For All the Scholarships Nebraska Has Offered...

[IowaLawWasRight]

Last month, Nebraska made recruiting waves when it was publicized that they had already offered 409 scholarships to class of 2020 recruits. By way of comparison, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan State combined had only offered 390.

So when I went to check the recruiting news today, I was shocked to see Nebraska has just 3 commitments from their now 400+ offers. Are the kids not drinking Frost's cool aid? Are they weary of a coach that offers 20x more kids that he can actually sign? Or does Frost have a policy similar to Ferentz where once a kid commits, he is expected to stop visiting other schools?

Last year, in his first recruiting class, Frost signed 11 4 **** studs (Kirk signed zero in his first). His 3 recruits this year are also 4 ****, so the guy can obviously recruit. So what's the problem this year?

In any event, it's kind of interesting. OSU, PSU, Mich, Iowa, Northwestern, Wis, Maryland & Minn all have at least 8 commits.

 

[4thngoal]

Last month, Nebraska made recruiting waves when it was publicized that they had already offered 409 scholarships to class of 2020 recruits. By way of comparison, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan State combined had only offered 390.

So when I went to check the recruiting news today, I was shocked to see Nebraska has just 3 commitments from their now 400+ offers. Are the kids not drinking Frost's cool aid? Are they weary of a coach that offers 20x more kids that he can actually sign? Or does Frost have a policy similar to Ferentz where once a kid commits, he is expected to stop visiting other schools?

Last year, in his first recruiting class, Frost signed 11 4 **** studs (Kirk signed zero in his first). His 3 recruits this year are also 4 ****, so the guy can obviously recruit. So what's the problem this year?

In any event, it's kind of interesting. OSU, PSU, Mich, Iowa, Northwestern, Wis, Maryland & Minn all have at least 8 commits.

They have also had several 4* guys transfer.
I'm sorry but Nebraska is not Alabama, there is a reason

 

[AreWeThereYet]

Nebraska and Iowa are at the opposite ends of the spectrum on recruiting and evaluation. Nebraska take the shot gun approach than filters for the best athletes available. Iowa takes a much more targeted approach which is heavy on evaluation. Quite frankly Iowa evaluates and develops football players better and Nebraska attracts higher end talent at wide receiver and running back.

 

[deanvogs]

Nebraska is a joke with all those offers. So far Iowa has nabbed more kids with Nebraska offers than Nebraska has: Yelverton, Volk, Jones, and Gavin Williams vs the 3 Nebby has committed.

You simply can’t actually recruit 400 kids, there aren’t enough coaches or time in the day. They just look like idiots throwing out that many offers.

 

[BVHawk95]

Nebby always has and likely always will recruit well.

They haven't (and I believe still don't) develop at the same rate as Iowa.

 

[deanvogs]

Since the 2012 disaster here have been our recruiting rankings have been ranked: #53, #59, #58, #42, #40, #40, #41, for an average of #47 Since 2012 Nebraska's recruiting rankings have been ranked: #17, #32, #31, #24, #20, #21, #15 for an average of #23. So Iowa barely averages a top 50 recruiting class, and Nebraska is averaging a top 25 class.

Since 2012 Iowa has the 18th most wins of all P5 teams with 52 of them. Nebraska has 41 wins, 2 less wins than Minnesota.

 

[Northside Hawk]

It would be interesting to see all 400 offers commit and then see Frost have to sift through the commits and renege on his word to about 380 of them.

 

[PCHawk]

Since the 2012 disaster here have been our recruiting rankings have been ranked: #53, #59, #58, #42, #40, #40, #41, for an average of #47 Since 2012 Nebraska's recruiting rankings have been ranked: #17, #32, #31, #24, #20, #21, #15 for an average of #23. So Iowa barely averages a top 50 recruiting class, and Nebraska is averaging a top 25 class.

Since 2012 Iowa has the 18th most wins of all P5 teams with 52 of them. Nebraska has 41 wins, 2 less wins than Minnesota.

Good numbers. I bet the difference on team rankings is the name on the front of the jersey.

 

[PCHawk]

Nebby always has and likely always will recruit well.

They haven't (and I believe still don't) develop at the same rate as Iowa.

I highly doubt they will always recruit well. They are probably losing the benefit of doubt from both recruits and recruiting services more and more as the years of bad production add up.

 

[BVHawk95]

I highly doubt they will always recruit well. They are probably losing the benefit of doubt from both recruits and recruiting services more and more as the years of bad production add up.

I mean, they've been largely irrelevant for the majority of the 21st century, but still pull solid classes. I agree it shouldn't last forever, but "muh tradishun" has carried them pretty long still.

 

[AreWeThereYet]

I realize that Wisconsin, Iowa, and Northwestern run some of the best player development programs in the country. I'm not sure it's all developmental though. Those same teams also spend a lot of time getting to know who they are recruiting.

The thing that gets me about this is, if Nebraska is casting a super wide net to recruit players, how much do they know about them. It's almost like, well everyone really thinks a lot of these players, we've got the tape and enough evaluation that the player looks like he's for real. We'll worry about details if the kid bites.

 

[AreWeThereYet]

I mean, they've been largely irrelevant for the majority of the 21st century, but still pull solid classes. I agree it shouldn't last forever, but "muh tradishun" has carried them pretty long still.

They still have had their fair share of 9 and 10 win seasons the last decade. That's enough to feed expectations.

 

[okeefe4prez]

I realize that Wisconsin, Iowa, and Northwestern run some of the best player development programs in the country. I'm not sure it's all developmental though. Those same teams also spend a lot of time getting to know who they are recruiting.

Your last sentence is spot on. You don't really see Fitz or Ferentz out there recruiting guys who don't fit their programs or who they have no shot of getting. Like you look at what Oregon did with Christian French or what Arkansas did with Derby after Ferentz gave him a crack and told him he had to move positions. That is standard for a lot of programs. Ferentz will tell a guy straight up where he would fit in and some of those guys can't handle it. Fitz does the same. Ferentz and Fitz are the elder statesmen of the conference and they know better than to burn a scholarship and have some disgruntled guy in there thinking he should play QB or be the star WR.

 

[FCAS]

almost every time a recruit has picked ISU under Campbell, they all cite their relationship with the coaches as a primary reason why they come to Ames.

I would suspect that a pretty high percentage of kids at all schools cite the relationship with the coaches as the primary reason. ISU or Iowa are not unique in that regard.

 

[FCAS]

Since the 2012 disaster here have been our recruiting rankings have been ranked: #53, #59, #58, #42, #40, #40, #41, for an average of #47 Since 2012 Nebraska's recruiting rankings have been ranked: #17, #32, #31, #24, #20, #21, #15 for an average of #23. So Iowa barely averages a top 50 recruiting class, and Nebraska is averaging a top 25 class.

Since 2012 Iowa has the 18th most wins of all P5 teams with 52 of them. Nebraska has 41 wins, 2 less wins than Minnesota.

Team recruiting rankings are just the sum of the individual players, not a more holistic view. Just my gut feeling, but I wonder if Nebby has accumulated a lot of high-star skill players, but have not done as well in the trenches, which could explain the disparity between their recruiting rankings and on-field results

 

[westender]

I think one thing is we just don't know. ISU has taken some heat on this board for casting a wide net - however, almost every time a recruit has picked ISU under Campbell, they all cite their relationship with the coaches as a primary reason why they come to Ames.

If you asked out 400 women, you are gonna develop a good relationship with a few of them.

 

[kicker22]

If you asked out 400 women, you are gonna develop a good relationship with a few of them.

But if you ask out 400 women out during the course of recruiting period you're going to come off as desperate.

 

[4thngoal]

But if you ask out 400 women out during the course of recruiting period you're going to come off as desperate.

And probably catch something that you don't want.

 

[AreWeThereYet]

I think one thing is we just don't know. ISU has taken some heat on this board for casting a wide net - however, almost every time a recruit has picked ISU under Campbell, they all cite their relationship with the coaches as a primary reason why they come to Ames.

ISU has to go further afield and cast a wide net because there are better choices for local recruits. Also, it is a little different when like ISU you are trying to take a basement dweller and make them into a competitive team. In Nebraska's case they going from a team that is usually competitive, and trying to make a dominant team.

It just seems to me that Nebraska's percentage rate of producing good football players is on the low side for the recruits they land. I'm not saying they are terrible, I'm saying their three main competitors seem to do better with what the players they land. Part of that is Wisconsin, Iowa, and Northwestern have better player development. Is that the whole story, or does it start earlier with better player evaluation and picking the players that will thrive in your system.

 

[JoeyLabasForPresident]

ISU has to go further afield and cast a wide net because there are better choices for local recruits. Also, it is a little different when like ISU you are trying to take a basement dweller and make them into a competitive team. In Nebraska's case they going from a team that used to be competitive, and trying to make a decent team.

FTFY

I’d also contend that Nebraska underperforming it’s recruiting ranking has more to do with hiring an incompetent football coach followed by a thug, the latter of whom is trying to establish a team that would fair far better in the Big 12 or Pac-12.