Nebraska Football: Focus on Local Recruiting a Smart Move for Huskers

When it comes to recruiting, Nebraska football head coach Mike Riley has a clear strategy. That strategy is putting a bigger emphasis on recruiting local talent.

For Husker fans, that's music to the ears. Former head coach Bo Pelini and his staff weren't as focused on the 500-mile radius that surrounds Lincoln, as HuskerOnline.com's Sean Callahan noted.

"At a Big Red Breakfast a couple of years ago, former offensive line coach John Garrison delved off to a side story about recruiting," Callahan wrote. "He told a story about being in Florida driving down Gator Alley asking himself the question why Nebraska is going all the way down here to recruit an offensive lineman when there are plenty of talented linemen in the Midwest."

Riley's staff plans to change that. With plenty of talent nearby, the Huskers want to ensure they never miss out on players they could have gotten.

“You look stupid when you're playing against kids that you could have gotten,” said director of player personnel Ryan Gunderson, per Jon Nyatawa of the Omaha World-Herald. "So we need to do our homework. At least recruit them, at least give them a shot. … Because I don't want to play against good players that we could have got."

This philosophy is a smart one, too. In order to be a successful program, the Huskers can't just focus in states like Florida, Texas and California. Those locations are crucial, of course. They just can't be everything.

Instead, Nebraska needs to find powerhouse players closer to home. It should be easier, too. Kids growing up in the Midwest are typically more aware of Nebraska's program. They may know about the Huskers' history and tradition, which is nothing but a benefit to the coaching staff as they recruit.

It's a strategy Tom Osborne used as Nebraska's head coach. Dirk Chatelain of the Omaha World-Herald even talked about it back in 2013.

"Osborne, from 1984 to 1997, signed 56 percent of his players from the 500-mile radius," Chatelain wrote. "Under Bo Pelini, that number is 31 percent. The four lowest percentages on record came in the past five recruiting classes."

Osborne had the recruiting plan worked out, too. As Chatelain noted, he searched for the needed kids in the Huskers' backyard. If the needed players weren't there, then the circle expanded outside of the 500-mile radius. It worked for Osborne then, and it can work for Riley now.

Riley has already started to put the plan in motion. In his first two months in charge, he made it a point to get to know the kids nearby.

“Our goal for the future will be to own this state—and obviously that means Omaha,” Riley said at the Outland Trophy banquet, per Rich Kaipust and Jon Nyatawa of the Omaha World-Herald.

That's made an immediate impression on not only local players, but also the local high school coaches.

“One thing, he told me, was that their No. 1 priority was the state of Nebraska,” Omaha Central coach Jay Ball said, per Kaipust and Nyatawa. “And on the first day available, being back here in Omaha, that says a lot.”

Riley's local attention paid off quickly, too. Defensive end recruit Daishon Neal of Omaha Central was considering other programs, like Michigan, but ultimately reaffirmed his commitment to the Huskers. With the defensive end position needing extra attention in the 2015 class, Neal's decision was a big win for Riley.

Re-establishing the 500-mile recruiting radius won't be easy. Riley and his staff will have to put in the hours over the next few years to really build the trust in the Midwest. Doing so could pay off big, though.

That's not to say all of the Huskers' recruits will be local. It's a good place to start though. Andy Vaughn, the Huskers' director of football and recruiting operations, confirmed that strategy.

"If we can't find it inside that first area, then we go look for it," Vaughn said, per Nyatawa. "There's no reason to go across the country to find a position or talent that we have close by."

And that's not only a good strategy for Nebraska, it's also a smart one.