Huskers land 300-pound lineman
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By BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
It came down to Ducks and Huskers. On this one, the Ducks got shot down.
Nebraska picked up its 15th known verbal commitment Friday from offensive lineman Jeremiah Sirles, listed as big as 6-foot-8, 300 pounds by some services.
The tackle from Bear Creek High School in Lakewood, Colo., called Husker offensive line coach Barney Cotton to deliver the news.
Nick Ash, OL, 6-5, 265, Keller, Texas (Keller)
Shawn Bodtmann, LB, 6-0, 205, Scranton, Pa. (West Scranton)
DeAndre Byrd, CB, 5-10, 170, Tallahassee, Fla. (Lincoln)
Jess Coffey, OL, 6-7, 290, Denton, Texas (Guyer)
Emerson Evans, DE, 6-1, 235, Houston, Texas (Alief Taylor)
Cody Green, QB, 6-4, 220, Dayton, Texas (Dayton)
J.T. Kerr, TE, 6-4, 230, San Diego (Scripps Ranch)
Taylor Martinez. S/QB, 6-1, 185, Corona, Calif. (Centennial)
Cole Pensick, DT, 6-2, 255, Lincoln Northeast
Brent Qvale, OL, 6-7, 300, Williston, N.D. (Williston)
Thaddeus Randle, DT, 6-1, 260, Galena Park, Texas (North Shore)
Dontrayevous Robinson, RB, 6-1, 215. Euless, Texas (Trinity)
Jeremiah Sirles OL, 6-8, 300, Lakewood, Colo. (Bear Creek)
Chris Williams, LB, 6-0, 230, Abilene, Texas (Abilene)
C.J. Zimmerer, FB, 6-1, 215, Omaha Gross
Sirles had at least 10 scholarship offers, but had narrowed it down to Nebraska and Oregon.
“It was a tough decision. I made such a close-knit connection with each coaching staff,” Sirles said. “So it was: Where to go? Who to be with? That type of thing.”
Sirles talked it out with his parents Tuesday and Nebraska won out.
“Really, it was just everything, the atmosphere, the people, the coaches, everything was so awesome,” said Sirles, who made his official visit to Lincoln for the Missouri game. “I came out of there saying this is going to be real hard to beat.”
Sirles is rated a three-star player by both Scout.com and Rivals.com. Scout ranks him as the 36th-best tackle nationally.
Other schools that offered included Texas Tech, Kansas State, Colorado State, California, Arizona State, Northwestern and Louisville.
Sirles becomes the fourth offensive lineman recruit in NU’s 2009 class, joining Nick Ash (Keller, Texas), Jess Coffey (Denton, Texas) and Brent Qvale (Williston, N.D.).
Sirles’ team has a 7-2 record in Class 5A, the highest classification in Colorado. Bear Creek runs a spread offense and Sirles said he hasn’t given up a sack the past two years.
Being a Colorado guy, he laughed a little when asked what he thought of Nebraska growing up.
“Growing up here, you learn that Big Red’s evil,” he said.
And he wasn’t so sure about Nebraska when an offer was extended by the previous Husker coaching staff.
“When I first got an offer when Coach (Bill) Callahan was there, I was kind of, ‘Not so much.’ But once I heard Coach (Bo) Pelini was coming, it was like, ‘All right, let’s see what he does.’ Then I took my summer unofficial visit (to Lincoln) and fell in love with the place.”
Sirles has been tracking the Husker season closely and is impressed by the way the team is progressing.
“They’re night and day from when they started the season and that’s something I’ve been looking at,” Sirles said. “The coaching staff has really got them going. Nobody’s really giving up. I just think that’s really an awesome reflection on the coaching staff there and that’s the kind of guys I want to play for.”
Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7439 or bchristopherson@journalstar.com.
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