SouthLincoln Husker
All-American
Our best linemen are transfers. Absolutely, no development from our HS recruits.
Northwestern Week Pressers
- Thread starter Mavric
- Start date
Husker_In_WI
Guest
I'd actually say Evans is our best lineman, and Gottula has come along really nicely (albeit with a bad game last week). Lutovsky has also gone from a complete liability in every phase to a good run blocker who is meh but playable as a pass blocker.
I really don't know where to put Pritchett because he's so inconsistent, but I'd put Spindler behind Evans and probably ahead of the rest. Spindler is also a 5th year senior and the transfers are the highest rated recruits on our line by a wide margin. There's been good development from the HS OL, but the recruiting has not been good enough. So it's still on Donovan, it's hard to build depth if you're just searching for diamonds in the rough.
Hilltop
All-Conference
5 games left... I think we can wait to judge the body of work until the end. FWIW, Northwestern is on a 4 game winning streak and is currently tied for 2nd place in the conference with Oregon.
TGHusker
Heisman Trophy Winner
The bold is pretty amazing don't you think? They lost their long time coach last year. They are playing at a makeshift stadium until the new is completed (are they building from scratch or remodeling the old - I forget), no real tradition or huge fan support and yet they are finding a way to make it happen. Must be some good coaching there. I wonder if that coach has a in-season podcast
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TGHusker
Heisman Trophy Winner
Full quote below:
1. So, I hope they aren't discussing a contract extension. It seems that is so many cases, just before everything turns south, the coach gets a contract extension hanging the institution out to dry and in more debt. Rhule needs to prove that he is more than a '3 year builder'. Why do we give a guy, who has a 8 year contract, an extension before he proves he is even worth the existing contract?? To insure recruits that he is sticking around is the normal answer but that doesn't seem like a good long term investment.
2. "I know what he is doing" - he is leveraging the threat of leaving for more money. OR he already has a backdoor offer from PSU and plans on taking it regardless. If that is the case, I encourage him to take it. Nebraska needs more than a 3 year wonder who isn't using the position as a stepping stone to another place (yes contrary to Rhule's pressor the other day when he said NU is a destination job). We need a Devanny or an Osborne (I'm not saying someone who has to be as successful) someone who isn't going to run when there is adversity and is here for the long term and builds accordingly.
Full quote:
#Huskers AD Troy Dannen on 'Sports Nightly' on Tuesday: "Matt did exactly and has addressed it really I think highly appropriately," Dannen said of speculation about any other job. "Matt and I talk 100 times a day. And there are things I won't share now that I know what we're doing, I know what he's doing, I feel like we're in a really good place. But I've also been through this 100 times. And when you have good people they're going to be attractive to other places."Part of our goal is to make this as attractive a place as possible so that when someone is maybe the apple of someone else's eye, they'd rather stay with you."
twofittyonred
Special Teams Player
I dont think that Rhule is looking for an extension at the moment, I think he may be leveraging the Penn St. talk for more program money i.e. NIL and stadium commitments.. I think he wants to make sure that he has all the resources to accomplish his and the universities goals.
My first thought was I don't think it's probably a great time for a contract extension. His current contract actually already has him making more in 2030 than Cignetti's new contract he just got.
However, this is year three of his original eight-year contract. Most coaches are usually out at least five years (so you can tell recruits you'll be here their whole career). So it seems like he would be likely to get something in the next couple of months (assuming we don't crash and burn). If it's announced earlier, it's likely because he had some leverage - either Penn State making a push or we finish the year really strong. Lacking that, we might still get a quiet announcement before Signing Day saying he was extended one year without much of a pay bump.
Wistrom Disciple
Starter
Lorewarn
All-Conference
This has never 'actually' mattered and has always been an optics thing, and I doubt it will change, but I wonder if we see this start to go away in the portal/NIL era.
Eh ... I'm not sure you can say it doesn't 'actually' matter. It's probably not the biggest thing but it seems likely that it's not inconsequential.
I would guess maybe a lower buyout may be the counter proposal for a longer contract but not sure if that will be successful.
LumberJackSker
All-American
Maybe Northwestern has a $40 million roster Rhule begs for.The bold is pretty amazing don't you think? They lost their long time coach last year. They are playing at a makeshift stadium until the new is completed (are they building from scratch or remodeling the old - I forget), no real tradition or huge fan support and yet they are finding a way to make it happen. Must be some good coaching there. I wonder if that coach has a in-season podcast
BigRedBuster
International Man of Mystery
Anymore, this is laughable. I know that's what the mantra is that they tell the public. But, he could be fired at any time depending on various factors. This 5 year thing, seems to me, to be just tied to huge buy outs of contracts.
I felt like it was the PLAYERS were talking like this week was a must win game and I hate the thought they're putting that kind of pressure on themselves.
If that kind of talk serves to motivate them and play well then ok! It just makes me nervous and I wish the players would say very little other than "Northwestern looks good on film" and leave it at that.