Five walk-ons to watch

[Landlord]

Bo develops talent, period.

look at a guy like JJ Watt from WI. dude barely had any action coming out of HS. Went to Central Mich....per wikipedia:

Watt attended Central Michigan University for one year in 2007. While there, he played tight end and caught eight passes for 77 yards. Frustrated by his lack of direction at Central Michigan, he transferred to Wisconsin. During this time he began delivering pizzas and had a somber encounter with a fan, where he regained his focus, telling himself, "I don't want to be delivering pizzas. I want to be playing football."[7]

Some of our recent walkon success has been lineman, actually true for a long time. Take Watt: big frame, high motor needed time to develop. heard him on Rome one day, basically said, "i needed time to develop and get bigger and stronger and get my head on straight"

So it's not so crazy that guys who are athletically gifted start sooner in college and are on scholarship. it's also not crazy that it may take time for a kid who is only 17-18 yrs old to take time to marture into a solid 305lb road grader. And sometimes, it takes that extra determination of a guy who came in as a walkon to

to end up starting over a guy who always had his way with the opposition because he was more developed early.

what i love about our walk on program is that we continue to see kids who pass up a Kearney or SWMS or SDSU partial scholarship (news to a bunch of people, there are NO FULL RIDES except at Div 1) to walkon where their heart tells them to go, to play w no regrets for not trying at least. If a few of these guys can

make some noise in any fashion, i think it's great. good luck to them and thanks for following your dream of playing for Nebraska.

It's not true that there are "no full rides" at non Division 1 levels. It's just that at the Division II level, there are many less scholarships to give, so coaches often cut them up into smaller pieces to get more players. 36 full scholarships are available for Division II football schools (some conferences dictate you can only have a lesser number than that, and some schools don't have the budget for that still) so you might have a coach give 72 half scholarships.

 

[Danimal]

Wullenwaber would be a starter and Reilly would be a future starter not so long ago. Our wr situation sure has changed.

Great that it looks like we'll have punter locked-down for the next four seasons.

Hope they can find use for Frazier, he could've been on schollie and looking at being a multi-year starter elsewhere in 1A.

Too bad we didn't move Nickens sooner, hopefully he can have the immediate impact Justin Jackson had last season.

 

[I am I]

Bo develops talent, period.

look at a guy like JJ Watt from WI. dude barely had any action coming out of HS. Went to Central Mich....per wikipedia:

Watt attended Central Michigan University for one year in 2007. While there, he played tight end and caught eight passes for 77 yards. Frustrated by his lack of direction at Central Michigan, he transferred to Wisconsin. During this time he began delivering pizzas and had a somber encounter with a fan, where he regained his focus, telling himself, "I don't want to be delivering pizzas. I want to be playing football."[7]

Some of our recent walkon success has been lineman, actually true for a long time. Take Watt: big frame, high motor needed time to develop. heard him on Rome one day, basically said, "i needed time to develop and get bigger and stronger and get my head on straight"

So it's not so crazy that guys who are athletically gifted start sooner in college and are on scholarship. it's also not crazy that it may take time for a kid who is only 17-18 yrs old to take time to marture into a solid 305lb road grader. And sometimes, it takes that extra determination of a guy who came in as a walkon to

to end up starting over a guy who always had his way with the opposition because he was more developed early.

what i love about our walk on program is that we continue to see kids who pass up a Kearney or SWMS or SDSU partial scholarship (news to a bunch of people, there are NO FULL RIDES except at Div 1) to walkon where their heart tells them to go, to play w no regrets for not trying at least. If a few of these guys can

make some noise in any fashion, i think it's great. good luck to them and thanks for following your dream of playing for Nebraska.

It's not true that there are "no full rides" at non Division 1 levels. It's just that at the Division II level, there are many less scholarships to give, so coaches often cut them up into smaller pieces to get more players. 36 full scholarships are available for Division II football schools (some conferences dictate you can only have a lesser number than that, and some schools don't have the budget for that still) so you might have a coach give 72 half scholarships.

True. I should've been less definitive in my statement. But because of those limitations, even the best, out of state players (read:most expensive) rarelyl if ever get one of those precious schollies all to themselves.

So a player "who could be on scholarship" at a smaller school may only be getting room and board the 1st two years, then tuition and books plus living stipend his last two years if he becomes integral to the team. Whereas, a D1 gets it all from the beginning.

Having kids turn down any help at all to fulfill their dream, I admire that and am glad when any kid does it, trying to work hard for a spot on the team and a scholarship.

 

[Ulty]

» Wide receiver Brandon Reilly: Has some Todd Peterson qualities to his physique, and probably better speed. Peterson had excellent hands, though. And Reilly has more competition for playing time.

With the star power we already have at receiver, does this Reilly kid really have a chance at playing time? I haven't heard anything else about him - anyone have more info?

 

[Mierin]

» Wide receiver Brandon Reilly: Has some Todd Peterson qualities to his physique, and probably better speed. Peterson had excellent hands, though. And Reilly has more competition for playing time.

With the star power we already have at receiver, does this Reilly kid really have a chance at playing time? I haven't heard anything else about him - anyone have more info?

He's only a redshirt freshman so maybe when he's a junior/senior and Bell/Enunwa/Turner are gone. (Although, Westerkamp and Moore are also freshmen).

 

[Mavric]

Apparently Blum is out for the year. Pelini didn't specify the injury.