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Huskers have secret formula
Mid-Atlantic | Midlands | Midwest No college team has been as successful over the last 30 years as the Nebraska Cornhuskers. They are now shooting for an unprecedented fourth national title in six years. Only they ('94, '95 and '97) and Notre Dame ('46, '47 and '49) have won three titles in four years. When you look at Husker recruiting since 1990, they always look solid but not as spectacular as you would expect for the nation's most successful program. SuperPrep ranked Nebraska at No. 10 in '90, No. 8 in '95 and No. 4 in '96. The rest of the time we ranked Nebraska between 15 and 20, with the exception of '91, when the Huskers were ranked No. 28 after signing only two SuperPrep All-Americans. "We would like to have all the first team SuperPrep All-Americans. We recruit them and sometimes we get them," said Nebraska running backs coach Dave Gillespie. "Generally, they are very talented players. "But we also tend to look beyond what other programs think. We focus on our needs and how a kid will fit into our system. We look at character and personality, like everyone else, but we look for kids who are more interested in the team. It takes a little bit of a different kid to work in the culture here. "The success we've had is more a reflection of the system we have and the continuity here [ Frank Solich's staff has 132 years of combined experience at Nebraska]. The prospects we recruit have to be good enough athletes, plus they have to be the right kind of kid. It's easy for us as a staff to define what we are looking for. For some other programs, it may be more nebulous. But we look for the same things we were looking for 25 years ago. "And the kids we take usually stay here. We may be getting more out of them. But we have a clearly defined idea of the type of kid we are looking for and we take the time to identify them. We don't think we can make players into something they aren't. If there are red flags, we will not pursue them. There is something a little bit different about what we do here." Now, an update on some recruits around the country. For more detailed information on these and other players, visit www.superprep.com.
Mid-AtlanticRussell Bonham, OL, 6-4, 339, 5.1, Winston-Salem Carver, N.C.He's incredibly strong and has bench-pressed 450 pounds. "People can't handle guys my size. I'm also pretty quick for a big guy, but I need to work on my pulling," Bonham said. Bonham favors MARYLAND ("It's out of the state and I'd rather get away. Plus, they seem to get pretty good exposure.") slightly (30 percent chance) over VIRGINIA TECH (highly ranked and always competitive, great campus), N.C. STATE, NORTH CAROLINA and WAKE FOREST. All have offered. Charles Bennett, DE, 6-4, 210, 4.7, Camden, S.C. Bennett shows great intensity and good burst off the line. He says he's working on improving his change of direction. Last season he had 75 tackles and eight sacks. Camden is 2-0 this season, and Bennett says he has only one tackle because the teams run away from him. Bennett favors CLEMSON (two hours away, program on the rise) just slightly over SOUTH CAROLINA (only 40 minutes away -- not a factor), NORTH CAROLINA (childhood favorite, beautiful campus -- likes layout), GEORGIA and GEORGIA TECH. All have offered.
MidlandsMark Anderson, TE/OL/DE, 6-7, 260, 4.9, Lewiston Fergus, Mont. Lewistown, Mont., is experiencing something it isn't used to. It is home to one of the nation's most amazing large athletes who is receiving coast-to-coast attention from the best programs in the country."He's as aggressive a kid as you will find out there," one college assistant said of Anderson. "Smart, too [3.9 core/29 ACT]." Anderson had 18 offers as of June. In his first game (20-12 loss to Colstrip), he had five hurries and 10 tackles. Anderson, who expects to decide before Christmas, favors STANFORD (expects to officially visit in December, attended camp, "You can't beat the STANFORD degree," he said.) slightly over WASHINGTON (brother lives 10 minutes from campus, "They are my most recent offer, which is why they moved up to No. 2," Anderson said. "I like the Northwest. The Cascade Mountains are great and I could have a lot of fun there in the summer."), COLORADO ST., IOWA (father attended, grandmother lives in-state) and NOTRE DAME ("I was in awe during the spring game."). All schools are recruiting Anderson as a TE/OL except STANFORD, which likes him as a defensive end. Jed Paulsen, OC, 6-2, 272, 5.1, Columbia Hickman, Mo. Just like with defensive linemen, sometimes it's difficult to find an outstanding center on the recruiting market. Paulsen is regarded as one of the best wrestlers in Missouri and finished second in the state tournament last year at heavyweight. "Because of his height he's a natural to play center," said a Big 12 recruiter. "He explodes off the ball. A lot of times in college you have to move other guys to this position. This is where he'll be the rest of his career." Paulsen favors MISSOURI (Dec. 1 official trip, childhood favorite, recruiting the hardest, sister Becky plays soccer, both parents attended and dad, Joe, played DE, "They are right in my backyard and it would be great to play in my hometown," Jed said. "Earlier, I was upset that MISSOURI didn't offer me. I figured they'd be the first ones, so when they finally offered, I was very excited," 50 percent chance) solid over NEBRASKA ("It would be close if they offered."), KANSAS (offer), N.C. STATE (offer) and CLEMSON.
MidwestMatt Baker, QB, 6-3, 195, 4.85, Birmingham Brother Rice, Mich.Junior stats: 115 of 220 for 1,500 yards, 15 TDs and four interceptions. Excellent student: 3.4 core/24 ACT. Baker favors CLEMSON (recruiting the hardest, offer, great offense, "I really like coach [Tommy] Bowden's personality, plus I really like the QB coach, Rich Rodriquez, " Baker said. "He spent the whole day with me and even had me at his house," 75 percent chance) solid over MICHIGAN ST (offer, childhood favorite, "They are only taking one high school QB."), NORTHWESTERN, VIRGINIA and MICHIGAN. "I'm just hoping I'll wake up one morning and have the answer and know where I want to go," said Baker. "I don't really want to go to a school that already has a QB commit, and Kyle Orton already committed to PURDUE." Pat McShane, OLB, 6-2, 220, 4.55, Joliet Catholic, Ill. Quick, aggressive and runs well. Twelve junior season sacks, 25 knockdowns and 112 tackles. In his first game (21-7 win over Indianapolis North), McShane returned kicks 50 and 70 yards, had eight tackles and one sack. McShane favors BOSTON COLLEGE (offer, will see VIRGINIA TECH game on Sept. 30, "Boston is a great city, plus they have a good combo of sports and academics," McShane said. "It's a good Jesuit school where I can make good connections.") slightly over ARMY, MIAMI, NEBRASKA and NOTRE DAME (childhood favorite, uncle Calvin McShane played on '88 national championship team).
NortheastDavon Clark, DE/OL, 6-4, 265, 4.85, Paterson Catholic, N.J. Only a few schools have expressed interest in Clark as an offensive lineman. Most see him as a DE or DT. He fires off the line, uses his hands well and has that extra gear when he gets into the opposing backfield.Childhood favorite MIAMI leads slightly over SYRACUSE (three hours away -- small factor, only favorite visited), MICHIGAN, MARYLAND and PENN STATE. "I've always wanted to go to MIAMI throughout high school," said Clark. All have offered. Jared Pierce, OL, 6-7, 285, 5.2, Trumbull St. Joseph, Conn. "He's got good instincts, is aggressive and looks very impressive physically," said one college assistant. Pierce favors SYRACUSE ("I really like the city atmosphere and the campus," he said. "It's a big school but it's away from the city itself and is pretty quiet," 75 percent chance) solid over MICHIGAN ST., PENN STATE ("I'm not sure if they would move up if they offered."), IOWA and MARYLAND. All have offered except the Nittany Lions. BOSTON COLLEGE was in the race in June and July but has dropped off. "I visited BOSTON COLLEGE in August, but I just wasn't that impressed," Pierce said. "I didn't like how the campus was in the heart of the city."
SoutheastFreddie Roach, OLB, 6-3, 230, 4.65, Killen Brooks, Ala. "I run hard to the ball and am very aggressive," explained Roach, a SuperPrep Preseason Elite 100 team member. On 124 carries he gained 1,285 yards and 13 TDs last season, but says he prefers to play defense, where his stats were even more impressive with 152 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and five blocked kicks. He benches 345 and power cleans 315.Roach favors MISSISSIPPI ST. (recruiting the hardest, childhood favorite, "They have a great defense and I also like the surroundings," he said. "The campus is easy to get around and the buildings are close together," 55 percent chance) solid over ALABAMA (childhood favorite, half brother/WR Tim Bowens just graduated), LSU, AUBURN and MISSISSIPPI. Anthony Mix, WR, 6-4, 223, 4.45, Bay Minette Baldwin County, Ala. Amazing size and speed (10.6 100m). He caught 24 passes last season for 515 yards and 12 TDs. "Anthony is aggressive, adjusts well to the ball in the air but he's still pretty raw," said one recruiting coordinator. Mix, a SuperPrep Top 100 pick, favors ALABAMA ("They have a real chance to win a national championship within the next few years," he said. "It's my hometown favorite and I'd have lots of support from friends and family. There's an 80-90 percent chance I'll choose ALABAMA. I should decide by the end of December for sure.") big over KENTUCKY, TENNESSEE, FLORIDA ST. and LSU.
SouthwestMarquise Hill, DL, 6-6, 295, 4.95, New Orleans De La Salle, La."He is the real deal," said one recruiting coordinator. "He's very good. He can definitely do a lot of things, even as big as he is. He's got great strength. He's got very good speed. He's very athletic. He's raw right now but he's going to be a force. Great kid." Hill said he had offers from 40 schools by the time May rolled around. He had 83 tackles and eight sacks as a junior. In his first two games this season, he has 13 tackles, three sacks, two fumble recoveries and one blocked punt. He grew up admiring Minnesota Vikings DE John Randle and tries to emulate Randle as a pass-rushing specialist. Hill favors MICHIGAN ("Coach Fred Jackson tells you the truth," Hill said. "He wasn't trying to pimp me and tell me what I want to hear.") slightly over FLORIDA ST. (childhood favorite, likes winning tradition and knows people on campus), LSU, GEORGIA (recruiting the hardest), TEXAS A&M and TEXAS. "I will decide at midseason," Hill said. Jason May, OL, 6-2, 265, 4.95, Graham, Texas May hasn't attracted the type of interest he would like from the in-state programs but has received an offer from COLORADO. The Buffaloes lead TCU, TEXAS, TEXAS A&M and OKLAHOMA. "My mom attended TEXAS and I went to camp there over the summer," May said. "But I'm not sure I would like to go there. I don't like Austin much. It's too big. "I haven't really thought about why I might not have more offers. I bench 400 and I've got good speed."
Far WestKevin Simon, LB, 5-11, 218, 4.5, Concord de La Salle, Calif.Simon is quick, aggressive and shows excellent field awareness. He lacks the size some programs would like but runs well enough to make up for it. De La Salle, currently regarded ranked as the nation's No. 1 program and carrying a 100-game winning streak, produces prospects on nearly a yearly basis, and Simon is this year's prize. Last season he had 111 tackles (24 for loss), three sacks, 11 interceptions, six fumbles caused and five fumbles recovered. Simon denies a leader, but says he favors MIAMI (December official trip, "I just talked to D.J. Williams [former teammate who is a true freshman with the 'Canes]," TEXAS A&M (December trip), FLORIDA ST. (visiting Nov. 18 for FLORIDA game -- "I'd like to take that as an official trip with Dominic Robinson [SuperPrep's No. 1 DB prospect nationally], but that depends on our playoff schedule."), ARIZONA ST., UCLA ("They said they are waiting on transcripts before offering.") and USC. "I will have a top five by the end of September," said Simon, a SuperPrep Preseason Elite 100 choice. "It's all gonna come down to the calls from the coaches. It's gonna depend on the season that the teams have and how much I like their coaches when they call. I'd probably rather take my official trips out of California and visit UCLA and USC on my own." Travis Bright, OL, 6-5, 305, 5.2, Gilbert Highland, Ariz. "I have really good feet and I'm pretty quick off the ball," said Bright. "I can move guys. I need to work on my pass protection. We have been mainly a running team." Bright favors BYU (strong academic support, wants to take a mission, is a Mormon) slightly over CAL (expects to officially visit), and both lead solid over NEBRASKA (recruiting harder, "I didn't even know they were interested," he said. "Now I'm getting mail all the time."), COLORADO and ARIZONA (recruiting the hardest). All have offered except NEBRASKA. For more from SuperPrep, click here.
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