Head Coach Tom Herman has been using the transfer portal flawlessly this offseason, and most of his decisions have been acts of genius. One interesting signing is Desmond Tisdol, a linebacker from Auburn University.
Tisdol grew up in Rochelle, Georgia and attended Wilcox County High School. While there he played baseball, basketball, and football.
On the baseball field, Tisdol had 18 hits with 61 at bats. In 25 games he had 10 stolen bases and a 0.295 career batting average. He played better defensively with a 0.865 fielding percentage on 52 total chances. Decent statistics, but nothing compared to his basketball abilities.
On the basketball court Tisdol was more impressive. In 54 games Tisdol had 873 points with a 54% field goal percentage. Averaging 16.2 points per game is fairly competitive and showed some interest at the collegiate level.
Where Coach Herman’s rationale comes into question is with Tisdol’s football statistics. Tisdol is only recorded to have played football his freshman and sophomore year, whereas he played baseball and basketball for three years.
In these two years of highschool play, Tisdol only played one game each season. Most of his damage was done on offense as running back. In 2 games Tisdol recorded 27 carries for 127 yards averaging 4.7 yards per carry.
He only played one of his two games as an offensive and defensive player, and in that game Tisdol recorded 6 tackles with one being for a loss.
With the above statistics in all three of his sports present, it would be assumed that Tisdol continued his athletic career in basketball, but this was not the case. Tisdol received offers from highly competitive schools with the likes of Tennessee, South Carolina, and Kentucky to play football.
After considering his options, Tisdol enrolled at Auburn University and played three seasons there as a linebacker. In three seasons with the Tigers, Tisdol achieved 12 total tackles with half of them being assisted.
As his third season came to a conclusion, Tisdol entered the transfer portal and landed at FAU.
With statistics as a lone source of credibility, Tisdol does not seem to be a decent football player at all, but good coaches and recruiters see past statistics. Coach Herman must be looking deeply at Tisdol’s diverse athletic resume and seeing an uncut gem.
With Auburn being such a competitive football oriented school, Tisdol probably didn’t get the attention or opportunity he deserves. This is most likely the reason for his lackluster statistics as compared to his extremely athletic 6 foot 234 pound build.
Defensive Coordinator and Linebacker Coach Roc Bellantoni will use his expertise to mold this raw linebacker into a defensive weapon. Along with this, Head Coach Herman will more than likely give him more play time this upcoming season than his entire career at Auburn.
As an Owls fan, the key takeaways on Desmond Tisdol are that he is extremely hard working. He has proven himself in three different sports and has been sought after by power 5 universities. His career statistics have been hindered by a lack of opportunity, and Coach Herman sees potential in him.
Coach Herman has made plenty of great signings this offseason, and this signing may seem like an uncharacteristic miss. Personally, I think this is one of Herman’s riskier signings, but I am confident that his vision will once again prevail and Tisdol will receive a starting spot.
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