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Nebraska Football Recruiting: Where to Go Following TJ Pledger Commit

By Brandon Cavanaugh

Jan 2, 2017; New Orleans , LA, USA; The Oklahoma Sooners enter the playing field before the 2017 Sugar Bowl against the Auburn Tigers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2017; New Orleans , LA, USA; The Oklahoma Sooners enter the playing field before the 2017 Sugar Bowl against the Auburn Tigers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Nebraska football staff was after T.J. Pledger hard as a home run hitter at running back is needed this class. Unfortunately, smoke turned into fire and he committed to Oklahoma.

The IMG Academy running back had been rumored to be a Sooner lean for quite some time.

Husker fans were looking forward to (and hoping he’d make) his visit to the Huskers’ Red-White Spring Game on April 15.

That appears to no longer be the case.

Pledger has come out and said he’s shutting his recruitment down.

No more visits, nothing.

Where does the Big Red, aching for a big-time back, go from here?

Assuming the remaining Spring Game visitors attend, two other running backs will be in Lincoln. Mychale Salahuddin and Grahm Roberts are both scheduled to take in the event.

Let’s be real, though.

If the Huskers want to hit their goal of a big-time running back being added to the 2018 class, they need someone like Asa Martin or Keaontay Ingram, but Salahuddin would do in a pinch.

The truly confusing thing is when did it become difficult for Nebraska to bring in high quality running backs?

Mike Riley wants to run the ball, he’s said it ad nauseam. This isn’t an Air Raid offense straight out of Mike Leach’s playbook. Combine that with Nebraska’s tradition and frequency of putting backs in the NFL.

The Huskers can’t snag one elite running back that likes all of that plus what the Nebraska football program has to offer? Hard to believe.

While they may end up signing someone from the group above, the struggle to lock down quality backs may result in the next new hire for Riley’s staff.

It’s hard to debate that Reggie Davis has been a quality coach. He’s been able to develop the talent he’s given.

It looks like the light bulb may have finally turned on for Mikale Wilbon and that he could be battling Tre Bryant for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart.

Next: 10 Best Nebraska Running Backs of All-Time

The problem is Davis can’t seem to entice the best and brightest to come learn from him.

Considering Riley has axed the poorest recruiters after each season he’s been the head coach at Nebraska, that’s not good news for Davis.

Look at it as an incentive for the Huskers’ running backs coach to snag a top back this cycle. If he doesn’t, it’s going to inconvenience the program a bit and as we’ve seen, Riley isn’t a fan of inconveniences.

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