FYI.....
http://www.omaha.com/article/20101012/BIGRED/710129825
LINCOLN — Nebraska hasn't added to its class of 2011 recruits since the end of July.
It's no problem. Just the opposite — perhaps it's even a blueprint for future recruiting strategy at NU.
As the Huskers gain steam on the field, interest for NU builds among high school players.
Could this become the new timetable for recruiting at Nebraska? Grab an early pledge or two — the Huskers already have one for 2012. Follow it with a furious spring and summer; then step off the gas to see where the football season leads.
Of the Huskers' 13 oral commitments, 11 pledged between the weekend of the Red-White game in April and the end of July.
And now, just as the fourth- and fifth-ranked Huskers host Texas on Saturday in a game prominent on the national stage, things look set to regain speed.
With plans to sign a group in February that numbers in the low 20s, the timing of a big game this week couldn't have worked out better, right?
“If you win,†coach Bo Pelini said.
An opportunity exists for Nebraska to win Saturday in more ways than just against the Longhorns.
If the Huskers impress the dozen or so official visitors set to watch from Memorial Stadium, it figures to pay dividends in recruiting — and make Nebraska look savvy for its timetable of constructing this class.
“It's a plus that things are going the way they are on the field,†recruiting coordinator Ted Gilmore said.
But there exists a risk to bringing in so many recruits for one game.
“I believe your reputation's at stake any time you walk out there on the field,†Pelini said. “This one, obviously, being on TV and getting some of the hype it's gotten, maybe a little bit more.â€
Among the expected visitors are at least five committed players, including quarterbacks Jamal Turner of Arlington, Texas, and Bubba Starling of Gardner, Kan.
Also scheduled to visit: Undecided running back Aaron Green of San Antonio, one of the nation's top prospects and the brother of NU defensive back Andrew Green, and offensive lineman Cyrus Hobbi of Scottsdale, Ariz.
Green is pondering an offer from the Longhorns. Nearly every Pac-10 team, in addition to Michigan, remains in pursuit of Hobbi, rated as the No. 2 prospect in Arizona by rivals.com.
This weekend marks the biggest of the season for scheduled visitors “by far,†according to Assistant Athletic Director Jeff Jamrog. Nebraska had to cap its list at a manageable number.
And still, the size of this group presents a few challenges.
“We'll make it work,†Jamrog said. “We're used to challenges around here.â€
Jamrog said the Huskers are fortunate that Athletic Director Tom Osborne enjoys spending time with recruits. Osborne, of course, commands respect, even from players born as he prepared to win the first of his three national titles as a coach in 1994.
After Saturday, expect that commitment list to grow.
These things happen in bunches, but the Huskers want to keep a few spots open for late-deciding recruits — especially if NU plans to keep gaining momentum during the next 3½ months.
http://www.omaha.com/article/20101012/BIGRED/710129825
