So much equivocation, so little time, puts me in multiquote hell!
Top equivocation(s) so far:
1) Rating services don't matter. Evidently it's 'hard to predict' how #1, 5* recruits, with beaucoup offers like Jameis Winston or Leonard Fournette will do in college(and beyond). Therefore, why not recruit a guy that's more or less off the radar, with offers from the likes of KU and Tejas St, doesn't appear on the Rivals position list(
https://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/quicklist.asp?School=&Sport=1&DPosition=10&Position=8&Year=2016&qs=1), because, you know, it's 'hard to predict'.
2) Speed doesn't matter/is 'overrated', whether individually or by team.
3) H.S. 40 times are unreliable and therefore don't matter(much). NFL 40 times are the TRUTH, though.
4) AT may be a complete unknown
now, but by the end of the cycle
, everybodys' gonna want him!
5) Guys like Ameer Abdullah are more the rule than the exception.
Anyway...
Braylon Heard, for one, is faster than 4.6, he's at least 4.5 in the real world(4.4 out of h.s.).
But still, he's going to be competeing with at least 3 legitimate 4* RBs ahead of him when he gets to NU. soooo, I guess I have to defer to the coaches' eyes here, because to me, I'm just not seeing it.
What does that even mean? And the difference between the 4.6 and 4.4 out of hs is that one was electronic and can be verified, and the other is hearsay.
I wonder where those 3 RB's were rated in June before their senior year of football. Seems a bit unfair to compare them when you're taking the 3's highest final ranking vs. AT's ranking before his senior year.
Not exactly sure where Heard was rated in the June prior, but at some point he was #5 RB in the country, 4* . I'm pretty certain, but cannot confirm(maybe someone else can) that Newby, Taylor and Wilbon were well established commodities at this point in their respective recruiting cycles. Newby 4*, 10th overall RB, noteworthy offers from OR, ASU, UCLA, WA, ARK, and Ol Miss. Taylor, 4*, 18th, offers from BAMA, FSU, ARK, Ol Miss, OU, Okie St, Wiscy and others. Wilbon, 4*, 16th, AZ, ASU, Miss St, GT, WV. ARK, Mizzou. I doubt AT's resume gets bumped at any point to match the guys he's going to be up against when he gets to NU.
So to sum it up. We want Ezekiel Elliot and our new RB recruit is slow but our old recruits are faster than what their 40 times said. Oh wait a second AT would beat EE in the 100 meter dash (AT 10.91 and EE 10.95)
Gee, I dunno, we(BO & Co) already
did want EE, along with Bama, tOSU, GA, Sparta, NU, ASU, Ark, ND, UCLA, Wiscy, PSU, TN, and others( As a
true frosh, EE was an
key part of his teams' earning a NC trophy. AT has(d) offers from NV, TX St, KU, CSU, S. Austin U, and has been splitting time with an RB who's going to SE OK St. So.....
Newby and Taylor have been thought of as a potential one-two punch, with Newby as the featured running back and Taylor coming in as a change of pace, third down, red-zone, and short yard. I could see Ozigbo and Thomas playing similar roles. Thomas can start a series running inside and outside zone and Ozigbo can set in for passing third downs as either a rush blocker or passing threat.
Though I have great faith in Newby, me thinks Taylor and Wilbon will be well into the fray for the starting position by season's end--maybe sooner. Ozigbo looks like a thumper type guy who will be pushing Cross. That Jordan Nelson also seemed to be making some noise @ the Spring Fling. Then there's Dedrick Young(?) AT will probably have to 'take a number' when he gets here.
It isn't late in the cycle at all. This kid will end up a 5.6-5.7 3 star minimum
He's already been bumped up to 3* on 247, or something. It's late in the cycle to be a relatively unkown quantity, compared to the known quantites with numerous noteworthy offers, is what I'm saying.
Hasn't one of Nebraska's perennial downfalls when playing the big boy teams been a relative lack of overall team speed? Yes, it has, the last best example being vs USC. We need more team speed, as much as possible, especially @ the skill positions. That's obvious, even a non NFL coach like me can figure that out.
The USC team NU hung with the whole game and almost beat? With an interim HC. You're making a mountain out of a mole hill.
By, 'hung with the whole game', I assume you mean playing from an 18 point deficit well into the 3rd qtr. NU fought back, to their credit.
Speed!
Hasn't one of Nebraska's perennial downfalls when playing the big boy teams been a relative lack of overall team speed? Yes, it has, the last best example being vs USC. We need more team speed, as much as possible, especially @ the skill positions. That's obvious, even a non NFL coach like me can figure that out.
The USC team NU hung with the whole game and almost beat? With an interim HC. You're making a mountain out of a mole hill.
I get your point, but USC had something like 51 scholarship players on the roster without including whatever injuries they might have had.
How do you think Nebraska would have done if we had to play with 51 scholarship players all season?
As far as Thomas goes, lots of kool-aid is flowing in this thread. I get that, you're fans and you want him to be good. He has the size Mike Riley likes in his running backs, which is fine, but overall he doesn't appear to be on the same level as most of our recent running backs we've had hear at NU. It looks like most of the coaches in Texas, Oklahoma and in SEC country agree.
Good points, Sir.
