Nebraska OL Recruits

H

HuskerJen

Banned
Okay I know that Nebraska as a state isn't exactly a "speed" state, meaning teams don't come looking for WR, RB, DB, LB, QB's, etc.

Furthermore I get that the state's limited population pretty much means the coaches have to look elsewhere for the majority of talent.

However, what I don't understand is why Nebraska needs to go to other states to find offensive lineman. Surely in the Cornhusker state there are 3-4 kids every year who are 6'2"-6'4" 240-270 pounds with quick feet who can learn how to pass block. I say pass block because it's a lot harder to do than run blocking although both require explosion and quickness.

I mean I get the whole having to recruit nationally but why do we need to find offensive lineman from other states?

 
HuskerJen said:
Okay I know that Nebraska as a state isn't exactly a "speed" state, meaning teams don't come looking for WR, RB, DB, LB, QB's, etc.

Furthermore I get that the state's limited population pretty much means the coaches have to look elsewhere for the majority of talent.

However, what I don't understand is why Nebraska needs to go to other states to find offensive lineman. Surely in the Cornhusker state there are 3-4 kids every year who are 6'2"-6'4" 240-270 pounds with quick feet who can learn how to pass block. I say pass block because it's a lot harder to do than run blocking although both require explosion and quickness.

I mean I get the whole having to recruit nationally but why do we need to find offensive lineman from other states?
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Very few high school kids are that size and athletic, 240-270 pounds doesn't cut it at this level. Taking a kid and having him bulk up another 10-15% of his weight and maintain the mobility and footwork is extremely difficult. Then you also have the fact that high school football is mostly a running game in the area, and the kids don't have the advanced concepts that they learn in schools in Texas, the SE and out West. Why use a scholarship on a player that needs 2 years to get up to speed when you can find one from Texas who could contribute at the end of his true freshman year?

 
jliehr said:
HuskerJen said:
Okay I know that Nebraska as a state isn't exactly a "speed" state, meaning teams don't come looking for WR, RB, DB, LB, QB's, etc.

Furthermore I get that the state's limited population pretty much means the coaches have to look elsewhere for the majority of talent.

However, what I don't understand is why Nebraska needs to go to other states to find offensive lineman. Surely in the Cornhusker state there are 3-4 kids every year who are 6'2"-6'4" 240-270 pounds with quick feet who can learn how to pass block. I say pass block because it's a lot harder to do than run blocking although both require explosion and quickness.

I mean I get the whole having to recruit nationally but why do we need to find offensive lineman from other states?
Click to expand...
Very few high school kids are that size and athletic, 240-270 pounds doesn't cut it at this level. Taking a kid and having him bulk up another 10-15% of his weight and maintain the mobility and footwork is extremely difficult. Then you also have the fact that high school football is mostly a running game in the area, and the kids don't have the advanced concepts that they learn in schools in Texas, the SE and out West. Why use a scholarship on a player that needs 2 years to get up to speed when you can find one from Texas who could contribute at the end of his true freshman year?
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Bingo. There maybe the few exceptions in Nebraska high schools, like maybe the Hinz kid out of Beatrice that rumorly had Boomer Sooner interested, but the majority of in state kids that fit that size our not exactly athletic in the total sense. We do need to continue to nab the cream of the little crop we have, but for what coaches look for primarily in kids(specifically OL) the need to look else where is prevalent. What we can take as an instate walk-on and mold him into something by his junior and senior year is a plus, but in the day and age of scholarship limitations the primary need is filled from other states.

 
I don't think it has to be an either/or situation. If the coaches have 3-4 guys from in the state they want for OL, then we can get them. If not, we look elsewhere. Guys like Qvale show that we don't necessarily need players from the "big" recruiting states to fill the whole roster. I'm guessing NU is a big pull for kids from SD and ND where the majority of big programs don't even bother to go. Plus we've pulled several OL from the surrounding states. So we could get all our OL from NE and surrounding states without going to Texas, California, or Florida, but why limit ourselves?

 
RedDenver said:
I don't think it has to be an either/or situation. If the coaches have 3-4 guys from in the state they want for OL, then we can get them. If not, we look elsewhere. Guys like Qvale show that we don't necessarily need players from the "big" recruiting states to fill the whole roster. I'm guessing NU is a big pull for kids from SD and ND where the majority of big programs don't even bother to go. Plus we've pulled several OL from the surrounding states. So we could get all our OL from NE and surrounding states without going to Texas, California, or Florida, but why limit ourselves?
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I agree with that whole-heartedly. I would also argue that with Pelini most walk-ons and instate guys will probably be on defense. You can teach defensive technique if somebody has the heart and desire, and most in-state guys will have incredible determination to succeed for NU.

 
While I agree with what was stated by many above. One of the reason for decline is overall there is not as big of a commitment to youth football in the state as in some of the power states.

Omaha Public School which by far is one of the biggest district in the state did not have middle school football until recently. So you have a lot of kids that play pee wee football when they are young and then have a big lap in between that time and High School.

Places like Texas, Cali, PA, and FL have football or basketball athletics during class time. This is not P.E. it is the substitute. Instead of being in PE with a bunch of druts (Turd backwards) you are surrounded by every player on the team working towards getting better within your sport.

High School football coaches in this state really can't make a living working as a coach alone you are mostly required to teach and coach as well. In the state before mentioned the head coach doesn't teach. During the school day he is able to reviews film and is able to evaluate talent to put the players in the best position to be successful.

 
Also the big uglies are just as important as the skill players. They are the brains of the team in most situations.

You want the best you can get and if you can recruit with the likes of SC, you will see they come from every where.

Our program is no longer putting up big road graders that most likely could not or would not have been recruited at other programs. When we were a run based team it was easier to take those kids and let them grow for two or three years then plug them in.

Now you have kids with that size and ability living to play in the NFL, not living to play for Nebraska. Money my dear, it is all about money any more..

With the move to a more current offense you have to have the blocking ability of the top passing offenses and the rushing ability.

You get that with talent, and you take the best you can get if they are from Nebraska or Gooney flats, Arkansas period.

 
No middle school football? Schools here have A and B teams for 7th and 8th grade and many HS teams have A, B, C 9th grades and sophomore and JV teams and a varsity. Here they even have 8 man tackle football for middle schools. They even have MS and freshmen 7 on 7.

 
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rkhufu7 said:
No middle school football? Schools here have A and B teams for 7th and 8th grade and many HS teams have A, B, C 9th grades and sophomore and JV teams and a varsity. Here they even have 8 man tackle football for middle schools. They even have MS and freshmen 7 on 7.
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Your going to tell me about 8 man tackle and 7 on 7? Really?

My statement was one of the biggest district did not have middle school football until recently. As I look into it further Lincoln Public school does not have Middle school football either. So two of the biggest district population wise are behind the eight ball when it come to middle school football. That would be Lincoln and Omaha. Omaha I believe is in there 2nd year of middle school football.

FYI

They play 7 on 7 along with flag football in most elementary schools.

7 on 7 passing camps are used by the major football states as a tool when football cannot be practiced due to state practice regulations. not as a supplement to actual football.

 
NoKoolAidForME said:
rkhufu7 said:
No middle school football? Schools here have A and B teams for 7th and 8th grade and many HS teams have A, B, C 9th grades and sophomore and JV teams and a varsity. Here they even have 8 man tackle football for middle schools. They even have MS and freshmen 7 on 7.
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Your going to tell me about 8 man tackle and 7 on 7? Really?

My statement was one of the biggest district did not have middle school football until recently. As I look into it further Lincoln Public school does not have Middle school football either. So two of the biggest district population wise are behind the eight ball when it come to middle school football. That would be Lincoln and Omaha. Omaha I believe is in there 2nd year of middle school football.

FYI

They play 7 on 7 along with flag football in most elementary schools.

7 on 7 passing camps are used by the major football states as a tool when football cannot be practiced due to state practice regulations. not as a supplement to actual football.
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NKAFM, I am pretty sure rkhufu7 meant Texas when he said "here," I believe that is where he claims to hail from.

 
jliehr said:
Very few high school kids are that size and athletic, 240-270 pounds doesn't cut it at this level.
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Well I was thinking more along the lines of re-establishing the pipeline. A kid comes in, redshirts, waits his turn and by the time he's a redshirt sophomore or junior he's around 300 pounds and ready to play.

And maybe 3-4 every year from in-state is a stretch but still...

However, we have Ryne Reeves from instate for the 2011 class. I would think that in the entire state of Nebraska there are at least 2 more capable OL recruits.

:dunno

 
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