RB Maurice Washington [Nebraska-Signed LOI]

[brophog]

Washington was the third-highest rated kid in the class who lit it up at an all-star game.  He also plays a position where we have decent depth, brought in a JUCO at his position in the same class and also recruited another high school kid who is a RB/WR hybrid.  

We have bodies at the position, we don't have depth. Maybe someone can convince me guys like Wilbon and Ozigbo are good enough, but through their career and through this spring they haven't shown it to me. Way, way too many times I see them get 5 or 10 when a better back gets 20. Those two have a combined 9 carries of 20 or more yards in their careers....Johnathan Taylor had 16 last year. Our backs are nowhere near good enough. This offense will generate more big plays than Riley's, but you got to have the guys to do it. Not a coincidence that this was a major point of frustration for Held this spring.

The silver lining here is the real depth is at the hybrid RB/WR position and Miles Jones is the stud we kinda forget about. This may open up some time for him to be on the field with guys like Lyndsey or Woodyard. This staff will find a way to get production, but we are kidding ourselves if we think this wasn't a major blow.

 

[brophog]

Per Frost, he's still working on getting his academics in order.  Didn't sound worried.

Sounds like it will be later.

July is the plan right now. 

Speculation that he may have to go the academic redshirt route where he'd be on campus but not eligible.

 

[teachercd]

This is why I want to start an online "HS" for core class completion.  With a HUGE emphasis on certain students.

 

[brophog]

So basically he’s in line to graduate but has to take extra classes to qualify? What are the odds that NCAA approves of cases like this? 

I'm not sure there's much data on this, the rule has only been around a few years. It was put in to handle this kind of case, though. The NCAA felt like it was suspicious for kids to get so many core credits late. I'd say, if Washington fulfills his part, and that's the real question, he likely gets the waiver. This rule in some respects aids the NCAA in oversight of academic misconduct, which is difficult to investigate at the prep level, and they tend to like rules like that.

 

[Mavric]

We have bodies at the position, we don't have depth. Maybe someone can convince me guys like Wilbon and Ozigbo are good enough, but through their career and through this spring they haven't shown it to me. Way, way too many times I see them get 5 or 10 when a better back gets 20. Those two have a combined 9 carries of 20 or more yards in their careers....Johnathan Taylor had 16 last year. Our backs are nowhere near good enough. This offense will generate more big plays than Riley's, but you got to have the guys to do it. Not a coincidence that this was a major point of frustration for Held this spring.

The silver lining here is the real depth is at the hybrid RB/WR position and Miles Jones is the stud we kinda forget about. This may open up some time for him to be on the field with guys like Lyndsey or Woodyard. This staff will find a way to get production, but we are kidding ourselves if we think this wasn't a major blow.

Ozigbo is not good.  I've said that since day one.  No idea why Riley & Co. insisted on forcing him on the field.

I think Wilbon is good with the ball in his hands.  He has other issues - blocking and maybe knowing all the offense - but he can do some things with the ball.  Lack of production is mostly lack of scheme and lack of opportunity.

I'm not convinced Bryant will be able to do much but he's also in the mix.  Bell will be the starter with Bryant filling in as much as he can and Wilbon a pretty decent #3 option.  Plus Jones who I referred to earlier.  More depth is always good.  But we're not hurting by any means.

This was not a major blow.  It's not even anything different that what was speculated about when he was offered so far.  "Major blow" is sensationalizing it.

 

[teachercd]

Ozigbo is not good.  I've said that since day one.  No idea why Riley & Co. insisted on forcing him on the field.

I think Wilbon is good with the ball in his hands.  He has other issues - blocking and maybe knowing all the offense - but he can do some things with the ball.  Lack of production is mostly lack of scheme and lack of opportunity.

I'm not convinced Bryant will be able to do much but he's also in the mix.  Bell will be the starter with Bryant filling in as much as he can and Wilbon a pretty decent #3 option.  Plus Jones who I referred to earlier.  More depth is always good.  But we're not hurting by any means.

This was not a major blow.  It's not even anything different that what was speculated about when he was offered so far.  "Major blow" is sensationalizing it.

Sometimes I think you are inside my head!

We think exactly the same stuff...I am funnier and probably better looking but our thoughts on Husker football are the same.  

 

[brophog]

This is why I want to start an online "HS" for core class completion.  With a HUGE emphasis on certain students.

The big problem this redshirt rule has right now is it demands high school freshman are aware of the GPA requirements. What happens is a student doesn't get a high enough GPA in the core classes when they're young, get interest as a junior or senior, and then have a hard time getting that average high enough to meet the requirements. 

I can understand where the NCAA is coming from, but using an average is what creates some of theses issues, and using grades for just about anything in education is doing things backwards. We learn by failure, but we grade on success. Doesn't make much sense. But that's a rant for a different board.

 

[Warrior10]

I'm confused?

 

[Huskers93-97]

I think as long as we get him on campus I’m good. Jones will be a good supplement to bell. Maybe he gets more rb carries with out Washington. But if Washington redshirts and he is ready to roll next year I would be happy. Get the talent here. 

 

[teachercd]

The big problem this redshirt has right now is it demands high school freshman are aware of the GPA requirements. What happens is a student doesn't get a high enough GPA in the core classes when they're young, get interest as a junior or senior, and then have a hard time getting that average high enough to meet the requirements. 

I can understand where the NCAA is coming from, but using an average is what creates some of theses issues, and using grades for just about anything in education is doing things backwards. We learn by failure, but we grade on success. Doesn't make much sense. But that's a rant for a different board.

This is why my online high school will take care of those problems 

 

[BigRedBuster]

[No message]

 

[brophog]

I think Wilbon is good with the ball in his hands.  He has other issues - blocking and maybe knowing all the offense - but he can do some things with the ball.  Lack of production is mostly lack of scheme and lack of opportunity.

Of those 9 mentioned carries, Wilbon has only 3, though obviously he hasn't had that many carries. Still, that's as many as Bryant has in 2 games. Bryant's career high, a meager 35, is also higher than Wilbon's. UCF had a lot of backs not named Killans or Anderson, and they stopped getting time because they weren't cutting it. Taj McGowan had 69 rushes, none in the final 3 games. Long run of 29. Cordarrian Richardson, 45 carries, long of 18. That's their Ozigbo and Wilbon. Also not household names. The offense creates opportunity, the back makes the plays.

I'm not convinced Bryant will be able to do much but he's also in the mix.  Bell will be the starter with Bryant filling in as much as he can and Wilbon a pretty decent #3 option

By depth you mean Bell, a guy who may never play again, and a guy I feel just can't play. It's no wonder we disagree. I'm hoping Bradley surprises me, because I don't know that I would say we had legitimate depth with Washington.

 

[ScottyIce]

I don't really think "these situations" were happening with Riley.  Only in the absolute broadest sense of "similar" is there anything related.

Riley settled on one defensive tackle for the class who was a project even if he didn't have academic concerns.  We had other recruits who were more highly-rated - more college-ready - who we turned away in favor of a kid who never made it to campus.

Washington was the third-highest rated kid in the class who lit it up at an all-star game.  He also plays a position where we have decent depth, brought in a JUCO at his position in the same class and also recruited another high school kid who is a RB/WR hybrid.  

So there's really not much for similarities between the situations at all.  If you're going to take a risk, you take a risk on a legit prospect and hedge your bets with other recruits.  Doing it the opposite way around is stupid.

Watts? Blades, even the kid that played DT with Snodgrass this year would qualify under the same context, right? Watts was a 4 Star. Blades was our top recruit in the past 5 years rating wise...

 

[Mavric]

Watts? Blades, even the kid that played DT with Snodgrass this year would qualify under the same context, right? Watts was a 4 Star. Blades was our top recruit in the past 5 years rating wise...

Blades would be one.  But I never complained about Blades recruitment for the same reasons as Washington.

Apparently I'm not remembering who you're referring to on the other two.  If Mapieu is the DT you're referring to, that's exactly who I was talking about in the post you quoted and it's not anything resembling the same situation.

 

[HS_Coach_C]

Ozigbo is not good.  I've said that since day one.  No idea why Riley & Co. insisted on forcing him on the field.

I think Wilbon is good with the ball in his hands.  He has other issues - blocking and maybe knowing all the offense - but he can do some things with the ball.  Lack of production is mostly lack of scheme and lack of opportunity.

I'm not convinced Bryant will be able to do much but he's also in the mix.  Bell will be the starter with Bryant filling in as much as he can and Wilbon a pretty decent #3 option.  Plus Jones who I referred to earlier.  More depth is always good.  But we're not hurting by any means.

This was not a major blow.  It's not even anything different that what was speculated about when he was offered so far.  "Major blow" is sensationalizing it.

Completely agree, except I think Bradley is also worth a mention.