Paps excited about D

[BigRedBuster]

I'm not that worried about losing a kid who would play at Northwest Missouri State.

It's not the Northwest Missouri States of the world that is involved here. We used to get kids to walk on that now go to ISU, KU, Kstate, CSU....etc.

Not only do those kids now get scholarships, they get on TV almost as much as they would at Nebraska and they probably feel they will get a better chance at playing time.

 

[Landlord]

I'm not that worried about losing a kid who would play at Northwest Missouri State.

I'd post pictures of the 1,000 kids who didn't have Danny Woodhead's career but there aren't any. Because they weren't very good. And they didn't play beyond college.

Woodhead doesn't make the point. He's the exception, not the rule.

Isn't the whole point of the walkon program finding the exceptions to the rule?

 

[n.e.husker]

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/79354/qa-huskers-d-coordinator-john-papuchis

After looking at the unit during spring practices, what were some of your big takeaways from their performance?
John Papuchis: That's an interesting question because what I've been doing the last couple weeks is going back and looking at our spring cutups. One thing that jumped out to me, after having a little bit of time away from it, was that we improved pretty significantly and steadily as the spring went on. From the first practice to the 14th practice leading up to the spring game, we were much crisper in our alignments and understanding our assignments, we played faster. There was just a lot of development that took place over the course of those 14 practices. We're a young group, and we're going to need all 29 practices before we kick it off against Wyoming.

 

[TAKODA]

How does that tuition increase compare to other schools? It's only a problem if the cost to go to UNL is greater than other schools. Since most of our walk-ons are in-state, the guys who would normally walk on here are either going to go to another in-state school or pay out-of-state tuition rates to go to another school.

No, it's a problem when a kid can no longer walk away from the full ride that accompanies their North Dakota State offer, and walk on at UNL without being burdened by 20 years of student loan debt. In the mid-90's that was possible. Today, a kid that would have walked on 20 years ago...almost has to take the Northwest Missouri offer, or the South Dakota State offer. It seems like there are half a dozen every year in this same boat.

Our walk-on class is trending towards being comprised of lesser athletes, or kids from families that are well off. The middle-ground, good but not great athletes...those are the future contributors, and most of them are choosing the $$ - and no one can blame them.

This ↑

 

[QMany]

I actually agree with kchuskerchris. I'm oing to be sick.

 

[kchusker_chris]

I'm not that worried about losing a kid who would play at Northwest Missouri State.

That's where Marsh was going before he got a greyshirt offer. Not that he panned out here, but it was still a quality walk-on. What about Ohio? How many kids have they taken from us that have walk-on offers? Some of them, especially on the OL turned into solid players under Frank. Look at Jon Lechner. I don't think we offered him a walk-on because Ohio had already offered...and with tuition where it is today, playing for Ohio trumps walking on at Nebraska. Point is, 20 years ago that wasn't the case. Guy is a beast on the OL now.

Shoff, Ott, etc. Heck, you can point to some of the other kids like Levorson, Sterup, (Cottons) that might have walked on and not required scholarships if tuition was 5500/year instead of 17k.

Changes the whole dynamic when you can no longer afford to choose Nebraska over Ohio. Guess it helps out places like Ohio though.

 

[Count 'Bility]

For the sake of it being unfair as hell to compare anyone to Tom Osborne, what was Chip Kelly doing 8 AGO, much less, 8 years before his first coordinator job. How's about Nick Saban? What was he doing 8 years before his first coordinator job? Bob Stoops? C'mon folks. Guys have to get their start somewhere. I understand the angst around the Papuchis promotion after just one year, but seriously, there was just as much if not more when Beck was promoted. Mainly because Bo was a defensive guy, the offense was in the tank, and he was promoting some Youngstown buddy from within to fix something that we perceived that Bo knew nothing about. But Bo had a vision, had a qb, got the guy he wanted in that position, put the talent around him that fit that vision, and now, less than 3 years later, we're sitting worrying about the defense-the thing that Bo DOES know. So what's the dagnabit problem?

I still feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

Kelly had been at a bunch of small schools since the early 90's. He was the OC at New Hampshire before moving to Oregon. Stoops was at KSU for a couple of years before becoming the Co-DC at KSU & then he was DC at Florida. Saban has been coaching longer then I have been alive.

That's fine. But still, what were these guys doing 8 years before their first coordinator job? Like I said, someone has to start somewhere. My point is that being 8 years removed from an intern position to being the coordinator for a guy that you spend your whole professional career with to that point to me is not something to be shocked about.

 

[kchusker_chris]

That's fine. But still, what were these guys doing 8 years before their first coordinator job? Like I said, someone has to start somewhere. My point is that being 8 years removed from an intern position to being the coordinator for a guy that you spend your whole professional career with to that point to me is not something to be shocked about.

JP was a special case though - considering he'd just come from coaching one of the worst DLs we've had in years (which now has been trumped by the following year's DL). And throw in the fact that there was a Stoops out there, and JP had just been promoted the year before and his "ascension" is pretty quick.

I think a lot of us feel like he was given the DC job, not because of his merits but because Bo knew that he would still be running the D, and we needed JP to stay for recruiting. JP is a guy that stands on the sidelines and agrees w/ whatever Bo says (slightly facetious). And he's a good recruiter. And that's why he's DC.

Edit: Just to clarify - I think JP will end up being a great coordinator. Maybe not for us, because Bo runs the show and I think that might end up getting to him, but some day. I wish we had made a run at Stoops - knowing it was only a short term, 1-2 year fix. That would have given JP even more experience, given our defensive recruiting a big shot in the arm...and left us in the same exact position we are in today...with JP at DC. I think we'd be in a better position today. With a more experienced DC. And better talent on D.

 

[Saunders]

I'm not that worried about losing a kid who would play at Northwest Missouri State.

I'd post pictures of the 1,000 kids who didn't have Danny Woodhead's career but there aren't any. Because they weren't very good. And they didn't play beyond college.

Woodhead doesn't make the point. He's the exception, not the rule.

How many walk-ons have contributed to Nebraska's success over the years? How many guys who were overlooked and went to small colleges turned out to be great players in the NFL?

 

[knapplc]

I'm not that worried about losing a kid who would play at Northwest Missouri State.

I'd post pictures of the 1,000 kids who didn't have Danny Woodhead's career but there aren't any. Because they weren't very good. And they didn't play beyond college.

Woodhead doesn't make the point. He's the exception, not the rule.

How many walk-ons have contributed to Nebraska's success over the years? How many guys who were overlooked and went to small colleges turned out to be great players in the NFL?

Are those kids who were going to Northwestern Missouri State or kids who were going to other D1 schools but chose to walk on here?

 

[Saunders]

Are those kids who were going to Northwestern Missouri State or kids who were going to other D1 schools but chose to walk on here?

Does it matter? It's entirely irrelevant to your original point.

How does that tuition increase compare to other schools? It's only a problem if the cost to go to UNL is greater than other schools. Since most of our walk-ons are in-state, the guys who would normally walk on here are either going to go to another in-state school or pay out-of-state tuition rates to go to another school.

If players can't afford to walk on (because of the gigantic increase in tuition) and have to take a scholarship at a smaller school out of state, it absolutely affects the depth of the team. Look at how many guys from NE have got offers from South Dakota state alone.

 

[Junior]

It seems that we hear the same thing over and over each year. Until game day, I am cynical.

I'm a skeptic until we make it past the pre-season cupcakes and see what the Blackshirts do in the first conference game.

/ Although UCLA might be a worthy test of the defense this year.

Agreed. I generally try to avoid the offseason fluff pieces. They start to skew my expectations after a while.

 

[Count 'Bility]

That's fine. But still, what were these guys doing 8 years before their first coordinator job? Like I said, someone has to start somewhere. My point is that being 8 years removed from an intern position to being the coordinator for a guy that you spend your whole professional career with to that point to me is not something to be shocked about.

JP was a special case though - considering he'd just come from coaching one of the worst DLs we've had in years (which now has been trumped by the following year's DL). And throw in the fact that there was a Stoops out there, and JP had just been promoted the year before and his "ascension" is pretty quick.

I think a lot of us feel like he was given the DC job, not because of his merits but because Bo knew that he would still be running the D, and we needed JP to stay for recruiting. JP is a guy that stands on the sidelines and agrees w/ whatever Bo says (slightly facetious). And he's a good recruiter. And that's why he's DC.

Edit: Just to clarify - I think JP will end up being a great coordinator. Maybe not for us, because Bo runs the show and I think that might end up getting to him, but some day. I wish we had made a run at Stoops - knowing it was only a short term, 1-2 year fix. That would have given JP even more experience, given our defensive recruiting a big shot in the arm...and left us in the same exact position we are in today...with JP at DC. I think we'd be in a better position today. With a more experienced DC. And better talent on D.

I dont think that JP is a "yes sir" type of guy. He and Bo have been together for this long because they probably understand each other and share the same philosophies and such. We were never going to hire Stoops to be a DC. That was ludicrous to begin with. And after seeing OU's D last year, thank god we didnt. I think Bo see in the long term that he'll be able to step farther away from defensive management knowing JP will operate it the way he wouldve.

 

[knapplc]

Are those kids who were going to Northwestern Missouri State or kids who were going to other D1 schools but chose to walk on here?

Does it matter? It's entirely irrelevant to your original point.

How does that tuition increase compare to other schools? It's only a problem if the cost to go to UNL is greater than other schools. Since most of our walk-ons are in-state, the guys who would normally walk on here are either going to go to another in-state school or pay out-of-state tuition rates to go to another school.

If players can't afford to walk on (because of the gigantic increase in tuition) and have to take a scholarship at a smaller school out of state, it absolutely affects the depth of the team. Look at how many guys from NE have got offers from South Dakota state alone.

My point was that tuition has gone up at every school, not just Nebraska. Citing UNL's rising tuition costs in a vacuum appears bad, but it's not the whole picture.

Agreed that depth of the team takes a hit with higher tuition. It also takes a hit with the 85 scholarship limit. Same with Title IX. There are lots of things affecting the numbers of athletes we have in the player pool, and tuition is one of them.

 

[BigRedBuster]

Are those kids who were going to Northwestern Missouri State or kids who were going to other D1 schools but chose to walk on here?

Does it matter? It's entirely irrelevant to your original point.

How does that tuition increase compare to other schools? It's only a problem if the cost to go to UNL is greater than other schools. Since most of our walk-ons are in-state, the guys who would normally walk on here are either going to go to another in-state school or pay out-of-state tuition rates to go to another school.

If players can't afford to walk on (because of the gigantic increase in tuition) and have to take a scholarship at a smaller school out of state, it absolutely affects the depth of the team. Look at how many guys from NE have got offers from South Dakota state alone.

My point was that tuition has gone up at every school, not just Nebraska. Citing UNL's rising tuition costs in a vacuum appears bad, but it's not the whole picture.

Agreed that depth of the team takes a hit with higher tuition. It also takes a hit with the 85 scholarship limit. Same with Title IX. There are lots of things affecting the numbers of athletes we have in the player pool, and tuition is one of them.

And, our point is that your point is flawed because we are comparing walking on (paying UNL tuition) to getting a full ride scholarship somewhere else.