TCY: Ever had a walk-on become a big contributor on a good team?

[Ben E Lou]

In 20 seasons, I've built up my SC8 team to a 97 Prestige powerhouse (although I haven't yet won the National Championship). At any rate, at the beginning of 2023 I did my normal setting of the depth charts, just looking at ratings and putting the best guy in there in each slot. We opened the season at the #4 Florida Gators, and romped to a 48-23 win. Well, imagine my surprise after the first week of the season when I had an e-mail. I figured someone had gotten suspended, but it turns out it was a starter on a perennial Top 10 team asking for a scholly!!! What's more, this is only his third year of eligibility after a red-shirt season. I haven't paid close attention to this guy, OLB Byron Peterson, but I'll sure be paying attention now after he got 4 tackls, 2 assists and one tackle for a loss as a starter. Looking back (I do a savegame at the end of each season.), there was not much to indicate that this guy would be a contributor. He was rated 50+ in high school, a 6'2", 217 pound kid. He was completely unranked, even in the state of Texas overall. He was the #9 OLB in Texas. He arrived in 2020 as a 223-pounder, rated 2/60 in run defense (by an exc. scout), and 0/37 in pass rushing, so maybe I should have seen a little hope then. he got 31% weight training during his red-shirt year, but looking at the settings I gave him, it is clear that I was just hoping for GPA boost from him. I would [u]never/u] give a freshman with 75 asp and 87 int. 20% study hall time, if I was expecting anything out of him on the field. Obviously I was just wanting a good GPA and a roster filler out of Peterson. Moving forward to 2021, a new Excellent scout rated him 39/76 in run defense, and 26/53 in pass rushing by the end of a season in which he played in all 12 games and got 22 tackles and a 14.1TkPct. I noticed his ratings, as he was the primary backup OLB that year, but I guess I never noticed that he was a walk-on. In 2022, a guy coming off his redshirt year developed a lot and jumped ahead of him on the depth chart, and Peterson got in on 0 pass plays and 0 run plays. He did play in all 12 games and got three tackles, so I'm guessing he was a special teams player. (He was rated 25/40 by the end of that year.) Now, in 2023, he is rated 63/80 in run defense, and 43/58 in pass rushing, and is starting.

This is the first time I've ever had a walk-on get enough playing time to ask for a scholly once I've gotten through the first three or four seasons. Any similar stories?

[Ragone]

So the burning question is.. Did he get a scholarship? or did mommy and daddy have to foot the bill for his tuiton again?

[Ben E Lou]

Originally posted by Ragone
So the burning question is.. Did he get a scholarship? or did mommy and daddy have to foot the bill for his tuiton again?

If I had one available, I would have given it to him.

[Buccaneer]

Nevermind. You said a good team.