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NEBRASKA RECRUITING SUMMARY FOR 2001
Recruiting for 2001 took a different path than a "typical" recruiting year. Only 8 verbals were gathered prior to the fall season, which is a little below our average. And then the Huskers would go over 4 months before getting that 9th verbal. This put the recruiting effort a little bit behind schedule, but was made up by a pretty good December and January. The coaches got more big name recruits to make December visits than in recent memory, and though the success percentage was not high, the Huskers rapidly filled out the roster with 4 in December, 3 in January (including one that changed his verbal over to Nebraska), and then 2 more on signing day (Feb. 7), including a big catch from the deep south. Decommits are always dissapointing, and unfortunately Nebraska experienced a couple more this year.
The overall theme of this year was speed; recruiting athletes with lots of speed. A secondary theme was recruiting versatile athletes that can play multiple positions. Looking at the roster, you can pick at least 7 athletes that can play 2 or even 3 different positions, giving the coaching staff lots of versatility these next few years. The following grades are made not only on the talent but how well we filled needed areas.
Here is a breakdown on grading of this recruiting season:
Quarterbacks---Mike Stuntz, Mike McLaughlin (B)
The coaches were able to land both Stuntz and McLaughlin early in the season, thus assuring that the Huskers would at least have some quality and not get shutout as in the previous season. Both players could eventually produce, with McLaughlin already having plenty of experience at running portions of the Husker offense while in high school. Stuntz is a lefty who also shows promise, though both will really need to work on passing. McLaughlin will also have to work on putting on some permanent weight to handle the pounding he would receive. The dissapointment here is that we pursued several "franchise" type players but were not able to land any. Additonally, the coaches looked to the junior colleges to add a quarterback, again with no success. Both these players can play other positions if the coaches want to move them; Stuntz most likely to safety, while Mac could move to receiver. Though the numbers are passable (2), the quality still remains to be seen. I look for both of these guys to redshirt in 2001, and then vie for backup to Jamaal Lord in 2002.
Runningbacks---Cory Ross, Marques Simmons (A-)
Nebraska took two runningbacks and went for smaller, but quick and elusive style runners. Ross was highly rated at cornerback, but will start out at runningback. Though Ross has decent speed, his elusiveness is what will get him to the next level. He was an excellent punt returner in high school because of this elusiveness. Simmons is a speed merchant, with decent moves. His speed and vision will definetly bring him to the next level. I would have liked the Huskers to get one bigger back that can be tough between the tackles, but that is only a slight down tick for this group. I believe Simmons will redshirt in 2001, and then compete for back up time in 2002. Ross may very well forgo a redshirt this year and play. He likely could be the 4th team runningback to add depth with Josh Davis moving over to defense. He has a good shot at getting in the return game mix, where he would likely be more valuable in 2001.
Receivers/Tight Ends/Wingbacks---Cliff Brye (C)
Once again the Huskers had some difficulty at this position. After only getting one receiver in 2000, we were only able to land one again this year, and Brye is a junior college transfer with 2 years to play 2. Brye played mostly cornerback at JC, and will take sometime to learn the wide receiver spot. I believe the coaches are really counting on Cliff to step in for punt and/or kick return duties this season, and hopefully can be a major contributor at receiver in 2002. The Huskers were in the running for several top receivers but were not able to close on them. Tight end was a low priority and hence was not really a factor. Brye could step into the middle of the receiving corp by mid season, but as mentioned before, look for Cliff to be given a good shot at the return game. The coaches do have some flexibility here, with McLaughlin, Randy Landingham, Josh Bullock, and Dan Bullock all potential switches to this postion if so desired.
Offensive Lineman---Gary Pike, Richie Incognito (B)
The Huskers, though lacking the numbers by falling one or two short at this spot, definitely obtained quality. Incognito will come to campus this fall ready to play physically, as he is very strong and should have the appropriate size. Pike will need to add some size, but was one of the top 2 or 3 lineman out of Colorado this year. Both these players are expected to redshirt in 2001, and I really think Incognito could see some limited playing time in 2002 depending on injuries with the other lineman.
Defensive Lineman---LeKevin Smith, Titus Adams, Jared Helming, Seppo Evwaraye (A)
The coaches pulled the rabbit out of the hat with Smith. He is from the deep south and was heavily recruited by southern teams, and yet the Huskers were able to coax him away on signing day. Adams will make a good complement to Smith at tackle, though will likely need a little longer to develop. He is also still in the process of qualifying. Helming was one of the top defensive ends from the midlands, and will start at rush end but could move to tackle depending on how much weight he gains. Seppo, is somewhat of a project with only limited playing time both abroad and in the U.S. But he has pretty good agility and footwork for someone lacking experience. Look for him to take a bit longer to develop, but see action in 2003. The only slight deduction here was for not getting a pure speed rusher at rush end. Also the coaches looked very seriously at the junior college ranks for some immediate help in 2001, but did not succeed. I look for all 4 of these players to redshirt, though Smith could probably provide some depth as a freshman if injuries dictated so.
Linebackers---Barrett Ruud (B)
I am somewhat dissappointed that the Huskers could not obtain a quality speed outside linebacker, but the coaches did get Ruud who has good potential. The Huskers were in on a couple of top rated outside linebackers but were not able to corral them. Ruud, whose father also played for the Huskers, was also a successful runningback in high school but will be at the middle linebacker slot in college. I look for him to redshirt in 2001, and likely will get thrown right into the mix in 2002 as depth is thin here at the varsity level.
Defensive Backs---Danieal Manning, Randy Landingham, Antwon Guidry, Dan Bullock, Josh Bullock, Phillip Bland, Rodney Burgess (A)
The Huskers got huge numbers here, and most of these athletes are speed burners that can play multiple positions. The coaches performed a secondary coup here, getting the Bullock twins out of the south. Both were recruited moderately by southern teams, and hopefully the coaches are making some inroads into southern recruiting. Manning is considered one of the 2 or 3 top cover corners in Texas, and should be a future star. He is a pure cover corner who displayed excellent cover skills in some of the Texas 7 on 7 events, covering some of the top Texas receivers. Landingham was one-half of another set ot twins, and can probably play either safety or cornerback. He has good agility and is an all around athlete and should be able to provide good coverage "out on the island". Guidry is perhaps the fastest of the 2001 recruits, and is dangerous however a football gets into his hands. He is probably a natural center fielder at safety, and will get serious looks in the return game. Unfortunately Guidry did not qualify and will attend junior college in hopes of returning to the Huskers in one or two years. Both Bullocks are great all around athletes and able to play offense or defense. Both likely will start out at safety though. Bland, although not as fast as the others in this group, is known for his physical play and hitting ability. He will be needed at strong safety in the next few years, as there are no proven players there at the varsity level. I once again look for all these players to redshirt. Manning could be an exception. If he impresses the coaches in fall, he may be put in for depth at cornerback, and groomed as a possible starter in 2002--as the Huskers graduate both starting cornerbacks after this fall. Finally, Nebraska picked up a late committment with Rodny Burgess out of junior college. He appears to have great athletic ability, and could step right in and add depth, especially in nickel and dime defensive situations.
Kicker/Punter---None (NA)
No kickers were really needed this season, so no grade.
In summary, I give this class an overall B+. This class may be the most athletic in many years and has versatility. I took ticks off at quarterback, with us seeming to fail to get a gamebreaker. I took another tick off for not getting better numbers at offensive line. And took another tick off for combined low numbers at wide receiver and outside linebacker. It remains to be seen whether some postion moves will fill in some of these low numbers, and the overall grade could certainly jump into the "A's", but this remains to be seen.
Epilogue--some positives and negatives; the coaches did well in the south, landing a highly recruited player and two other moderately recruited athletes. They also obtained two good quarterback prospects, allowing them to be picky with one more quarterback, though ultimately failing at this task. Things I didn't like included a pattern of getting in late on several big name prospects that the coaches should have been aware of early. This occurred at both quarterback and runningback, two highly visible positions, that should be easier to evaluate than some other positons. We also lost out on pretty good players on the offensive line that we could have gotten had we not pinned all of our hopes on a few big name players. Take those players that will accept the offer, and then take the "franchise" player later too if they decide to come aboard.