While we complain about coaching, QBs, and lack of offense.....it is pretty simple to figure out why.
RU has only successfully recruited ONE 4* WR since Leonte Carroo in Greg Schiano’s 2012 recruiting class. That one player was Bo Melton in the 2017 recruiting class and Bo is on the edge of a NFL roster in Seattle.
But that was mostly Kyle Floods fault... .or certainly Chris Ash is to blame.....well, not really folks.
Since Greg Schiano 2.0, RU has now essentially finalized 4 recruiting classes for 2020, 2021, 2022 and while 2023 recruiting is not complete, at this stage, it is 90% complete for most Power 5 programs.
Since 2020, here is the B1G breakdown of 4* or better WRs recruited out of HS or were 4* kids out of HS who were landed via the portal.
Ohio State......17
Penn State 7
Nebraska 7
Michigan 4
MSU 3
Minnesota 3
Indiana 3
Maryland 2
Purdue 2
Northwestern 2
Illinois 0
Iowa 0
Wisconsin 0
Rutgers 0
If you are a chicken or the egg person, you would say it's the coaches of Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and RU OR it's the philosophy of the way they play football.
If you read the message boards of what fans are upset about or what may look like the most inept in the passing game, it is Iowa, Wisconsin leading the way.....BUT those 2 programs are built with a heavy emphasis on RUN, large offensive lineman.....almost to a fault, those 2 programs have won a lot of football games and are considered very successful in terms of B1G play.....by just power running.
Illinois and RU have either had poor coaching OR lack of playmakers on offense at WR in recent years.....but both are considered in a rebuilding mode or had coaching changes in the last 3 years, so it's not completely fair to bury lllinois Coach Brett Bielema or Greg Schiano.
For RU......let's be realistic.....we cannot name one successful RU football season, that didn't have a reasonable group of talent at WR.....even the group of WRs that supported the 4* Leonte Carroo was solid.....Andre Patton, Janarion Grant, Carlton Agudosi....all played in the NFL or have had CFL success.
This isn't a offensive coordinator issue......it is not a QB issue.....it is strictly a lack of talent issue at WR.
ONE 4* WR in ELEVEN consecutive recruiting classes. ...
2013 to 2023 is a very long time of consistently ignoring an issue and blaming others for lack of offense.
I didn't have the time to go back to 2013 for all of the other B1G programs and it doesn't mean that a 3* WR, can't truly be a 4* talent. The rating systems are not bullet-proof.....but it is very difficult to be this inept for over a decade and expect results without talent.
We did (in fairness) recruit a 4* WR in the 2022 class, Amarion Brown out of Florida.....BUT, as luck would have it, he didn't make it to RU and landed at a JUCO......
RU has only successfully recruited ONE 4* WR since Leonte Carroo in Greg Schiano’s 2012 recruiting class. That one player was Bo Melton in the 2017 recruiting class and Bo is on the edge of a NFL roster in Seattle.
But that was mostly Kyle Floods fault... .or certainly Chris Ash is to blame.....well, not really folks.
Since Greg Schiano 2.0, RU has now essentially finalized 4 recruiting classes for 2020, 2021, 2022 and while 2023 recruiting is not complete, at this stage, it is 90% complete for most Power 5 programs.
Since 2020, here is the B1G breakdown of 4* or better WRs recruited out of HS or were 4* kids out of HS who were landed via the portal.
Ohio State......17
Penn State 7
Nebraska 7
Michigan 4
MSU 3
Minnesota 3
Indiana 3
Maryland 2
Purdue 2
Northwestern 2
Illinois 0
Iowa 0
Wisconsin 0
Rutgers 0
If you are a chicken or the egg person, you would say it's the coaches of Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and RU OR it's the philosophy of the way they play football.
If you read the message boards of what fans are upset about or what may look like the most inept in the passing game, it is Iowa, Wisconsin leading the way.....BUT those 2 programs are built with a heavy emphasis on RUN, large offensive lineman.....almost to a fault, those 2 programs have won a lot of football games and are considered very successful in terms of B1G play.....by just power running.
Illinois and RU have either had poor coaching OR lack of playmakers on offense at WR in recent years.....but both are considered in a rebuilding mode or had coaching changes in the last 3 years, so it's not completely fair to bury lllinois Coach Brett Bielema or Greg Schiano.
For RU......let's be realistic.....we cannot name one successful RU football season, that didn't have a reasonable group of talent at WR.....even the group of WRs that supported the 4* Leonte Carroo was solid.....Andre Patton, Janarion Grant, Carlton Agudosi....all played in the NFL or have had CFL success.
This isn't a offensive coordinator issue......it is not a QB issue.....it is strictly a lack of talent issue at WR.
ONE 4* WR in ELEVEN consecutive recruiting classes. ...
2013 to 2023 is a very long time of consistently ignoring an issue and blaming others for lack of offense.
I didn't have the time to go back to 2013 for all of the other B1G programs and it doesn't mean that a 3* WR, can't truly be a 4* talent. The rating systems are not bullet-proof.....but it is very difficult to be this inept for over a decade and expect results without talent.
We did (in fairness) recruit a 4* WR in the 2022 class, Amarion Brown out of Florida.....BUT, as luck would have it, he didn't make it to RU and landed at a JUCO......
Last edited:
