QB Gabbert decommits from Nebraska
By BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
Wednesday, Dec 09, 2009 - 08:49:55 pm CST Tyler Gabbert wants to throw the football 40 times a game. He senses Nebraska's offense is moving farther and farther away from that. More power football. Less slinging it around.
And so the high school quarterback from Ballwin Park, Mo., decommitted on Tuesday night during a phone conversation with Husker offensive coordinator Shawn Watson.
"It definitely was a mutual decision," Gabbert said Wednesday. "I told him that I didn't see myself playing at Nebraska in five years, and told him I wanted to look around a little bit. He was like, 'Yeah, we understand that. I'm not going to make you come. You have to follow your heart. But if you're looking around, we have to go our separate direction and look after our best interest as well.'"
Gabbert said he would be making an official visit to Missouri this week, where his older brother, Blaine, is the starting quarterback. Blaine was committed to Nebraska two years ago, only to change course during NU's coaching shake-up that season.
"At this point the only definite plans I have is to take an official visit to Missouri, and then after this weekend we'll see where things go from there," Tyler Gabbert said.
Tyler Gabbert said Nebraska's shift this season from the West Coast/spread attack to more I-formation "definitely" impacted his decision.
"I know they're doing what they have to do to win," he said. "But I did some research of the past recruiting classes. I haven't seen the receivers or athletes coming in as opposed to all the linemen and running backs coming in. So it just kind of makes you wonder what the intentions are for the offense. And I imagine myself throwing the ball 40 times a game. … So in terms of running the power-I, that's just not the case in that style of offense."
Nebraska ran the ball on about 58 percent of its plays this year, with the Huskers becoming especially run-heavy the final six games. Nebraska has run 69 percent of the time since the Baylor game.
The Huskers also received a decommitment on Monday from Louisiana receiver Curtis Carter.
Husker coaches can't comment on specific recruits until they sign somewhere, so their opinion on both decommitment cases can't be heard.
At this point, there seems no certainty Nebraska will try to find another quarterback in this year's recruiting class, especially after it received two more commitments Wednesday from offensive tackle Jermarcus Hardrick and linebacker Lavonte David. NU stands at 16 commitments with limited space left.
Tyler Gabbert said he thanked Watson, but it just came down to a change of heart.
"You got to go where you're going to be happy, because as everyone says, 'It can become a job,'" Tyler Gabbert said. "And if you're not happy with where you're at, you're never going to reach your potential. I think people should respect that, but sometimes that's not always the case."
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