LINCOLN - Even before Harrison Beck's seat in the Nebraska locker room had grown cold, a new quarterback appears ready to take his place on the depth chart.
Former blue-chipper Brian Hildebrand of Corona, Calif., is set to enroll at NU this month and begin practice as soon as Saturday, his junior college position coach said.
"He's going to go in there and help Nebraska," said Mike Moschetti, the quarterbacks coach at Mt. San Antonio (Calif.) College. "He's going to battle somebody for that No. 2 spot right away."
Hildebrand, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound sophomore, would be eligible to play immediately with three seasons to complete his career.
He confirmed Tuesday that he is headed to Nebraska later this week. He must complete a final exam on Thursday to finish work on his associate's degree.
Hildebrand said NU coaches asked him to withhold further comment on his transfer until his juco coursework is completed.
Moschetti was under no such restriction.
The coach, who started at quarterback for Colorado in 1998 and 1999, helped connect Hildebrand with the Huskers. Moschetti keeps close ties with several members of the NU staff - notably tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator Shawn Watson, who served as quarterbacks coach at CU during Moschetti's senior season.
"From what Coach Watson has told me, the (NU) offense is a lot like what we ran at CU," Moschetti said. "There's just different wording, so I've been going over a few things with Brian."
Nebraska was involved in recruiting Hildebrand even before it pursued Beck quit the team last weekend. His departure provides more of an opportunity.
Hildebrand redshirted at Oregon State in 2004. He left Oregon State after one semester for Mt. Sac, where he started five games last season before suffering a torn ligament in his right thumb. He finished the year 56-of-99 passing for 791 yards with three touchdowns and five interceptions.
"He's got a great body and great tools, a real strong arm," Mt. Sac head coach Bob Jastrab said. "He was really starting to do well for us, and then he got hurt."
At Nebraska, only three scholarship quarterbacks remain - senior starter Zac Taylor, sophomore Joe Ganz and sophomore Beau Davis. Hildebrand would arrive in Lincoln after taking a path similar to Taylor, who attended Wake Forest out of high school and started one season in junior college.
Hildebrand was an Elite 11 quarterback three years ago before his senior season. Rivals.com ranked him as the nation's No. 12 pro-style QB in 2004, behind the likes of Rhett Bomar (Oklahoma), Chad Henne (Michigan), Brian Brohm (Louisville), Drew Weatherford (Florida State) and Erik Ainge (Tennessee).
Moschetti said Hildebrand was nearly set to enroll at Colorado last winter, but then Gary Barnett was fired and new coach Dan Hawkins was not interested. Hildebrand also received interest in the spring from UCLA.
For the most part, though, he was overlooked because of the thumb injury and his academic situation in one semester at Oregon State.
"He's a big-time quarterback," Moschetti said. "I think this whole thing is a blessing in disguise. There's no better situation in the country than at Nebraska. And this kid can play with anybody."
