In fairness, coach Blake was usually recruiting highly-ranked prospects who also had offers from the 'heavyweights' in college football - USC, Oklahoma, Miami, LSU, Florida, etc. Still, his results were lacking.
In 2005 he was truly one of the best recruiters in the country, pulling in players such as 5-star Marlon Lucky, 4-stars Phillip Dillard and Ola Dagunduro, and freshman all-American 3-star Barry Turner among his eight signees.
In 2006 he slipped slightly, bringing in 5-star Andre Jones and three 3-stars who have yet to contribute to the program - one of whom (Steve Allen) did not qualify academically.
In 2007, Blake left NU for North Carolina late in the recruiting year. His recruiting efforts at NU were minimal in that season. He did sign one 5-star and one 4-star defensive tackle for the Tar Heels, however. Very similar to his year-one results in Lincoln.
Compare those results to NU Outside Linebacker Coach & Special Teams Coordinator Bill Busch. Busch gets less credit than Blake did, but his results are similar if not more impressive.
In 2005, Busch was the lead recruiter for 5-star defensive back Zackary Bowman, 4-star lineman Rodney Picou (who has left the program), four additional 3-star prospects and one 2-star guy for a total of 7 signees. Only Bowman (on a limited basis) and former NU kicker Jordan Congdon - a freshman all-American like Turner - have made a significant contribution. NU is still waiting on Nick Covey to be healthy, but Tyrell Spain, Jordan Picou, and Dontrell Moore have given little to nothing to the Huskers. Like Rodney Picou and Congdon, Spain and Moore are gone from the program. Picou's problems and Congdon's decision to transfer are not Busch's fault, however.
2006 has proven to be more productive long-term for Busch, however. He brought in 4-star Rickey Thenarse and 3-stars Major Culbert, Anthony West, and Menelik Holt. West was able to redshirt as a freshman, but Culbert and Thenarse were special teams stars.
- Thenarse has a very good chance to start at safety this fall as a true sophomore.
- Culbert would have been in the running at linebacker, but depth problems necessitated a move to running back during the spring. What will happen this fall is anyone's guess right now. Culbert could redshirt and save eligibility for a move back to defense next year, or he could be in the mix in the offensive backfield. He did look impressive against the No. 1 defense in the Red-White game with limited blocking help.
- Holt is in the mix among the top 6 or 7 receivers.
- West comes off a redshirt season and is expected to compete for time at free safety while maintaining hte ability to play corner also
2007 was another boon for Busch as he signed six players, all from Arizona. Three players were rated 4-stars (CB Armando Murillo, OL Jaivorio Burkes, and DE William Yancy) and three were rated 3-stars (Athletes Prince Amukamara and Eric Hagg and OL Marcel Jones).
- I expect Burkes, Yancy, and Jones to redshirt.
- Amukamara and Hagg could see time on special teams, at cornerback, safety, wide receiver, or running back (Amukamara), but a redshirt would not surprise me with them either. The depth on the NU roster is finally getting back to the point where the Husker staff can consider every freshman a possible redshirt!
- Murillo proved during hte spring that he belongs in the rotation at cornerback with seniors Cortney Grixby, Jones, and Bowman (when he returns from injury). That means that Busch has personally recruited 3 of the top 4 at that position on this year's depth chart.
In 2008, Bill Busch is off and running again. He already had non-binding verbal commitments from JUCO tight end Tyson Hetzer and JUCO linebacker Shaun Mohler.
- Hetzer (6-7/265) was the top tight end on the Husker staff's list after they viewed his entire spring practice tape and saw him in person. He has 4.7-second speed to go with that size, and has also played basketball at the junior college level so he knows how to use his body to position himself for a catch.
- Mohler is simply one of the top 3 JUCO linebackers and one of the top 10 players overall on a national basis. He should be able to provide immediate help at a position where 4 seniors (Bo Ruud, Corey McKeon, Steve Octavian, and Lance Brandenburgh) will graduate in 2007 leaving little experience for 2008.
Busch has also positioned himself well with a number of highly-ranked prospects from the western USA.
- In Arizona alone, 4-star prospects DB Jarrell Barbour (6-3/190/4.4), TE Dion Jordan (6-6/215/4.6) and ATH Gerrell Robinson (6-4/210/4.58) along with 3-star guys ATH Jake Muasau (6-1/210/4.49) and RB Jamal Womble (5-10/216/4.41) and 2-star ATH Keelan Johnson (6-0/195/4.5) all have the Huskers high on their lists.
- Johnson: "...Coach (Bill) Busch and I just talked a couple days ago. We keep in touch and everything through texts."
- Jordan: "Oh yeah, I just got off the phone with coach (Bill) Busch last night. He was just talking about when I'd be able to get up there for an official visit. There's a real good chance that I'll take one there. I've got to sit down with my family and talk about when I'll be heading out on my visits."
- Womble: "Nebraska and South Carolina are the schools recruiting me the hardest. I'm constantly talking to and texting the coaches of those schools and they're showing me the most interest... "With Nebraska, I just like the relationships I've been able to build with their coaches and the past tradition of their program and everything. I've heard great things about it there. I've already scheduled an official visit and I just can't wait to get out there and see it for myself."
Busch is not limiting himself to the Grand Canyon State, however. NU is also very high on the lists of JUCO DE Simi Kuli (6-4/270), 3-star HS DE Cameron Meredith (6-4/222), and JUCO RB Tavares Pressley (6-1/215/4.4). Kuli and Pressley are considered strong leans to NU, and Meredith has the Huskers solidly in his top 5 right now. He has set up a 4-day unofficial trip to Lincoln in mid-August with his mother.
Coach Bill Busch - NU's 'ace in the hole' has things rolling in 2008!
