Portal losses

[Pennsyhusker_rivals246774]

In looking at the guys transferring out, some of the transfers at first glance appear to be quality guys that it hurts to lose. Jamari Butler for example. And in some ways it probably does hurt our depth.

However, how many of those guys were top tier talents? I would argue not a single one. I am not losing any sleep over losing any of them. Because not one of them would be starters on most top 20 teams. A player like Jamari Butler wouldn’t even make Ohio State’s two deep.

What we have now is a real opportunity to upgrade our roster with much better talent. We will have two new coordinators. And with every team struggling to get down to 105 there will be some talented guys in the portal. For Nebraska to get back to being a perennial top 10 team we have to start upgrading the talent on our roster. Instead of a Jamari Butler we need a Grant Wistrom. Sorry to pick on Jamari but I focus on him because I think he was our biggest loss.

Time to put the pedal to the metal in our recruiting. We didn’t spend $150 million on new facilities to develop walk ons. We did it to attract elite talent. Now go and get it damn it. The opportunity is there.

 

[Truewooper]

Maybe. I just hate losing starting level big men. Everyone else can be got from the portal easily enough. There are usually just 4-6 at most quality big men in the portal.

But no none of those lost so far are world beaters.

 

[inWV]

Hate to lose experienced bigs, but the sky doesn't necessarily have to be falling. Shavers and MaGahee were on the field when it counted later in the season, as was RVP in the Iowa game. I remember when Barry Turner broke his leg. Pierre Allen came in and NU really didn't miss a beat, then Barry and Pierre manned the outside during the monster 2009 season.

 

[anon1765477286]

None were top tier talents.

Ty Robinson was third team all B1G for reference and the ONLY HUSKER selected.

That reason alone is why we shouldn't be too worried about losing these guys to the portal. And if was HCMR, that's exactly what I'd tell these guys when they walked into my office as I wished them good luck at their next school.

 

[goldencohusker]

I'm sure once we start filling the holes with portal additions the koolaid will kick in and we'll feel like we've upgraded. We'll find out in September.

 

[Pennsyhusker_rivals246774]

I'm sure once we start filling the holes with portal additions the koolaid will kick in and we'll feel like we've upgraded. We'll find out in September.

Yep

 

[cavalot]

What we have now is a real opportunity to upgrade our roster with much better talent. We will have two new coordinators. And with every team struggling to get down to 105 there will be some talented guys in the portal. For Nebraska to get back to being a perennial top 10 team we have to start upgrading the talent on our roster. Instead of a Jamari Butler we need a Grant Wistrom. Sorry to pick on Jamari but I focus on him because I think he was our biggest loss.

The bolded statement stands out to me. We are so far from that, that it seems impossible to imagine that we ever get to this point again.

 

[oldjar07]

None were top tier talents.

Ty Robinson was third team all B1G for reference and the ONLY HUSKER selected.

That reason alone is why we shouldn't be too worried about losing these guys to the portal. And if was HCMR, that's exactly what I'd tell these guys when they walked into my office as I wished them good luck at their next school.

I think it's impossible to tell at this point. Ty Robinson didn't win it until he was a 5th year senior. Hard to compare to some of these guys leaving who were true sophomores. All but one of the 7 honorable mentions were 4th or 5th year players. Princewill and Williams were talented underclassmen that we will miss. I don't think we're done losing these types of players either.

 

[RealTucoSalamanca]

I think it's impossible to tell at this point. Ty Robinson didn't win it until he was a 5th year senior. Hard to compare to some of these guys leaving who were true sophomores. All but one of the 7 honorable mentions were 4th or 5th year players. Princewill and Williams were talented underclassmen that we will miss. I don't think we're done losing these types of players either.

They will be missed if they aren't replaced. Williams was an unrecruited walk on. You are assuming there isn't or won't be someone else on the roster to produce at that level. Princewell played in 12 games had 13 tackles, 2.5 TFL and 1/2 sack and 2 QB hurries. I am sure there is someone on the roster, probably younger than Princewell, that can exceed those numbers.

 

[inWV]

They will be missed if they aren't replaced. Williams was an unrecruited walk on. You are assuming there isn't or won't be someone else on the roster to produce at that level. Princewell played in 12 games had 13 tackles, 2.5 TFL and 1/2 sack and 2 QB hurries. I am sure there is someone on the roster, probably younger than Princewell, that can exceed those numbers.

I think PWill was seeing MaGahee in the process of jumping him on the depth chart.

 

[realHuskerDrew]

Problem is, there’s 100+ other teams saying the same thing… “We lost guys but boy we have a real opportunity to make our team better with portal players “
In reality, maybe 5-6 teams will actually be significantly better from portal additions… mostly due to QB play probably
You have to get key guys and hope to infill the rest with serviceable transfers.
Our need, a top shelf CB, good OT, good WR, and a space eating DT.
Everything else is gravy IMO
(Snapper would work too)

 

[19Football19]

None were top tier talents.

Ty Robinson was third team all B1G for reference and the ONLY HUSKER selected.

That reason alone is why we shouldn't be too worried about losing these guys to the portal. And if was HCMR, that's exactly what I'd tell these guys when they walked into my office as I wished them good luck at their next school.

Who on the roster beside DR is top tier talent? Very serious question?

 

[anon1765477286]

Who on the roster beside DR is top tier talent? Very serious question?

Maybe Barney. Maybe Wright on defense. That’s probably it imo…

 

[Huskers123456]

In looking at the guys transferring out, some of the transfers at first glance appear to be quality guys that it hurts to lose. Jamari Butler for example. And in some ways it probably does hurt our depth.

However, how many of those guys were top tier talents? I would argue not a single one. I am not losing any sleep over losing any of them. Because not one of them would be starters on most top 20 teams. A player like Jamari Butler wouldn’t even make Ohio State’s two deep.

What we have now is a real opportunity to upgrade our roster with much better talent. We will have two new coordinators. And with every team struggling to get down to 105 there will be some talented guys in the portal. For Nebraska to get back to being a perennial top 10 team we have to start upgrading the talent on our roster. Instead of a Jamari Butler we need a Grant Wistrom. Sorry to pick on Jamari but I focus on him because I think he was our biggest loss.

Time to put the pedal to the metal in our recruiting. We didn’t spend $150 million on new facilities to develop walk ons. We did it to attract elite talent. Now go and get it damn it. The opportunity is there.

What do you mean by struggle to get down to 105? Wouldn't every team be adding 20 scholarship players? Going to be a couple thousand more scholarships floating around next fall.

 

[9and4_rivals188421]

What do you mean by struggle to get down to 105? Wouldn't every team be adding 20 scholarship players? Going to be a couple thousand more scholarships floating around next fall.

Scholarship numbers will go up, yes, but the average roster size for FBS schools has been above 140 for the past few years. It averaged 142 for the 2022-23 season, according to the NCSA College Recruiting site.

With 134 schools, that's more than 19,000 roster spots but only 11,390 scholarships.

Next year, assuming everyone hits 105 scholarships/roster spots, that's 14,175 total roster spots and scholarships. (Adding Delaware to FBS gives us 135 schools at that level.)

So more scholarship opportunities, but fewer roster spots overall.

How that "trickle-down" affects non-Power 4 teams, FCS and Division II will certainly be interesting.

Will the 5,000 or so athletes not on rosters in the next year actually be better than current FCS players? Or will most of them be walk-on type talents?

Further, many programs had started to pay athletes in lieu of scholarships, so the actual number of players receiving some kind of compensation was often above that 105 number.

 

[SickOfPractice]

"We didn’t spend $150 million on new facilities to develop walk ons."

I'm wondering if we don't soon see a major shift at NU from the big bucks we spend pursuing & developing high schoolers to players that are already proving themselves at the collegiate level. Like it or not, the Transfer Portal seems to be the road to cost-effective improvement.

 

[Huskers123456]

Scholarship numbers will go up, yes, but the average roster size for FBS schools has been above 140 for the past few years. It averaged 142 for the 2022-23 season, according to the NCSA College Recruiting site.

With 134 schools, that's more than 19,000 roster spots but only 11,390 scholarships.

Next year, assuming everyone hits 105 scholarships/roster spots, that's 14,175 total roster spots and scholarships. (Adding Delaware to FBS gives us 135 schools at that level.)

So more scholarship opportunities, but fewer roster spots overall.

How that "trickle-down" affects non-Power 4 teams, FCS and Division II will certainly be interesting.

Will the 5,000 or so athletes not on rosters in the next year actually be better than current FCS players? Or will most of them be walk-on type talents?

Further, many programs had started to pay athletes in lieu of scholarships, so the actual number of players receiving some kind of compensation was often above that 105 number.

The extra players are mostly walk-on quality players, whether they are on scholarship or not. It shouldn't be much of a struggle. Our starters haven't been that great, imagine what the walk-on quality must be. We had one 3rd team all conference player out of 150 or whatever. The loss of tradition will be hard, not the cutting of players. I bet OSU and Georgia are licking their chops to add 20 scholarship players.

 

[Pennsyhusker_rivals246774]

"We didn’t spend $150 million on new facilities to develop walk ons."

I'm wondering if we don't soon see a major shift at NU from the big bucks we spend pursuing & developing high schoolers to players that are already proving themselves at the collegiate level. Like it or not, the Transfer Portal seems to be the road to cost-effective improvement.

I think we will need both...

 

[Redscarlet]

Who on the roster beside DR is top tier talent? Very serious question?

Shouldn’t you be asking on your board what the Clarkeyes have for top tier talent for next season..

 

[HominidHusker]

I’d like to see more “where are they now?” lists for former Nebraska players.
Could become a cautionary tale for some of the younger guys.
I know a few pan out, many may not, and in today’s market, how many end up with a better financial situation?

Either way, we just need our staff to find adequate (hopefully upgraded) replacement for what we just lost. It’s certainly possible, but we’ll have to wait and see.

I want the best talent out there; however, DL particularly could be a bit tough. The good news is quality coaches can field a capable defense with less than top tier talent.

 

[mgbreeze]

Shouldn’t you be asking on your board what the Clarkeyes have for top tier talent for next season..

If I spent as much time on their board as he spends here, I'd be looking in the mirror wondering whether that rope is still in the attic.

 

[NikkiSixx_rivals269993]

We didn’t spend $150 million on new facilities to develop walk ons. We did it to attract elite talent.

you had a good post, I'm just not sure that the above is true anymore..

do facilities really matter now in terms of NIL?

I would argue that while important, facilities come in a distant 4th in the overall scheme of things.. NIL, NIL, and more NIL money is my top 3.

So what I'm saying is, is the 150 million better spent on NIL if we had to do it all over again today?

 

[RBigredMax]

you had a good post, I'm just not sure that the above is true anymore..

do facilities really matter now in terms of NIL?

I would argue that while important, facilities come in a distant 4th in the overall scheme of things.. NIL, NIL, and more NIL money is my top 3.

So what I'm saying is, is the 150 million better spent on NIL if we had to do it all over again today?

Revenue sharing will also play into the money as well … which Rhule expects to happen next season.

 

[Pennsyhusker_rivals246774]

you had a good post, I'm just not sure that the above is true anymore..

do facilities really matter now in terms of NIL?

I would argue that while important, facilities come in a distant 4th in the overall scheme of things.. NIL, NIL, and more NIL money is my top 3.

So what I'm saying is, is the 150 million better spent on NIL if we had to do it all over again today?

I think you need it all. If you are trying to recruit elite talent to Lincoln you need great NIL, great facilities, great coaching and a track record of getting guys into the NFL. Because if all you have is NIL you will always be in a situation where other big name programs can spend just as much as you are. You therefore need other factors as well.

 

[oldjar07]

you had a good post, I'm just not sure that the above is true anymore..

do facilities really matter now in terms of NIL?

I would argue that while important, facilities come in a distant 4th in the overall scheme of things.. NIL, NIL, and more NIL money is my top 3.

So what I'm saying is, is the 150 million better spent on NIL if we had to do it all over again today?

Facilities are about the least cost-efficient way to put together a winning team. But some old, rich **** gets to put his name on a building, so there's that I guess. Idk... what's done is done on that.

I think the stadium project is completely mental at this point. It needs to be nixed. Putting that money aside to pay coaches and players is always going to be a better ROI.

 

[steinek11]

I think you need it all. If you are trying to recruit elite talent to Lincoln you need great NIL, great facilities, great coaching and a track record of getting guys into the NFL. Because if all you have is NIL you will always be in a situation where other big name programs can spend just as much as you are. You therefore need other factors as well.

Do you know who has the worst facilities and some of the worst finances in college football? Florida State. They live on local talent, which they are filthy with.

 

[Pennsyhusker_rivals246774]

Do you know who has the worst facilities and some of the worst finances in college football? Florida State. They live on local talent, which they are filthy with.

Yep. And we ain’t in Florida. We be in the middle of bumfvck nowheresville in terms of recruiting. Which only underscores why Nebraska needs every damn advantage it can muster. The fact is we built our tradition and success on the backs of two consecutive hall of fame coaches during a time when college football was much different. And some would argue that our geographical isolation, boring topography, boring cities, and lousy weather means that we can never again realistically hope to achieve those heights again.

The ONLY way to prove that narrative wrong is to find a way to recruit at the same level as the big boy schools do. That means NIL, great coaching, great facilities, and a chance to showcase a player’s NFL talent in a winning environment.

It has been said that Rhule is a program builder. He better be or else we need to realize that we are perennially no more than a consistent 7-5 or 8-4 team. So far I see zero evidence that he can get us back to elite status. In fact, his program so far at NU is best characterized as smoke and mirrors. Thank God he landed DR. If he hadn’t we might have gone 2-10