Big Needs Addressed With Class of 2007
7 comments so far
February 8, 2007 by
Now that all precincts have reported on the class of 2007, we can finally talk about what Nebraska has "in house". Sure, there are bound to be dropouts between now and the start of fall practices due to academics, injuries, and guys who just up and quit. But we now know a lot more about the Huskers future than we did just two days ago.
The Huskers addressed some big needs with this class:
Quarterback
With Zac Taylor graduating, Sam Keller having only a single year of eligibility and Joe Ganz only two years, the Huskers needed to shore up the position for the long term. The Huskers addressed that in a big way by bringing in a standout junior college quarterback that has four years to play three in Zac Lee and prep quarterback Patrick Witt. Both players are already on campus, giving them some opportunity to compete for a starting position in the Fall (though Zac Lee is recovering from a knee injury and will likely miss spring football).
Defensive Tackle
The Huskers needed immediate help at both defensive tackle spots with Ola Dagunduro and Barry Cryer graduating. At some point, they also needed to start finding high school talent so that they weren't constantly playing catch-up at the position. The Huskers addressed all of the above by adding three junior college transfers and two high school players. JC transfer Shukree Barfield was an early arrival which might make him the top candidate for early playing time. But Joseph Townsend and Kevin Dixon, the other two junior college players, are standout prospects. Terrance Moore and Demetrious Davis are solid high school prospects that can be developed for the long term.
Cornerback
While this is the position that Husker fans screamed about in 2006, there was actually a fairly good class of returners for 2007. But with the top three corners in Zack Bowman, Andre Jones, and Cortney Grixby all set to graduate after the 2007 season, Nebraska needed to build for 2008 and beyond. Mission accomplished with the arrival of highly touted junior college transfer (and early arrival) Armando Murillo. Shawn Sullivan and Anthony Blue give the Huskers more guys to develop long term, along with the class of 2006.
Wide Receiver
The Huskers are set to lose three major contributors at receiver after the 2007 season in Maurice Purify, Terrence Nunn, and Frantz Hardy. In order to have new players ready for 2008, now was the time to strike and the Huskers added three good prospects in Niles Paul, Curenski Gilleylen, and Eric Hagg (though Hagg might be tried first as a defensive back).
Safety
The Huskers were already thin at safety, but then lost Andrew Shanle to graduation and are set to lose Tierre Green after the 2007 season. Early help arrived in junior college standout Larry Asante. LaTravis Washington arrives from high school with great size and athleticism. He'll likely be needed in 2008 at safety, if not before.
Linebacker
The Huskers will be gutted by graduation after the 2007 season. They'll lose Bo Ruud, Steve Octavien, Corey McKeon, and Lance Brandenburgh. That would have left only the injured Phillip Dillard, the converted tight end Clayton Sievers, and the previously injured Nick Covey as scholarship players returning at the position. The Huskers landed two big-time linebacking recruits in Blake Lawrence and Austin Stafford, but truthfully the decommitments by Travis Lewis, Jared Glover, and Patrick Grant leave the Huskers mighty thin at linebacker for 2008 and beyond. The no-show by past recruit Steve Allen and the departure of Jeff Souder were also factors that have left Nebraska so thin. The recruiting class of 2008 will likely need to include junior college linebackers and especially those that can begin practicing in the spring of 2008.
Kicker
With Jordan Congdon's departure, Adi Kunalic will be the only scholarship kicker for Nebraska. He might be the single recruit arriving in the fall who is most likely to play in 2007.
Defensive End
With a fairly sizeable class in 2006, the Huskers were not desperate for defensive ends, but since the defensive line is an area where quality depth is essential, the Huskers did well to land two prospects at defensive end. Jared Crick is an in-state player that can be developed over time while William Yancy is a standout prospect that adds star power behind Barry Turner and Zach Potter.
Tight End
For all the scholarships that have gone to tight ends over the years, the depth chart is surprisingly unremarkable at tight end. Josh Mueller will return with one last year to live up to his recruiting hype. J.B. Phillips is likely to be moved to shore up the fullback position after Dane Todd's graduation. That left 2006 recruit Mike McNeil as the only other scholarship tight end on the roster. Enter Colorado's Ryan Hill, to help cushion the departure of Mueller and Phillips after the 2007 season.
Offensive Line
The Huskers landed (and have thus far retained) a nice class of offensive lineman in 2006, but the offensive line is one area that takes a lot of time to build and maintain. With five scholarship offensive lineman set to depart after the 2007 season, the line was not an area that could be neglected in this class. So Nebraska found two offensive lineman for the class of 2007 and a greyshirt for 2008. In addition, they already have two commitments to the class of 2008. The current class includes Jaivorio Burkes, the top offensive line recruit for the Huskers in at least three years, and Marcel Jones, who brings impressive size and athleticism as well. Schulte (the greyshirt) is on par with Mike Huff as a a prospect.
Running Back
The deepest position for Nebraska in 2006, is still top-heavy as all of the returners will be upperclassmen. With Kenny Wilson set to graduate and early departures possible for Marlon Lucky and Cody Glenn, the Huskers needed to prepare for 2008 and 2009. There have also been injuries to Wilson and Glenn that could persist. So the Huskers did well to land commitments from standouts Quentin Castille (a big back) and Marcus Mendoza (a small back) along with Roy Helu (a possible safety) and Prince Amukamara (also a possible defensive back). They say you can never have too many running backs and with so many standout prospects, the Huskers are sure to have good options at the position and may be able to share the wealth at other spots.
Aside from linebacker, it's hard to find deficiencies in this class. Sure, linebacker Travis Lewis and cornerback David Ross would have made it even better, but truthfully you have to be happy with how well the staff addressed the team's needs now and into the future. True depth is starting to be built at nearly every spot and that will be essential with the killer schedules that Nebraska plays in the coming years.
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darren Feb 08 07
Thanks for the summary, Steve. If you had to pick one or two players that stand out to you, who would they be?
For me, it is Asante if you are looking for immediate impact. We need help now at safety. And this kid is a big talent who will get to have spring ball.
For long-term potential, it's hard not to like Niles Paul. His family history (Ahman), his talent, production in HS, grades, etc. Everything says "winner" to me.
Steve Feb 08 07
D,
Asante is definitely a guy I'm high on (and Travis Washington as well). Jaivorio Burkes excites me because it's been too long since the Huskers have had an All-American offensive lineman, and he has that kind of potential. If you think of Nebraska's best teams the common element was those stud lineman.
I also see Zac Lee as a huge get. Witt could be another Zac Taylor, but Lee's mobility (assuming he overcomes the injury) gives the West Coast offense a deadly dimension, particularly at the college level. Steve Young and Rich Gannon abused teams with their combination of mobility and passing and the hope is he's that kind of guy.
Castille can be a matchup nightmare for our opponents and I'd love to see the Huskers get a huge boost in the return game from Mendoza and Amukamara.
I could go on. With so many 4* athletes, it's hard not to love this class.
Tyler Feb 08 07
Really nice wrap-up guys to summarize this class. I understand the criticisms (not enough HS players, losing Lewis, Harris, and Ross) yet I'm high on this class. It will be interesting to see who sticks going forward.
I don't think Ganz will win over Keller, but perhaps he could provide just enough motivation to push him. If I'm Keller though, the NFL is motivation enough. Zac Lee won't play this year (my prediction) and will benefit from a redshirt. Then we'll have him for three years.
Isn't it amazing how bold we are to declare the futures of these young men, having not yet seen them on the field and only watched grainy recruiting videos posted on the web? ;)
Still, you gotta love the banter.
Jason Feb 08 07
Tyler, where have you heard criticism about lack of HS players in this year's class?
As Darren pointed out, Callahan has been taking fewer JC players each year and the 2007 class has fewer JC players than Solich's last class.
I'd be interested to hear what others are saying that would counter that.
Tyler Feb 08 07
Well, I only read about 20 articles yesterday, so I don't remember the source, but it was a national beat writer. They agreed that Callahan is moving in the right direction, but said that he'll never add depth until he weans himself off the JC fix-it-now approach.
Nick Feb 08 07
Thanks guys. Love how you do the research.
The one player I think looks to be an "overnight" standout is Zach Potter. As a fan I don't think I've heard anything about him since he was a part of that special teams crew blocking all those field goals back in 2005 (remember the Pitt game?!?!). He never got any playing time behind Carriker and Moore, and what little time there was to give went to Turner. I've seen this guy in person before, and he is an absolute beast (plus he's a Prep boy, like myself).
I'm very excited to see how these new ends are gonna take up the reigns.
doombob Feb 12 07
Every year, I try to see one or two of our potential recruits in action. This year I saw Demetrious Davis play in St. Joseph, MO. I've seen very few men his size move like that. I think he should have had a higher rating, but often times a players rating is dependent on who is recruiting them, not how good they are. As an aside, the Kansas City metro area had 24 high school football players this year that went to Div 1 schools (the most in KC history). Next year, you guys will hear about Andrew Jones, the standout tight end from Smithville. He's already had an offer from Oklahoma, and visits from Mizzou and Nebraska.