HSKRNOKC
New member
The final word
***Expect to see more and more of Prince Amukamara and LaTravis Washington. They both had their redshirts pulled in the Ball State game and the plan is to get them into the line-up and work them in on special teams now that their redshirts are burnt. Amukamara is also an excellent punt blocker, so don't be surprised if you see a few punt blocks called for him, especially with the way the defense has been playing.
***I personally think Phillip Dillard should get the start at MIKE, but I'm told that we may still see Corey McKeon get the start on Saturday, but that doesn't mean he'll necessarily play more than Dillard.
***Did anyone else notice that Anthony West was on the field for the final defensive play in the Ball State game? If the veterans continue not to produce, the staff will start playing more and more young faces like West, Amukamara and Anthony Blue.
***I wish I could share all of my 30 minute conversation with Christian Peter this week with you guys…it was classic. One of the things I will share is this…He said: "Sean, what made us so good is first of all we all had a screw loose. To play defense, you have to have a screw loose. I mean we were 28 Prop 48 guys that everybody wrote off. One day we got together and said the hell with everybody else, let's just go out and kick some a$$. What made us so strong was we all knew the guy next to you had your back. If I messed up, I knew somebody was right there to help me."
***Fullback Andy Sand has been slowed the last few weeks with a bad shoulder.
***I don't expect to see Lance Brandenburgh play this week.
***Somebody better offer Omaha Central's Shane Prater and Ronnell Grixby…I'm not saying they are Nebraska caliber guys, but I am saying they are Division I football players.
Though Nebraska's 2008 recruiting class is about 85 percent completed on paper, there are always twists and turns that come. Both for the good and bad. The reality is that by signing day there will certainly be some changes to the compilation of this class. It happens every year, so be expecting it and understand that it's all part of the process when it does occur.
If someone like Riley Reiff should switch from Iowa to Nebraska, it's best not to get too haughty and obnoxious about it because it will almost surely happen to NU down the road. Except for maybe Gabbert, Givens and Steinkuhler, a de-commit or two will not adversely affect how this class shapes up in the end, or have a marked difference in the future talent level of the Husker program.
What Nebraska has going for them no matter how this season develops and eventually turns out is the closeness of the group of commits who comprise this class. Collins Okafor had yet another example of it when he said in John's update of him this week:
"When you commit to a team, you stay committed and you don't take official visits. I felt stronger (after the visit) than ever because the way we ate together as a group, and all that. It just felt unified and really good."
Two of the visitors I talked to after the USC game mentioned to me that at least one of the members of the 2007 recruiting class has lent a hand to the 2008 effort. When I spoke with Nathan Scheelhaase after his unofficial to Lincoln, he said that he had talked to Will Compton even before his trip to NU because Compton had called Blake Lawrence and got his phone number. Scheelhaase and Lawrence have known each other since the second grade.
When I spoke with Cameron Meredith, he told me that Blake Lawrence was one of his hosts and he hung around Blake quite a bit while he was in Lincoln. When I asked Cameron if he was going to keep in touch with any of the recruits and people he met he said, "Yeah, I got Blaine's phone number and I got Blake's number."
With all the recent talk bemoaning the lack of player leadership at Nebraska, there are young players on the way who are already taking ownership of the team and collaborating to ensure that NU's program has a bright future.
Basketball visitor?
Nebraska will be hosting at least one basketball official visitor this weekend in 6-foot-9, 250-pound power forward Dee Proby according to Lufkin (Texas) Angelina C.C. assistant coach Marlon Terry.
Coach Terry said, "Yes, he's coming up to Lincoln by himself. He's a very skilled big man. He can step out and shoot, and he can post it up. He's a real good player, and I think he's going to be really, really good before he's through. He's very talented."
Proby will have two years to play two at the D-I level. Nebraska faces a challenge in that Proby official visited recruiting ace Bob Huggins' West Virginia program last weekend and the trip went well according to coach Terry.
The Huskers do have an "in" with coach Terry in that he came to Angelina C.C from UTEP and he knows Doc Sadler very well. Coach Terry said, "Yes, I know Doc - that's my guy. I was his student assistant at UTEP. He's my mentor." Maybe that will pay dividends here.
I'll be talking to Proby after his visit to see how it went.
Quick Notes
- Cameron Meredith's teammate, junior quarterback Matt Barkley, who has numerous DI offers already, is off to a very hot start. Cameron said, "He's doing really good. This is the second week that he's passed for over 420 yards. It looks like it's going pretty well for him."
- Even though Marc Anthony's mother had glowing things to say about his visit to NU, we kind of thought something was up - good or bad - because Marc would not return our calls after he returned to Arizona. Usually that means something is about to happen and the recruit is laying low. Sure enough, Anthony committed to Cal two days after he got back home. Cal is developing quite a collection of talent out West. Maybe only second to SC. Their program continues to be on the rise.
- It wasn't in the update, but when I asked Nathan Scheelhaase what his parents thought about his visit to Lincoln he said: "They liked it. My dad played against Nebraska when he was at Iowa. When we come out to the field before the game, we didn't do anything but look up into the stands. They liked it all. We got to see the tailgating and all the entertainment when we were walking to the stadium. My mom liked a lot about it. She grew up living in Iowa, so she knew a little about Nebraska, but she liked it more than she expected to."
- A couple additional things about Deion Walker that weren't included in the update I did on him. When I asked him if he's in contact with any other recruits or commits he said: "Yeah, I'm friends with a couple people. E.J. Manuel lives down the street from me. I talk to Brice Butler, and have become friends with Blaine Gabbert and Will Compton. I know that Will committed to Nebraska and we talk quite a bit. I also talk to guys like A.J. Alexander from Pennsylvania."
A little bit of irony
I talked to Keelan Johnson on Sunday evening, a little more than 24 hours after the chorus of boos filled Memorial Stadium. He talked about how he was initially torn between going to Arizona and playing running back (his favorite position) or traveling halfway across the country to play safety at Nebraska.
He said he chose Nebraska because of the outstanding fan support in Lincoln. He told me how taken aback he was at how loyal the Husker fan following was. He said he wanted to go to college some place where the people loved their football team.
Johnson is solidly in the Huskers' camp. He's banking on the fact that the Nebraska fan base feels the same way.
A solid lead
To be quite honest with you, I was shocked when Adrian Bushell told me earlier this week that Nebraska was in the lead for his services. The speedster from Texas has a lot of other high profile offers to choose from, including Oklahoma, Florida and Cal.
Bushell's main objective is to play and play early and I think he sees an opportunity to do that in Lincoln in 2008. He hopes to visit Lincoln sometime in October.
Look for this blue-chipper to take a visit to Lincoln and then follow it up with visits to Florida and Texas Tech before making a decision. In the end, I see it coming down to a Nebraska versus Texas Tech battle with the Huskers winning out.
Catching the Cyclones
Leonard Johnson is enamored with the Iowa State Cyclones. So much so, that I see him playing his football in Ames even after he takes visits to the more tradition-rich Nebraska and West Virginia programs later this season.
This race will come down to relationships and Iowa State coach Gene Chizik has a leg or two up over any other school recruiting Johnson. Chizik and his wife went to high school with Johnson's father and they were, in fact, friends.
Johnson absolutely loved his visit to Iowa State a couple of weeks ago. He told me, "I know what school I want to commit to. I'm just being patient."
He plans to visit Nebraska over the next few weeks, and I do think he'll make it in. However, he'll sign with the Cyclones in the end. Really, I think his decision has already been made.
It's going to be hard to 'Hook'em'
I talked to one of the better juniors in the state of Texas this season, running back Christian Michael. Though his numbers through his first three games were fairly modest (approximately 200 yards rushing), he'll likely be ranked as one of the top 25 prospects in the state when all is said and done.
Michael is a heavy Texas lean but the good news for fans of other schools is IF he doesn't get offered by Texas, he has a pretty open mind. Though he'd prefer to stay closer to his home in Texas, if possible, he said he's definitely interested in checking out the University of Nebraska over the course of the next year.
Fish Tales?
I've heard interviews with a few select former Husker football players like Broderick Thomas stating that they don't really feel welcome by the Nebraska athletic staff anymore...that Steve Pederson has an agenda to destroy all 'Big Red' tradition.
My younger brother was a starter down in Lincoln in the mid-90s and he has had nothing but positive experiences when he's traveled down to Memorial Stadium to attend practices, tour the facilities, chat with the coaches...etc. Never once has he been made to feel that he wasn't welcome.
I can't imagine that Pederson and the staff treat my brother one way and another former player another. I guess anything is possible.
Final thoughts before Demens announcement
Well the four-star linebacker is making an announcement on Saturday at 1 p.m. EST, right before Nebraska kicks off their home game with Iowa State.
I highly doubt that one can read too much into the time. Talking with those who will be covering the big announcement for Rivals.com on Saturday, it sounds like that was the only time all his family could be there for the big day.
Honestly, people keep asking me for my gut feeling. Logic tells me that he's going to stay in-state. I hear that Michigan State has made quite the push over the last two weeks. His mother obviously really likes Michigan. To make things even more interesting, this week I heard that some people thought Nebraska was the pick. Regardless, it sounds like Kenny has done a good job keeping people guessing.
I don't think it's completely out of the question that Nebraska could be the surprise pick with his friend Jonas Gray committed to the Huskers along with the other NU commits he's become close with. It’s certainly going to be interesting to see what he does on Saturday and we’ll have coverage of the event on the board as soon as Kenny decides from our MichiganPreps.com staff before Nebraska’s kickoff.
More on official visitor
The Woodlands, Texas offensive lineman Brandon Thompson is taking an official visit over the next two weekends.
Thompson's coach, Mark Schmid, says that Thompson will get started this weekend with an official visit to Nebraska. Following that, Schmid says that the 6-foot-6, 280-pounder will be heading to Purdue the following weekend. The Nebraska visit is definitely something that Thompson is excited about.
"Brandon has been excited about the Nebraska offer ever since it came across the table," Schmid said. "He's wanted to get up there and they're bringing him up there this weekend. This is one of his top schools, so this will be an important visit for him."
Schmid's coach filled us in that over the next few weeks, Thompson is likely trying to get things out of the way and make a decision.
"I think Brandon would like to put some closure on this as soon as he can," Schmid said. "I feel like he may go ahead and make a decision after he takes these two visits, just from talking with him. I'm not 100 percent on that, but that's just my gut feeling from my conversations with him."
Thompson's frame and athleticism makes him a versatile prospect as he could probably play any of the offensive line positions and possibly even defensive line.
Etc.
Aside from Thompson, I don't see there being any other official visitors this weekend. As is usually the case, I'm sure there will be in-state prospects that most likely make the short trip unofficially.
I spoke with Boutte (La.) Hahnville wide receiver Laron Byrd this past weekend and his interest in Nebraska has certainly gone up from when I talked to him in the summer. At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, armed with very good speed, Byrd is the type of receiver that the Huskers are obviously looking for in this class. The competition is there for the Huskers, but since he sounds like he'll be setting up a visit to Nebraska, I'd say that a good trip will push the chances for Nebraska way up.
Late Sunday or early Monday we'll also be doing an update to our HuskersIllustrated.com Recruiting Board for the offense followed the next day by an update to the defense.
DeVonte Christopher
A good portion of the time a recruit will be real excited soon after his visit and then he goes on to other visits or gets home and the 'high' is lost. We wanted to see what DeVonte Christopher was feeling, so I gave him a call ? which was real pleasure I might add. He's just a wonderful kid and a classy kid.
"I'm still high on Nebraska." That was put to rest. He is still going to visit Stanford for a game later in the season - probably in November.
He told me that coach Gilmore was at one of his last games and the coach had the chance to say a few words with his mom. He said that the coach was also there to see Juron Criner and Raevon Samuel. He mentioned that Raevon has a lot of offers - true.
The Huskers are still in the driver's seat with DeVonte. I still say NU.
2009 DE Justin Chaisson
The recruitment of DE Justin Chaisson (2009 prospect from Bishop Gorman in Vegas) is going to be fun to watch. I would be very surprised to not see him be in the Rivals.com Top 10 recruits for next year. I could not believe it when he told me he had around 12 sacks and 20 TFL through four games. He could end up with over 30 sacks and 60 TFL for the year - phenomenal. Justin is very, very smart and won't be fooled by BS.
OU has got to be the team to beat. He told me that Demarco Murray and Ryan Reynolds (both Bishop Gorman grads at OU) have been helping him in his recruitment, so you might get the idea...
However, I asked him if he thought about visiting NU. I was speaking of 2008 officially, but he thought I meant 2007. He said, "Definitely! I was planning on going to a game there this year, but it has been our season, you know. That should be one of my official visits." He and his dad will be making some summer visits in 2008, but he says that he probably will 'not' be deciding by this time next year.
Continuing Update on Kuli and Thompson
Kuli and Thompson were excited about NU after the USC game. After the Ball State game: It did not leave them with the same feeling.
As of now, it appears that the odds are continuing to go down on Kuli and Thompson with the American dollar. I see no bottom to either. Both are now at 20% and the arrow is pointing at the floor.
Buddy Wyatt is supposed to be at El Camino College tomorrow (Friday) to see Kuli and Thompson. With no bye for NU until the prior week to the CU game, it appears the coach felt it was important enough to see them. El Camino has had CU, Kansas State, OU, and FSU on campus in just one day last week. Many more will be seeing them doing their walk-through. The coach Wyatt move was prudent.
Trivia for you
I know I may hear about this, but here it goes anyway: I understand that there was some booing going on during the Ball State game. I, personally, just don't go there. I don't get booing anyone during any game and definitely not the team you care about.
Anyway, also...on the West Coast, I have heard that some Husker fans booed the USC reserve fullback that gave a victory sign while he walked off the field. (By the way, a stretcher had been brought out onto the field, as he was unconscious prior to getting up.) He got cheers at first, but they turned to boos as he was walking off.
Folks...believe this or not, Alfred Rowe suffered a concussion and was lucky to walk off...and he thought he was at the L.A. Coliseum playing Idaho and that is why he waved and gave that victory sign.
Before booing (the few that do), you might think about Rowe and that he was not trying to show anyone up and think of the effect on your team by booing. Serves no purpose and you will lose the solid impression of the Husker fan around the country. It is all your choice, though.
This post was edited on 9/27 9:40 PM by John Talman
Duane 'Roz' Rossiter
HuskersIllustrated.com
Recruiting Publisher
"Honesty is necessary in holding things together." - Tom Osborne
***Expect to see more and more of Prince Amukamara and LaTravis Washington. They both had their redshirts pulled in the Ball State game and the plan is to get them into the line-up and work them in on special teams now that their redshirts are burnt. Amukamara is also an excellent punt blocker, so don't be surprised if you see a few punt blocks called for him, especially with the way the defense has been playing.
***I personally think Phillip Dillard should get the start at MIKE, but I'm told that we may still see Corey McKeon get the start on Saturday, but that doesn't mean he'll necessarily play more than Dillard.
***Did anyone else notice that Anthony West was on the field for the final defensive play in the Ball State game? If the veterans continue not to produce, the staff will start playing more and more young faces like West, Amukamara and Anthony Blue.
***I wish I could share all of my 30 minute conversation with Christian Peter this week with you guys…it was classic. One of the things I will share is this…He said: "Sean, what made us so good is first of all we all had a screw loose. To play defense, you have to have a screw loose. I mean we were 28 Prop 48 guys that everybody wrote off. One day we got together and said the hell with everybody else, let's just go out and kick some a$$. What made us so strong was we all knew the guy next to you had your back. If I messed up, I knew somebody was right there to help me."
***Fullback Andy Sand has been slowed the last few weeks with a bad shoulder.
***I don't expect to see Lance Brandenburgh play this week.
***Somebody better offer Omaha Central's Shane Prater and Ronnell Grixby…I'm not saying they are Nebraska caliber guys, but I am saying they are Division I football players.
Though Nebraska's 2008 recruiting class is about 85 percent completed on paper, there are always twists and turns that come. Both for the good and bad. The reality is that by signing day there will certainly be some changes to the compilation of this class. It happens every year, so be expecting it and understand that it's all part of the process when it does occur.
If someone like Riley Reiff should switch from Iowa to Nebraska, it's best not to get too haughty and obnoxious about it because it will almost surely happen to NU down the road. Except for maybe Gabbert, Givens and Steinkuhler, a de-commit or two will not adversely affect how this class shapes up in the end, or have a marked difference in the future talent level of the Husker program.
What Nebraska has going for them no matter how this season develops and eventually turns out is the closeness of the group of commits who comprise this class. Collins Okafor had yet another example of it when he said in John's update of him this week:
"When you commit to a team, you stay committed and you don't take official visits. I felt stronger (after the visit) than ever because the way we ate together as a group, and all that. It just felt unified and really good."
Two of the visitors I talked to after the USC game mentioned to me that at least one of the members of the 2007 recruiting class has lent a hand to the 2008 effort. When I spoke with Nathan Scheelhaase after his unofficial to Lincoln, he said that he had talked to Will Compton even before his trip to NU because Compton had called Blake Lawrence and got his phone number. Scheelhaase and Lawrence have known each other since the second grade.
When I spoke with Cameron Meredith, he told me that Blake Lawrence was one of his hosts and he hung around Blake quite a bit while he was in Lincoln. When I asked Cameron if he was going to keep in touch with any of the recruits and people he met he said, "Yeah, I got Blaine's phone number and I got Blake's number."
With all the recent talk bemoaning the lack of player leadership at Nebraska, there are young players on the way who are already taking ownership of the team and collaborating to ensure that NU's program has a bright future.
Basketball visitor?
Nebraska will be hosting at least one basketball official visitor this weekend in 6-foot-9, 250-pound power forward Dee Proby according to Lufkin (Texas) Angelina C.C. assistant coach Marlon Terry.
Coach Terry said, "Yes, he's coming up to Lincoln by himself. He's a very skilled big man. He can step out and shoot, and he can post it up. He's a real good player, and I think he's going to be really, really good before he's through. He's very talented."
Proby will have two years to play two at the D-I level. Nebraska faces a challenge in that Proby official visited recruiting ace Bob Huggins' West Virginia program last weekend and the trip went well according to coach Terry.
The Huskers do have an "in" with coach Terry in that he came to Angelina C.C from UTEP and he knows Doc Sadler very well. Coach Terry said, "Yes, I know Doc - that's my guy. I was his student assistant at UTEP. He's my mentor." Maybe that will pay dividends here.
I'll be talking to Proby after his visit to see how it went.
Quick Notes
- Cameron Meredith's teammate, junior quarterback Matt Barkley, who has numerous DI offers already, is off to a very hot start. Cameron said, "He's doing really good. This is the second week that he's passed for over 420 yards. It looks like it's going pretty well for him."
- Even though Marc Anthony's mother had glowing things to say about his visit to NU, we kind of thought something was up - good or bad - because Marc would not return our calls after he returned to Arizona. Usually that means something is about to happen and the recruit is laying low. Sure enough, Anthony committed to Cal two days after he got back home. Cal is developing quite a collection of talent out West. Maybe only second to SC. Their program continues to be on the rise.
- It wasn't in the update, but when I asked Nathan Scheelhaase what his parents thought about his visit to Lincoln he said: "They liked it. My dad played against Nebraska when he was at Iowa. When we come out to the field before the game, we didn't do anything but look up into the stands. They liked it all. We got to see the tailgating and all the entertainment when we were walking to the stadium. My mom liked a lot about it. She grew up living in Iowa, so she knew a little about Nebraska, but she liked it more than she expected to."
- A couple additional things about Deion Walker that weren't included in the update I did on him. When I asked him if he's in contact with any other recruits or commits he said: "Yeah, I'm friends with a couple people. E.J. Manuel lives down the street from me. I talk to Brice Butler, and have become friends with Blaine Gabbert and Will Compton. I know that Will committed to Nebraska and we talk quite a bit. I also talk to guys like A.J. Alexander from Pennsylvania."
A little bit of irony
I talked to Keelan Johnson on Sunday evening, a little more than 24 hours after the chorus of boos filled Memorial Stadium. He talked about how he was initially torn between going to Arizona and playing running back (his favorite position) or traveling halfway across the country to play safety at Nebraska.
He said he chose Nebraska because of the outstanding fan support in Lincoln. He told me how taken aback he was at how loyal the Husker fan following was. He said he wanted to go to college some place where the people loved their football team.
Johnson is solidly in the Huskers' camp. He's banking on the fact that the Nebraska fan base feels the same way.
A solid lead
To be quite honest with you, I was shocked when Adrian Bushell told me earlier this week that Nebraska was in the lead for his services. The speedster from Texas has a lot of other high profile offers to choose from, including Oklahoma, Florida and Cal.
Bushell's main objective is to play and play early and I think he sees an opportunity to do that in Lincoln in 2008. He hopes to visit Lincoln sometime in October.
Look for this blue-chipper to take a visit to Lincoln and then follow it up with visits to Florida and Texas Tech before making a decision. In the end, I see it coming down to a Nebraska versus Texas Tech battle with the Huskers winning out.
Catching the Cyclones
Leonard Johnson is enamored with the Iowa State Cyclones. So much so, that I see him playing his football in Ames even after he takes visits to the more tradition-rich Nebraska and West Virginia programs later this season.
This race will come down to relationships and Iowa State coach Gene Chizik has a leg or two up over any other school recruiting Johnson. Chizik and his wife went to high school with Johnson's father and they were, in fact, friends.
Johnson absolutely loved his visit to Iowa State a couple of weeks ago. He told me, "I know what school I want to commit to. I'm just being patient."
He plans to visit Nebraska over the next few weeks, and I do think he'll make it in. However, he'll sign with the Cyclones in the end. Really, I think his decision has already been made.
It's going to be hard to 'Hook'em'
I talked to one of the better juniors in the state of Texas this season, running back Christian Michael. Though his numbers through his first three games were fairly modest (approximately 200 yards rushing), he'll likely be ranked as one of the top 25 prospects in the state when all is said and done.
Michael is a heavy Texas lean but the good news for fans of other schools is IF he doesn't get offered by Texas, he has a pretty open mind. Though he'd prefer to stay closer to his home in Texas, if possible, he said he's definitely interested in checking out the University of Nebraska over the course of the next year.
Fish Tales?
I've heard interviews with a few select former Husker football players like Broderick Thomas stating that they don't really feel welcome by the Nebraska athletic staff anymore...that Steve Pederson has an agenda to destroy all 'Big Red' tradition.
My younger brother was a starter down in Lincoln in the mid-90s and he has had nothing but positive experiences when he's traveled down to Memorial Stadium to attend practices, tour the facilities, chat with the coaches...etc. Never once has he been made to feel that he wasn't welcome.
I can't imagine that Pederson and the staff treat my brother one way and another former player another. I guess anything is possible.
Final thoughts before Demens announcement
Well the four-star linebacker is making an announcement on Saturday at 1 p.m. EST, right before Nebraska kicks off their home game with Iowa State.
I highly doubt that one can read too much into the time. Talking with those who will be covering the big announcement for Rivals.com on Saturday, it sounds like that was the only time all his family could be there for the big day.
Honestly, people keep asking me for my gut feeling. Logic tells me that he's going to stay in-state. I hear that Michigan State has made quite the push over the last two weeks. His mother obviously really likes Michigan. To make things even more interesting, this week I heard that some people thought Nebraska was the pick. Regardless, it sounds like Kenny has done a good job keeping people guessing.
I don't think it's completely out of the question that Nebraska could be the surprise pick with his friend Jonas Gray committed to the Huskers along with the other NU commits he's become close with. It’s certainly going to be interesting to see what he does on Saturday and we’ll have coverage of the event on the board as soon as Kenny decides from our MichiganPreps.com staff before Nebraska’s kickoff.
More on official visitor
The Woodlands, Texas offensive lineman Brandon Thompson is taking an official visit over the next two weekends.
Thompson's coach, Mark Schmid, says that Thompson will get started this weekend with an official visit to Nebraska. Following that, Schmid says that the 6-foot-6, 280-pounder will be heading to Purdue the following weekend. The Nebraska visit is definitely something that Thompson is excited about.
"Brandon has been excited about the Nebraska offer ever since it came across the table," Schmid said. "He's wanted to get up there and they're bringing him up there this weekend. This is one of his top schools, so this will be an important visit for him."
Schmid's coach filled us in that over the next few weeks, Thompson is likely trying to get things out of the way and make a decision.
"I think Brandon would like to put some closure on this as soon as he can," Schmid said. "I feel like he may go ahead and make a decision after he takes these two visits, just from talking with him. I'm not 100 percent on that, but that's just my gut feeling from my conversations with him."
Thompson's frame and athleticism makes him a versatile prospect as he could probably play any of the offensive line positions and possibly even defensive line.
Etc.
Aside from Thompson, I don't see there being any other official visitors this weekend. As is usually the case, I'm sure there will be in-state prospects that most likely make the short trip unofficially.
I spoke with Boutte (La.) Hahnville wide receiver Laron Byrd this past weekend and his interest in Nebraska has certainly gone up from when I talked to him in the summer. At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, armed with very good speed, Byrd is the type of receiver that the Huskers are obviously looking for in this class. The competition is there for the Huskers, but since he sounds like he'll be setting up a visit to Nebraska, I'd say that a good trip will push the chances for Nebraska way up.
Late Sunday or early Monday we'll also be doing an update to our HuskersIllustrated.com Recruiting Board for the offense followed the next day by an update to the defense.
DeVonte Christopher
A good portion of the time a recruit will be real excited soon after his visit and then he goes on to other visits or gets home and the 'high' is lost. We wanted to see what DeVonte Christopher was feeling, so I gave him a call ? which was real pleasure I might add. He's just a wonderful kid and a classy kid.
"I'm still high on Nebraska." That was put to rest. He is still going to visit Stanford for a game later in the season - probably in November.
He told me that coach Gilmore was at one of his last games and the coach had the chance to say a few words with his mom. He said that the coach was also there to see Juron Criner and Raevon Samuel. He mentioned that Raevon has a lot of offers - true.
The Huskers are still in the driver's seat with DeVonte. I still say NU.
2009 DE Justin Chaisson
The recruitment of DE Justin Chaisson (2009 prospect from Bishop Gorman in Vegas) is going to be fun to watch. I would be very surprised to not see him be in the Rivals.com Top 10 recruits for next year. I could not believe it when he told me he had around 12 sacks and 20 TFL through four games. He could end up with over 30 sacks and 60 TFL for the year - phenomenal. Justin is very, very smart and won't be fooled by BS.
OU has got to be the team to beat. He told me that Demarco Murray and Ryan Reynolds (both Bishop Gorman grads at OU) have been helping him in his recruitment, so you might get the idea...
However, I asked him if he thought about visiting NU. I was speaking of 2008 officially, but he thought I meant 2007. He said, "Definitely! I was planning on going to a game there this year, but it has been our season, you know. That should be one of my official visits." He and his dad will be making some summer visits in 2008, but he says that he probably will 'not' be deciding by this time next year.
Continuing Update on Kuli and Thompson
Kuli and Thompson were excited about NU after the USC game. After the Ball State game: It did not leave them with the same feeling.
As of now, it appears that the odds are continuing to go down on Kuli and Thompson with the American dollar. I see no bottom to either. Both are now at 20% and the arrow is pointing at the floor.
Buddy Wyatt is supposed to be at El Camino College tomorrow (Friday) to see Kuli and Thompson. With no bye for NU until the prior week to the CU game, it appears the coach felt it was important enough to see them. El Camino has had CU, Kansas State, OU, and FSU on campus in just one day last week. Many more will be seeing them doing their walk-through. The coach Wyatt move was prudent.
Trivia for you
I know I may hear about this, but here it goes anyway: I understand that there was some booing going on during the Ball State game. I, personally, just don't go there. I don't get booing anyone during any game and definitely not the team you care about.
Anyway, also...on the West Coast, I have heard that some Husker fans booed the USC reserve fullback that gave a victory sign while he walked off the field. (By the way, a stretcher had been brought out onto the field, as he was unconscious prior to getting up.) He got cheers at first, but they turned to boos as he was walking off.
Folks...believe this or not, Alfred Rowe suffered a concussion and was lucky to walk off...and he thought he was at the L.A. Coliseum playing Idaho and that is why he waved and gave that victory sign.
Before booing (the few that do), you might think about Rowe and that he was not trying to show anyone up and think of the effect on your team by booing. Serves no purpose and you will lose the solid impression of the Husker fan around the country. It is all your choice, though.
This post was edited on 9/27 9:40 PM by John Talman
Duane 'Roz' Rossiter
HuskersIllustrated.com
Recruiting Publisher
"Honesty is necessary in holding things together." - Tom Osborne
