Callahan snags top recruiting target
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BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE
Harrison Beck made Bill Callahan's day Tuesday, assuming Callahan didn't crash his SUV.
A 6-foot-1, 200-pound quarterback from Clearwater, Fla., Beck informed Callahan on Tuesday night of his decision to accept Nebraska's football scholarship offer. Upon hearing the news, Callahan had to pull to the side of the road, Beck said.
"He was going crazy," the quarterback said, recalling his cell phone conversation with Nebraska's head coach. "I don't know exactly what he said because he was talking a million miles per hour."
Callahan's excitement stems from the fact Beck is widely regarded as one of the nation's top quarterbacks in the class of 2005. Indeed, Beck was the first high school QB in the class of 2005 who received a scholarship offer from Nebraska, landing his official offer in February.
In selecting the Huskers, Beck turned down 20 other major college programs, including Florida, Florida State, Miami, North Carolina State, Maryland, Michigan and Purdue.
Beck, who threw for 2,300 yards and 21 touchdowns last season as a junior at Countryside High School in Clearwater, is a four-star prospect in the five-star system used by Rivals.com, regarded as the nation's foremost recruiting Web site.
Jeremy Crabtree, an editor for Rivals.com, said Tuesday night that Beck's commitment gives Nebraska "a great, great boost" in building its 2005 recruiting class. Last week, Nick Covey, an outside linebacker from Glendale, Ariz., became the first player to join the Huskers' class of 2005.
"Coach Callahan set out to recruit a nationally ranked quarterback, and he accomplished it right off the bat," Crabtree said.
Nebraska is believed to have made scholarship offers to no fewer than seven high school quarterbacks who'll be seniors in 2005. However, Beck said, it's his understanding that the Huskers won't recruit another QB for 2005 now that they have his commitment.
"I was Nebraska's No. 1 guy from the start," Beck said. "Coach Callahan and I made a commitment to each other from the start."
Callahan took over at Nebraska in January and this spring began installing the West Coast offense. The former Oakland Raiders head coach has made no bones about the need to recruit quarterbacks who fit his system.
Nebraska's 2004 recruiting class includes three quarterbacks — Jordan Adams, Beau Davis and Joe Ganz. Adams, a junior college transfer, is expected to battle scholarship sophomore Joe Dailey for the starting job when preseason camp begins in August.
Beck said Countryside High runs an offense similar to the one Callahan's installing at Nebraska. Last season, Beck guided Countryside to a 10-3 record and within a victory of the Class 4A state championship game.
Beck, already a three-year starter at Countryside, said Nebraska "needs a leader to step up to the front and be counted, and I count myself in."
Nebraska secondary coach Phil Elmassian, who recruits throughout much of Florida, played a lead role in helping lure Beck, and Beck said Callahan and Norvell also made him feel comfortable.
"Nebraska felt right from the beginning," Beck said. "They've sent so many handwritten letters, and it just feels like you can trust them. I think the thing they've done the best is they reassure you. I think I just connected with the coaches.
"We can talk about things beside football, and it's still fun."
Beck said late last month he was "60 to 70 percent" certain he would choose Nebraska. Things began to look good for the Huskers Tuesday when Beck canceled a scheduled weekend visit to Miami.
"Nebraska just felt right, so I thought, ‘Why not pull the trigger?' " Beck said.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
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