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**TUNNEL TALK** - 8/9/07........... Reply
Once again, it is time for another installment of the TUNNEL TALK. As always, I'll begin with this session with the ground rules for those of you who might be new. Everything that is reported in the TUNNEL TALK must stay in the TUNNEL TALK. That is the way this deal works. Sometimes the info is somewhat sensitive enough that it simply doesn't need to be passed on beyond the doors of this thread. This is a special feature for subscribers ONLY. The reason why it is posted on the Premium Board is because it is the only way to ensure that the info is exclusive to Huskers Illustrated. This will only work if everyone helps make it work, and so far we have not had any problems.
What I’m hearing in fall camp
***Freshman running back Quentin Castille is an absolute freak and running backs coach Randy Jordan loves the potential he sees in him already. This guy should have a nice role within the offense this season.
***Freshman wide receiver Curenski Gilleylen has really caught the eye of Ted Gilmore. Gilleylen has big time speed and that should get him on the field this season.
***We've heard a lot about Castille, but fellow freshman running back Roy Helu has been equally impressive. He's gotten a lot of reps, and he appears to be a fixture at running back and he won't be moving to defense anytime soon.
***Even though junior defensive tackle Kevin Dixon wasn't here this summer, he entered camp in pretty good condition. This guy will play and he brings quickness to the position NU needs.
***I wrote about Zach Potter in Wednesday's practice report, and like I said, he has made some nice gains. I predict he holds down his spot, but Ty Steinkuhler will flip over there as well.
***Freshman cornerback Prince Amukamara is being looked at to return punts and kicks. This guy could end up being special.
***I predict that sophomore Major Culbert will move back over to defense sometime this month. Castille and Helu have already shown they can be capable backs.
***Freshman quarterback Patrick Witt looks good in camp, by the end of the year, I could see him being NU's No. 2 QB behind Keller. He's so smart and his physical tools are very impressive.
More on Meredith
Cameron Meredith is in Lincoln as you read this, and there aren't that many slots left in this class for defensive ends since NU commits Josh Williams and Eric Harper both project to that position. Some who are still possibilities to fill the one or two remaining spots are Meredith, Simi Kuli, Aldon Smith (who's also unofficially visiting on Saturday), Dion Jordan, Aki Vakalahi and even Kapron Lewis-Moore who just indicated that he is still considering Nebraska.
Both Jordan and Smith could also play tight end. Jordan prefers to play tight end and it's easy to understand why as he totaled over 800 yards with 13 touchdowns at the position as a junior. Smith played receiver for Raytown last season, and with his physical makeup at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, he easily could make the transition to tight end. Harper could even move to tight end if it came to that, but I don't foresee that happening.
Getting any two or three of the above group is not beyond the realm of possibility and would come close to putting the finishing touches on NU's 2008 class.
Meredith has visited Oklahoma, Oregon and Arizona on unofficial visits this summer. Now Nebraska gets its shot. It helps NU's chances a lot that his mom and dad will be accompanying him and that they will be staying for nearly four days. Being a SoCal kid, Meredith attended a session of USC's summer camp hoping to draw a Trojan offer. While at the camp, Meredith separated and sprained his shoulder.
Before the injury, he went up against SC offensive line commit Matt Kalil, who's rated as the No. 6 prospect in the entire country this year according to Rivals. In Kalil's blurb in the Rivals100, it says: "Kalil is a franchise left tackle that can't be beat on the pass rush." Granted, they weren't wearing pads, but you can judge for yourself the validity of that statement by watching this video clip: Cameron Meredith versus Matt Kalil
Cameron never did get that SC offer and has since moved on to other schools. When I spoke with Cameron's mom, she told me what she and Cameron's father's thoughts on his recruiting were. She said, "My husband was previously gung-ho for USC, but he is now very excited about Nebraska. I've liked Nebraska and Oklahoma all along. I just like the people in the heartland and the south."
Though Cameron's parents have their opinions on which schools they favor, Mrs. Meredith stressed to me that Cameron will be making up his own mind about which situation is the best for him.
On Tuesday afternoon, I asked Cameron what he was looking forward to seeing on his visit to Nebraska. He said, "I just want to see how the coaches and players interact with each other and stuff. I also want to see the town, and the whole football program and how it's run. I want to see the business school, too."
I'll speak with Cameron to get his full impressions of his visit sometime this weekend.
Most Wanted Recruits:
(Remember, these are the uncommitted prospects you should like NU to sign - in my opinion, and has nothing to do with the NU coaches' preferences.)
There are precious few slots left to fill for this 2008 class (approximately 6-8), so I thought I'd add my "most wanted" list again this year to see how it compares and contrasts with your own.
1. OL Trevor Robinson - When you have premium recruits in the state of Nebraska, it's imperative to get them all locked up. NU still needs Trevor in this class.
2. DE Simi Kuli - Possible five-star JUCO is plenty good in his own right, but he could bring his talented teammate with him.
3. DL Justin Thompson - If Kuli comes to Nebraska, there's a good shot this former-Miami commit would follow him.
4. TE/DE Dion Jordan - Would be a difference-maker on either side of the ball, and would keep the Arizona pipeline primed.
5. LB Kenny Demens - His film clips are as good as any middle linebacker in the country.
6. CB Marc Anthony - Showed quickness, fluid hips and good change of direction at the Palo Alto NIKE camp, some of which is seen in this video.
7. S Victor Johnson - Big-time enforcer as a safety in Texas.
8. WR Raevon Samuel - It's hard to go wrong with those basketball/football combination athletes when you play them at receiver. Just look at Mo Purify.
[ Wildcards (plug them in above and it's still a nice group): Cameron Meredith, D'Anton Lynn, Adrian Bushell, Brandon Leslie, Aldon Smith ]
Gimm's decision and more
Jonathan Gimm had his mind made up. He was going to be a Cornhusker. That is what he communicated to me last week (8/1). However, he told me today (8/8) that "things fell through" with that plan when he called to talk with the Nebraska coaches. He said they were very up front and honest with him, telling him that they only had a few scholarships left to offer. He said they asked him to wait a bit longer with his decision, assuring him that they were still interested in his talents on the football field and in the classroom.
Soon after that conversation with Husker coaches, Iowa offered Gimm. Understandably, Gimm decided to take that "sure" opportunity and committed to the Hawkeye staff a couple of days later. Iowa was Gimm's favorite school early in the recruiting process. He has a lot of family in the Iowa City area, including an older brother that attends school there. He told me that they were all extremely excited about his decision to spend his college years in Iowa City.
I am confident that Gimm will have a very happy and productive four years in Iowa City. He's an outstanding young man with a bright future.
Chance for Dotsy?
I'd be very surprised if Vaughn Dotsy ever stepped foot on Nebraska's campus. The mammoth offensive lineman from California is aware of the Husker's tradition and, admittedly, has a ton of respect for the Nebraska football program. The problem? He's skeptical that he'd like living in the area.
"I'm thinking about (visiting) them," Dotsy said. "But I'm hearing from people that say there's not much out there (to do). One of my coaches lived out that way for a while."
"I know they love football out there but it's not like Florida, where there's a lot to do."
Right now, the chances of Dotsy visiting Lincoln are slim (10 percent chance) and the chances of him committing to the Huskers are even slimmer (5 percent or less). The question is: Do the Huskers even have a spot available for him?
The factors for Smith
Defensive end/tight end [Aldon Smith[/db] will be in Lincoln with his father on Saturday, Aug. 11. Smith has claimed for the last couple of months that Missouri, Kansas State and Nebraska were all in a dead heat for his commitment.
I found one comment very interesting from him in the interview I conducted with him on Monday (8/6). He said, "I want to get a chance to play. It would be nice to go to a big name school, but to go to a big name school and play would be even better."
When I asked him to clarify the comment a bit more, he indicated that he'd rather go to a lesser program and have the opportunity to play early than to go to a bigger name program and have to wait his turn.
Translation, I'd be surprised is he ended up at Nebraska. With Simi Kuli, Dion Jordan and Cameron Meredith also high on the Huskers, there may be some doubt as to whether Nebraska will even have room. My prediction, Smith ends up at Missouri in the end.
Hoch is 100 percent
I had a chance to catch up with Dan Hoch since it's been a while. Hoch is currently in full swing preparation for his senior season and sounded very excited about it. Not that there was any doubt, but the four-star commit is just as solid as he was to Nebraska when he committed.
He also talked about how there is such a close bond between him and the other offensive line commits.
"We have a pretty good bond going," Hoch said. "Whenever you have the talent level you have, you'll do whatever you can and raise that up yourself. Then I also know coach Wagner is going to do the best job you can. It's going to be a journey and a ride."
Hoch says that he has had a chance to talk with Trevor Robinson in the past and said that Robinson knows that he and other commits want him at Nebraska. But, Hoch also made sure Trevor knew he felt that it was his decision.
I'll have more in Hoch's update this weekend or early next week.
Fullback option?
Another guy who appears to have popped up on the radar somewhat is Waller, Texas defensive tackle/fullback Eddie Brown. It's pretty rare to see a guy who is at that size be looked at the fullback position, but having seen him in person at the Rivals.com Houston Junior Day earlier this year, I can tell you that none of this is bad weight.
Brown says he did receive a Nebraska offer some time ago, but while most schools are recruiting him as a linebacker or defensive tackle, the Huskers have talked about recruiting him as a fullback.
At this point, he doesn't have a favorite but says that Nebraska, along with Oklahoma State and Texas Tech are the most likely visits he can think of to date.
Etc.
I talked about this on the board, but I'll say that David Whitmore is a guy that should move up through the rankings. Now obviously he didn't get the four-star ranking this time around, but I wouldn't be one bit surprised to see him jump up the rankings to a higher three star and then have a great shot at four down the road. Everybody I've spoken with that watched him this summer says that they were pleasantly surprised. At the time he was ranked, there really wasn't much to go on but some highlight film.
I also must say that from when I was covering Texas exclusively for Rivals and to now that I'm consistently surprised at how well Nebraska does not just in receiving commitments from some top players, but their evaluation of these players before they became bigger names. Especially with guy like Whitmore and Josh Williams. Then go back and look at a guy like Castille who I remember people in Texas telling me when his recruitment first began that they didn't think he could play running back and he'd be best suited for linebacker. I'd say NU did a good job seeing the potential there.
People don't realize how tough of a state Texas is to recruit either. There have also been cycles that have certainly not helped out-of-state teams besides LSU, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State. With recruiting starting in Texas much earlier with junior days, some of which happen pre-Signing Day, it makes everybody else have to play catch-up. The staff at Nebraska has still done an excellent job going in and getting quality prospects and players. I don't expect that not to continue in the 2009 class as well.
Some guys that are going to heavily recruited guys by anyone and everyone in Texas for 2009 include Russell Shepard, a dual-threat quarterback from the Houston area who's highlights have already been talked about endlessly on the message boards. The other two big ones are defensive tackle Jamarkus McFarland from Lufkin, Texas who some believe could be one of the best out of that school (which is saying a lot). Big back Chris Whaley is the next big Lone Star State running back recruit along with Beaumont's Christian Michael. Don't be surprised if Nebraska, like many others, gets involved with more top Texas prospects in 2009 and 2010. More importantly, don’t be surprised if they discover some more prospects before some others.
Top JUCO duo visiting?
I was all set to do a rundown on why I say this class will end up at the No. 12 spot in the end, but I will delay that until next week. The reason I wanted to do it is because some have asked on the board and in emails to me.
However, let's go over Simi Kuli, DE supreme, and Justin Thompson, DT supreme. First, they are both extremely important for this class.
Brad Hoiseth has told me that Simi should get five-stars and Justin four. With as much attention both are getting I cannot see how both should not have five, but Rivals just won't give out more than 3-4 five stars. Look at their offer list (see link to name). Plus, remember that 'every' Pac-10 school has offered except USC and Stanford. Tack on Miami, Tennessee, LSU, Ohio State and Oklahoma. Thompson really likes Cal from the Pac-10 - write that down.
Both are from El Camino JC - one of the best programs in the nation this year - probably the best.
Allball78 posted on Wednesday the following:
El Camino starts practice on Thursday night. Kuli is set to come out for the A@M game unless all the spots are taken. If that is the case it will look like he will go to Oklahoma who is saving a spot for him till the very end. Thompson is going to LSU on Oct 6th and he has to decide if he is going to Ohio St or Nebraska on the 20th. Justin might not make up his mind till January. Hope this helps.
I am not going to say who that is anymore than I am going to say who you are, but he sure knows of what he speaks and let's let it go at that.
Let me expand and maybe throw in a wrench on the 10-20 visit.
As you probably know, most all JC games are on Saturdays just like D-I games. They usually have one bye week and maybe a game on a Friday. El Camino's bye week is 10-6 and Huskers are in Mo., so forget that. As Allball78 says: Justin is going to LSU for their battle against Florida (that is all dialed in folks). That is a night game (see LSU official site) and from everything I have always heard a night game there is beyond belief.
Coach Miles has been in contact with Justin and he has talked to Simi too. He wants both of them and the chances of both going there for a visit are very strong. El Camino WR (probably five star) that is a CU commit: Likely going to visit LSU and commit there. The QB is being recruited by LSU.
Another trouble spot for the Huskers is that Bob Stoops has been trying to get Simi to OU. He has talked to him frequently. Luckily for NU, Simi won't be going to OU on 10-6 - they have an away game too, but you can expect Stoops to move heaven and earth go him in for a visit.
A&M is at home on 10-6 and Oregon, who has a lot of Polynesian kids, has an open date that same weekend. Simi could pop up to Eugene for that easy flight on 10-5.
Mizzou wants Simi for the NU game. Toss them in there too. Simi might go to on an unofficial to UT to see them play OU.
Simi is 'really' interested in NU ("extremely high" interest), but he will not be in for an unofficial as originally thought, so chuck that idea for both of them.
That leaves the 10-20 game or maybe just before Christmas (not likely as El Camino will have bowl game) or in January.
Why the problem with the 10-20 game? He plays on Friday night (probable start at 7 p.m.) and the game probably won't be over until about 10 p.m. or after and then he has to get to LAX and get on a flight. American Airlines has a red-eye leaving LAX at 12:20 a.m. and 12:55 p.m. (Saturday AM) - it could be done, but with the security check-in, etc., it will be tough. Plus, there is the task of getting to the airport.
Oh, Ohio State wants Justin to visit for their game against Michigan State on 10-20 too. Simi follow along? Doubt it, but who knows.
Fans should hope the A&M game is at night or he commits before making an official visit - I hear it is a possibility. Then one should hope that Justin makes it in for the same weekend.
Here is another possibility: Both could fly in on a Sunday and leave on a Monday - but they would miss the game atmosphere.
Package deal? Looks like it 'might' be to Cal, Oregon, LSU, OU, Ohio St. or NU. Stay tuned.
Duane 'Roz' Rossiter
HuskersIllustrated.com
Recruiting Publisher
Once again, it is time for another installment of the TUNNEL TALK. As always, I'll begin with this session with the ground rules for those of you who might be new. Everything that is reported in the TUNNEL TALK must stay in the TUNNEL TALK. That is the way this deal works. Sometimes the info is somewhat sensitive enough that it simply doesn't need to be passed on beyond the doors of this thread. This is a special feature for subscribers ONLY. The reason why it is posted on the Premium Board is because it is the only way to ensure that the info is exclusive to Huskers Illustrated. This will only work if everyone helps make it work, and so far we have not had any problems.
What I’m hearing in fall camp
***Freshman running back Quentin Castille is an absolute freak and running backs coach Randy Jordan loves the potential he sees in him already. This guy should have a nice role within the offense this season.
***Freshman wide receiver Curenski Gilleylen has really caught the eye of Ted Gilmore. Gilleylen has big time speed and that should get him on the field this season.
***We've heard a lot about Castille, but fellow freshman running back Roy Helu has been equally impressive. He's gotten a lot of reps, and he appears to be a fixture at running back and he won't be moving to defense anytime soon.
***Even though junior defensive tackle Kevin Dixon wasn't here this summer, he entered camp in pretty good condition. This guy will play and he brings quickness to the position NU needs.
***I wrote about Zach Potter in Wednesday's practice report, and like I said, he has made some nice gains. I predict he holds down his spot, but Ty Steinkuhler will flip over there as well.
***Freshman cornerback Prince Amukamara is being looked at to return punts and kicks. This guy could end up being special.
***I predict that sophomore Major Culbert will move back over to defense sometime this month. Castille and Helu have already shown they can be capable backs.
***Freshman quarterback Patrick Witt looks good in camp, by the end of the year, I could see him being NU's No. 2 QB behind Keller. He's so smart and his physical tools are very impressive.
More on Meredith
Cameron Meredith is in Lincoln as you read this, and there aren't that many slots left in this class for defensive ends since NU commits Josh Williams and Eric Harper both project to that position. Some who are still possibilities to fill the one or two remaining spots are Meredith, Simi Kuli, Aldon Smith (who's also unofficially visiting on Saturday), Dion Jordan, Aki Vakalahi and even Kapron Lewis-Moore who just indicated that he is still considering Nebraska.
Both Jordan and Smith could also play tight end. Jordan prefers to play tight end and it's easy to understand why as he totaled over 800 yards with 13 touchdowns at the position as a junior. Smith played receiver for Raytown last season, and with his physical makeup at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, he easily could make the transition to tight end. Harper could even move to tight end if it came to that, but I don't foresee that happening.
Getting any two or three of the above group is not beyond the realm of possibility and would come close to putting the finishing touches on NU's 2008 class.
Meredith has visited Oklahoma, Oregon and Arizona on unofficial visits this summer. Now Nebraska gets its shot. It helps NU's chances a lot that his mom and dad will be accompanying him and that they will be staying for nearly four days. Being a SoCal kid, Meredith attended a session of USC's summer camp hoping to draw a Trojan offer. While at the camp, Meredith separated and sprained his shoulder.
Before the injury, he went up against SC offensive line commit Matt Kalil, who's rated as the No. 6 prospect in the entire country this year according to Rivals. In Kalil's blurb in the Rivals100, it says: "Kalil is a franchise left tackle that can't be beat on the pass rush." Granted, they weren't wearing pads, but you can judge for yourself the validity of that statement by watching this video clip: Cameron Meredith versus Matt Kalil
Cameron never did get that SC offer and has since moved on to other schools. When I spoke with Cameron's mom, she told me what she and Cameron's father's thoughts on his recruiting were. She said, "My husband was previously gung-ho for USC, but he is now very excited about Nebraska. I've liked Nebraska and Oklahoma all along. I just like the people in the heartland and the south."
Though Cameron's parents have their opinions on which schools they favor, Mrs. Meredith stressed to me that Cameron will be making up his own mind about which situation is the best for him.
On Tuesday afternoon, I asked Cameron what he was looking forward to seeing on his visit to Nebraska. He said, "I just want to see how the coaches and players interact with each other and stuff. I also want to see the town, and the whole football program and how it's run. I want to see the business school, too."
I'll speak with Cameron to get his full impressions of his visit sometime this weekend.
Most Wanted Recruits:
(Remember, these are the uncommitted prospects you should like NU to sign - in my opinion, and has nothing to do with the NU coaches' preferences.)
There are precious few slots left to fill for this 2008 class (approximately 6-8), so I thought I'd add my "most wanted" list again this year to see how it compares and contrasts with your own.
1. OL Trevor Robinson - When you have premium recruits in the state of Nebraska, it's imperative to get them all locked up. NU still needs Trevor in this class.
2. DE Simi Kuli - Possible five-star JUCO is plenty good in his own right, but he could bring his talented teammate with him.
3. DL Justin Thompson - If Kuli comes to Nebraska, there's a good shot this former-Miami commit would follow him.
4. TE/DE Dion Jordan - Would be a difference-maker on either side of the ball, and would keep the Arizona pipeline primed.
5. LB Kenny Demens - His film clips are as good as any middle linebacker in the country.
6. CB Marc Anthony - Showed quickness, fluid hips and good change of direction at the Palo Alto NIKE camp, some of which is seen in this video.
7. S Victor Johnson - Big-time enforcer as a safety in Texas.
8. WR Raevon Samuel - It's hard to go wrong with those basketball/football combination athletes when you play them at receiver. Just look at Mo Purify.
[ Wildcards (plug them in above and it's still a nice group): Cameron Meredith, D'Anton Lynn, Adrian Bushell, Brandon Leslie, Aldon Smith ]
Gimm's decision and more
Jonathan Gimm had his mind made up. He was going to be a Cornhusker. That is what he communicated to me last week (8/1). However, he told me today (8/8) that "things fell through" with that plan when he called to talk with the Nebraska coaches. He said they were very up front and honest with him, telling him that they only had a few scholarships left to offer. He said they asked him to wait a bit longer with his decision, assuring him that they were still interested in his talents on the football field and in the classroom.
Soon after that conversation with Husker coaches, Iowa offered Gimm. Understandably, Gimm decided to take that "sure" opportunity and committed to the Hawkeye staff a couple of days later. Iowa was Gimm's favorite school early in the recruiting process. He has a lot of family in the Iowa City area, including an older brother that attends school there. He told me that they were all extremely excited about his decision to spend his college years in Iowa City.
I am confident that Gimm will have a very happy and productive four years in Iowa City. He's an outstanding young man with a bright future.
Chance for Dotsy?
I'd be very surprised if Vaughn Dotsy ever stepped foot on Nebraska's campus. The mammoth offensive lineman from California is aware of the Husker's tradition and, admittedly, has a ton of respect for the Nebraska football program. The problem? He's skeptical that he'd like living in the area.
"I'm thinking about (visiting) them," Dotsy said. "But I'm hearing from people that say there's not much out there (to do). One of my coaches lived out that way for a while."
"I know they love football out there but it's not like Florida, where there's a lot to do."
Right now, the chances of Dotsy visiting Lincoln are slim (10 percent chance) and the chances of him committing to the Huskers are even slimmer (5 percent or less). The question is: Do the Huskers even have a spot available for him?
The factors for Smith
Defensive end/tight end [Aldon Smith[/db] will be in Lincoln with his father on Saturday, Aug. 11. Smith has claimed for the last couple of months that Missouri, Kansas State and Nebraska were all in a dead heat for his commitment.
I found one comment very interesting from him in the interview I conducted with him on Monday (8/6). He said, "I want to get a chance to play. It would be nice to go to a big name school, but to go to a big name school and play would be even better."
When I asked him to clarify the comment a bit more, he indicated that he'd rather go to a lesser program and have the opportunity to play early than to go to a bigger name program and have to wait his turn.
Translation, I'd be surprised is he ended up at Nebraska. With Simi Kuli, Dion Jordan and Cameron Meredith also high on the Huskers, there may be some doubt as to whether Nebraska will even have room. My prediction, Smith ends up at Missouri in the end.
Hoch is 100 percent
I had a chance to catch up with Dan Hoch since it's been a while. Hoch is currently in full swing preparation for his senior season and sounded very excited about it. Not that there was any doubt, but the four-star commit is just as solid as he was to Nebraska when he committed.
He also talked about how there is such a close bond between him and the other offensive line commits.
"We have a pretty good bond going," Hoch said. "Whenever you have the talent level you have, you'll do whatever you can and raise that up yourself. Then I also know coach Wagner is going to do the best job you can. It's going to be a journey and a ride."
Hoch says that he has had a chance to talk with Trevor Robinson in the past and said that Robinson knows that he and other commits want him at Nebraska. But, Hoch also made sure Trevor knew he felt that it was his decision.
I'll have more in Hoch's update this weekend or early next week.
Fullback option?
Another guy who appears to have popped up on the radar somewhat is Waller, Texas defensive tackle/fullback Eddie Brown. It's pretty rare to see a guy who is at that size be looked at the fullback position, but having seen him in person at the Rivals.com Houston Junior Day earlier this year, I can tell you that none of this is bad weight.
Brown says he did receive a Nebraska offer some time ago, but while most schools are recruiting him as a linebacker or defensive tackle, the Huskers have talked about recruiting him as a fullback.
At this point, he doesn't have a favorite but says that Nebraska, along with Oklahoma State and Texas Tech are the most likely visits he can think of to date.
Etc.
I talked about this on the board, but I'll say that David Whitmore is a guy that should move up through the rankings. Now obviously he didn't get the four-star ranking this time around, but I wouldn't be one bit surprised to see him jump up the rankings to a higher three star and then have a great shot at four down the road. Everybody I've spoken with that watched him this summer says that they were pleasantly surprised. At the time he was ranked, there really wasn't much to go on but some highlight film.
I also must say that from when I was covering Texas exclusively for Rivals and to now that I'm consistently surprised at how well Nebraska does not just in receiving commitments from some top players, but their evaluation of these players before they became bigger names. Especially with guy like Whitmore and Josh Williams. Then go back and look at a guy like Castille who I remember people in Texas telling me when his recruitment first began that they didn't think he could play running back and he'd be best suited for linebacker. I'd say NU did a good job seeing the potential there.
People don't realize how tough of a state Texas is to recruit either. There have also been cycles that have certainly not helped out-of-state teams besides LSU, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State. With recruiting starting in Texas much earlier with junior days, some of which happen pre-Signing Day, it makes everybody else have to play catch-up. The staff at Nebraska has still done an excellent job going in and getting quality prospects and players. I don't expect that not to continue in the 2009 class as well.
Some guys that are going to heavily recruited guys by anyone and everyone in Texas for 2009 include Russell Shepard, a dual-threat quarterback from the Houston area who's highlights have already been talked about endlessly on the message boards. The other two big ones are defensive tackle Jamarkus McFarland from Lufkin, Texas who some believe could be one of the best out of that school (which is saying a lot). Big back Chris Whaley is the next big Lone Star State running back recruit along with Beaumont's Christian Michael. Don't be surprised if Nebraska, like many others, gets involved with more top Texas prospects in 2009 and 2010. More importantly, don’t be surprised if they discover some more prospects before some others.
Top JUCO duo visiting?
I was all set to do a rundown on why I say this class will end up at the No. 12 spot in the end, but I will delay that until next week. The reason I wanted to do it is because some have asked on the board and in emails to me.
However, let's go over Simi Kuli, DE supreme, and Justin Thompson, DT supreme. First, they are both extremely important for this class.
Brad Hoiseth has told me that Simi should get five-stars and Justin four. With as much attention both are getting I cannot see how both should not have five, but Rivals just won't give out more than 3-4 five stars. Look at their offer list (see link to name). Plus, remember that 'every' Pac-10 school has offered except USC and Stanford. Tack on Miami, Tennessee, LSU, Ohio State and Oklahoma. Thompson really likes Cal from the Pac-10 - write that down.
Both are from El Camino JC - one of the best programs in the nation this year - probably the best.
Allball78 posted on Wednesday the following:
El Camino starts practice on Thursday night. Kuli is set to come out for the A@M game unless all the spots are taken. If that is the case it will look like he will go to Oklahoma who is saving a spot for him till the very end. Thompson is going to LSU on Oct 6th and he has to decide if he is going to Ohio St or Nebraska on the 20th. Justin might not make up his mind till January. Hope this helps.
I am not going to say who that is anymore than I am going to say who you are, but he sure knows of what he speaks and let's let it go at that.
Let me expand and maybe throw in a wrench on the 10-20 visit.
As you probably know, most all JC games are on Saturdays just like D-I games. They usually have one bye week and maybe a game on a Friday. El Camino's bye week is 10-6 and Huskers are in Mo., so forget that. As Allball78 says: Justin is going to LSU for their battle against Florida (that is all dialed in folks). That is a night game (see LSU official site) and from everything I have always heard a night game there is beyond belief.
Coach Miles has been in contact with Justin and he has talked to Simi too. He wants both of them and the chances of both going there for a visit are very strong. El Camino WR (probably five star) that is a CU commit: Likely going to visit LSU and commit there. The QB is being recruited by LSU.
Another trouble spot for the Huskers is that Bob Stoops has been trying to get Simi to OU. He has talked to him frequently. Luckily for NU, Simi won't be going to OU on 10-6 - they have an away game too, but you can expect Stoops to move heaven and earth go him in for a visit.
A&M is at home on 10-6 and Oregon, who has a lot of Polynesian kids, has an open date that same weekend. Simi could pop up to Eugene for that easy flight on 10-5.
Mizzou wants Simi for the NU game. Toss them in there too. Simi might go to on an unofficial to UT to see them play OU.
Simi is 'really' interested in NU ("extremely high" interest), but he will not be in for an unofficial as originally thought, so chuck that idea for both of them.
That leaves the 10-20 game or maybe just before Christmas (not likely as El Camino will have bowl game) or in January.
Why the problem with the 10-20 game? He plays on Friday night (probable start at 7 p.m.) and the game probably won't be over until about 10 p.m. or after and then he has to get to LAX and get on a flight. American Airlines has a red-eye leaving LAX at 12:20 a.m. and 12:55 p.m. (Saturday AM) - it could be done, but with the security check-in, etc., it will be tough. Plus, there is the task of getting to the airport.
Oh, Ohio State wants Justin to visit for their game against Michigan State on 10-20 too. Simi follow along? Doubt it, but who knows.
Fans should hope the A&M game is at night or he commits before making an official visit - I hear it is a possibility. Then one should hope that Justin makes it in for the same weekend.
Here is another possibility: Both could fly in on a Sunday and leave on a Monday - but they would miss the game atmosphere.
Package deal? Looks like it 'might' be to Cal, Oregon, LSU, OU, Ohio St. or NU. Stay tuned.
Duane 'Roz' Rossiter
HuskersIllustrated.com
Recruiting Publisher
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