Nebraska Football: Huskers Land Top-Rated QB

Five-star rated quarterback prospect Cody Green verbally committed to the University of Nebraska today. Green, a 6’4’’ 220 lb prospect out of Dayton, Texas chose the Huskers over Texas A&M and a slew of other schools.

While not binding, this verbal commitment should give a shot of momentum to NU’s recruiting class for 2009. And, based solely on past experiences, fans shouldn’t rule out the Huskers possibly adding another signal caller.

The Prospect   In evaluating prospects, I try to not get too enamored with star-ratings, especially relatively early in the process. I try to consider some fairly simple things—physical ability, production on the field, competition the player faced, and the schools Nebraska beat for his services.

In this case, Green looks like a big “get” for NU.

The kid certainly passes the eyeball test, and reports a 33 inch vertical jump and a 4.6 forty yard dash time. He’s a legitimate dual-threat player who has generated yards and touchdowns with his feet.

It’s hard to get a sense of his production last year, as he was hampered by injury. But as a sophomore, he ran for 689 yards and threw for more than 1,400. His high school plays in Class 4A, the second largest classification in Texas. And, they have been playoff qualifiers.

So, he has played against a good level of competition.

Green was wanted by many programs, but Nebraska won out over Texas A&M, Alabama, LSU, and others.

Recruiting Momentum   Nebraska has had a solid, though not spectacular, start to recruiting for the 2009 season, grabbing five early commitments from players that look capable, though largely overlooked by recruiting services and ratings at this point. It left NU fans more accustomed to big recruiting splashes a bit worried. Green changes that.

This is a prospect that NU can build the class—or at least perception of their class—around. He’s a big-time prospect, and a quarterback. He’s the most likely to become the face of the 2009 class.

His commitment will be noticed by other players around the country. As you might guess, peer pressure plays a part in many teenage decisions. Players beget more players. But where have we seen this before?

Don’t Rule Out Another QB   Nebraska’s highly rated quarterback troubles are pretty well documented. I’m not about to lump this young man in with Harrison Beck, Josh Freeman, or Blaine Gabbert—that isn’t fair. But, I also think coaches (and fans) learn from past history. I wouldn’t rule out Coach Pelini and his staff picking up another quarterback, for very good reason.

For starters, quarterbacks are valuable. They are arguably the most important position on the field and many programs (NU included) have been known to take more than one per class. And, frankly, it might be nice to have another safe prospect locked up, just to hedge bets a little bit.

Some might recall a relative recruiting afterthought named Zac Taylor. That guy turned out alright, to say the least.

There are plenty of interesting prospects on the board for NU’s other possible signal caller in 2009. Frankly, I’m keeping an eye on Omaha Westside quarterback Ron Kellog Jr., who was named the MVP of NU’s quarterback camp.

But for right now, it’s a day for fans to celebrate. The Huskers landed a quarterback.