Just got home from Tuscaloosa
Took all guys rated 4-stars or better - that's how I ended up with 24.
Of the top 65 cornerbacks in this class, Nebraska signed zero (0) of them.
In fact, Nebraska signed just one (1) cornerback in this class - JUCO Mohammed Seisay, a 2-for-2 JUCO guy who started one (1) game during his two-year career in Lincoln.
I've frequently mentioned that our lack of a shut-down corner has hampered us in 2015. Well, you can't have a shut-down CB if you don't recruit any of them. Thanks, Bo.
And don't say that none were available - Colorado signed two four-star CBs from this list and Tulane signed one.
Yet another example of Pelini's atrocious recruiting skills and abhorrent roster mismanagement.
A two-year starter for the Canes, but he hasn't lived up to his 5-star billing
1.) Tracy Howard, UMiami; 5-star, 6.1 RR, #13 on the Rivals 100, #1-overall prospect in Florida; A two-year starter at cornerback for the Hurricanes; Was named honorable-mention All-ACC as a sophomore in 2013.
Now with the Buffalo Bills, who took him in the 2nd-round of the 2015 NFL Draft
2.) Ronald Darby, Florida State; 4-star, 5.9 RR, #68 on the Rivals 100, 2nd-best prospect in Maryland; Now with the Buffalo Bills, who took him in the 2nd round of the 2015 NFL Draft; Was a two-year starter at Florida State.
An aTm legacy who is a 4-year starter for the Aggies
3.) De'Vante Harris, Texas A&M; 4-star, 5.9 RR, #69 on the Rivals 100, 10th-best prospect in Texas; A four-year starter at cornerback for the Aggies; His father, Rod, was a starting WR for Texas A&M in the mid 1980s and was a 4th-round draft pick of the Houston Oilers in 1989.
4.) Tee Shepard, Notre Dame; 4-star, 5.9 RR, #76 on the Rivals 100, 11th-best prospect in California; No longer in football, having played five (5) games in his career; Enrolled early at Notre Dame in 2012 and then left the school two months later, claiming that he wanted to be closer to home; Spent 2012 and 2013 at a California JUCO and then signed with Ole Miss, where he missed all of 2014 with a torn toe tendon; After appearing in five games for Ole Miss this year, he quit the team last month, claiming that his heart was no longer in football.
Two-year starter at CB for the Gators
5.) Brian Poole, UFlorida; 4-star, 5.9 RR, #80 on the Rivals 100, 16th-best prospect in Florida; Two-year starter at cornerback for the Gators; Led the team in interceptions (4) last year; Played in 11 games and made six starts at the nickel position in 2013; Appeared in 12 games as a true freshman in 2012.
Three-year starter for USC
6.) Kevon Seymour, Southern Cal; 4-star, 5.9 RR, #82 on the Rivals 100, 14th-best prospect in California; Three-year starter at cornerback for the Trojans who has missed some time this year due to injuries; Entering the 2015 season, Seymour had 102 tackles (3 for a loss), 19 deflections, 1 fumble recovery and 2 interceptions.
7.) Yuri Wright, Colorado; 4-star, 5.9 RR, #85 on the Rivals 100, 3rd-best prospect in New Jersey; Currently a third-string cornerback at CU; He has appeared in 12 career games throughout his career; CU coach MacIntyre has said that his weight has been holding him back - Wright weighs in at 158 lbs (he's 6' 1").
Bama's 3rd-leading tackler in 2015
8.) Geno Matias-Smith, Alabama; 4-star, 5.9 RR, #88 on the Rivals 250, 6th-best prospect in Georgia; Now a safety, Matias-Smith is the third-leading tackler on Bama's team with 41, and also has an INT on the season; Was a co-starter at free safety in 2014; Earned two starts as a true freshman in 2012.
A two-year starter for Marshall who was booted earlier this year for undisclosed reasons
9.) Amos Leggett, Marshall; 4-star, 5.9 RR, #110 on the Rivals 250, 21st-best prospect in Florida; Current whereabouts unknown; Was a 2-year starter at safety for the Thundering Herd and entered the 2015 season with 8 career interceptions, but Doc Holliday merely announced that Leggett was “no longer with the team” earlier this fall.
Three-year starter for UCLA who beat the shit out of a Uber driver and stole his cell phone
10.) Ishmael Adams, UCLA; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #117 on the Rivals 250, 18th-best prospect in California; Had started 26 straight games at cornerback for the Bruins until he was arrested earlier this year and charged with misdemeanor battery after he "used force" to steal a cell phone from an Uber driver; Mora suspended him for three games and he's now starting again.
11.) Donaldven Manning, Virginia Tech; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #140 on the Rivals 250, 27th-best prospect in Florida; Current whereabouts unknown; Lasted one year at VaTech and appeared in 8 games, and then transferred to Marshall in the fall of 2013, but is no longer on their roster and has literally disappeared.
12.) Brandon Beaver, Washington; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #143 on the Rivals 250, 21st-best prospect in California; Tore his ACL in the Oregon game and is out for the season; Prior to 2015, he had appeared in 18 games as a reserve safety.
13.) Colin Blake, Florida State; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #155 on the Rivals 250, 21st-best prospect in Texas; Often injured, Blake was "medically disqualified" from the team earlier this fall and quit the team; His injuries kept him from playing much, appearing in 11 games in his college career.
Starting CB for LSU
14.) Dwayne Thomas, Louisiana State; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #168 on the Rivals 250, 5th-best prospect in Louisiana; Starting cornerback for LSU, and leads the team in pass breakups (6); Missed most of the 2014 season with a knee injury, and was used in LSU's nickel and dime packages in 2013; Got a medical redshirt in 2012.
Three-year starter who tore his ACL earlier this year
15.) Joshua Holsey, Auburn; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #180 on the Rivals 250, 13th-best prospect in Georgia; Is out for the 2015 season with a torn ACL; Three-year starter at cornerback and free safety prior to this season.
16.) Devian Shelton, Southern Cal; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #211 on the Rivals 250, 29th-best prospect in California; No longer in football after being "processed" last February; After redshirting as a true freshman, Shelton played in two games in 2013 and none in 2014 because of a foot injury.
17.) Armani Reeves, Ohio State; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #219 on the Rivals 250, 2nd-best prospect in Massachusetts; No longer in football after suffering four concussions; Appeared in 12 games for the 2014 National Championship team and had 14 tackles and 4 pass breakups that year.
18.) Terry Richardson, Michigan; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #224 on the Rivals 250, 5th-best prospect in Michigan; Has appeared in 15 games in his career as a reserve cornerback and hasn't amounted to much; Is said by many to be too small to play cornerback in the Big Ten.
19.) Deion Bonner, Tennessee; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #229 on the Rivals 250, 16th-best prospect in Georgia; Is now at Grambling State, after getting booted from Tennessee after playing 9 games; Bonner was the lone suspect in the on-campus theft of a student’s cellphone in early November 2012, but was never arrested as the alleged victim in the case did not wish to pursue charges and none were ever filed; In April of 2011, during a recruiting visit to Georgia, Bonner and two other individuals were accused of stealing several items, including iPhones and iPods, from the lockers of several UGA players during what was described as an open-house event on the campus.
Three-year starter at nickel back for the Utes
20.) Justin Thomas, Utah; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #240 on the Rivals 250, 31st-best prospect in Texas; Is a three-year starter at nickel back for the Utes; Was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week against Michigan earlier this year after a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown along with four tackles; Is the third-fastest player on the team.
Rios is starting for UCLA after nearly dying from a fungus infection
21.) Marcus Rios, UCLA; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 35th-best prospect in California; Starting cornerback for UCLA this year; Missed all of 2013 recovering from aspergillosis, a fungus infection that almost killed him.
Four-year starter at cornerback
22.) Kenneth Crawley, Colorado; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 2nd-best prospect in Washington DC; A four-year starter at cornerback for the Buffs, and was listed on some preseason All-Pac 12 lists this year.
Darion Monroe (#2) is a four-year starter at strong safety for the Green Wave
23.) Darion Monroe, Tulane; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 11th-best prospect in Louisiana; A four-year starter at strong safety for Tulane; Is second on the team in tackles with 58, despite missing a game earlier this year; Also leads the team in interceptions.
24.) Bryson Echols, UTexas; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 32nd-best prospect in Texas; Currently a reserve cornerback and special teams player; Has appeared in 31 career games with one start.
Rivals' composite list of cornerbacks in the 2012 recruiting class
Took all guys rated 4-stars or better - that's how I ended up with 24.
Of the top 65 cornerbacks in this class, Nebraska signed zero (0) of them.
In fact, Nebraska signed just one (1) cornerback in this class - JUCO Mohammed Seisay, a 2-for-2 JUCO guy who started one (1) game during his two-year career in Lincoln.
I've frequently mentioned that our lack of a shut-down corner has hampered us in 2015. Well, you can't have a shut-down CB if you don't recruit any of them. Thanks, Bo.
And don't say that none were available - Colorado signed two four-star CBs from this list and Tulane signed one.
Yet another example of Pelini's atrocious recruiting skills and abhorrent roster mismanagement.
A two-year starter for the Canes, but he hasn't lived up to his 5-star billing
1.) Tracy Howard, UMiami; 5-star, 6.1 RR, #13 on the Rivals 100, #1-overall prospect in Florida; A two-year starter at cornerback for the Hurricanes; Was named honorable-mention All-ACC as a sophomore in 2013.
Now with the Buffalo Bills, who took him in the 2nd-round of the 2015 NFL Draft
2.) Ronald Darby, Florida State; 4-star, 5.9 RR, #68 on the Rivals 100, 2nd-best prospect in Maryland; Now with the Buffalo Bills, who took him in the 2nd round of the 2015 NFL Draft; Was a two-year starter at Florida State.
An aTm legacy who is a 4-year starter for the Aggies
3.) De'Vante Harris, Texas A&M; 4-star, 5.9 RR, #69 on the Rivals 100, 10th-best prospect in Texas; A four-year starter at cornerback for the Aggies; His father, Rod, was a starting WR for Texas A&M in the mid 1980s and was a 4th-round draft pick of the Houston Oilers in 1989.
4.) Tee Shepard, Notre Dame; 4-star, 5.9 RR, #76 on the Rivals 100, 11th-best prospect in California; No longer in football, having played five (5) games in his career; Enrolled early at Notre Dame in 2012 and then left the school two months later, claiming that he wanted to be closer to home; Spent 2012 and 2013 at a California JUCO and then signed with Ole Miss, where he missed all of 2014 with a torn toe tendon; After appearing in five games for Ole Miss this year, he quit the team last month, claiming that his heart was no longer in football.
Two-year starter at CB for the Gators
5.) Brian Poole, UFlorida; 4-star, 5.9 RR, #80 on the Rivals 100, 16th-best prospect in Florida; Two-year starter at cornerback for the Gators; Led the team in interceptions (4) last year; Played in 11 games and made six starts at the nickel position in 2013; Appeared in 12 games as a true freshman in 2012.
Three-year starter for USC
6.) Kevon Seymour, Southern Cal; 4-star, 5.9 RR, #82 on the Rivals 100, 14th-best prospect in California; Three-year starter at cornerback for the Trojans who has missed some time this year due to injuries; Entering the 2015 season, Seymour had 102 tackles (3 for a loss), 19 deflections, 1 fumble recovery and 2 interceptions.
7.) Yuri Wright, Colorado; 4-star, 5.9 RR, #85 on the Rivals 100, 3rd-best prospect in New Jersey; Currently a third-string cornerback at CU; He has appeared in 12 career games throughout his career; CU coach MacIntyre has said that his weight has been holding him back - Wright weighs in at 158 lbs (he's 6' 1").
Bama's 3rd-leading tackler in 2015
8.) Geno Matias-Smith, Alabama; 4-star, 5.9 RR, #88 on the Rivals 250, 6th-best prospect in Georgia; Now a safety, Matias-Smith is the third-leading tackler on Bama's team with 41, and also has an INT on the season; Was a co-starter at free safety in 2014; Earned two starts as a true freshman in 2012.
A two-year starter for Marshall who was booted earlier this year for undisclosed reasons
9.) Amos Leggett, Marshall; 4-star, 5.9 RR, #110 on the Rivals 250, 21st-best prospect in Florida; Current whereabouts unknown; Was a 2-year starter at safety for the Thundering Herd and entered the 2015 season with 8 career interceptions, but Doc Holliday merely announced that Leggett was “no longer with the team” earlier this fall.
Three-year starter for UCLA who beat the shit out of a Uber driver and stole his cell phone
10.) Ishmael Adams, UCLA; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #117 on the Rivals 250, 18th-best prospect in California; Had started 26 straight games at cornerback for the Bruins until he was arrested earlier this year and charged with misdemeanor battery after he "used force" to steal a cell phone from an Uber driver; Mora suspended him for three games and he's now starting again.
11.) Donaldven Manning, Virginia Tech; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #140 on the Rivals 250, 27th-best prospect in Florida; Current whereabouts unknown; Lasted one year at VaTech and appeared in 8 games, and then transferred to Marshall in the fall of 2013, but is no longer on their roster and has literally disappeared.
12.) Brandon Beaver, Washington; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #143 on the Rivals 250, 21st-best prospect in California; Tore his ACL in the Oregon game and is out for the season; Prior to 2015, he had appeared in 18 games as a reserve safety.
13.) Colin Blake, Florida State; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #155 on the Rivals 250, 21st-best prospect in Texas; Often injured, Blake was "medically disqualified" from the team earlier this fall and quit the team; His injuries kept him from playing much, appearing in 11 games in his college career.
Starting CB for LSU
14.) Dwayne Thomas, Louisiana State; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #168 on the Rivals 250, 5th-best prospect in Louisiana; Starting cornerback for LSU, and leads the team in pass breakups (6); Missed most of the 2014 season with a knee injury, and was used in LSU's nickel and dime packages in 2013; Got a medical redshirt in 2012.
Three-year starter who tore his ACL earlier this year
15.) Joshua Holsey, Auburn; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #180 on the Rivals 250, 13th-best prospect in Georgia; Is out for the 2015 season with a torn ACL; Three-year starter at cornerback and free safety prior to this season.
16.) Devian Shelton, Southern Cal; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #211 on the Rivals 250, 29th-best prospect in California; No longer in football after being "processed" last February; After redshirting as a true freshman, Shelton played in two games in 2013 and none in 2014 because of a foot injury.
17.) Armani Reeves, Ohio State; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #219 on the Rivals 250, 2nd-best prospect in Massachusetts; No longer in football after suffering four concussions; Appeared in 12 games for the 2014 National Championship team and had 14 tackles and 4 pass breakups that year.
18.) Terry Richardson, Michigan; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #224 on the Rivals 250, 5th-best prospect in Michigan; Has appeared in 15 games in his career as a reserve cornerback and hasn't amounted to much; Is said by many to be too small to play cornerback in the Big Ten.
19.) Deion Bonner, Tennessee; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #229 on the Rivals 250, 16th-best prospect in Georgia; Is now at Grambling State, after getting booted from Tennessee after playing 9 games; Bonner was the lone suspect in the on-campus theft of a student’s cellphone in early November 2012, but was never arrested as the alleged victim in the case did not wish to pursue charges and none were ever filed; In April of 2011, during a recruiting visit to Georgia, Bonner and two other individuals were accused of stealing several items, including iPhones and iPods, from the lockers of several UGA players during what was described as an open-house event on the campus.
Three-year starter at nickel back for the Utes
20.) Justin Thomas, Utah; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #240 on the Rivals 250, 31st-best prospect in Texas; Is a three-year starter at nickel back for the Utes; Was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week against Michigan earlier this year after a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown along with four tackles; Is the third-fastest player on the team.
Rios is starting for UCLA after nearly dying from a fungus infection
21.) Marcus Rios, UCLA; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 35th-best prospect in California; Starting cornerback for UCLA this year; Missed all of 2013 recovering from aspergillosis, a fungus infection that almost killed him.
Four-year starter at cornerback
22.) Kenneth Crawley, Colorado; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 2nd-best prospect in Washington DC; A four-year starter at cornerback for the Buffs, and was listed on some preseason All-Pac 12 lists this year.
Darion Monroe (#2) is a four-year starter at strong safety for the Green Wave
23.) Darion Monroe, Tulane; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 11th-best prospect in Louisiana; A four-year starter at strong safety for Tulane; Is second on the team in tackles with 58, despite missing a game earlier this year; Also leads the team in interceptions.
24.) Bryson Echols, UTexas; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 32nd-best prospect in Texas; Currently a reserve cornerback and special teams player; Has appeared in 31 career games with one start.
Rivals' composite list of cornerbacks in the 2012 recruiting class
