28 replies to this topic

[mNhhh]

Recruiting: Four-star DE visiting Saturday

BY Sam McKewon / 8:49 pm, Monday, Feb. 20 / Comments (5)
Hosting the Big Ten Track and Field Championships has its dividends for the Nebraska program — the football team.

Brookfield (Wis.) Central defensive end Chikwe Obasih will be in Lincoln to watch his sister — Chidera Obasih — run sprints for Minnesota’s women. The four-star prospect also take a unofficial tour of NU while he’s at it.

The six-foot-four, 240-pounder hasn’t heard much from the Huskers — who have been zeroing in on another Wisconsin defensive end prospect, A.J. Natter — but he knows coach Bo Pelini’s defensive reputation.

“He’s a very fiery coach,” Obaish told Huskers Illustrated. “They are top defensively. Defense is what they are known for most of the time.”

Read more »

Recruiting: Top-rated QB looks for ‘more passing’ in NU offense

BY Sam McKewon / 7:42 pm, Monday, Feb. 20 / Comments (23)
Dayton (Ohio) Alter quarterback Malik Zaire might seem like a shoo-in for Ohio State — especially since Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes have offered.

But the 6-foot-1, 185-pound prospect has Nebraska and Pittsburgh in his top three, too. He’s already made a visit to the Panthers. Now four-star signal-caller — ranked as the No. 3 dual-threat quarterback in the country and the No. 113 player overall according to 247Sports — will head to Lincoln soon.

“I’m a huge fan of Nebraska and I really like Nebraska a lot,” he told Huskers Illustrated. “I’m trying to schedule my visit for early March. I’m trying to get there as early as possible just to get it out of the way. I’m planning on committing after visiting there …

[LouisvilleHusker]

mNhhh, on 21 February 2012 - 09:37 AM, said:

Recruiting: Four-star DE visiting Saturday

BY Sam McKewon / 8:49 pm, Monday, Feb. 20 / Comments (5)
Hosting the Big Ten Track and Field Championships has its dividends for the Nebraska program — the football team.

Brookfield (Wis.) Central defensive end Chikwe Obasih will be in Lincoln to watch his sister — Chidera Obasih — run sprints for Minnesota’s women. The four-star prospect also take a unofficial tour of NU while he’s at it.

The six-foot-four, 240-pounder hasn’t heard much from the Huskers — who have been zeroing in on another Wisconsin defensive end prospect, A.J. Natter — but he knows coach Bo Pelini’s defensive reputation.

“He’s a very fiery coach,” Obaish told Huskers Illustrated. “They are top defensively. Defense is what they are known for most of the time.”

Read more »

Recruiting: Top-rated QB looks for ‘more passing’ in NU offense

BY Sam McKewon / 7:42 pm, Monday, Feb. 20 / Comments (23)
Dayton (Ohio) Alter quarterback Malik Zaire might seem like a shoo-in for Ohio State — especially since Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes have offered.

But the 6-foot-1, 185-pound prospect has Nebraska and Pittsburgh in his top three, too. He’s already made a visit to the Panthers. Now four-star signal-caller — ranked as the No. 3 dual-threat quarterback in the country and the No. 113 player overall according to 247Sports — will head to Lincoln soon.

“I’m a huge fan of Nebraska and I really like Nebraska a lot,” he told Huskers Illustrated. “I’m trying to schedule my visit for early March. I’m trying to get there as early as possible just to get it out of the way. I’m planning on committing after visiting there …

I don't know how there is any positive news coming out as we all know that the staff just sits on their hands doing nothing this time of year.

[RINGKONG]

LouisvilleHusker, on 21 February 2012 - 11:48 AM, said:

mNhhh, on 21 February 2012 - 09:37 AM, said:

Recruiting: Four-star DE visiting Saturday

BY Sam McKewon / 8:49 pm, Monday, Feb. 20 / Comments (5)
Hosting the Big Ten Track and Field Championships has its dividends for the Nebraska program — the football team.

Brookfield (Wis.) Central defensive end Chikwe Obasih will be in Lincoln to watch his sister — Chidera Obasih — run sprints for Minnesota’s women. The four-star prospect also take a unofficial tour of NU while he’s at it.

The six-foot-four, 240-pounder hasn’t heard much from the Huskers — who have been zeroing in on another Wisconsin defensive end prospect, A.J. Natter — but he knows coach Bo Pelini’s defensive reputation.

“He’s a very fiery coach,” Obaish told Huskers Illustrated. “They are top defensively. Defense is what they are known for most of the time.”

Read more »

Recruiting: Top-rated QB looks for ‘more passing’ in NU offense

BY Sam McKewon / 7:42 pm, Monday, Feb. 20 / Comments (23)
Dayton (Ohio) Alter quarterback Malik Zaire might seem like a shoo-in for Ohio State — especially since Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes have offered.

But the 6-foot-1, 185-pound prospect has Nebraska and Pittsburgh in his top three, too. He’s already made a visit to the Panthers. Now four-star signal-caller — ranked as the No. 3 dual-threat quarterback in the country and the No. 113 player overall according to 247Sports — will head to Lincoln soon.

“I’m a huge fan of Nebraska and I really like Nebraska a lot,” he told Huskers Illustrated. “I’m trying to schedule my visit for early March. I’m trying to get there as early as possible just to get it out of the way. I’m planning on committing after visiting there …

I don't know how there is any positive news coming out as we all know that the staff just sits on their hands doing nothing this time of year.

I see no good news. especially on the first one... barely any contact. yet we will be scrambling for him when the other one tells us to take a hike.

[mNhhh]

http://dataomaha.com/big-ten/ Kewl.

Nebraska recruits: http://dataomaha.com/big-ten/nebraska

[fdbrian]

mNhhh, on 21 February 2012 - 09:37 AM, said:

Recruiting: Four-star DE visiting Saturday

BY Sam McKewon / 8:49 pm, Monday, Feb. 20 / Comments (5)
Hosting the Big Ten Track and Field Championships has its dividends for the Nebraska program — the football team.

Brookfield (Wis.) Central defensive end Chikwe Obasih will be in Lincoln to watch his sister — Chidera Obasih — run sprints for Minnesota’s women. The four-star prospect also take a unofficial tour of NU while he’s at it.

The six-foot-four, 240-pounder hasn’t heard much from the Huskers — who have been zeroing in on another Wisconsin defensive end prospect, A.J. Natter — but he knows coach Bo Pelini’s defensive reputation.

“He’s a very fiery coach,” Obaish told Huskers Illustrated. “They are top defensively. Defense is what they are known for most of the time.”

Surely we have a slutty female polevaulter that can fuck his brains while he's here...SOLD.

[mNhhh]

Sipple: Pelini tries new angle for recruiting efficiency


Things I know and think I know:

-- Embattled Illinois basketball coach Bruce Weber last week lamented his team's lack of toughness. He said he essentially failed to recruit enough toughness. It's a glaring issue.

Which made me wonder: How does a coach measure toughness during the recruiting process?

I asked a local expert.

"Part of it is simply finding guys who do things the right way," Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini said Tuesday. "You also look for guys who step up in big parts of the game, and guys who handle adversity."

A coach can glean plenty about a player from watching a game. It's common-sense stuff. But that's just one part of the process. Pelini said coaches talk to a prospect's teachers, counselors, coaches … even opposing coaches.

"You have to do your homework, and you have to be a good listener," he said. "But you also have to ask the right questions."

To that end, Pelini has enlisted help from an outside firm of research professionals to help his staff's efficiency in the recruiting process. It's his first go-round with such a method.

"They're working to help us to not only ask the right questions, but teach us what to listen for when we ask the questions and get more insight in the limited amount of time we're with recruits," he said.

"The most important part of it is knowing what key words and what reactions to assess as you're asking the questions," he added.

In recruiting, time is of the essence.

"Especially since most of the kids we recruit are thousands of miles away, so you obviously have a more limited access to them," he said. "It's not like you're in front of them a lot. They don't have a chance to get on your campus a lot."

In other words, Nebraska isn't like, say, Michigan -- which already has 11 verbal commitments for its class of 2013, including five in-state players, three from Ohio and two from Illinois.

I think it can be dicey accepting too many verbal commitments this early in the process, in part because assessing a player's toughness often takes more time.

"Mental toughness is a little bit harder to judge (than physical toughness)," Pelini said. "But that's also something you can help develop once a player is in your program. It's something you often have to develop."

I'm guessing Weber would agree wholeheartedly. His team has ample talent but has lost nine of its last 10 games.

-- Michigan's momentum from an 11-2 record last season, including a Sugar Bowl victory, obviously carried into recruiting.

As for those 11 verbal commitments, it's unfair to compare the Wolverines' total to NU's, if only because of the proximity of UM's commitments to its campus. Nebraska, which has one verbal commitment for 2013, obviously lacks the luxury of securing 11 players from its back yard.

-- It isn't Pelini's style to put a hard sell on recruits. He's not the pushy type. He has patience with the process. That said, he hopes NU is about halfway finished with its 2013 class by summer's end. Recruiting experts project the class to end up with about 24 players.

"At the end of the day, I would love to have 10 to 12 (commitments) going into the season," Pelini said. "If we have more than that, that would be great. You just never know.

"The spring game will be big. If we get a bunch of guys to come to the spring game, that gives us a pretty good opportunity."

-- Pelini played down the drama between new Ohio State coach Urban Meyer and some of his Big Ten Conference coaching brethren, most notably Wisconsin's Bret Bielema.

Bielema criticized Meyer, cautioning that the Big Ten does not want to become a northern version of the SEC and its notoriously repulsive recruiting tactics. Meyer formerly coached at Florida.

"In the recruiting process, things often get turned and twisted," said Pelini, who was among Big Ten coaches who gathered earlier this month for a meeting in Chicago, where Bielema's comments were discussed. "I think everybody was on the same page when they walked out of the meeting."

Kudos to Bo for being politically correct. If I were a Big Ten coach, I'd watch Meyer closely. Just sayin'.

-- By the way, Pelini's philosophy on recruiting players who are verbally committed to other schools jibes with Meyer's philosophy (and that of most coaches, I'm guessing). "I'll continue to recruit them," Bo said. "Until they sign on the dotted line, we're going to recruit them."

[Boxcar]

mNhhh, on 22 February 2012 - 09:27 AM, said:

-- By the way, Pelini's philosophy on recruiting players who are verbally committed to other schools jibes with Meyer's philosophy (and that of most coaches, I'm guessing). "I'll continue to recruit them," Bo said. "Until they sign on the dotted line, we're going to recruit them."

Well said.

Go after them until the bitter end. Until they institute an early signing period we need to sell, sell, sell. I also like the idea of putting more of an emphasis on getting kids to the Spring Game.

[mNhhh]

Good to see Bo and staff following through and making changes. I like Bo, but his constant "we're fine, we're fine" statements that everyone could see through were wearing thin. He's stepped up, admitted to some degree that the status quo wasn't working, and is adapting changes in an effort to get better. Good go see, and Kudos to Bo for doing it. UM and tOSU aren't going to wait for teams to catch up, it is up to this staff to catch them, and this is a start.

Would love to see a packed house for the spring game, get some committs, and gain some momentum.

[mNhhh]

Nebraska football: Recruiting update

BY Sam McKewon | 10:16 am, Monday, Mar. 12 | POSTED IN Big Red Today

A bit of a quiet time on the Nebraska recruiting front, with the coaches’ clinic and the start of spring ball. Look for the Huskers’ staff to hit to process hard during spring break and after the spring game.

You will, on occasion, see kids come on unofficial visits to watch practice. Malik Rucker, a 6-foot, 175-pound safety from Minneapolis Robbindale watched the Huskers work out Saturday.

“There was a great (practice) atmosphere,” he told Huskers Illustrated. “It was really up tempo even though it was the first practice. They really get into it.”

Rucker met new NU secondary coach Terry Joseph, too. Since Joseph is “just settling in” he’ll have to evaluate Rucker’s skills and see if Nebraska wants to offer.

Already, Rucker has offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota and Wyoming, among other. He visited Wisconsin, too. His older brother, Xavier, walked on to Nebraska in 2006.

Other prospect updates from HI:

Jackson Keeler, 6-7/290, OL, 3 stars/86 rating/NR

NU coaches pushed for the Barrington, Ill., tackle to commit during his unofficial visit to watch practice. He held off. But he was impressed.

“I watched the first spring practice” he said. “The practice was high intensity. They took it to a whole new level and that seems great.”

Keeler is a late-bloomer who “came out of his shell” last year. Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia have offered, as have a host of MAC schools. Expect more teams to jump in soon.


Joe Mathis, 6-4/250, DE, 3/85/NR

The Upland (Calif.) prospect has more offers since our last update — USC, Michigan and Michigan State — while Alabama is showing heavy attention. But Nebraska’s been working this angle for awhile, and should get a spring game visit from Mathis.

“I just like the tradition and the type of defense they run at Nebraska,” Mathis said. “I know it’s just a spring game but it will give me a chance to see the game experience they have.”

I like UCLA or USC here. But NU’s put itself in the running.



Scott Pagano, 6-4/280, DT, 3/89/NR

Nebraska back to work in Hawai’i where this Honolulu prospect — perhaps the best in that state this year — is also looking hard at Oregon and Washington.

“Nebraska is a school that I was always hoping to hear from,” Pagano said. “I was shocked and excited when they offered me today though. It’s a great school and they run a great defense.”



John Montelus, 6-5/305, LT, 3/87/NR

The Everett (Mass.) prospect plans on visiting Nebraska, in part because of a relationship with wide receivers coach Rich Fisher.

Another late-bloomer, Montelus has a great offer list that includes Michigan, Ohio State and Florida.

“They put out some good offensive line into the league,” he said. “Every time I talk to coach Fisher he always tells me about academics. It sounds like they really care about you with how they treat their student athletes.”



Malik Zaire, 6-1/185, QB, 4/94/117

Nebraska’s top QB target — or at least that’s how I view it — got an offer from Alabama last week.

“I know their offense is a pro-style and they run the kind of offense that NFL teams run,” Zaire said. “That’s a big sticking point with me, because that’s my main goal at the end of the day and what I’ve dreamed of doing is playing in the NFL.”

Zaire’s still going to check out NU (and Wisconsin, and maybe even Ohio State, although the Buckeyes have a QB commit). But Bama’s inclusion makes the conversation…a lot more interesting.


Big Ten Update

Michigan’s still way out front with 15 commits. The Wolverines got two more from the state of Ohio last week in LB Michael McCray and CB Gareon Conley.

This kind of recruiting vigor within Nebraska’s division is new to the Huskers. No Big 12 North foe could really recruit with the Huskers. Michigan has been dominant on the trail since Brady Hoke returned.