Nebraska Football Recruiting: Top Targets, Positional Needs and Predictions

Recruiting is the life-blood of any college football program. It keeps college football fans warm during the wasteland of spring and summer before fall camps open. It is the source of hope for fans dreaming of glories in seasons to come.

So let’s take a look at Nebraska’s needs, recruits and targets for 2012. August is a long, long way away.

(Many thanks to the Omaha World-Herald and Corn Nation for their work in centralizing recruiting target information.)

Cornerback

Current commits: Mohammed Seisay

Current targets: Brandon Beaver, Raymond Ford, Devian Shelton, Alonzo Moore

Nebraska doesn’t just need to replace NFL target Alfonzo Dennard at corner. It also needs to find some dependable playmakers at the position.

Other than Andrew Green, who came on strong at the end of the season but struggled throughout, Nebraska’s returning talent at cornerback has any number of questions that need to be answered. Given how much Bo Pelini chopped and changed his secondary (including moving Stanley Jean-Baptiste from wide receiver to starting corner inside of a month), it’s pretty clear that there’s a need to bolster the position.

Prediction: Given the demonstrated need in 2011, Nebraska lands at least one more high-level cornerback recruit.

Linebacker

Current commits: Jared Afalava, Zaire Anderson, Thomas Brown, Michael Rose

Current targets: None

The loss of Lavonte David is the biggest hole Nebraska will need to fill going into the 2012 season.

Much like the 2011 class was clearly intended to address depth issues at offensive line, the 2012 haul has replenished the stores at linebacker. Don’t forget that David was a junior-college transfer.

Nebraska is hoping to find another gem to fill his shoes.

Prediction: Nebraska's linebacker class is locked up for 2012.

Quarterback

Current commits: Tommy Armstrong

Current targets: Devin Fuller

For the last two seasons, Nebraska fans have played the “what if Taylor Martinez gets hurt” game.

While NU got a glimpse of the answer to that question at the end of 2010, there is a broader question to be answered as well. Steel sharpens steel, and it has been clear in both 2010 and 2011 that Nebraska did not have a legitimate challenger to Martinez as a signal-caller.

If NU can get that challenger in Armstrong or Fuller, it will make the quarterback position stronger and deeper.

Prediction: Given that Martinez has two years of eligibility left, that Armstrong's commit is solid and how quickly Jamal Turner was moved to wide receiver, Fuller's arrival in Lincoln seems like a long shot.

Defensive Tackle

Current commits: None

Current targets: Vincent Valentine, Aaron Curry

Nebraska’s depth at defensive tackle was tested last year due to injury, and the results in terms of a lack of sacks and pressures was the result. While the struggles of 2011 gave a lot of experience to guys in the program, a need to reload at this critical position was exposed in the Blackshirts’ struggles as well.

Prediction: The rock-star status of Ndomukong Suh and the attention given to Jared Crick means Nebraska is an attractive destination for defensive tackles. Don't be surprised to see NU land both targets.

Offensive Line

Current commits: Paul Thurston

Current targets: Andrus Peat, Evan Goodman 

Offensive linemen are a bit like money—you can never have too much.

While NU will be rolling in the haul of offensive line talent from the 2011 class, two of Nebraska’s biggest targets in Peat and Goodman are on the offensive line. Should Nebraska be successful in landing either or both, the strength of the class will increase significantly.

Prediction: Tough to call, but NU has targeted Peat and has a fighting chance to land him and Goodman.

If you would like to contact me directly to schedule an interview, ask a question or to get my recipe for a killer peach cobbler, you can send an e-mail to [e-mail]. (DISCLAIMER: Peach cobbler recipe might not be all that killer.)

Or, you could always ... Follow @patrickrunge