The visitor list for Nebraska-Michigan State weekend evolved into a big opportunity for NU to build their 2014 recruiting class.
Raymon Minor (6-3/210) an athlete from Richmond, Va. added his name to the official visitors list for the Nebraska-Michigan State game last weekend in Lincoln. Minor’s long been considered a strong lean to Virginia Tech, but is also weighing offers from Ohio State and West Virginia. He also counts Clemson, Miami and Wisconsin among his nearly 30 offers. Defensive coordinator John Papuchis is his lead recruiter, as he works that Del-Mar-Va area for NU (Delaware-Maryland-Virginia).
The Huskers are recruiting Minor as an athlete, and he could project as a safety or wide receiver. He plays both positions for his high school, and professes no preference.
Another late addition was defensive back Josh Keys (6-2/180) of Perkinston (Miss.) Gulf Coast Community College. This was Keys’ first official visit, but NU is also battling Auburn, Baylor, Georgia, Missouri and Texas A&M for his commitment.
Keys is a rare junior college prospect who will graduate in December and will have three years to play two, having never redshirted. He’s among the top 5 JUCO cornerbacks according to all of the recruiting services, and could provide immediate help at a position where NU graduates seniors Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Ciante Evans, Andrew Green and Mo Seisay.
Committed receiver prospect Demornay Pierson-El (5-9/174) of Alexandria, Va., along with current Huskers senior defensive end Jason Ankrah and redshirting freshman linebacker Marcus Newby, all hail from the same region as Minor. Pierson-El will visited this past weekend as well, and those current and committed Huskers shared their background and reasons for choosing Nebraska. I wouldn’t expect a commitment from Minor, but hopefully NU can give him a lot to consider.
Another committed player visiting last weekend was defensive back Trai Mosley (5-10/171) of Pflugerville, Texas. Mosley was in town with his high school teammate and Colorado commitment Chance Waz (5-11/173). The two play in the same defensive backfield at undefeated Pflugerville Hendrickson High, which has moved up from class 4A Division I to class 5A Division II this season and is 11-0 on the season. That’s Texas’ second-largest classification, so the level of competition is strong.
Most recruitniks expect Waz to flip from Colorado to Nebraska after the weekend, however the NU staff will need to do some work to hold onto both as Mosley was recently offered by Oklahoma and Baylor.
In last Tuesday’s paper we talked about defensive line prospects Joe Keels (6-4/280) of Highland (Kan.) Community College and Dalvon Stuckey (6-2/305) of Pearl River (Miss.) Community College visiting. Keels, a Wisconsin commitment, will still visit, however Miami pledge Stuckey cancelled his visit last Thursday afternoon. He stated that “it just didn’t work out”, and will be visiting Auburn instead.
Quarterback Zack Darlington (6-1/210) of Apopka, Fla., who had his season ended by concussions in September, was also in town for his official trip. With Minor and Pierson-El on campus, it’s a good plan to have the guy who could be throwing them the ball on hand also. Darlington continues to rehab from his head injuries, and there’s been no decision made yet as to whether he’ll be cleared to play in college. That choice likely won’t be made for another 18 months, as he’s destined for a redshirt season his freshman year in Lincoln. With NU’s world-class Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior located in Memorial Stadium, Darlington’s care and diagnosis will stay on the cutting edge.
A couple of high-profile unofficial visitors were in town also. Hays, Kan. 2015 quarterback Alex Delton (6-0/193) excelled at the Rivals250 Underclassmen Challenge Presented by Under-Armour last summer before running a verified 4.42 40-yard dash at Kansas State’s team camp.
He has an early offer from Kansas State, and has also received attention from Notre Dame, Missouri and Oregon. He lists Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri , Nebraska and Vanderbilt among his favorites. A member of the Rivals 250 to watch for 2015, Delton should be among the top 15 dual-threat quarterback prospects. Getting him on campus for a big game atmosphere like Michigan State may lead to a Big Red Weekend visit in the spring.
In addition, 2015 Rivals250 athlete Marquise Doherty (6-1/190) of Kansas City, Mo. who already holds offers from Nebraska, Illinois and Missouri will made the trip. Doherty visited during Big Red Weekend and received scholarship offers from both Bo Pelini and Darrin Erstad. Like Minor, Nebraska hasn’t pigeon-holed Doherty into a position. This was another case of getting a guy on campus and deciding where he fits best.
Doherty has very good straight-line speed, but on film doesn’t show the change-of-direction or lateral quickness to play cornerback in college. I would expect Nebraska sees him as a safety prospect.
Wide receiver Dallis Todd (6-5/205), an Oklahoma commit since April, was a surprise visitor Saturday as well.
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