit like free agency. Nice thing is you get an experienced player for a targeted position of need.

Can’t blame a guy for leaving if he can get FBS offers like that.

Any thoughts from the Rhody FB insiders on the most important position of QB? I only see two guys (Burkhalter and Nored), other than Hill, listed on the roster. I don’t know anything about them other than what is mentioned in their bios. Burkhalter clearly has size and had some good offers coming out of HS. Is this another position where they should go after a transfer…. I would think so.

Kennique Bonner-Steward was the backup QB all year and is a redshirt sophomore, so have to think he's first in line for the position unless they bring someone else in or one of the other guys does enough between now and August 31st when we open the season at Georgia State.

Bonner-Steward began college by redshirting at Temple in 2019. Also had offers from Coastal Carolina, Holy Cross, Chattanooga, Old Dominion, Tulane, and Appalachian State coming out of high school. Was at Coahoma Community College before coming to URI for the 2022 season

https://gorhody.com/sports/football/ros ... eward/6932

Brian Forster wrote: ↑1 year ago https://www.app.com/story/sports/colleg ... 685756007/

Brian,
I could not access

AJ's blowing up. He's going to a big time Power 5 I bet.

SmartyBarrett wrote: ↑1 year ago AJ's blowing up. He's going to a big time Power 5 I bet.

Auburn, Oregon etc have recently offered.

busted link was Monmouth QB. He's already got Sun Belt offers.

Big time player!

Rhody always putting out the big time offensive linemen.

Morris was an Honorable Mention All-Ivy defensive tackle at Penn

Was Towson's starting safety this year, also can play nickel corner with three years of eligibility remaining

RhowdyRam02 wrote: ↑1 year ago

Was Towson's starting safety this year, also can play nickel corner with three years of eligibility remaining

Had some success with a previous starting Towson safety transferring in Coby Tippett. I believe Towson parted ways with their coach.

Second Team All-NEC strong safety with two years of eligibility

Bos8 wrote: ↑1 year ago

RhowdyRam02 wrote: ↑1 year ago

Was Towson's starting safety this year, also can play nickel corner with three years of eligibility remaining

Had some success with a previous starting Towson safety transferring in Coby Tippett. I believe Towson parted ways with their coach.

Correct, Towson moved on from Rob Ambrose after 13 seasons. Had a 76-76 record, 49-55 in conference. Made the playoffs in 2011, 2013, and 2018 making the FCS championship game in 2013

RhowdyRam02 wrote: ↑1 year ago

Bos8 wrote: ↑1 year ago

RhowdyRam02 wrote: ↑1 year ago

Was Towson's starting safety this year, also can play nickel corner with three years of eligibility remaining

Had some success with a previous starting Towson safety transferring in Coby Tippett. I believe Towson parted ways with their coach.

Correct, Towson moved on from Rob Ambrose after 13 seasons. Had a 76-76 record, 49-55 in conference. Made the playoffs in 2011, 2013, and 2018 making the FCS championship game in 2013

Those coaching numbers and playoff appearances would put him in the URI Football Hall of fame.

Gonna miss AJ’s family at tailgating! Wish him much success!

RK-I was thinking same thing=Those coaching numbers and playoff appearances would put him in the URI Football Hall of fame.
Towson fired the coach prior also (who was pretty good). Their budget is about $25K?

With the portal opening up this past Monday, do we know how many entered it?

https://www.espn.com/college-football/i ... -fits-news

ESPN+ Article Lists Ajani Cornelius as the #4 Best player in the transfer portal, excited to see where he lands!

Out:

D Lineman and Defensive Captain James Makszin

Bos8 wrote: ↑1 year ago Out:

D Lineman and Defensive Captain James Makszin

Now we've got captains looking to transfer...SMH. So much for running it back 1 more time with your teammates to help break our playoff drought.

Adding Dylan Brown to the out list as well

jakepnickers wrote: ↑1 year ago https://www.espn.com/college-football/i ... -fits-news

ESPN+ Article Lists Ajani Cornelius as the #4 Best player in the transfer portal, excited to see where he lands!

Hopefully my Vols!

Brown and Maksin are good players -not great.
Be surprised if they get that much more of an opportunity.

91 Treyvon Christian Fr. DL 6-3 295 Norwich, Conn. / Norwich Free Academy=could be beast

FmrRamFB1 wrote: ↑1 year ago

Bos8 wrote: ↑1 year ago Out:

D Lineman and Defensive Captain James Makszin

Now we've got captains looking to transfer...SMH. So much for running it back 1 more time with your teammates to help break our playoff drought.

He's a redshirt junior, and according to the transfer notice on his Twitter, he's a graduate transfer. I don't really think we can complain about getting four years of a player's collegiate career.

Brian Forster wrote: ↑1 year ago Brown and Maksin are good players -not great.
Be surprised if they get that much more of an opportunity.

91 Treyvon Christian Fr. DL 6-3 295 Norwich, Conn. / Norwich Free Academy=could be beast

I'll trust you on this. I thought both Makzsin and Brown were solid for us. I believe Makzsin was a FBS commit before coming to URI. Real versatile along the line, could certainly see him at a low FBS for a year. Brown was a really big body in the center of the line along with Neal but not sure of his level. Defensive line depth is certainly an under appreciated aspect of a really good team. Being able to cycle in bodies without a drop off is crucial.

Makszin's profile on GoRhody says he was originally supposed to go to Temple

Already 741 in the FCS Portal - and it is a moving target and will continue to increase. FCS Players only:

Some teams of interest:

CAA Teams in Blue

URI - 3 Players
Brown - 11
Bryant - 11
Central Connecticut State - 18
Davidson - 3
Dayton - 3
Delaware - 2
Duquesne - 5
Elon - 8
Fordham - 7
Harvard - 13
Maine - 2
Monmouth - 9
New Hampshire - 1
Richmond - 6
St Francis (PA) - 15 - listed as we got 3 strong players from St Francis last year
Stony Brook - 17
Towson - 4
Albany - 8
Villanova - 4
Wagner - 32 - listed because of the high number and relatively close to URI geographically

https://www.redshirtsports.xyz/2023-fcs ... al-tracker

I'll trust you on this. I thought both Makzsin and Brown were solid for us.
Bos-you are correct. Those two are good players within a rotation. They could help someone next season including Rhody,so long as in a rotation.

Rams have plenty of D lineman.

The steady drip-drip of portal entries continue: You can add Matt Thomas to the list of D-line defections. That makes 3 solid contributors.

FmrRamFB1 wrote: ↑1 year ago The steady drip-drip of portal entries continue: You can add Matt Thomas to the list of D-line defections. That makes 3 solid contributors.

Thanks for the update. This is the reality of college football. Unless you are close to the program, you have no idea who plans on staying, and who plans on going. It's up to the staff to fill holes these guys create with either immediate impact transfers or hope that they've done a good enough job of preparing and developing guys behind them to step in and contribute. This can be tough at a FCS school were you have less scholarships, which means less depth.
The staff has done a good job the past few years finding replacements and contributors in the portal. Lets hope they continue to do that, while mixing in some of the guys they have been developing behind the scenes.

Appreciate everyone keeping this thread up to date and current with transfer news. Although, I am hopeful there aren't many more!

Is there concern that we're losing so many players from one position group? Like why are the defensive linemen, at least for now, going into the portal more than other positions?

Is there concern that we're losing so many players from one position group?
Yup-at this point. Stay tuned.

SmartyBarrett wrote: ↑1 year ago

Now I haven't watched him closely

But this could easily be an example of someone that regrets going to the portal

29 tackles and 3.5 sacks?

Where's he gonna go? No one any good at the FBS level is going to be all that intrigued. What's he gonna go to like Temple and start?

Only 30% of the 1000 plus transfers found a home last year. Hope our guys are making the right choice.

PeterRamTime wrote: ↑1 year ago

SmartyBarrett wrote: ↑1 year ago

Now I haven't watched him closely

But this could easily be an example of someone that regrets going to the portal

29 tackles and 3.5 sacks?

Where's he gonna go? No one any good at the FBS level is going to be all that intrigued. What's he gonna go to like Temple and start?

Only 30% of the 1000 plus transfers found a home last year. Hope our guys are making the right choice.

It certainly could be, but lets be fair, there are many reasons kids enter the transfer portal.
Of course he could be eying a bigger stage. But he could be looking to transfer down for a bigger role and more focus for an NLI opportunity? There is a chance that everyone here loves him and its understood why he is leaving. Or maybe it was understood he would test the waters and maybe comeback? Or maybe it's the opposite and it's very unexpected...
Or perhaps he just simply doesn't like campus, or we don't have the graduate courses he wants? Grades weren't good enough? Maybe the coaches forced him out? Maybe he didn't get along with a coach or coaches. Maybe a coach he really likes is going to leave. Maybe Doesn't get along with a player/players or someone on campus? Could just wants a fresh start.

I could go on and on. At the end of the day, it's the new reality. I'll still be cheering on whoever is wearing the Rhody jersey next year.

6’8” 300LB O-lineman

Sweet! Seems like a guy that can help out right away. Also at 6’8” can he play some BB? Talk about clogging up the paint with a big body!

Where's he coming from?

Boston College