11/25/2017 football Edit

Riley's out: What will happen with 'Calibraska" movement?

Adam Gorney • Rivals.com

National Recruiting Director

Mike Riley is out at Nebraska. Does that mean the "Calibraska" movement will end with the new coaching staff?

The Huskers finished in the top five of the Big Ten rankings during all three recruiting classes that Riley signed while in Lincoln, and in large part it was because of Nebraska’s success recruiting the West, particularly California.

In the current recruiting class, the Huskers have secured commitments from four-star Chase Williams from Corona (Calif.) Roosevelt and three-star defensive end Tate Wildeman out of Parker (Colo.) Legend.

Last recruiting class was particularly productive and fruitful, as the Huskers landed four-star standout receiver Tyjon Lindsey, along with Calabasas, Calif., teammates Tristan Gebbia and Keyshawn Johnson Jr., among others.

The 2016 class was also loaded with West prospects, led by four-star defensive back Lamar Jackson (from Franklin High in Elk Grove, Calif.) and others from Colorado, another particularly successful state for Nebraska recruiting.

Staying focused on recruiting West prospects should be a top priority for the Huskers, since the program is so recognized in that part of the country and coaches have had success in that region.

“Regardless of who Nebraska names as its next head coach it’s going to be important for the Huskers to keep recruiting the West Coast, especially California,” said Nate Clouse of HuskerOnline.com.

“Nebraska has a history of being able to pull good talent out of the Golden State for decades, but Mike Riley really ramped up the efforts once he was hired. Even though there’s been a coaching change the Huskers still have a presence out West and some well-known players from California on its roster that they should be able to use to their advantage.”

California should be the main focus, but the new coach - whether it’s Scott Frost of UCF or someone else - shouldn’t downplay other talent-rich areas in the West.

“I also think it would be wise to see them become more active in the Phoenix area once again, as well as tapping back into the junior college market in Arizona and California, respectively, from time to time like they have done in the past,” Clouse said.

USC continues to hold a firm grasp on recruiting in the state - especially in the Los Angeles market - and a new coaching staff at UCLA could pump new life into the Bruins’ efforts.

Teams from across the Pac-12 use California as a recruiting gold mine to load up on their classes.

Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Ohio State, Michigan and almost every program dips into the state from time to time to target and recruit specific players. Nebraska should not back down from those challenges, said Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell.

If anything, it should remain a prime focus for Nebraska’s new staff as it looks to rebuild the Huskers into a national power again.

“You can’t give up on California,” Farrell said. “For a program like Nebraska to pull three four-star kids in 2016, and if you count Lindsey, another four in 2017, that’s good. It’s not like Nebraska is this mecca and California kids are dreaming of going to there to play football.

“They have a great atmosphere, they have a great fan base, they’ve had success in California over time, but you have to get into Texas and you have to get into the Southeast as well, if you want to be successful. The problem with Nebraska is they’re landlocked when it comes to talented football states. There just aren’t any. They’re going to have to go into those areas to have success.

“Giving up on California after all the effort that’s been put in there the last few years would be foolish.”