bosox15

The Jump is real. Just ask Oklahoma, Ohio State or Florida.

 

Each school won a national championship in its second year with a new head coach.

 

Year two under the leadership of coach Bo Pelini is an important time for a Cornhusker program attempting to return to consistent success. Improved team chemistry and development as well as a better understanding of team expectations could set NU’s players up for a big season.

 

“This is the most excited we’ve been heading into camp since we’ve been here,” junior defensive end Pierre Allen said. “We set the bar high last year.”

 

The Jump isn’t a magical occurrence based entirely on luck. It requires relentless effort and dedication as well as a solid foundation established in year one.

 

“We’re worried about putting in a good, hard day’s work every single day and keep putting that money in the bank, so when it comes to Saturday, we’re prepared and ready to go,” coach Bo Pelini said at the Big 12 media days last month.

 

Is NU ready to cash in and enjoy The Jump?

 

“This team is poised for that moment,” tight ends coach Ron Brown said. “The second year is very important. You make a big jump. When you get something under your belt and you get your paradigms figured out, you’re able to discover your identity.”

Great story, read the rest of it here. Definitely gets me pumped up for September 5th, this is gonna be a big year! GBR

I think the reason Watson isn't coming out and calling hyping up Lee as the starter is because he's all about competition. I think he's trying to motivate Lee to continue to earn the gig by working hard every day. I don't think Lee has any serious competition for the starting spot, though, at least not this year.

A beast on the basketball court, too. His dad is Pat Tyrance, former NU linebacker from 1986-1990

He liked Watson a lot but he was big on academics and Stanford was too good to turn down

Steinkuhler did will this spring, but Crick has been the frontrunner for the other DT spot since day 1. Suh has been lobbying for him since the beginning of spring, too. Still, Baker's in great shape to beat out T. Moore and replace Suh next season.

Coach Watson talked to the DN recently about the QBs and said some interesting stuff. First off, he said Kody Spano has had an amazing recovery from the ACL injury and is already back on the practice field.

He’s doing good. He’s way ahead of schedule, and he’s a hard worker. He’s way ahead of where anybody thought he would be, the doctors, the trainers.

 

We have a great trainer in Mark Mayer, and Mark’s really pushed the envelope with him. He’s way ahead of schedule because Mark’s pushed him and because he’s a willing soul. He’s really done a remarkable job; he’s practicing now.

He also talked about his plans for boy wonder Taylor Martinez and about if he's still interested in landing a transfer QB (after all, Oregon's Justin Roper and BC's Dominique Davis are available...)

Check out the interview here

Daily Nebraskan story on Oku:

Coach: Running back recruit David Oku enrolled at Lincoln East

Daily Nebraskan

California linebacker Eric Martin commits to Nebraska

Coach: California linebacker Eric Martin commits to Nebraska

By Max Olson

DAILY NEBRASKAN

Published: Monday, February 2, 2009

 

 

Nebraska’s recruiting drought is over.

 

After going over 40 days without securing any new prospects, the Cornhusker coaching staff picked up a commitment this weekend with only a few days to go until signing day.

 

On Sunday night, linebacker Eric Martin decided he wants to be a Husker, picking the school over Arizona and Arizona State.

 

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound linebacker hails from Rancho Verde High School in Moreno Valley, Calif. He is rated a three-star prospect on the recruiting Web site Rivals.com. He is also ranked the 26th-best linebacker in the nation on Rivals.com.

 

Martin visited Lincoln on Jan. 23 and took one final trip to Arizona State this weekend before coming to his decision. Rancho Verde coach Pete Duffy said it was a close race and a difficult decision for his linebacker.

 

“All three staffs did such a great job recruiting him, and Eric is a kid that hates to say no to anybody, especially a coach,” Duffy said.

 

Duffy said coaches were in and out of Martin’s house over the past week and that all three schools worked hard in the final week to make their case.

 

“It was really hard, because there was really no wrong answer and he knew that. All three are great places, so it was difficult,” Duffy said.

 

Martin is Nebraska’s second incoming player at the linebacker position, joining Chris Williams of Abilene, Texas. The Husker coaching staff recently withdrew its scholarship offer to Shawn Bodtmann, a linebacker commit from Scranton, Pa., who is now looking at Maine and Western Carolina.

 

Though the Huskers will return a number of linebackers that saw starting playing time in 2008, including Phillip Dillard, Blake Lawrence, Colton Koehler and Matt Holt, Duffy believes Martin will get a chance at immediate playing time.

 

“It seems like he’ll have an opportunity to come in and prove himself,” Duffy said. “I don’t think they’re looking for him to redshirt or be on the back-burner. I think he’s a guy they’ll throw in and see what he can do.”