Previous WR performance has nothing to do with it. That was a previous coaching staff and different players. I don’t think anyone believes that correlation carries over now. If anything, this staff has to prove they can coach up players because their own WR coach, who was responsible for putting a few guys in the NFL, quit very early in his PSU tenure. Largely, though, it seems to come down to NIL funds. Otherwise, Taylor wouldn’t have even given Rhule and Nebraska the time of day because Nebraska has no history of WR development.
While money is a big part of it, especially at wr, qb and edge, recent success in sending players to the League can help mitigate smaller differences in compensation with programs like Neb that has no success in wr development. Taylor is roughly getting from Neb what we pay Koby Howard and Sowell, which is equivalent to what you pay solid starting but not (yet) elite WR talent in the portal.
All of these things are difficult calculations and bets when you run on a budget. Do you bet on a very expensive hs recruit like Taylor on a 2 year contract that you can develop him to be elite by year 2 at the risk he either busts or leaves if successful? Or do you spend that same money on a proven but perhaps not spectacular starting wr in the portal? Or do you forgo recruiting any highly rated WRs and if you had $1.5-$2m set aside for hs wr talent, do you use it to land a proven elite wr in the portal and get developmental guys in recruiting? Who knows what the right answer is, but I would still spend on at least 1 highly rated wr in recruiting.
We are quiet right now and it’s typically a very quiet time of the cycle, but we are starting to trade follows with new guys on social media such as Chris Harris Jr and Carlos Ferguson and others. It may mean nothing or it may mean they are flip candidates. Still, I wouldn’t anticipate anything happening very soon as Campbell’s crew is non-reactive by nature.
