LINCOLN - Nebraska freshman Sean Fisher, at 6-foot-6, looks more like a small forward than a linebacker.
He didn't look much like a running back last November but still ran the football 44 times for 198 yards in the Class A championship game.
Looks, apparently, don't tell the whole story for Fisher, the Huskers' 225-pound linebacker mentioned first on Tuesday by coach Bo Pelini among true freshmen with the best opportunity to play in Nebraska's opener this week and bypass a redshirt season.
For Fisher, versatility is the key. He showed it in high school at Millard North.
It's working in his favor again.
"He's very athletic for his size," Pelini said. "He's pretty instinctive, and obviously, the length helps you a lot, especially when he's playing on a tight end."
Fisher appears to fit as the top backup to Tyler Wortman on the strong side and as something of a hybrid defender in pass-defense situations.
"Sean Fisher's a specimen," sophomore linebacker Blake Lawrence said. "He's 6-6 and runs like a defensive back. What they saw in him was the ability to cover like a defensive back."
Others saw it, too. Fisher committed to Nebraska early in the recruiting process, turning down a scholarship offer from Oklahoma.
"He's very flexible in his approach to the game," Millard North coach Fred Petito said Tuesday. "It doesn't surprise me - not one bit - that he's put himself in this position. Sean is very athletic, but he's got an understanding of the game, too. I think that's what will help him most right away at Nebraska."
Alongside Fisher at practice this month, fellow rookie Will Compton also appears on track to play. Compton is listed on the new depth chart as Phillip Dillard's top backup at middle linebacker.
Like Fisher, Compton, from Bonne Terre, Mo., was considered one of the Huskers' top signees last winter. He picked NU over Missouri and Illinois.
"They came in and learned it quick," Dillard said. "I think they can make a big contribution to the defense."
Other freshmen in contention for playing time include cornerback Alfonzo Dennard, wide receiver Khiry Cooper and tight end Ben Cotton.
Guard Ricky Henry, a junior college transfer who stood out in preseason camp, may redshirt this year. There's no sign on the depth chart of defensive tackle Baker Steinkuhler, the most heralded NU newcomer. He'll emerge, no doubt, but looks set to redshirt - more reason to ignore recruiting hype.
On the subject of recruiting, Pelini and his staff have collected 12 oral commitments for their 2009 class as the season opens, but you'll hear almost no mention of it around Memorial Stadium.
Recruiting talk is down significantly. It coincides with the coach's policy to keep newcomers away from interviews until they play. Perhaps on Saturday, we'll hear from Fisher and a few of his classmates.
Or maybe not.
"As of right now," Pelini said, "no one is for sure going to play."
