Elijah Blades to Nebraska: Cornhuskers Land 4-Star CB Prospect

Elijah Blades, a 4-star cornerback from Muir High School in Pasadena, California, committed to Nebraska on Wednesday. Scout.com noted the decision. 

Blades is considered the No. 33 cornerback in the 2017 class, according to Scout.com.

The corner had initially committed to Florida but reopened his recruitment in January. 

One of the top remaining cornerbacks available, Blades has the ability to develop into a special player. Greg Biggins of Scout.com offered the following scouting report on the young player:

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Blades is a long, athletic corner with a rare combination of size and speed. He's all of 6-2 but runs in the 4.4 range and has the ability to be a lockdown corner in college. He's a tough, physical player who excels in press coverage and has good ball skills as well. He has playmaking ability on the offensive side of the ball as well and has made a big jump in his game in the off-season.

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That combination of size and speed is always tantalizing, and the ability to play press coverage makes him all the more appealing. At 170 pounds, he has a slender frame and will need to bulk up—and he'll likely need to learn to play in multiple schemes beyond just press-man—but his potential upside is high. 

Blades is arguably the signature signing of what has been a strong class for Nebraska. He won't be the signature member of the cornerback depth chart, as Chris Jones and Joshua Kalu will return and again make the position a strength for the Huskers in 2017.

Backups Lamar Jackson, Boaz Joseph and Eric Lee also give the Huskers a strong unit. For Blades, the chances of seeing the field in 2017 are slim. But with Jones and Kalu set to graduate after next season, Blades could be in the mix for the 2018 team.