Junior College Signees Address "Needs" for NU

2 comments so far February 4, 2010 by Darren K. Carlson

Under Coach Bo Pelini, Nebraska does not do a lot of junior college recruiting. Pelini said as much in his press conference today. The facts back that up. Of NU's 21 scholarship players for 2010, just three come from the junior college ranks. Pelini also said they were very selective of the kinds of players, programs and circumstances from which they recruit junior college players. Examining the three in this class illustrates the elements he wants to see.

Addressing "Needs" - Immediate Impact
Unlike some programs (cough, KSU, cough) Nebraska's staff knows the rist of building too much of a class around junior college players. When you do that, the window for success is too small and the turnover to quick to have lasting success. Instead, JC players can be used well to address holes or "needs" on the roster. That is exactly what NU did with signing linebacker Lavonte David, offensive lineman Jermarcus "Yoshi" Hardrick and tight end Chase Harper.

Don't kid yourself. These three came to NU with the expectation that they might play right away. If you are looking for early contributors in the class, look no further.

So sayth coach:

those three young men were some guys that we thought could have an impact and provide some depth for us and we're real happy with them.

At linebacker, highly touted prospect Chris Williams left the program, primarily due to injury. It left NU short a potential play maker in the second level of their defense. And so, enter David. He's a comparable athlete with approximately the same amount of eligibility that Williams did. Next, Pelini has been clear that he expects more competition and physical play from his offensive line. There is a need. Here comes "Yoshi", the 315 pound kid with a mean streak.

Chase Harper might be a bit less obvious. At first glance, NU appears to have plenty of tight ends on the roster. Maybe Harper's talent is so great that it doesn't matter. But, you must also remember that the economy of that position changed recently. There is greater demand for them now, so supply must increase.

Nebraska was very short on wide receivers during the first part of Callahan's tenure, because the Huskers played in a lot of one and two wide formations. When you go three, four, or five wide, it is a different economy. The pendulum has now swung back in the other direction. Nebraska had plenty of tight ends if only one was on the field at the time. But, NU ran a lot more two and even three tight end sets last season. The economy changed. So, they went and added Harper, even with a pretty good compliment of tight end talent already on hand.

Three is More Than Two

We're very selective in who we get and what those circumstances are.

What did Pelini mean when he said circumstances? Here is one guess. Junior college players have another element involved - time. It is sometimes easier to "miss" with JC players, because the window of playing time is condensed. They often have just 2 years and need to hit the field right away. But, all three of the JC recruits in this year's NU class have a good amount of eligibility left.

Both David and Hardrick are 'three-to-play-two' guys, meaning they have three years to use up their two years of eligibility. And, Harper is the most valuable of all as he has three full years of eligibility remaining. Having a bit more time for player development allows coaches to make the most of JC players they recruit.

Fort Scott Pipeline?
Pelini is also making a reputation for recruiting not just players but the programs from which they come. This includes JC guys.

Consider this quote:

Not only with them as players, but the types of kids that they are and the programs they came out of and what they've been exposed to.

Translation: Pelini wants to recruit winners or kids from programs where the expectations and demands are very high. The two young men from Fort Scott Community College are a great example. These are two young men who played on a team that was 11-1 last season and played for the JC national title. The year before, they were 9-2 and ranked 6th in the country. And, both of them were major contributors to that team.

Nebraska also signed a major contributor from Fort Scott a year ago when it got Brandon Kinnie to come in and play wide receiver. Much is expected of Kinnie next year. And, if the trend with Fort Scott players continues, much may be expected of that overall relationship in the future as well.

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