Tag Archives: Recruiting

Time for another big, fat recruiting update!

But first, a few thoughts about Nebraska’s recruiting strategy, and comments NU recruiting coordinator Ross Els made to ESPN about the lack of early commits to the Huskers. The comments that had many of Nebraska’s most ardent recruitniks clicking the “send” button on message boards.

First, the key comment Els made, comparing Nebraska to Ohio State and Michigan’s ability to get early commits:

“You can’t compare us to Ohio State and Michigan and Notre Dame. We will not fill up that quickly. If we’re filling up that quickly, it’s either because we just won the national championship and everybody wants to play for us, or we might be not very selective in who we’re taking. We don’t throw …

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The first time Logan Rath considered a walk-on offer from the Nebraska’s football team in 2012, he balked. He chose instead a scholarship South Dakota State, knowing, in the back of his mind, the Jackrabbits were playing at NU this fall.

Rath will still be in Memorial Stadium for the Sept. 21 game. But he’ll be on the Huskers’ sideline. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound defensive tackle from Giltner confirmed Thursday night that he’s transferring to Nebraska for the rest of his career.

“I decided I was going to play where I really wanted to always play without worrying about the money,” said Rath in a phone interview as he drove to Mullen to help a friend brand calves. “I’m going to give it a shot.”

Logan …

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Safety Jason Hall made an oral commitment to Nebraska Wednesday night, becoming the second member of the Huskers’ 2014 recruiting class.

Hall’s pledge was reported by multiple major recruiting services Wednesday.

He’s a 6-foot-2, 190-pound defensive back out of Grand Prairie, Texas. Nebraska was the first program to offer him a scholarship, which reportedly came about two weeks ago.

Hall also had an offer from North Texas, but he told ESPN.com that Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Ole Miss were among the schools showing interest lately. He’s not yet ranked by the major recruiting websites. He was a Class 5A honorable mention all-district performer for South Grand Prairie High School last fall.

Hall joins Lincoln Southeast’s Luke Gifford as the two recruits who currently make up …

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You’ve heard the excuses. You’ve seen the numbers.

Nebraska football and basketball are behind the eight ball because of their location. There are 1.8 million people within the borders and that’s just not enough to stockpile elite programs.

Husker football, which benefited from Johnny Rodgers, Dave Rimington, Zach Wiegert, Eric Crouch and dozens of other in-state standouts, has signed a grand total of one native son each of the past two years.

Husker basketball, which surged in the 90s thanks to Nebraskans Rich King, Bruce Chubick, Andre Woolridge and Erick Strickland, hasn’t signed an in-state high school player since 2002. Eleven years!

Football has let a few quality prospects get away recently: Trevor Robinson, Harland Gunn, Kyle Dooley, among others. But the state is producing …

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Time for another big, fat recruiting update!

The prospects are listed with name, height/weight, position, town/school and top schools involved.

After each recruiting service’s designation (247: 247Sports; 247C: 247Sports Composite ranking; R: Rivals; S: Scout; E: ESPN), you’ll see numbers. Here’s the key for those: Star ranking/National ranking/Position Ranking.

An “NR” means they’re not ranked at this time. A bolded ranking denotes the prospect’s highest evaluation. An italicized ranking denotes the prospect’s lowest evaluation.

Enjoy!

Naijiel Hale, 5-11/175, DB, Los Angeles (St. John Bosco): AZ, Wazzu, NU, Boise

247: 4/NR/27

247C: 4/266/24

ESPN: NR/NR/NR

Rivals: 3/NR/39

Scout: 4/182/22

For now, the son of late rapper Nate Dogg has the Huskers, Cougars and Wildcats out in front.

“My relationship with him is good. We always have …

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Time for another big, fat recruiting update!

The prospects are listed with name, height/weight, position, town/school and top schools involved.

After each recruiting service’s designation (247: 247Sports; 247C: 247Sports Composite ranking; R: Rivals; S: Scout; E: ESPN), you’ll see numbers. Here’s the key for those: Star ranking/National ranking/Position ranking.

An “NR” means they’re not ranked at this time. A bolded ranking denotes the prospect’s highest evaluation. An italicized ranking denotes the prospect’s lowest evaluation.

Enjoy!

Monte Harrison 6-3/190, WR, Lee’s Summit (Mo.): NU, Ark, Mizzou, KU, KSU, MSU
247: 3/NR/85
247C: 3/587/76
ESPN: NR/NR/NR
Rivals: 3/NR/NR
Scout: 3/NR/71

Harrison is poised to make a big ratings jump after winning Offensive MVP honors over the weekend at a Rivals/Under Armour Camp in St. Louis. According to …

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The third most controversial proposal in the NCAA’s recent round of recruiting deregulations — unlimited calls and texts to football prospects — is headed for an override vote after receiving more than 75 override requests by Wednesday’s deadline.

Override votes do not win easily. The NCAA requires 62.5 percent of those voting in the 330-member body to override a proposal. So if, for example, 300 of them vote, 188 of them would have to vote to overturn the proposal. Otherwise the proposal is, at the very least, in play for one year.

The NCAA, remember, suspended entirely the proposals for unlimited on-campus recruiting staff and deregulation of printed materials. Unless the NCAA chooses now to review and suspend the unlimited calls/texts proposal, an override vote …

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Nebraska coach Bo Pelini got his first commit for the 2014 recruiting class delivered in person. Lincoln Southeast safety/tight end Luke Gifford attended Monday’s practice and told Pelini “I’m ready to be in.”

Pelini’s response?

“Welcome to the family,” Gifford said in an interview.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder received an offer last Tuesday, sat on it for a week, and pulled the trigger Monday, figuring that, no matter what schools pursued him, he was sticking with Nebraska.

“I just felt like there were no other schools that could pull me away,” Gifford said.

247Sports has Gifford ranked as a three-star athlete prospect. He’s not yet ranked as a prospect by ESPN, Rivals or Scout. He had offers from Toledo and Ohio.

Gifford said Nebraska sees him …

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In a little more than a month, the NCAA has apparently heard enough pushback from college football coaches and athletic directors on its massive deregulation of recruiting rules to recommend suspending two of the biggest proposals it passed in late January.

The two rules:

Prop. No. 11-2, which allowed programs to hire an unlimited number of on-campus recruiters and talent evaluators. 

Prop. No. 13-5-A, which eliminated restrictions on all printing materials. 

“Some coaches and administrators expressed concern deregulation in this area might lead to a recruiting arms race that will overwhelm prospects, college coaches and athletics department budgets. Much of the anxiety is specific to football, though the concerns could translate to any sport,” the NCAA’s release read in part.

According to John Infante’s Bylaw …

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A second Lincoln Southeast player Monday received a football scholarship offer from Nebraska as athlete Luke Gifford announced on Twitter that NU wanted him for the 2014 recruiting class.

“Just got offered a scholarship by nebraska! I’ve been dreaming of this day for as long I can remember! #GBR #HuskerNation” read Gifford’s tweet.

Later, Gifford told Big Red Report that Pelini offered him as an athlete.

“Coach Bo Pelini told me tonight that they wanted me as an athlete,” he said to BRR. “They are really interested in just seeing which position I grow into, didn’t really care which one, they just wanted me on the team.”

A 6-foot-3, 195-pounder who played safety and some offense for the Knights, Gifford has offers from Toledo and …

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