Castille No Longer Fully Committed to Nebraska
7 comments so far
December 6, 2006 by
Rivals #2 ranked fullback Quentin Castille who gave an oral commitment to Nebraska back in early September is now listed as a “soft verbal” by Rivals and only as “high” on Nebraska after a recent visit to Louisville.
There’s some debate about how the Huskers intend to use Castille, whether it is as a fullback or as an I-back. It’s possible the depth at the I-back position has scared Castille a bit or that the Huskers want to keep him at fullback where at Louisville he might be told he’d be a true tailback. In any case, the loss of Castille would be a tough one for Nebraska.
As a fan, I had visions of Castille contributing to the west coast offense in much the same way former Florida State fullback William Floyd did, with power running, crushing blocks, and soft hands for receiving. Floyd won a national championship while at FSU and then a Super Bowl with the pioneers of the west coast offense – the San Francisco 49ers.
There is still time to lure Castille to Lincoln. Callahan is said to be planning an in-home visit to win back the prized recruit. But history tells us that when a player softens his commitment, it usually means he will be headed elsewhere. Hopefully, Castille will be an exception.
Some fans may think that the Huskers wouldn’t miss Castille but I’d be among the first to disagree. While NU is set to return four quality backs from this year’s team for 2006, two will exhaust their eligibility in 2007 (Brandon Jackson and Kenny Wilson). After 2008, the remainder of the scholarship backs (Marlon Lucky and Cody Glenn) are also set to depart, meaning the Huskers will need at least three backs ready to play in 2008.
I say three because most teams use at least two backs in every game and a third back is needed to cover for the inevitable injuries that crop up at a position that takes the most punishment of any in football. If Nebraska waits until next season to recruit the backs they need, they may be forced to start a true freshman which is usually costly when it comes to blitz pick-ups.
So the time is now to get a guy like Castille and he seemed like the perfect compliment to smaller recruits like Marcus Mendoza and Roy Helu (Helu could also end up playing safety or linebacker at Nebraska). Hopefully, the Huskers can help Castille see what a bright future he’d have in Lincoln, and why the west coast offense is a perfect way to prepare to the enter the NFL.
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darren Dec 06 06
This is all about looking over the fence at Louisville, and seeing the opportunity to be a "feature back", rather than part of a committee.
'Ville had success with Bush at running back, and he was a very big guy. In his absence, they have a sizable hole to fill (pun intended). Castille fits their mold.
It's hard not to blame this kid for wanting to be the lead dog at the 6th ranked program in the country (right now). But, I'm with Steve in that I think a close look at NU's program will help him see a clearer route to pro ball. Just ask Cory Ross. He credits NU coaching for getting him in to the NFL, despite his stature.
Scott Dec 06 06
While I agree with you that Castille will be missed, I will say that this is something we'll get over.
I think it's too bad that a lot of these young players only care about their stats. I like Darren's comment about Ross. He didn't have great stats in his final year but he had former NFL coaches telling him what it would take to get to that next level.
There will be others...we'll find them.
Randy Dec 08 06
You two are acting like he has already decommitted, when in fact that is not the case.
jeremy Dec 08 06
fellas,
Q has reconfirmed his commitment to N. Coach C went and set things straight. He'll be a fun one to watch in the years to come.
GBR
Scott Dec 08 06
Not yet....but the signs are starting to point in that direction.
SGT Hammer Dec 08 06
Castille has solidified his commitment to Nebraska. He will be a Husker.
Scott Dec 11 06
I don't ever really count on these commitments until they sign it on the dotted line and show up for practice. In no way am I trying to be negative, just realistic.
You never know when the angel of Gary Pinkel will appear to these kids in their dreams and "lead" them to Columbia.