Nebraska Football Recruiting: 5 Recruits Huskers Hope to Land on Signing Day

Two days from now, recruits from all across the nation will sign letters of intent and send them into the school they have decided to attend and play for.  On Feb. 1, Nebraska will finalize its 2012 class, which at this point is rather small.  Nebraska has 14 commits and probably has room for five more players.

Anything can happen during the next two days to change the minds of the recruits.  Take Devin Fuller, considered to be down to Nebraska, Rutgers and Arizona.  Instead, he picks UCLA, which few predicted. 

Nebraska is in competition for several top recruits that could pick between the Huskers or multiple BCS schools.  Nebraska hopes to finish the recruiting class strong and can do so by landing these five recruits.

Andrus Peat

Offensive Tackle

Tempe, Ariz.

If the Huskers land Andrus Peat, he would be the highest-rated recruit in the 2012 class.  He is a 5-star on Rivals and ranks as the 32nd-best recruit overall.  Peat is a guy you could expect to come in and compete and play right away.  He plays left tackle, and what luck! Nebraska's left tackle graduated last year with no clear backup.

Peat will announce his decision live on ESPN at 12:30 p.m. CST and it is down to Florida State, USC, Stanford and Nebraska. But it appears to be a Stanford-Nebraska race at this point, though which school he chooses depends on whom you believe.  Rivals and CBS Sports both have Nebraska while ESPN has Stanford. 

I think Nebraska still will get Peat's commitment. Many lean that way because of the family ties to Nebraska with his brother Todd a defensive tackle on the team and his cousin Avery Moss a commit. Also, Stanford already has signed four offensive lineman and he might get bogged down in the depth chart.

Prediction: Nebraska commit

Raymond Ford

Defensive Back

Gardena, Calif.

Raymond Ford is a defensive back from California that ranks as a 3-star recruit, according to Rivals, and the 35th-best defensive back in the country.  Ford is down to four schools: Nebraska, Utah, Washington St, and Cal.  Like Peat, Ford has family connections to the Husker program, as former Husker defensive back Rickey Thenarse is Ford's cousin and has helped try to lure Ford to Lincoln.

Nebraska is in desperate need of defensive backs, as the only star in the secondary last year graduated and the depth chart is filled with upperclassmen that have not seen that much playing time. 

Ford will announce his decision on signing day, though how is not for certain.  If Ford does decide to spurn Nebraska, I can imagine that Nebraska will contact another recruit and try to convince him before the day ends.

Prediction: Nebraska commit

Aaron Curry

Defensive Tackle

Keller, Texas

Aaron Curry is a 3-star recruit and the 43rd-best player at his position, according to Rivals. 

Curry is a recruit that defensive line coach Rick Kaczenski has recruited and specifically targeted.  Coach Kaz was at Iowa last season before being hired at Nebraska for the same position, and as soon as Coach Kaz left Iowa, he began recruiting Curry to Nebraska.  Considering Curry is a recruit Coach Kaz wants, it would be good if Nebraska landed him.

Curry is down to his original school Iowa, Nebraska and a newcomer to the race, TCU.  Curry will announce at 7 a.m. CST on national signing day, according to the Lincoln Journal Star.  TCU makes sense considering it's about 20 miles from his hometown, and Iowa has been recruiting him from the beginning. 

Nebraska has tough competition.  Another problem is that Nebraska is running out of spots and have promised spots to early recruits, but according to Curry's father, if Nebraska has spots open they will take Curry.  Considering Fuller went to the left field with UCLA, I think Curry should have a spot now.

Prediction: Nebraska commit, but don't be surprised if he goes TCU

Vincent Valentine

Defensive tackle

Edwardsville, Ill.

Vincent Valentine is the 28th-best defensive tackle and the 13th-best player in Illinois, which figures to be a key recruiting state for Nebraska in the Big Ten.  Nebraska's recruiting of Valentine has had some ups and downs with Nebraska cooling off during December before starting to recruit him again in January.  Valentine would be a solid get for the Huskers and help with the defensive line.

Valentine is down to Nebraska, Florida and Illinois for his choices.  Illinois is the hometown choice that seems to still be a factor, but recent coaching changes have weighed it down, which leaves it to Florida and Nebraska.  Valentine has said he is committed to one school but did not want to say until signing day.  Considering the promises to Curry that Nebraska made and that Nebraska wants a defensive tackle for this class, that leads one to believe Valentine is a Husker.

Prediction: Nebraska commit

Alonzo Moore

Athlete

Winnfield, La.

Alonzo Moore is the 22nd-best athlete in the nation and ninth-best recruit in Louisiana, according to Rivals.  Both sides of Nebraska want him as he is being recruited by offensive coordinator Tim Beck (as a slot receiver) and secondary coach Corey Raymond Moore (as a defensive back).

Moore has narrowed his list of schools down to Nebraska, Mississippi State, Louisiana Tech and Northwestern State (FCS).  The last two are obviously two state schools that Moore was looking at to stay close to home, and he took his official visit to Louisiana Tech last weekend. 

I think it's down to Nebraska and Mississippi State.  He has said he wants to play QB, so I assume both schools have offered him a chance, kind of like Devin Fuller.  And like all of the other recruits, Valentine is waiting until signing day.

Prediction: I hope Moore comes to Nebraska, but I have a feeling he stays close to home and goes Mississippi State