STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Sunday, November 12, 2006 6:00 pm
Videotape doesn’t lie, coaches like to say. Nebraska football coaches hope the axiom holds true when it comes to Adi Kunalic, a senior place-kicker at North Crowley High School in Fort Worth, Texas, who this past weekend accepted the Huskers’ scholarship offer.
Last month, North Crowley head coach Mike Papas showed Shawn Watson videotape of Kunalic that evidently impressed the NU assistant coach, who played the lead role in the player’s recruitment.
In the videotape, the 6-foot, 175-pound Kunalic boots a dozen kickoffs into the end zone from the 30-yard line using a 1-inch tee. In addition, he makes 5 of 6 field-goal tries from 60 yards. His one miss had enough distance, Papas said.
“I think he’s a steal for their program,” Papas said of the Huskers, who have received 15 oral commitments for their 2007 recruiting class.
In selecting Nebraska, Kunalic turned down scholarship offers from Utah and Washington State.
Ranked by Rivals.com as the nation’s ninth-best kicker, Kunalic missed North Crowley’s first five games this season because of a strained medial collateral ligament in his knee, Papas said. However, in a 54-2 win last week against Paschal (Texas) High School, Kunalic booted all but one of his kickoffs either into the end zone or over it, Papas said.
“I believe his leg was as strong as it’s ever been,” the coach said.
As a junior, Kunalic kicked off 64 times, with 54 going for touchbacks, Papas said. He also made four field goals from 50-plus yards, including a 57-yard blast.
Nebraska coaches also liked Kunalic’s demeanor, Papas said.
“One of the things coaches always ask is, ‘Is he a typical flaky kicker?’” Papas said. “Adi is very grounded. He’s very good academically. He has a good family background. Has a good head on his shoulders. He doesn’t have big mood swings, doesn’t buckle under pressure. He’s a serious kid.”
Nebraska’s only scholarship place-kicker, sophomore Jordan Congdon, has made 5 of 7 field-goal attempts this season, including 1 of 2 from 40-plus yards. Congdon and sophomore walk-on Jake Wesch this season have combined to boot 8 of 60 kickoffs for touchbacks.
In other recruiting news, LaTravis Washington, a defensive back prospect from Bradenton, Fla., told two recruiting Web sites that he informed Nebraska coaches that he wants to attend NU. However, any commitment would be contingent on him achieving the necessary score on his SAT.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.