Eric the Red
Team HuskerBoard
Cornhuskers look to the west for new receivers
By Darrell Laurant ; 02/27/06
When it comes to recruiting wide receivers, University of Nebraska football coach Bill Callahan seems to be taking the term "West Coast offense" literally.
Of the four potential pass catchers in the school's 2006 signing class, three are from California. And all are big enough to play on the Nebraska Cornhuskers' basketball team on the side.
The high-contact nature of the West Coast attack puts a premium on big receivers. Because so many of the passes are delivered quickly, on short routes, there are almost always defenders in the area. Thus, height is invaluable to win the battle for high throws, and bulk can help withstand the inevitable collisions.
Not that Callahan's cupboard is bare at that position -- Nebraska returns its two leading pass catchers from last season, Nate Swift and Terrence Nunn. Both provide a viable deep threat for returning quarterback Zac Taylor, but Nunn (6-0, and his backup Mark LeFlore (5-11) are on the small side.
That can't be said about newcomers Menelik Holt, Maurice Purify, Tyrell Spain and Will Henry.
Holt, 6-4, 215, returned kicks for his San Diego high school (speed) and is averaging 16 rebounds in basketball (leaping ability). In his last football season, he caught 62 passes for 790 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Purify, the uncle of former Colorado tailback Bobby Purify, is a product of Eureka, CA who played last season at San Francisco City College (the school that produced O.J. Simpson). He was given a five-star rating by Rivals.com and chosen as the nation's top juco receiver by several scouting services, thanks to 68 catches for 1,318 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2005.
The 6-3, 190-pound Spain is another junior college product (Mesa Junior College in Arizona) who sat out last season. At Hoover High School in San Diego, he played both quarterback and wide receiver, and he caught 46 passes for 858 yards and eight touchdowns in his last juco season.
Biggest of all the new wideouts is Will Henry, out of El Paso. At 6-5, 195, Henry could morph into a tight end after a couple of years in the Cornhuskers' weight and strength program. Or, he could remain an attractive West Coast option as a split end. Also coveted by Missouri and New Mexico State, Henry runs a 4.5 40 and caught 52 passes for 917 yards and 12 touchdowns last fall.
Only Spain will be around for spring ball. But Taylor and the other Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterbacks may have a little more margin for error when next season begins.
By Darrell Laurant ; 02/27/06
When it comes to recruiting wide receivers, University of Nebraska football coach Bill Callahan seems to be taking the term "West Coast offense" literally.
Of the four potential pass catchers in the school's 2006 signing class, three are from California. And all are big enough to play on the Nebraska Cornhuskers' basketball team on the side.
The high-contact nature of the West Coast attack puts a premium on big receivers. Because so many of the passes are delivered quickly, on short routes, there are almost always defenders in the area. Thus, height is invaluable to win the battle for high throws, and bulk can help withstand the inevitable collisions.
Not that Callahan's cupboard is bare at that position -- Nebraska returns its two leading pass catchers from last season, Nate Swift and Terrence Nunn. Both provide a viable deep threat for returning quarterback Zac Taylor, but Nunn (6-0, and his backup Mark LeFlore (5-11) are on the small side.
That can't be said about newcomers Menelik Holt, Maurice Purify, Tyrell Spain and Will Henry.
Holt, 6-4, 215, returned kicks for his San Diego high school (speed) and is averaging 16 rebounds in basketball (leaping ability). In his last football season, he caught 62 passes for 790 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Purify, the uncle of former Colorado tailback Bobby Purify, is a product of Eureka, CA who played last season at San Francisco City College (the school that produced O.J. Simpson). He was given a five-star rating by Rivals.com and chosen as the nation's top juco receiver by several scouting services, thanks to 68 catches for 1,318 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2005.
The 6-3, 190-pound Spain is another junior college product (Mesa Junior College in Arizona) who sat out last season. At Hoover High School in San Diego, he played both quarterback and wide receiver, and he caught 46 passes for 858 yards and eight touchdowns in his last juco season.
Biggest of all the new wideouts is Will Henry, out of El Paso. At 6-5, 195, Henry could morph into a tight end after a couple of years in the Cornhuskers' weight and strength program. Or, he could remain an attractive West Coast option as a split end. Also coveted by Missouri and New Mexico State, Henry runs a 4.5 40 and caught 52 passes for 917 yards and 12 touchdowns last fall.
Only Spain will be around for spring ball. But Taylor and the other Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterbacks may have a little more margin for error when next season begins.
