BisonNeil
02-04-2012, 04:18 PM
Now that the 2012 recruiting class is in the bank, I think it is fair to look back at recruiting success, something that has been written about briefly by Kevin Schnepf of the Forum.
Some of you recall during the "down" years I posted some info on this board about some of Bohl's recruiting classes have considerable attrition which I believed contributed to the 6-5 season and particularly to the 3-8 season.
I have read that most coaches believe success is derived through player retention. Bohl has said on a couple of occasions that Tom Osborne felt that if a staff keeps more than half of a recruiting class 4-5 years, then they will have success. So, taking a look back at the recruiting classes contributing to the recent success the Bison had on the football field, those numbers seem to be borne out.
The numbers below only reflect scholarship players, either from HS or JUCO, and do not include preferred walk ons which skew the numbers a bit since they tend to have much lower retention rates.
The 2007 class had 18 recruits, 8 left, were kicked off, or were lost due to injuries (Beeson). That is a 56% retention rate, well within Osborne's success percentage.
The 2008 class was a well publicized bust. Seventeen players signed, only 3 remained on this past team, an 18% retention rate. I think we all knew this class was going to be trouble when five players were lost before fall camp and when McFarlane decided to have a fight with Lardinois in the shower after a practice. Not the brightest bulb there.
From here on out the numbers are very impressive since in previous classes (2004-2006 & 2008) a lot of players were gone after one year.
Bohl signed 20 players in 2009, only 4 are gone after three seasons, one of those lost due to injury (Jacobs). That is an impressive 80% retention rate.
Twenty five players signed in the superb 2010 class, 22 are still on the roster (but assumes Crockett will be), which means that so far there has been an 88% retention rate.
Perhaps too early to see how retention for the 2011 class will be, but so far so good. Twenty young men signed, only one is not on the team, 95% retention. The key will be how good this class really is following the 2010 class and how many will get the playing time they want. I only say that because I hear virtually nothing about Smith, Albers, Bonnet, Lisenby, and Scoliere.
But, as Bohl says, "the proof is in the puddin'". It appears to me that player attrition rates have gone down significantly in recent years with one exception (2008), which to me means there will be considerable success in the future.
Some of you recall during the "down" years I posted some info on this board about some of Bohl's recruiting classes have considerable attrition which I believed contributed to the 6-5 season and particularly to the 3-8 season.
I have read that most coaches believe success is derived through player retention. Bohl has said on a couple of occasions that Tom Osborne felt that if a staff keeps more than half of a recruiting class 4-5 years, then they will have success. So, taking a look back at the recruiting classes contributing to the recent success the Bison had on the football field, those numbers seem to be borne out.
The numbers below only reflect scholarship players, either from HS or JUCO, and do not include preferred walk ons which skew the numbers a bit since they tend to have much lower retention rates.
The 2007 class had 18 recruits, 8 left, were kicked off, or were lost due to injuries (Beeson). That is a 56% retention rate, well within Osborne's success percentage.
The 2008 class was a well publicized bust. Seventeen players signed, only 3 remained on this past team, an 18% retention rate. I think we all knew this class was going to be trouble when five players were lost before fall camp and when McFarlane decided to have a fight with Lardinois in the shower after a practice. Not the brightest bulb there.
From here on out the numbers are very impressive since in previous classes (2004-2006 & 2008) a lot of players were gone after one year.
Bohl signed 20 players in 2009, only 4 are gone after three seasons, one of those lost due to injury (Jacobs). That is an impressive 80% retention rate.
Twenty five players signed in the superb 2010 class, 22 are still on the roster (but assumes Crockett will be), which means that so far there has been an 88% retention rate.
Perhaps too early to see how retention for the 2011 class will be, but so far so good. Twenty young men signed, only one is not on the team, 95% retention. The key will be how good this class really is following the 2010 class and how many will get the playing time they want. I only say that because I hear virtually nothing about Smith, Albers, Bonnet, Lisenby, and Scoliere.
But, as Bohl says, "the proof is in the puddin'". It appears to me that player attrition rates have gone down significantly in recent years with one exception (2008), which to me means there will be considerable success in the future.