Post-Signing Day Presser

[knapplc]

Bo states that he's missed the press.

 

Finished recruiting class. Feel good about it. 17 players from 13 states. 18 Walk-ons. One more guy coming after the paperwork is all done. Feels really good about the class.

 

Bo thinks Recruiting just starts today. Once you get them, you get a chance to develop them. It's not what they are coming in, it's what you produce when they get out. Feels really good about the kind of kids they have.

 

The numbers were ever-changing. They want to keep a couple of scholarships back for guys who may earn them, former walk-ons. They feel good about the numbers they hit, based on the needs they had. We have 12 outgoing seniors. Then you have guys going out due to attrition or "other things," and they're comfortable with where they are.

 

Defensive playmakers were kind of an emphasis. They felt like the LB position needed more depth based on the new conference. Feels good about what they were able to accomplish. Got some quality D Linemen in, and potentially good about the secondary. Bo feels really good about what they have, the quality they have. They hit the positions they wanted to hit. He feels like they made the football team better.

 

Needs didn't really change in the middle of the season. They addressed things this way from the beginning, but then changed a couple of things here and there.

 

Beyond the scholarship guys, this is as talented a walk-on class you could want. Brought in a lot of quality football players, guys who can help us down the line. The whole staff puts effort into that area. Cotton, Jamrog, those guys focus on this, but recruiting the walk-ons is a team effort.

 

Bo found out about Peat's decision when everyone else did. It came down to a few seconds before. They thought they were going to get Peat. They knew they were going to get the other three guys, but not Peat. And it didn't go our way.

 

Bo thinks Tommy Armstrong is a really talented guy. Physically talented and can do a lot of things with the ball, but they're excited about the kind of leader he is, his command of the huddle, and the kind of person he is. They're excited about the kind of person they're getting, and the more they got to know him the more excited they got, Bo got, about him.

 

It takes two-three years down the road to really assess this class. Hard to say what these guys are going to be now. It depends on how they develop these guys. In this day and age ESPN and the rest of the media outlets are making this stuff out like these guys are ready to walk in and be named All-Pro, and that's rarely the case. There's so much they need to learn, and they have to get stronger, and that takes time. Some guys are ready to step in right away but there aren't that many guys like that. Over time is when you see how a class is going to develop.

 

Bo's personal signing day – at his house, there was no grabbing a hat. Bo signed a form and his parents said, "Get your butt to school." And that's the way it should be.

 

Bo states they don't recruit to the conference, they recruit players. At the end of the day they want to win a National Championship, and that means you have to be able to beat everybody. Michael Rose is a guy who could play for anybody or we wouldn't have recruited him. And like Tommy, it's about his character. Michael Rose, Tommy Armstrong, you go right down the list and those are guys who are going to fit in with what we're doing here at the University of Nebraska.

 

There's great potential on the O Line even without Peat, as long as guys stay healthy.

 

Four-year scholarships – it's all in the language. Bo doesn't know how other schools do it, but Nebraska doesn't kick guys out because they weren't what we thought they were as football players. IF someone finds their way out of the program it's because of what they did academically or socially, off the football field. We don't kick someone out because of their play. If you recruit someone and they're not quite as good as you thought they were, that's your fault as coaches.

 

Nebraska is doing multi-year scholarships, not one-year, not four-year. Everybody gets the same scholarship, not just certain guys.

 

Zaire Anderson has potential to play right away, but you have to see how it plays out. We don't promise playing time, we just recruit the best guys we can. We didn't want to recruit four LBs in the same class, but Zaire is just someone we think can help us.

 

Guys listed as Athletes – both guys will start in the defensive backfield. LeRoy Alexander and Alonzo Moore will play Cornerback, along with Seisay. All three could probably play Safety. If you have a certain body type you can move back and forth. Bo likes this group. All three will have the opportunity to play Corner.

 

The new assistants and recruiting – did a good job, including Coach Kaz. Did a heckuva job. Helped in the Curry situation, but he also visited with all the D Line guys too. He's a guy they respect, and he has a good rapport

 

Ross Els is the new Recruiting Coordinator. He'll be Special Teams and Recruiting Coordinator. Based on his experience and Bo thought he was the right choice.

 

Third Cotton – it's getting pretty ridiculous, isn't it? The worst part of it was having to talk to Coach Cotton as a father on the Recruiting Visit. Bo was like, we've been through this, can't you talk to him? But it was a good recruiting process, and Sam seems like he's on the same path as Ben, maybe ahead of Ben. Bo would take another Ben Cotton right now.

 

Heard may move to Corner. He brings talent. He's a real sudden type of guy. Braylon is the kind of guy who could play multiple positions. He could be a heck of a WR if he put his mind to it. They want to do right by him and put him on the field as many snaps as possible.

 

Charles Jackson – they have a scholarship available for him. Cross that road when it comes.

 

They're not considering trying to fill other positions, or switch guys around. Justin Jackson is going back to Center now that Caputo is gone. Justin has the chance to be good over there.

 

Other than that, the roster is as is.

 

Josh Williams – is not on the football team. Violation of team rules.

[jamrinelli]

I am very impressed with how candid Bo was tonight during the presser. There were times that he said he wasnt going to go into detail about certain things, then the press pushed and asked a question and he was more than willing to answer ie) what areas they wish they would have recruited more. I am looking forward to some of the moves he mentioned especially heard moving to the DB field. he is extremely talented and has very good hips fr moving with WR. It def helps to get good talent on the field. Lets hope things go smooth for the off season!!!!!

[knapplc]

Bo is clearly growing in his role as Head Coach. This was another in a series of more candid, open pressers. Let's hope he continues to mellow. Winning a conference championship may help that process.

 

 

His very first statement, "I've missed you guys" goes along with that theme.

[kchusker_chris]

Thanks Knapp!

[Apathy]

I believe someone said on ESPNU today that only the schools in the B1G conference are doing 4 year scholarships and that the NCAA may have all other conferences do the same thing.

[knapplc]

I apologize for switching between First and Third Person in that wall of text up there. It's very hard to keep up with Bo - he's a fast talker, and if I'm going to have anything coherent to post it's best to just follow along. When I can get word-for-word I do, but often it's every other sentence, or a paraphrase of what he says.

[jamrinelli]

His very first statement, "I've missed you guys" goes along with that theme.

 

ya this had me busting up when he said this. I knew right than that he was going to have a great presser.

[da skers]

I thought it was nice not having to listen to Dirk try to poke the bear.

[AFhusker]

Good class and a good day overall. Missed on a couple, but it seems we did a pretty good job of closing. Peat not coming is certainly interesting.

 

Here's a map showing where the commits came from.

 

[Haspula]

Good class and a good day overall. Missed on a couple, but it seems we did a pretty good job of closing. Peat not coming is certainly interesting.

 

Here's a map showing where the commits came from.

 

 

There seems to be a blue ribbon on Philadelphia, i dont think a commit came from there

[HuskerCarter]

Someone said something about Bo saying the Huskers will recruit heavily in Dallas next year. Can anyone confirm that? and if so, what are the possible prospects that will come with recruiting heavily in Dallas this year?

[NoLongerN]

Good read. Thanks Knapp

[bshirt]

Thanks knapplc! Looks like Bo is mellowing a bit......

[nathanwindu]

Good class and a good day overall. Missed on a couple, but it seems we did a pretty good job of closing. Peat not coming is certainly interesting.

 

Here's a map showing where the commits came from.

 

 

There seems to be a blue ribbon on Philadelphia, i dont think a commit came from there

 

I think those 2 on the East Coast are the JUCO's. Seisay came out of a AZ JUCO, and Zaire a Cali JUCO, but when Seisay originally committed to Memphis as a HS Senior, he came out of Virginia, which seems to be where the Red A is. the other one, I can only guess is Anderson, since Thomas Brown and Corey Whitaker came out of California as well, and there's only 2 dots. But I don't know if Zaire is really from there or not.

[redintampa]

I noticed no recruits from Florida. I wonder if that is an issue that will be addressed in the future?

 

I know we will get a recruit in 2018 when my oldest is ready to sign!