SIGNED QB Bubba Starling

[mnhusker]

Sounds like odds are low that he is a Husker ........ but we shall see.

[Overland Park Husker]

I work with some people who are very close with the family and they all think he will be going to college. Take it FWIW.

[IAhusker]

Man it would be hard to pass up 2-6 million dollar signing bonus depending on where he falls in the MLB draft. If he is injured though his chances of coming to Nebraska rise exponentially.

[kchusker_chris]

I work with some people who are very close with the family and they all think he will be going to college. Take it FWIW.

The family has certainly had a united "college" response to any and all things regarding his future...but...

 

One of the couples my wife and I hang out with frequently - the wife coaches in Gardner and knows the family well. They all have insinuated that the "college" thing is 1) about keeping options open, and 2) ensuring a solid stance for negatiations with baseball clubs. She say's it's highly unlikely he's a Husker.

 

Also spoke with a father of one of the offensive starters a few weeks ago. I mentioned Jensen because everyone just talks about Bubba, and he told me the funny thing about him and Starling is that neither really even like football that much.

 

Take it FWIW. (I really hope both are wrong)

[knapplc]

I have to say I'm shocked at this. I very much don't expect Bubba to suit up for Nebraska, but this may be changing my mind:

 

Starling keeps eye on Watson situation

 

Bubba Starling, the touted quarterback recruit who's verbally committed to Nebraska, spoke in person with Shawn Watson this past weekend but didn't broach the Vanderbilt topic.

 

"I really wanted to ask him about it, but it wasn't the right time to ask him," Starling told HuskersIllustrated.com. "I wasn't too happy about it when I heard that rumor and the one about coach (Bo) Pelini to Miami.

 

"The reason I wasn't too happy is, obviously, it would affect me a little. Me and (Watson) have developed a great relationship over the past year and a half. He knows me better than anyone."

 

Watson attended Starling's basketball game Friday. A native of Gardner, Kan., the 6-foot-5, 190-pound Starling also is regarded as a top baseball prospect as a pitcher.

 

Regarding the possibility of Watson moving on to Vandy (which doesn't seem likely at this point), Starling said, "It's not like I'm going to leave Nebraska. I love it up there. But if coach Watson leaves, that may make me think more about the (MLB) draft.

 

"If he leaves, I'm not sure who Nebraska would hire and if the new offense would fit me. I'd have to wait and see."

 

Just something to monitor.

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

very interesting

[ADS]

I dont think Bubba will have to worry about about Watson going to Vandy, me thinks James Franklin from Maryland will get the job. That might be enough incentive to keep Watson around to get Bubba here. A talent like Bubba doesnt come around ever so often.

[zoogs]

Bubba's a major league talent and has been a huge get for us. Sorry, too soon to use 'major league'? Sort of amazed that we got him, he's probably the best QB recruit we have had for a while, since Blaine, and by a pretty wide margin too. Opinion on Green was mixed and he was more of an athlete than a QB even by recruiting services, and definitely by the teams recruiting him. Same story with Jamal. Bubba sounds like he's just a quarterback. Or a baseball player.

 

It's a pity that we have so much trouble hanging onto these guys. Josh, Blaine, Tyler (less touted, to be fair), it's like a curse. I suppose one of these years we'll snap out of it, we'll surely need to. QB depth is looking like a fairly scary proposition next year.

[knapplc]

QB depth is looking like a fairly scary proposition next year.

 

I think Taylor Martinez, Cody Green, Brion Carnes and Jamal Turner will give us better depth than we've had at QB for years.

 

Taylor has a year under his belt, Cody has some positive games now, and Carnes and Turner both appear more than capable, albeit understandably raw. If you throw Starling there we're looking more than solid at QB.

[iruletheskool]

I've thought for awhile that Bubba has a better chance of actually coming here if Wats stays.. not sure how likely that is at this point

 

He called Shawn the best QB coach in the country during his recruitment, IIRC

[ADS]

Bubba's a major league talent and has been a huge get for us. Sorry, too soon to use 'major league'? Sort of amazed that we got him, he's probably the best QB recruit we have had for a while, since Blaine, and by a pretty wide margin too. Opinion on Green was mixed and he was more of an athlete than a QB even by recruiting services, and definitely by the teams recruiting him. Same story with Jamal. Bubba sounds like he's just a quarterback. Or a baseball player.

 

It's a pity that we have so much trouble hanging onto these guys. Josh, Blaine, Tyler (less touted, to be fair), it's like a curse. I suppose one of these years we'll snap out of it, we'll surely need to. QB depth is looking like a fairly scary proposition next year.

Godd points zoogs. If Nebraska does somehow convince Bubba to come here, that might be the thing that busts out of the top QB curse. It certainly would be a good thing to have all these kids pushing Taylor/Cody next year and 3 years after that. June can not come fast enough, I really want to know what Bubba is going to do.

[lilred]

If keeping Watson means getting Bubba to sign (which apparently it does) I think it's worth it.

[zoogs]

It's never worth it for one recruit. Keep him for the work he does being offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, that can get a guy who was as completely raw as Cody Green was coming in, to be considered a fairly competent pocket passer...and for the relationships he would build with future top quarterback recruits like Bubba. But don't keep him for one guy, even acknowledging how it would hurt if we lost that one guy.

 

I just hope Watson passes whatever QB drills he is running to someone soon, so we can feel like there's some insurance in that area.

 

Knapp - you're right, although even if all that comes to pass it will not be extraordinary QB depth, just better than the awful scenarios we have had this year and last. Turner and Starling would only emergency options most likely, and it would be a bad sign if it ever came down to having to use either. Carnes is a redshirt freshman. Taylor has experience under his belt but was so raw to start with you probably want to still consider him a redshirt freshman. Even Green, who has progressed fairly well I guess, hasn't shown it in games except for one game where he had like 12 pass attempts. Granted, that could be the spark for him if he can take that momentum and keep it going.

[lilred]

I disagree, I think it would definitely be worth it to keep Watson around for a little bit longer for one guy if that guy is Bubba Starling. It doesn't look like he's going anywhere anyway. Regardless of whether he actually gets here or not, we should have a solid stable of QBs going forward.

[kchusker_chris]

Damn, and here I was so dead-set on getting rid of Watson. Starling is my favorite recruit. I've watched him play in person since he was a freshman, and saw a football team (centered around Bubba) transition a small town from a suburb into a community united behind his team. He has a far greater impact on the community of Gardner than anyone knows. It's more than just football to many of those people. It's not like Texas where people live HS football, but the transition down that road started (and hopefully didn't end) with Bubba. He brings more to the table than speed. His small town qualities molded him into a perfect Husker IMO. Would love to see him leading the team in a couple of years.