Portal Transfer Targets

M.A. said:
There were occasions where that was the case. Adrian and his strengths and weaknesses. The offensive line play brought out his vulnerabilities. It's not like he wasn't imperfect or his play didn't have anything to do with it. In truth, BOTH his performances and the offensive line performances contributed to inconsistent execution. Throw in some errors by receivers every once and a while and it all adds up.  
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I agree 100%. There were issues with both.

 
HANC said:
So, all of these people spent time watching Adrian play?  They are WRONG,  our O-line was horrible.  The worst that I can remember.  AM was on the run unable to set feet way too many times.  This wasn't a QB issue !!  This wasn't a scheme issue, this was an O-line issue, and the buck stops there.  "That many 'great' TE?  Allen is pretty good, but I am not sure I say "many great TE".  Really sounds to me as if someone is really stretching to say they aren't an AM fan.  That is fine, we are entitled to our opinions and I respect yours, but these assessments are way off base.  
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Nebraska averaged 450 yards a game. Third in the Big 10 behind Ohio State and Michigan, and 23rd in the country. 

Adrian Martinez had the seventh best Yards Per Attempt in the nation, typically a sign that there were plenty of plays where he had time to hit downfield receivers. 

You can't do that if the offensive line is the worst you can remember.

But what CAN happen is that all phases of the game --- including the QB, the OL, and the playcaller -- get the yips under pressure and/or fail to counter a smart Defensive Coordinator.

That's how a team that actually does have the talent to succeed can fail to win games. The Husker stats go south when it comes to turnover margin, red zone conversion, and special teams play. Unfortunately Adrian Martinez played into the team's weakness -- they're mentally too fragile and familiar with losing -- and although the late meltdowns weren't all his fault, he was still the face of a team that couldn't get out of its own way. 

That's why the heat is on head coach Scott Frost. As it should be. 

 
Guy Chamberlin said:
Nebraska averaged 450 yards a game. Third in the Big 10 behind Ohio State and Michigan, and 23rd in the country. 

Adrian Martinez had the seventh best Yards Per Attempt in the nation, typically a sign that there were plenty of plays where he had time to hit downfield receivers. 

You can't do that if the offensive line is the worst you can remember.

But what CAN happen is that all phases of the game --- including the QB, the OL, and the playcaller -- get the yips under pressure and/or fail to counter a smart Defensive Coordinator.

That's how a team that actually does have the talent to succeed can fail to win games. The Husker stats go south when it comes to turnover margin, red zone conversion, and special teams play. Unfortunately Adrian Martinez played into the team's weakness -- they're mentally too fragile and familiar with losing -- and although the late meltdowns weren't all his fault, he was still the face of a team that couldn't get out of its own way. 

That's why the heat is on head coach Scott Frost. As it should be. 
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I agree with you on all phases of the game.  But, this is the worst oline that I can remember.  Can you name a worse year?  If you remember, a lot of AM passes where him operating out of the pocket or on the run, which is why AM was so valuable and why many have commented on how a pure drop back passer would be a sitting duck behind our line. All I am saying is that the 4 or so assessments that were presented are not accurate

 
HANC said:
So, all of these people spent time watching Adrian play?  They are WRONG,  our O-line was horrible.  The worst that I can remember.  AM was on the run unable to set feet way too many times.  This wasn't a QB issue !!  This wasn't a scheme issue, this was an O-line issue, and the buck stops there.  "That many 'great' TE?  Allen is pretty good, but I am not sure I say "many great TE".  Really sounds to me as if someone is really stretching to say they aren't an AM fan.  That is fine, we are entitled to our opinions and I respect yours, but these assessments are way off base.  
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I respect yours as well. However, I don’t think they’re way off base. Here’s why:

We had NFL scouts looking at 3 of our TE’s this year. https://nebraska.rivals.com/news/husker-tight-ends-at-the-center-of-attention-this-fall

Oline stats:

1. Power Success Rate: (percentage of runs on third and fourth down, two yards or less to go, that achieved a first down or touchdown.) GBR placed 80th, but still ahead of Texas A&M, Ole Miss, UNC, Wisconsin, Florida, Iowa State, Purdue, Penn State. GBR = 65.5%. #25 (in this stat) UCLA was 75.7%.
 

2. Average Line Yards: (the line gets credit for rushing yardage between 0-3 yards and 50% credit for yards 4-8. Lost yards counts as 125%. Garbage time is filtered out). GBR finished 69th, right behind Baylor, ND, Mich State, and ahead of programs like Texas A&M, LSU, Ok St, Iowa, NW, Penn State, South Carolina, Purdue. GBR = 2.66 and #25 (in this stat) Toledo = 2.9

3. Standard downs line yards: (The raw, unadjusted per-carry line yardage for a team on standard downs (1st down, 2nd and 7 or fewer, third and 4 or fewer, 4th and 4 or fewer)). GBR finished 44th. They were right behind Wisconsin, Illinois, Baylor and ahead of programs like OU, auburn, ND, Alabama, A&M, Mich State, LSU, Ok State, Penn State, Purdue, Iowa and more. GBR = 2.73 and #25 (in this stat) VT = 2.83

4. Pass downs line yrds: (the same unadjusted averages for rushing on passing downs). GBR finished 68th, just behind LSU, OSU, Arkansas. They finished ahead of OU, BYU, Baylor, ND, Ok st, Iowa, Penn State, Purdue. GBR = 2.91 and #25  (in this stat) Florida Int. = 3.21

5. Opportunity Rate: (the percentage of carries (when 4 yards are available) that gain at least 4 yards i.e. the percentage of carries in which the line does its job, so to speak) GBR finished 61st, just behind Alamaba, Auburn, Mich state and ahead of programs like Michigan, ND, Minn, ISU, LSU, Ok st, Iowa, Penn state and South Carolina.

GBR = 48.50%, Bama = 50.50%, and #25 (in this stat) AFA = 52.3%
 

The o line was mediocre, but not as awful as a few on this board make them out to be. 

 
huskerpower22 said:
I am in that camp. I respect the hell out of him, but a mutual parting of ways was necessary. I hope he recovers well and crushes it at K-State. I am not panicked about the portal. I am sure people would complain if they had landed someone already just because that's what people do these days. I think they know what they want and they aren't just going to grab a body to grab one. They are probably hearing some no's and they are probably telling some of these guys no as well. We don't know how they feel about the in house guys. It's fun to speculate, but I trust what they are doing right now and I know for a fact they are a better judge of talent than I am. From what I hear on national sites there are still quarterbacks who have not entered the portal that will do so after their bowl games. I wouldn't be surprised if we don't have anything on our end until January since they cant get these kids on campus right now. I will remain patiently optimistic. 
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Some of what fans may be struggling with is that we sort of do know what they think of the in house guys. They thought so little of them this past season that they still trotted out a guy with a high ankle sprain and a broken jaw instead of a backup. That tells me a few things. They didn’t think those guys were good enough or ready which means they have not developed the room as should be expected. It could also mean they are not very good at identifying talent or, at the least developing it and getting it ready to play.

I also am pretty sure they must know better than I do, but dangit, they have absolutely failed to prove they know what they’re doing. Being skeptical of their ability to identify talent, develop it and use it properly is a pretty fair feeling to have after the last few years.

 
Our o line sucked a$$ and cost us many games

2AM was great at times and pitiful at others. Purdue comes to mind, cant put inexcusable and careless play from 2AM on our o line

both of these above can be true and exist independently of the other

 
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Courtesy Flush said:
I respect yours as well. However, I don’t think they’re way off base. Here’s why:

We had NFL scouts looking at 3 of our TE’s this year. https://nebraska.rivals.com/news/husker-tight-ends-at-the-center-of-attention-this-fall

Oline stats:

1. Power Success Rate: (percentage of runs on third and fourth down, two yards or less to go, that achieved a first down or touchdown.) GBR placed 80th, but still ahead of Texas A&M, Ole Miss, UNC, Wisconsin, Florida, Iowa State, Purdue, Penn State. GBR = 65.5%. #25 (in this stat) UCLA was 75.7%.
 

2. Average Line Yards: (the line gets credit for rushing yardage between 0-3 yards and 50% credit for yards 4-8. Lost yards counts as 125%. Garbage time is filtered out). GBR finished 69th, right behind Baylor, ND, Mich State, and ahead of programs like Texas A&M, LSU, Ok St, Iowa, NW, Penn State, South Carolina, Purdue. GBR = 2.66 and #25 (in this stat) Toledo = 2.9

3. Standard downs line yards: (The raw, unadjusted per-carry line yardage for a team on standard downs (1st down, 2nd and 7 or fewer, third and 4 or fewer, 4th and 4 or fewer)). GBR finished 44th. They were right behind Wisconsin, Illinois, Baylor and ahead of programs like OU, auburn, ND, Alabama, A&M, Mich State, LSU, Ok State, Penn State, Purdue, Iowa and more. GBR = 2.73 and #25 (in this stat) VT = 2.83

4. Pass downs line yrds: (the same unadjusted averages for rushing on passing downs). GBR finished 68th, just behind LSU, OSU, Arkansas. They finished ahead of OU, BYU, Baylor, ND, Ok st, Iowa, Penn State, Purdue. GBR = 2.91 and #25  (in this stat) Florida Int. = 3.21

5. Opportunity Rate: (the percentage of carries (when 4 yards are available) that gain at least 4 yards i.e. the percentage of carries in which the line does its job, so to speak) GBR finished 61st, just behind Alamaba, Auburn, Mich state and ahead of programs like Michigan, ND, Minn, ISU, LSU, Ok st, Iowa, Penn state and South Carolina.

GBR = 48.50%, Bama = 50.50%, and #25 (in this stat) AFA = 52.3%
 

The o line was mediocre, but not as awful as a few on this board make them out to be. 
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Very good rebuttal. Appreciate the time you put in to get these stats. I am always too lazy to go that in depth.  I just feel as if AM was not the issue in our offense.  I think to put the sole blame on him is unfair. He didn't make great decisions and did turn the ball over in clutch situations, but also escaped and produced when other qbs would have taken sacks.

 
HANC said:
Very good rebuttal. Appreciate the time you put in to get these stats. I am always too lazy to go that in depth.  I just feel as if AM was not the issue in our offense.  I think to put the sole blame on him is unfair. He didn't make great decisions and did turn the ball over in clutch situations, but also escaped and produced when other qbs would have taken sacks.
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It is rather amazing to continue to read this on-going and vicious argument (debate is much too soft a term) on if the problem is all AM failings or the O line exlusively.  It is not and it seems most ought to be able to see there is plenty of blame or fault or credit or responsibility - pick your descriptor - to go around.  After 4 years of very similar results, there are common denominators to be identified.   In no particular order:  Frost, QB play, O line play, WR play, RB play, ST play. 
IF the performance of any two or more of these had been MUCH better, DONU wins more games, play in several bowls, etc.   

The problems of Husker football are deep, widely dispersed across the entire team, and not easily fixed.  Even the defense is far from national championship level, but was good enough to give the program an 8 win, middle of the Big Ten,finish. I don’t see this as reasonably debatable.  
 

The unreasonable position, arguably, is the blanket declaration that Adrian bears no fault or the problem is solely his. Almost nobody seems to say this but this is the assertion by too many. 

 
JJ Husker said:
Some of what fans may be struggling with is that we sort of do know what they think of the in house guys. They thought so little of them this past season that they still trotted out a guy with a high ankle sprain and a broken jaw instead of a backup. That tells me a few things. They didn’t think those guys were good enough or ready which means they have not developed the room as should be expected. It could also mean they are not very good at identifying talent or, at the least developing it and getting it ready to play.

I also am pretty sure they must know better than I do, but dangit, they have absolutely failed to prove they know what they’re doing. Being skeptical of their ability to identify talent, develop it and use it properly is a pretty fair feeling to have after the last few years.
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Your argument is sound and is pretty much the elephant in the room. I wondered the same thing all season. If he was willing to bench Martinez for McCaffery last season, why cant he bench him for Smothers when his jaw was broken? Is Smothers not the guy? If Smothers is the guy why wasn't he ready to take over sooner? Only time will tell on this story, but in my opinion Frost made the proper changes to his staff to make the improvements in the areas in question. Clearly there was an issue with the development behind Martinez or I think Frost would have replaced Martinez when he broke his jaw.  Michigan looked much better this year making similar staff changes. Can it work for us? The only answer is it has to. 

 
Signed Free-Agents (QB)

Quinn Ewers (Ohio State to Texas)
Spencer Rattler (Oklahoma to South Carolina)
Dillon Gabriel (UCF to UCLA)
Max Johnson (LSU to Texas A&M)
Bo Nix (Auburn to Oregon)
Adrian Martinez (Nebraska to Kansas State)
Michael Pennix (Indiana to Washington)
Charlie Brewer (Baylor to Utah to Liberty)
Jack Plummer (Purdue to Cal)
Zach Gibson (Akron to Georgia Tech)
Myles Brennan (LSU to LSU)

Free-Agents rumored in negotions:

Kedon Slovis (USC to Pitt?)
Casey Thompson (OU to TCU?)

Available Free-Agents

Zach Calzada (Texas A&M to ?)
Cameron Ward (Incarnate Word to ?)
Harrison Bailey (Tennessee to ?)
Taisun Phommachanh (Clemson to ?)
Chubba Purdy (Florida State to ?)
Jack Miller (Ohio State to ?)

Peter Costelli (Utah to ?)
Parker McQuarrie (UCLA to ?)

 
Stone Cold said:
I honestly cant see how smothers is so bad that we are seemingly willingly to take whoever in the transfer portal other than him.

Also, how bad does this look that we cant get even 1 D1 qb transfer to come here.
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The problem with Smothers is no one knows if he's ready or not. He could be, or he could have growing pains and everyone ends up getting fired. I think you need to bring in someone that has started games and has a decent track record to push Smothers and is ideally able to give the QB room one more year to develop. 

 
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