First team All Conference

[inWV]

Talent, development, coaching. Winning teams succeed in doing more than checking the box in each of these three. Per the 2018-19 Nebraska All-Sports Record Book, here are the following first team all conference selections:
Pelini, 08-10: Suh, Assante, Crick, Allen, Prince, David, Hagg, Henry
Pelini, 11-12: Rex, David, Fonzi, Maher, Long, Tmart, Martin, Stafford
Pelini, 12-14: AA, Evans, Gregory, Bell
Since: Foltz (RIP)

 

[Husker Red 182]

Talent, development, coaching. Winning teams succeed in doing more than checking the box in each of these three. Per the 2018-19 Nebraska All-Sports Record Book, here are the following first team all conference selections:
Pelini, 08-10: Suh, Assante, Crick, Allen, Prince, David, Hagg, Henry
Pelini, 11-12: Rex, David, Fonzi, Maher, Long, Tmart, Martin, Stafford
Pelini, 12-14: AA, Evans, Gregory, Bell
Since: Foltz (RIP)

Agreed team can’t win without layers standing out

 

[NorthwoodHusker]

And there it is

 

[huskerssalts]

Yep, our talent level has been down the past several years. Doesn’t help when we lost half our top recruits to transfers, MLB draft and none qualifiers. Between 2014-2017, out of 21 4 star players we lost 10 to 11 of them and the ones that stayed, half of them were busts all together. Our luck hasn’t been good there. I know it doesn’t help that we have had 3 different Head Coaches in the same time frame. And I didn’t even count 2018 which was a mess too.

Plus side is, Scott Frost is loading us back up with talent and that issue should eventually correct itself again. We should start seeing more draft picks and more 1st team all conference players and the occasional All American.

 

[Huskerchil]

The last 2 years frost has brought in a lot of talent we hope. It does look good 2 or 3 years down the road.These players will get a lot of experience next year and it will start to show in a couple of years.

 

[bshirt73]

The last 2 years frost has brought in a lot of talent we hope. It does look good 2 or 3 years down the road.These players will get a lot of experience next year and it will start to show in a couple of years.

Yep, that's surely true. It's not easy to keep slamming down the patience pills but we're getting closer.

 

[Larry Hagman's Liver]

As sobering as it gets, but right in line with our draft drought the last three years.

 

[NorthwoodHusker]

Yep, our talent level has been down the past several years. Doesn’t help when we lost half our top recruits to transfers, MLB draft and none qualifiers. Between 2014-2017, out of 21 4 star players we lost 10 to 11 of them and the ones that stayed, half of them were busts all together. Our luck hasn’t been good there. I know it doesn’t help that we have had 3 different Head Coaches in the same time frame. And I didn’t even count 2018 which was a mess too.

Plus side is, Scott Frost is loading us back up with talent and that issue should eventually correct itself again. We should start seeing more draft picks and more 1st team all conference players and the occasional All American.

Doing the math, we ended up with 5 four stars, thats about, oh, purdue level, or illinois level or NW level.
Gee, that puts us on par with those teams, except they didnt go through three system changes and coaching changes.
But hey, Nebraska grumble grumble

 

[inWV]

In order to win the conference or get to the CCG, NU needs all-conference players. Pelini's early teams featured elite D talent largely recruited by Callahan and coached by Pelini assistants. Among the kids currently on the roster, who are the ones that have the combination of athleticism and drive to become first team all B1G? Wandale, AMart, Jurgens, Benhart, Cam Taylor, Ty(?), NPG(?). Who knows wrt the group that just showed up. Or even how about the example of Spencer Long? No one know who he is, then he's starting as a sophomore and is second team B1G at season's end. Then second team all-american the next year. Smart kid who knew how good he could be and then just balled out.
There are more kids that have the skills and athleticism to become all-conference that become all-conference. The separator is dedication and drive.

 

[NorthwoodHusker]

In order to win the conference or get to the CCG, NU needs all-conference players. Pelini's early teams featured elite D talent largely recruited by Callahan and coached by Pelini assistants. Among the kids currently on the roster, who are the ones that have the combination of athleticism and drive to become first team all B1G? Wandale, AMart, Jurgens, Benhart, Cam Taylor, Ty(?), NPG(?). Who knows wrt the group that just showed up. Or even how about the example of Spencer Long? No one know who he is, then he's starting as a sophomore and is second team B1G at season's end. Then second team all-american the next year. Smart kid who knew how good he could be and then just balled out.
There are more kids that have the skills and athleticism to become all-conference that become all-conference. The separator is dedication and drive.

I'd just throw this unpopular fact out there. First team Big might mean all american status right?
Well, we had/got one on the team now.

 

[NorthwoodHusker]

I dug in a lil further, we had three honorable mentions on offense, one 2nd team, one third and another honorable mention on defense.
The lists are about 75 players in total for each side of the line, 75 offense, 75 defense, or 150 in total.

We had six out of 150, now heres where it hurts, with 14 teams, thats almost 11 per team on average.
So, all you pukes that say we have plenty of talent,let that sink in.

 

[inWV]

So, all you pukes that say we have plenty of talent,let that sink in.

Based on recruiting rankings, NU has had the roster talent to be a top 25 team and to be the lead contender for the B1G West crown. NU's Rivals ranking, 2012-2017, back of half of Pelini plus Riley (year/overall/B1G):
2012/40/4, 2013/17/3, 2014/32/5, 2015/27/4, 2016/24/5, 2017/20/5. In those six years, the only West team to out compete NU was Iowa.
This is not an issue of talent, unless your metric is competing for B1G titles and a playoff spot. This is an issue of development, strength and conditioning, coaching and internal drive of the players. It's a great thing to have two top 20 recruiting classes in a row. But it's more important what those players are doing once they get to Lincoln. If expectations are low (see Riley, Mike), the players will meet those expectations. And habits once learned can be hard to break.
To end on a positive note, take a kid like Cam Taylor. Position switch from QB in HS, relatively low rated recruit, but we saw early that he was a kid unafraid to compete. He's the kind of kid that can be part of a team that achieves something meaningful. NU needs more Cam Taylors.

 

[Headcard]

Based on recruiting rankings, NU has had the roster talent to be a top 25 team and to be the lead contender for the B1G West crown. NU's Rivals ranking, 2012-2017, back of half of Pelini plus Riley (year/overall/B1G):
2012/40/4, 2013/17/3, 2014/32/5, 2015/27/4, 2016/24/5, 2017/20/5. In those six years, the only West team to out compete NU was Iowa.
This is not an issue of talent, unless your metric is competing for B1G titles and a playoff spot. This is an issue of development, strength and conditioning, coaching and internal drive of the players. It's a great thing to have two top 20 recruiting classes in a row. But it's more important what those players are doing once they get to Lincoln. If expectations are low (see Riley, Mike), the players will meet those expectations. And habits once learned can be hard to break.
To end on a positive note, take a kid like Cam Taylor. Position switch from QB in HS, relatively low rated recruit, but we saw early that he was a kid unafraid to compete. He's the kind of kid that can be part of a team that achieves something meaningful. NU needs more Cam Taylors.

I agree with alot of what you are saying. But the question I have is: Why continue to spout off recruiting rankings, without acknowledging that the vast majority of Riley's last class and Frost first class are gone? Especially the ones that led to the high recruiting ranking, on paper. From the 2017 class you listed: Keyshawn Johnson, Tristian Gebbia, Tyjon Lindsey, Avery Robertsm Guy Thomas, etc. aren't helping us right now. Same thing with 2018. Nebraska does have the ability to bring in players, but because of all the instability in the program the last 5 years or so, we have some serious roster issues, to go along with the other issues you mentioned.

 

[inWV]

I agree with alot of what you are saying. But the question I have is: Why continue to spout off recruiting rankings, without acknowledging that the vast majority of Riley's last class and Frost first class are gone? Especially the ones that led to the high recruiting ranking, on paper. From the 2017 class you listed: Keyshawn Johnson, Tristian Gebbia, Tyjon Lindsey, Avery Robertsm Guy Thomas, etc. aren't helping us right now. Same thing with 2018. Nebraska does have the ability to bring in players, but because of all the instability in the program the last 5 years or so, we have some serious roster issues, to go along with the other issues you mentioned.

I agree that 2017 was a potemkin village of a recruiting class and the 2018 transition class, while well-regarded, turn out to be shaky. My point is that over the past several years, NU has landed roster talent that is inconsistent with the product on the field. Rather than finding ways to win, NU has found ways to lose. I think that stands even with the roster churn. And that is a symptom of a problem that Frost has yet to solve.

 

[NorthwoodHusker]

Based on recruiting rankings, NU has had the roster talent to be a top 25 team and to be the lead contender for the B1G West crown. NU's Rivals ranking, 2012-2017, back of half of Pelini plus Riley (year/overall/B1G):
2012/40/4, 2013/17/3, 2014/32/5, 2015/27/4, 2016/24/5, 2017/20/5. In those six years, the only West team to out compete NU was Iowa.
This is not an issue of talent, unless your metric is competing for B1G titles and a playoff spot. This is an issue of development, strength and conditioning, coaching and internal drive of the players. It's a great thing to have two top 20 recruiting classes in a row. But it's more important what those players are doing once they get to Lincoln. If expectations are low (see Riley, Mike), the players will meet those expectations. And habits once learned can be hard to break.
To end on a positive note, take a kid like Cam Taylor. Position switch from QB in HS, relatively low rated recruit, but we saw early that he was a kid unafraid to compete. He's the kind of kid that can be part of a team that achieves something meaningful. NU needs more Cam Taylors.

I've pointed out here, Maliek Collins, Nate Gerry both had high expectations of themselves, and put their work in, staying after practices always, working out always etc.
A better expectations through coaching would be our left tackle who thought he'd done enough until he hit the league.
Self starters happen regardless of coaching, but the last second high talent guys most decent teams have passed on distort those high class rankings, as most dont make it, or dont possess those self starting priorities. Guys who the coaches dont really know, but they are fillers. Most of those guys dont count in those classes, as they dont count on the field later on.
Our class rankings are skewed in many ways, no shows,wrong fits due to system changes, example being fullback, but also body types etc.
So, being below minny in Big players honorable mention on up, it's no surprise we are having trouble.

 

[bshirt73]

Yes, that's a sad scenario. The upside is that HCSF surely knows quite well where we are and is working hard to change it. Us fans simply have to have patience (so easier said than done).