Huskers Land a QB
For those Henny Penny Husker fans with their pants in a wad because NU had not yet gotten a commitment from a quarterback for the upcoming class - you can relax. NU got a verbal from Patrick Witt, a HS quarterback from Texas. While Witt's commitment to NU certainly comes as a relief, it presents some questions too. Like where did this kid come from? And, where does NU go from here?
The Skinny on Witt
There is a lot to like about Patrick Witt. He's a big and athletic kid at 6'4'' and 215 pounds. He shows some surprising athleticism for a player with his size. Those who have watched film of him say he has a strong arm and nice touch. He wasn't on a lot of fans radar because he didn't attend NU's QB camp. And, he's only been on an unofficial visit so far. You can expect an official visit this fall.
Who Else Was In The Running?
Those of you who read any of my recruiting updates know I scrutinize the competiion very closely. No, NU was not fighting with the likes of Michigan, Notre Dame or the Florida schools for Mr. Witt's services. But, there is a silver lining in who NU beat for him. Three of the schools listed have coaches known for producing some good quarterbacks. Joe Tiller developed Drew Brees at Purdue. Mike Leach has a throw-every-down offense at Texas Tech. And Mike Price is building an NFL quarterback in Jordan Palmer at UTEP. NU also beat out Wisconsin from the Big Ten, and Baylor in the Big 12. That's curious to me, since Baylor is also installing a spread passing attack. For those who shutter at the notion of NU's passing game being "dink and dunk", sorry. Competing with these schools out sort of shows that it is. That's okay, folks. The offense does require controlled passing. And....we beat out two schools from their own conference. And they signed another kid from Texas, sort of.
His Game (And Rating) Will Improve As He Changes Offenses
Patrick Witt isn't from Texas. He's from Georgia and just transferred to a HS in Texas for his senior season. While in Georgia, he was in a run-first offense (Witt had 1200 yards passing and 250 rushing, with more rushing TD's than throwing). And, the transfer may be another reason for his lack of notoriety. In his new school, he'll be running a spread offensive attack that will require him to make many more throws. (Again, consider the teams coming after him...).
You can fully expect Witt’s passing numbers to be exceptionally higher than they we're in Georgia. You can also expect his profile and ratings from the recruiting services to improve too. I honestly believe this is a case of NU's coaches being way ahead of the public curve on a player. And there isn't anything that one of those services or fans could possibly know that those coaches haven't already scouted.
Future Implications
Mr. Witt went on a local Omaha radio show this afternoon, and talked about his choice of Nebraska. The interview offered a couple of nice tidbits. Witt said he would "like to be" the only HS quarterback that NU takes this year. It will be curious to see if NU gets another HS player or if they go the junior college route again. My instincts think they might even try for 2 more quarterbacks this cylce, one a JC guy and the other more of a HS project or prospect who could be a preferred walk-on candidate.
Here is one final note to tuck away. Witt was very clear about his willingness to try and get other players to commit to NU, too. And, it just so happens he played in Georgia with Caleb King, a player some consider one of the very best running back prospects in the country. Just keep that in mind.
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