Development vs. Talent

I don't think there's any question or debate - it's mostly a development problem. No offense to Dan, but, it seems like an obvious discussion.

Several components weigh into this (coaching, putting players in a position to succeed, identifying positions a player may best succeed, etc.) but just compare Nebraska to other Big 10 Schools. Michigan State and Wisconsin have recruited at statistically inferior rates to Nebraska but both of those programs have accounted for conference championships in the last decade.

It's unlikely Nebraska will ever recruit at a consistently elite level. It has to be made up for in development.

 
Speaking of putting players in a position to succeed:

Thumbs down to the Huskers' punt-return game. In 2014, as a true freshman, De'Mornay Pierson-El averaged 17.5 yards on 34 returns. Fans were filled with anticipation every time he dropped back deep. After averaging only 7.3 yards on 23 returns last season, he's managed only 7.5 on 11 chances this season thanks largely to subpar blocking. Pierson-El has regained explosiveness, but needs some help.
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LJS

 
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How many times has this topic been a thread on HB? Not knocking Mav, because it's very relevant to the current state of the program. Just shows how long this has been an issue at Nebraska.

 
Not sure if it was the segment with Hoppen, but Sharp & Benning also discussed what "older guys" on the team have progressed since Riley and his staff took over.  They were thinking and thinking, and not a lot of names came to their mind.  They did mention Stanley Morgan, but he hasn't been as consistent as most would like as a junior.  Nick Gates is a prime example of no progression/development.  Weber is one that has played well this year, but he played well 2 years ago when he got into games.

 
ColoradoHusk said:
Not sure if it was the segment with Hoppen, but Sharp & Benning also discussed what "older guys" on the team have progressed since Riley and his staff took over.  They were thinking and thinking, and not a lot of names came to their mind.  They did mention Stanley Morgan, but he hasn't been as consistent as most would like as a junior.  Nick Gates is a prime example of no progression/development.  Weber is one that has played well this year, but he played well 2 years ago when he got into games.
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Agree on Gates, but isn't Morgan leading the B1G in receiving?

 
B.B. Hemingway said:
How many times has this topic been a thread on HB? Not knocking Mav, because it's very relevant to the current state of the program. Just shows how long this has been an issue at Nebraska.
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Yea it is baffling how we can't be good at one thing on punt returning- either go block the punt or set up for the return. We seem to be to scared to get beat on a fake at times, and most of the time I see guys attempting to block the punt but when 5 or 6 guys are around Demornay, he has no choice but to fair catch. This also means something is not working when 5 or so guys are around your punt return man. If we were great at one that would be a bonus, either go all in on the punt block or go all in on the punt return.

Sorry for the tangent, but this is just another example of why players on this team are not developing well. It also points to my statement earlier that it shows these players are not being put in a position to succeed. 

 
B.B. Hemingway said:
Agree on Gates, but isn't Morgan leading the B1G in receiving?
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Their comment about Morgan was that he's been very good and shown flashes of greatness, but he has been inconsistent with his drops.  It may be nitpicking with all of the targets that Morgan gets.

However, in the light of player development, they weren't able to immediately come up with guys that have progressed and improved the past 3 years.

 
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ColoradoHusk said:
Their comment about Morgan was that he's been very good and shown flashes of greatness, but he has been inconsistent with his drops.
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I can agree with that. Though, if you told me before the season he would lead the B1G in receiving I would of took that.

Edit: Morgan is 2nd now. Spielman 5th and DPE 9th

 
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Mavric said:
Listening to the rest of that segment, Benning really went off on Jackson.  Not on the player himself - he said he's not giving up on him yet.  But on how he's been handled.

First, he said he watched a lot of his high school film when he was still in high school and didn't get the feeling that he should be playing defense in college.  Said he thought he'd been a lot more dynamic on offense.  Second, he noted that he really didn't need to have much technique in high school - didn't have to play responsibilities, didn't have to be in the run fit.  He was allowed to just sit in the middle of the field (safety), find the ball and go make plays.  So he never really had to develop the skills needed to play corner in college.  He said he still has time to develop those which is why he hasn't given up on him.  But he basically said he wasn't anywhere near prepared to do what we've been asking him to do.

Me personally, I think he' be much better at safety.  But it would be best if he was in coverage most of the time and not being asked to get down in the box on run support.
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When Frost gets here, another Lamar Jackson at QB?  :D

Really, I think if he were a safety and told to go out and cover and make plays that would be great. Maybe we promised him we would play him at CB and Riley has kept that promise. So much so that we moved one of our better corners to safety, when arguably we should have moved Lamar Jackson to safety. It feels like his talent is being wasted out there when you see how much athleticism he has and either he is thinking too much or not confident in himself. 

 
It is so friggen frustrating that for so long (many years) it seems like we get some hot recruit and they don't pan out to be anywhere close to as good as advertised.

When that happens once or twice, that can be simply missing on an evaluation.  But, when it happens over and over and over again in the same program over multiple coaching staffs, it's systemic some how within the program.

We haven't recruited at a top 10 level.  We have had multiple classes in the 20-30 range.  Then, when you have the top recruits in those classes not pan out, it is almost impossible to compete with the schools who recruit top 10 all the time.

 
BigRedBuster said:
It is so friggen frustrating that for so long (many years) it seems like we get some hot recruit and they don't pan out to be anywhere close to as good as advertised.

When that happens once or twice, that can be simply missing on an evaluation.  But, when it happens over and over and over again in the same program over multiple coaching staffs, it's systemic some how within the program.

We haven't recruited at a top 10 level.  We have had multiple classes in the 20-30 range.  Then, when you have the top recruits in those classes not pan out, it is almost impossible to compete with the schools who recruit top 10 all the time.
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Well said.  Riley isn't the only one who hasn't developed the best recruits at NU.  It seems like the better players under Riley have been the less heralded players.  Riley seems pretty good at making guys who are 3's or 4's (on a scale of 10) into 6's or 7's, but he isn't able to make 6's or 7's into 9's or 10's.

 
Good talent with great coaching is the way to go.  There are a few great players but most are about the same.  You need a great coach to guide the talent.  We had a string of very good running backs who ended up playing in the NFL because they had good talent and a great position coach in Ron Brown.

 
Iowa State has beaten 2 top 5 teams this year. This will be Campbell's second year as head coach and has already done something Riley has not been able to do.

Does ISU have better talent than NU? IMO, heck no they don't.. they do, however, have a better coach.

ISU will play a couple more games against top 25 competition this year, we shall see how it plays out for them.

 
Development is a bigger issue currently. That said we need more talent too, I think the last two coaches have hamstrung themselves with numbers at certain positions.  Giving out 8 walk on scholarships in fall camp is too many for example.

 
B.B. Hemingway said:
I can agree with that. Though, if you told me before the season he would lead the B1G in receiving I would of took that.

Edit: Morgan is 2nd now. Spielman 5th and DPE 9th
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Not trying to take away anything from those guys because they've all been pretty good - especially Morgan and Spielman - but a lot of that also has to do with us having the third-most passing attempts in the B1G and having basically four scholarship receivers available.

 
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