STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Sunday, December 4, 2005 6:00 pm
Nebraska’s recruiting impact in Texas has been limited to two players in the last two classes. Playing in the Alamo Bowl might help bolster the Huskers’ success in a region fertile with football talent, NU coach Bill Callahan said Monday.
Nebraska (7-4) is set to play Michigan (7-4) on Dec. 28 in San Antonio.
“For any prospect in the state of Texas who has interest in Nebraska, this will give us great exposure and allow us not only to get exposure through media coverage and being in San Antonio, but to invite their coaches to practice and have a dialogue with the area coaches.
“It’s just another avenue to extend ourselves and to really sell what Nebraska’s all about.”
Nebraska’s 2005 recruiting class ended up with one Texas native, I-back Cody Glenn of Rusk, after wideouts Wallace Franklin of Beaumont and Brodrick Hunter of Humble were declared academically ineligible. The Huskers’ class of 2004 also featured only one Texan, wideout Terrence Nunn of Houston. All told, the Huskers’ current roster has nine Texans.
Among Nebraska’s 14 verbal commitments for the class of 2006, none is from Texas.
The Huskers, however, have increased their presence in Texas by assigning five assistants to the state as part of their primary recruiting areas compared to three last year, Callahan said.
“We’re in and out (of Texas) because we are so national with our recruiting,” the coach said. “We’ve recruited that area heavily.”
At the bowl site, Nebraska coaches are barred by NCAA rules from initiating contact with prospects. However, coaches can have contact with prospects’ coaches.
“We’ll follow that rule to the letter,” Callahan said. “We’re just hopeful that the athletes come around on their own and want to come to practice and watch just like the general public would watch.
“It’s yet to be determined whether we’re going to open our practices, but if we do we certainly hope a prospect has an opportunity to come by and watch our coaches coach and take view of our program and take a look at our players.”
Callahan said Nebraska’s first priority in recruiting is attracting in-state talent, “and then branch out from there.”
Nebraska signed three in-state players in 2005 and five in 2004. Two Omaha standouts — linemen Ricky Henry of Burke High and D.J. Jones of Central, have verbally committed to the 2006 class.
Callahan said accessible airplane travel between Texas and Nebraska enables the Huskers to bring prospects to campus at reasonable costs.
“There are so many talented and terrific football players in the state of Texas because of the population base,” he said.
Of course, a win against Michigan wouldn’t hurt recruiting matters. Callahan said a Nebraska triumph in the Alamo Bowl also would provide a dose of momentum for next season, when the Huskers play each of the two teams that will play for the national title Jan. 4 in the Rose Bowl. Southern Cal plays host to Nebraska next Sept. 16 in Los Angeles, while Texas comes to Lincoln on Oct. 21.
“I don’t think anybody faces the schedule we’re going to face a year from now,” Callahan said.
Husker senior defensive lineman Titus Adams also has the future in mind as he prepares for Michigan, the only team to defeat Penn State this season.
“Hopefully, we’ll put our younger players in position to do bigger and better things down the road,” Adams said.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.