Your 2021 Nebraska Cornhuskers

[Gorillahawk]

It's been said time and time again, but you almost have to recruit some juco kids until your program is established. Also I know this has been said but Frost's first recruiting class was really a wash. Everybody called his first year "year 0" because of the disadvantages and the state of the program. Most of us are extremely frustrated with how the first few years have went, but there's a reason why they've been poor. It's a combination of poor coaching at times, recruits flaking out, and much more. There is a reason why it's a common thought that it takes 5 years to rebuild a program. I understand that it's not that way everywhere but if we can Frost after this year, how attractive is the Nebraska job? We have no choice but  be patient and see what happens

 

[Toe]

I'm not disagreeing with you ... just posting this quote.  

“Niko’s a grownup physically & emotionally. Got an NFL body coming off and rushing the passer so we’re excited to get him cranked up, teach him the defense. I think he has a chance to make an immediate impact.”

Yeah, the way I see it, he might have been a project guy, but we need pass rushing OLBs so desperately that it was worth a shot...

 

[Toe]

Omar Manning jumping over off-season drama like

 

[HuskermanMike]

Niko Cooper was a reach to begin with. His only other P5 offer was Maryland. Given the timing of his departure (during winter conditioning), I'm guessing that he didn't like the grind of being a P5-level player. Apparently there was an incident where he threw a big s#!tfit after an older walk-on called him out for missing practice. Don't think he'll be missed much.

Still, recruiting JUCO guys is feeling like a colossal waste of time at this point. And for as much as the staff wants to find guys who are a good 'fit' culturally, they sure seem bad at identifying them as recruits...

Held has some great Juco connections. However, when they get here the recruits get a reality check.  Here's to hoping Manning can be all we expected him to be or heck even half of what we expected. Because most Juco offensive players have done nothing outside of Mills- who already had D1 playing experience.

The reason you take JuCos are 

1 You need to add depth and a ready to go mature player can slide in and give you depth or play right away.

2 No one at the position is ready to go so you are bringing in a player just as good or better than you have. 

The downside to doing this is that you take away reps/development from younger players. At this level, you cannot "gamble" anymore with Jucos. If you do, it takes up a roster spot and they end up leaving anyway. I would much rather we look to the transfer portal because those guys have already played D1 football and know what it takes. Grad transfers are also locked in for only one year and if it is a regular transfer they get to sit and learn the playbook. Some Juco's may have three years but again if you gamble on these guys there goes two years of development or so for other players. 

I do not mind taking the right Jucos as they can be so hard to predict. I am just not a fan of the amount of Juco guys we have taken under Frost. I would say 3 is the maximum for any given year and going into this cycle it should be one for each side of the ball. 

 

[Hedley Lamarr]

Held has some great Juco connections. However, when they get here the recruits get a reality check.  Here's to hoping Manning can be all we expected him to be or heck even half of what we expected. Because most Juco offensive players have done nothing outside of Mills- who already had D1 playing experience.

The reason you take JuCos are 

1 You need to add depth and a ready to go mature player can slide in and give you depth or play right away.

2 No one at the position is ready to go so you are bringing in a player just as good or better than you have. 

The downside to doing this is that you take away reps/development from younger players. At this level, you cannot "gamble" anymore with Jucos. If you do, it takes up a roster spot and they end up leaving anyway. I would much rather we look to the transfer portal because those guys have already played D1 football and know what it takes. Grad transfers are also locked in for only one year and if it is a regular transfer they get to sit and learn the playbook. Some Juco's may have three years but again if you gamble on these guys there goes two years of development or so for other players. 

I do not mind taking the right Jucos as they can be so hard to predict. I am just not a fan of the amount of Juco guys we have taken under Frost. I would say 3 is the maximum for any given year and going into this cycle it should be one for each side of the ball. 

All Jucos are not made equally. Usually your P5 bouncebacks are the safest bet. Really takes an extra level of digging when you are looking Juco. 

 

[junior4949]

All Jucos are not made equally. Usually your P5 bouncebacks are the safest bet. Really takes an extra level of digging when you are looking Juco. 

So, was Bill Snyder just that good; just that lucky; or a combination of the two?  His recruitment of high school players was typically at or right at the bottom of the Big 12 which really shouldn't surprise anyone considering Manhattan, KS is roughly the same size as Grand Island, NE.  However, they ranked near or at the top with JuCo recruiting.  KState had some pretty decent seasons with those JuCo players.  It takes a special coach to not only identify JuCo talent but to also cultivate that said talent within their program.  

I don't see a future where Nebraska is successful trying to bring in elite high school players into the program.  It's going to take a mixture and more than likely a heavy mixture of JuCo players to get us where we want to go.  

 

[Hedley Lamarr]

So, was Bill Snyder just that good; just that lucky; or a combination of the two?  His recruitment of high school players was typically at or right at the bottom of the Big 12 which really shouldn't surprise anyone considering Manhattan, KS is roughly the same size as Grand Island, NE.  However, they ranked near or at the top with JuCo recruiting.  KState had some pretty decent seasons with those JuCo players.  It takes a special coach to not only identify JuCo talent but to also cultivate that said talent within their program.  

I don't see a future where Nebraska is successful trying to bring in elite high school players into the program.  It's going to take a mixture and more than likely a heavy mixture of JuCo players to get us where we want to go.  

Yes Bill Snyder was really that good. I view him as one of the greatest college coaches and I always wondered what Snyder in his prime could have accomplished at a have instead of a have not school. He was given rocks to make lemonade instead of lemons yet somehow still made lemonade. 

 

[Gorillahawk]

Yes Bill Snyder was really that good. I view him as one of the greatest college coaches and I always wondered what Snyder in his prime could have accomplished at a have instead of a have not school. He was given rocks to make lemonade instead of lemons yet somehow still made lemonade. 

Thats a great way to put it. He took over the worst program ever and turned them into a powerhouse in the late 90's. It also took him almost 10 years to do it. He himself has said that he couldn't replicate now what he did then because nobody would give him the time he had to do it

 

[Hedley Lamarr]

Thats a great way to put it. He took over the worst program ever and turned them into a powerhouse in the late 90's. It also took him almost 10 years to do it. He himself has said that he couldn't replicate now what he did then because nobody would give him the time he had to do it

Which is why I am not against riding out frost for a few more years. I would however like to see legit staffing upgrades made if this season is another non bowling one. 

 

[All Hail Herbie]

Omar Manning jumping over off-season drama like

Thanks for posting the video.  Very impressive in Winter Conditioning.  Will this translate into production in September?  Based on the video, I presume we should anticipate more than 6 catches against OU, right?

 

[Decked]

Thanks for posting the video.  Very impressive in Winter Conditioning.  Will this translate into production in September?  Based on the video, I presume we should anticipate more than 6 catches against OU, right?

The dude doesn’t even have one catch in his entire career here. I think 18-20 catches the whole season should be the expectation. 

 

[All Hail Herbie]

The dude doesn’t even have one catch in his entire career here. I think 18-20 catches the whole season should be the expectation. 

Thank you and completely agree.  Realism always trumps idealism in my opinion.  Posting these videos does nothing but set unrealistic expectations for fans.  Let's refrain from re-posting training videos until we actually have a winning product on the field.  

It is like watching Tony Mandarich at the NFL combine in 1989.  For millenials and Gen Z, please Google the name now.

 

[Decked]

Thank you and completely agree.  Realism always trumps idealism in my opinion.  Posting these videos does nothing but set unrealistic expectations for fans.  Let's refrain from re-posting training videos until we actually have a winning product on the field.  

It is like watching Tony Mandarich at the NFL combine in 1989.  For millenials and Gen Z, please Google the name now.

Tony got popped for doing what 95% of the NFL does. Steroids, GH, and god knows what else. Total BS. If he got to stay on the juice who knows how well he would’ve done. 

 

[All Hail Herbie]

Tony got popped for doing what 95% of the NFL does. Steroids, GH, and god knows what else. Total BS. If he got to stay on the juice who knows how well he would’ve done. 

He should have consulted Lyle Alzado on that point.  

 

[Decked]

He should have consulted Lyle Alzado on that point.  

Lyle was also wrongly told that his excessive steroid use was solely to blame for an early demise to cancer. Back in those times HGH was sourced from human cadavers too.