OFFENSIVE POSITION:	NO. OF PROSPECTS LISTED:
Quarterbacks	11
Running Backs	12
Wide Receivers	6
Tight Ends	3
Offensive Tackles	9
Offensive Guards	5
Offensive Centers	1

 

This is the one position where our coaches are being extremely aggressive and making the most progress.  Perhaps it is the new offense promised by a new O.C. (Barney Cotton), or perhaps it is our glaring void on the QB depth chart, or maybe this is simply the results of a renewed effort by our entire coaching staff?  Our coaches' efforts are showing with not only the number of offers on the table, but in the types of offers...we have some hidden diamonds in here that very few other schools seem to know about.

 

NAME:  Robbie Reid

CATEGORY: COMMITTED TO OKLAHOMA ST.  Highest-targeted QB by NU staff.  No chance for NU.  A 4-star player by Rivals (#38 Overall Player in Rivals Top 100).

HEIGHT: 6'-3"

WEIGHT: 224 lbs

SPEED: 4.4 sec.

HOMETOWN: Galena Park (North Shore), TX (???)

STATS: (Jr) Rush: 776 yds, 16 TDs; Pass: 1485 yds, 13 TDs

NOTES: Still learning QB position, but tremendously talented.  Tall, big and fast.

OTHER OFFERS: Arkansas, Georgia, KSU, Ohio St, Okie St, Syracuse, Tennessee

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

NAME:  Nick Patton

CATEGORY: Second-highest targeted QB by NU staff.  Remote chance for NU depends on new offense showing balance during season.  A 4-star player by Rivals (#78 Overall Player in Rivals Top 100).

HEIGHT: 6'-3"

WEIGHT: 185 lbs

SPEED: 4.4 sec.

HOMETOWN: Winfield, KS (???)

STATS: (Jr) Rush: 605 yds, ?? TDs; Pass: 1279 yds, ?? TDs

NOTES: Considered a very balanced QB.  A heavy KSU lean.  Update: our chances have improved here.  Might be a case of him being a lean to KSU because that's the only place he'd heard about.  The more he hears and gets wooed by other programs, the more open he gets.

OTHER OFFERS: KSU, CU, KU, Michigan State, Missouri, Tennessee

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

NAME:  Rocky Hinds

CATEGORY: Third-highest targeted QB by NU staff.  Not a realistic prospect.  A 4-star player by Rivals.

HEIGHT: 6'-5"

WEIGHT: 215 lbs

SPEED: 4.4

HOMETOWN: Playa Del Rey (Saint Bernard), CA (???)

STATS: (Jr) Rush: 109 car, 427 yds, 7 TDs; Pass: 79-188, 1427 yds, 12 TDs

(So) Pass: 76-184, 1439 yds, 10 TDs

NOTES: Big-time prospect.  Superior athlete who would appear to be a bit of project as a passer.  Sadly, have very small chance with.  You do have to like that he's from a town that starts with "Playa".

OTHER OFFERS: USC, UCLA, Washington, Cal, Arizona St, CU, Oregon St, West Virginia

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

 

 

NAME:  Shae Reagan

CATEGORY: Fourth-highest targeted QB by NU staff.  Realistic Prospect.  A 3-star player by Rivals.  Ranked as #17 ATH overall.

HEIGHT: 6'-3"

WEIGHT: 235 lbs

SPEED: 4.7 sec.

HOMETOWN: Idalou, TX (2A)

STATS: (Jr) Rush: 239 car, 1355 yds, 22 TDs; Pass: 80-145, 1081 yds, 12 TDs

NOTES: Could play a number of positions.  Large and athletic.  Good throwing mechanics. Update: Very high on Nebraska, as is his dad.  Will probably take a while to commit, but when he does it will be permanent.  Has some awfully impressive offers for only a "3 star" player.  Nebraska is believed to be looking at him as a QB only. Update 2 (11.06.03): Shae injured both his MCL and ACL in a game mid-season.  Has now received 20 offers.  He has narrowed his favorites to six schools: Texas Tech, Texas A&M, NU, Kansas St, Okie St, and TCU.  Due to his versatility and his ability to play at FOUR different need positions (QB, DE, LB, TE) he is worth pursuing hard despite his recent injury.  NU coaches (led by Barney Cotton) have continued to show solid interest in Shae.

OTHER OFFERS: Kansas St, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, CU, Texas A&M, Okie St, Wisconsin

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

 

 

NAME:  Alex Engram

CATEGORY: Fifth-Highest targeted QB by NU staff. Realistic Prospect. Projected as a 3-star player by Rivals.

HEIGHT: 6'-0"

WEIGHT: 205 lbs

SPEED: 4.67

HOMETOWN: Warren (Harding), OH (5A)

STATS: (Off - first game) Rush: 3 car, -1 yds, 0 TD; Pass: 6-9, 99 yds, 2 TDs

NOTES: Underrated prospect who transferred from Irving, TX (MacArthur).  Both Gill and Cotton offered immediately after seeing film.  His transfer has kept him slightly under radar, and he may not even start for his high school team (the top team in the state). Very high on NU.  Update: Don't be surprised if he's a Husker verbal commitment before he takes his first snap at QB at Warren Harding.  Don't be surprised at all.  Update 2 (11.06.03): Relatively old news here, but NU has lost interest here and stopped pursuing Alex, pretty much right after D.T. and Evridge committed.  We may maintain contact with him in the event that D.T. or A.E. back out of their commits, but if we are to grab a third QB it would likely only be a higher-ranked prospect.

OTHER OFFERS: TCU,  UT (DB...rumored), Tulane, Cincinnati, Miami (OH), KSU

PICTURES: (none current)

 

 

 

 

NAME:  Jamar Bryant

CATEGORY: Sixth-highest targeted QB by NU staff.  Would seem to be a remote chance for NU.  Ranked as a 3-star athlete by Rivals (#29 athlete by Rivals).

HEIGHT: 6'-3"

WEIGHT: 193 lbs

SPEED: 4.3 sec.

HOMETOWN: Rockingham (Richmond County), NC (???)

STATS: (Jr) Rush: 62 car, 667 yds, ?? TDs; Pass: 515 yds, 5 TDs; Rec: 14 rec, 221 yds, 7 TDs

NOTES: A multi-sport (basketball) athlete.  Projected by some schools as a DB or WR.  Likely to stay in ACC country. Update (11.06.03): Nebraska is still listed, but NC State is the clear favorite right now, followed by Clemson - they are recruiting him the hardest.  Doubtful to make an NU visit.

OTHER OFFERS: NC State, Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia, Michigan, Clemson, Duke

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

Others:

 

NAME:  Daryll Clark (NEW TARGET)

CATEGORY: Newly-targeted dual-threat QB for NU. Ranked a 3-star dual-threat QB by Rivals (#22 dual-threat QB by Rivals).

HEIGHT: 6'-3"

WEIGHT: 190 lbs

SPEED: 4.7

HOMETOWN: Youngstown (Ursuline), OH (5A?)

NOTES: (11.06.03) Interesting story here.  We were maintaining a token contact with Alex Engram, and coach Gill attended a game to see him play Clark's team.  Killing two birds with one stone, Gill evaluated Clark and promptly offered him after the game.  He has West Virginia as a solid leader but we have made his top-5.  Is visiting NU on December 5th, the same day of the B12 Champ. game.

OTHER OFFERS: West Virginia, Iowa, Penn St, Toledo

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

 

NAME:  Chauncey Duckett

CATEGORY: Diminished interest from NU.  Projected as a 3-4 star player by Rivals. Ranked a 2-star dual-threat QB by Rivals.

HEIGHT: 6'-3"

WEIGHT: 185 lbs

SPEED: 4.65

HOMETOWN: Colorado Springs, CO (4A?)

NOTES: Highly-regarded prospect.  CU and KSU look to have advantage.  Update (11.06.03): Interesting thing with him....he supposedly had all this hype, but when watching highlights of him - nothing stood out.  Actually didn't look all that good.  As of this writing (early November), does not yet have a D-1 offer per Rivals.  Regardless, NU isn't interested.

OTHER OFFERS: None

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

NAME:  D.T. McDowell (First name is Dontavias)

CATEGORY: COMMITTED. Now NU's highest-targeted QB (of maybe even overall player).  Realistic, but surprise, prospect.  NU is current favorite...an unreal athlete (see below).  Ranked a 3-star player by Rivals (#13 dual-threat QB by Rivals).

HEIGHT: 6'-0" (reportedly a shade under 6-foot)

WEIGHT: 190 lbs

SPEED: 4.57 (electronic, at camp, along with a 1.3(!!!) 10-yd dash.)

HOMETOWN: Tucker, GA (???)

STATS: (Jr) Rush: 400 yds, 12 TDs; Pass: 1300 yds, 12 TDs

NOTES: Bizarre athlete who also has a mid-90's fastball in baseball (at Perfect Game camp at Haymarket Park was clocked at 89 mph).  Our coaches arranged an unofficial visit in the parking lot of Haymarket Park with him and Gill and Solich.  It made a positive impression.  Is not necessarily a package deal with teammate Thomas Brown (we should be so lucky!)  Coaches are pressing HARD on him to try and coax a commitment.  Update: Reportedly is close to committing to NU per some recruiting services. Update 2: NU's chances not looking as good here as other schools around the country are realizing his potential.  Update 3: Committed to Nebraska and will reportedly play both football and baseball (pitcher).  Projected to go fairly high in MLB draft, but per coach wants to play college football first.  Our coaches did an amazing job here, where hard work and determination paid off.  DT received hand-written letters from every single Nebraska coach.  Amazing and much different than the previous staff.  Has extremely solid throwing fundamentals (as a result of his baseball skills) and the probably the strongest arm to ever arrive at NU when he steps foot on campus.  His pocket presence amid pressure and ability to continue looking downfield while making violent cuts and jukes, and then delivering a 40-yd rope with defenders in his face, stirs a level of anticipation in the coaches they haven't felt in some time.  If he ends up only being a 3-star player, it will rank up there with 2-star Richie Incognito as the biggest steals of the Solich era.  Update 4 (11.06.03): Nervous uncertainly seems to surround fans about DT, but our coaches have stayed in constant contact and continue to show him the love.  Recently (right around Halloween) he reaffirmed his commitment to NU.  Honestly, the best course of action for fans should just be to wait-and-see.  He may not be as mercurial as his highlight video suggests, but he certainly has potential to be a special player.  The biggest problem with DT may be the reality that if both Solich and Gill are gone at the end of the year, so too would be DT.  We will need to make sure that other bonds with other coaches are formed on his official visit (November 15th,  KSU game) just in case these coaches are not with NU in 2004.

OTHER OFFERS: Auburn, LSU, Mississippi St, Virginia, Georgia Tech

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

NAME:  Allan Evridge

CATEGORY: COMMITTED.  Realistic prospect, also a surprise.  Ranked a 2-star player by Rivals (NR by Rivals).

HEIGHT: 6'-1"

WEIGHT: 205 lbs

SPEED: 4.63 (electronic at NU camp; 3.87 pro-agility, self-reported)

HOMETOWN: Papillion (LaVista), NE (Class A)

STATS: (Jr) Rush: 600 yds; Pass: 900 yds

NOTES: Transfer from Montana (father is in Air Force and was re-stationed to Offutt in 2002).  Good athleticism that could translate to other positions.  Blew us away at our camp with his athleticism and arm.  Recruited solely as a balanced QB.  Update (11.06.03): Had a solid year for P-LV and his stock has continued to rise as his exposure has risen as well.  While he has committed, he has no inherent ties to the Nebraska tradition - so we will need to manage his expectations vs. the amount of passing we have done in 2003.  He should remain solid, but we will need to continue to stress that passing will make an appearance at NU in the future.

OTHER OFFERS: Iowa St, Colorado St,  Kansas St.

PICTURES: (from Insiders.com)

 

 

 

Guys to forget about (either no interest from NU, no interest from player, or both):

 

• Brent Schaeffer (Deerfield Beach, FL) - Passing QB, not our type of player

 

 

 

 

Running Backs

Updated: 11/10/03

 

 

While the quarterback prospects have flying in, at another critical need area we have been struggling with finding solid, realistic prospects.  Understanding now more than ever that we need a true difference-maker at the position, our coaches must market a depth chart devoid of star power as an opportunity for instant playing time, while at the same time not project the image that a person can't be a star running back at NU.  It has now been 6 years (Ahman Green) since we've had star power in what used to be the marquee position on the team.  Hopefully, between desperate need, maximum effort, and the charisma of new position coach Tim Albin we can lure a top-flight running back to Lincoln.

 

 

 

NAME:  Adrian Peterson

CATEGORY: Highest-rated RB by NU staff.  Not a realistic prospect.  A 5-star player by Rivals (#1 Overall Player in Rivals Top 100).

HEIGHT: 6'-2"

WEIGHT: 205 lbs

SPEED: 4.4

HOMETOWN: Palestine, TX (4A)

STATS: (Jr) Rush: 246 car, 2051 yds, 21 TDs

(Jr - Track) 100m: 10.33 sec (2nd in state); 200m: 21.23 sec (2nd in state)

(So - Track) 100m: 10.66 sec (7th in state)

NOTES: Top overall prospect in country.  No chance in hell, even though we're in his top group of seven.  Explosive speed.

OTHER OFFERS: Texas, Miami, Texas A&M, Georgia, Oklahoma, LSU

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

 

NAME:  Thomas Brown

CATEGORY: COMMITTED TO GEORGIA.  Second-highest rated RB by NU staff.  Not a realistic prospect.  A 4-star player by Rivals (#31 Overall Player in Rivals Top 100).

HEIGHT: 5'-10"

WEIGHT: 185 lbs

SPEED: 4.4

HOMETOWN: Tucker, GA (???)

STATS: (Jr) Rush: 1500 yds, 24 TDs

NOTES: Unreal speed with pads on.  His highlight reels feature run after run of him obliterating angles with a burst of speed.  Not as much shifty as pure burner.  Interestingly, plays in same backfield as stud QB D.T. MacDowell.  Another interesting bit of trivia: every year for the last 12-15 years Tucker has apparently produced a Div-I running back.  His coach says he could be the best of them all.

OTHER OFFERS: FSU, Maryland, Georgia, Arizona St, Auburn, Notre Dame, Penn St

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

NAME:  Ja'Kouri Williams

CATEGORY: Third-highest rated RB by NU staff.  Realistic prospect.  A 3-star player by Rivals. (#13 all-purpose back by Rivals)

HEIGHT: 5'-11"

WEIGHT: 179 lbs

SPEED: 4.4

HOMETOWN: Plaquemine, LA (???)

STATS: (Jr) Rush: 126 car, 1464 yds, 28 TDs

NOTES: Very highly regarded.  Had outstanding YPC average (11.6).  A distinct possibility to leave his home state, will not play for LSU.  Update: will somebody explain to me how a guy with 10.4 speed in the 100m and offers like those that have been shown below is only a 3-star?  This screams of a case where certain Rivals employees haven't fully evaluated him yet.  Models his playing style after former FSU star Warrick Dunn.  NU coaches are charging HARD on Ja'Kouri, and it is paying dividends.  We are probably in his top-2 right now. Update 2: We are recruiting him the hardest of anybody, and Albin has made a good impression.  We slightly lead over Tennessee for his services, and our attractive depth chart and history of featuring the running back are factors here. Update 3 (11.06.03): A series of events has happened here that has put us clearly behind Tennessee and some others to get him.  We have given extreme effort, led by Albin, but it will probably be in vain.  He suffered an injury during the year, and questions about his durability (he's a smaller kid) were amplified.  Tennessee, who is pursuing him as WR, has leveraged this and he's liking the sound of WR.  He's probably also liking the sound of SEC money.  Scheduled to visit Nebraska on January 16th, but doubt he makes it to Lincoln.

OTHER OFFERS: FSU, Michigan, Auburn, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Okie St

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

 

NAME:  Darius Walker

CATEGORY: Fourth-highest rated RB by NU staff.  A marginally realistic prospect. A projected 3-star player by Rivals (per Jeremy Crabtree).  Seems like an awfully low rating for such a highly sought after player.

HEIGHT: 5'-11"

WEIGHT: 195 lbs

SPEED: 4.4

HOMETOWN: Buford, GA (2A)

STATS: (Jr) Rush: 226 car, 1978 yds, 26 TDs

(Soph) Rush: 112 car, 1003 yds, 14 TDs

NOTES: Talented and highly sought-after prospect.  NU is his childhood favorite and in his top 5. NU will definitely get one of his five official visits.  NU has a fair chance at him.  Update: Some questions from Rivals staff about his upright running style and the level of competition have contributed to his rating, but a top prospect nonetheless.  Update 2: NU coaches are making great ground here.  We have positioned ourselves for an almost certain official visit, which is all you can ask for with a player like this.  Update 3: NU has apparently not made his first cut.  Fortunately we are making gains on other top targets.  Update 4: Never mind that last update.  NU is in his top 2 or 3, along with Notre Dame most notably.  We still have a good shot here.  Update 5 (11.06.03): Not sounding good after all.  Not likely to get a visit.

OTHER OFFERS: (34 overall) Notre Dame, USC, Florida, Michigan, Arkansas, Maryland

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

 

 

NAME:  Andre Brown

CATEGORY: Fifth-highest rated RB by NU staff.  A marginally realistic prospect. A 4-star player by Rivals (#9 running back by Rivals).

HEIGHT: 6'-1"

WEIGHT: 210 lbs

SPEED: 4.4

HOMETOWN: Greenville (Rose), NC (???)

STATS: (Jr) Rush: 181 car, 2123 yds, 17 TDs

STATS: (Sr) Rush: 2356, 35 TDs (thru 10 games)

NOTES: Prospect still waiting for offers from his favorites.  Averaged well over 10 YPC.  Update: NU's stock is soaring with this prospect too.  It would appear our coaches have emerged from their vacations focused on a couple key positions. Running back is one of them.  Update 2: We are still looking good here - definitely among his top schools.  He continues to average over 10 ypc in 2003, despite having several long TD runs called back.  Update 3 (11.10.03): We are still hard at work here, but it will be tough to pull him out of the South.  He visits NU on November 15th, for the KSU game.  Virginia leads for him (they had his first visit), but we have made the final group that also includes Miami (recruiting him as a WR), and NC State. 

OTHER OFFERS: Maryland, Tennessee, NC State, North Carolina, Virginia

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

 

Others:

 

NAME:  Sirdarean Adams (as RB, QB or S)

CATEGORY: Newly-targeted RB by NU staff.  A surprisingly realistic prospect. Currently only a 3-star player by Rivals, but figures to move up. (#38 athlete by Rivals)

HEIGHT: 6'-0"

WEIGHT: 202 lbs 

SPEED: 4.39 (at Florida Nike Camp, along with 42"VJ (34" flat-footed), 4.17 shuttle)

HOMETOWN: Bradenton (Bayshore), FL (4A)

STATS: (Jr) Pass: 1,400 yds, 15 TDs; Rush: 800 yds, 14 TDs

STATS: (Sr) Rush: 40 car, 685 yds, 14 TDs (thru 8 games)

NOTES: A great prospect that early on wasn't even listed in Rivals' database.  Over 22 offers, and the quality of the offers speaks for itself.  Said to have legitimate speed and would be an ideal running back in our offense.  Friendship with Fabian Washington and knowledge of coach Leslie Dennis and former Husker Tommie Frazier is helping here.  When playing EA, he always plays 1995 Nebraska.  Not a bad choice.  Per the latest update we currently lead for his services.  Another great effort in Florida.  We have been in on him for a while, but I didn't even put him up because I figured there was no chance.  I may have been mistaken...I sure hope so.  Update (11.06.03): We are staying in his leaders, which is impressive.  We have told him running back is his preferred position at NU, and Fabian Washington has reportedly been talking up NU.  We have made his final four, basically, as FSU and UF have dropped out.  Currently he has Michigan St leading (mostly because he visited them first), but the other three teams up there are Nebraska, Miami and Ohio State - STEEP competition.  The troubling thing is that he sounds like a serious qualification risk, and it would be just our luck to pull a stud RB from Florida and away from the powers of college football only to have him go to a JUCO.  Nonetheless, he visits on November 15th (KSU game), which as you can already see is a HUGE recruiting weekend.  Recently Sirdarean had a game with 7 carries for 256 yds and 3 TDs.  Wow.

OTHER OFFERS: Florida St, Florida, Ohio State, Miami, Georgia, Auburn, Michigan, KSU, Iowa, Pitt, Tennessee, Michigan St

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

NAME:  Brandon Gunn

CATEGORY: A realistic prospect, but mutually lukewarm interest. A projected 3- or 4-star player by Rivals.

HEIGHT: 5'-11"

WEIGHT: 190 lbs

SPEED: 4.5

HOMETOWN: Omaha (Central), NE (Class A)

STATS: (Jr) Rush: 980 yds, 15 TDs

NOTES: There are concerns over speed and tentativeness at hitting the hole.  Not up to the usual Central standard of running backs, per most local folks.  Update: visiting for the Oklahoma State game.  

OTHER OFFERS: CU, KSU, Iowa, Iowa St, UCLA

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

 

NAME:  Kenny Wilson

CATEGORY: No major interest at this time from NU (no offer).  A 4-star player by Rivals.

HEIGHT: 6'-2"

WEIGHT: 215 lbs

SPEED: 4.5 sec.

HOMETOWN: Liberal, KS (5A)

STATS: (Jr) Rush: 199 car, 1499 yds, 17 TDs

(Jr - Track) 100m: 11.19 sec (6th in state); 200m: 22.15 (1st in state)

NOTES: Very good local prospect who has been very productive.  Top teams include KSU, Michigan and NU.  Only KSU has offered out of this group. Update:  Not particularly fast in pads.  Films do not demonstrate the ability to make people miss in the open field.  Runs like a fullback.

OTHER OFFERS: KU, KSU

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

 

 

NAME:  Peyton Hillis (FB)

CATEGORY: Realistic Prospect.  A top fullback, unknown Rivals rating.

HEIGHT: 6'-2"

WEIGHT: 245 lbs

SPEED: 4.7

HOMETOWN: Conway, AR (???)

STATS: (Jr) Rush: 222 car, 1427 yds, 22 TDs

(So) Rush: 168 car, 997 yds, 13 TDs

NOTES: Top fullback target.  Camped at NU.  Thought to have a good chance with him, but in recent updates has not had good things to say about the city of Lincoln.  Update: Has definitely cooled on NU.  Arkansas and OU lead.

OTHER OFFERS: Arkansas, Auburn, Oklahoma, Okie St, CU, Alabama

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

 

NAME:  Dwayne Jones (FB)

CATEGORY: Distantly-realistic Prospect.  A 4-star player by Rivals (#1 FB in nation,  #54 Overall Player in Rivals Top 100).

HEIGHT: 6'-1"

WEIGHT: 233 lbs

SPEED: 4.45

HOMETOWN: Lakewood, NJ (???)

STATS: (Jr) Rush: 103 car, 953 yds, 12 TDs (6 games)

(So) Rush: 1067 yds, 13 TDs

NOTES: At one point early had us in his top-4.  Has recently had a total change of heart and lists three entirely different teams.  Who knows? Update (11.06.03): Will choose between Boston College and Virginia Tech.

OTHER OFFERS: Ohio State, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, 

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

NAME:  Webster Patrick (NEW TARGET)

CATEGORY: New target at RB.  A 4-star player by Rivals (#1 All-Purpose Back by Rivals, #92 Overall Player in the Rivals Top 100).

HEIGHT: 5'-10"

WEIGHT: 195 lbs

SPEED: 4.4 (has been timed at 4.29 handheld and has a best 100 time of 10.2)

HOMETOWN: Spring (Westfield), TX (???)

STATS: (Jr) Rush: 1346 yds, 14 TDs

STATS: (Sr) Rush: 1107 yds, 14 TDs (thru 5 games)

NOTES: An absolute speed-demon and track star who is fairly new to football, but is just dominating Texas football this year.  Our coaches have been on him from early in the process and are in the process of offering.  One of the fastest high school athletes in the state of Texas.  Consistently runs legitimate 10.3-10.4 in the 100-meters.  Has few offers, because he has virtually come out of nowhere.  Pretty sure NU will offer, and could be ours if so.

OTHER OFFERS: Utah, Iowa State, BYU 

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

NAME:  Derron Thomas (NEW TARGET)

CATEGORY: COMMITTED TO MIAMI (FL).  Another new target at RB.  A 3-star player by Rivals (#3 All-Purpose Back by Rivals).

HEIGHT: 6'-0"

WEIGHT: 185 lbs

SPEED: 4.45

HOMETOWN: Reserve (East St. John), LA (???)

STATS: (Jr) Rush: 1589 yds, 20 TDs

STATS: (Sr) Rush: 117 car, 1111 yds, 20 TD; Rec: 30 rec, 500 yds, 1 TD (thru 7 games)

NOTES: (11.06.03) A very effective player who by his stats fits the definition of All-Purpose Back pretty well.  Has a number of offers by good schools, which makes you wonder about the 3-star ranking.  He is visiting Nebraska on November 15 (KSU game).  What an important recruiting weekend!  Update 2 (11.09.03): He has committed to Miami (FL).

OTHER OFFERS: Florida St, Colorado, LSU, Michigan, Okie St, Tulane 

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

 

 

Wide Receivers

Updated: 9/01/03

 

 

This is an area that was thought to be addressed adequately last year, but disappointing progress among last year's speedy class (for a number of different reasons) has left our coaches looking for some further talent.  Judging by our early pursuits and the projected changes to the Barney Cotton offense, wide receivers may now become a little higher a priority for Nebraska.  NU's first verbal commitment of the 2004 class came at this position.  We need speed at this spot to open up the rest of our playbook.

 

NAME:  Fred Davis

CATEGORY: Highest rated WR by NU staff. Not a realistic prospect.  A 4-star player by Rivals (#27 Overall Player in Rivals Top 100).

HEIGHT: 6'-4"

WEIGHT: 210 lbs

SPEED: 4.5

HOMETOWN: Toledo (Rogers), OH (???)

STATS: (Jr) Rush: 1100 yds; Rec: 600 yds; Overall: 26 TDs

NOTES: Strengths unknown.  Update: NU was pitching him as a running back.  He has eliminated NU.

OTHER OFFERS: Ohio State, Texas, Penn St, Pittsburgh

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

NAME:  Del Roberts

CATEGORY: Second-highest rated WR by NU staff. A very realistic prospect.  Second-tier Florida high school receiver.  Projected rating is a Rivals 3-star.

HEIGHT: 5'-9"

WEIGHT: 165 lbs

SPEED: 4.46 (Handheld at Nike camp in Gainesville, FL)

HOMETOWN: Tallahassee (Godby), FL (???)

STATS: (Jr) Rec: XXX yds, XX TDs

NOTES: A great opportunity to keep the doors open into Florida, although these are the types of players that Iowa (and Iowa St) have been grabbing lately.  Second-level guys from Florida are probably still pretty good, given the level of competition.  He would prefer local schools,  but unlikely that they will offer.  Between us and Iowa and dead-even at the moment. Update: Iowa  leads NU. Update 2 (9.01.03): Nebraska has lost serious ground here, unfortunately.

OTHER OFFERS: Iowa, Syracuse, UCF.

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

NAME:  Tory DeGrate

CATEGORY: Third-highest rated WR by NU staff.  Not a realistic prospect.  Probable 4-star player by Rivals.

HEIGHT: 5'-11"

WEIGHT: 177 lbs

SPEED: 4.5

HOMETOWN: Waco, TX (???)

STATS: (Jr) Rec: 41 rec, 716 yds, 10 TDs

NOTES: Strengths unknown.

OTHER OFFERS: OU, Arkansas, LSU, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Okie St

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

 

NAME:  Nathan Swift

CATEGORY: COMMITTED.  Fourth-highest rated WR by NU staff.  Very realistic prospect.  No rating by Rivals.

HEIGHT: 6'-3"

WEIGHT: 190 lbs

SPEED: 4.79 sec. (electronic at NU camp, along with 31.0" VJ, 4.37 sec. shuttle)

HOMETOWN: Hutchingson,  MN (???)

STATS: (Jr) Rush: 800 yds; Rec: 500 yds

NOTES: Not particularly fast or athletic.  Thought to be a possession-type receiver.  Will need to work on his strength (225-lb BP max) in order to contribute as a blocker.

OTHER OFFERS: Only offer.  Also interested in Minnesota.

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

NAME:  Cameron Colvin

CATEGORY: Fifth-highest targeted WR by NU staff.  Not a realistic prospect.  A 5-star player by Rivals (#21 Overall Player in Rivals Top 100).

HEIGHT: 6'-2"

WEIGHT: 193 lbs

SPEED: 4.38 (at Miami camp, following a 4.31.  Also posted a 3.85 shuttle.)

HOMETOWN: Concord (De La Salle), CA (???)

STATS: (Jr) Rec: 14 rec, 405 yds, 4 TDs

NOTES: Highly-decorated player for one of the top prep powerhouses in the nation. Completely tore up the Nike camp at Miami.  Tall and blazing fast.  Averaged nearly 30 yards per catch.

OTHER OFFERS: Miami, FSU, LSU, USC, UCLA, Oregon, Arizona St, Michigan

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

 

NAME:  Terrance Nunn

CATEGORY: COMMITTED.  Highly-regarded "secret" WR target by NU staff.  Very realistic prospect.  No rating yet by Rivals.  Rated a 4-star WR by Insiders.com.  Ranked the #19 WR in the nation by Max Emfinger.

HEIGHT: 6'-0"

WEIGHT: 185 lbs

SPEED: 4.4 sec. (supposedly a fairly legit time, 4.10 pro-agility time)

HOMETOWN: Cypress Falls, TX (???)

STATS: (Jr) Rec: 27 catches, 604 yds, 5 TD

NOTES: A speed-type receiver with soft hands and also excels at route-running.  Committed after being a secret visitor to the OSU game on Aug. 30th.  Was pursued by schools that generally have a good eye for talented and fast WRs.  An extremely key pickup in our hopes of creating a deep threat to free up our running game.  From same town as current Husker Greg Austin.

OTHER OFFERS: CU, Oklahoma St, Wisconsin, Baylor

PICTURES: (none available found yet, wears #5 for his high school team)

 

 

 

Tight Ends

Updated: 8/26/03

 

 

This position was partially addressed last year, particularly on the blocking side of things with Phillips.  Matt Herian is a potential star and a deep threat (and only a sophomore), so the need for super-star is not as pressing, nor is the need for future depth.  Only special players or intriguing prospects are likely to be offered.

 

NAME:  Zach Miller

CATEGORY: Highest-targeted TE by NU staff.  Not a realistic prospect.  A 4-star player by Rivals (#50 Overall Player in Rivals Top 100).

HEIGHT: 6'-4"

WEIGHT: 240 lbs

SPEED: 4.7

HOMETOWN: Phoenix (Desert Vista), AZ (???)

STATS: (Jr) Rec: 27 rec, 520 yds, 6 TDs

NOTES: Highly-decorated player.  Also a top DE prospect.

OTHER OFFERS: Miami, UCLA, Arizona St, Michigan, CU, USC, Tennessee, 

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

 

 

NAME:  Marc Winston

CATEGORY: Second-highest targeted TE by NU staff.  A realistic prospect.  A 2-star rated player by Rivals.

HEIGHT: 6'-7"

WEIGHT: 235 lbs

SPEED: 4.75

HOMETOWN: Little Rock (Parkview), AR (???)

STATS: (Jr) Rec: 30 rec, 760 yds, 4 TDs

NOTES: Also a basketball prospect.  Wants to play both sports in college.  Said to have great hands, and averaged over 25 yards a catch. Update 2 (11.10.03): Decided to play football in college.  NU did not make his final four.

OTHER OFFERS: Arkansas, Iowa, Virginia Tech, Mississippi St.

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

 

Others:

 

NAME:  Craig McGovern

CATEGORY: COMMITTED TO MICHIGAN STATE.  Newly-targeted TE by NU staff.  A fairly realistic prospect.  A 3-star player by Rivals.

HEIGHT: 6'-5"

WEIGHT: 238 lbs

SPEED: 4.54

HOMETOWN: Princeton (The Hun School), NJ (???)

STATS: (Jr) Rec: 35 rec, 735 yds, 1 TD

NOTES: Another player interested in us purely because of Jimmy Williams, and surprise - from New Jersey.  Is a receiving-first, blocking-second tight end.  Wants to watch our offense the first few games to see how we use the TE in the passing game.

OTHER OFFERS: Ohio St, Michigan St, Northwestern, Purdue

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

 

Offensive Tackles

Updated: 11/10/03

 

 

Recent years have shown just how critical quality offensive tackles are in any offense, option-based or not.  With more and more teams stacking up the line and daring us to pass, outside edge protection is increasingly a critical skill.  The need for potential star offensive linemen never ends, and while our best OL is currently playing tackle, an effective linemen typically needs time to develop and mature.

 

 

NAME:  Bret Gallimore

CATEGORY: Highest-targeted OT by NU staff.  A remotely realistic prospect.  A 4-star player by Rivals (#89 Overall Player in Rivals Top 100).

HEIGHT: 6'-5"

WEIGHT: 290 lbs

SPEED: 5.1 sec.

HOMETOWN: Riverside (Park Hill South), MO (???)

STATS: N/A

NOTES: Pursued by many top programs.  Strengths unknown. Update: Coach Downing is from Park Hill and is overseeing his recruitment.  Will be taking an unofficial visit to NU on August 30th for the Oklahoma State game.  Update 2: we have been working very hard at repairing some burnt bridges here by not contacting him early (just like everybody else we weren't contacting), and it appears to be working.  Our prospects are looking up for this solid player.  Update 3 (08.26.03): Looking forward to visit for Okie State game.  We will see if it has any effect.  Update 4 (11.10.03): We have been unable to gain ground with him.  Probably heading to Michigan.

OTHER OFFERS: FSU, Ohio State, Michigan, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois

PICTURES: (from Rivals.com)

 

 

 

 

NAME:  Leon Hart

CATEGORY: Second-highest targeted OT by NU staff.  Not a realistic prospect.  A 4-star player by Rivals (#5 OT in Nation by Rivals, #91 Overall Player in Rivals Top 100).

HEIGHT: 6'-4"

WEIGHT: 290 lbs

SPEED: 5.1 sec.

HOMETOWN: Columbia (Spring Valley), SC (???)

STATS: N/A