Do We Have the Talent We Need?

Husker in WI said:
I think it has improved, but yeah not what I expected in year 4. I don't have to squint as hard to see depth at RB, WR, and OL (Tackle at least), but it is still a lot of young and unproven guys. Guard/Center depth looks abysmal, but I suspect we'll bump a tackle or two down so not as worried. But I think the depth options are better - I'm more optimistic about guys like Morrison, Scott, Betts, Grimes, Brown, etc contributing then our depth the last couple years - Williams/Woodyard, Nance/Houston, Mazour. But right now, there's not a lot of difference in the production between those groups.
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would just be nice to be able to not simply feel optimistic about groups of players who have yet to show it. I agree with you and the optimism just getting tiring having to drink up optimism instead of production and results. 

 
Hedley Lamarr said:
Did these Freshman not play because we lacked warm bodies at the position though? Just seems like in year 4 we would hope to have a bit more of a stabilized position than a ton of Freshman backs. I know part of that is due to Mo Wash etc but goodness it hurts to not see us have a solid back like we were accustomed to for so many years.  
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I mean ... that's why "development" is such a hard thing to really know.  People like to throw it around a lot but it usually means "we aren't as good as we should be".  But there's a ton of stuff that goes into that.

A lot of the issue is Riley's crew didn't recruit RBs any better than they recruited WRs - and they were abysmal at that.  After getting Ozigbo in 2015, they took a known injury risk in Tre Bryant in 2016, then a long-shot project last-minute hope in Jaylin Bradley in 2017 followed by having no one for 2018.  Frost's crew got Washington in a couple weeks be he turned out to be too much of a head case.  They also grabbed Bell but he had attitude issues.  In 2019 they got Mills and Rahmir Johnson.  Mills was solid but now gone after two years and Johnson has seen the field but not done anything spectacular.

But that means that Johnson is the only one left from four straight recruiting classes and he's just a freshman.  So I'm not sure how you can pin "lack of development" on that situation.

 
Mavric said:
I mean ... that's why "development" is such a hard thing to really know.  People like to throw it around a lot but it usually means "we aren't as good as we should be".  But there's a ton of stuff that goes into that.

A lot of the issue is Riley's crew didn't recruit RBs any better than they recruited WRs - and they were abysmal at that.  After getting Ozigbo in 2015, they took a known injury risk in Tre Bryant in 2016, then a long-shot project last-minute hope in Jaylin Bradley in 2017 followed by having no one for 2018.  Frost's crew got Washington in a couple weeks be he turned out to be too much of a head case.  They also grabbed Bell but he had attitude issues.  In 2019 they got Mills and Rahmir Johnson.  Mills was solid but now gone after two years and Johnson has seen the field but not done anything spectacular.

But that means that Johnson is the only one left from four straight recruiting classes and he's just a freshman.  So I'm not sure how you can pin "lack of development" on that situation.
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Would like to see more RB talent in the mix but frankly our OL challenges and QB downfield passing attack has more to do with the lack of RB production in my opinion than not having guys in the room who can get the job done.  Even prime AP from oklahoma would have difficulties doing work when the defense is stacking 8-9 defenders within the box because there is zero threat of a passing attack.

TL/DR: Want better RBs any day of the week but us learning how to throw the damn ball will make a lot of the guys we already have in the RB room look a lot better

 
gossamorharpy said:
Would like to see more RB talent in the mix but frankly our OL challenges and QB downfield passing attack has more to do with the lack of RB production in my opinion than not having guys in the room who can get the job done.  Even prime AP from oklahoma would have difficulties doing work when the defense is stacking 8-9 defenders within the box because there is zero threat of a passing attack.

TL/DR: Want better RBs any day of the week but us learning how to throw the damn ball will make a lot of the guys we already have in the RB room look a lot better
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To some extent I agree.  I think teams can focus on the run because we haven't been a threat to throw the ball down the field.

But I do think that guys that have more athleticism have been able to succeed, albeit in limited opportunities.  Maurice Washington was fairly productive and made some big plays.  McCaffrey had a few big plays from the RB spot.  And our QB run game has been pretty decent.

I just don't think Bell and Mills are explosive enough to really exploit what was actually there.  Mills didn't get a lot of help from our run blocking but he also almost never made the first guy miss either.  He got whatever the offensive line got for him, for the most part.

I think the younger guys have more potential to be a threat.  But apparently none of them could stay healthy this year.  So we'll see if they can do more next year.

 
In regards to offensive talent....

QB: AM (4* in his 4th season), LMC and Smothers (4*'s with multiple years in system)

RB: Stepp, Sevy, Rahmir (all 4*s) 

WR:  Toure (FCS All American) - Betts, Omar, Brown, Martin (All 4*) 

TE: Allen (proven), Fidone (4* Top TE)

OL: Anchored by Benhart and Corcran (4* top 150 guys)

If the offense can't go with this group, IDK if it ever will. 

 
Mavric said:
To some extent I agree.  I think teams can focus on the run because we haven't been a threat to throw the ball down the field.

But I do think that guys that have more athleticism have been able to succeed, albeit in limited opportunities.  Maurice Washington was fairly productive and made some big plays.  McCaffrey had a few big plays from the RB spot.  And our QB run game has been pretty decent.

I just don't think Bell and Mills are explosive enough to really exploit what was actually there.  Mills didn't get a lot of help from our run blocking but he also almost never made the first guy miss either.  He got whatever the offensive line got for him, for the most part.

I think the younger guys have more potential to be a threat.  But apparently none of them could stay healthy this year.  So we'll see if they can do more next year.
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100%.... man we were incredibly spoiled with that run from 2009-2016 of helu, burkhead, ameer.  Got too used to having an upper classmen stud followed by an equally as intriguing young guy that was ready to step in when it was their time.  

Mills def lacks the break away speed you'd like to see, guy got caught from behind one too many times by a LB or lagging secondary guy when the hole was there to break one off. 

We also havent really placed OL talent into the NFL since Bo's prime days... I've got some confidence the young guys we threw into the lions den this past year will grow into that and the running game results will shortly follow 

 
FrantzHardySwag said:
In regards to offensive talent....

QB: AM (4* in his 4th season), LMC and Smothers (4*'s with multiple years in system)

RB: Stepp, Sevy, Rahmir (all 4*s) 

WR:  Toure (FCS All American) - Betts, Omar, Brown, Martin (All 4*) 

TE: Allen (proven), Fidone (4* Top TE)

OL: Anchored by Benhart and Corcran (4* top 150 guys)

If the offense can't go with this group, IDK if it ever will. 
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This offense can absolutely go.  But putting a bunch of 4* players together that are underclassmen still takes time.

 
Do we have the talent we need? I'd say most likely "probably not," bordering potentially on "maaaaybe."

But we sure as hell don't have the coaching and culture necessary to win. We look like a program that's just going through the motions almost as bad as Riley's program.

Frost has the potential to be a great head coach - but I still think his supporting cast is lacking, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.

 
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Undone said:
Do we have the talent we need? I'd say most likely "probably not," bordering potentially on "maaaaybe."

But we sure as hell don't have the coaching and culture necessary to win. We look like a program that's just going through the motions almost as bad as Riley's program.

Frost has the potential to be a great head coach - but I still think his supporting cast is lacking, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.
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I don't agree at all here. We shoot ourselves in the foot all the damn time, and that's a coaching problem at the root. But this is very, very different than giving up 9+ yards per play to a Minnesota team led by a guy who couldn't even find a Juco willing to let him play QB after the season. Or just laying down and letting Iowa score 42 unanswered points. Even earlier in Riley's tenure, there was the "bloodbath" game and literally not wanting to be on the field against OSU. It's not good enough now, but it's not even worth comparing to Riley's teams. 

 
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Husker in WI said:
I don't agree at all here. We shoot ourselves in the foot all the damn time, and that's a coaching problem at the root. But this is very, very different than giving up 9+ yards per play to a Minnesota team led by a guy who couldn't even find a Juco willing to let him play QB after the season. Or just laying down and letting Iowa score 42 unanswered points. Even earlier in Riley's tenure, there was the "bloodbath" game and literally not wanting to be on the field against OSU. It's not good enough now, but it's not even worth comparing to Riley's teams. 
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I think what you're largely describing there is our defensive turnaround under Chinander - which I would be dumb to disagree with.

But offense and special teams? Turnovers and stupid penalties?

The overall results seem to stem from bad coaching, bad preparation, and bad culture - which to me are indicative of a staff that's just going through the motions. 

The passion to be a national championship caliber team has been beaten out of Frost and his guys. That is of course changing the subject away from "looks like they're going through the motions."

 
Undone said:
I think what you're largely describing there is our defensive turnaround under Chinander - which I would be dumb to disagree with.

But offense and special teams? Turnovers and stupid penalties?

The overall results seem to stem from bad coaching, bad preparation, and bad culture - which to me are indicative of a staff that's just going through the motions. 

The passion to be a national championship caliber team has been beaten out of Frost and his guys. That is of course changing the subject away from "looks like they're going through the motions."
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Eh good point, the offensive never did seem as lost as the defense under Riley. Still feels like there's more passion, but that could just be me (and the defense). It is extremely frustrating that it's been 3 learning years, and we seem to have to make the mistake each year instead of building on last year. We always come out flat against a bad team, and from that learn we can't. That should have been learned after 2018 Troy, not 2020 Illinois. Some of that could be the drastic roster turnover, but that is the coaches job to manage. I still don't think it's just going through the motions overall - Frost, Held, Austin, etc care too much for that. But they do need to get it fixed.

 
Our talent composite is 24th. Honestly pretty poor for what's supposed to be a "blue blood" program.

We do have the talent to win the godawful Big Ten West Division, though. Let alone have just one bowl season out of the last four.

 
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Husker in WI said:
I don't agree at all here. We shoot ourselves in the foot all the damn time, and that's a coaching problem at the root. But this is very, very different than giving up 9+ yards per play to a Minnesota team led by a guy who couldn't even find a Juco willing to let him play QB after the season. Or just laying down and letting Iowa score 42 unanswered points. Even earlier in Riley's tenure, there was the "bloodbath" game and literally not wanting to be on the field against OSU. It's not good enough now, but it's not even worth comparing to Riley's teams. 
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Riley was exactly .500 at Nebraska. Scott Frost is .375. So far, Frost has been worse than Riley. 

If Frost wasn't a national title winning QB, he would have already been fired, and would have gone down as the worst coach in Nebraska history. Probably even worse than Bill Jennings, since Jennings coached before Devaney and Osborne created the Nebraska program as we know it.

 
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