Going by recruiting rankings, and by the opinion of those on this board who watch film, NU’s talent is higher than it’s ever been. Or close anyway. Certainly better than it was five or eight years ago.
NU has always punched above its weight - going by recruiting rankings, most years NU should have finished dead last in the conference - but, despite this surge in recruiting, the program is more or less where it was five years ago. Double digit wins, then a year lost in the woods. (The West is baaaaad, so maybe there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, still.)
A disturbing truism is that NU seems to rarely have guys ascend the depth chart over time. If an NU player is to become a star, it’s generally obvious from his first year on the field. This is probably typical. However, it seems to me that NU does a worse-than-average job of moving players from scout team to third string to competitive depth to starter to stardom.
Am I off-base here? Are there exceptions? Cam Green seems to potentially be one, but that may simply be do to the position opening up. Opportunity more than ascendance.
Looking at the drafted players of recent ilk, JJ, Walker, Campbell, Vitale, Lowry, and Siemian were difference-makers from their first snap. The only exception in the last five years of draft classes might be Odenigbo, who was known to be green when he signed.
Development as a coaching skill is tough to measure, but it’s also the most important part. Do we have evidence that suggest NU is worst at developing players than other programs in the conference? I think we probably do.
NU has always punched above its weight - going by recruiting rankings, most years NU should have finished dead last in the conference - but, despite this surge in recruiting, the program is more or less where it was five years ago. Double digit wins, then a year lost in the woods. (The West is baaaaad, so maybe there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, still.)
A disturbing truism is that NU seems to rarely have guys ascend the depth chart over time. If an NU player is to become a star, it’s generally obvious from his first year on the field. This is probably typical. However, it seems to me that NU does a worse-than-average job of moving players from scout team to third string to competitive depth to starter to stardom.
Am I off-base here? Are there exceptions? Cam Green seems to potentially be one, but that may simply be do to the position opening up. Opportunity more than ascendance.
Looking at the drafted players of recent ilk, JJ, Walker, Campbell, Vitale, Lowry, and Siemian were difference-makers from their first snap. The only exception in the last five years of draft classes might be Odenigbo, who was known to be green when he signed.
Development as a coaching skill is tough to measure, but it’s also the most important part. Do we have evidence that suggest NU is worst at developing players than other programs in the conference? I think we probably do.
