Nebraska Snags Two Recruit Commitments

4 comments so far October 16, 2008 by Darren K. Carlson

After a bit of a lull in the recruiting cycle, Nebraska picked up two verbal commitments in the same day. Today, both tight end prospect JT Kerr and linebacker Chris Williams verbally pledged to play for Nebraska. They become the thirteenth and fourteenth members of the 2009 class for NU. Kerr, from California, had expressed strong public interest in NU for some time, making his commitment more expected. Williams - a highly regarded prospect from Texas - had visits scheduled to other high profile programs. His pulling the trigger at this point is more of a surprise.

The Prospects
Kerr is a 6'4'' 230 pound tight end. He visited Nebraska very early, and liked the Huskers from the beginning. Despite from West Coast and PAC-10 schools, the Huskers were the favorite. Kerr is a 3-star rated prospect according to both public recruiting services - Rivals and Scout. He plays for Scripps Ranch High in San Diego, California.

Williams is rated as a 4-star prospect by Rivals and a 3-star player by Scout. Considered one of the top inside linebackers in Texas, Williams is listed at 6' 1' and 230 pounds. He plays for Abilene High in Texas, which is in Texas' largest classification for football, 5A.

Why to Be Excited
These are some quality players, in my opinion. Both enhance the Husker class in their own way.

For those not impressed by Kerr's 3-star rating, consider that Mike McNeil was similarly rated, while 4-star prospect Josh Mueller did not pan out as expected. Speaking of McNeil...in the back of my mind I wonder if NU's promient use of the tight ends in the game against Texas Tech spurred Kerr to commit. Sometimes something like that is exactly what a player need to actually "picture themselves" at a certain program.

Anyway, it is very good to see the Huskers be able to pull kids out of talent-rich California. Kerr joins safety prospect Taylor Martinez as the second player from that state in this class.

Frankly, Williams could be a beast. He was the AP Defensive Player of the Year in Texas 5A last year. He collected 90 tackles and 13 sacks last season (13!). This is a player that could honestly have ended up at nearly any school in the conference or country, and he chose NU. He's exactly the kind of defensive stud that Pelini and his staff want as an anchor in this class.

Why to Remain Calm
Remember, verbal agreements are not binding. Neither of these players are Huskers until they sign in February. Too often, the players I've been most enamored with (Reggie Smith in 2005, Travis Lewis in 2007, etc) end up someplace else. Total disclosure, Williams is the player I hoped NU got most in this recruiting cycle. So, I'm trying hard to stay calm and keep from being disappointed again. It's a lesson hard learned when following recruiting.

But today is a day for optimism. The Huskers snagged two quality recruits and injected some momentum in to their 2009 class.

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