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By Brandon Cavanaugh1. S Tahaan Goodman, Rancho Cucamonga, CA – Goodman continues to take his recruitment slow and steady. Due to his abilities, he’s getting the red carpet treatment everywhere he goes, and deservedly so.
He's headed to Las Vegas during the end of March with teammate Chris Hawkins and B2G Sports for some seven-on-seven-style competition, so expect things with Goodman to simmer.
2. OLB Josh Banderas, Lincoln, NE – Banderas has been visiting recent spring practices and he’ll likely be hanging around Lincoln for the foreseeable future, however the Huskers have to deal with an old nemesis: Paul Rhodes. Iowa State appears to be making a strong press for Banderas.
He’s mentioned in the past that he wants to get his decision out of the way before his senior season. Being one of the best prospects in the Cornhusker State, he might simply be trying to enjoy the limelight of being pursued heavily by other schools while he can.
3. ILB/HB Chans Cox, Lakeside, AZ – Cox’s shoulder is still bugging him, so don’t expect his dance card to be filled with offseason camps. He recently visited Arizona State’s Junior Day with Goodman, and being an in-state prospect, was likely was put on the spot to commit.
Much like Goodman, Cox isn’t rushing anything. If ASU did press, it may come back to bite the Sun Devils should another school like Nebraska play things cooler before making a stronger push.
4. TE Keith Towbridge, Toledo, OH – Things remain calm for Towbridge. No visits appear in his future, however look for Nebraska to get him in for the Spring Game, if possible.
5. OLB Deon Hollins, Jr., Missouri City, TX – Hollins leaps back into the Big Board’s top five after shunning what seemed a sure thing in committing to Texas A&M.
The Aggies remain a threat to land Hollins, but Nebraska has rebounded strongly as has Arkansas. Expect a combination of Terry Joseph’s SEC knowledge and the charm of Bo Pelini himself to go into Hollins’ recruitment from this point forward.
6. DB Priest Willis, Tempe, AZ – Willis has been taking things easy, which seems to be the theme of the Big Board this week. We’ve got to take Spring Break into consideration, too. He headed home to visit family this past week, and his interest hasn’t slumped, so he remains a part of the list.
7. ILB Nick Ramirez, Lee’s Summit, MO – With all of the recruiting battles Nebraska and Arkansas are having as of late, meeting in a bowl or scheduling a non-conference game seems in order.
Regardless, Ramirez is highly interested in the Razorbacks at this point. As we saw with Hollins, it’s never a good idea to write someone off entirely, but Ramirez’s lean to Fayetteville appears strong right now. We’ll see if the Big Red can pull him back in the coming weeks.
8. QB JT Barrett, Wichita Falls, TX – Thanks to Malik Zaire pushing back his originally scheduled announcement period, Barrett re-enters the Big Board.
He's been in close contact with Baylor, and Art Briles undoubtedly is pushing the RG3 line while showing off renderings of the Bears' new stadium. Tim Beck needs to hop on Facebook as Barrett has an unofficial visit scheduled for Waco next week.
9. QB Malik Zaire, Kettering, OH – An offer from Alabama and Ohio State beginning to pursue more heavily causes Zaire to both drop a spot and be passed by another quarterback.
The two powerhouses’ presence doesn’t mean Nebraska can’t lock up the Ohio native, but it’s obviously going to be a far more ruthless battle. Expect all Ohio connections to be used, but if Nick Saban wants Zaire, even Terry Joseph’s newly-acquired SEC recruiting knowledge isn’t enough to stop him.
10. OT Kenny Lacy, Phoeniz, AZ – Lacy strong-arms Zach Hannon out of the Tremendous Ten due to, get this, Hannon’s extreme interest in Arkansas. Lacy would be a fine consolation prize if the Huskers can’t gain the Kansas native's commitment.
At 6’5” 265 pounds, he has a fantastic frame to build on. In what appears to be a growing trend among Big Board members, he plans to take all five official visits and make a decision towards the end of the process.
On Hold: DB Mike Minter, Lincoln, NE – – It's not that Mike isn't loved, we’re just waiting for the eventual yea or nay. In the meantime, Minter has a permanent spot on the Big Board until things are made official. Anticipate word of that by the end of summer.
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