Ranking Portal Departures

[Just Gary]

Saw an article in 247Sports ranking (by number of departures) the 68 power conference schools. We have had 12 departures. Only 2 schools have had less portal departures, Oklahoma State with 10 and Nebraska with the lowest number (8). 26 schools have 25 or more departures. Colorado leads the list with 41 with Michigan State and Alabama tied for 2nd with 39!

A lot of departures came after the recent spring practices, so there is plenty of talent in the portal. Of course with our enrollment standards, most the 3900 kids that enter the portal are not available for our staff but I am sure there should be some of those that can help our needs.

Kudos to Braun for retaining most of our roster even with the overhaul of most of the coaches. Hopefully they can land some experience OL to give our offense a chance.

 

[CMcCat]

Saw an article in 247Sports ranking (by number of departures) the 68 power conference schools. We have had 12 departures. Only 2 schools have had less portal departures, Oklahoma State with 10 and Nebraska with the lowest number (8). 26 schools have 25 or more departures. Colorado leads the list with 41 with Michigan State and Alabama tied for 2nd with 39!

A lot of departures c. Of course with our enrollment standards, most the 3900 kids that enter the portal are not available for our staff but I am sure there should be some of those that can help our needs.

Kudos to Braun for retaining most of our roster even with the overhaul of most of the coaches. Hopefully they can land some experience OL to give our offense a chance.

It would strike me that in the new world of college free agency the meaningful stat would be net departures. Gotta play offense and defense!

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

It would strike me that in the new world of college free agency the meaningful stat would be net departures. Gotta play offense and defense!

The meaningful stat is net starters or net two deep players.

 

[SmellyCat]

The meaningful stat is net starters or net two deep players.

It's the same reason I think NU has done great in basketball in the portal, adding two rotation pieces (including one expected starter) and losing ONLY a freshman who never played. While a lot of other programs certainly got good players, they lost so much in the portal as well. Someone needs to do a really good study of NET portal activity in both basketball and football.

 

[Figrating]

Astoundingly good news considering NU's recent problems.

 

[hdhntr1]

Saw an article in 247Sports ranking (by number of departures) the 68 power conference schools. We have had 12 departures. Only 2 schools have had less portal departures, Oklahoma State with 10 and Nebraska with the lowest number (8). 26 schools have 25 or more departures. Colorado leads the list with 41 with Michigan State and Alabama tied for 2nd with 39!

A lot of departures came after the recent spring practices, so there is plenty of talent in the portal. Of course with our enrollment standards, most the 3900 kids that enter the portal are not available for our staff but I am sure there should be some of those that can help our needs.

Kudos to Braun for retaining most of our roster even with the overhaul of most of the coaches. Hopefully they can land some experience OL to give our offense a chance.

Part of it is that we lost a lot before last season even started. Can't really look at the one stat in isolation as there are a lot of moving parts

 

[Just Gary]

Part of it is that we lost a lot before last season even started. Can't really look at the one stat in isolation as there are a lot of moving parts

We lost 13 players last year to the transfer portal. But that was before Braun took over. Still, it was one of the lowest number of transfers of P5 schools.

It seems like a lot to us and we seen some good players leave, but in comparison it wasn’t that high.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

Saw an article in 247Sports ranking (by number of departures) the 68 power conference schools. We have had 12 departures. Only 2 schools have had less portal departures, Oklahoma State with 10 and Nebraska with the lowest number (8). 26 schools have 25 or more departures. Colorado leads the list with 41 with Michigan State and Alabama tied for 2nd with 39!

A lot of departures came after the recent spring practices, so there is plenty of talent in the portal. Of course with our enrollment standards, most the 3900 kids that enter the portal are not available for our staff but I am sure there should be some of those that can help our needs.

Kudos to Braun for retaining most of our roster even with the overhaul of most of the coaches. Hopefully they can land some experience OL to give our offense a chance.

Actually feels like our retention rates hurts us a bit…at least 4-5 that will never see the field. Was hoping that they would have moved on freeing up additional scholarship slots.

 

[Just Gary]

Actually feels like our retention rates hurts us a bit…at least 4-5 that will never see the field. Was hoping that they would have moved on freeing up additional scholarship slots.

I remember going to a practice several years ago and there was this one player that absolutely had the tools to be a starter but was playing on the scout team. I asked about him and was told “some players are here for the educational experience but never move up the depth chart”. For 4 years, he never moved off the scout team. If we truly are going to “pay for performance “, we also have to be able to free up scholarships. Brutal but that is what the elite teams do.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

I remember going to a practice several years ago and there was this one player that absolutely had the tools to be a starter but was playing on the scout team. I asked about him and was told “some players are here for the educational experience but never move up the depth chart”. For 4 years, he never moved off the scout team. If we truly are going to “pay for performance “, we also have to be able to free up scholarships. Brutal but that is what the elite teams do.

I wouldn’t have agreed with this thought process a few years ago; however with all the changes in CFB, this is the new reality.

 

[WaveJumper]

Well, ya know, if they're getting paid in addition to their scholarship, I believe the institution has a right to expect game level performance from them once they hit their third year.

In business, you don't have that long to prove yourself in an executive level job, and BIG 10 football is executive level . So it's either upward, or outward. Reality of the new pay for play environment that so many on this board supported.

Harsh world. What these kids need to learn is that they're getting paid for performance, not for signing a letter of intent.

 

[Hkjb]

I'm intrigued by Coach Braun's positioning of us as the top developmental program. Seems relevant to the above. I'm sure he knows what he is doing and suspect some of the above is why he is positioning that way.

First, it says "developmental" on the tin - so only kids with a great work ethic need apply. It's a filter.

Second, below the most contested 200 players, there is a long tail of kids who don't have the star ratings, but do have the potential. We've seen plenty of them become stars and even move on to the NFL. When a coach or program offers them and commits to develop them, they remember it. They are more likely to be loyal. (We're seeing this in our basketball team).

Third, it sends a signal culturally - to the team and the coaches - that we are going to get the fundamentals right. Get better every day and every week. Very much what coach Hank gave us before Fitz threw it away by hiring JON.

Finally, it's also almost deliberately un-flashy. I suspect parents and many players may find the current landscape exhausting and transactional - much like we do. 18 year olds do want to belong somewhere. It may be a very smart way to pitch stability and the broader benefits of an NU degree.

I'm just speculating - would be good to hear views from those who are better informed.

 

[hdhntr1]

Well, ya know, if they're getting paid in addition to their scholarship, I believe the institution has a right to expect game level performance from them once they hit their third year.

In business, you don't have that long to prove yourself in an executive level job, and BIG 10 football is executive level . So it's either upward, or outward. Reality of the new pay for play environment that so many on this board supported.

Harsh world. What these kids need to learn is that they're getting paid for performance, not for signing a letter of intent.

Reality is that the scholarship at NU is worth a lot. And part of the sales pitch is that it is good for 4 years. You can cut off the outside pay but not really the scholarship and it can be hard to justify moving on prior to getting that piece of paper and that is the same time that the commitment from NU runs out

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Reality is that the scholarship at NU is worth a lot. And part of the sales pitch is that it is good for 4 years. You can cut off the outside pay but not really the scholarship and it can be hard to justify moving on prior to getting that piece of paper and that is the same time that the commitment from NU runs out

Well, you better hope the scholarship is worth a lot. A scholarship from a next tier school along with hefty NIL cash is certainly a reasonable alternative to a 20 year old.

 

[Just Gary]

Well, you better hope the scholarship is worth a lot. A scholarship from a next tier school along with hefty NIL cash is certainly a reasonable alternative to a 20 year old.

Maybe not a very smart 20 year old. With a redshirt and graduating early, they can still have 1-2 years of eligibility left where they can chase the money if NU doesn’t stay competitive with NIL or if they are not expected to be first string.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Maybe not a very smart 20 year old. With a redshirt and graduating early, they can still have 1-2 years of eligibility left where they can chase the money if NU doesn’t stay competitive with NIL or if they are not expected to be first string.

Most 20 year olds have a very short term perspective. Easy to say at our age.

 

[hdhntr1]

Well, you better hope the scholarship is worth a lot. A scholarship from a next tier school along with hefty NIL cash is certainly a reasonable alternative to a 20 year old.

The scholarship is. A guy busting his a*s for 2.5-3 years at NU is going to be hesitent to leave before getting that piece of paper. But once they have it you had better have other reasons for them to stay. If they get it in 3 years which a number do, it can create real problems as their best FB is played elsewhere

 

[Just Gary]

Most 20 year olds have a very short term perspective. Easy to say at our age.

I don’t doubt that twenty year olds, especially today, start thinking about themselves first. But no one is paying a 3-star millions of dollars out of high school. For most it will be the scholarship and good spending money. I think we can swing that. The bigger question is once they prove themselves on the field, whether we can come up with competitive NIL for them to stay and whether we can come up with competitive NiL to attract kids in the portal. That is what we have to do and that is what the program needs to figure out.

We are not a poor University who doesn’t receive $70+ million from a lucrative media contract. We don’t have poor alums (well not all of them). We are in pretty good position to hold our ground or improve if the NIL issue can be handled properly. I can see revenue sharing becoming part of the B1G package. It puts the schools at a big advantage versus ACC, B12, and the G5 competition. I just don’t think it is doom and gloom. We will never be Georgia or Ohio State but then again, we never were.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

I don’t doubt that twenty year olds, especially today, start thinking about themselves first. But no one is paying a 3-star millions of dollars out of high school. For most it will be the scholarship and good spending money. I think we can swing that. The bigger question is once they prove themselves on the field, whether we can come up with competitive NIL for them to stay and whether we can come up with competitive NiL to attract kids in the portal. That is what we have to do and that is what the program needs to figure out.

We are not a poor University who doesn’t receive $70+ million from a lucrative media contract. We don’t have poor alums (well not all of them). We are in pretty good position to hold our ground or improve if the NIL issue can be handled properly. I can see revenue sharing becoming part of the B1G package. It puts the schools at a big advantage versus ACC, B12, and the G5 competition. I just don’t think it is doom and gloom. We will never be Georgia or Ohio State but then again, we never were.

All of this is true. I do have concerns that as a developmental program, NU faces a real possibility of losing players right when they are ready to contribute. I wouldn’t redshirt anyone that is on the cusp of seeing the field. Most of the guys we lose in the portal red shirted a year and I believe some may have helped earlier.

 

[Just Gary]

All of this is true. I do have concerns that as a developmental program, NU faces a real possibility of losing players right when they are ready to contribute. I wouldn’t redshirt anyone that is on the cusp of seeing the field. Most of the guys we lose in the portal red shirted a year and I believe some may have helped earlier.

Hopefully, the days of redshirting will be gone. With the portal, you leave yourself vulnerable especially after that fourth year after they receive that degree. Being a developmental program is great unless you are developing them to be snatched away. It will be a tough balancing act.

 

[zeek55]

If players are being paid for performance above just scholarship benefits then everything changes.

At that point it's much more like a job.

It's a big change but yes like all programs we'd have to be able to free up spots for guys that can play.

Again this is in whatever 2025-2026 and beyond setup gets put into place to pay players.