Comings and Goings
Apparently the gates in the transfer department were full this weekend. One now former Duke passed another incoming one this weekend and ultimately, we’re fairly pleased with the news on both fronts. On the departure front, it appears Michael Birdsong is officially headed to Marshall as he tweeted an emphatic “We Are Marshall” after his official visit this weekend. Personally we’re just glad it wasn’t ODU or Liberty where we’d have to hear about it the next three years. Marshall has a stud senior QB in Cato, but the GingerNinja will have to sit out this year anyways so it appears he’ll have a chance to compete after that. Probably a little nerve-wracking for Withers as the Doc Holliday laser show, also known as the Thundering Herd’s offense, can realllyy make a QB look great, but overall seems like a good result for Birdsong and a CUSA team we likely won’t see during his last three years.
But waaayy more exciting news came out today from the arrivals gate. Three-point gunner and JUCO transfer Winston Grays committed to Matt Brady and JMU. Needless to say, this could fill an enormous need. And for what it’s worth, Cincinnati State probably transfers just fine to the current CAA – sure worked out for the Dukes last time with Rayshawn Goins. Brady’s building a little pipeline there and we’ll take it.
I like that Birdsong landed at Marshall for basically all the same reasons you outlined. I think he will do well if he gets a consistent OC who can teach him to look off coverage (his biggest problem area IMO). Reading coverage would also help, though he did that fairly well at times.
Hopefully Grays won’t transfer out in a year like everyone else on the team.
Or be deemed academically ineligible. Brady sucks.
So Marshall, a team that dominated 1-AA in ways that JMU can only dream of before moving up over 15 years ago, is relegated to taking our backup QB? This is why I’m still on the fence with this whole moving up thing.