Corn Nation takes a look at recruiting under Bo

[Saunders]

Corn Nation does a pretty interesting look back at our classes, specifically on who did and didn't pan out.

Husker Recruiting Under Bo, a Review

On national signing day, everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, can tell you the exact future value of a recruiting class before any of the players ever take a single snap in a college game. As Pelini's third group prepares for their fifth years, I thought we'd take a peek backwards to see how these first three classes actually panned out.

2008 ClassThis was Bo's first class and, as he was hired about a month and a half before signing day, was probably more famous for who decommitted (Gabbert, Trevor Robinson, DJ Woods, Jonas Gray, etc) after Bill Callahan was fired. In a short time, Pelini regrouped and signed 28 players for a class that ended up ranked 30th by Rivals and 22nd by ESPN. Most of the higher end talent chose other directions with Steinkuehler, Compton & Whitmore being the only 4/5 star players to reaffirm under the new coach.

http://www.cornnatio...w-class-of-2008

2009 ClassIs there such a thing as a defining class for a coach? If so, many people would agree that it's the one they sign in their first full cycle of a recruiting year. Enough of these players should become regulars that any previous cries of "He's winning with X's recruits" will apply less as coach hits those 1st hot seat years.

http://www.cornnatio...e-class-of-2009

2010 ClassThis was a class that had me thinking BOOM & BUST as I went down the list. There were some pretty solid citizens, some high ranked busts, a few absolute wastes of scholarships and maybe the best Husker JC recruit ever not named Rozier.

http://www.cornnatio...w-class-of-2010

2011-2013 ClassesI couldn't just stop at three, I guess, but don't get too hyped up. This is a VERY fast rundown of the last three classes, but there's still a few interesting things to note despite many of these players having multiple chapters left in their college careers.

http://www.cornnatio...t-the-2011-2013

 

[StPaulHusker]

Best Description

Eric Martin - *** - 4 yr player, started senior season, 1st & 2nd team All B1G, notable for suspension & penalties for burying shoulder into soon-to-be semi-conscious dickheads who thought it was a better idea to stare up in the air at the f'ing football instead of looking for Eric Martin - ****

 

[Chaddyboxer]

Best Description

Eric Martin - *** - 4 yr player, started senior season, 1st & 2nd team All B1G, notable for suspension & penalties for burying shoulder into soon-to-be semi-conscious dickheads who thought it was a better idea to stare up in the air at the f'ing football instead of looking for Eric Martin - ****

haha excellent

 

[True2tRA]

This is excellent.

So about one third of players recruited in these 3 years turned out one star or "busts". Is this about average nationally?

 

[ADS]

That 2010 defensive line class...woof.

 

[knapplc]

So about one third of players recruited in these 3 years turned out one star or "busts".

I wouldn't say that. It's all part of the process, and you've got to stick to the process. Some of these guys may not have performed as well on the field as we'd like, but Bo recruits high-quality men, not like the SEC.

 

[StPaulHusker]

So about one third of players recruited in these 3 years turned out one star or "busts".

I wouldn't say that. It's all part of the process, and you've got to stick to the process. Some of these guys may not have performed as well on the field as we'd like, but Bo recruits high-quality men, not like the SEC.

Bo recruits anyone he can. Only the High Quality ones stick around.

 

[NUpolo8]

So about one third of players recruited in these 3 years turned out one star or "busts".

I wouldn't say that. It's all part of the process, and you've got to stick to the process. Some of these guys may not have performed as well on the field as we'd like, but Bo recruits high-quality men, not like the SEC.

You poke fun, but......in the article about the most recent classes, here's this.

SNIP

"- 3 players never made it to campus - 2 academic, one kicked off. Like early 90's Dr.Tom, does that mean Bo is easing up on chiefly recruiting boy scouts on the honor roll? Or is it just a blip?"

 

[Chaddyboxer]

So about one third of players recruited in these 3 years turned out one star or "busts".

I wouldn't say that. It's all part of the process, and you've got to stick to the process. Some of these guys may not have performed as well on the field as we'd like, but Bo recruits high-quality men, not like the SEC.

You poke fun, but......in the article about the most recent classes, here's this.

SNIP

"- 3 players never made it to campus - 2 academic, one kicked off. Like early 90's Dr.Tom, does that mean Bo is easing up on chiefly recruiting boy scouts on the honor roll? Or is it just a blip?"

I think it more has to do with not "feeling" out the player as well as they thought......

Their first, 2nd and probably 3rd impressions didn't hold true on said recruit unfortunately....

 

[knapplc]

So about one third of players recruited in these 3 years turned out one star or "busts".

I wouldn't say that. It's all part of the process, and you've got to stick to the process. Some of these guys may not have performed as well on the field as we'd like, but Bo recruits high-quality men, not like the SEC.

You poke fun, but......in the article about the most recent classes, here's this.

SNIP

"- 3 players never made it to campus - 2 academic, one kicked off. Like early 90's Dr.Tom, does that mean Bo is easing up on chiefly recruiting boy scouts on the honor roll? Or is it just a blip?"

I brilliantly and hilariously poke fun. Give credit where credit is due. That was pullitzer worthy.

 

[NUpolo8]

So about one third of players recruited in these 3 years turned out one star or "busts".

I wouldn't say that. It's all part of the process, and you've got to stick to the process. Some of these guys may not have performed as well on the field as we'd like, but Bo recruits high-quality men, not like the SEC.

You poke fun, but......in the article about the most recent classes, here's this.

SNIP

"- 3 players never made it to campus - 2 academic, one kicked off. Like early 90's Dr.Tom, does that mean Bo is easing up on chiefly recruiting boy scouts on the honor roll? Or is it just a blip?"

I brilliantly and hilariously poke fun. Give credit where credit is due. That was pullitzer worthy.

Pullitzer maybe. Certainly not Pulitzer.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

You know what jumped out at me the most?

This Kettering guy is a helluva writer.

 

[Landlord]

That 2010 defensive line class...woof.

How far into mediocrity have we fallen when we are recruiting dogs you guys

 

[Count 'Bility]

That 2010 defensive line class...woof.

How far into mediocrity have we fallen when we are recruiting dogs you guys

Youre trying too hard

 

[NUance]

+1 for posting this Saunders. It's always fun to look back at our recruiting classes. But I'm not sure I agree with the way Corn Nation is grading things. First off, it would not be possible for every recruit to outperform their initial rankings. Imagine if we had a class of 22 five-star guys come in, and they all landed starting spots their freshman year. And the following year we landed an equally talented crop of 22 five-star recruits. The younger guys, sans injuries, would sit on the bench. And later be labeled as underacheivers by Corn Nation. Could this happen? Well, it wouldn't likely happen to a whole class. But maybe to a handful of individuals. Take Braylon Heard for instance. We'd love to get a RB like him every year. But it just so happened that Ameer nosed him out for the starting spot. And then kept him on the bench until he got frustrated and left for a team where he could get on the field. Braylon would have started for us, and been a star, on many of the Husker teams of the past. But instead he "underperformed" since we happened to have someone better at his position.

Along these lines, I'd say the highest the Outperformed number could realistically get is about 50%. Anytime we land a star at one position, he is going to keep everyone else on the bench. Even if others at that position could potentially have been great players for us. So looking at 2010, the 27% who Outperformed isn't too bad. It's about half as good as it theoretically could have been. And that's not too shabby for the inexact science that is recruiting. /jmho