OWH: High school coaches hoping in-state offers will increase with Mike Riley

[mrandyk]

Why would a Nebraska kid Dream of playing for Nebraska when he is only old enough to remember the Pelini era? Plenty have been raised to be fans who would love to play in Lincoln, but it's not at all a given.

 

[SouthLincoln Husker]

It is a different era. TO had 20 more schollies than today. Thus, he could take chances on 2* NE players and offer schollies to walkons if they made first or second team.

 

[Danimal]

Of course local high school coaches want more local offers. I could've told you that. It's a no-win situation, for everyone happy you offered the local sleeper you have somebody that's pissed saying that we're settling because recruiting isn't good enough.

 

[Elf]

I think it is a little unfair to Bo on this. He never really understood recruiting, but was learning in the end I think. But kids that have the ability to play, should never leave the state. Too far between to miss them. Hopefully Coach Riley will find those kids and make it a desired location over others.It does sound as if the bond between the high schools and the program were not as strong as they could have been, and it sounds like the coaches are looking to the new regime with open arms.A lot of things were not done as good as they could have been I am sure, but giving Bo credit, he had a lot to learn, and the pressure was on instantly. Fair is fair. I can see the logic, much easier to find kids in California and Texas than looking under rocks in Nebraska. But those kids build the program, the heart determination and knew that the fans loved them. We need those kids on the team, as they will work harder than anyone to prove a mistake was not made.

No.

You don't have to find these kids. There is no searching under rocks.

The pool is smaller than most states, sure. It's easier to recruit the best players. Their coaches send tapes to Nebraska first. These kids want to come here. They should be on our radar because they're in our own backyard.

Nobody is talking about All-Americans. The best players in this state should get a look. Period.

What happens when the best NE high schools have to offer is D-II talent? Do we still have to give them a look?

They should only be recruited if they have the appropriate abilities and skill levels. The vast majority of high school kids don't have what it takes to play at a school like Nebraska.

 

[Enhance]

Such an overblown issue, imo. You get the best players, it does not matter what imaginary lines they happen to live between.

To top it off, this program is trying to go from good to great. Not abysmal to bad. You think the high school recruits in Nebraska will take us from good to great? If so, you need to attend one high school football game in Nebraska.

I couldn't agree more. The 'local boys' stories are great for selling papers and bringing eyes to newscasts, but that doesn't mean they're always the best players or that we need to focus on them more than we have recently.

I don't care if you're from Nebraska or Hawaii... we need the best players we can get no matter where they're from.

I think this is the scenario we often see - for example, let's say the 100th best MLB in the country is from Missouri, and the 200th best MLB in the country is from Nebraska. All their qualities are the same - hard-working, smart and athletic. Who are you going to recruit? Chances are it'll be the guy from Missouri. So, it's not that we're letting players 'slip away' or that we're not seeing the talent. It's just that we're getting guys that, on paper, are simply better players. Whether they turn into great players here is up to the coaches and shouldn't be indicative of how well or how poorly we're recruiting the state.

Also, keep another thing in mind - grades. There are some very good in-state players that aren't going to UNL because of grades... Calvin Strong is the most recent and prime example.

 

[True2tRA]

I think it is a little unfair to Bo on this. He never really understood recruiting, but was learning in the end I think. But kids that have the ability to play, should never leave the state. Too far between to miss them. Hopefully Coach Riley will find those kids and make it a desired location over others.It does sound as if the bond between the high schools and the program were not as strong as they could have been, and it sounds like the coaches are looking to the new regime with open arms.A lot of things were not done as good as they could have been I am sure, but giving Bo credit, he had a lot to learn, and the pressure was on instantly. Fair is fair. I can see the logic, much easier to find kids in California and Texas than looking under rocks in Nebraska. But those kids build the program, the heart determination and knew that the fans loved them. We need those kids on the team, as they will work harder than anyone to prove a mistake was not made.

No.

You don't have to find these kids. There is no searching under rocks.

The pool is smaller than most states, sure. It's easier to recruit the best players. Their coaches send tapes to Nebraska first. These kids want to come here. They should be on our radar because they're in our own backyard.

Nobody is talking about All-Americans. The best players in this state should get a look. Period.

What happens when the best NE high schools have to offer is D-II talent? Do we still have to give them a look?

They should only be recruited if they have the appropriate abilities and skill levels. The vast majority of high school kids don't have what it takes to play at a school like Nebraska.

I'm not sure how you think a Nebraska coach would determine if the player has the "appropriate abilities and skill levels"? Usually you have to "give them a look" to determine that. I'm just quoting your words.......

So how else would you do it?

See, when a Nebraska HS school coach thinks they have someone talented enough to play at the next level, they can reach out to a coach or recruiting coordinator at Nebraska, or maybe send in a tape. It's not like these HS coaches are sending in tapes of every kid on their roster and saying "here, have a look and see if there's anyone you like".

When Nebraska coaches at least maintain relationships with local coaches, it makes it easier to understand what Nebraska coaches may need or be looking for.

As I've already said and agreed with others, the pool is obviously smaller so it's not like these coaches are being asked to revirew hundreds of tapes. It's fairly obvious when a standout player is on a local Nebraska HS team. Sometimes it's not, but usually. How would you know if you didn't at least give them a look. There's people who are paid to do this.

The best players in this state deserve to get a look in my opinion. I don't think anyone has said you just offer lesser talented kids just because they are from Nebraska.

 

[kchusker_chris]

Number of Nebraska players signed by the Huskers (Rivals' web site goes back to 2002):

2014 - 3

2013 - 1

2012 - 1

2011 - 4

2010 - 4

2009 - 2

2008 - 5

2007 - 2

2006 - 4

2005 - 3

2004 - 5

2003 - 5

2002 - 7

So in-state guys definitely declined under Pelini. But there were a lot of busts in those previous years guys: Cory Timm, Dane Todd, Andy Birkel, Brandon Teamer, Andy Christensen, Clayton Sievers, Robert Rands, Jeff Souder, DJ Jones, Ben Martin and Corey Young under Solich and Callahan plus Micah Kreikmeier, John Levorson and Collins Okafor in the broken class of 2008. That's a lot of misses.

I'd say 2-3 is pretty realistic for most years from in-state. There just isn't enough talent to justify more than that. Pelini averaged 2.5 per year in the classes he got to recruit the full class. And only the years where he took four did he really have misses indicating he took too many.

Bo took some some marginal guys as walk-ons who ended up working out very well - Burtch, Reilly, Gangwish, Janovich - so the opportunity is there if they guys will take it. But, as was mentioned, the only guys we really should have offered but didn't are Ott and probably Phillips. We offered Phillips but after Stanford did and Ott was in a small class where we took McMullen and Moss so it's not like we didn't do well recruiting DEs that year. Two guys we should have had but didn't is pretty small compared to the number of guys who we took but should have passed on in previous years.

You almost need to subtract the 3 Cottons, or at least * them, who likely wouldn't have been here without the connection.

Ott, Phillips. I'd throw in that Lechner (sp?) kid that went to Ohio - and the Cambridge wrestler. Hopefully Vick/Johnson don't prove to be recent misses, but I think they might.

 

[Haspula]

Number of Nebraska players signed by the Huskers (Rivals' web site goes back to 2002):

2014 - 3

2013 - 1

2012 - 1

2011 - 4

2010 - 4

2009 - 2

2008 - 5

2007 - 2

2006 - 4

2005 - 3

2004 - 5

2003 - 5

2002 - 7

So in-state guys definitely declined under Pelini. But there were a lot of busts in those previous years guys: Cory Timm, Dane Todd, Andy Birkel, Brandon Teamer, Andy Christensen, Clayton Sievers, Robert Rands, Jeff Souder, DJ Jones, Ben Martin and Corey Young under Solich and Callahan plus Micah Kreikmeier, John Levorson and Collins Okafor in the broken class of 2008. That's a lot of misses.

I'd say 2-3 is pretty realistic for most years from in-state. There just isn't enough talent to justify more than that. Pelini averaged 2.5 per year in the classes he got to recruit the full class. And only the years where he took four did he really have misses indicating he took too many.

Bo took some some marginal guys as walk-ons who ended up working out very well - Burtch, Reilly, Gangwish, Janovich - so the opportunity is there if they guys will take it. But, as was mentioned, the only guys we really should have offered but didn't are Ott and probably Phillips. We offered Phillips but after Stanford did and Ott was in a small class where we took McMullen and Moss so it's not like we didn't do well recruiting DEs that year. Two guys we should have had but didn't is pretty small compared to the number of guys who we took but should have passed on in previous years.

You almost need to subtract the 3 Cottons, or at least * them, who likely wouldn't have been here without the connection.

Ott, Phillips. I'd throw in that Lechner (sp?) kid that went to Ohio - and the Cambridge wrestler. Hopefully Vick/Johnson don't prove to be recent misses, but I think they might.

The sad part is Derrius Vick has a better QB rating than armstrong

 

[Stumpy1]

Number of Nebraska players signed by the Huskers (Rivals' web site goes back to 2002):

2014 - 3

2013 - 1

2012 - 1

2011 - 4

2010 - 4

2009 - 2

2008 - 5

2007 - 2

2006 - 4

2005 - 3

2004 - 5

2003 - 5

2002 - 7

So in-state guys definitely declined under Pelini. But there were a lot of busts in those previous years guys: Cory Timm, Dane Todd, Andy Birkel, Brandon Teamer, Andy Christensen, Clayton Sievers, Robert Rands, Jeff Souder, DJ Jones, Ben Martin and Corey Young under Solich and Callahan plus Micah Kreikmeier, John Levorson and Collins Okafor in the broken class of 2008. That's a lot of misses.

I'd say 2-3 is pretty realistic for most years from in-state. There just isn't enough talent to justify more than that. Pelini averaged 2.5 per year in the classes he got to recruit the full class. And only the years where he took four did he really have misses indicating he took too many.

Bo took some some marginal guys as walk-ons who ended up working out very well - Burtch, Reilly, Gangwish, Janovich - so the opportunity is there if they guys will take it. But, as was mentioned, the only guys we really should have offered but didn't are Ott and probably Phillips. We offered Phillips but after Stanford did and Ott was in a small class where we took McMullen and Moss so it's not like we didn't do well recruiting DEs that year. Two guys we should have had but didn't is pretty small compared to the number of guys who we took but should have passed on in previous years.

You almost need to subtract the 3 Cottons, or at least * them, who likely wouldn't have been here without the connection.

Ott, Phillips. I'd throw in that Lechner (sp?) kid that went to Ohio - and the Cambridge wrestler. Hopefully Vick/Johnson don't prove to be recent misses, but I think they might.

Shoff is the kid from Cambridge. He ended up going to SDSU and was/is their starting center. I would have taken him over any of the others that we "might" have missed on from Nebraska. Best athlete IMO to come out of Nebraska in the last couple years.

 

[In the Deed the Glory]

Number of Nebraska players signed by the Huskers (Rivals' web site goes back to 2002):

2014 - 3

2013 - 1

2012 - 1

2011 - 4

2010 - 4

2009 - 2

2008 - 5

2007 - 2

2006 - 4

2005 - 3

2004 - 5

2003 - 5

2002 - 7

So in-state guys definitely declined under Pelini. But there were a lot of busts in those previous years guys: Cory Timm, Dane Todd, Andy Birkel, Brandon Teamer, Andy Christensen, Clayton Sievers, Robert Rands, Jeff Souder, DJ Jones, Ben Martin and Corey Young under Solich and Callahan plus Micah Kreikmeier, John Levorson and Collins Okafor in the broken class of 2008. That's a lot of misses.

I'd say 2-3 is pretty realistic for most years from in-state. There just isn't enough talent to justify more than that. Pelini averaged 2.5 per year in the classes he got to recruit the full class. And only the years where he took four did he really have misses indicating he took too many.

Bo took some some marginal guys as walk-ons who ended up working out very well - Burtch, Reilly, Gangwish, Janovich - so the opportunity is there if they guys will take it. But, as was mentioned, the only guys we really should have offered but didn't are Ott and probably Phillips. We offered Phillips but after Stanford did and Ott was in a small class where we took McMullen and Moss so it's not like we didn't do well recruiting DEs that year. Two guys we should have had but didn't is pretty small compared to the number of guys who we took but should have passed on in previous years.

You almost need to subtract the 3 Cottons, or at least * them, who likely wouldn't have been here without the connection.

Ott, Phillips. I'd throw in that Lechner (sp?) kid that went to Ohio - and the Cambridge wrestler. Hopefully Vick/Johnson don't prove to be recent misses, but I think they might.

Shoff is the kid from Cambridge. He ended up going to SDSU and was/is their starting center. I would have taken him over any of the others that we "might" have missed on from Nebraska. Best athlete IMO to come out of Nebraska in the last couple years.

So far we have:

Drew Ott

Harrison Phillips

Derrius Vick

CJ Johnson

Kyle Emanuel

RJ Urzendowski

Trey Carr

Mike Shoff

Jon Lechner

I would say that is some pretty big misses. Anybody else?

 

[Stumpy1]

Number of Nebraska players signed by the Huskers (Rivals' web site goes back to 2002):

2014 - 3

2013 - 1

2012 - 1

2011 - 4

2010 - 4

2009 - 2

2008 - 5

2007 - 2

2006 - 4

2005 - 3

2004 - 5

2003 - 5

2002 - 7

So in-state guys definitely declined under Pelini. But there were a lot of busts in those previous years guys: Cory Timm, Dane Todd, Andy Birkel, Brandon Teamer, Andy Christensen, Clayton Sievers, Robert Rands, Jeff Souder, DJ Jones, Ben Martin and Corey Young under Solich and Callahan plus Micah Kreikmeier, John Levorson and Collins Okafor in the broken class of 2008. That's a lot of misses.

I'd say 2-3 is pretty realistic for most years from in-state. There just isn't enough talent to justify more than that. Pelini averaged 2.5 per year in the classes he got to recruit the full class. And only the years where he took four did he really have misses indicating he took too many.

Bo took some some marginal guys as walk-ons who ended up working out very well - Burtch, Reilly, Gangwish, Janovich - so the opportunity is there if they guys will take it. But, as was mentioned, the only guys we really should have offered but didn't are Ott and probably Phillips. We offered Phillips but after Stanford did and Ott was in a small class where we took McMullen and Moss so it's not like we didn't do well recruiting DEs that year. Two guys we should have had but didn't is pretty small compared to the number of guys who we took but should have passed on in previous years.

You almost need to subtract the 3 Cottons, or at least * them, who likely wouldn't have been here without the connection.

Ott, Phillips. I'd throw in that Lechner (sp?) kid that went to Ohio - and the Cambridge wrestler. Hopefully Vick/Johnson don't prove to be recent misses, but I think they might.

Shoff is the kid from Cambridge. He ended up going to SDSU and was/is their starting center. I would have taken him over any of the others that we "might" have missed on from Nebraska. Best athlete IMO to come out of Nebraska in the last couple years.

So far we have:

Drew Ott

Harrison Phillips

Derrius Vick

CJ Johnson

Kyle Emanuel

RJ Urzendowski

Trey Carr

Mike Shoff

Jon Lechner

I would say that is some pretty big misses. Anybody else?

And how many play for a D1 school...3-4?

Lets not act like SDSU or any of the other schools are the same as Nebraska. Shoff wasn't offered because the coaches were worried about his knee that he had surgery and had him perform at camp. He also wanted to wrestle in college and the coaches didn't like that idea. That is why he didn't go to Iowa either because they weren't going to allow it.

The jury is still out on Johnson and Phillips.

 

[teachercd]

Number of Nebraska players signed by the Huskers (Rivals' web site goes back to 2002):

2014 - 3

2013 - 1

2012 - 1

2011 - 4

2010 - 4

2009 - 2

2008 - 5

2007 - 2

2006 - 4

2005 - 3

2004 - 5

2003 - 5

2002 - 7

So in-state guys definitely declined under Pelini. But there were a lot of busts in those previous years guys: Cory Timm, Dane Todd, Andy Birkel, Brandon Teamer, Andy Christensen, Clayton Sievers, Robert Rands, Jeff Souder, DJ Jones, Ben Martin and Corey Young under Solich and Callahan plus Micah Kreikmeier, John Levorson and Collins Okafor in the broken class of 2008. That's a lot of misses.

I'd say 2-3 is pretty realistic for most years from in-state. There just isn't enough talent to justify more than that. Pelini averaged 2.5 per year in the classes he got to recruit the full class. And only the years where he took four did he really have misses indicating he took too many.

Bo took some some marginal guys as walk-ons who ended up working out very well - Burtch, Reilly, Gangwish, Janovich - so the opportunity is there if they guys will take it. But, as was mentioned, the only guys we really should have offered but didn't are Ott and probably Phillips. We offered Phillips but after Stanford did and Ott was in a small class where we took McMullen and Moss so it's not like we didn't do well recruiting DEs that year. Two guys we should have had but didn't is pretty small compared to the number of guys who we took but should have passed on in previous years.

You almost need to subtract the 3 Cottons, or at least * them, who likely wouldn't have been here without the connection.

Ott, Phillips. I'd throw in that Lechner (sp?) kid that went to Ohio - and the Cambridge wrestler. Hopefully Vick/Johnson don't prove to be recent misses, but I think they might.

Shoff is the kid from Cambridge. He ended up going to SDSU and was/is their starting center. I would have taken him over any of the others that we "might" have missed on from Nebraska. Best athlete IMO to come out of Nebraska in the last couple years.

So far we have:

Drew Ott

Harrison Phillips

Derrius Vick

CJ Johnson

Kyle Emanuel

RJ Urzendowski

Trey Carr

Mike Shoff

Jon Lechner

I would say that is some pretty big misses. Anybody else?

And how many play for a D1 school...3-4?

Lets not act like SDSU or any of the other schools are the same as Nebraska. Shoff wasn't offered because the coaches were worried about his knee that he had surgery and had him perform at camp. He also wanted to wrestle in college and the coaches didn't like that idea. That is why he didn't go to Iowa either because they weren't going to allow it.

The jury is still out on Johnson and Phillips.

Yep!

 

[teachercd]

I don't totally understand why this is an issue...The staff...any staff...is going to try and take the best players that they can to fill the holes that they have. Do they miss on some, of course...

The second part and this one always bothers me...but this idea that a small town Nebraska kid will work harder or would "die" for the chance is a bit overblown. These guys are D1 players...they work hard...their time is accounted for and they are pretty much all busting their a$$.

I think if you see "slacking" it is going to be at the end of the junior year and heading into the senior year, when you have not played at all and you know you are not going to play...you basically just start going through the motions.

I had a "friend" that walked on as a lineman...he did his time and never played but was on the team for 4 years...said he HATED it by the end...hated the practices the lifting the time commitment...said he would never workout again and he was totally over it. He was a Nebraska kid. But he said by the end, his last year, it was just a matter of counting down the days. He had NOTHING bad to say about the coaches or the program he was just done with it.

 

[Hunter94]

I don't totally understand why this is an issue...The staff...any staff...is going to try and take the best players that they can to fill the holes that they have. Do they miss on some, of course...

The second part and this one always bothers me...but this idea that a small town Nebraska kid will work harder or would "die" for the chance is a bit overblown. These guys are D1 players...they work hard...their time is accounted for and they are pretty much all busting their a$$.

I think if you see "slacking" it is going to be at the end of the junior year and heading into the senior year, when you have not played at all and you know you are not going to play...you basically just start going through the motions.

I had a "friend" that walked on as a lineman...he did his time and never played but was on the team for 4 years...said he HATED it by the end...hated the practices the lifting the time commitment...said he would never workout again and he was totally over it. He was a Nebraska kid. But he said by the end, his last year, it was just a matter of counting down the days. He had NOTHING bad to say about the coaches or the program he was just done with it.

makes perfect sense, work hard, knowing only an injury will get you playing time........sucks.

 

[In the Deed the Glory]

Number of Nebraska players signed by the Huskers (Rivals' web site goes back to 2002):

2014 - 3

2013 - 1

2012 - 1

2011 - 4

2010 - 4

2009 - 2

2008 - 5

2007 - 2

2006 - 4

2005 - 3

2004 - 5

2003 - 5

2002 - 7

So in-state guys definitely declined under Pelini. But there were a lot of busts in those previous years guys: Cory Timm, Dane Todd, Andy Birkel, Brandon Teamer, Andy Christensen, Clayton Sievers, Robert Rands, Jeff Souder, DJ Jones, Ben Martin and Corey Young under Solich and Callahan plus Micah Kreikmeier, John Levorson and Collins Okafor in the broken class of 2008. That's a lot of misses.

I'd say 2-3 is pretty realistic for most years from in-state. There just isn't enough talent to justify more than that. Pelini averaged 2.5 per year in the classes he got to recruit the full class. And only the years where he took four did he really have misses indicating he took too many.

Bo took some some marginal guys as walk-ons who ended up working out very well - Burtch, Reilly, Gangwish, Janovich - so the opportunity is there if they guys will take it. But, as was mentioned, the only guys we really should have offered but didn't are Ott and probably Phillips. We offered Phillips but after Stanford did and Ott was in a small class where we took McMullen and Moss so it's not like we didn't do well recruiting DEs that year. Two guys we should have had but didn't is pretty small compared to the number of guys who we took but should have passed on in previous years.

You almost need to subtract the 3 Cottons, or at least * them, who likely wouldn't have been here without the connection.

Ott, Phillips. I'd throw in that Lechner (sp?) kid that went to Ohio - and the Cambridge wrestler. Hopefully Vick/Johnson don't prove to be recent misses, but I think they might.

Shoff is the kid from Cambridge. He ended up going to SDSU and was/is their starting center. I would have taken him over any of the others that we "might" have missed on from Nebraska. Best athlete IMO to come out of Nebraska in the last couple years.

So far we have:

Drew Ott

Harrison Phillips

Derrius Vick

CJ Johnson

Kyle Emanuel

RJ Urzendowski

Trey Carr

Mike Shoff

Jon Lechner

I would say that is some pretty big misses. Anybody else?

And how many play for a D1 school...3-4?

Lets not act like SDSU or any of the other schools are the same as Nebraska. Shoff wasn't offered because the coaches were worried about his knee that he had surgery and had him perform at camp. He also wanted to wrestle in college and the coaches didn't like that idea. That is why he didn't go to Iowa either because they weren't going to allow it.

The jury is still out on Johnson and Phillips.

If you can start at NDSU over the last 4 years, I like your chances at Nebraska.