How do Frost supporters defend the fact that our recruiting class is currently ranked 83 out of 130?

[TonyStalloni]

Tony, what's your view on COVID affecting folks within our radius like Helms, Riley, Jackson, Woods?  For me, I think we wouldn't be having this kind of conversation if we were securing this talent.

Attracting the interest of Omaha kids has been hit or miss since Callahan. Bo tried to patch up the divide a little while Riley let it slip back. Even Osborne lost good players from Omaha who wanted out of the state.  I'm not sure these kids would have had any more interest in Nebraska if they were allowed an official visit. All four had probably unofficially visited in the past. They are good players who were attractive to schools all over the country and they took advantage of their opportunity. You never know.....one or two might end up transferring back if they find the grass isn't greener elsewhere.

 

[NoLongerN]

Attracting the interest of Omaha kids has been hit or miss since Callahan. Bo tried to patch up the divide a little while Riley let it slip back. Even Osborne lost good players from Omaha who wanted out of the state.  I'm not sure these kids would have had any more interest in Nebraska if they were allowed an official visit. All four had probably unofficially visited in the past. They are good players who were attractive to schools all over the country and they took advantage of their opportunity. You never know.....one or two might end up transferring back if they find the grass isn't greener elsewhere.

Thanks Tony, that's how I see it as well.  For me, I'm probably a little butt hurt and full of enough pride as if Frost had accomplished what I thought he would, then my view is we would have become or been more attractive to these players.  I'm sure it's not all on Frost as I'm sure the 10-12 years of our "stuff" has made an impression of these kids that made other better options more desirable.  

Thanks for the time and your thoughts sir.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Thanks Tony, that's how I see it as well.  For me, I'm probably a little butt hurt and full of enough pride as if Frost had accomplished what I thought he would, then my view is we would have become or been more attractive to these players.  I'm sure it's not all on Frost as I'm sure the 10-12 years of our "stuff" has made an impression of these kids that made other better options more desirable.  

Thanks for the time and your thoughts sir.

I think recruiting kids from Nebraska is a no-win situation for any Nebraska football coach.  The coach gets hammered from fans for not getting the top kids (especially if they are from Omaha) and letting them go to another school in the country (even when those schools have been way more successful than NU the past 20 years).  The coach also gets hammered from fans for not recruiting the kids who go to a non-Power 5 school or even a FCS school, especially when they have any type of success at that school.

 

[NoLongerN]

I think recruiting kids from Nebraska is a no-win situation for any Nebraska football coach.  The coach gets hammered from fans for not getting the top kids (especially if they are from Omaha) and letting them go to another school in the country (even when those schools have been way more successful than NU the past 20 years).  The coach also gets hammered from fans for not recruiting the kids who go to a non-Power 5 school or even a FCS school, especially when they have any type of success at that school.

I think that is a great point.  Thanks for bringing it up.

 

[Danimal]

This recruiting reflects Frost's poor record, kids aren't buying-in and how can you blame them? Frost finishes below .500 yet again and we keep him anyway expect more of the same. Won't see improved recruiting til we're a winning team or get a new HC that creates excitement about the program again. 

 

[LaunchCode]

Maybe some folks are starting to finally get it.  The past is the past.  Enjoy it for what it was, but it's long past time we stop trying to revive it by looking for anyone who was somehow tied to it.  We seem to keep wanting to rebuild on a foundation that has long deteriorated and that's not a structure capable of handling adversity.  

The truth seems to be this for many, the top priority isn't actually winning even though they say and think that's what they want.  If that were true then things like this should not matter to them:

     Where the coach is from

     What system he must implement 

     An arbitrary 500 mile recruiting radius (coaches need to be free to recruit to their strengths. personal connections, and relationships not some imaginary line on a map)

     Ties to past success

     On offensive identity that "looks like the old Nebraska"

     etc..........

If you really want to win, at some point you throw all that other sentimental stuff out the window and you do what is necessary NOW in this day and age and under the current rules and competition level to win.   Frosts biggest mistake was caving into those who yearn for the past to return,  Had he instead focused on just winning and not winning a certain way to please those folks, maybe we wouldn't have ended up with a less successful coach than the last one.  

 

[Undone]

@LaunchCode - awesome post! And if this board is an accurate cross section of the fan base, there seems to be a huge portion that is doing exactly what you describe but are completely unaware that they're doing it.

More specific to offensive strategy, I think McKenzie Milton was a phenomenal talent with his arm and with decision making. That combination gave that UCF team an amazing ability to put points up on the board.

I think Frost had to tweak his UCF play book a bit because his QB selection couldn't quite operate on Milton's level - and he brought in Lubick to help him accomplish it. Our offense this season was close - very close.

I think Scott is doing what the majority of other college football offenses are doing today (broadly), he just happens to have a QB currently that scrambles really well and that maybe skews the perception of what kind of scheme we run.

 

[Kentmick]

We can't beat the teams we out recruit, what do people think is going to happen when those teams start out recruiting us?

The small class size holds no water. Look at our average recruit rating. If we keep Frost and he only wins 1 or 2 more games then this class is toast. Arguably worse off than a transition class with a new coach.

To anyone preaching of the transfer portal, that is a two way street. We have guys that could contribute to talented teams. After a few years of losing records, the grass is going to look awfully greener on the other side.

Frost needs to get to 6 wins to demonstrate there is improvement. Another losing season is just poison in any recruit's living room. Why commit to a coach that won't be around much longer or commit to a coach who hasn't had a winning season in 4 years at a school?

 

[TGHusker]

Frosts biggest mistake was caving into those who yearn for the past to return,  Had he instead focused on just winning and not winning a certain way to please those folks, maybe we wouldn't have ended up with a less successful coach than the last one.

Please elaborate.  What should Frost have done differently?   He obviously did not bring back the I formation or a 5-4 defense or the old triple option as he ran as a QB.  I'm sure he was focusing on winning with every game.  So how did he cave?  I see very little of his present offense ( except the new way of using a WR in the t option) or defense that resembles the past.  I see him trying to run his style of ball but (1) Misjudging the conference  (2) Misjudging the type of players needed to be successful in the conference.  These mistakes have been a hindrance to his success.  And related to # 2 is the lack of development in the key areas of QB (back up QBs), RB, and OL.  

 

[TGHusker]

We can't beat the teams we out recruit, what do people think is going to happen when those teams start out recruiting us?

:ahhhhhhhh :ahhhhhhhh   Scary thought indeed. 

 

[LaunchCode]

Please elaborate.  What should Frost have done differently?   He obviously did not bring back the I formation or a 5-4 defense or the old triple option as he ran as a QB.  I'm sure he was focusing on winning with every game.  So how did he cave?  I see very little of his present offense ( except the new way of using a WR in the t option) or defense that resembles the past.  I see him trying to run his style of ball but (1) Misjudging the conference  (2) Misjudging the type of players needed to be successful in the conference.  These mistakes have been a hindrance to his success.  And related to # 2 is the lack of development in the key areas of QB (back up QBs), RB, and OL.  

Not much to elaborate on the particular point you zeroed in on.  It was me being generous to Frost by providing a small excuse to him.  There is plenty of circumstantial evidence over his tenure however to suggest at least some of his time and energy has gone towards connecting to the past rather than expending that energy on building the here, now, and future.  

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Not much to elaborate on the particular point you zeroed in on.  It was me being generous to Frost by providing a small excuse to him.  There is plenty of circumstantial evidence over his tenure however to suggest at least some of his time and energy has gone towards connecting to the past rather than expending that energy on building the here, now, and future.  

I am far from a Frost defender at this point, but Moos had Frost doing those things as part of NU's overall outreach program for the state.  I agree that Frost's time should have been better spent on focusing on coaching, recruiting, building for the future, but Frost's AD is the one who trotted him out to these public appearances.

 

[TGHusker]

I am far from a Frost defender at this point, but Moos had Frost doing those things as part of NU's overall outreach program for the state.  I agree that Frost's time should have been better spent on focusing on coaching, recruiting, building for the future, but Frost's AD is the one who trotted him out to these public appearances.

That sheds more light on what @LaunchCode might have been saying. 

Frost's link to the past was most definitely one way to keep the old time fans, supporters, and boosters engaged. He brought back the 'good feelings' of the past.  Perhaps it blinded us to the reality of the current era.  

 

[ColoradoHusk]

That sheds more light on what @LaunchCode might have been saying. 

Frost's link to the past was most definitely one way to keep the old time fans, supporters, and boosters engaged. He brought back the 'good feelings' of the past.  Perhaps it blinded us to the reality of the current era.  

Yes, but are those appearances "Frost's fault" for doing them?  He's being a loyal soldier for his AD and trying to be loyal to the local fan-base.

 

[Hagg]

I think recruiting kids from Nebraska is a no-win situation for any Nebraska football coach.  The coach gets hammered from fans for not getting the top kids (especially if they are from Omaha) and letting them go to another school in the country (even when those schools have been way more successful than NU the past 20 years).  The coach also gets hammered from fans for not recruiting the kids who go to a non-Power 5 school or even a FCS school, especially when they have any type of success at that school.

I disagree.  Not as to what you're saying about the HC "getting hammered by fans," but by how important what fans are saying one way or the other is to a good football coach.  Not quite "so what," but close to that as compared to performance on that field.