In his first few weeks on the job last winter, Nebraska coach Mike Riley, en route to landing the nation’s No. 31-ranked recruiting class, suffered a few setbacks, customary in the lead-up to signing day.
The loss endured by the Nebraska coaches last week appears a bit more unique.
Lincoln (Nebraska) Christian tight end Jared Bubak decommitted from the Huskers, likely in favor of Arizona State, after he pledged to the former staff at Nebraska last September.
That Riley lost a pledge in June for the Class of 2016 is no cause for alarm and every bit as normal as adding a prospect. Six have committed to the Huskers this month. That Bubak grew up a few miles from Memorial Stadium classifies this setback as unusual.
What happened here? The Huskers can’t comment, of course. Bubak told the Omaha World-Herald that while Riley and his coaches scrambled in December and January to secure the 2015 class, the tight end -- rated as the No. 1 prospect this year in Nebraska -- looked around as a safety measure.
He visited ASU and felt a better fit. The Huskers, by all accounts, continued to pursue Bubak, but their edge had disappeared. And though Bubak has yet to announce his plans, the Sun Devils appear in good position to get him next February.
For Nebraska, it’s a reminder that even the top local players -- once all but a lock to stay home if offered a scholarship -- remain a challenge in recruiting. Sixteen years without a conference championship ensures that nothing comes as easily as a generation ago.
The Huskers are recruiting with purpose and producing results this year, a credit to Riley’s energetic and experienced staff, an in-house organization and innovation the likes of which Nebraska has not enjoyed in many years.
Its class stands at 12 members, including tight end Jack Stoll of Aurora, Colorado, who joined the group last week as Bubak left.
Riley has vowed to win the battle for a sizeable portion of the coveted prospects within 500 miles of Memorial Stadium. There’s no more important place to start well than in Lincoln.