Juco quarterback gives oral commitment to NU

 No comments  
 E-mail Story
 Print Story
  Share

 digg it!
 Facebook
 del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
Fark It
Reddit

Text Size: 

Tools Sponsor

BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star

Quarterback Zac Lee is living proof that “recruiting isn’t the fine science people make it out to be,” said his junior college coach.

To be sure, Nebraska hopes that is the case.

Lee, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound standout at City College of San Francisco, on Tuesday announced his oral commitment to join Nebraska’s 2007 recruiting class. He plans to enroll at NU in January and participate in spring practice, he said. He will have four years to complete three seasons of playing eligibility.

“When I visited Nebraska, there really wasn’t anything I didn’t like,” said Lee, a native of San Francisco.

After receiving minimal recruiting attention from Division I-A programs coming out of high school, Lee opted for the junior college route. His strong showing this season has helped the Rams to a 9-1 record and a berth in the Dec. 2 Hawaiian Punch Bowl, which determines Northern California’s representative in the state juco title game.

“Why Zac wasn’t recruited more (in high school) is beyond me,” said City College head coach George Rush.

Lee this season has completed 205 of 321 passes (63.8 percent) for 3,040 yards and 30 touchdowns with only five interceptions. He sat out the 2005 season as a grayshirt, allowing him to practice with the team without losing eligibility.

A football and baseball standout at St. Ignatius High School, Lee attracted only one Division I-A football scholarship offer — from Army. He thinks football teams might have been leery of him ultimately choosing to play baseball, as he was a star center fielder.

“I just didn’t get the offers I was hoping or expecting to get,” he said.

So, Rush welcomed Lee to CC of San Francisco, a traditional juco powerhouse that also produced Nebraska star wide receiver Maurice Purify and former Husker offensive tackle Cornealius Fuamatu-Thomas.

Lee is the son of longtime NFL quarterback Bob Lee. The younger Lee’s field savvy comes from years of being around the game, Rush said.

“Zac has great leadership skills and fabulous arm strength,” Rush said. “He manages the game well — he knows when to check in and out of plays, and he’s an excellent ‘team’ guy. I think Nebraska has someone who’ll be a difference-maker in the next few years.”

Nebraska next season will be faced with replacing standout senior quarterback Zac Taylor. Sam Keller, a transfer from Arizona State who has one season of playing eligibility remaining, is widely regarded as the favorite to succeed Taylor as starter, as Keller has impressed coaches this season in practice.

The current Husker QB roster also features sophomores Joe Ganz, Beau Davis and Brian Hildebrand. Patrick Witt, a senior this year at Wylie (Texas) High School, also plans to enroll at NU in January and participate in spring drills.

Said Lee: “I wouldn’t be going to a place where I didn’t think I had a chance to compete for the starting position.”

Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan and assistants Jay Norvell and Dennis Wagner all played roles in recruiting Lee, Rush said.

“I think they spotted his talent last spring and then pursued him hard,” Rush said. “We initially recommended Zac, and Nebraska was intrigued right away.”