Recruiting in the Age of Attrition

3 comments so far January 25, 2007 by Darren K. Carlson

Three recent reductions in NU's incoming recruiting class - two for academic purposes, one in a change of mind - offer pretty darn good evidence why NU fills their classes to capacity. Pure and simple - not everyone is going to make it. The difference that makes this group of recruiters great is that they know it and plan on it. Beyond the class-by-class signings, football is filled with greater amounts of attrition than ever. The build up in NU's talent base being noted by both the national media and the casual fan should be attributed to a lot more than just luring big-name players to Lincoln. Programs must manage their rosters, build programs to retain players, and do there best to confront both bad attitudes and bad luck if they want to survive in the "Age of Attrition".

Load Up in Recruiting
As I said in the opening, NU lost three players who had verbally committed to the class of 2007. That's disappointing. But, it is more than fair to say this group has learned from the environment in general and their own program's recent history and planned alternatives for when they lose out on a player. They absolutely load up on their need positions - like defensive back and defensive tackle this season - to prevent being thin where players are needed most. Further, they clearly have "plan B" guys in mind. The week they lost a wide receiver prospect and a defensive tackle prospect in the same week, they had kids who play those positions scheduled to visit. The new visitors boasted impressive credentials and high school results. Who doesn't? Who knows, maybe NU will wind up better at those spots.

Greener Pastures, "Misses", Bad Luck, and Bad Apples
Post-recruiting attrition is a very real factor. Talented players leave teams for a lot of reasons. Some are big talents and big egos seeking playing time. And, that's not just at Nebraska. Arkansas had an ugly blowup with a quarterback this off season. And Rocky Hinds left mighty USC to get playing time at UNLV. And sometimes, coaches will take a flyer on a kid and it just doesn't work out. Local talents like Robert Rands and Jeff Souder come to mind as recent examples for NU. Injuries both routine (Bowman's ACL) and odd (Mann's illness) are a factor on every team and every season. How bad it hurts depends on depth. Finally, Callahan has shown a lot of willingness to throw players off of the team, including contributors like Richie Incognito and Grant Mulkey. That takes guts. But, not as much guts if you know you have talent behind those players.

So what is NU doing differently or better now than in previous years? For starters, they are managing their resources better.

Managing Resources
The Omaha World-Herald recently ran a piece on how NU can fit so many players in to this class and still have a roster compliant with NCAA regulations. I suggest you read it. And, I'm sure it is just the tip of the iceberg. This staff is meticulous about knowing how many players and contributors they have at every position, and how many they must target and get to fill out their roster. It's a detailed thing that confronts a lot of moving targets by having clear priorities. It's clear to me now that Callahan's offensive mandate is to load up on quarterbacks (4 at all times) and linemen (we have 15+ on the roster right now). He probably feels like those two spots can make or break your offense more than others. And, he's right. You don't have to look any farther than the glaring lack of options we had at those spots in 2002 and 2004 to know it's true.

In a time when talent is more evenly distributed across programs by scholarship limitations you simply must manage your roster much, much better than the next guy to be a top tier team. Make your designated roster as talented as possible, and you win. The military calls it redundancy. Corporations call it "succession planning". Sports teams call it depth. It is all the same concept. And frankly, you can't win without it. In some cases, that means teams actually cut juniors or seniors who don't pan out to make way for the new crop of talent. At NU, they also stem the tide of attrition by attracting the right kind of kid and surrounding him with programs to retain him.

Retention!
If you know attrition is a factor, then there is a mandate to build programs that you know retain players. NU has done this in the past. And, they continue to do it more fantastically now.

Academics are a major factor in attrition. So, recruit scholastically-minded kids from the start. Blake Lawrence and Patrick Witt are great examples. They could go to school on academic scholarship if they wanted. And, NU has built an academic support program that is second to none. Whether it was taking Proposition 48 kids under Osborne or junior college players now, NU helps kids on the roster who may not have had the best chance at a college degree get the support they need. NU's players go to school and graduate. And, NU produces academic All Americans. There is no substitute for that when talking to a player's parents.

Injuries are a part of the game. But, they can be confronted by building superior training facilities and having great strength and conditioning. NU's facilities and personnel can help players prevent injuries and recover faster. It all adds up.

Finally, relationships play a major factor. It's never a surprise to me to see a player leave a program for another school to follow the assistant coach who recruited him originally. These coaches try to relate to players as much as the can, and push the limits of the stereotypical coach-player relationship. It's healthy...and it helps battle attrition. These players are far from home and family and under enormous pressure to produce. They need relationships with their peers (other players), but also with mentors and authority figures like their coaches and advisors. Absent that, nearly any kid in their shoes would want to leave.

You can't dictate or manage relationships. But, you can foster an environment that encourages unity, and hire sincere coaches who will invest in a young man's development. This seemingly "soft" thing in the tough world of football may be one factor where NU has improved the most in the last 4 years.

Elsewhere: Double Extra Point builds on this article with the 20 percent failure factor

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