...QB wide open

[Eric the Red]

Beyond Taylor, QB wide open

 

BY MITCH SHERMAN

 

 

 

 

WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

 

 

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Omaha.com: Big Red Page

 

LINCOLN - First rule in the Bill Callahan school of recruiting quarterbacks: Get all you can now and sort them out later.

 

 

Quarterback Zac Taylor in the 2005 Alamo Bowl.

 

Even as the Nebraska football team moves through spring practice with its QB position in solid condition, the wheels continue to spin behind the scene.

 

The Huskers face a major change at quarterback after next season. And while Zac Taylor's replacement may be refining his skills right now in Lincoln, be certain that Nebraska will not rely solely Harrison Beck in its planning for 2007.

 

Evidence of such a strategy exists from Omaha to the talent-rich states of California, Texas and Florida.

 

"Like I've said before, you cannot have enough of them," Callahan said. "I know we are working hard at it and have identified a lot of quarterbacks already. But it's still a very long process."

 

Callahan, the Huskers' third-year coach, is known to have offered scholarships to more than a half-dozen junior quarterbacks, including Phillip Bates of Omaha North.

 

Needs at the position top Nebraska's list in the next recruiting cycle, with only the senior Taylor, plus sophomores Beck, Joe Ganz and Beau Davis on the NU roster.

 

 

Jarrett Lee, of Brenham, Texas, completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,400 yards and 40 touchdowns as a junior, and according to Brenham coach Glen West, Lee is "unflappable" in tough situations.

 

The Huskers will seek to sign two or perhaps three quarterbacks next year, Callahan said. Early indications show that NU may stand its best chance with Bates, Jarrett Lee of Brenham, Texas, and Chris Forcier of San Diego.

 

Bates, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound son of ex-Nebraska fullback Phil Bates, teamed with Niles Paul last fall to help lead North to its seventh Class A playoff berth. Paul, a wide receiver, pledged to the Huskers in January and remains the only committed member of the 2007 NU recruiting.

 

Is Bates soon to follow?

 

"I don't know. I'm just having fun right now," he said. "I'm picking up a lot of interest from schools like Miami, Florida and Iowa. You get to talk to a lot of coaches."

 

Iowa State has also offered. Bates said he expects to visit Nebraska during spring practice.

 

Lee, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound QB from Brenham, Texas, plans to attend the spring games at Nebraska on April 15 and at Oklahoma a week earlier. He plays at a 4A (second-largest classification in Texas) school with four other prospects who have already received multiple Division I-A offers.

 

 

Phillip Bates, scoring for Omaha North against Omaha Central last season, is also being recruited by Miami, Florida, Iowa and Iowa State.

 

Rated the No. 37 prospect in the state by rivals.com, Lee completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,400 yards as a junior with 40 touchdowns and nine interceptions, according to Brenham coach Glen West.

 

"Those are phenomenal numbers," West said. "But he's got more than that. He's a leader. He demands respect, especially for a junior. It's based on his ability and how he reacts in tough situations. He's unflappable."

 

Lee's other offers include Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Kansas State, Wisconsin and Arizona. West said he has "reason to believe" that Texas may soon offer. But if so, the coach said, UT would not automatically vault to the top of Lee's list.

 

"He's real grounded about what he's going to do," West said, "and I know he's very impressed with Nebraska and their situation under coach Callahan."

 

New NU receivers coach Shawn Watson is recruiting Lee.

 

Safeties coach Bill Busch is pursuing Forcier. The 6-3, 185-pound QB lists offers from Oregon, UCLA, Florida, Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma and Texas A&M, among others. His brother, Jason Forcier, is a backup QB at Michigan, but Nebraska also has an inside track.

 

Forcier plays at San Diego's St. Augustine High, the school that sent kicker Jordan Congdon to Lincoln last year and produced incoming freshman wide receiver Menelik Holt.

 

"Jordan Congdon made a big impact on Menelik, because everybody knew what kind of a kid Jordan was," St. Augustine coach Jerry Ralph said. "And I think Menelik's decision will make a difference with Chris. Then when you add in the Busch factor, that's really impressive."

 

Forcier is known as an elusive quarterback with 4.5-second speed over 40 yards and an accurate passer. He threw for 2,382 yards last season with a 31-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

 

"He's really complete as a quarterback," Ralph said. "Athletically, he's one of the top players on the West Coast. But we've really used him, especially last year, as a guy who could sit in the pocket and pick apart a defense."

 

The Huskers are also known to have offered G.J. Kinne of Canton, Texas, plus dual-threat quarterbacks LaTravis Washington of Bradenton, Fla., and Aaron Corp of Villa Park, Calif.

 

And then there's Ryan Mallett of Texarkana, Texas, perhaps the nation's No. 2 player at the position behind California prodigy Jimmy Clausen. Nebraska helped put the 6-6 Mallett on the map in June 2004 at Callahan's first quarterback academy.

 

NU was the first to offer, but Mallett reportedly shaved his options recently to Texas and Michigan.

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

I found it very interesting that Coach Callahan now says they may take as many as THREE quarterbacks. Yet they still need to land the first ONE.

 

[huskerfan8]

i really hope they can land jarret lee or forcier because they need a guy like that..im kinda worried they will get away...?

[Eric the Red]

After the kid from California everyone wants and Mallet, it's all a crap shoot for the second tier guys. That includes Lee, Forcier and /kline