QB Recruiting - Past & Present

[zoogs]

The last staff did fine with landing solid-rated QB recruits, but BRB points out some legitimate issues. There were misses, decommits, injuries, etc. The biggest recruiting win of the Bo era at QB played baseball instead. Others like Stanton or Green didn't really pan out.

All of those things could continue to happen, but one thing I'm really happy about is that they're going after guys with maybe more of a pass focus, and they're really intent on coaching them up as QBs, not as runners. That seems like a better idea and should offer some protection against an offense where a QB is an exciting runner but limits what the offense can do.

Tommy does not limit the offense with his ability, just his decision making.

Tommy is terrific, for sure. I don't think he really limits what the offense can do (although it's not a crazy idea that Nebraska is better off to run 60+% of the time with him at the helm), but I guess what I mean is his physical gifts outstrip his command of QBing. In his case, I think it could be a different story if the staff had gotten more time with him, whereas some of the other guys would've been real projects. Including their final QB commit, Dillman.

 

[Mierin]

Really???

Green - good

Cranes- not heavily recruited 3 star. Huskers got excited because of who his uncle was.

Turner- not heavily recruited as a QB

Armstrong -good

Stanton - good

Darlington and Bush - not impressive as QBs.

I think Turner was a top 10 mobile QB recruit. I looked it up a couple years ago. I remember being excited about Darlington.

You didn't answer my question.

I don't expect to get two in one class. Not sure what your pint is with the question.
Some years we didn't even get one.

There wasn't a point to the question besides wanting to know the answer to it. The reason I wanted an answer to the question is because I thought you were implying in the quote below that it's normal for teams to land 2 QBs.

With the other QBs that were recruited, many times they were the lone big QB recruit in a class or on even on campus. Putting all the hopes on that one player is going to back fire. However, when was the last time we had multiple QBs of this type and caliber on campus at the same time in consecutive classes.

 

[Ric Flair]

The last staff did fine with landing solid-rated QB recruits, but BRB points out some legitimate issues. There were misses, decommits, injuries, etc. The biggest recruiting win of the Bo era at QB played baseball instead. Others like Stanton or Green didn't really pan out.

All of those things could continue to happen, but one thing I'm really happy about is that they're going after guys with maybe more of a pass focus, and they're really intent on coaching them up as QBs, not as runners. That seems like a better idea and should offer some protection against an offense where a QB is an exciting runner but limits what the offense can do.

Tommy does not limit the offense with his ability, just his decision making.

I disagree with that somewhat. I think his limitations as a passer, including his difficulty with short passes and low completion percentage are ability issues. He's a great athlete with a good arm, but he's not a natural quarterback.

 

[1989husker!]

Ok, let us put this Pelini QB dilemma to bed already. The problem with the last regime was the inability to develop, and properly assess quarterbacks. The best QB they had was not even considered a qb when he was recruited, that alone is telling on the overall assessment of who they were going after in qb recruits. Green was awful and looked like a deer in head lights every time he took a snap. Lee, was not even suppose to be a starter. I want to know why on earth did the last staff not even consider recruiting a kid who was a natural passer? we had a running game, all we needed was someone to manage the offense and not put us in terrible situations like T magic.

 

[Thanks_Tom RR]

The last staff did fine with landing solid-rated QB recruits, but BRB points out some legitimate issues. There were misses, decommits, injuries, etc. The biggest recruiting win of the Bo era at QB played baseball instead. Others like Stanton or Green didn't really pan out.

All of those things could continue to happen, but one thing I'm really happy about is that they're going after guys with maybe more of a pass focus, and they're really intent on coaching them up as QBs, not as runners. That seems like a better idea and should offer some protection against an offense where a QB is an exciting runner but limits what the offense can do.

Tommy does not limit the offense with his ability, just his decision making.

I disagree with that somewhat. I think his limitations as a passer, including his difficulty with short passes and low completion percentage are ability issues. He's a great athlete with a good arm, but he's not a natural quarterback.

Really? When you watch him throw multiple passes per game that could be considered 50:50 balls or into double- or triple-coverage, you think that is on his physical ability? I am not talking sole about his intercepts. In fact, there are times throwout each game that a receiver will make a great catch to make up for an extremely poor decision by Tommy (e.g., DPE's TD vs Minnesota, Moore's TD vs Rutgers). The throws look catchable for the receiver, so you can't say Tommy did not have the arm talent to make those throws. Still, you have to question why he throws into coverage to begin with.

 

[StPaulHusker]

A couple of thoughts.

Aren't Darlington and Bush from Florida? Because that is what it says on 247.

Nebraska got the #3 and #1 QB from the state of California in consecutive years. That is very badass.

 

[Thanks_Tom RR]

A couple of thoughts.

Aren't Darlington and Bush from Florida? Because that is what it says on 247.

Nebraska got the #3 and #1 QB from the state of California in consecutive years. That is very badass.

Darlington, yes. Bush, no. AJ is from Georgia.

 

[StPaulHusker]

A couple of thoughts.

Aren't Darlington and Bush from Florida? Because that is what it says on 247.

Nebraska got the #3 and #1 QB from the state of California in consecutive years. That is very badass.

Darlington, yes. Bush, no. AJ is from Georgia.

Yeah. I knew AJ Bush was from GA. I didn't edit my post when i was typing it.

 

[84HuskerLaw]

Bubba Starling, by all reports, was likely the best QB recruit Nebraska has had in decades. Of course, we were likely the only top program to offer seriously as almost everyone, including I am fairly sure, Nebraska people, KNEW he was going to play baseball so his offer and signing should not be counted. The only way we were likely to actually get him is if he somehow was badly hurt in some fashion that ruined his baseball prospects but not his football (not sure outside of some kind of eye injury making his depth perception so poor he could not possibly hit a pitch with a tennis racket or something.

Tommy Armstrong and Taylor Martinez were obviously the best QB recruits before POB since at least Callahan and maybe longer. (In my opinion). We had decent QBs as well but athletically they are the best. Neither, even after having huge statistical careers as QBs in Lincoln, would be considered a great QB recruit even after their careers. That tells a great deal about the lack of QB recruiting. Time will tell but I think POB and Gebbia will prove to be fine quarterbacks (being players clearly playing in the right position for their skill sets).

 

[zoogs]

Starling I think was another one who was a physical talent but a passing project. IIRC, the comaprisons were to Jake Locker -- really strong and fast, and Locker was even a first round pick! But far lesser athletes than Locker were crisper college QBs, IMO.

Taylor Martinez was an ATH/DB recruit.

I think Tommy, Johnny, Zack Darlington -- those three guys in I believe consecutive years were a real high point in QB recruiting. And Tommy has panned out quite well.

 

[Red Five]

Bubba Starling, by all reports, was likely the best QB recruit Nebraska has had in decades.

He may have been the highest rated QB recruit in a while, but he was a run first QB who struggled throwing. He would have had to put a lot of work in to become a competent passer in college. And looking at how our QBs developed throwing the ball under Beck/Ganz, I wouldn't have had a lot of confidence in that happening.

His combined Jr/Sr HS stats (22 games) were

Passing: 54.9% comp 101.2 ypg 27 tds 11 int

Rushing: 12.7 ypc 154.6 ypg 44 tds

And I'm being fair to him including his Jr stats. His Sr year he had a 47% comp, threw for 70 ypg and a 7/5 td/int ratio.

 

[BigRedBuster]

I'm not even sure why people even bring up recruits like Starling. The chance of him ever coming to Nebraska were so small he might as well have committed to somewhere else. The guy is an amazing athlete and I would have loved to have him on our team. But, to include him in discussions about recruiting success is kind of meaningless.

 

[StPaulHusker]

I'm not even sure why people even bring up recruits like Starling. The chance of him ever coming to Nebraska were so small he might as well have committed to somewhere else. The guy is an amazing athlete and I would have loved to have him on our team. But, to include him in discussions about recruiting success is kind of meaningless.

I don't think it is meaningless. we are talking about the ability of the coaches to get players to commit. And then how it panned out.

 

[BigRedBuster]

I'm not even sure why people even bring up recruits like Starling. The chance of him ever coming to Nebraska were so small he might as well have committed to somewhere else. The guy is an amazing athlete and I would have loved to have him on our team. But, to include him in discussions about recruiting success is kind of meaningless.

I don't think it is meaningless. we are talking about the ability of the coaches to get players to commit. And then how it panned out.

OK....but is it really meaningful to include someone who was never going to come here to begin with?

By including him, you put his recruitment on the same level as POB and Gebbia. I'm just not feeling that his influence on the program is anywhere close to those two. But.....he did commit....I'll give you that.

 

[4skers89]

Some years we didn't even get one.

What years are those?

2015

It looks like Burrow is #2 QB at OSU and had a good spring game. At least we'll get to see him play the next few years... against us.