To your point, that's what makes a "difference-maker" a difference maker.
Nelson - doghouse
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So the problems with the program over the past decade have been that the RB coaching and roster has been bad. Massive resources to the WR room? We took some decent kids from the portal and some of them produced, but the HS recruited kids didn't pan out much.
As I understand things, we had a nice two back tandem by the end of last season, both of them were offered better NIL deals as a result, but one of them took an even better NIL deal from KY. They could have taken Char Mar Brown, but got outbid by Miami. CharMar's productivity basically matches Ives this season.
You don't know Barthel, so hate of him is kind of weird. And no, Rhule will not be canned because of poor RB recruiting.
How much different would the conversation be if Jamarion Parker was healthy and came in like Mozee and Mills have and started showing out some early on?
Until he gets healthy and contributes we won't know what he's got til we see it on the field.
If he gets healthy, learns pass pro, and can't leapfrog Ives and Nelson in a hurry, then he's not much.
I love how some people can't just say, "my bad" when they are wrong about something, especially when it's black and white data. Good catch. 20 points isn't enough from our offense to keep us in games if our D proves to not be able to stop the run in the big ten, but I think how well we've been able to move the football is promising, and finishing drives in the endzone is something that's fixable by Holgo with the talent that we have.
This is my only answer to the question Trike has. I THINK Parker was/is supposed to be that guy but is hurt. I think he clearly represents our best chance at that kinda back but we know injuries happen. Ives and Booth don't move my radar. Mozee is more of a hybrid whom I doubt is looked at as an every down RB. Guy went to KY from the bag was a solid back but not a game breaker either.
I just think at a place like Nebraska we just have much better than "solid" RBs. Is it because they don't value the position? Is it because EJ can't recruit that type athlete? Or is it a mindset where he wants a certain kinda guy ?
Not sure but I think he's a good developer. Dowdell got a lot better from spring till fall here. EJ has gotten dramatically better under his watch. I have to give him credit for that. But my thoughts are what if he starts out with a guy with a higher ceiling to begin with and develop him the same way? We end up with a much better RB. Imo however we do it we need to sign more talented guys than we have ....period. Then develop the **** out of them.
Holla
I can't have a conversation with anyone who thinks Dowdell is a good RB. Bad attitude, zero vision, slow, lack of agility, bad pass pro, and terrible hands.
Brown has played some of the toughest competition in college football while Ives played mop up duty against Houston Christian.......
I dont have to Know Barthel personally to see his lack of recruiting and development of the RB position. And yes, if Rhule can't win more than one game every other year in November he will be fired. A massive reason for that is having no difference makers at RB in November at 35° with a 30 mph cross wind.
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I have consistently stated we need multiple high level rb recruits in every class. That hasn't happened since we had Braylon Heard, Aaron Green, and Ameer Abdullah in one recruiting class.
It just so happened the lowest rated recruit was the best player. Eventually Heard went to Kentucky and Aaron Green to TCU.
After the UCLA loss last year, I wanted these coaches replaced: WR, OC, ST and RB. 3 of the 4 were replaced, and I felt satiated. Offensively, I feel like every room has gotten better from 1-2 years ago except RB. Barthel is underperforming on the recruiting front.
We shouldn't pretend NU has been a routine destination for the real high flyers, at least after TO left the building. Lucky was one, but Roy (low 3*) was not. Rex was a 4*, but the #40 RB in the class. He was a Tim Beck find and grab out of Texas and we were pleased to get him. AA came to NU and beat out a true blue chip in Green. It’s been a mix of lower level blue chips and developmental players for the past 30 years.
I didn't know who Barthel was before 2023. Ives and Nelson were two kids he knew. He didn't get Lacy, and he will likely match EJ i production this year. He did get Dowdell and he was a good match for what they were going to try to do last year and was a very good short yardage back. They took a shot at CharMar and the U paid more. CharMar's production thus far matches Ives'.
In truth, Barthel and Holgerson most likely thought they could get Parker ready to play, but he is on ice with an injury. Dana also thinks he can use both Ives and Nelson, as they both are decent in the RB pass game. Mozee can play and he may turn out the best of them all. As long as Holgerson is calling the shots on offense, RBs will have to operate effectively in the pass game.
What we are asking for is 2 lead backs. And yet when we have 2 backs and use them in rotation, some of us respond with they both suck and get me a real feature back.
Rhule and Holgerson have expressed confidence in that room at every opportunity. They will use EJ heavy when they need to and less when they don't. If NU wins at a high clip this year, we will get interest from better RBs.
I didn't know who Barthel was before 2023. Ives and Nelson were two kids he knew. He didn't get Lacy, and he will likely match EJ i production this year. He did get Dowdell and he was a good match for what they were going to try to do last year and was a very good short yardage back. They took a shot at CharMar and the U paid more. CharMar's production thus far matches Ives'.
In truth, Barthel and Holgerson most likely thought they could get Parker ready to play, but he is on ice with an injury. Dana also thinks he can use both Ives and Nelson, as they both are decent in the RB pass game. Mozee can play and he may turn out the best of them all. As long as Holgerson is calling the shots on offense, RBs will have to operate effectively in the pass game.
What we are asking for is 2 lead backs. And yet when we have 2 backs and use them in rotation, some of us respond with they both suck and get me a real feature back.
Rhule and Holgerson have expressed confidence in that room at every opportunity. They will use EJ heavy when they need to and less when they don't. If NU wins at a high clip this year, we will get interest from better RBs.
Helu was recruited by BC. Same dude that also went heavy on highly recruited backs. It’s ok to go after diamonds in the ruff every now and again, but don’t make it your lifeline.
and I care very little about Rhule’s support for Barthel. Matt’s the same guy who supported Foley, McGuire, and Satt as OC. How’d that turn out? And Dana is just learning Barthel, besides what’s he going to do say he doesn’t support him? And honestly it’s not his X’s and O’s that is hurting us, it’s his silly *** style of recruiting. And yes we could recruit better, Sick of fans with this “best we can get mentality”. Have you seen our football budget. Please. Our last two RB coaches just could not recruit.
And like I said, keep Barthel but make him a co-recruiter. Do his shopping for him and just let him cook. That’s what LSU fans use to say about Bo. He’s a great cook but don’t let him in the grocery store he will buy cheap ingredients. Some guys just can’t subject themselves to 17 year olds with big egos. Hell put Eck on it. Guy loves recruting and humble enough to do it but still show some swag in doing it.
Nothing wrong with the recommendations in the last paragraph. But he did get EJ ready to play, and got more our of Dowdell than we were expecting. And while he hasn't crafted silk purses out of sows' ears with Nelson and Ives, he did make functional carrying bags. And I wouldn't say Barthel has always gone for store brand. They took a shot at Lacy. Parker is a wrung below blue chip. And if we are being honest with ourselves, up until this season, why would a serious blue chip or portal guy have NU as a high possible? Often our running game looked downright moribund, with backs routinely getting stoned at the LOS. Running offense in the back half of that season with Whipple was often painful to watch. A recruiter trying to rah rah on NU's run game would look like a chump.
Proof of concept for certain types of back is being laid down now. If I were a 17 year old kid who thought I had what it took to make the NFL as an RB, NU is now on my radar. It wouldn't have been a couple of years ago.