MHN End-of-Season Top 25 Nebraska High School Football Prospects: Close Call for Class of 2013 No. 1 Spot

Plus: Football Recruiting Tips & Tricks

There are not many changes in the MHN Class of 2013 End-of-Season Top 25 Nebraska High School Football Prospects rankings from the Early-Season version. In fact, Millard South ATH Bennie Olson (5-9, 175) represents the only new entry into the Top 25.

Breaking into the Top 25 at the No.21 spot, Olson is one to watch! Possessing good speed (4.53), quickness and plenty of football savvy, Olson had a stellar year on both sides of the ball for Coach Any Means’ Patriots. The senior’s efforts figured large in helping Millard South post a 9-3 season record finishing just short of making it all the way to the Class A state title game when they lost 35-38 in the semifinals to eventual champions Millard North.

Lincoln Southwest’s Josh Banderas remains MHN’s No.1 prospect, but the Rivals 4 Star Nebraska commit barely holds off his teammate Christian Lacouture from claiming the top spot. Lacouture, an outstanding 6-7, 270 lbs. DE prospect, has been courted heavily by numerous big-time schools like Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M and Michigan to name but a few. Last winter Lacouture gave an early commit to the Huskers and this past summer the big College Station, Texas native moved to Lincoln to play his final high school season for Lincoln Southwest. However, between then and earlier this month—something changed. Lacouture reneged on his commitment to NU and he is now giving his pledge to attend LSU.

MHN No. 1 Spot is a Close Call

In my opinion, there is little—if anything at all—separating Banderas and Lacouture from being considered the No. 1 Nebraska high school football prospect in the class of 2013. Of course Rivals currently gives Banderas a 4 star rating and a 5.8 score vs. Lacouture’s 3 Star 5.7.   It remains to be seen which one of them will claim the No. 1 ranking in the MHN Final Class of 2013 Top 25 rankings that will be released a short time after the February 6, 2013 NCAA Football National Letter of Intent Signing Day.

Division 1 Offers Still Stuck at All-time Lows

Compared to the loftier numbers of D-1 football offers garnered during the early and middle part of the last decade, Division 1 football offers to Nebraska high school football prospects remain mired at their historic lows. Currently, there are five Nebraska prospects know to have at least on Division 1A offer (maybe six if you count former Lincoln North Star prospect Michael Minter Jr.). And there are six other prospects that have reported at least one D-1A offers (see table below).  

On the bright side of things , at least the current number of the Nebraska class of 2013 football prospect holding D-1A offers are already more than the final number of—only four D-1A offers—obtained by the previous class of 2012. The trend of these low numbers of D-1A prospects is truly disturbing especially when you take into account the number of successful walk-ons at Nebraska over the past several years.

“There is more D-1A football talent in the state of Nebraska than those annual numbers of D-1A offers reflect!” However, because of the success of the  Nebraska walk-on program—Nebraska kids are nothing more than an afterthought when it comes to most D-1A college recruiters.

So as long as the current crop of NU coaches continues to dole out no more than one or two offers per year to Nebraska high school prospects while they aggressively recruit the majority of the state’s top prospects to walk-on, you can expect to see the numbers of D-1A offers to Nebraska kids remain at the current level.

The current state of affairs is  good for Husker football but bad for Nebraska high school football players seeking D-1A offers.

Football Recruiting Tips & Tricks

Only a little more than ten weeks remain before the class of 2013 football recruiting cycle concludes with the NCAA Football National Letter of Intent Signing Day on February 6, 2013. If you are a class of 2013 prospect and you are sitting there at home without an offer, or you’re  a  prospect  that already holds an offer but is  looking for  a better one—it’s time to get proactive.

• First things first: make sure you know your NCAA Football Recruiting Calendar dates, regulations and meanings of the terms “contact period,”quiet period,” and  “dead period.”  Click this link for an easy to follow guide on the NCAA Football Recruitng Calendar and regulations 

Be aggressive but not overly so if you are being recruited and you are on the bubble (high on college recruiting boards but still no offer):

• Keep in contact with your recruiters: make phone calls, send emails or text messages to your recruiter(s) and be sure to express—confidence—in your ability to be the right fit for their program—sell yourself!
• Take your visits—especially the unofficial ones. When you are on the bubble the best thing you can do is to be on campus as much as possible. Many prospects blow off unofficial visits and miss out on valuable opportunities to bond with the program thus making it harder for the coaching staff not to give you that last minute offer.

Just remember that on your visits the coaches and your potential teammates will be observing every move you make—from the way you walk, talk, and interact with the coaches and the players—to determine if you are the right fit.  So act accordingly and be confident and be on your best behavior at all times.

• Speaking of good behavior—clean up your Facebook Page! Because if you are cursing like a mad sailor on your Facebook Page and/or posting and saying a bunch of dumb things It becomes a reflection on you and your character. College coaches will look at your Facebook Page. So be smart about what you post on it.
• Make sure to send coaches your senior year highlights and top game film(s). 90% of the decision on whether or not to give you a shot will be based on the college coaching staff’s evaluation of  your film. The other 10% will be based on you as a person and the overall gut feeling that the staff will have in regards to your ability to mature into an effective college football player within their system.

To those that don’t have any offers: Get a good highlight video out there! Through my five years of experience of making highlight videos and promoting high school athletes from all across the USA at HitHighlights.com, I have witnessed firsthand the power of a good highlight video and getting it out there to be seen. The situation becomes even more critical when dealing with athletes that have no offers at all or who are on the bubble.

There have been numerous occasions throughout the past five year where one of my clients first received attention simply because of their highlight video and then later received an offer from a D-1A, D1AA or D-II program.

My ardent advice is to become good at selling yourself,  because a lot of your competition will be good at it. You.can start that process off by having a good highlight video  made and getting it out there to be seen.

That’s why MHN continues to offer any Nebraska or Midlands athlete with a highlight video posted on You Tube the ability to send us your link and we’ll post your video on our highlight video page. We may even make it a Feature Video or do an article about you as a result of your quality play. Maximizing your exposure on all fronts is key to getting noticed.

Good look the rest of the way to the Class of 2013.

1. Josh Banderas, LB, 6-2, 220, Lincoln Southwest.Rivals: 4 Star—5.8; ESPN: 81—4 Star. Goodies: Athleticism & high football IQ. Offers: Nebraska (committed), Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oregon, Tulsa, Vanderbilt.	The Nebraska 4-star recruit will not wow you with his physical size or any single athletic measure—but he will make you wide-eyed when you watch him play. Banderas plays with a high intensity motor and reckless abandon fueled by an extremely high football IQ. All of which allow him to be at the right place at the wrong time for an opponent. The native Lincoln, Nebraska prospect seems to possess all of the skill sets and intangible assets necessary to develop into a very fine college LB. And he gets to do it in his own backyard.Banderas delivered in 2012!  He finished the regular season with 114 tackles, 2 ints and 2 fumbles on defense. and he scored 18 TDs and rushed for nearly 1,200 on offense.
2. Christian Lacouture, 6-5, 270 Lincoln Southwest. Rivals: 3 Star—5.7; ESPN: 78—3 Star. Goodies: Great frame, good athleticism. Offers: Nebraska, Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, LSU (Committed), Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma St., Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Utah.	This Nebraska Cornhusker recruit is a recent arrival from College Station, Texas’ A&M Consolidated High School where he played until moving to Nebraska after his junior season. Lacouture is solid all the way around, possessing good quickness and power. His large frame should allow him to easily add mass and to comfortably play around the 300 lbs. range at Nebraska. That will be some good Big Ten beef along the trenches for the Huskers, where Lacouture will most likely be plugged in at DT.He collected 88 tackles in 2012. That’s a lot activity for a DE.
3. Nathan Bazata, OG/DL, 6-3, 245, Howells. Rivals: 3 Star—5.5; ESPN: 72—3 Star. Goodies: Pad level & quickness. Offers: Iowa (committed), South Dakota State.	Bazata has a quick two steps off the ball, great pad level and leverage that allow him to play sideline-to-sideline or make plays deep into opposing backfields. He also uses his hands well to blow by defenders or to control them for a shed and tackle. It’s no wonder this Class D prospect received an early offer from Iowa!
4. Casey Sayles, TE, 6-4, 260, Omaha North. Rivals: 2 Star—5.4; ESPN: NA. Goodies: Big frame w/speed. Offers: Bowling Green, Ohio (Committed), South Dakota.	A very solid blocker with a long wide frame and good hands. He also flashes the ability to quickly accelerate after making the catch (listed 4.7 speed) which allows him to pick up huge chunks of YAC. The TE prospect can also play some DE.
5. Nick Deluca, LB, 6-2, 220, Millard North. Rivals: 2 Star—5.4; ESPN: 68—2 Star. Goodies: Athleticism & size. Offers: Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, South Dakota State.	He shows the ability to develop into an effective college inside backer. Takes good angles to the ball and has the power and athletic ability to take on blockers and hold his ground and/or to just get small, slide by and fill the gap—sheds and tackles well.
6. Tyler Wrice, ATH, 5-9, 175, Papillion-La Vista. Rivals: NA; ESPN: NA. Goodies: Quickness & versatility. Offers: North Dakota State (Committed), Northern Iowa, Illinois State.	For a two-way skill position prospect, Wrice possesses perhaps the top overall talent in the class for an athlete that can play effectively on offense or defense at the next level. However, most of his suitors are looking for the cat-quick Papio Monarch to play CB. But in case they have a need—he could also add some flavor to an offense.
7. Jake Schlager, DB, 6-1, 190, McCook. Rivals: 2 Star—5.3; ESPN: NA. Goodies: 4.46 speed & size. Offers: South Dakota State, South Dakota.	A projected SF at the next level, Schlager shows impressive athleticism, tremendous quickness, and the speed (4.46) necessary to successfully execute a blitz or to make his way to the ball whether it’s a runner carrying it or it’s coming via the pass. Also illustrates toughness and a strong football IQ—a surprisingly gifted athlete that I suspect is high up on the list of safety prospects at several D-1A programs. A strong senior season could make at least one of those schools pull the trigger on him. I like this kid!
8. Devin Washington, RB, 5-9, 170, Lincoln Southeast. Rivals: NA; ESPN: NA. Goodies: Vision & elusiveness. Offers: NA.	The best pure RB in the class, Washington has the quickness and elusiveness to create a hole and the speed (4.42) to blow by defenders and take it the distance—tremendous vision and the ability to make the difficult catch out of the backfield. A durable back who rushed for over 1,900 yards in 2011. It’s a wonder to me that he has no offers listed.
9. Colin Mertlik, ATH, 6-2, 200, Blair. Rivals: NA; ESPN: NA. Goodies: Athleticism and Strong football IQ. Offers: South Dakota.	Mertlik is a football player who carries the whole package: size, speed toughness and athleticism galore. This kid can definitely play on either side of the ball at the next level. On offense he shows outstanding vision and good burst and elusiveness from whatever position he decides to line up at in the backfield. Also, he is a very good receiver as well. On defense he is just as impressive as a LB. Look for him to grab more attention from college coaches.
10. Luke McNitt, QB, 6-2, 218 Kearney. Rivals: NA; Goodies: Athleticism, power, throws nice ball. Offers: NA.	One to watch! McNitt has followed a solid 2011 junior season by blowing up in impressive fashion during the first few games of his senior year. Make no mistake about it—McNitt is a legitimate D-1A dual-threat QB prospect: He throws a good ball with a nice touch, and the athletically gifted prospect has the foot quickness and moves to elude would-be-tacklers and/or the power to flat out run them over if need be. The latter (power and explosiveness) was also illustrated last spring when he paced 3rd in the Class A shot put at the state meet.
11. Michael Minter Jr., DB/RB, 6-1, 180, Lincoln North Star. Rivals: 3 Star—5.6; ESPN: 79—3 Star. Goodies: 4.46 Speed. Offers: Purdue, South Carolina.	Minter has the potential to become the most successful college prospect in this class. Projected to play CB at the next level, he is blessed with the kind of physical height college defensive coordinators are seeking nowadays. In pass coverage, he demonstrates the flexible hips and quickness that can allow him to recover quickly from a sudden juke and make a play on the ball. He’s also a solid tackler. A strong senior campaign could see him snatch a boat load of offers.
12. Isaac Aakre, QB/ATH, 6-0, 180, Millard North.	When it’s all said and done Isaac Aakre may tally more career yards from the line of scrimmage than anyone in Class A history. A high quality athlete that should find a home somewhere at a division I program. In a long line of great high school QB’s at Millard North—which includes the likes of Heisman Tropy winner Eric Crouch—Aakre is the only one of them that can claim two state titles.
13. Bryce Sheard, WR, 6-3, 185, Papillion-La Vista.	A big and athletic possession-type receiver that has a knack for picking up YAC. In 2011, Sheard averaged over 18 yards per catch and he is off to another strong start this year.
14. Luke Worden, DB/RB, 5-9, 180, Scottsbluff. Rivals: NA; ESPN: NA. Goodies: Speed & power. Offers: South Dakota.	He may be the fastest athlete in the class (4.40 40 yard) and he also boast some of the top strength and agility measures for a skills position prospect, which include a 360 lb bench and 4.13 short shuttle time. A projected CB at the next level Worden demonstrates the toughness and skill sets to make an impact in college.
15. Vinny Ross, OL, 6-5, 265, Perkins County. Rivals: NA; ESPN: NA. Goodies: Quick hands and feet. Offers North Dakota.	Projected to play OG in college, Ross shows good quick hands and feet while maintaining nice pad level for his size. A dominate lineman who can drive defenders off the line and into the dirt.
16. Dillon Gartner, OL, 6-4, 290, Gothenburg.	As dominate as he looks on film plus his size—somebody is bound to pick this big stud up.
17. Freeman Coleman, DL, 6-3, 260, Millard South.	He is too good to not list near the top of some college boards. So if Coleman shines on the field this year he will get some nods.
18. Zach Martin, QB, 6-3, 180, Omaha North.	Extremely impressive at times last season, this Viking gunslinger will have to convince college coaches he can play with consistency. So far he is doing just that in 2012. He proved he could take care of the ball in 2012, leading his Vikings to a first ever Class A state title appearance and just missing winning it all.
19. Bryce Sosnowski, DE, 6-2, 215, Millard South.	Quick and athletic Sosnowski is adept at finding his way to the ball and making his opponents pay.
20. Tradeon Hollins, DB, 6-2, 175, Omaha Central.	A lot of athleticism here. The second team all-state basketball player also played a key role on offense and defense for and Eagle’s football team that went deep into the playoffs last season.
21. Bennie Olson, ATH, 5-9, 175, Millard South	A savvy football player with good speed and quickness and who is more than capable of delivering at the the division 1 level on either side of the ball.
22. Spencer Lewis, WR 6-2, 175, Papillion-La Vista	A quality dual-sport star athlete (football and basketball) who has emerged this year to become one of the top receivers in the state.He had a huge year in 2012, leading the state of Nebraska with over 1,000 receiving yards.
23. Na-jee Jackson, QB/ATH 6-1, 160, Lincoln Southeast.	He engineered his team to a 2011 Class A state championship. Along the way the athletic Jackson showcased flashes of a very live arm—one of the better ones in this class. He can also play some DB.
24. Stacy Keely, WR, 6-8, 195, Omaha Northwest	A big and athletic target, the 2012 Nebraska state meet high jump champion has started the season off with a bang.
25. Jackie Davis, RB, 5-8, 175, Omaha Central.	A fearless, quick and explosive back with good vision. He rushed for nearly 1,500 yards last season.
Ones to Watch: Jackson Gannon, DL, 6-2, 245; Spencer Lewis, WR, 6-2, 175; Connor Phillips, WR, 6-0, 160 Omaha North; Noah Housh, WR, 6-4, 210, Lincoln North Star; Mike MilenKovich, DL, 6-4, 265, Creighton Prep; Lee Carhart, OL, 6-5, 260, Creighton Prep; Zack Cook, QB, 6-2, 198, Omaha Burke;  Preston Luedtke, DB, 5-11, 175; Lakeview; Alex Lowe. LB, 6-0, 200, Kearney Catholic; Jordan Bellar, QB 6-0, 160, Norfolk Catholic; Lucas Grossman, OL, 6-4, 295, Lincoln Southwest;; Craig Timmons, TE, 6-6, 210 Omaha Westside; Jake Jordan, RB, 5-11, 205, Lincoln Southwest; Desmond Robinson, ATH, 5-9, 155, Lincoln Southeast; Nick Marchese, DE, 6-3, 240, Millard North; Colton Steer, LB, 6-1, 215, Crete; Matt Chitwood, DB/WR, 6-2, 180, McCook; Erik Evans, TE, 6-3, 220, Waverly; Quentin Williams, RB, 5-6, 160, Millard South; Zachary Oslica, OL, 6-2, 245, Bellevue West; Connor Ketter, TE, 6-5, 220, Norfolk Catholic; Landon Kubicek, OL, 6-4, 290, Lincoln Southeast; Fernando Hildreth, DB, 5-9, 150, Boys Town; Zach Reeves, OL, 6-4, 270, Central City; Sam Stoltenberg, FB, 6-1, 235, Creighton Prep; Blake Johnson, DE, 6-4, 200, Elkhorn South; Graham Resseguie, DB 5-11, 180, Lincoln Pius X; Erik Evans, TE, 6-3, 220 Waverly; Logan Davis, RB, 6-0, 195, Millard West ; Ryan Huff, OL, 6-4, 275, Ralston; Donte Hill, RB, 5-10, 190 Omaha North.

Related Links

2013-2014 NCAA Football Recruiting Calendar, Terms and Regulations

OWH 2012 Nebraska High School Football Leaders, October 26

MHN Class of 2013 Preseason Top 25 Football Prospects

MHN Class of 2013 Nebraska H.S. Football Prospects Board

Class of 2013 You Tube Prospect Highlight Videos