Maybe the Nebraska Cornhuskers could use a few more guys that really want to play for Nebraska, as in ones who grew up dreaming to do so and would do about anything to do so. Motivation probably wouldn't be such a concern, then.
That's my takeaway from reading this thread, anyways.
Is that to say we shun recruiting studs nationally? Absolutely not, but this thread just totally reinforces to me why we should have a greater presence of local talent on the team.
Instant identity and instant character. Recruiting then compliments your built-in strengths. Built-in motivation, in addition to a sanctuary and support system for the out-of-area guys. Build your OL, DL, LBs, TEs, FBs with mostly local guys. You can build the foundation for a quality a class with kids at these positions within a roughly 500 mile radius of Lincoln. Target the best skill position players nationally who you think will suit what it is we want to do. You will probably have to rely on the bulk of your skill position guys coming from out of that region, but that is not to say you cannot or will not find very good skill position players within that region, either.
Seems like a strange way to recruit to some, but once you forge an identity, I think recruiting instantly becomes much better overall (and dare I say, easier?) and more of a match for what it is we want to do as a team. See Stanford who has very high hurdles to jump to get kids on campus to play there due to their admission standards, in spite of their Bay Area location, yet still finds a way to field quality teams with quality players. And by the way, this would basically amount to a slightly updated version of how we recruited and had success here for years.
Are things different and harder recruiting this way for Nebraska now? Yes, but I'd counter it's difficult to recruit to Nebraska in any other fashion, as well (relative to most other power programs). Just because it may be difficult (at least at first) to do it this way doesn't stop it from being better than having no real direction or identity (as far as I can tell), mired in a bog of futility, and it's definitely no excuse to abandon the foundation of what truly made our program so great and special and unique for so long. Then again, to do something like this, we'd need a coach and an administration/AD that would have that sort of vision, and who would want/try to forge that identity. Not sure I can identify what Mike Riley's vision for Husker football is, and don't think I care to know what Perlman or Eichorst's vision is.
But regardless, even if what you think I'm saying is total rambling nonsense, a coach needs to hold his team accountable, regardless of what kind of system we are running or what players constitute our team--a coach that, while not being an authoritarian by any means, needs to exert his authority and take control of his team, period. And yes, the kids need to be motivated, tuned-in, and have desire to succeed here. Whether that is purely on them to provide that or on the coaches, or both, if I'm the coach of this team, it's definitely something I'm addressing, whether that means looking at my motivational skills/demeanor, my staff's motivational skills/demeanor, disciplining or sitting a player if the effort and attitude is not there, or whatever--it needs to be addressed. Send a message, take control of the team. If Riley can't do that, then what is his function again, exactly?
