Bates Could Have Been NU’s Problem
7 comments so far
October 15, 2008 by
Omaha native Phillip Bates was one of those highly touted Nebraska products that chose to play elsewhere. Lately, there’s been talk of Bill Callahan’s recruiting mistakes, but apparently missing out on Bates wasn’t one of them.
Bates chose to play at Iowa State since it appeared Nebraska would have moved him to defensive back and the Cyclones were going to let him remain at quarterback, where he wanted to play. But in only his second year on campus and after three straight losses by ISU, Bates decided to leave the team rather than remain a backup to starting quarterback Austen Arnaud. Ironically, the Cyclones would lose so badly in their subsequent game to Baylor that perhaps Bates might have seen playing time if he’d remained with the team.
Call it SQS or “starting quarterback syndrome�. A player (say a Harrison Beck) comes in as a highly touted recruit to a team that’s struggled and expects to get early playing time at quarterback. Then, in their sophomore year decide they are through waiting to be handed the starting job and quit the team. Heck, we even saw something like that from Heisman winner Eric Crouch. It’s not all that uncommon.
But most cases don’t end like Crouch’s did. Instead, the team is just left with a wasted scholarship. When people look back fondly on the Osborne era and particularly the great run in the 1990’s, it wasn’t just that those Husker teams had great players, they were also surrounded by good or at least scholarship-worthy players that gave the team depth. Not many scholarships went to waste.
The 1990 class consisted of 20 scholarship players, and 15 of them became lettermen. Collectively, 47 letters were earned and that’s not to mention any walk-ons like offensive lineman Joel Wilks, who started on the 1994 national championship team. Contrast that 75-80% success rate with the top ranked class of 2005 where you could write off about half the class as wasted scholarships. Retention matters.
Maybe Callahan had foresight in passing on Bates at quarterback or maybe ISU coach Gene Chizik made a blunder in letting Bates get away. Rivals rated Bates a 5.7 which is the highest three-star ranking available, so they saw something in him. But it doesn’t matter how good a player looks when you recruit them (remember Leon Jackson?) if they leave your team before they get a chance to develop.
Who knows what’s next for Bates? Would he seek to walk-on at Nebraska? Will he go the division I-AA route? Will he insist on being a starting quarterback? For now, only Bates could answer that and maybe he hasn’t figured it out himself. But one thing’s for certain, the Cyclones didn’t get a four-year player out of that scholarship and that’s gotta hurt.
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darren Oct 15 08
Great take, Steve.
Who knows what thoughts and emotions drive the choices of young people. I think of myself at 19 and just cringe sometimes.
He still might end up at NU. Considering he watched a Husker game in Lincoln on ISU's bye week and his friendship with some current Huskers, it wouldn't shock me at all.
I don't think he'd be a QB here...but that is a different post for another day.
Steve Oct 15 08
Thanks Darren.
I also neglected to mention above some of the guys who panned out at other positions when quarterback wasn't available. Bobby Newcombe, Tony Veland, and Clester Johnson are three that come to mind.
Ackos Oct 15 08
I doubt Bo has much stomach for quitters. So i dont think you will ever see him at NU. If Bates had waited till the end of the season and gone through the proper motions then maybe; but not when you quit mid season!
jon johnston Oct 15 08
Good stuff - good points.
I don't want him. If he'd have lasted the season, then decided to leave fine. But any guy who leaves in the middle of the season needs to find a hole in which to live, or maybe a team I hate.
Some parents just can't shut up about their kids, either, can they?
JBLING22 Oct 15 08
You guys forgot to mention one other important reason BATES at NEbraska is unlikesly,, It would be very . very unlikely for Bates to end up a husker, if his goal is playing time... In Big Twelve guildlines, if a player transfer from one school to another with in the conference they would then lose a year of eligibility... Meaning Bates would have used up one year for his freshman campaign, 2 years for his partial sophmore and a 3rd for transferring within the big twelve ( can't use his redshirt)
.. Now if he goes elsewhere in NCAA Division 1 or FBS or whatever the hell they call it now, he can use his redshirt year and still have two years of playing eligibility left..If he transfers within the conference he'll still have to wait out a year, but he'll only have one year left to play.....
JBLING22 Oct 15 08
You guys forgot to mention one other important reason BATES at NEbraska is unlikesly,, It would be very . very unlikely for Bates to end up a husker, if his goal is playing time... In Big Twelve guildlines, if a player transfer from one school to another with in the conference they would then lose a year of eligibility... Meaning Bates would have used up one year for his freshman campaign, 2 years for his partial sophmore and a 3rd for transferring within the big twelve ( can't use his redshirt)
.. Now if he goes elsewhere in NCAA Division 1 or FBS or whatever the hell they call it now, he can use his redshirt year and still have two years of playing eligibility left..If he transfers within the conference he'll still have to wait out a year, but he'll only have one year left to play.....
NU4LIFE Oct 15 08
Bates going to NU would be the worst move he could make. Sounds like the Bug Eaters have some serious QB talent waiting in the wings. Bates would sit out two years and never start a game.