Husker Football Recruiting Class of 2019

[Husker in WI]

4 minutes ago, Moiraine said:

How often when we didn’t sign the top 5 was it because 5 players weren’t worthy of a scholarship, and how often was it because the coaches made bad choices or couldn’t keep them here?

 

I can think of at least 2 huge screw ups by Riley in 2 different years so I’m definitely not questioning that part of it.

Using 247 for the rankings:

2002 - RB Stevie Hicks (NE #4) signed with Iowa State - not sure if we wanted him or not, he did have a decent career I think. We did sign another in state RB in David Horne (NE #1).

2003 - K Sean Douglas (NE #4) signed with Washington. We did sign the other 5 players in the top 6 and he was a kicker, so this one is close.

2004 - RB Brandon Gunn (NE #2) signed with Iowa State, QB Allan Evridge (NE #5) signed with K State. I don't think Evridge was a fit for Callahan, and we had Marlon Lucky so Gunn likely wasn't a priority either. Evridge played as a frosh at KSU then transferred to Wisconsin, can't find much on Gunn.

2005 - TE Nate Prater (NE #2, KSU) FB Jake Behrens (NE #3, Colorado) WR Brennan Gleason (NE #5, Houston) - seems like a case where the talent wasn't there, no really surprised we didn't sign these guys.

2006 - WR Derrick Russell (#3, ISU) S Jeff Tarpinian (#5, Iowa) - similar to 2005, although Tarpinian played some for Iowa.

 

This is where we start missing talent we should have kept, IMO

2007 - G Harland Gunn (#1, Miami) QB Philip Bates (#3, ISU) K Josh Cherry (#5, KSU) - Gunn was the first #1 player in NE to go elsewhere in a while, that was a big deal.

2008 - G Trevor Robinson (#2, ND) TE Tim Biere (#5, KU) - we at least wanted Robinson for sure.

2009 - T Jon Lechner (#1 Ohio) DE Tyrone Sellers (#2, KU) G James Davis (#5, Ohio) - Not a ton of talent, but I think we wanted Sellers? People didn't like QB Daryle Hawkings (NE #7) going to Oregon either.

2010 - T Bryce Dietz (#3, Ohio) - Not a great class.

2011 - LB Cole Fisher (#4, Iowa) WR Teddy Lampkin (#5, ISU) - Fisher was a miss, and while a lot of people wanted Lampkin I don't think we ever offered.

2012 - QB Tay Bender (#1, KSU) DE Drew Ott (#2, Iowa) DE Cory Rahmings (#4, Tulsa) WR Terry Grigsby (#5, Miami OH) - 4 and 5 probably didn't need offers, but we should have grabbed the top 3.

2013 - DT Christian LaCouture (#2, LSU), S Michael Minter (#3, nowhere?) DT Nathan Bazata (#4, Iowa) TE Casey Sayles (#5, Ohio). LaCouture doesn't really count because he moved to Lincoln his senior year, but we had him committed at one point. Bazata and Sayles proved worthy of scholarships, we just lost on Bazata and I don't think offered Sayles.

2014 - DT Harrison Phillips (#2, Stanford) Big miss because we couldn't decide what position he would play.

2015 - OT Adam Holtorf (#3, KSU) WR CJ Johnson (#4, Wyoming) RB Calvin Strong (#5, South Dakota) - Holtorf panned out better than Gaylord in the same class

2016 - TE Noah Fant (#1, Iowa) TE Jared Bubak (#2, ASU) 4 and 5 went to SDSU, but the top 2 were big misses.

2017 -  TE Logan Strom (#4, Lousiville?) C Brett Kitrell (#5, Ohio) - not an amazing class, but Kitrell is playing early for Frank at Ohio

2018 - DT Masry Mapieu (#2, Louisiana) DT Bryson Williams (#3, Wisconsin) OLB Zach Schlager (#4, CSU) OL Bryce Stai (#5, Ohio) There are lot of strong feelings about this one. Slager and Stai are both playing already, albeit at smaller schools

 

So overall there were definitely years we wouldn't want to sign all top 5, but we absolutely started missing on the top in-state guys in the last 10-15 years.

[billdozer15]

We definitely need to keep what instate talent there is here. It would also be helpful if high schools started running offenses similarly to what Frost runs so these instate kids have another leg up from an understanding standpoint. 

[Moiraine]

1 minute ago, Husker in WI said:

Using 247 for the rankings:

2002 - RB Stevie Hicks (NE #4) signed with Iowa State - not sure if we wanted him or not, he did have a decent career I think. We did sign another in state RB in David Horne (NE #1).

2003 - K Sean Douglas (NE #4) signed with Washington. We did sign the other 5 players in the top 6 and he was a kicker, so this one is close.

2004 - RB Brandon Gunn (NE #2) signed with Iowa State, QB Allan Evridge (NE #5) signed with K State. I don't think Evridge was a fit for Callahan, and we had Marlon Lucky so Gunn likely wasn't a priority either. Evridge played as a frosh at KSU then transferred to Wisconsin, can't find much on Gunn.

2005 - TE Nate Prater (NE #2, KSU) FB Jake Behrens (NE #3, Colorado) WR Brennan Gleason (NE #5, Houston) - seems like a case where the talent wasn't there, no really surprised we didn't sign these guys.

2006 - WR Derrick Russell (#3, ISU) S Jeff Tarpinian (#5, Iowa) - similar to 2005, although Tarpinian played some for Iowa.

 

This is where we start missing talent we should have kept, IMO

2007 - G Harland Gunn (#1, Miami) QB Philip Bates (#3, ISU) K Josh Cherry (#5, KSU) - Gunn was the first #1 player in NE to go elsewhere in a while, that was a big deal.

2008 - G Trevor Robinson (#2, ND) TE Tim Biere (#5, KU) - we at least wanted Robinson for sure.

2009 - T Jon Lechner (#1 Ohio) DE Tyrone Sellers (#2, KU) G James Davis (#5, Ohio) - Not a ton of talent, but I think we wanted Sellers? People didn't like QB Daryle Hawkings (NE #7) going to Oregon either.

2010 - T Bryce Dietz (#3, Ohio) - Not a great class.

2011 - LB Cole Fisher (#4, Iowa) WR Teddy Lampkin (#5, ISU) - Fisher was a miss, and while a lot of people wanted Lampkin I don't think we ever offered.

2012 - QB Tay Bender (#1, KSU) DE Drew Ott (#2, Iowa) DE Cory Rahmings (#4, Tulsa) WR Terry Grigsby (#5, Miami OH) - 4 and 5 probably didn't need offers, but we should have grabbed the top 3.

2013 - DT Christian LaCouture (#2, LSU), S Michael Minter (#3, nowhere?) DT Nathan Bazata (#4, Iowa) TE Casey Sayles (#5, Ohio). LaCouture doesn't really count because he moved to Lincoln his senior year, but we had him committed at one point. Bazata and Sayles proved worthy of scholarships, we just lost on Bazata and I don't think offered Sayles.

2014 - DT Harrison Phillips (#2, Stanford) Big miss because we couldn't decide what position he would play.

2015 - OT Adam Holtorf (#3, KSU) WR CJ Johnson (#4, Wyoming) RB Calvin Strong (#5, South Dakota) - Holtorf panned out better than Gaylord in the same class

2016 - TE Noah Fant (#1, Iowa) TE Jared Bubak (#2, ASU) 4 and 5 went to SDSU, but the top 2 were big misses.

2017 -  TE Logan Strom (#4, Lousiville?) C Brett Kitrell (#5, Ohio) - not an amazing class, but Kitrell is playing early for Frank at Ohio

2018 - DT Masry Mapieu (#2, Louisiana) DT Bryson Williams (#3, Wisconsin) OLB Zach Schlager (#4, CSU) OL Bryce Stai (#5, Ohio) There are lot of strong feelings about this one. Slager and Stai are both playing already, albeit at smaller schools

 

So overall there were definitely years we wouldn't want to sign all top 5, but we absolutely started missing on the top in-state guys in the last 10-15 years.

 

 

The ones that stand out to me the most are Harrison Phillips, Fant, and Bryson Williams. I’ve wiped away the memory of the Callahan years though. 

[hskrfan4life]

7 minutes ago, billdozer15 said:

We definitely need to keep what instate talent there is here. It would also be helpful if high schools started running offenses similarly to what Frost runs so these instate kids have another leg up from an understanding standpoint. 

I believe Westside does run something close to it.

[suh_fan93]

 

[In the Deed the Glory]

29 minutes ago, hskrfan4life said:

I believe Westside does run something close to it.

Burke does as well, almost all of the Class A schools are running shotgun spread.

[Mavric]

3 hours ago, Moiraine said:

How often when we didn’t sign the top 5 was it because 5 players weren’t worthy of a scholarship, and how often was it because the coaches made bad choices or couldn’t keep them here?

 

I can think of at least 2 huge screw ups by Riley in 2 different years so I’m definitely not questioning that part of it.

 

Here's my look at it - I was looking in the context of how few have come from Class A but it gives an idea about who has left the state for another D1 program:

 

Here are the top five prospects from the state according to the 247 Composite and which class they played in high school.  Players the Husker got are highlighted red.  Players are crossed out if they didn't go to a Power 5 school (Marsh originally walked-on at NU then transferred).

 

2019 - Henrich (A), Hickman (A), Nelson (B), Snodgrass (B), Piper (C)

2018 - Jurgens (B), Mapieu (B), Williams (A), Schlager (B), Stai (B)

2017 - Allen (B), Walker (A), Bradley (A), Strom (A), Kitrell (B)

2016 - Fant (A), Bubak (C), Stille (B), Manchigiah (A), Cromer (B)

2015 - Neal (A), Decker (A), Holtorf (B), Johnson (A), Strong (A)

2014 - Foster (A), Phillips (A), Stoltenberg (B), Gifford (A), Rose (A)

2013 - Banderas (A), LaCouture (A), Minter (A), Bazata (D), Sayles (A)

2012 - Bender (A), Ott (D), Cotton (A), Rahmings (C), Grigsby (A)

2011 - Reeves (B), Sterup (C), Davie (B), Fisher (A), Lampkin (A)

2010 - Rodriguez (B), Evans (B), Dietz (A), Cotton (A), Marsh (A)

2009 - Lechner (A), Sellers (B), Zimmerer (B), Pensick (A), Davis (A)

 

So this is the first year in that time that five guys have gone Power 5 - usually it's 2-3.

[Moiraine]

16 minutes ago, Mavric said:

 

Here's my look at it - I was looking in the context of how few have come from Class A but it gives an idea about who has left the state for another D1 program:

 

Here are the top five prospects from the state according to the 247 Composite and which class they played in high school.  Players the Husker got are highlighted red.  Players are crossed out if they didn't go to a Power 5 school (Marsh originally walked-on at NU then transferred).

 

2019 - Henrich (A), Hickman (A), Nelson (B), Snodgrass (B), Piper (C)

2018 - Jurgens (B), Mapieu (B), Williams (A), Schlager (B), Stai (B)

2017 - Allen (B), Walker (A), Bradley (A), Strom (A), Kitrell (B)

2016 - Fant (A), Bubak (C), Stille (B), Manchigiah (A), Cromer (B)

2015 - Neal (A), Decker (A), Holtorf (B), Johnson (A), Strong (A)

2014 - Foster (A), Phillips (A), Stoltenberg (B), Gifford (A), Rose (A)

2013 - Banderas (A), LaCouture (A), Minter (A), Bazata (D), Sayles (A)

2012 - Bender (A), Ott (D), Cotton (A), Rahmings (C), Grigsby (A)

2011 - Reeves (B), Sterup (C), Davie (B), Fisher (A), Lampkin (A)

2010 - Rodriguez (B), Evans (B), Dietz (A), Cotton (A), Marsh (A)

2009 - Lechner (A), Sellers (B), Zimmerer (B), Pensick (A), Davis (A)

 

So this is the first year in that time that five guys have gone Power 5 - usually it's 2-3.

 

 

 

I kinda figured it was some combination of there being a lot of talent this year AND the previous coaches missing guys they should have taken.

 

Another thing I’ve been wondering about is walk ons. I assume Frost is doing better but that’s just a gut feeling - I don’t actually know how his numbers compare. It would be cool if someone did an analysis on that. E.g. how many players left Nebraska for an FCS/G5 school without a Nebraska offer each year and how many walked on here.

[suh_fan93]

 

[I am I]

Have some thoughts on stuff...

 

bit i’ll keep keep it to walkons...

 

it’ll tkae a few seasons to see fruits of this labor.  Some kids will be “rewarded” with scholarships but for the walk-on program to truly bear fruit it’ll take several seasons (and getting the lockeroom up to 160) of kids not leaving the state, walk-on kids waiting and developing 2-4 yrs, and reestablishing a long term growth of the program and walkons. 

[suh_fan93]

 

[Toe]

I was glad to at least hear Frost say that they still need some pass rushing OLBs. I felt like that was our #1 area of need right now, and looking at the list of commits kinda had me like "Uhhhh...." (He also said they're looking for more receivers.)

[Mavric]

 

[Enhance]

9 hours ago, Toe said:

I was glad to at least hear Frost say that they still need some pass rushing OLBs. I felt like that was our #1 area of need right now, and looking at the list of commits kinda had me like "Uhhhh...." (He also said they're looking for more receivers.)

This is probably my biggest concern area overall in the next 1-2 seasons. Not just pass rushing OLBs, but the pass rush in general. I really like the potential of some pieces (like Caleb Tannor). He got on the field as a true freshman after I think only arriving in the summer, which is pretty remarkable. But, I think our lack of "dudes" is no more apparent than on the defensive line right now. That piece is a huge part of improving our pass rush capabilities.

[Moiraine]

24 minutes ago, Mavric said:

 

 

 

So was Fisher not there or did he take the photo? I'm thinking he wasn't there because there should have been plenty people available at the school to take it.