Each year we look upon the true freshman as  players who need to be redshirted, yet the truth of the matter is that sometimes ( like this year) it would be nice to have  had impact players to come to the rescue.  I was hoping for the cavalry this year....but instead of the French 4th Hussars at Friedland I got Custers 7th at Little Big Horn.  Daz was there....but Sebastian Smith would have been a  nice 4 star deep threat at WR but broken legs slow you down.  We also had 2 more 4 star WR (Roberts and Murray) who were stopped by academics and a DT (could have used Clark last night) who went the same route.

I'm lookin at these verbals and tryin to project these players in a cavalry if need be role.  Sure I'd like all to be redshirted....but WR Brown and Wyatt could have played last night....so could have D lineman like Porter and Sayles...both in the 270-290 range and Sayles has been clocked at 4.7 in the forty.  As a matter of fact both safeties on the commit list are big and fast and hit....and the linebacker Poling can hit....agile....mobile.....and hostile....we need more for sure.

Of course verbals sometimes are as soft as a babies butt and who knows what will happen.....and personally I'd rather see some diamonds in the rough like Brazill and Keller other than 3 star guys who are too slow....not physical enough or simply aren't big enough.

But me thinks the cavalry if we need them are on the way.....step away from the ledge everybody.

Huh.  I guess I didn't realize we were ahead of those schools.  We are/were?  Why?  I know its not due to facilities or location.

Awesome finds L.C.

Not surprised Bristol didn't get any honors. That team was horrible. As a Groveport alum I'm ashamed. Coach is out finally though!

Added some more. You see some oddities, though, comparing these. For example, how is Zach Murdock first team all district, and special mention All-State, yet not all Conference?

Also, I don't claim to understand the various districts, etc - these just are what I found.

I looked a little closer, and it seems like most of the first team all-conference is QBs. I think there were 4-5 players on 1st team that were QBs, and a few more that were 2d team All conference. Among the players ahead of Zach on the All-Conference team, including 1st team, 2d team, and Special Mention, there were actually only 6 offensive linemen that I detected. At the All-District level, all 7 players earned honors there, too, but in a different order. At the All-State level, only Johns and Murdock made it, both with Special Mention.

                             School                            All-Conference           All-District           All-State
Brooks Gilmore      Thomas Worthington        1st team                    Spec Ment
Jared Johns            Davidson                         1st team                   1st Team             Spec Ment
Tanner Zinni            Coffman                          1st team                    Hon Mention
Phil Miele               Coffman                          1st team                    Spec Ment
Cory Beasey          Westland                         2d team                     Hon Mention  
Michael Robinson   Coffman                           2d team                     Hon Mention
Zach Murdock        Coffman                           Honorable Ment          1st Team            Spec Ment

It seems like Zach probably should have been 1st team all-conference, too, but whatever....

As a side note, it looks like Walsh had a pretty good offensive line in front of him.

All-Nebraska teams have been named. Omaha World Herald names Sayles 1st team as an offensive lineman, which is odd because he played tight end/defensive line. Lincoln Journal-Star names him Super State, and first team class A (highest class) as a defensive lineman.

As a side note, Ohio has also offered Nick Deluca, who was also named 1st team by both papers.

Don't think he has decided.....maybe some of OUr Husker friends can give us the low down......we get him.....keep Sayles....add a pass rushin DE and a CB and this class goes golden.

Please Santa, can we just have one NEW COMMIT for Christmas (and maybe another for for New years)?

Nash choosing between Oklahoma State or Kansas State.

I know some think we should be garnering all 3 and 4 star recruits because of all OUr recent success.....not so sure we're ready for that.  For me it of course would be nice....but some "under the radar" guys like Barazill and Tettleton would also suffice.

They are out there, no doubt the staff are turning rocks as we peck away.

From what I can tell our recruiting ranking this year is going to suck.  I know some people will say it doesn't matter and provide a bunch of statistics about 2 star success stories, but it would be nice to get a few more studs here.  Unfortunately I don't think we have taken advantage of our recent success by getting the top tier mac recruits.  We seem to be satisfied with solid guys who fit the system, but where are the playmakers at?  We better be careful or else the rest of the conference is going to pass us by in recruiting while Frank is looking for his diamonds in the rough and juco stopgaps.

Impact players.....playmakers....whatever you want to call them yes we need them but not everyone is.  My playmaker definition is someone like Daz or Brazill....and my impact player is someone like Keller or Jameson Hartke who played all 4 years.

As L.C. pointed out last year was hurtful along these lines as some didn't qualify....and they all looked solid...except for the academics. This year's class looks better academic wise but it's hard to say if we pick up anymore or lose a soft verbal or 2.

Of the somewhat sure recruits (if there is such a thing)...I can see at least some playmakers out of this group. 2 of the WR are excellent....Wyatt from Georgia and Brown from W.Va......Brown catching a couple of TD's in his team's state championship game victory.

The RB Brown of Pittsburgh also looks good....Kalvin-like as described by some in another thread.

Recruiting is not an easy game....if it was everyone would be successful.....I'm not big on jukes either....but you  need some rotation people until the young players are ready for the D-line....it's a tough and dangerous place. Not everyone is a Jameson Hartke.

I like this group so far....but worried about Sayles and Porter going elsewhere....would like to see a CB.

We just need to be a lot--a lot!--better on defense.  Watching CFU push around Ball State yesterday too much reminded me of us:  very little penetration thru the opposition's offensive line, lots of missed tackles before the first solid contact 5-8 yards downfield, guys being tackled going forward (not backward), no significant pass pressure.  I know that injuries hurt us and I know that our guys give it the effort.  But there just has to be more impact playmakers from our d-line and linebackers.  Save Keller, when was the last time that we had first team-MAC players on the front seven?