The latest on NU coaching search

Callahan is gone and Osborne has been in Atlanta meeting with the search firm he's using to try and identify a new head coach for Nebraska football.

The flight tracking going on among message board members is hilarious! If you want to see what flights are leaving Lincoln, go to http://flightaware.com/live/airport/KLNK.

Here's what we know at this point...

1. Sources tell me that Bo Pelini was interviewed in Baton Rouge while Osborne (and reportedly Harvey Perlman) were on their way to Atlanta. That interview reportedly went "very well", but my source told me this morning that Pelini has not been offered the job yet per a conversation late last night.
2. Sources also tell me that Buffalo head coach Turner Gill will not be hired to be Pelini's offensive coordinator. That makes sense to me. Even though it would likely be a pay bump, going from head coach to offensive coordinator is not a good move unless it's necessitated by a dismissal situation. Whether Gill has actually interviewed with Osborne for the head coaching position is something I have not confirmed yet, but an interview was reported by Tom Deinert of the Sporting News.
3. Sources also say that Wake Forest head coach Jim Grobe was interviewed by Osborne recently. This was also reported by Deinert. I have no word on the evaluation of the interview. Per Deinert, 'Grobe has nine years left on his Wake deal, which pays him $1.5 million annually. He has a $2 million buyout.'
4. Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly is also rumored to be interviewing with Osborne today. I have not confirmed this. Early morning word came from Channel 8 in Lincoln that the University had scheduled a flight to Cincinnati today, but I have not been able to find a flight on FlightTracker with those end points.

That's the latest.

In Defense of Callahan

Now there's a controversial title, given how little defense we've seen on the field this fall from the Huskers (I refuse to call them Blackshirts).

With all of the talking heads and upset fans rushing to crucify Bill Callahan on his way out the door, I thought it might be appropriate to look at some of the positive developments during his four years in Lincoln. Maybe I can convince some fans that he is in fact NOT the Spawn of Satan.

• Callahan and his wife Valerie have created and expanded Coach Callahan Charities, Inc. Coach Callahan Charities, Inc. is a non-profit organization established by Coach Callahan and his wife, Valerie, to provide financial support to non-profit organizations to fight breast cancer and diabetes and to assist economically disadvantaged and at-risk youth and families in the area. The organization hosts events such as a charity fashion show, a 5K fun run, and Football 101 (an informational course for women who want to learn more about the sport).
• Callahan helped develop and lead the Husker Youth Experience where hundreds of youngsters get to meet their NU football heroes and spend a morning working out with them and learning the sport.
• The Nebraska Elite Quarterback Academy was developed under Callahan, who is considered an offensive guru. This summer academy has helped the coaching staff identify future prospects such as Josh Freeman, Ryan Mallett, and Blaine Gabbert early in their high school careers.
• The Husker Football Schools (summer camps) have grown and developed significantly since Callahan took over the program.

You may not believe Callahan is a great coach, and I sometimes question his ability to make the tough decisions a head coach has to make (such as firing his defensive coordinator), but you have to admit that there are some positives that he's been a big part of building into the Nebraska program.

Unfortunately with all of the upheaval within the Nebraska football program, there are bound to be committed prospects who change their minds. In fact, highly-ranked running back Jonas Gray has already told NU that he's officially looking around again.

Who will follow him? What are the chances that each NU recruit stays committed? Here are my thoughts. (Thanks to Rivals.com for the list of committed prospects).

Prospect Name	Pos	Ht	Wt	40	RR	Hometown	Sean's Take
Blaine Gabbert	QB	6-4	226	4.65	6.1	Ballwin, MO	Gabbert will leave if Watson goes when Callahan is removed. I think 35% he stays with NU.
Baker Steinkuhler	OL	6-6	290	4.88	6.1	Lincoln, NE	Husker legacy will be a big part of the Blackshirt turnaround next fall. 100%
Jonas Gray	RB	5-10	213	4.44	6.0	Detroit, MI	It's unlikely that Jonas signs with NU. He has decommitted to take visits, but could come back depending on other NU recruits such as Gabbert, Woods, Rippy, and Compton. 20%
Bryce Givens	OL	6-6	257	5.1	5.9	Denver, CO	Givens is similar to Gray. If Trevor Robinson commits to NU, Givens might stay. 40% chance to stay IMO.
Shaun Mohler	LB	6-3	225	4.6	5.9	Costa Mesa, CA	Mohler is taking visits in Pac Ten country now, but I believe he sticks with the Big Red in the end. 50% chance.
Will Compton	LB	6-2	214	4.5	5.8	Bonne Terre, MO	I think if NU gets a defensive coach (a la Pelini) that Compton will stay put. The wild card is childhood favorite Notre Dame offering him this week. 60% chance.
Dan Hoch	OL	6-6	302	5.21	5.8	Harlan, IA	Hoch is a Husker 100%
Sean Fisher	LB	6-5	210	4.6	5.7	Omaha, NE	Fisher is a Husker 100%
Adrian Hilburn	WR	6-2	190	4.4	5.7	San Francisco, CA	I think if Zac Lee is still in Lincoln, Hilburn will be as well. 70% Husker
Cameron Meredith	DE	6-4	222	4.6	5.7	Santa Ana, CA	I think Meredith remains with NU. He committed for the program history and tradition, and with Osborne that will only get better. 65%
Collins Okafor	RB	6-1	210	4.54	5.7	Omaha, NE	Okafor is a Husker 100%
Riley Reiff	DE	6-6	235	4.8	5.7	Parkston, SD	I think Reiff sticks with NU after changing from Iowa once already. 80%.
David Whitmore	DB	6-2	190	4.5	5.7	Port Arthur, TX	Whitmore says he's a Husker, but I'm not sure I believe him. 50% at best.
Josh Williams	DE	6-4	220	4.8	5.7	Denton, TX	Williams is with the Compton, Gabbert, Woods, Gray, etc. group. I think he goes whichever way most of those guys go. 40%
D.J. Woods	WR	6-0	169	4.35	5.7	Strongsville, OH	Woods is close with Gabbert, Compton, Gray, Williams, etc. Each of those individuals will impact the others with his decision. 35%
Eric Harper	DE	6-4	220	4.62	5.6	Marrero, LA	I think Harper remains a Husker. 80%.
Tyson Hetzer	TE	6-7	265	4.75	5.6	Glendora, CA	No one's talked with Hetzer, so I don't know what to think. I'd say 50%.
Kyler Reed	ATH	6-3	204	4.5	5.6	Overland Park, KS	I think Reed stays with NU. He's a Husker fan from way back. 70%.
Doug Rippy	LB	6-2	218	-	5.6	Trotwood, OH	Rippy, Compton, Gray, Gabbert, Woods, Williams... all waiting on each other in my opinion. 40%
Ricky Henry	OL	6-4	300	5.2	5.5	Wahpeton, ND	Henry will be a Husker provided his academics are in order. 100%
Keelan Johnson	DB	6-0	195	4.5	5.5	Mesa, AZ	Johnson should remain a Husker, especially if Bill Busch is part of the new staff. 80%.
Darius Parish	DT	6-3	325	5.08	5.5	Wichita, KS	I think Parish is gone, but then I've always thought he was tenuous at best. 25%.
Brandon Thompson	OL	6-6	280	-	5.5	The Woodlands, TX	I think Thompson stays with NU, but it's not a given. 50%.
John Levorson	ATH	6-4	185	4.55	5.4	Crete, NE	Levorson is a Husker 100%.

That warm fuzzy feeling

I've got to admit that I was drinking gallons of the red kool-aid these past four years. I was certain that Steve Pederson and Bill Callahan had Nebraska football on the right track, and that the restoration of "the order" was nearly complete in Lincoln.

Then I watched seniors stop trying, sophomores and freshmen not getting on the field, and a general feeling of quitting by the team. This 2007 season, which began with so much promise, has now disintegrated into utter despair.

Well that despair has all been washed away in a red tide of nostalgia today. Just seeing Tom Osborne behind a podium on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln today made it seem like all is right with the world again.

Will T.O. make the right choices? Time will tell, but the man rarely fails at anything he does.

The 2008 class: From Stars to Reaches

There’s a lot of buzz about the early rankings for the 2008 Nebraska recruiting class. Rivals.com currently ranks the Huskers with the No. 7 class nationally. Those rankings are subjective, based on the (somewhat expert) opinions of analysts with many years of experience evaluating prospects. I tend to lend some credence to those rankings, but I lend more weight to what other schools players have scholarship offers from. This can be somewhat inaccurate though, because often a player will commit early in the recruiting process and schools will never get the opportunity to offer a scholarship.

So how is Nebraska really doing in recruiting this year? Here’s my best effort at breaking down the kids already committed based on stars and offers.

Nebraska has two commitments ranked by Rivals.com with five-stars, the highest ranking the recruiting service gives out.

Quarterback Blaine Gabbert (6-4/224/4.65) of Ballwin, Mo. won the Elite 11 quarterback camp’s MVP award this past summer. He committed to Nebraska over offers from schools such as Oregon, Tennessee, Alabama, Iowa, and Missouri. It was generally accepted that Gabbert would not leave the Midwest for college, so schools in the SEC and Pac Ten did not recruit him strongly. I think he will be a star in Lincoln.

Offensive lineman Baker Steinkuhler (6-6/290/4.88) of Lincoln Southwest shows only one scholarship offer on his list – Nebraska. That’s because Steinkuhler committed to the Huskers only two days after he received his scholarship offer. He is an NU legacy, with both his father (Dean) and brother (Ty) playing for the Huskers. That legacy, more than anything, kept other schools from “wasting their time” recruiting Steinkuhler. He will play in the NFL someday after a stellar college career. Star

The five-star players are likely to be stars in college and have excellent potential to play in the NFL someday.

Four-star players frequently turn into all-conference players and many go on to play professionally, whether it’s in the NFL, CFL, or Arena League.

NU has four-stars in offensive lineman Bryce Givens (6-6/257/5.1) from Denver, Colo., running back Jonas Gray (5-10/213/4.44) of Detroit, Mich., linebacker Shaun Mohler (6-3/225/4.6) of Orange Coast (Calif.) Community College, linebacker Will Compton (6-2/214/4.5) of Bonne Terre, Mo. and offensive lineman Dan Hoch (6-6/302/5.21) of Harlan, Iowa.

Givens chose NU over Texas, Florida, UCLA, Colorado, Michigan, and Louisville. That is a strong contingent of suitors, which would indicate that he is expected to be a very strong college player. Contributor

Gray, the top player in Michigan according to Rivals, decided on the Huskers over the home-state Wolverines, Florida, Louisville, and Wisconsin among others. When the defending national champion Gators head out of Florida to recruit running backs that’s high praise. Gray should be a good player at NU. Contributor

Mohler, a junior college player ranked among the top 15 players nationally by Rivals.com, chose NU primarily over California and Colorado. JUCO players are easier to project because they have a year or two of higher-level competition out of high school. However, they are recruited based on filling needs. Many of the top programs nationally have great depth coming up at linebacker. Nebraska has a bit of a gap between four seniors graduating this year and the next level of freshmen and sophomores, so Mohler fills a need. Expect him to see the field next year. Contributor

Compton had offers from around the Big Ten and Big Twelve. He picked the Huskers over Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois among others. He also had strong interest from Notre Dame, but no written offer. It would seem that many colleges felt that Compton can play BCS-level football. Contributor

Hoch was the least sought-after player among the four-stars, garnering offers from just Iowa State and Kansas State. Rivals ranks him as the top prospect in Iowa, but it’s widely-acknowledged to be a less-than-stellar year in the Hawkeye State for college-level talent. Hoch committed before his junior year ended, which means that schools couldn’t evaluate his senior year film and offer based on his senior play. Still, he is somewhat of a question mark to me. He may be a contributor, but the level of other schools recruiting him doesn’t elicit excitement from me. I see Hoch as a reach.

Where evaluations get into more of a gray area is when we look at the three-star and two-star prospects. Currently Nebraska has 15 of their 22 commitments at these two levels.

Atop the list is Sean Fisher (6-5/210/4.6) of Millard North. Fisher chose NU over suitors such as Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Arizona State, and Colorado. He had 16 written offers when he committed to Nebraska, and most of them were BCS-level schools. He projects to the college level as an outside linebacker very well. I was told that Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables was very disappointed to not get Fisher’s pledge. Star

JUCO wide receiver Adrian Hilburn (6-2/190/4.4) of City College of San Francisco picked NU over Tennessee and Texas A&M. There was a time when Tennessee was known as “Wide Receiver University”, so the fact that the Vols went after Hilburn from the other side of the nation is impressive. However, none of the Pac Ten schools recruited him hard so I’m less inclined to declare him a future star. Time will tell on Hilburn. Contributor

Defensive end Cameron Meredith (6-4/222/4.6) of Santa Ana, Calif. was being recruited heavily by schools around the Big Twelve and Pac Ten. He held offers from Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, and others when he pledged to the Huskers. Meredith’s films show that he plays to the whistle on every snap, indicating the type of mentality that should serve him well in college. I expect him to be a star at Nebraska.

Running back Collins Okafor (6-1/210/4.54) of Omaha Westside received his Nebraska offer in early October of 2006 and committed late that month. Despite leading Class A in rushing as a junior, Okafor had no additional offers. Did NU find diamond that no one else noticed? Time will tell, but the level of recruitment Okafor received sets off some alarms for me. Reach

Port Arthur, Texas defensive back David Whitmore (6-2/190/4.5) made his pledge to Nebraska before his junior year ended, picking the Huskers over Oklahoma State, Missouri, and Kansas State. He has not yet visited Lincoln, and is still considered somewhat of a soft commitment by recruiting gurus. His play in the Texas 7-on-7 State Championship this past summer moved him up in many analysts’ eyes. With his height and speed, Whitmore should be a very good college player. Contributor

Josh Williams (6-4/220/4.8) is a defensive end from Denton, Texas. Williams had a long list of offers, but only a few from upper-level BCS schools. Missouri, Arkansas, Arizona, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State were among his most recognizable suitors. Williams is still growing, and his early-season play has been spectacular in Texas’ biggest class. He recorded four sacks in the first game alone. I think Williams will be a solid contributor at NU, but whether he’s a star is dependent upon him putting on weight.

Wide receiver D.J. Woods (6-0/169/4.35) of Strongsville, Ohio is a great example of an underrated player by recruiting services. Despite being a mid-level three-star recruit according to Rivals, Woods held offers from Ohio State, Penn State, West Virginia, Auburn, and Iowa before choosing Nebraska. Many big-time programs believe Woods will be successful in Division I. Who am I to disagree? Star

Marrero, La. defensive end Eric Harper (6-4/220/4.62) picked NU over Texas A&M and Mississippi State. His other written offers came from smaller schools, primarily because he was lost in the shuffle after Hurricane Katrina. Harper will graduate in December and be in Lincoln for spring practice. I expect him to contribute as a redshirt freshman or true sophomore, and be a strong player for many years in Lincoln.

Tight end Tyson Hetzer (6-7/265/4.75) of Citrus Community College in California had only an offer from Nebraska, and it was based on practice film only. Hetzer played JUCO basketball in 2006. NFL players like Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates converted basketball backgrounds into football stardom. Can Hetzer do the same? With only the Nebraska offer, it would seem that other schools don’t think so. He could be a reach.

Overland Park, Kan. athlete Kyler Reed (6-3/204/4.5) picked NU over Colorado and Missouri and many lower-level Big Twelve schools such as Iowa State, Kansas, and Kansas State. His suitors are mid-level at best, which would seem to translate to solid but not spectacular contributions in college.

Linebacker Doug Rippy (6-2/218) of Trotwood, Ohio had offers from Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan State and some lower-level Division I programs. His senior year is only his second year of high school football, and first-hand reports of his play have been very positive. The offers don’t translate into college stardom, but he’s still learning the game. I think he’s a future contributor in Lincoln.

Ricky Henry (6-4/300/5.2) picked NU over Colorado and Houston. The center from North Dakota College of Science must do some work academically to make it to Lincoln before spring practice. If he can do that, he will be given an opportunity to replace Brett Byford next fall. Personally I don't think he will make it to Lincoln. Reach

Wichita, Kan. defensive tackle Darius Parish (6-3/325/5.08) has stunning athleticism for his size, yet only received scholarship offers from Kansas and Colorado State along with NU. He didn’t receive offers, but he had strong interest from Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Arkansas and Missouri as well. Parish can be a space-eater on the defensive line for NU for many years, and I would not be surprised to see him playing as a true freshman. Star

Two-star safety Keelan Johnson (6-0/195/4.5) of Mesa, Ariz. picked NU over the home-state Arizona Wildcats. He also had interest from Nevada, Oregon and Arizona State despite being “only” a two-star prospect. He arrived at NU’s summer camp without an offer, but two days after leaving Lincoln the Husker coaches tendered and one month later he accepted. After a couple of years to get faster and stronger, Johnson should contribute in NU’s defensive backfield.

John Levorson (6-4/185/4.55) of Crete chose NU over Wyoming and Ohio. Those offers don’t translate to Division I stardom, but NU offered him only after his performance at their summer camp. They’ve seen what he can do in person, and they believe he can contribute. That’s good enough for me.

The final tally shows more stars and contributors than reaches in this class.

Future Stars: 8
4-stars – 2
3-stars – 2
2-stars – 4

Future Contributors: 10
4-stars – 2
3-stars – 6
2-stars – 2

Reaches: 4
4-stars – 1
3-stars – 3