Nebraska Football Recruiting: Low Early Commit Rate Is to Be Expected

Taking a spin around the Internet, I came across this piece from the folks at Husker Locker, in which they spoke about where Nebraska stood, to date, with respect to offers and commitments.

It really is a fascinating read how the Cornhuskers have 213 offers out as of now, with nine commitments in the boat. It also hits on the fact that only 24 of the given offers are from within 500 miles, or a semi-driveable range, of Lincoln.

We often talk about Notre Dame and Oregon as two of the schools that have to recruit on a more national level. Notre Dame scours the nation looking for kids from Florida to California that will come play ball for their storied program in South Bend, Ind. Oregon sticks more to the west coast, but they have moved into Texas to pull some talented skill players as well.

It is pretty clear that Nebraska is part of that camp. The Cornhuskers are in a state that has exactly one member of the Rivals' Top 250 prospects, Nebraska commit Josh Banderas. To put that in perspective, two high schools in Charlotte, N.C., each have two kids on the same team in the Rivals Top 250.

Need more perspective on how tough it is to home grow talent? Most states have a top 20-40 list when it comes to rankings for top-level prospects; Nebraska has a top 5. Same as football powerhouses like Delaware and the District of Columbia.

This is a legitimate problem when it comes to building and sustaining a successful program. While it is still early, having a commitment rate of just four percent is a daunting figure to look at and process, it is to be expected.

Unlike the schools located in close proximity to their recruiting bases, Nebraska can't just get kids up for a weekend at any and all points through out the process. Unofficial visits take money and a trip to Lincoln from points 500 miles away and beyond is quite the expense. An expense that must be planned in advance.

A kid from Atlanta can see South Carolina, Clemson and Georgia in a weekend without traveling 500 miles—round trip. For a kid from Chicago to hit Lincoln, we're looking at a 500-plus mile trip to campus and while Iowa City, Iowa, is on the way, when you've got a 1,000-mile round trip to make in a weekend, there isn't exactly a lot of time for stops.

Nebraska is in a tough position when it comes to getting early commitments. Bo Pelini and newcomer Terry Joseph are out there to burn down the doors in recruiting, and we'll see Joseph's true impact in February. The Huskers are in the running for some kids and their nine commitments is more than the likes of Michigan State, Wisconsin and Iowa.

Keep that in mind as they try to run down Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State on the trail heading through camp season.