Red Report: Gabbert's goodbye
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By the Lincoln Journal Star
Nebraska is getting hit with a rash of de-commitments from recruits wondering if Husker coaches will be retained at season’s end.
Quarterback Blaine Gabbert, receiver D.J. Woods and defensive tackle Darius Parish all reneged on oral commitments to the Husker program in the past two days.
Gabbert, the Parkway West (Ballwin, Mo.) High senior and fourth-best prep quarterback in the nation according to Rivals.com, broke his commitment with the Huskers on Wednesday.
“With the turmoil and uncertainty of the coaching staff, I felt like I had to re-evaluate my options,” Gabbert told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I reopen my recruitment as of (Wednesday night). I’m open to all schools.”
Gabbert had committed to the Cornhuskers in May, but made an unofficial visit to Missouri to watch Saturday’s game between the Tigers and Texas Tech. He said he has yet to schedule any official visits.
Gabbert followed the path of heralded running back Jonas Gray, who de-committed earlier this week and said he’s going to Notre Dame.
Then on Thursday, it was reported that Parish and Woods, who is visiting Penn State this week, are off Nebraska’s list, too.
Parish was a “soft verbal” commitment and might not have come to Nebraska even if there wasn’t uncertainty in the program.
This puts Nebraska at 21 verbal commitments. That number is likely to go down before it goes up.
The Huskers did score a recruiting victory Tuesday when El Camino (Calif.) Community College defensive end Simi Kuli — the top junior college prospect in the country according to Rivals — committed to the program.
Nebraska limps into Texas this week with a 4-4 record. New interim athletic director Tom Osborne has said he’ll evaluate Husker coach Bill Callahan and his staff at season’s end.
“I’m not getting any promises, so I can’t make any promises to (recruits),” Callahan said Tuesday.
Grass stains: The Huskers practiced on the grass field Thursday.
“I think it’s our first time on grass all fall, since training camp,” Callahan said.
Nebraska hasn’t played a regular-season game on grass since the end of the 2005 season, when the Huskers beat Colorado 30-3 in Boulder.
Callahan was upbeat and very talkative with reporters after the practice. Austin is the only Big 12 city where he is yet to coach a game.
“It’s a great place. It’ll be a great atmosphere. It’s going to be a good football game,” he said.
Callahan said linebackers Bo Ruud and Blake Lawrence, and center Brett Byford, all missed practice for the third straight day.
Ruud and Byford will make the trip and be game-time decisions.
Callahan said sophomore linebacker Major Culbert may see more playing time because of the injuries to Ruud and Lawrence.
By the numbers: 4 - The number of times the higher-ranked team has won in 11 meetings between Texas and Nebraska. An unranked team has won three times.
Saturday’s game will mark only the third time neither school is ranked in the top 15.
Scouting report: WR Maurice Purify
Husker senior receiver Maurice Purify caught a touchdown pass against Texas A&M, but ended the game with only three receptions.
The Huskers have struggled to find Purify on big plays this year. He had seven touchdowns and averaged 18.5 yards a catch last year. This season, he has two scores and is averaging 13.4 yards per reception.
“We’re running routes, and we’re throwing it to our check-downs for five or six yards,” Purify said. “We need to get more yards in chunks, more 15-, 20-, 30-yard gains.”
Last season, Purify had a 63-yard touchdown reception against Texas. His longest gain this year is 38 yards. The season hasn’t gone as planned, but he said he’s not about to give up.
“I can only speak for myself. I am not collapsing. I am still here,” Purify said. “I’m playing as hard as I can, and when you don’t play hard, that is when you get injured. I still want to make it to the next level, so I cannot quit on myself.”
Opponent Watch: Colorado
Dad’s going to have to sit his son down and have a little talk about making good decisions.
Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins, son of Buffs’ coach Dan Hawkins, has 14 interceptions this season. That leads the Big 12.
“I definitely have to pick things up and start playing (better),” Cody told the Denver Post.
— Brian Christopherson
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