On Sept. 26, the Nebraska football team reached a milestone.
It was the 300th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium, and the Huskers ran past Louisiana-Lafayette 55-0. As it turns out, the day ended up being as much about the future as it was about the past.
For the game, the Nebraska coaching staff hosted eight official recruiting prospects. From that group, three visitors have already made their verbal commitments to play football for head coach Bo Pelini.
One of those committed prospects is defensive back Ciante Evans. According to Evans, after bearing witness to such a monumental feat, it wasn't a hard decision to choose the Cornhuskers.
"It was amazing. The crowd, the atmosphere, everything. It was an unbelievable experience," Evans said. "It's what makes Nebraska, Nebraska."
Despite being blown away by the festivities surrounding the game, the atmosphere wasn't Nebraska's only quality that caught Evans' eye.
"The coaching staff is great. That, and I really liked the academic side of it," Evans said. "The life skills center is something I think really helps college athletes. They want to help you succeed in the classroom at Nebraska."
The high school senior was impressed with Nebraska's plans for the Abbott Life Skills Center, which will be up and running in the fall of 2010 as a part of athletic director Tom Osborne's new Student Life Complex. The Arlington, Texas, native plans on bringing that student-first mentality to Lincoln.
He said he plans on playing cornerback but will wait to speak with coaches about whether or not to redshirt his first year on campus.
"We haven't talked about it too much yet, but I'll do whatever we feel is best," Evans said. "I like to compete, but I'll do whatever it takes to help out the team."
One quality that Evans believes will help him compete right away, and one that separates him from other high school athletes, is his flexibility.
"I have really good technique, and I'm really flexible," Evans said. "It does help a lot. My hips are just flexible. I'm good at moving them and opening up and breaking up a route. It helps me get in and out of the routes and make a good break on the ball."
Juan Seguin High head coach Carlos Lynn agrees that it's Evans' reaction time that makes him a standout for his team.
"He's got great ball skills," Lynn said. "He's so fast to the ball. If it's in the air for any time at all, he's going to make a break on it and get in the way."
Lynn said he believes those quick reactions and instincts might have grown through Evans' success in another high school sport: basketball.
"Ciante has all these quick movements and reactions because he's also a basketball player," Lynn said. "I think it's helped him grow a lot, if nothing else, than with his speed and his agility."
While college basketball was never something Evans considered, he was never short of options in his primary sport. He held football scholarship offers from Oklahoma State, Kansas, TCU, Illinois and Arizona State. Still, he just couldn't imagine ending up anywhere else.
"It felt right. It's almost hard to explain, but when I was there, I knew it was where I needed to be," he said.
Evans now joins a list of 15 other committed prospects in the 2010 recruiting class. Another one of those players that has already given his verbal commitment is tight end Chase Harper.
Harper was another one of the eight visitors who took in the 300th sellout, and it didn't take long for him to pull the trigger and commit to the Husker coaching staff.
Standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing in at 251 pounds, Harper will come to Lincoln from Navarro Junior College in Texas. He will have three years remaining on his collegiate eligibility once he sets foot on Lincoln's campus.
Despite the large number of tight ends currently on the Husker roster, it is believed that Harper will bring a different type of athleticism to the tight end group and be more focused on pass catching than blocking.
Together, Harper and Evans represent two of the last prospects to commit in what will be a small recruiting class for Nebraska in the 2010 cycle. But despite its low numbers, Evans can't wait to get started and see where he can help the team out.
"Nebraska's already on the rise, and I think we can help get them back to where they need to be," Evans said.
tomgrant@dailynebraskan.com
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