Been in the sand tooo long

wrenchinhusker · January 14, 2008

Well I guess I have been gone a lot longer than I thought. I know bill got fired and is BO the new head coach? I left right before the Colarado game and missed all the dirt. What does the game plan for next year look like. I have been In Iraq for quite some time now and havent been able to read up on anything. any intell would be greatly appreciated.

T_O_Bull · January 14, 2008

Well I guess I have been gone a lot longer than I thought. I know bill got fired and is BO the new head coach? I left right before the Colarado game and missed all the dirt. What does the game plan for next year look like. I have been In Iraq for quite some time now and havent been able to read up on anything. any intell would be greatly appreciated.

:bonez :steam :steam :bonez

Will get some stuff together and on to you as soon as possible.

Keep your head down Bro. I'll be back soon.

>>>T_O_B

:bonez :cheers :cheers :bonez

T_O_Bull · January 14, 2008

I'll try to get you something daily:

In: Been in the sand tooo long

By: wrenchinhusker

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Plan-it Husker Subforums

NU Football: Coaches' comfort zone not hard to find

BY RICH KAIPUST

WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

• NU football schedule

• 2008 NU football commitments

• On the Web: Big 12 Football

• On the Web: NU Football

• 2008 NU football commitments

• On the Web: Big 12 Football

• On the Web: NU Football

LINCOLN - Nebraska assistant coach Barney Cotton's football office at the Osborne Complex is right next to John Papuchis, who is next door to Tim Beck, who is next door to Carl Pelini. And on down the line.

The significance?

Offensive coach, defensive coach, offensive coach, defensive coach. Back and forth down the second-floor hallway.

"It sure makes sense if you're trying to promote team unity that you don't promote separation," said Cotton, NU's offensive line coach.

Under coach Bill Callahan, offensive assistants occupied the east hallway and defensive assistants the west side. The offices for Callahan and former Associate Athletic Director Tim Cassidy flanked the secretarial desk in the middle.

Not commenting specifically on how Callahan arranged the order, Cotton just said Bo Pelini, returning offensive coordinator Shawn Watson and the staff wanted it changed when they started moving in last month.

Like it was in 2003 when Cotton and Pelini were the offensive and defensive coordinators for Frank Solich. Both were in and out of each other's meetings when Husker football was lodged in the South Stadium offices.

"It was never offense and defense when we worked together before," Cotton said. "It was Nebraska football. It was always the team. And we're well off to a good start doing that right now.

"When our players come up to the floor, which we hope they'll do often, there's going to be offensive coaches and players and defensive coaches and players mixed up on either end."

After Beck arrived from Kansas this week, the completed staff was all together for the first time Thursday. That meeting went six hours - through lunch - before some realized the time that had passed.

"It was a real comfortable room," Cotton said. "Everybody was willing to speak up and talk and also everybody was willing to listen to everybody. I think that bodes well for the future, that we can have some camaraderie within the group."

They already had a running start, of course.

Aside from Bo Pelini and Cotton, also returning from that 2003 staff are Marvin Sanders, Ron Brown and Carl Pelini. Former NU assistant Jeff Jamrog has assumed the position previously held by Cassidy.

Papuchis and Mike Ekeler followed Bo Pelini from Louisiana State to Nebraska. It didn't take long for Papuchis to realize last month that something already was established within the group.

"They kind of just picked up where they left off, as far as the chemistry of the staff," Papuchis said. "And you can tell that they genuinely all enjoy working together. It's nice to work in an environment like that. It makes it better for everybody."

• NOTES: Bo Pelini's first television show will run Sunday night at 11:35 p.m. on WOWT in Omaha (Channel 6) and 10:35 p.m. on KOLN in Lincoln (Channel 10-11). . . . The Husker staff was busy hosting about a dozen recruits over the weekend. . . . NU returning players report back when the second semester starts Monday.

Published Saturday | January 5, 2008

2008 NU football commitments

Name

School/Town

Psn.

Hgt.

Wgt.

In-state

Sean Fisher

Millard North

LB

6-5

210

Ricky Henry

Omaha Burke

OL

6-4

300

Micah Kreikemeier

West Point Central Catholic

LB

6-4

215

John Leverson

Crete

DB-WR

6-3

186

Collins Okafor

Omaha Westside

RB

6-1

205

Baker Steinkuhler

Lincoln Southwest

OL

6-6

275

Out-of-state

Will Compton

Bonne Terre, Mo.

LB

6-2

214

Ben Cotton

Ames, Iowa

TE

6-6

225

David Grant

Killeen, Texas OL

6-6

280

Tyson Hetzer

Redding, Calif. TE

6-7

255

Keelan Johnson

Mesa, Ariz. DB

6-0

195

Cameron Meredith

Santa Ana, Calif. DE

6-4

220

Kyler Reed

Overland Park, Kan. LB

6-3

204

Kody Spano

Stephenville (Texas) QB

6-2

200

Brandon Thompson

Woodlands (Texas) OL

6-6

280

Quentin Toailoa

Highland, Calif. DT

6-6

285

David Whitmore

Port Arthur, Texas DB

6-2

190

T_O_Bull · January 15, 2008

Hope this finds you well and safe.

>>>T_O_B

Published Friday | January 11, 2008

Recruiting: Okafor still not certain

BY MITCH SHERMAN

WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

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Omaha Westside's Collins Okafor rushed for 1,525 yards last fall, the second-highest total in Class A, to earn first-team All-Nebraska honors for the second straight year.Of the first six football players to accept NU scholarship offers for the recruiting class of 2008, four plan to sign elsewhere next month. Among the first 12 to commit — all before July — seven defected to the likes of Notre Dame, Colorado and Missouri.

One who remains: running back Collins Okafor.

But with less than four weeks until the Feb. 6 signing date, Nebraska must still work to hang on to the Omaha Westside senior. Okafor is among a contingent of prospects on campus today through Sunday for official visits — the first big recruiting weekend of the Bo Pelini coaching era.

"Nebraska is the school he's grown to love," said Yano Jones, who has trained and mentored Okafor throughout the recruiting process. "He's always been a Cornhusker through and through. But ultimately, whatever he decides to do, that's got to be his decision."

Jones, a former University of Nebraska at Omaha and Wayne State player, and Westside coach Marty Kauffman said they watched Okafor begin to struggle with his decision more than a year after the 6-foot-1, 210-pound running back committed to the Huskers in October 2006.

"I think it got kind of overwhelming there for a while," Kauffman said.

Okafor has avoided interviews recently in an attempt to focus on academics and remove external influences from his college decision.

The turmoil of a 5-7 season followed by coaching changes at Nebraska last fall shook Okafor's confidence in NU. He made official visits to Iowa and Stanford.

This weekend is big for the Huskers.

"I think it's going to be crucial," said Jones, who operates the Red Zone Academy, an organization designed to assist Omaha-area football players with leadership and training regimens. "Hopefully the coaches will do the things necessary to keep him on board. He likes the coaching staff. He loves Bo Pelini."

Okafor's mother, Pat, will accompany the running back in Lincoln. So will his older brother, Kingsley, an undergraduate at Nebraska who is preparing to attend medical school.

The visit will also allow Okafor to get to know new running backs coach Tim Beck, whose hiring was announced this week after he coached Kansas Jan. 3 in the Orange Bowl.

Okafor's inclusion in this NU class is viewed as key.

Of the Huskers' 17 known pledges, he is the only running back after the October decommitment of Jonas Gray, who is now committed to Notre Dame. Okafor rushed for 1,525 yards last fall, the second-highest total in Class A, to earn first-team All-Nebraska honors for the second straight year.

Rivals.com ranks him as the No. 48 player at his position nationally.

Other expected visitors at Nebraska this weekend include pledges Will Compton, Sean Fisher and David Grant, plus about six undecided prospects.

Okafor committed shortly after NU offered a scholarship early in his junior season.

Too soon, according to Jones.

As a result of his early commitment, pressure mounted quickly for Okafor to fulfill lofty expectations.

"We didn't want to necessarily shelter him, but we wanted to make sure he made a good decision," Jones said. "He was pressured as a junior to commit (early). He didn't get a chance to breathe and enjoy the recruiting process.

"When you're in Nebraska, everybody wants you to be a part of the Cornhusker tradition. He didn't want that to sway him."

The situation grew especially difficult after Bill Callahan was fired as coach on Nov. 24. An early December visit at Westside from Pelini and Athletic Director Tom Osborne helped make Okafor feel better about the Huskers.

"They had a great talk," Kauffman said. "I think it made a difference."

As for what happens beyond this weekend, Jones said, everyone involved will leave the final choice to Okafor.

"He's the one who has to go to school," Jones said. "We respect that. He's already got everybody in his ear. I'll just tell him to take everything with a grain of salt and do what's in your heart."

Published Monday | January 14, 2008

NU Football: Recruits mull final decision

BY MITCH SHERMAN

WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

LINCOLN — Nebraska's first big recruiting weekend under coach Bo Pelini ended without any news of major momentum gained or lost as the stretch run to signing day starts.

Wait a day and that may change.

Running back Collins Okafor of Omaha Westside, one of about a dozen campus visitors Friday through Sunday, plans to announce his final decision today, according to mentor and trainer Yano Jones.

Okafor, twice a first-team All-Nebraska pick, committed to the Huskers in October 2006 but wavered this fall as NU endured a coaching transition.

He has since visited Stanford and Iowa and apparently enjoyed his weekend in Lincoln.

"It all ended up going very well," Jones said.

Okafor never officially left the Huskers' list of oral commitments, but Josh Williams did.

Williams, a defensive end from Denton, Texas, accepted a Nebraska offer in July. He then switched his commitment to Colorado shortly after Pelini was hired at NU last month.

In an unexpected move, Williams paid his own way to Lincoln over the weekend, according to other visiting recruits, certainly an indication he is again considering Nebraska.

He was one of several Texans in town. Among the others were offensive lineman David Grant of Killeen, Texas, defensive back David Whitmore of Port Arthur — both committed to NU — running back Lester Ward of Brenham, and Klein teammates Brian Moore, a linebacker, and defensive end John Youboty.

Millard North's Sean Fisher, committed to Nebraska since June, also visited.

Fisher said the entire group of recruits appeared to enjoy their weekend, which included individual meetings with position coaches, Pelini and Athletic Director Tom Osborne.

For Fisher, that meant time alone with new linebackers coach Mike Ekeler.

They talked a little defensive strategy, Fisher said. Ekeler informed the 6-foot-5, 210-pound prospect the Huskers planned to use him at strongside linebacker — the Buck position in new Nebraska terminology.

"The coaches are all just so direct and energetic about what's going on, what they're going to do," Fisher said. "I'm really excited to be part of it."

Fisher said he spent a good amount of time with linebacker Will Compton of Bonne Terre, Mo., another highly regarded prospect, who has been reconsidering his NU commitment.

The trip seemed to impress Compton.

"He had his Nebraska gear on all weekend," Fisher.

Sunday marked the resumption of a contact period, which runs until Feb. 2 and allows seven Nebraska coaches at a time to recruit away from campus. Signing day is Feb. 6.

T_O_Bull · January 15, 2008