A few days after adding Leroy Alexander, the Cornhusker staff appears to have plucked the commitment of another late bloomer away from big-name programs trying to make a late push for a player who bloomed in his senior season. Corey Whitaker, a senior from Vista Murietta HS in Murietta, CA, gave his oral pledge Monday to the Huskers. He is a 6'5" 270lb OL who is projecting as a guard or center in Lincoln.
Vista Murietta.
I've never heard of it, but it just SOUNDS like the kind of place where I could stand on a bluff at sunset facing the ocean appearing to be really deep in thought about something with my arm lazily draped around Kaley Cuoco who is dressed in shorts a bikini top and a sarong. I think a cute dog sits by us looking out over the water as well. What was I talking about?
Whitaker was named to Southern California Preps All Inland Division Football 1st Team for 2011. I don't know who that is, but it sounds damned impressive. Even though the the whole "Inland" thing might have just shot down my staring over the ocean fantasy. Shit.
Whitaker was in Lincoln this past weekend, and the visit went so well that he committed following an in-home visit from John Garrison. People like to talk about recruiting strategies - do you want to grab that last visit and stay on a recruit's mind or do you want to get in first and impress him early? In this case, the latter paid off in spades as Whitaker fell in love with the campus, facilities and the people - so much so in fact that he cancelled a scheduled visit to Oregon this weekend. Florida had reportedly been in contact as well, but Whitaker no longer has interest there either.
Whitaker joins fellow OL recruit Paul Thurston in the 2012 class.