How'd we miss on this guy?

[VimSince03]

Not a typo. You're free to share your own opinion if you have one. Donahue will be attending the combine and if he can test well, will very likely be drafted. Very good tape.

Nolan is probably a long shot, but there are scouts that know his name and I'd be surprised if he didn't at least get a tryout.

On Donahue i absolutely agree and hope he does. I hate saying this as I dont want to sound like player rep, but I actually coached Dylan in baseball when he was 11 or 12. Did not stay in touch after that at all though. So I sure hope the best for him. My comment was meant more for Nolan. ....No chance. Great if he did get alsome looks as I love cheering the Montana under dog any time I can but we have a better chance of getting a kicker than he does making an nfl roster

Irrelevant post. Your opinion is as good as anyone else's. So, no chance? Yet almost every NFL team came through to see him. At the very least, he has a chance. He certainly has a better chance than any RB's from the Cats or Griz. Either way, those two programs missed on him, and he had a stellar career at Tech.

Both tried. Not sure how Tech got him into school, maybe welding? Word in Billings was that both MSU and UM wanted Saricini, but couldn't get his grade package into school. He chose Tech and the ability to play right away over gray shirts. He certainly was not overlooked; he was a complete stud at Senior High on the gridiron and the track.

This backs up with what I was told when I watched him run at state track his senior season.

 

[George Ferguson]

UM and MSU may have missed having Saraceni play for them, but, they didn't miss on him. He missed on them. Bottom line, if he would have met the requirements academically DURING the signing period, he would have been at one of those two schools. I also know Wyoming was interested as well. I know for a fact he would have signed with a Division I program if he would have met the academic requirements. As someone else mentioned, a grey shirt opportunity was also discussed. So, while people on here talking down Nolan Saraceni shouldn't be, because he is a good kid, and a great player, talking down MSU and UM for not signing him isn't the right either, because they both offered him, and pretty early actually. I get paid to watch Frontier Conference football. I loved watching Saraceni play, he is very talented. But, leading the Big Sky in rushing? Yeah, I'm not sure about that. We'll never know, but, one thing I do know, and keep in mind, I love Frontier football and watch over 20 Frontier games a year, the defense played in the Frontier and the defense played in the Big Sky, or at any FCS level game is so night and day, it's stupid to even talk about it. I do not for one second believe you could have just plugged Saraceni into the Cats or Griz after three years playing against Frontier defenses and say he would have been the best back, or led the Big Sky in rushing. That's a pretty big stretch imho.

 

[Richard Cranium]

UM and MSU may have missed having Saraceni play for them, but, they didn't miss on him. He missed on them. Bottom line, if he would have met the requirements academically DURING the signing period, he would have been at one of those two schools. I also know Wyoming was interested as well. I know for a fact he would have signed with a Division I program if he would have met the academic requirements. As someone else mentioned, a grey shirt opportunity was also discussed. So, while people on here talking down Nolan Saraceni shouldn't be, because he is a good kid, and a great player, talking down MSU and UM for not signing him isn't the right either, because they both offered him, and pretty early actually. I get paid to watch Frontier Conference football. I loved watching Saraceni play, he is very talented. But, leading the Big Sky in rushing? Yeah, I'm not sure about that. We'll never know, but, one thing I do know, and keep in mind, I love Frontier football and watch over 20 Frontier games a year, the defense played in the Frontier and the defense played in the Big Sky, or at any FCS level game is so night and day, it's stupid to even talk about it. I do not for one second believe you could have just plugged Saraceni into the Cats or Griz after three years playing against Frontier defenses and say he would have been the best back, or led the Big Sky in rushing. That's a pretty big stretch imho.

My thoughts are he would have had a much better O line to run behind and I think that would have offset the better quality of defense he would run against.

 

[George Ferguson]

UM and MSU may have missed having Saraceni play for them, but, they didn't miss on him. He missed on them. Bottom line, if he would have met the requirements academically DURING the signing period, he would have been at one of those two schools. I also know Wyoming was interested as well. I know for a fact he would have signed with a Division I program if he would have met the academic requirements. As someone else mentioned, a grey shirt opportunity was also discussed. So, while people on here talking down Nolan Saraceni shouldn't be, because he is a good kid, and a great player, talking down MSU and UM for not signing him isn't the right either, because they both offered him, and pretty early actually. I get paid to watch Frontier Conference football. I loved watching Saraceni play, he is very talented. But, leading the Big Sky in rushing? Yeah, I'm not sure about that. We'll never know, but, one thing I do know, and keep in mind, I love Frontier football and watch over 20 Frontier games a year, the defense played in the Frontier and the defense played in the Big Sky, or at any FCS level game is so night and day, it's stupid to even talk about it. I do not for one second believe you could have just plugged Saraceni into the Cats or Griz after three years playing against Frontier defenses and say he would have been the best back, or led the Big Sky in rushing. That's a pretty big stretch imho.

My thoughts are he would have had a much better O line to run behind and I think that would have offset the better quality of defense he would run against.

Maybe the Cats, but that thought sure doesn't jive with what a majority of Griz fans say about the O-Line in Missoula. Or should I say, some posters on here. Those guys would probably say Tech's OLine was better lol.

 

[Sam A. Blitz]

I agree. Strong statement in saying that he has no chance. I watched a couple Tech games this year and he was very fun to watch. Definitely the best college RB in the state last year. From a pure athleticism and physical attribute standpoint, he is better than any back in the Big Sky last year. He faces long odds coming from an NAIA program and he will probably need a head-turning Pro Day to get good PFA offers, but he will get a camp tryout at the very least.

You lost me when you said "better than any back in the Big Sky last year". Um yeah, he is nowhere near as athletic as John Santiago. Just saying...

Ha, nowhere near? Nolan was a 10.7 100m in HS, and he's 5'11 205. Santiago is a stud, but he's 5'9 175, he won't get any NFL looks. Again, Santiago is a good player, but who cares? Is he from Montana? Did the Griz miss on him?

Was just going to post this. Thanks oredigger. Gotgame also took my comment out of context. I said from a "pure athleticism and physical attribute standpoint, he is better than any back in the Big Sky last year". I also never said he would lead the league in rushing as George pointed out. Would be pure speculation on what his productivity would have been and it is unlikely he would have led the league in rushing playing for UM or MSU.

My point is that I think Nolan is probably a better pro prospect at this point than any back in the Big Sky. I could be wrong on that, but that is what I see and what measurables point to. Santiago is a great player and very fun to watch, but does not possess the physical attributes Nolan does. He is a very quick and shifty back, but is a 4.6 40 guy and is much smaller. The only RB that I saw that had pro type attributes in the Big Sky was the freshman from NAU. As IGotSources pointed out, it has been a long time since the BSC has put a RB in the NFL.

Good discussion. Thanks.

 

[Buttegrizzle]

I'm on egriz record from the Montana shrine game he played in as a senior. I said then he dominated the game. We missed him along with the cats because he got injured early his senior year and didn't have the numbers. We messed up. He is bigger stronger and faster than anyone in the RB spot in the BSC. Check out his YouTube combine clip putting up 23 reps at 225. Ha. Can our Dends even do that?