Here, take your time, and try not to granulate things into so fine a point it doesnt exist
https://www.huskermax.com/tom-osborne-importance-walk-ons/
Roster size
- Thread starter jlb321_rivals110621
- Start date
https://www.huskermax.com/tom-osborne-importance-walk-ons/
call it what you want, but coaches aren't the ones giving their all just to take punishment on the scout team & there aren't a whole lot of walkons from other states.
glad we can all agree.
I never once said all scholarship players don’t look up to walk ons. My argument from the start was that there are some scholarship players who do not look up to walk ons. I’m not sure what you want me to say…
We are largely in agreement and just talking past each other…
Coaching, culture, talent, depth/walk on's. I think all can agree these are the main pillars to any good team. We can run in circles for months on this argument but IMO without any of these four you will eventually be exposed.
A guy like Damion Jackson may not see the field or ever show up in box scores however I promise you he has a positive effect on the team. And there are probably dozens more that encourage teammates in weight room, help scholly guys learn the playbook etc. We're not on this team, so cant really judge. It's odd to me why anyone would be against having a big squad. If Scott can manage having a large roster and that produces even 1 or 2 more kids a year that can help the team on the field than it's a no brainier.
A guy like Damion Jackson may not see the field or ever show up in box scores however I promise you he has a positive effect on the team. And there are probably dozens more that encourage teammates in weight room, help scholly guys learn the playbook etc. We're not on this team, so cant really judge. It's odd to me why anyone would be against having a big squad. If Scott can manage having a large roster and that produces even 1 or 2 more kids a year that can help the team on the field than it's a no brainier.
The same can be said at every university. Every school has walk ons. Most walk ons come from the same state the school is in.
The coaches create the standard. Some walk ons, even some from the great state of Nebraska don’t meet the standard and move on to other aspect of their life.
From what I have seen, scholarship athletes respect the walk ons who work hard because they are doing something that they don’t have to. I am not taking that away from any walk on at any university.
My point was simply that this phenomenon is not exclusive to Nebraska. Because Osborne and Frost want to subsidize their roster with walk ons, there are more at Nebraska. If Saban or Chryst or Dabo wanted a team of 150, I am sure they could get the 75 walk ons to fill the 150.
I agree with you that using more analytics and data to help determine the characteristics of each player or recruit should be something we look into and invest in. Heck we have Hudl headquartered right here in Lincoln. I don't know the rules for how much involvement we can have, but we've got to be able to take advantage of that somehow. Actually I think if we did more of what you're suggesting it would make sense to have a bigger roster because you could find more guys with the attributes you're looking for.
And it doesn't have to be just for recruiting either, there's plenty of ways you can use the players we already have to create, analyze, and use more data. We could install more cameras on the practice fields and find guys who are overachieving in certain areas you normally wouldn't see or be able to catch things that a player is struggling with and find a way to correct that.
I would much rather invest in something like that than blowing millions of dollars each year on ridiculous facilities and amenities that the players are probably not even going to have time to use or provide more of a distraction than they are a benefit.
NU has 85 scholarship slots, but will have around 150 on the roster. 150-85=65. I assume that most of the 65 walk ons are from NE. Does NE even produce 65 D1 prospects over a four year period?
Frost wants a bigger roster and I wouldn't doubt having the latitude to have one was a part of his contract negotiations. In any year, kids who NU would love to walk on will take a scholarship from a directional school and walk across the stage to get their diploma debt free. Some kids with such offers (ex. Hixson) feel they are close enough that with more work they can play with the big boys. Those are the kind of players that want NU and NU wants. But I would think there is some kind of limit. The coaches have to look at some of these kids and flat out know that they'll never get to play, outside of perhaps a final series against a creampuff non-con team in September when they are a Senior. Going too far in other direction does restrict talent, though.
Frost wants a bigger roster and I wouldn't doubt having the latitude to have one was a part of his contract negotiations. In any year, kids who NU would love to walk on will take a scholarship from a directional school and walk across the stage to get their diploma debt free. Some kids with such offers (ex. Hixson) feel they are close enough that with more work they can play with the big boys. Those are the kind of players that want NU and NU wants. But I would think there is some kind of limit. The coaches have to look at some of these kids and flat out know that they'll never get to play, outside of perhaps a final series against a creampuff non-con team in September when they are a Senior. Going too far in other direction does restrict talent, though.
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That’s what you took from all that? C’mon bro... 90% are from Nebraska and from what I can tell you’ve been commenting mostly against a big roster/walkons. There’s a grey area outside your 4/5 star fantasy.
You tried to dispel the fact that Nebraska high school players are forgoing scholarships and are indeed going to walk on at Nebraska instead of taking that scholarship.
If top Nebraska high school football players are not walking on at Nebraska or playing football there on scholarship, are they just sitting at home?
Just curious
I didn't try to dispel that fact, I was bring it to the front.
Nebraska players will forgo scholarships and pay tuition from their own pocket to be a part of the team.
example is a player gets an offer to play for South Dakota State but decides to walk on at Nebraska.
well you didn't ask that question but you are certainly capable of looking that up.
While your looking that up maybe you can see how many all state players didn't receive a scholarship offer.
Well you wrote the following:
"And to think just a couple years ago the board wisdom was the quality players that didn't receive a scholarship would go elsewhere because tuition is prohibitive."
Which quality players are passing up scholarships elsewhere to walk on at Nebraska?
Now to reply to this post, if you want to make grandiose proclamations about how things aren't a certain way, you need to show that it is not that way.
Perhaps there are a handful or 2 players over the past 2 years that passed up a scholarship offer from somewhere. But you need to prove that they were quality players. I assumed them being all state in Nebraska would show them to be quality players. Perhaps you don't agree.
PS - I am taking legit FCS offers, not some 20% DII offer or partial NAIA offer. Paying 80% at one of those schools is about the same or possibly more than walking on at Nebraska with in state tuition and academic scholarships.
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If a player is good enough to receive an offer to walk on at Nebraska he is a qualiy player.
Which hof,all pro all state walkons only from Nebraska walked on this year?
Oh, I'm starting from the beginning to avoid adding descriptions to those all pro hall of famers, and yes ,only from Nebraska.
That way, when those all pro,all state,hof guys know where the goal posts are when they take the field.
For those that dont get it, I didnt move the goalposts as I continued the conversation, it makes it easier I find, when discussing things with people.
Anyone having trouble?
Oh, I'm starting from the beginning to avoid adding descriptions to those all pro hall of famers, and yes ,only from Nebraska.
That way, when those all pro,all state,hof guys know where the goal posts are when they take the field.
For those that dont get it, I didnt move the goalposts as I continued the conversation, it makes it easier I find, when discussing things with people.
Anyone having trouble?
Sdsu have had two guys drafted the last two years, a few years ago, they had tcu tied at halftime, lost by 18.
Not sure where because a Nebraska kid stays home and denies a free ride is a bad thing, as I mentioned above, they have some players there.
Not sure where because a Nebraska kid stays home and denies a free ride is a bad thing, as I mentioned above, they have some players there.
There isn’t one thing that could go wrong having the extra bodies on the team. Like some have pointed out, we could find some diamonds in the rough. Yep, completely trust Scott Frost and this staff to know what they are doing. GBR
We had a really large rooster and he got what he wanted, any time he wanted it, from those young chicks around him. I really envied him but could never emulate him.
The thing with walk ons is that you don't know which ones,if any, will blow up and become a contributor (or even more than that, see Spencer Long). That is even true of scholarship players. It's awfully hard to judge the level of want and desire of 18 year olds. Some of these guys fully intend to compete and get on the field, others think it's neat to be part of the team. The former group, even if they don't play much, function to make the other players better. The rest are taking up space. So while the big roster has a positive PR function (NE kids playing for NU), casting a wider net also functions to make the team better.
Frost and coaches have to decide the overall numbers for the walk-on program. Anyone who thinks adding 20-50 more players than normal doesn't add up to less reps and more work for coaches has never been on a practice field. I also don't get the comments about just standing back - I have not seen a coach ever do that - they are teaching footwork, hand position, body lean, and tons more on most every drill aside from the general conditioning once. That is simply how players get better, the little things.
My personal thinking is that a person cannot perform over their given athletic ability. In other words, as fast as I was in HS, I had limitations and all the desire and want to was not going to over come my ability. If all athletes could perform just with the desire aspect, wouldn't all of the walk-ons be starting? Especially if they were from Nebraska?
My personal thinking is that a person cannot perform over their given athletic ability. In other words, as fast as I was in HS, I had limitations and all the desire and want to was not going to over come my ability. If all athletes could perform just with the desire aspect, wouldn't all of the walk-ons be starting? Especially if they were from Nebraska?
Top walk-on's in Nebraska history
and yes they beat out 4-5 stars to get there
OFFENSE
QB- Steve Runty - T.O.s first starting QB or Tim Hagerr, started large part of 1979 season. Big 8 player of week after NU's 42 - 17 win over Penn State
RB - I.M. Hipp or Jarvis Redwine Hipp All Big 8, second team All Big 8. Redwine All Big 8, All American, and NFL
FB - Jeff Mackovicka, honorable mention All Big 12, NFL
C - Kelly Saalfeld, All Big 8, 3rd team All American, NFL
OG - Ken Mehlin, All Big 8
OG - John Nelson, honorable mention All Big 8
OT - Adam Treu, played in NFL
OT - Tim Roth, honorable mention All Big 8, 3rd team All American
TE - Jim McFarland, All Big 8, honorable mention All American, NFL
SE - Reggie Baul or Todd Brown, both honorable mention all Big 8
WB - Anthony Steels
DEFENSE
DE - Jared Tomich, 2 time All American, NFL
DE - Jimmy Williams, All American, NFL
DT - John Parella, All Big 8, second team All American, NFL
DT - Toby Williams, 2nd team All Big 8, honorable mention All American, NFL
LB - Clete Pillen, All Big 8, Conference Defensive Player of Year, 2nd Team All American
LB - Mark Daum, 2nd Team All Big 8
LB - Stewart Brandley, honorable mention All Big 12, NFL
S - Jeff Krejci, All Big 8
S - Rodney Lewis, NFL
CB - Barron Miles, All Big 8, honorable mention All American, CFL
CB - Allen Lyday, 2nd team All Big 8, NFL
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Alex Henery, All American NFL
P - Kyle Larsen, All American, NFL
Returns - Robb Schnitzler, Dave Liegel, both led Big 8 in punt returns[
and yes they beat out 4-5 stars to get there
OFFENSE
QB- Steve Runty - T.O.s first starting QB or Tim Hagerr, started large part of 1979 season. Big 8 player of week after NU's 42 - 17 win over Penn State
RB - I.M. Hipp or Jarvis Redwine Hipp All Big 8, second team All Big 8. Redwine All Big 8, All American, and NFL
FB - Jeff Mackovicka, honorable mention All Big 12, NFL
C - Kelly Saalfeld, All Big 8, 3rd team All American, NFL
OG - Ken Mehlin, All Big 8
OG - John Nelson, honorable mention All Big 8
OT - Adam Treu, played in NFL
OT - Tim Roth, honorable mention All Big 8, 3rd team All American
TE - Jim McFarland, All Big 8, honorable mention All American, NFL
SE - Reggie Baul or Todd Brown, both honorable mention all Big 8
WB - Anthony Steels
DEFENSE
DE - Jared Tomich, 2 time All American, NFL
DE - Jimmy Williams, All American, NFL
DT - John Parella, All Big 8, second team All American, NFL
DT - Toby Williams, 2nd team All Big 8, honorable mention All American, NFL
LB - Clete Pillen, All Big 8, Conference Defensive Player of Year, 2nd Team All American
LB - Mark Daum, 2nd Team All Big 8
LB - Stewart Brandley, honorable mention All Big 12, NFL
S - Jeff Krejci, All Big 8
S - Rodney Lewis, NFL
CB - Barron Miles, All Big 8, honorable mention All American, CFL
CB - Allen Lyday, 2nd team All Big 8, NFL
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Alex Henery, All American NFL
P - Kyle Larsen, All American, NFL
Returns - Robb Schnitzler, Dave Liegel, both led Big 8 in punt returns[
Solich had 200 players on the roster in 1999. Pelini had plenty of walk ons. Since he and Solich coached 12 of those 20 years, with Frost coaching 1, I figured there would be a few.
Ok I’ll go back 30 years. All the way to 1989.