Good riddance NBA finals

Finally the NBA season is over. Congratulations to the San Antonio Spurs for winning their fourth title in nine years. That's great... but what's even greater is that the NBA season is finally finished and I don't have to hear or read about it until October again!

Any by October, football will be in full swing!!!

Speaking of football, Nebraska continues to pull in a tremendous recruiting class for 2008. Yesterday saw the addition of Omaha (Neb.) Millard North safety/linebacker Sean Fisher's commitment. At 6-foot-5, 210 pounds with 4.6-second speed in the 40, Fisher is slated for outside linebacker. However, it's possible that he's not done growing yet. If he adds a couple of inches to 6-foot-7, then what do they do with him? There aren't many 6-7 linebackers out there, and no safeties of that size, so a move to DE might be imminent. We'll see how it all shakes out, but Fisher was a high priority for the Husker staff since last September. He chose NU over Oklahoma at the end, but also had offers from schools such as Iowa, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Colorado, and Arizona State among his 15+ suitors.

This makes four in-state prospects among the nine to verbally commit to the NU staff for 2008. Fisher - a Rivals.com 3-star player - joins 5-star OL Baker Steinkuhler, 4-star OL Trevor Robinson and 3-star RB Collins Okafor as prospects from the Cornhusker State to give their pledge to NU.

Also joining the NU class recently was WR Adrian Hilburn of San Francisco Community College. At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds with legitimate 4.4 speed in the 40, Hilburn provides a downfield threat to compliment 2007 signees Niles Paul and Curenski Gilleylen. Hilburn chose the Huskers over Tennessee and Texas A&M.

I was told that Hilburn was identified by the NU staff when he was a high schooler playing on a team that ran the ball 95% of the time. He was "placed" at SFCC by the NU staff and was a near lock to sign with them.

With Hilburn joining the fold, it brings up the question of whether this gives Zach Lee the inside track to the starting quarterback job in 2008 over Joe Ganz, Patrick Witt and '08 commit Blaine Gabbert. I do not believe that to be the case.

Is Lee talented enough to start? Absolutely, but so are the other three guys. Right now if I had to put my money on a 2008 starter it would be on Patrick Witt. He should redshirt this fall, but if Sam Keller gets hurt don't be surprised if Witt's redshirt is burned and he takes over the team instead of #2 man Ganz. The coaching staff is that high on Witt!

With nine verbal commitments, NU is about half-way finished with their '08 class. Who's next?

Currently working out at the Big Red Football Camp is John Levorson, a 6-foot-3 1/2, 185-pound safety/wide receiver from Crete (Neb.). Levorson was very impressive in the first day testing at the camp, running a 4.55-second 40 (captured on multiple stop watches in the 4.5 to 4.55 range) and recording a 32-inch vertical leap. Today he gets some individual work at safety. Don't be surprised if he adds a Nebraska scholarship offer to his Wyoming and Ohio offers, and be even less surprised if he accepts it on the spot.

Levorson may be the last player from Nebraska the NU staff offers this year, unless TE Tim Biere of Omaha Westside sneaks in there. Biere has been impressive at camps and on film, winning the receiver MVP at the Columbia (Mo.) NIKE Camp. However, his 4.88-second speed in the 40 is not exactly what they're looking for. He does have a solid shuttle (4.32) however, which shows the ability to get away from linebackers at the line of scrimmage and in coverage.

Personally I would like them to take Biere and then look nationally for a "speed" tight end. I think they need to sign two at the position this year anyway, and an in-state guy with great hands and decent quickness would be a good pickup in my opinion.