2022 Football Rosters
Total number of Players Listed per Team
Nebraska = 150
Ohio State = 117
Iowa = 120
Wisconsin = 106
KU = 112
KST = 118
Iowa State = 107
Oklahoma State = 127
To me, this seals the argument.
There’s no longer a need to have these large numbers anymore. Nobody else who’s any good has over 125-130.
Most good teams have under 120 even non traditionally good teams
Teams who didn’t used to be as good are better than we are now with lower numbers
Another thing people forget is one of the best walk on traditions used to be the I.M. Hipps Jarvis redwines , Jimmy Williams, etc the Pell Grants that’s no longer available and after that the prop 48 walk-on‘s. no longer
I don’t count those as true walk ons they aren’t the same as the rural less talented instate Nebraska walk on who has no D1 scholarships and walks on…The prop 48s weren’t just people who couldn’t go to better schools because of their athletic ability. It was usually restricted academically for them and that’s how Nebraska was able to add a bunch of good players. No longer the case.
Lastly, Nebraska roster sizes over the years
- 1970s and early 80s with freshman team 180-200 players
- Late 80s-90s TO cut roster to 150s after Frosh team was no longer
- 2002 - 1st non winning 7 loss season in modern Husker history = 170 180 ish on roster
- 2003 - 9 wins 150 on roster
- 2005-06 8 and 9 win seasons under callahan 120-130
- 2009-13 under BO 130-140 ish 9 plus win seasons
- 2014 - 2022 Riley and Frost basically had 150 plus all
losing seasons
So there absolutely no correlation to roster size and winning. It’s certainly proven you don’t need large roster size is today to win at a high-level most of the teams who are great have the lowest numbers.
It’s all about how good your quality 2 deep three deep and 4 deep are every year. that’s the focus to get the best players and get them on the field
which is what Osborne started to do the walkons became mostly irrelevant on defense and only really on offense due to the style blocking FBS and block first wide receivers but that all went away.
Total number of Players Listed per Team
Nebraska = 150
Ohio State = 117
Iowa = 120
Wisconsin = 106
KU = 112
KST = 118
Iowa State = 107
Oklahoma State = 127
To me, this seals the argument.
There’s no longer a need to have these large numbers anymore. Nobody else who’s any good has over 125-130.
Most good teams have under 120 even non traditionally good teams
Teams who didn’t used to be as good are better than we are now with lower numbers
Another thing people forget is one of the best walk on traditions used to be the I.M. Hipps Jarvis redwines , Jimmy Williams, etc the Pell Grants that’s no longer available and after that the prop 48 walk-on‘s. no longer
I don’t count those as true walk ons they aren’t the same as the rural less talented instate Nebraska walk on who has no D1 scholarships and walks on…The prop 48s weren’t just people who couldn’t go to better schools because of their athletic ability. It was usually restricted academically for them and that’s how Nebraska was able to add a bunch of good players. No longer the case.
Lastly, Nebraska roster sizes over the years
- 1970s and early 80s with freshman team 180-200 players
- Late 80s-90s TO cut roster to 150s after Frosh team was no longer
- 2002 - 1st non winning 7 loss season in modern Husker history = 170 180 ish on roster
- 2003 - 9 wins 150 on roster
- 2005-06 8 and 9 win seasons under callahan 120-130
- 2009-13 under BO 130-140 ish 9 plus win seasons
- 2014 - 2022 Riley and Frost basically had 150 plus all
losing seasons
So there absolutely no correlation to roster size and winning. It’s certainly proven you don’t need large roster size is today to win at a high-level most of the teams who are great have the lowest numbers.
It’s all about how good your quality 2 deep three deep and 4 deep are every year. that’s the focus to get the best players and get them on the field
which is what Osborne started to do the walkons became mostly irrelevant on defense and only really on offense due to the style blocking FBS and block first wide receivers but that all went away.
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