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Nebraska Football Recruiting: Huskers’ California Work Nothing Short of Impressive

By Brandon Cavanaugh

Sep 3, 2016; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Mike Riley gives the thumbs up prior to the game against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska won 43-10. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2016; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Mike Riley gives the thumbs up prior to the game against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska won 43-10. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nebraska football‘s 2017 recruiting class is a few days from being wrapped up. However, its history shows just how well Mike Riley’s staff has done in the state of California.

There have been debates about just how effective the “Calibraska” movement has been. Just like any other aspect of recruiting, it has had its ups and downs.

Check It Out: Nebraska 2017 Class Tracker

However, now that almost a full cycle is about to finish, we can review and see just what sort of talent from the Golden State is taking notice.

Here is a list of Rivals100 recruits from California that visited Nebraska during this cycle:

  • Darnay Holmes, defensive back (No. 4)
  • Joseph Lewis, wide receiver (No. 6)
  • Deommodore Lenoir, athlete (No. 7)
  • Jaylon Johnson, defensive back (No. 8)
  • Elijah Blades, defensive back (No. 12)
  • Greg Johnson, athlete (No. 13)
  • Tristan Gebbia, quarterback (No. 17)
  • Thomas Graham, defensive back (No. 18)
  • Jaylon Redd, athlete (No. 22)
  • Bryan Thompson, wide receiver (No. 23)
  • Isaiah Hodgins, wide receiver (No. 24)
  • Jamire Calvin, wide receiver (No. 28)
  • Rahyme Johnson, linebacker (No. 37)
  • Keyshawn Johnson Jr., wide receiver (No. 40)
  • Michael Onyemaobi, athlete (No. 47)
  • Taariq Johnson, wide receiver (No. 55)
  • Jeremiah Hawkins, athlete (No. 75)
  • Trajon Cotton, athlete (No. 77)
  • C.J. Verdell, running back  (No. 91)

(Commitments in BOLD; Still under consideration in italics)

What does that ultimately mean? It means that Mike Riley and company hosted:

  • Four of the top ten California prospects in the country
  • 11 out of the top 25 California prospects in the country
  • Seven of the top ten wide receivers from California
  • Every one of the top five cornerbacks in the state

The Nebraska football staff already boasts a commitment for next cycle from four-star Los Angeles, Calif. cornerback Eric Fuller.

T.J. Pledger, a running back originally from West Hills, Calif. but currently at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. has heavy interest in the Huskers.

He’s ranked as a five-star prospect and the No. 25 recruit in the nation by the 247Sports Composite Index.

With the connections that the staff already has in California along with those picked up thanks to the hiring of Donte Williams, Nebraska football is going to be just as familiar in Pac-12 country as USC, Oregon or Stanford.

More from Nebraska Football Recruiting

What’s more, the Huskers will be winning battles against those schools, especially once word comes back from the current Calibraska recruits about what Nebraska has in store.

2017 wide receiver commit Tyjon Lindsey from Poway, Calif. has been singing the Big Red’s praises as if he were a Nebraska native living in the 1990s.

Keyshawn Johnson, Jr., one of the longest committed prospects of the current class and Mission Viejo, Calif. native started peer recruiting for the Huskers before it was cool.

Long story short: the pipeline appears to be settling in place. We still need a bigger sample size to see if it will be successful, but Nebraska has eight Californian commitments during the Riley Era as of this writing. That doesn’t include any surprises on National Signing Day.

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