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With the start of the final three weeks of the 2014 recruiting cycle kicking off today, Nebraska was needing to get their Defensive Back coach situation settled. It sounds like that's going to be taken care of, possibly today at the earliest.
On Wednesday night, Steve Sipple of the Lincoln Journal Star reported online that Air Force Defensive Coordinator Charlton Warren is the front-runner for the job, and could be hired as soon as Thursday.
Warren, who's bio from the AFA is here, has been the Falcons DC the last two years, while being the co-DC and Recruiting Coordinator for four years before 2012. He has been the Falcons Defensive Backs coach the whole time.
Warren is from Atlanta, Georgia, and is a graduate of the Air Force Academy.
There's no way to really gauge Warren's recruiting acumen, as it's not a very easy job to recruit to a service academy. Therefore, we'll let this go for now.
What we will look at is how Air Force did against the pass.
Last season, the 2-10 Falcons, with Charlton running the Defense, gave up 2876 yards (239/game) with a 72.7 completion percentage for 26 touchdowns versus only 4 interceptions. That was good for the 79th best passing D in the nation last year. That measured out to be the 105th ranked Pass Efficiency Defense in FBS last year.
To compare, last season Nebraska gave up 2790 yards (214/game) with a 54% completion rate for 17 TD's with 14 interceptions last year. Nebraska had the 32nd best Passing Defense, making out to be the 9th best Pass Efficiency Defense in FBS last season.
2012 was a little better for Air Force, as they allowed 210 yards/game on 67% passing with 19 TD's allowed and 8 interceptions that year. 2011 seemed to be even better, as that D allowed only 166 yards/game on 62% passing with 21 TD's allowed and 12 interceptions. Air Force did make it bowl games both years, losing both times.
Warren will have a job to do on his hands, as Nebraska loses Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Andrew Green and Ciante Evans on the corners. The cupboard isn't entirely empty, however, as Josh Mitchell and Jonathan Rose are willing players ready to step up on the outside, while Charles Jackson, LeRoy Alexander and Harvey Jackson are ready to continue on as Safeties.
With the eventual hiring of Warren, many folks are going to be disappointed in that former Husker DB coach Marvin Sanders will not be making a return to Lincoln. While it seems like Marvin is having fun being the HC at Loyola HS in Los Angeles, it is worth noting that there is chatter that has Sanders becoming the DC for the Cal Bears.
If, by some miracle, Warren happens to fall by the wayside and is not hired by the Huskers, one name to keep out there is DeWayne Walker, the current Defensive Backs coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Walker, who left the HC job at New Mexico State for the Jacksonville job last January, has worked with Nebraska Head Coach Bo Pelini in the past. They were both on the same New England Patriots coaching staffs in both 1998 and 1999.