A series of articles by Brandon "Blankman" Cavanaugh.

The Big Red Recruiting Dinner

They came, they saw, they ate. Sure, the steak was a little overdone, but that's not why they were here. 530+ red clad loons filled up the Holiday Inn on 72nd and Grover on February 6th, 2003 for a peek on the menu of the upcoming football season, not to mention the open bar. 4 hours of wining, dining and film dissection left this roving reporter with a full stomach and a notepad to match, so let's get started on the take:

Frank Solich addressed the podium to a standing ovation last night and the crowd heaped on plenty more applause for Fearless Frankie as he spoke about coaching staff changes and various other bric-a-brac that you'd imagine he's heard just about enough of. Coach Solich informed us that the University of Nebraska would be holding the first Adidas camp this upcoming summer. The Adidas camp, similar to the Nike camps that are all the rage these days, will showcase some of the premiere talent in the nation and will aide in Nebraska's new 365 day-a-year recruiting philosophy.

Coach Solich then addressed the hiring of his new coaching staff stating that when he was amongst the 8,000 or so coaches in New Orleans earlier this year, he was looking for a few different variables to toss into the kettle that holds the new Nebraska stew. Solich stressed the need for a solid X's and O's guy, someone who knew the game and would be willing to learn as well as the necessity for his new staff to be excellent communicators with the team, staff, media and all others involved. Solich also stated that an absolute must for his new young guns was the ability to recruit, so for those wondering if guys like Jimmy Williams can come in and do what we need them to do in that arena, it's safe to assume that the answer is 'yes', if only for the time being. Speaking of Jimmy, Frank actually said that Williams was his first choice for the linebackers' coach

Solich then turned attention to the annual conditioning program that is well underway at this time, stating that he felt the situation was "pleasing" and that if you add up each man's results thus far, over 1000 total workouts have been completed thus far with no unexcused absences. I feel this is particularly encouraging as it has confirmed what we have been hearing across the 'net for a few weeks now. A question was asked regarding how Solich's lack of the OC title would influence his coaching. Solich stated that he'd be able to work more with both sides of the ball more than he could in the past. It was also mentioned that Frank's open door policy with the players was taking precedence over OC duties sometimes. Finally, someone asked about the results of the winter and spring testing. Solich mentioned how it's very easy for someone to be a good tester, but not be a great player and vice versa, he also mentioned that some players, for reasons of injury or what have you, might not test.

After the initial meet and greet with F.S., Recruiting Grand High Poobah Scott Downing came up along with Lance Leipold who assists in setting up dates, evaluation, etc. Scott's a very personable individual and it's not hard to see why anyone (Chris Patrick, for example) would follow him to Nebraska. So, now that you've sat through THAT, let's get to why you're actually reading this article: Recruit Reviews!

Greg Austin, Cypress, TX
Greg is a 6' 2", 290 pound offensive lineman and is one of five recruits from the state of Texas in this year's recruiting class, the most in 13 years. Greg is a very aggressive football player; he always goes after his man and will not stop until he hears the whistle. Greg opens up holes well, is very speedy for his size and delivers the wood, when necessary, very well. While trying not to put a lot of pressure on the lad, Scott Downing compared Greg to a "Will Shields-type player". I am inclined to agree with this assessment. Greg chose Nebraska over LSU, Rice and North Texas.

Andy Birkel, Lincoln, NE
Andy is a 6' 3", 175 pound split end and is one of five Nebraskans in the 2002-2003 recruiting class. Andy shows a good amount of speed and has a very developed ability to change directions quickly and easily. He also can take a pretty good lick and won't stop until he gets some extra yardage. Andy chose Nebraska over Kansas State and Iowa.

Titus Brothers, Converse, TX
Titus Brothers is a 5' 11", 190-pound defensive back and enjoyed success and a key role in Judson High's 14-1 record and Texas Class 5-A (the largest class) Championship. Titus has good instincts, he seems to know where the ball is at all times and is not afraid to deliver a crushing blow to jar the ball loose. Also in the inventory of Titus' skills is his fantastic speed and quickness. Titus chose Nebraska over Arkansas and Texas Christian University.

Brett Byford, Hartselle, AL
Brett is a 6' 4", 290-pound offensive lineman and is the first recruit to join the Huskers from Alabama since Dwayne Harris of Bessemer, Alabama in 1991. Brett shows an impressive array of abilities including a knack for getting off of the line of scrimmage very fast and, I am happy to report, he has very good pass-blocking skills. He, being a very large man, uses his size to his advantage when it comes to blocking and has great speed for his size. Brett chose Nebraska over South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Alabama.

Steve Craver, Hurst, TX
Steve is a 6' 2", 195-pound Free Safety prospect and is the younger brother of current NFL New Orleans Saints DB Keyou Craver. Steve hits incredibly well and has excellent form to his tackles and takedowns. He also boasts some impressive sideline-to-sideline speed. Coach Downing said Steve would start out in the defensive secondary, but may very well be used in a linebacker role before his tenure at Nebraska is done. Steve chose Nebraska over Colorado, Oklahoma and West Virginia

Joe Dailey, Jersey City, NJ
Joe is a 6' 1", 200 pound quarterback and is the only signal-caller in this year's recruiting class. Joe was a very coveted prospect this past season who was originally committed to Syracuse, but who eventually decommitted and pledged his skills to NU. Much of the Syracuse faithful was not very happy about the switch, as some had even compared his skills to those of a certain ex-Orangemen quarterback who shall remain McNabbless…er…nameless. There's one word that can sum up Dailey: Great. He has fantastic footwork ability, a swiftness to his step and can the kid pass? Sheesh, he can put some touch on the ball. Methinks you'll be seeing a lot more Joe Dailey types in the future of NU recruiting and his commit lays the groundwork for just that type of an athlete. Joe chose Nebraska over Syracuse (obviously), Rutgers, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Donald DeFrand, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Donald is a 6' 2", 180-pound cornerback and was one of the most coveted junior college players in this past recruiting season. Donald, like the other two JUCO commits (Darren DeLone and Wali Muhammed) will have 3 seasons to play 3 years, so in essence, they're sophomores. Donald has excellent size for his position and knows how to prevent the ball from getting from the quarterback's hand to his targets. Donald chose Nebraska over Tennessee, Kansas State and Texas Tech

Darren DeLone, Ponoma, CA
Darren is a massive human being at 6' 5" and 320 pounds. He has solid pass-blocking skills, so he and Greg Austin should get along just fine if they ever line up alongside each other, as well as good speed for his immense size and footwork to match. Ye Olde Recruiting Coordinator Downing told the crowd that since the first day Darren stepped onto the campus, he's been smiling and said he "just feels at home" at the University of Nebraska. Darren chose Nebraska over Arizona State and Mississippi State

David Dyches, Spring, TX
David is a 6' 1", 185-pound kicker who came out of nowhere at the last instant to commit to Nebraska. He came in during the last weekend that recruits are allowed to visit and the #12 kicking prospect in America was NU's for the taking. David repeatedly puts kickoffs into the end zone and is very consistent at doing so. The ball just seems to explode off of his leg. He's hit 40 yard field goals that would've been good from 60. David chose Nebraska over the defending National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas.

Tierre Green, Omaha, NE
Tierre is a 6' 1", 195-pound athlete prospect and is the cousin of former Husker and current Green Bay Packer star running back Ahman Green. Tierre is quicker than a hiccup and could keep up with a Hemi engine as far as acceleration. The kid can flat out FLY and it would be a shame not to get him on the field this fall in some form. He also has great vision and excellent footwork. I believe NU will try him out as a running back like his cousin and go from there. Many recruiting services had Tierre ranked as a two-star prospect (out of five), but he could very well have been a steal for Dear Old Nebraska U. Tierre chose Nebraska over Iowa State and San Jose State.

Corey McKeon, Naperville, IL
Corey is a 6' 2", 215-pound linebacker, one of two in this year's class. Corey has looked impressive in his high school years and in all-star games. When reserved to coverage-only during the Army All-American game, Corey played like a leader. He's got a great attitude and absolutely will not give up until his man is flat on his butt. He's the son of a coach, so he's a student of the game, much like Joe Dailey and has speed to burn. Corey chose Nebraska over Purdue, Miami of Ohio, Wisconsin and Illinois.

Josh Mueller, Columbus, NE
Josh is a 6' 5" 250 pound tight end who played running back for his high school last year and was regarded as one of the nation's top tight end prospects. Yes, you read that right, a 6' 5" running back and he was GOOD at it! 851 yards worth of good, that is. Anyhow, Josh has great size for a tight end, kind of reminds me of a Tracey Wistrom mold. He also has pretty decent size for being so tall. Josh chose Nebraska over…well…anyone. It wasn't really even a race that any other school thought they had a chance of winning.

Wali Muhammad, Bloomfield, NJ
Wali is a 6' 2" 245 pound rush end whose dad runs him ragged. His pappy makes him run stadium stairs for an hour and a half without stopping. His coaches have sent his team on extensive runs and Wali just comes back asking for more. Wali's got a motor that just won't quit and is extremely aggressive. He also possesses great field vision and has excellent instincts as far as knowing where the ball is. Wali chose Nebraska over Temple, Indiana, Kansas and Colorado State.

Chris Patrick, Ithica, MI
Chris is a 6' 6" 245 pound rush end who is just the second player to join NU from Michigan since 1974. Patrick was originally committed to Purdue, but you can thank the hard work for former Boilermaker and current Premiere De La Recruiting Scott Downing for lassoing this top rush end prospect for Nebraska. Chris is very well developed physically and flat out flies to the ball. He is relentless on the field and has developed good field vision. Chris chose Nebraska over Purdue (of course), Wisconsin and Oregon.

J.B. Phillips, Colleyville, TX
J.B. is a 6' 3", 250-pound tight end that runs a sub 4.7 40-yard dash. J.B. has excellent blocking skills along with his refusal to go down once the ball is in his hands or if he is blocking some poor schmoe. J.B. also stared in power lifting and track in his high school days. J.B. chose Nebraska over Kansas State and Oklahoma State.

Bo Ruud, Lincoln, NE
Bo is a 6' 3", 210-pound linebacker and brother of current Nebraska linebacker Barrett Ruud. I hope you enjoy hearing that loud, boisterous "RUUUUUUUUUUUUD" from the crowd on football's holiest of days, because Bo is just as good as his brother, if not better. Bo is a fantastic athletic specimen and has great instincts on the field. He also played halfback in high school, so footwork and speed is not a problem. Bo chose Nebraska over, pretty much, everyone being Nebraska's earliest commitment EVER making his intentions known some 20 months before signing day.

Ryan Schuler, Sioux Falls, SD
Ryan is a 6' 7", 270-pound offensive lineman who committed to Nebraska just about a week before signing day. Ryan is simply an excellent blocker who consistently takes his man out of and away from the play. I'd have to say he's one of the premiere recruits in this class and could be the next award winning Nebraska lineman. Ryan's very coachable and it wouldn't shock me to see him in the starting lineup come fall. Ryan chose Nebraska over his original commitment Oklahoma, Colorado and Iowa.

Ronnie Smith, Harbor City, CA
Ronnie is a 5' 9", 160-pound running back who was actually recruiting in the 2002 class, but will be counted in the 2003 class because of eligibility conflicts. Ronnie has excellent footwork and has a fluid-style that reminds me a lot of DeJuan Groce's punt returns. He has solid acceleration and great balance. Ronnie chose Nebraska over Kansas State, UNLV, Washington, Washington State and San Jose St.

Brandon Teamer, Omaha, NE
Brandon is a 6' 5", 265-pound defensive tackle and the only DT prospect in this year's class. Brandon has the ability to come off of the line very low to take out his man/men, he has very good footwork and sheds blocks like it's a breeze. Brandon is regarded as one of the finest defensive tackle prospects in the country this past year. Brandon chose Nebraska over Colorado, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State and Wisconsin.

Adrian Turner, Terrell, TX
Adrian is a 5' 10", 185-pound defensive back who spent most of his senior year playing running back. Adrian is very quick, has great movement and is a very physical player. He has excellent hip movement and uncanny balance. Adrian also runs a sub 4.4 40-yard dash. Adrian chose Nebraska over Arkansas, TCU, Arkansas State and Louisiana Tech.

Two players who are already on campus are Kade Pittman and Trevor Neeman. Kade is very speedy and has a fluid movement to him as well as good field presence. He also moves from sideline to sideline very well. Trevor has good instincts, is very quick off the ball and follows the ball very well. He is a hard hitter who gives great effort and is relentless on the field.

All in all, the experience was a fun one and I hope to attend again next year. That's all for Shooting Point Blank for now, I'll see all of you red clad loons after the Spring Game.

Questions, comments and Other Reasons The 2002 Uniforms Reeked can be sent to:
[email protected]

===Brandon a.k.a. Blankman #71===

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