I was watching Twitter tonight and 2018 Nebraska signee Elijah Blades was tweeting to have a reporter call him. Since I have spoken with him before I decided to start communicating with him. The information that he shared was a revelation. Here is the interview as a straight Q&A:
Was being a partial qualifier a possibility at Nebraska?
"Yes, partial was a possibility, but I decided not to."
Did you decide not to take the partial opportunity because you didn't want to go to Nebraska after all?
"You can say that. It seemed that at Nebraska I was going to get eligible to play. I thought it would be easier.
"Fans thought that I was scared of competition because I decommitted, but that had nothing to do with it. I am a competitor and that's what I play the game for."
Was the hiring of Donte Williams by Nebraska critical to get you to look at Nebraska?
"Yes."
And even after you committed and signed with Nebraska you doubted the fit of you with Nebraska?
"Yes, but I do love their fan support."
So based on your decision to go to junior college rather than take the partial qualifier at Nebraska there is no way after you finish junior college that you will go back to Nebraska?
"I don't think so."
I have a question, and it's a tough one to ask you and I am sure that it's difficult to answer. Do you feel like you were tricked at all into believing you would qualify at Nebraska? Meaning, do you feel like you could've qualified at other schools in the end?
"Some what."
In the end what was your GPA?
"2.26."
What did you need on the test to qualify?
"1,000. I was a little off. I don't have the score on me."
Have you spoken with the Nebraska staff? Do they know how you feel about the situation?
"Yes. I told them how I felt and they wanted me to take the partial qualifier."
One last question and I appreciate you taking the time tonight to set the record straight. As a result of what happened to you have you decided to reach out to anybody in the 2018 class from Nebraska that you knew or met about this?
"No. No one knew about this, but I helped recruit for them. I have never said anything negatively to any recruit."
Was being a partial qualifier a possibility at Nebraska?
"Yes, partial was a possibility, but I decided not to."
Did you decide not to take the partial opportunity because you didn't want to go to Nebraska after all?
"You can say that. It seemed that at Nebraska I was going to get eligible to play. I thought it would be easier.
"Fans thought that I was scared of competition because I decommitted, but that had nothing to do with it. I am a competitor and that's what I play the game for."
Was the hiring of Donte Williams by Nebraska critical to get you to look at Nebraska?
"Yes."
And even after you committed and signed with Nebraska you doubted the fit of you with Nebraska?
"Yes, but I do love their fan support."
So based on your decision to go to junior college rather than take the partial qualifier at Nebraska there is no way after you finish junior college that you will go back to Nebraska?
"I don't think so."
I have a question, and it's a tough one to ask you and I am sure that it's difficult to answer. Do you feel like you were tricked at all into believing you would qualify at Nebraska? Meaning, do you feel like you could've qualified at other schools in the end?
"Some what."
In the end what was your GPA?
"2.26."
What did you need on the test to qualify?
"1,000. I was a little off. I don't have the score on me."
Have you spoken with the Nebraska staff? Do they know how you feel about the situation?
"Yes. I told them how I felt and they wanted me to take the partial qualifier."
One last question and I appreciate you taking the time tonight to set the record straight. As a result of what happened to you have you decided to reach out to anybody in the 2018 class from Nebraska that you knew or met about this?
"No. No one knew about this, but I helped recruit for them. I have never said anything negatively to any recruit."
