Nebraska football: Sooner story highlights Riley era dysfunction
A story showing how a top prospect committed to the Sooners over the Nebraska football team has once again highlighted the Mike Riley mistake.
The Nebraska football program hasn’t been turned around just yet. Scott Frost and company have talked a big game about getting it turned around but it’s still a work in progress.
What has become increasingly obvious is that the culture in Lincoln really did need a change. Mike Riley was a nice guy, but he absolutely wasn’t right for Nebraska.
A new story on one of the Huskers biggest targets from the Riley era shines a light on just how wrong he was for the program. It appears Riley is a little too nice.
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The story was in the OU Daily and centered on defensive back Brendan Radley-Hiles. Otherwise known as Bookie, the defensive back was one of the most coveted prospects in any of Riley’s classes.
He was a commit to the Cornhuskers even while there was talk that Riley and his staff were going to be shown the door. Then he took an official visit to Oklahoma.
Bookie fell in love with the Sooners on his visit and told the Huskers he was going to decommit. Riley’s response was something that Husker fans would have been outraged about had they known.
"“If you were my son, I’d tell you to go to Oklahoma.”"
I’m sure there was more context to that comment. I hope they had a long conversation that was left out of the tale.
It still doesn’t sit right that Riley didn’t fight with his last breath to get Bookie back. That he would basically be looking to stay friends with Bookie, over trying to keep a once in a few years kind of talent is frustrating.
BTN incredibly positive after Huskers visit. dark. Next
It’s hard to think Scott Frost and the rest of his Nebraska football staff would do the same. Frost is known as a player’s coach and it’s still hard to see Frost saying he agrees with a player’s decision to go to another school. Here’s hoping that’s an accurate read on the new culture that’s come to Lincoln.