2015 Nebraska Cornhuskers

[Jack Lambert]

Nebraska went in a completely opposite direction this year by hiring the cool and collected Mike Riley this offseason, who replaces the ranting and raving Bo Pelini. Pelini had really darkened up the team his last couple of years as he ran out of Bill Callahan’s recruits, including playing an all-black defense for quite possibly the first time ever in Nebraska’s history. He also recruited some terrible QBs, leaving Riley in a tight spot until he gets his guys in. Basically, besides bringing in Burkhead and Westerkamp, Pelini was a huge caste tool, especially in his last couple of years. From what I’ve seen so far, Mike Reilly will be a bit better in terms of recruiting. I think Nebraska will stabilize somewhat around 10-11 white starters with Riley.

On offense, Riley recently named Tommy Armstrong Jr. a captain, all but ensuring Nebraska fans will be able to look forward to another year of a scatter-shot QB, one who completed something like 2 out of 16 passes for 18 yards in the first half of the Wisconsin game last year. Armstrong is quite possibly one of the worst QBs that I have ever seen play the game. With Riley and his OC/QB’s coach Danny Langsdorf noted for getting QBs into the NFL, such as Sean Mannion, it’s almost a certainty Armstrong will improve, which isn’t saying too much. If he screws up too much or gets hurt, redshirt freshman QB Zack Darlington will likely get a look. Darlington had a great spring to get somewhat of a leg up in the battle for the No. 2 spot with another upside laden Pelini QB. Former backups Ryker Fyfe and Johnny Stanton currently sit at 4 and 5 on the depth chart.

The rest of the offense looks pretty good. Speedster Brandon Reilly has a great shot to start at an outside WR position after a great spring, along with proven stud Jordan Westerkamp in the slot. Some other WRs that may be seen are Sam Burtch and Lane Hovey. Backup TE Sam Cotton should see playing time as well. Andy Janovich will continue to start at the FB position. On the offensive line, things there are not quite settled yet. The one certainty is LT Alex Lewis, who sets the tone for the rest of the line. I think he has a shot at the NFL when all is said and done. The rest of the line should go: LG Dylan Utter, C Ryne Reeves, and RT Zach Sterup.

On defense, it looks like the Huskers will have stepped back from the ledge of an all-black defense for now. On the line, former walk-on Jack Gangwish will start at one of the DE spots. Gangwish is one of those tough Nebraska kids who make an impact, so much so that he’s been named one of the captains. There’s some white depth, but a lot of it won’t be seen until next year. DE Ross Dzuris looks to back up Gangwish. Look out for DTs Peyton Newell and Mick Stoltenberg in the next couple of years. At linebacker, Josh Banderas looks to get a better start under Riley, and is the starter at MIKE LB going into the fall. Luke Gifford (a former safety who moved to LB), will likely see some time as well, given that starting LB David Santos was just kicked off the team. FS Nate Gerry is a complete stud for the Huskers, and is the team’s best player. He’s a sure-fire 1[SUP]st[/SUP]-2[SUP]nd[/SUP] round draft pick when he decides to leave Nebraska. He’s fast, rangy, a big hitter, and a ball hawk. He’s so fun to watch. Gerry anchors the Nebraska secondary.

Since 2005, Nebraska has started 11, 13, 11, 12, 11, 13, 14, 13, 8, and 10 white players. It looks like 11 white starters for the Cornhuskers to open up the year, including 2 white WRs and an absolute stud safety. These guys still make this a team to watch, even with a crap QB. They’d be a great team to cheer for if Darlington could replace Armstrong. To recap, here are the Huskers’ projected starters:

Offense
FB – Andy Janovich
WR(X) – Brandon Reilly
WR – Jordan Westerkamp
TE - David Sutton or Sam Cotton (co-starters with two black players)
LT – Alex Lewis
LG – Dylan Utter
C - Ryne Reeves
RT – Nick Gates

Defense
DE – Jack Gangwish
MLB – Josh Banderas
FS – Nate Gerry

 

[Leonardfan]

Nice write-up JL! I am interested to see who Reily brings in at QB. That Armstrong kid isn't very good at all and will have struggles playing competently in a pro style offense.

 

[Jack Lambert]

Thanks Leonardfan!! I do a lot of work around Lincoln/Omaha and have lived in the area, so I follow the team a bit.

As for QBs, Riley has two of them committed for 2016. One is a high-upside dual threat prospect supa afflete who some think is good simply because he can run around, and the other is Patrick O'Brien, who looks to be a complete stud. I think he'll be the starter from these two sometime in the future. I think O'Brien will easily be the better prospect for Riley's pro-style system. Here are some of his highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSkFacWI0QM

I really hope Darlington can somehow unseat Armstrong this year.

 

[Leonardfan]

Richard Mullaney is transferring from Oregon State. I wonder if Nebraska may be a destination for him.
He is eligible to play right away as a grad transfer.

 

[Jack Lambert]

Richard Mullaney is transferring from Oregon State. I wonder if Nebraska may be a destination for him.
He is eligible to play right away as a grad transfer.

I think Riley would take him, but it looks like he might be headed to Alabama: http://collegespun.com/sec/alabama-...te-wr-transfer-richard-mullaney-pending-visit

 

[Leonardfan]

I think Riley would take him, but it looks like he might be headed to Alabama: http://collegespun.com/sec/alabama-...te-wr-transfer-richard-mullaney-pending-visit

Wow that's surprising news to say the least. If he ends up there lets hope he is heavily involved in the offense.

 

[Leonardfan]

Johnny Stanton is moving on from Nebraska

 

[Jack Lambert]

Johnny Stanton is moving on from Nebraska

Good for him. I was really expecting more out of him at Nebraska, but he tore his ACL his senior year in HS and was never the same player after that. He wasn't going to play at Nebraska, so this is a good decision. Darlington is ahead of him, and Patrick O'Brien will be a great QB when he gets on campus next year.

I'm thinking maybe he ends up at Oregon State or another school on the west coast.

 

[Jack Lambert]

Look at this crap from Rotoworld. How many black prospects have been drafted high on the basis of 1 good or even average season? Yet these fools still have Gerry undrafted after his huge year last year? The double standards are endless. If Gerry was black, would this "man" Pauline have him as a UDFA right now? We all know the answer to that...

TFY Draft Insider's Tony Pauline grades Nebraska junior S Nate Gerry as an undrafted free agent, but the pessimistic grade comes with a caveat.
"He comes with terrific size and is someone who could move north on draft boards if he puts together a complete game," Pauline wrote. Such is the situation Gerry finds himself in. The former outside linebacker had a big first season at safety -- posting 88 tackles, five interceptions, two forced fumbles and a blocked kick return for a touchdown last year -- but evaluators want to see further refinement before investing.

 

[celticdb15]

Look at this crap from Rotoworld. How many black prospects have been drafted high on the basis of 1 good or even average season? Yet these fools still have Gerry undrafted after his huge year last year? The double standards are endless. If Gerry was black, would this "man" Pauline have him as a UDFA right now? We all know the answer to that...

Typical ! make up some BS and ignore his prowess as a big playmaking Safety prospect! Unreal screw Pauline! I've noticed the "draft experts" are hard at work discrediting white safeties. Dane Brugler clown from CBS didn't give Michael Caputo a draftable grade either. What else can these athletes do to earn respect?!

 

[Leonardfan]

Look at this crap from Rotoworld. How many black prospects have been drafted high on the basis of 1 good or even average season? Yet these fools still have Gerry undrafted after his huge year last year? The double standards are endless. If Gerry was black, would this "man" Pauline have him as a UDFA right now? We all know the answer to that...

Gerry had a real nice season. I hope he replicates it this year. As for the supposed draft experts its more of the same - the spew out the same recycled lies, cliches and stereotypes year after year. It's blatantly obvious why they do this.

Pauline, Brulger and the rest of the supposed experts are a bunch of white hating ******** who have been totally consumed by caste indoctrination. Someone needs to take them to task on how many of their beloved affletes they have hyped up over the years have busted or fizzles out.

 

[Jack Lambert]

Just giving a couple of updates from Nebraska's opening depth chart.

It looks like they gain a starter at TE, as their are two white players and two black players all listed as co-starters. I'm assuming we'll have a much better idea of where it stands during the BYU game.

Also, redshirt freshman Nick Gates won the starting RT job over Zach Sterup.

And on defense, former walk-on Chris Weber is listed as the No. 2 MIKE.

Ryker Fyfe, who I thought wasn't going to factor in this season, is now the backup QB. It just goes to show not to put too much stock into spring/summer reports at times.

In addition, Jordan Westerkamp will also return punts.

So, a gain of 1 white starter, giving Nebraska 11.

 

[Heretic]

For one game at least, there will be another paleface on defense for the Huskers. Redshirt Freshman and former-Safety-turned-Linebacker, Luke Gifford, will get the start due to a "team violation" suspension of the regular starter. It'd be nice if he had a great game and became the full time starter, but with this being his first college game, and at different position than he's been used to, it may take some time.

 

[Heretic]

A couple of Caste-related articles/situations.

The first one is about Senior fullback Andy Janovich.

So, finally, after becoming a senior and four games into the season, the Husker coaches (in fairness, at least the new coaching staff realized this as opposed to Pelini's staff) finally realize they have a "playmaker" amongst their midst in former walk-on (of course), Andy Janovich, who has a Peyton Hillis-type physique along with similar power and speed.

Husker coaches call Andy Janovich a ‘playmaker,’ say he’s earned larger role:

http://www.omaha.com/huskers/husker-...50a60e51f.html

Janovich’s performance — 68 rushing yards and a 53-yard catch-and-run — may pave the way for more opportunities.

"I think you want to do that anytime you find anyone who’s a playmaker: 'How can we get this guy the ball?' " running backs coach Reggie Davis said. "That would be true of Jano and anybody else on that side of the ball. Anytime you’ve got a playmaker, you want to get the ball in their hands."

Said offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf: "We make them earn the carries — they’ve got to show enough and do enough to warrant getting the ball more, and he did that. He’s earned that. So we’re going to continue to do things with him and use him more."
...

Nevertheless, Janovich didn’t have a carry in 2013 and 2014. Former running backs coach Ron Brown had told him he wouldn’t get the ball much — if at all — and his job was to open holes for the I-back.
...

"He’s a very explosive athlete," Davis said, "so it was pretty evident then that we need to find a way to work him in."
...

Riley was so impressed with Janovich’s work against Miami that he told an NFL scout Monday to watch Janovich’s film from the game. Janovich said he hasn’t allowed himself to think about a pro future, but Davis — who coached in the NFL with the 49ers before coming to Nebraska — said Janovich is a very good fit for the league.

"He’s strong, he’s smart, he’s athletic, he’s tough, he’s durable, all the things you want at that level," Davis said. "They’re talking about investing money in an individual — they want them to stay on the field and be smart enough to pick up on it. They want them to execute whatever they ask him to do — and Jano can do all those things."


The second one is about Junior WR Jordan Westerkamp.

http://hailvarsity.com/news/demornay...ctice/2015/09/

Westerkamp has established himself as the Huskers’ top receiving option, leading the team in catches, yards and touchdowns, and he’s much more than just a possession receiver.

"He has more skill level than I think people give him credit for," Williams said. "He’s a hard worker and he’s tough and he’s intelligent and all those intangible things, but he actually is quick and fast and he actually can catch pretty well too. I hear a lot of people describe him more with the intangibles a lot – tough and smart and all those things – but he actually is pretty good athletically too."

 

[Heretic]

A couple of Caste-related articles/situations.

The first one is about Senior fullback Andy Janovich.

So, finally, after becoming a senior and four games into the season, the Husker coaches (in fairness, at least the new coaching staff realized this as opposed to Pelini's staff) finally realize they have a "playmaker" amongst their midst in former walk-on (of course), Andy Janovich, who has a Peyton Hillis-type physique along with similar power and speed.

Husker coaches call Andy Janovich a ‘playmaker,’ say he’s earned larger role:

http://www.omaha.com/huskers/husker-...50a60e51f.html

Janovich’s performance — 68 rushing yards and a 53-yard catch-and-run — may pave the way for more opportunities.

"I think you want to do that anytime you find anyone who’s a playmaker: 'How can we get this guy the ball?' " running backs coach Reggie Davis said. "That would be true of Jano and anybody else on that side of the ball. Anytime you’ve got a playmaker, you want to get the ball in their hands."

Said offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf: "We make them earn the carries — they’ve got to show enough and do enough to warrant getting the ball more, and he did that. He’s earned that. So we’re going to continue to do things with him and use him more."
...

Nevertheless, Janovich didn’t have a carry in 2013 and 2014. Former running backs coach Ron Brown had told him he wouldn’t get the ball much — if at all — and his job was to open holes for the I-back.
...

"He’s a very explosive athlete," Davis said, "so it was pretty evident then that we need to find a way to work him in."
...

Riley was so impressed with Janovich’s work against Miami that he told an NFL scout Monday to watch Janovich’s film from the game. Janovich said he hasn’t allowed himself to think about a pro future, but Davis — who coached in the NFL with the 49ers before coming to Nebraska — said Janovich is a very good fit for the league.

"He’s strong, he’s smart, he’s athletic, he’s tough, he’s durable, all the things you want at that level," Davis said. "They’re talking about investing money in an individual — they want them to stay on the field and be smart enough to pick up on it. They want them to execute whatever they ask him to do — and Jano can do all those things."


The second one is about Junior WR Jordan Westerkamp.

http://hailvarsity.com/news/demornay...ctice/2015/09/

Westerkamp has established himself as the Huskers’ top receiving option, leading the team in catches, yards and touchdowns, and he’s much more than just a possession receiver.

"He has more skill level than I think people give him credit for," Williams said. "He’s a hard worker and he’s tough and he’s intelligent and all those intangible things, but he actually is quick and fast and he actually can catch pretty well too. I hear a lot of people describe him more with the intangibles a lot – tough and smart and all those things – but he actually is pretty good athletically too."

 

[Leonardfan]

Pelini really left the cupboard half empty in Nebraska. I have to feel for Riley who obviously does not have this quarterback in place. Armstrong is truly the definition of the scattershot black quarterback. I hope Riley replaces him at some point.

I did notice MLB Chris Weber make some nice plays for the Huskers today.

 

[Jack Lambert]

Pelini really left the cupboard half empty in Nebraska. I have to feel for Riley who obviously does not have this quarterback in place. Armstrong is truly the definition of the scattershot black quarterback. I hope Riley replaces him at some point.

I did notice MLB Chris Weber make some nice plays for the Huskers today.

I thought Riley's staff might have been able to "fix" Armstrong enough to turn him into a serviceable QB while he got his guy in place. I was VERY wrong. Armstrong can't even hit an RB on a check down out of the backfield. He shouldn't be having these difficulties, especially with a good corps of skilled WRs in Reilly, Westerkamp, Pierson-El, Moore, Hovey, and true freshman Morgan. In addition, Newby and Janovich are good in the backfield as well. Husker fans are already hoping that Patrick O'Brien follows through on his commitment to Nebraska so he can start next year.

If Armstrong continues this absolutely atrocious play, Ryker Fyfe should get another chance. At the very least, he'd be able to actually get the ball to his play-makers.

Chris Weber was one of Nebraska's best players on defense again today playing in relief of the injured Banderas. I thought Jack Gangwish also played well today. Unfortunately, I think Nate Gerry has regressed a bit this year; he's just not the game-changer he was last year.

 

[Heretic]

An excellent (and very rare) article dealing with Nebraska's recent recruiting and how they've "missed" on so many homegrown (read: mostly White) players that went on to play elsewhere and are now in the NFL, including Danny Woodhead. Finally, someone in the mainstream media notices the elephant in the room:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nebraska chooses an out-of-state kid because he’s "better," then recognizes later he’s basically the same talent without the hunger of the Nebraska kid they turned away.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They’re out there, Mike Riley. Don’t let anybody tell you different.

Sometimes they’re undersized tailbacks. Sometimes they’re unpolished linemen. Sometimes they’re high school quarterbacks playing the wrong position.

But they’re out there every year. Two or three of ’em. They’re future Broncos and Chargers and Bears and they’re growing up within your borders. You just have to find ’em.

Most outsiders think they don’t exist. They glance at Nebraska high school recruiting rankings and see only five kids who merit an FBS scholarship offer.

Saturday night at Memorial Stadium, when it appeared Nebraska was going to drop its 10th game in 365 days, ESPN recruiting analyst Tom Luginbill mapped out the challenges for the Huskers.

Over the past five years, he said, only 25 players in Nebraska and bordering states cracked the ESPN 300 prospects. Of those 25, NU landed just four.

"That means that Nebraska’s going to have to go an entirely different direction and widen their net as they cast out for prospects, which is a very, very difficult thing to do in today’s college football landscape."

That’s the popular conclusion. Do better in California or Texas or Florida. But Luginbill neglected a critical piece of the formula. Do better in Nebraska.

Two nights later on ESPN, four Nebraska natives played on "Monday Night Football." Danny Woodhead (North Platte), Zach Miller (Weston), Trevor Robinson (Elkhorn), Kyle Emanuel (Schuyler).

What do they have in common? None played a down for the Huskers.

They’re not alone. For more than a decade, Nebraska’s flagship program has stigmatized native sons, opting instead for second- or third-tier prospects from faraway places. Rather than give in-state kids the benefit of the doubt, it worked in reverse.

The message was clear: If you want to come to NU as a walk-on, hallelujah! But scholarships (with few exceptions) are reserved for out-of-state players.

In August, 21 athletes who played their high school football in Nebraska were in NFL training camps. Only six played at NU: Jared Crick, Sam Koch, Niles Paul, Spencer Long, Ricky Henry and Trevor Roach. Only three came to Lincoln on scholarship. Three out of 21!

That doesn’t count Drew Ott, Nathan Bazata and Cole Fisher, three Nebraskans who have played big roles for 9-0 Iowa. It doesn’t count Harrison Phillips, who started as a sophomore at Stanford before a season-ending injury. It doesn’t count Ohio starting defensive tackle Casey Sayles or North Dakota State’s leading tackler, Nick DeLuca.

Unlike the old days, the Huskers’ in-state crop doesn’t feel like the best of the best. Now it’s as if Nebraska’s best high school players were randomly divided. Half went to Lincoln. Half scattered across the country.

Nebraska’s half is coming up short.

* * *

Let’s focus on the 15 native sons. The guys who didn’t wear scarlet and cream but did wear an NFL uniform this fall. Those 15 guys, including nine from Omaha-area schools, offer a lesson about why Riley’s task is so difficult, yet so critical.

Here’s the list: Phil Bates, Shaquil Barrett, Kyle Emanuel, Stephen Goodin, Harland Gunn, Matt Longacre, Luke Lundy, Zach Miller, Shaun Prater, Chris Reed, Trevor Robinson, Tim Semisch, Jeff Tarpinian, Danny Woodhead and Greg Zuerlein.

What unites those 15 guys? Almost nothing. Guys like Robinson, Gunn and Prater were touted recruits whom Nebraska missed. But most of the others were diamonds in the cornfield.

Zach Miller, the hero of the Monday night game, walked on at NU in 2003. He was a quarterback and probably would’ve stayed in Lincoln, but didn’t fit the Bill Callahan offense. He transferred to UNO, climbed to No. 2 on the Mavs’ all-time total offense chart. Then, despite catching one pass in high school and college, he moved to tight end for draft workouts. Turned out he was pretty good.

Phil Bates knows what a position change is like. He was a standout quarterback at Omaha North zipping spirals to Niles Paul. In 2007, he signed with Iowa State, then transferred to Ohio. He, too, made the NFL as a receiver. He spent August with the Dallas Cowboys.

OK, now for a name you probably don’t know. Luke Lundy rushed for 5,000 yards at Auburn High. He bounced around small colleges in Oklahoma and Kansas and got noticed in February at an NFL regional combine. He spent August with the Cleveland Browns.

How ’bout Shaquil Barrett? He came to Boys Town from Baltimore. He won a state championship in wrestling, graduated in 2010 and signed with UNO. He had 8.5 sacks as a freshman. When the Mavs cut the program, Barrett transferred to Colorado State. Now he’s a starting linebacker for the Denver Broncos.

Matt Longacre, product of Millard West, was two-time MIAA defensive player of the year at Northwest Missouri State. He went undrafted this spring, but signed with the St. Louis Rams. Last Sunday, Longacre made his NFL debut, recording three tackles against the Vikings.

Chris Reed, product of Omaha Central, was a first-team All-American (and national champion shot putter) at Division II Minnesota State. He made the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad.

Kyle Emanuel wasn’t ranked by recruiting services at Schuyler High School. But North Dakota State liked him. Four years later, he averaged one sack every nine pass attempts. He was FCS defensive player of the year and a fifth-round draft pick of the Chargers.

And then, of course, there’s the most famous underdog of all, the poster child for overlooked native sons, the little tailback who rushed for 12,332 yards (just a shade over seven miles) at North Platte and Chadron State. People still weren’t sure he could’ve played at Nebraska.

Then Danny Woodhead earned the trust of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. Then he caught a touchdown in the Super Bowl.

* * *

As Husker fans search for answers in a 4-6 season, debate has focused on talent. How bare is the cupboard? It’s a relevant topic.

But there are misconceptions about how to measure talent.

One, recruiting rankings depend on exposure and scholarship offers. Emanuel, linebacker for a long-struggling Class B team, doesn’t get three stars if Nebraska doesn’t offer him. If NU doesn’t offer, other Power Five schools figure he isn’t worth the time. He falls all the way to FCS.

Two, high school is merely the first half of player development. The second half happens on campus, and it’s subject to all sorts of variables: personal maturity, genetics, past and future teaching, role, scheme and — above all — desire.

Nebraska is more likely to produce late bloomers. Because of colder weather and relatively sparse population, few kids in high school commit to football year-round.

So why do we judge a 22-year-old’s "talent" according to his ranking as a 17-year-old? That’s almost as silly as judging 17-year-olds by their ranking as 12-year-olds.

Nebraska doesn’t need top-20 recruiting classes. Michigan State hasn’t had many. Same for Stanford and Oklahoma State. Nebraska needs a coaching staff that understands that an 18-year-old at Wahoo Neumann might not be as polished as a peer from California or Florida. But with the right drive and right system, he will be at age 20.

Player development has always been the edge at NU. It needs to be again.

That doesn’t mean that Nebraska should mirror the old way. The advantages aren’t the same. NU had a strength and conditioning edge that enabled in-state kids to bridge whatever talent gap existed. They had an offensive blueprint that inspired high school coaches across the state — prep teams were essentially feeder systems. They had a walk-on program stocked with kids willing to wait three or four years to see the field.

NU still has a walk-on safety net. It’s smaller, but it produced Andy Janovich, Chris Weber, Dylan Utter, Jack Gangwish and Brandon Reilly. That’s critical — just look at Saturday night’s game-winning touchdown, when the Lincoln Southwest walk-on beat Michigan State’s three-star cornerback.

But to maximize in-state resources, Mike Riley must utilize his scholarships. He must rebuild the network with high school coaches so a coach in North Omaha or Giltner or Mullen can call NU and say, "Coach, I know this sounds goofy, but I have a 15-year-old kid here who is 6-4 and 260 pounds and ain’t fat. You might want to start talking to him before Michigan calls."

Sound antiquated? Sound idealistic? Here’s the alternative, which we’ve seen repeatedly over the past decade.

Nebraska chooses an out-of-state kid because he’s "better," then recognizes later he’s basically the same talent without the hunger of the Nebraska kid they turned away. That’s the worst-case scenario: watching Drew Ott shine at Iowa.

Nebraska can’t possibly bat 1.000 on in-state kids. It probably can’t hit .700. Even Tom Osborne missed (or got beat) on Jay Novacek, Larry Station and Junior Bryant.

Moreover, a 27-year-old NFL player isn’t necessarily a 22-year-old Division I starter. Nebraska isn’t guilty for every Zach Miller.

But let’s stop with this nonsense that Nebraska doesn’t produce football players. This nonsense that a lower-division stud like Emanuel or Woodhead or Longacre couldn’t possibly play well in the Power Five — last time I checked, North Dakota State was beating Kansas State and Iowa State.

This nonsense that a state that produced Ed Weir, Charley Brock, Tom Novak, Bobby Reynolds, Pat Fischer, Mick Tingelhoff, Johnny Rodgers, Dave Rimington, Dean Steinkuhler, Zach Wiegert, Scott Frost, Ahman Green and Eric Crouch suddenly dried up the moment Tom Osborne retired.

Would Terry Connealy and Chris Dishman get Husker scholarships today? Would Tony Veland and Eric Stokes? How about Matt Davison, Russ Hochstein and Chris Kelsay?

* * *

Don’t misunderstand me.

Nebraska shouldn’t stop recruiting nationwide. It shouldn’t stop emphasizing the 500-mile radius: Chicago, Kansas City, Denver, the Twin Cities. But Riley must harvest more out of his backyard than recent predecessors did.

Every year, the state produces two or three future professional football players, often guys you’ve never heard of. Chris Bober. Chris Cooper. Chad Mustard. Kenton Keith. Tony Wragge. Zac Alcorn. Ryan Krause. John Howell. Xavier Omon. Nathan Enderle. The past 15 years, Nebraska has been lucky to get half of them.

The problem for Riley isn’t a barren landscape. The problem is identifying the right players and rebuilding an environment that nurtures them.

There’s no golden rule to in-state recruiting. It’s not as simple as taking the Metro’s best lineman or Class A’s leading rusher or the state’s best eight-man player. It takes exhaustive efforts and keen evaluations and a little luck, too.

But when it works, wow, you’ve really got something. You have starters who wear the "N" not because of free MacBooks or immediate playing time, not because they like their coaches or the Tunnel Walk. Because it’s in their blood.

Makes a difference in the fourth quarter.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Of course, the current coaches at Nebraska just said last week that they were going to go the "Junior College" route (read: black players) to address some "immediate" needs.

Just more of the same insanity...doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result