It was Inevitable
3 comments so far
February 7, 2007 by
Yesterday's breaking news that 4-star linebacker recruit Travis Lewis was going back on his verbal commitment to NU and instead sign with OU hit many Husker fans - myself included - squarely in the heart. To lose a player of Lewis's caliber to a conference rival stings. In all honesty, Lewis was the player I coveted most in this class. And, losing him to OU felt like Reggie Smith in 2005 all over again. But, then the rational part of my brain kicked in. It always does. And, now I really feel like Husker fans and recruiting fans in general need to stop being surprised and disappointed by such changes in heart. In fact, such things are really pretty inevitable.
This Happens Every Year
How many times must a kid change his mind before fans start to see it as a predictable thing? Almost without exception, every class has kids who change their mind at the last minute or who come down to a signing-day decision and pick another school. It doesn't make it any easier to be spurred by the Ashlee Palmer's and Buster Davis' of the world. Everyone wants to be wanted. But, at least you have your guard up.
Beyond personal preference, there are academics. Again, in every class there are players who won't qualify. Some, we know about now. Others, we won't know for sure about until later. But, it almost always happens.
So, what can a team do? Expect some of this junk and get redundant. The loss of Lewis is made easier to swallow by the presence of other very talented linebackers in this class. You just keep moving forward.
Verbal is Only That
This serves as a reminder that thing aren't real until they are in writing. Verbal agreements are non-binding. And it shows how keeping your verbally committed kids is often tougher than getting them in the first place.
Please don't bash the kids. These are very young, very talented people who are face with a major decision and a lot of media scrutiny. It's not an easy thing. It's easy for middle aged fans on posting boards to speak anonymously about honesty and integrity. It's tougher for 18 year olds trying to please a lot of people and make a sound choice.
This is just how it goes. If you are waiting for coaches to stop calling kids who have verbally committed to other schools, don't. Short of an NCAA mandate, nothing will stop the calls. And, don't kid yourself; NU has had plenty of kids sign with them who originally committed to other schools. The door swings both ways.
Let’s be happy with the class we have and not the players we don’t.
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James Moore Feb 07 07
Ouch. This one does hurt. I was really looking forward to seeing Mr. Lewis with us. I was having visions of Demorrio Williams here. Between him and DT Perry going to Miami I would have to rank as two we really could've used. But I am happy with what we do have on the books. Great article on Niles Paul at HuskerExtra.com, on character alone he will be guaranteed to be a major contributor for us. . .
Grant Feb 07 07
Darren,
I think your post hits the nail on the head. Change of heart happens every year to every school. It's always been a part of the recruiting process. It's only just recently received the internet/media attention, which magnifies that which is only natural when talking with teenagers. If I had my way, names of prospects wouldn't be public, and websites like rivals.com would be illegal. It puts these kids on pedastals like professionals and hypes up the unknown. As if these teenagers don't have enough to think about, they've got interviews with websites, and line up at camps to get 4 star ratings. With that, most are under the illusion they'll start as freshmen, make all-american by sophomores, and go pro after their junior year (being a top 10 pick). Then, when it doesn't happen as they had invisioned, they transfer and start all over again. It's unhealthy for everyone involved.
As far as losing a recruit...yeah that sux. But guess what? There will be another Travis Lewis type talent next year, and the year after, and so on.
Shawn Feb 07 07
In the long run, the loss of Lewis isn't as big of a deal as it seems on the surface. Sure he's a solid player, but:
1. Nebraska was recruiting him solely as a linebacker, a position he doesn't really want to play.
2. With an opening at the RB spot in Oklahoma, he gets the chance to compete for the position he wants to play.
Forcing a player into a position they really don't want to play is like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.