Recruiting picks up for the Huskers

[Husker_Power]

BY BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star Saturday, Dec 29, 2007 - 01:17:01 am CST

 

Yes, the inbox suggests the honeymoon period between Bo Pelini and most Husker fans is still in its full splendor.

 

E-mailed one fan: Bo makes me want to put my Husker flag on my porch again.

 

E-mailed a jokester: Bo Pelini doesn’t read offenses. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.

 

Added another: I’ve got a feeling the ugly games are over for Nebraska.

 

The e-mails kept coming with similar sentiments — full of hope in Bo — and then this one arrived: Can Bo Pelini recruit worth a darn? WHAT’S GOING ON!!!???

 

A panicked fan sent it in mid-December, right after a batch of recruits decommitted from the Husker football program.

 

The sender was a fan like the rest of them, but concern had interrupted the honeymoon. There were others, worried sorts who have seen a Nebraska recruiting class shrink from 24 oral commitments to 16.

 

However, the Huskers did pick up a commitment from Quentin Toailoa, a 6-foot-5, 285-pound defensive tackle from Redlands (Calif.) East Valley High School.

 

Good or bad, recruiting season is a season unto itself for some fans, and a coaching transition from Bill Callahan to Pelini has made it a more convoluted one for the Husker program.

 

Some hyped recruits — Simi Kuli, Doug Rippy, Josh Williams, Bryce Givens and Shaun Mohler — all decommitted this month, driving the panic among recruiting junkies.

 

It hasn’t helped that college football is in the middle of a recruiting dead period that runs through the bowl season, making new commitments tough to get right now.

 

Carl Pelini, Nebraska’s new defensive coordinator, is aware that concern exists, but isn’t concerned himself.

“We’re looking at it as a marathon and to be honest, we’re really excited,” he said Friday night. “You know what, there are a lot of great players out there. We get calls from coaches basically every day. We’re just going to keep hammering away, and I think in the end, everybody will be pleasantly surprised.”

 

Some close to NU’s recruiting situation are expecting Nebraska to mount a significant rally in January, after Bo Pelini returns from coaching the LSU defense in the national title game on Jan. 7.

 

The Huskers will have their share of prospects coming in over the following weekends, leading up to national signing day on Feb. 6.

 

Among those expected to visit are two quarterbacks, Sean Renfree (Scottsdale, Ariz.) and Kody Spano (Stephenville, Texas).

 

Spano, a 6-2, 200-pound dual-threat quarterback, is expected to visit the campus the first weekend of January and is high on NU.

 

Nebraska’s biggest batch of recruits will visit the next weekend, and likely will include Renfree, offensive lineman Dan Hoch, running back Collins Okafor, linebacker Will Compton and defensive tackle Eddie Brown (Waller, Texas). Hoch, Okafor and Compton have committed to the Huskers.

 

Other potential January visitors include safeties Charles Mitchell (Clarksdale, Miss.) and P.J. Smith (River Ridge, La.), linebackers Brian Moore (Klein, Texas) and Alonzo Whaley (Madisonville, Texas), and defensive linemen Jacquies Smith (Dallas) and John Youboty (Klein, Texas).

 

Nebraska is also known to be courting two receivers from Louisiana — LaRon Byrd and Khiry Cooper.

As the class stands now, the Huskers have four offensive linemen, two tight ends, two linebackers, two defensive backs, one running back, one defensive end, a defensive tackle and three “athletes.”

 

The Huskers, so woeful against the run last season, are in desperate need of some help on the defensive line.

 

There is hope in Husker camp that Nebraska might get a recruiting boost from the free advertising the program will get when Pelini coaches in the national championship game.

 

Pelini figures to get his share of camera time along with mention of his new job title.

 

“Everybody’s going to be watching that football game and they’re going to be talking about Nebraska,” Pelini told the Husker Sports Network. “Hopefully, the better we play, the more they talk about me, the more they talk about our program. I know one thing: It can’t hurt us.”

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[MCAT800]

Nice read

[Hunter94]

interesting, as some kids do fly below the radar and don't get film out to some of the top teams. we shall see.

[Inwar1]

It looks like things are shaping up nicely...GBR

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I think in the end we will get a decent recruiting class. Maybe not 15 or 20 material, but I would say around 24 or 25.

[jkstlrnu1]

I really believe that this recruiting class come Feb. 6th will not be too far from where it was at 1 point earlier before all the de-commits as far as talent goes. I think a lot of the talent is there in the new kids were picking up, they just arent the same names we've been saying for the last year. We lost Gabbert but it looks like we'll get Spano. Nobody knows right now which one will be better but Spano had a better year. I think a lot of the de-commits will be looking back in a couple years & say, "wtf was I thinking?!" They're Nebraska!! Of course they are gonna be back in the NC picture

[BigWillie]

Toailoa is a big commit for numerous reasons.

 

One, because he is huge and talented guy at a need position. The other, he helps open up the Poly pipeline that we have not had since Toniu Fonoti left. Now with Toailoa and Helu here, it should help a little bit more in getting those guys we missed on due to the lack of Poly players in Lincoln (i.e., Rey Maualuga).