Today is one of the most ridiculous days of the sporting world, National Signing Day (NSD). The day college football coaches sit around a fax machine waiting for letters of intent from 17 and 18 year old recruits from across the nation. I will admit that I have got caught up in the hype of college football recruiting, which has become a business all in and of itself, but that doesn't mean that I don't see the ridiculousness in it all. As a member of a recruiting website (rivals) you spend the year following the decision process of 17 and 18 year old kids, and read posts from men of all ages agonizing over their decisions, or indecision. It all climaxes on signing day, which has become a hoopla all in itself, kids picking between hats, putting on shows for ESPN, it's all ridiculous. And yet, I'm hooked.
This NSD went about the same as most NSDs. The rich get richer as athletes make the original decision of going to USC, Florida, Texas, Alabama, etc. The most amazing case is USC, which lost Pete Carroll to the NFL, likely one of the 3 to 5 best coaches in college football, and replaced him with a slime ball of a coach in Lane Kiffin, who made it an entire 14 months at Tennessee before jumping ship. Lane definitely has a spot in my top five slimiest coaches in college football, but that's for another post. Despite Kiffin's character flaws or deficiencies, he was still able to reel in the #2 recruiting class in the country - amazing. For those of you who don't visit recruiting websites and are curious school rankings, here's the top 5:
1. Florida
2. USC
3. Texas
4. Auburn
5. Alabama
As for my beloved Huskers, we closed up with a respectable #23 ranking in recruiting. With one of the best staffs in the country (especially on the defensive side), I'm confident that they can get the best out of these recruits. As Bo Pelini said in his press conference, this is when the real recruiting begins for them, building these guys into players that can be contributors, and I have no doubt that they will do exactly that. As for the names to look for in the near future, the ones I think you may be hearing from in relatively short order are DT Chase Rome, DT Jay Guy, OT Jamarcus Hardrick, and LB Lavonte David. These are the guys that I think most have a chance to see the field next season, with the first three already on campus for spring ball.
With this recruiting cycle coming to a close, the next recruiting cycle is already halfway done, as in todays age it has become a two year process. So, now the ride starts over(ish). The 2011 recruiting class for Nebraska is already off to a solid start with verbal commitments from three recruits likely to be in the top 250 in the nation. It looks to be an exciting year already. Next up: Junior Days and then Spring Ball. Go Big Red!
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