Anxiety for recruit family

[Eric the Red]

Evridge: Waiting Word on NU Coaching Situation

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Rick Shaw

Huskers Illustrated

 

 

Versatile quarterback Allan Evridge celebrated his eighteenth birthday in late June by making a verbal commitment to the Nebraska coaches. Now...six months later, is the 6-foot-1, 205-pound quarterback out of Papillion High in Omaha, Nebraska still solid in his pledge to the Cornhuskers? According to his mother, Lori, that question won’t be answered until Nebraska announces its new head coach.

 

"Allan visited Kansas State earlier this month and really enjoyed it," Mrs. Evridge said. "He took in a couple of practices while he was down there and really came away with a positive impression of the Kansas State football program. He likes the way that the coaches take players like Ell Roberson...who are mediocre passers...and make them better passers."

 

"To be honest, Allan is going back and forth right now (between Nebraska and Kansas State). He has a really good relationship with Kansas State quarterback’s coach Del Miller. He thinks that Coach Miller (KSU) and Coach Gill (Nebraska) are both very trustworthy and honest men."

 

Lori Evridge admitted that her son has been tempted to pledge to the Wildcats over the past couple of weeks, but said that he really wants to see how the Nebraska coaching situation unfolds before changing his plans.

 

"He loves Nebraska and wants to see what happens with the coaching decision," Mrs. Evridge said. "He sees some of the names that are being thrown out there as head coach possibilities and he gets excited. Other times, he gets a little bit nervous, as he doesn’t want to lost a spot at Kansas State if things don’t work out at Nebraska."

 

"Kansas State told him last weekend that they were only going to take two quarterbacks. He was under a lot of pressure to commit to Kansas State to ensure a spot there...and he didn’t do it. We pray that whoever comes to Nebraska will be a good fit for Allan. He doesn’t even know if the new coach is going to want him. Right now, we are just waiting...we don’t want to make any rash moves."

 

Lori Evridge said that Allan had some reservations earlier in the season about how he be utilized as a quarterback in the Nebraska system. She said that a meeting with then head coach Frank Solich and Turner Gill helped to calm his concerns.

 

"Allan had some questions he wanted to ask the coaches about the style of offense that they planned to run in the future," Mrs. Evridge said. "He realizes that, unlike high school, with college you can have somewhat of a say in what kind of offense you’ll be playing in."

 

"He met with Coach Gill and Coach Solich and both of them reassured Allan that they planned to open up the offense in the future. They told him that they ‘had to open it up’. They admitted that the old way they did things at Nebraska won’t work in this day in age. After meeting with those two...it totally squelched our desire to even visit Kansas State. But not long after that, Solich was fired, and we figured that Allan better keep his options open."

 

Lori Evridge said she was surprised to find out that other parents share the same anxiety as her family does of finding out who the new coach of Nebraska is going to be.

 

"We were at an awards banquet last weekend where a lot of the top players in the area attended," Evridge said. "Seth Olsen, Andy Christensen, Clay Sievers, Mike Huff, Cortney Grixby...and their parents were all there. I think all of those kids want to play together at Nebraska...but they want to know who’s going to be there. Recruiting is in a quiet period now until early January. We’re all hoping to hear some news from Steve Pedersen very soon."

 

Lori Evridge said that she believes that Nebraska coaches realize that a decommitment or two could happen with a coaching change and are doing what they can to plan ahead for that possibility.

 

"We know that Nebraska brought Chris Owens (out of California) in for a visit a couple of weeks back," Mrs. Evridge said. "The same way that Allan has to protect himself...Nebraska has to do the same. We realize that."

 

"Personally, I hope it all works out with Nebraska. I was telling my husband that I look a lot better in red than I do in purple (chuckle). At the same time, Allan has to do what’s best for him...and we’ll support him whatever he decides. We just hope that Nebraska names a head coach before things get down to the wire. There is only one more month until signing day."

[RedCountry]

no crap. the only thing that looks good in purple are stupid f-ing fat dinosaurs.