Nebraska Football: Why Getting QB Johnny Stanton Is Important for Cornhuskers

In a welcome piece of good news, 4-star California quarterback prospect Johnny Stanton announced his plans to be part of Nebraska’s 2013 class (Husker Extra). Stanton is the 13th prospect to give Nebraska a commitment for the class of 2013, and his addition boosts NU’s chances to achieve a solid national recruiting class.

You can read a good analysis of Stanton’s impact on Nebraska’s 2013 recruiting class here, but Stanton’s commitment has some broader implications as well.

He’s A Good Player

That’s kind of the duh factor, but it’s easy to overlook when thinking about the bigger picture. Stanton is 6'2" and 225 pounds, and has led his high school team to a state title. He’s thrown for 2,439 yards and 13 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,428 yards and 21 touchdowns. He is one of 25 players invited to the ESPN/Nike Elite 11 camp for 2013.

So while there are broader implications of Stanton’s commitment to Nebraska, don’t let it be lost that Nebraska got a blue-chip athlete added to its 2013 class. 

He Provides Competition at Quarterback

In 2013, Nebraska was down to three scholarship quarterbacks. Taylor Martinez will be a senior in 2013, Brion Carnes a junior and Tommy Armstrong a sophomore. Adding a fourth arm to the quarterback stable was critical for Nebraska in the 2013 class, and Stanton’s arrival will provide some much-needed stability to the position.

Additionally, Stanton’s skills look to make competition for the quarterback position much stronger, which will make everyone at the position better. 

He’s a Recruiting Success

As a 4-star recruit, listed as the 11th-best dual-threat quarterback according to 247Sports.com, Stanton is a legitimate national recruit. Even more importantly for Nebraska, Stanton chose NU over Oregon and Wisconsin.

Why is that important?

Because recruiting can be as much about momentum for a school as winning on the field. Good players tend to want to play where other good players play. If Nebraska continues to struggle in recruiting, losing out to other schools on a consistent basis, then Nebraska will become a less desirable destination for the best prospects.

The reverse, of course, is true as well.

With Stanton’s commit coming on the heels of 4-star linebacker Marcus Newby, Nebraska has a nice little bit of recruiting momentum going forward. Let’s see if Pelini can use that to his advantage in addressing NU’s other recruiting needs for the class of 2013. 

Now, Will He Stay?

Of course, Nebraska fans have been here before.

Anyone remember Josh Freeman committing to Nebraska, before informing NU of his decommit to Kansas State via text message? Or how about the Gabbert brothers, Blaine and Tyler, who both committed to Nebraska before deciding to pull the plug and seek greener pastures elsewhere.

Bo Pelini has had his share of quarterback drama, as well. Last year, we were treated to the will-he-or-won’t-he soap opera of Bubba Starling, before he ultimately opted for “he won’t” and signed a contract with the Kansas City Royals.

Stanton is an exciting college prospect who will be entering his senior year of college in 2012. If he puts up astronomical numbers, expect other schools to come after him hard and get him to “pull a Gabbert” on Nebraska. Pelini had a big recruiting success with Stanton’s commitment, but until he’s signed his letter of intent, the job isn’t finished. 

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