Locked due to no posts in 60 days. Report 1st post if need unlocked Whats the deal?

[Howlin Wolf]

I read HOL and Huskermax and is see in the recruiting sections "loves the Huskers, visit went 100%, ect. We have one solid verbal and one shakey verbal for 2014. These kids will tell a sports reporter what ever they think they want to hear.
What is the problem--we can't close the deals even on a verbal?
Ohio St and Mich are racking up verbals which sends a message to non commits that maybe that's the place to be.

 

[LincolnshireHusker]

I read HOL and Huskermax and is see in the recruiting sections "loves the Huskers, visit went 100%, ect. We have one solid verbal and one shakey verbal for 2014. These kids will tell a sports reporter what ever they think they want to hear.
What is the problem--we can't close the deals even on a verbal?
Ohio St and Mich are racking up verbals which sends a message to non commits that maybe that's the place to be.

Your question is important. I believe there are two factors: (1) the strong tendency over the last ten years or so to seek early verbal commitments and (2) geography. If you can get a kid to visit, for an unofficial visit, during their junior year, you significantly increase the likelihood that they'll give you a verbal commitment. An early visit has to be an unofficial visit which means the kid and his family have to pick up the tab. If you're Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, Florida, USC, etc. you have lots of potential recruits within three hours or so drive--making it easy for a kid to do an unofficial visit. For schools like Nebraska (and maybe particularly Nebraska?) it is hard to convince a kid and his parents--from California or Texas or Florida or anywhere distant--to visit on their on dime when they have closer options.

A major factor for recruiting to NU is probably the "game day atmosphere" but the only way you get most recruits to visit on a game day is to pay for an official visit and with the emphasis on early verbals that's become more and more difficult. Maybe the coaching staff should have a fall-back position when recruiting kids before their senior year - try to get the verbal but if that isn't going to happen try to sell the kid and his parents on the idea of an official visit to NU for a game even if they've already made a verbal commitment, or are strongly leaning towards, some other school?

Both of these factors are compounded by the difficulty with timing. There are only seven home games, generally, which limits when the kid can visit, especially since he's playing HS football and may have only one time open. If the kid lives in Detroit he can easily visit mid-week to Michigan or OSU because he has so much more flexibilty.

Given the difficulty recruiting to NU, I think the coaching staff is doing quite well. At the same time we'd all like to see recruiting classes filled with **** recruits and a couple ***** thrown in. It's going to take some B1G championships and wins in major bowl games to lead to that kind of class.

 

[FCHusker]

Given the difficulty recruiting to NU, I think the coaching staff is doing quite well. At the same time we'd all like to see recruiting classes filled with **** recruits and a couple ***** thrown in. It's going to take some B1G championships and wins in major bowl games to lead to that kind of class.

Agree totally. And once Bo gets us there, we and he have to stay there if you know what I mean.

 

[Howlin Wolf]

I read yesterday in a Bleacher report that Nebraska's 2014 recruiting class was next to last in the BIG. Only Purdue is behind us--they must have no commits. We have two and luckly we aren't last in the BIG.

Some time soon this coaching staff needs to fire this rocket.

It can't be easy when we switch conferences-thus recruiting areas and we let Kentucky grab maybe one of our best recruiters in the area we need to build a recruting base.
It's Bo's delema but he is the highest paid employee in the state.

 

[SoCalRed]

I read HOL and Huskermax and is see in the recruiting sections "loves the Huskers, visit went 100%, ect. We have one solid verbal and one shakey verbal for 2014. These kids will tell a sports reporter what ever they think they want to hear.
What is the problem--we can't close the deals even on a verbal?
Ohio St and Mich are racking up verbals which sends a message to non commits that maybe that's the place to be.

Your question is important. I believe there are two factors: (1) the strong tendency over the last ten years or so to seek early verbal commitments and (2) geography. If you can get a kid to visit, for an unofficial visit, during their junior year, you significantly increase the likelihood that they'll give you a verbal commitment. An early visit has to be an unofficial visit which means the kid and his family have to pick up the tab. If you're Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, Florida, USC, etc. you have lots of potential recruits within three hours or so drive--making it easy for a kid to do an unofficial visit. For schools like Nebraska (and maybe particularly Nebraska?) it is hard to convince a kid and his parents--from California or Texas or Florida or anywhere distant--to visit on their on dime when they have closer options.

A major factor for recruiting to NU is probably the "game day atmosphere" but the only way you get most recruits to visit on a game day is to pay for an official visit and with the emphasis on early verbals that's become more and more difficult. Maybe the coaching staff should have a fall-back position when recruiting kids before their senior year - try to get the verbal but if that isn't going to happen try to sell the kid and his parents on the idea of an official visit to NU for a game even if they've already made a verbal commitment, or are strongly leaning towards, some other school?

Both of these factors are compounded by the difficulty with timing. There are only seven home games, generally, which limits when the kid can visit, especially since he's playing HS football and may have only one time open. If the kid lives in Detroit he can easily visit mid-week to Michigan or OSU because he has so much more flexibilty.

Given the difficulty recruiting to NU, I think the coaching staff is doing quite well. At the same time we'd all like to see recruiting classes filled with **** recruits and a couple ***** thrown in. It's going to take some B1G championships and wins in major bowl games to lead to that kind of class.

They do have a different strategy in place. The Junior days in February and June are a solid and sincere tactic to bring kids in early to experience and peruse the program.

Wolf, these issues have been discussed at length on this forum. Nebraska does have game day disadvantages because of our lack of proximity and the difficulties in getting to Lincoln for that game day experience. Thus, it is imperative to generate early interest to keep these kids on the hook until they actually commit.