Long TIme, No Blog

I've been busy - very busy - but I didn't realize I'd been so neglectful! I checked my blog this morning and realized that it's been since December 19 that I wrote anything! Damned online poker has been monopolizing my free time! :-)

Let's catch up a bit... Nebraska has a new coaching staff and the concern of losing their recruiting class for 2008 because of the turnover was somewhat warranted. NU lost Blaine Gabbert, Adrian Hilburn, Bryce Givens, Doug Rippy, Shaun Mohler, Dan Hoch and Reilly Reiff.

However, some recruits who decommitted later recommitted to coach Pelini's staff. Tops among those players were LB Will Compton and DE Josh Williams. RB Collins Okafor - who was looking around - later reaffirmed his commitment.

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After Pelini and crew got settled, NU added 13 players to their class.

They dipped into states such as Texas, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and Ohio.

In my last blog (way back in December) I mentioned DT Quentin Toailoa and WR Khiry Cooper were considering the Big Red. Both signed with NU in February.

Cooper was a high draft pick of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim/Chino Hills/Huntington Beach and as such has some financial options available to him that most college freshmen would kill for. Thus far Cooper has turned the Angels down. The deadline is fast-approaching, so look for the team to make one final push with a big offer. If it gets into seven digits it's possible Cooper may take the money and run, but I believe we'll see him suiting up for both Bo Pelini and Mike Anderson during 2008-09.

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From what I've heard from fall camp and summer conditioning, freshmen who could make an immediate impact - whether it's on special teams or on the two-deep - include LB Alonzo Whaley, CB Alfonzo Dennard, TE Ben Cotton, TE Kyler Reed, DT Baker Steinkuhler and the aforementioned Compton and Cooper.

Another piece of Pelini's plan for his program is the emphasis on walk-ons. That emphasis might pay dividends this fall. There are a number of freshmen on the 105-man roster, including linebacker Matt Holt, defensive tackle Justin Jackson, offensive lineman Brian Thorson and defensive back Jase Dean. Holt has been working with the two-deep at a thin linebacker corps and has already made an impression on the coaching staff.

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Speaking of fall camp, it's been eventful already. Kevin Dixon has been dismissed from the team and Ty Steinkuhler has been sitting out most of the week with an undisclosed injury (which may be a back issue from what I hear). The DT position is one injury away from being potentially decimated! Guys like Ndamukong Suh and Shukree Barfield need to watch out when they step into the street!

Seth Jensen leaving the team last spring hurts even more now, as he could have stepped into the two-deep.

Guys like Ben Martin, Terrence Moore, and freshman Baker Steinkuhler may need to step up and produce this fall. Moore is coming along well according to Pelini, however it also sounds like he's a ways away from making an impact.

"Terrence is making progress," Pelini told HuskersIllustrated.com. "He's not exactly where we want him to be yet and probably won't be for a long time. He's working hard though and hopefully he'll continue to get better."

The younger Steinkuhler certainly has the size (6-foot-6, 290 pounds) and the motor to compete at the D-1 level. How quickly he picks up the defense will determine how much he plays.

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What about 2009 recruiting? There's been much hand-wringing on message boards about the lack of 'stars' on the current list of commitments. NU has 10 prospects pledged so far with six of them coming from Texas. Of the remaining four, two are from Nebraska and one each from Florida and Pennsylvania.

Four-star QB Cody Green of Dayton (Texas) leads the pack. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds with 4.6-second speed in the 40 and a rocket arm, Green looks like the future of Nebraska football.

Husker fans have seen big-time prospect QBs commit and then be lost recently. Do names like Josh Freeman and Blaine Gabbert ring a bell? What makes Green different? He has an older sister who will be entering graduate school at NU in the fall. I think it's very likely that Green signs with NU in February.

Among the other commitments, RB Dontrayveous "Tray" Robinson looks like an outstanding prospect. Rivals lists him as a three-star, but he is on the cusp of four-star status and is the No. 58 prospect in Texas overall.

Robinson combines big-back size (6-1/215) with tailback speed (4.5-seconds in the 40). He plays for one of the top schools in Texas' biggest class at Euless Trinity. In fact, some national publications (http://prepnation.com/ for example) have Trinity listed as the top team in the nation for 2008.

Another player on that Trinity team is DT Siosaia Tuipulotu (6-2/285) who will be making an official visit to Lincoln with Robinson September 5. Tuipuloto is Rivals' No. 49-ranked player in Texas with 3 stars. He lists his top three as NU, Utah and Louisville. Getting a prospect with Polynesian background to Lincoln has always been difficult, however sophomore RB Roy Helu is showing us that it's not impossible. Hopefully Helu can make an impact on Tuipulotu, and along with Robinson's emphasis he'll commit.

Tuipulotu would be the third DT to commit, joining Cole Pensick (6-2/250) of Lincoln Northeast and Thaddeus Randle (6-1/255) of Galena Park (Texas) North Shore. Both are rated by Rivals with 3 stars.

Randle plays for another Texas program which is highly-ranked nationally by PrepNation.com. North Shore is ranked tenth in the preseason poll. They have won 70 straight regular-season games, but have won just one state title during that run. Randle - and his 6 teammates with D-1 offers - hope to add title number two this year.

A prospect who has message boards buzzing is all-purpose back David Oku of Midwest City (Okla.) Carl Albert who has NU in his top four schools and has scheduled an official visit for the Virginia Tech game Sept 27. Oku is Rivals' No. 1-ranked all-purpose back and No. 82 in the nation at all positions. As a freshman he rushed for over 800 yards, followed up by over 1,400 yards and 19 touchdowns as a sophomore and over 1,600 yards with 20 TDs as a junior. He will decide from among NU, Louisville, Tennessee and Florida State.

Wide receivers Brady Brown (6-5/190) of Argyle (Texas) and Abrecus Martinez (6-2/185) of Rayville (La.) are the top two WR possibilities to commit soon.

Brown is down to NU, Kansas, Stanford and Vanderbilt, but NU clearly leads. He caught 97 passes for almost 1,100 yards and 12 TDs as a junior.

Martinez will visit Sept. 6 for the San Jose State game and could have a decision between shortly after his trip. He holds offers from Colorado and Ole Miss, but has maintained a top two of NU and Tulsa for months now.

“It’s possible I could commit (to Nebraska),” Martinez told HuskersIllustrated.com. “It all depends on how things go. I’ll try to hold off. I’d at least go back home for a couple of days to think about it (before committing).”

I expect NU to take only two receivers in this class. If both Brown and Martinez make their decisions, that should be all they take.

There will be more, but I'm running out of time. I'll try to write more frequently. Go Big Red!