Aaron Green: Will Nebraska, Cal, Texas or FSU Football Land Recruit?

Ever since Aaron Green announced his four finalists and Malcolm Brown and James Wilder committed, he's become one of the hottest topics of discussion in the college football recruiting world. 

Green is ranked as the No. 3 running back on Scout and the No. 5 running back on Rivals. He's got the talent to really elevate any recruiting class in the country and will be a great addition for any school lucky enough to secure his commitment.

Brown, ranked as the No. 1 running back in the country, and Wilder, the top-rated athlete of the 2011 class, committed to Texas and Florida State, respectively, on August 18th.

Considering Texas and FSU were among Green's four finalists alongside Nebraska and Cal, the commitments led to speculation on this end that Green's final four was really a final two now. 

The backlash from readers, specifically the Texas and FSU fans, was enough to warrant further discussion on the issue. 

So we'll do a full breakdown of all four teams and evaluate the situation once again. 

Green's Scouting Report and Highlights

Aaron Green is the complete package when it comes to running backs. He runs with purpose, can make the first man miss, gets downfield in a hurry, and breaks tackles with surprising speed.

He's undersized at 5'11", 185 lbs, so he needs to bulk up or he just won't stay in one piece at the next level, but that's about all there is not to like about this kid.

There might not be anyone in the country who can change direction quite as fast as he can. Defenders are regularly left staring at the dust when they make a move for him too quickly.

Potential Playing Time

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COLUMBIA, MO - OCTOBER 08: Roy Helu Jr #10 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers carries the ball during the game against the Missouri Tigers on October 8, 2009 at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Of Green's top four choices, only Nebraska offers a truly favorable early situation when it comes to playing time. You could throw FSU in there as well considering there really isn't much talent in the backfield for 2010.

When James Wilder arrives in 2011 he would be expected to take a ton of reps, but while Wilder is the higher-rated all-around prospect, as a running back Green is the superior talent.

With Green slashing and Wilder bruising, the two could form a solid one-two punch, though there would be a battle for reps. 

At Nebraska, current starter Roy Helu Jr. will be gone in 2011 and his primary backup,  Rex Burkhead, is more of change-of-pace-back. Green would receive significant carries his first year and own that backfield for at least a couple seasons.

Texas' addition of a workhorse back like Malcolm Brown makes the situation in Austin more complicated. Brown is an every down back who should be the starter as a freshman.

Cal, with Shane Vereen, a stable of backs, as well as 2011 recruit Daniel Lasco, offers the least appealing situation when it comes to playing time.

Edge: Nebraska

Offensive Scheme

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BERKELEY, CA - NOVEMBER 7: Jahvid Best #4 of the California Golden Bears looks on against the Oregon State Beavers at California Memorial Stadium on November 7, 2009 in Berkeley, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Nebraska and Cal both leaned on their running games in 2009, while Texas and FSU relied more on the pass, but that had more to do with the personnel available than the scheme. 

Texas is planing on bringing back the power running game that used to be a staple of the offense now that Garrett Gilbert is at quarterback instead of the legendary Colt McCoy. While that might seem like a favorable situation for an incoming back, all is not as it seems. 

The Longhorns will pick out their primary back and run with him, giving the majority of the carries to a single player in the new offense; the player to bet on is Brown. 

FSU has Christian Ponder at quarterback and a stable of good receivers; they'll roll with the passing game for now, but the Seminoles have proven in the past they know how to feed the running game. With Green and Wilder in the backfield, they'd use them both a ton, but the pass comes first. 

Nebraska will bring in quarterbacks Bubba Starling and Jamal Turner in 2011, both of whom can run the option to perfection. With a system already built around the running game, the getting will be very good with the Cornhuskers. 

Cal loves to use multiple backs and will have a ton of carries available for at least two players at any given time. 

Edge: Nebraska and Cal

Offensive Line Support

When it comes to offensive line support, there is a ton of talent for Green to run behind.

At Cal, for example, four of their five starters are expected back in 2011, two of which will be entering their senior seasons while the other two will only be juniors. Considering the Golden Bears' top reserve will also be a junior, a solid line should be in very good shape for Green's arrival. 

Nebraska is on the other end of the spectrum though. The Cornhuskers top eight lineman will all be gone by 2012, but the rebuilding process will start in 2011, when they lose three of this season's starters.

While Nebraska has five 4-star offensive lineman from their 2010 and 2011 classes, they'll need time to develop and the early goings could be rough with no upperclassmen to lean on. The Cornhuskers have always put together good offensvie lines though.

Texas is in a similar situation to the one in Nebraska, but it'll be ready to reload, not rebuild. The Longhorns top three reserves are highly-regarded redshirt freshman, and they bring in three of the top offensive lineman in the country in 2011. If the bunch pans out, it'll be one of the top lines in the country.

As for FSU, it falls somewhere in the middle with an aging line but some nice replacement pieces as well. 

Edge: Texas and Nebraska

Passing Game Support

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PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 07: Quarterback Garrett Gilbert #3 of the Texas Longhorns drops back to pass against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the Citi BCS National Championship game at the Rose Bowl on January 7, 2010 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Je

When it comes to the passing game, none of these schools, except FSU, are really known for their passing games, and the Seminoles will be at a loss when quarterback Christian Ponder heads to the NFL after the 2010 season. 

Texas has the receivers, but do they have the quarterback? 

From what Garrett Gilbert has shown so far, the Longhorns will be relying on their running game for the time being, but don't count out their passing game just yet. Talent finds a way to prevail in this league. With Colt McCoy, Texas was a top 25 passing team; who's to say Gilbert can't do the same in a couple years?

Cal has the talent at receiver in place as well as the quarterback of the future in Beau Sweeney. The sophomore backup has a very high football IQ and a knack for making things happen; he has the makings of a star. 

Nebraska offers the least in terms of their passing game, but it has proven in the past that it's not much of a problem; the Cornhuskers can win without throwing the ball, but there's no denying the lack of support. 

Edge: Texas and Cal

Coaching Staff and Development

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BERKELEY, CA - NOVEMBER 04: Tailback Marshawn Lynch #10 of the California Golden Bears carries the ball in the second half against the UCLA Bruins at Memorial Stadium during the game on November 4, 2006 in Berkeley, California. Cal defeated UCLA 38-24. (

With 5-star prospects, development is key. Players of this caliber have expectations and dreams beyond the college game; they want to go pro, and the team they believe can take them there has a huge advantage. 

When it comes to developing running backs, look no further than Cal. Jahvid Best, a first round pick in the 2010 NFL draft is the most recent example, but there's also J.J. Arrington, Justin Forsett, and Marshawn Lynch. All of them have made it on NFL rosters.

Nebraska and Texas are the better all-around developmental schools, but the Cornhuskers only have Correll Buckhalter, Dan Alexander, Cory Ross, and Brandon Jackson that have made it to the NFL in the last 10 years.

None of them have produced as much as Lynch, Forsett, and Best are expected to. 

As for the Longhorns, it's been quite awhile since they've produced a solid, NFL-quality running back. You'd have to go back to 2005 and Cedric Benson.

FSU has had some great college backs and while a few have been drafted high, not many have panned out recently.

Edge: Cal

2011 Recruiting Class

There's no denying that Texas has the best recruiting class in the country. They have more 5-star recruits than the Ohio State, Alabama, Stanford, and Oklahoma (the second through fifth-ranked) classes combined. 

The Longhorns are stacked with top-tier offensive and defensive linemen, linebackers and defensive backs. They also add some quality receivers and the No. 1 running back in the country, Malcolm Brown. 

FSU and Nebraska both boast top 15 recruiting classes that each offer a lot in terms off offensive and defensive support, the Cornhuskers with two of the top 10 quarterbacks of the class and three lineman rated in the top 10 at their position.

The Seminoles have two of the nation's top-rated athletes in James Wilder and Karlos Williams; they should become staples of the offense and defense, respectively. 

Cal is way behind the pack, with their class ranking in at 37th right now. 

Edge: Texas

Overall Edge

Texas might have the best 2011 recruiting class, but that will be the Longhorns' undoing. With Malcolm Brown in place and only two scholarships remaining for the Longhorns, it just doesn't seem like a good fit for either side.

Texas would be better served using that space on other positions and Green would be better off finding a situation where he wouldn't be playing second fiddle for his entire collegiate career. Sure, there have been some great running back tandems in the past, but it's rare that it works out that way. 

If Green goes to Texas, he'll be on transfer watch right from day one; he doesn't need that. 

There's a firm belief on this end that Texas and FSU are out of this race with their additions of Brown and Wilder. The Seminoles are in better shape than the Longhorns because Green and Wilder compliment each other, but at the same time they were never really in this from the beginning. 

Cal knows how to develop talent, but it's far from home, and Green won't be competing for Championships in the middle of the Pac-10 standings. 

Nebraska is the best fit. They have the coaches, the system, the playing time, the history of developing offensive linemen and running backs, and are one of the top teams in the nation. 

Edge: Nebraska