[Redrum]

just to let them sit.  In the past, guys have played very sparingly in the latter part of the season when their contribution/future cost ratio was way out of wack.  

It seems that the new paradigm is that we are recruiting guys who should be at least as good or better than the guys who are playing and they should be 4-yr. contributors,  not guys who finally win starting jobs in the 4th or 5th year.    Definitely a different mindset from the patient philosophy of letting players develop physically and learn their positions before they see the field.    Under this new approach, the redshirt year is basically an insurance year should the player get hurt.

Anyway,  Harbs enunciated on his first day on campus that football is a sport where learning and improving comes from playing, not practicing.  Whatever, it\'s an approach informed by a lifetime playing and coaching football,  so if shirts burn early at least it seems part of a plan.

[Redrum]

just to let them sit.  In the past, guys have played very sparingly in the latter part of the season when their contribution/future cost ratio was way out of wack.  

It seems that the new paradigm is that we are recruiting guys who should be at least as good or better than the guys who are playing and they should be 4-yr. contributors,  not guys who finally win starting jobs in the 4th or 5th year.    Definitely a different mindset from the patient philosophy of letting players develop physically and learn their positions before they see the field.    Under this new approach, the redshirt year is basically an insurance year should the player get hurt.

Anyway,  Harbs enunciated on his first day on campus that football is a sport where learning and improving comes from playing, not practicing.  Whatever, it\'s an approach informed by a lifetime playing and coaching football,  so if shirts burn early at least it seems part of a plan.