Will Recent Recruits Silence the Naysayers?

11 comments so far September 11, 2009 by Steve Hanway

In recent weeks and months there's been a lot of chatter that Nebraska was "behind" in recruiting due to the relatively small number of commitments to NU and the many commitments to programs like Texas. The clamor rose to almost outright panic by some factions of Husker fans with the decommitments of four-star wide receiver Keeston Terry and four-star cornerback Anterio Sloan, while the coaching staff remained at least outwardly unconcerned. With three commitments in the last week and five over the last five weeks, the numbers for Nebraska now look different. Will that silence the "sky is falling" crowd? Is there still any reason for concern (if there ever was)?

The concern comes in two "flavors". One is about the number of recruits, the other is about the number of stars next to their name on recruiting web sites like Scout.com and Rivals.com. When it comes to the number of recruits, three more commitments obviously helps. With talk that the Huskers may only have space for sixteen players, their eight commitments might mean they are about halfway done with the class. For some perspective, in the abbreviated 2008 recruiting season after Bo Pelini was hired in December, the Huskers added sixteen recruits while re-recruiting players like Josh Williams, Will Compton, and Collins Okafor all in under three months. Their late-season haul also included four-star tight end Ben Cotton, highly touted lineman Quentin Toailoa, cornerback Alfonzo Dennard, receiver Antonio Bell, safety P.J. Smith, linebacker Alonzo Whaley, running back Lester Ward, receiver Khiry Cooper, and quarterback Kody Spano just to name nine. Finding eight quality players in the next five months is hardly an impossible task.

Then there's the crowd that thinks all the good players are taken and that Nebraska will be forced to reach for players that no one else wants. That again disregards four-star players like Cotton, defensive end Jason Ankrah, running back Rex Burkhead, safety Dijon Washington, offensive tackle Jeremiah Sirles, and linebacker Chris Williams who all committed to Pelini's staff in October or later. And is it necessary to point out why thinking only four-star players can be standouts is a mistake? Eric Martin, Dejon Gomes and Brandon Kinnie have all cracked the depth chart in their first fall as three-star recruits. Guys like Sean Fisher, Ricky Henry, Cameron Meredith, Kyler Reed, and the aforementioned Bell, Cooper, and Smith all generate excitement among fans despite getting "only" a three-star rating.

Aside from the three early four-star recruits in the class so far (offensive tackles Andrew Rodriguez and Mike Moudy and quarterback Tyler Gabbert), you've got a big fast and versatile receiver or defensive back in Tyler Evans with in-state passion, a long and strong defensive end prospect with at least a dozen other Division I-A offers who's a good student to boot in Donovan Vestal, a safety with at least ten other Division I-A offers in Harvey Jackson, another defensive end with ten offers in Walker Ashburn, and a cornerback (taller than Anterio Sloan) with ten offers in Ciante Evans. Four of these five three-star guys hold offers from Oklahoma State. Considering how good the Cowboys have been lately, stealing their recruits doesn't seem too shabby.

Yes, there are always things you can worry about when it comes to your favorite football team (e.g. their next opponent). But worrying about the recruiting class in early September shouldn't be one of them.

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