This week, Mike Riley and his Nebraska Cornhuskers Football staff will be hitting the road, looking for kids to both help and possibly become new recruits for Big Red.
Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Dallas, LA..the HOL team is coming to provide full coverage of the #Huskers Satellite Camps. pic.twitter.com/X3Zi2pSjly
— Sean Callahan (@Sean_Callahan) June 14, 2015
Huskers staff about to do work across the this week Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles #SpreadTheRed #GBR
— Andy Vaughn - Juice (@Andy_Vaughn) June 14, 2015
So... prey tell, what is the big deal about these?
Well, to look to see what this means for Nebraska, we'll have to take a look at the one camp I watched in person last weekend with the Michigan Wolverines and their staff.
Showtyme Elite Football Camp . Cost $50 registration begins at 2:00p.m. 250 E. Tarrant Rd Grand Prairie,TX 75050 pic.twitter.com/K1oALorcIt
— DallasShowTyme (@DallasShowTyme1) June 9, 2015
Last Tuesday, I went out to Grand Prairie HS to take in this Football camp presented by a group called Dallas Showtyme. They have done things with Basketball camps, but it looks like this was the first foray into Football. At $50 a camper, it was easy to see that a relatively affordable way for these kids to get seen and instruction from the above staffs would help, right?
When I arrived to the camp, it was pretty evident that Michigan's staff would be running most of the camp. A lot of Maize & Blue shirts adorned the staff. Granted, all schools listed above were represented and gave instruction through the afternoon, but at the same time, it was the Michigan staff that had the numbers.
The kids came out as well. One of the biggest targets there were Shawn Robinson, the Denton Guyer QB who happens to be the #1 player right now in the Class of 2017. You also had '17 Five Star Safety Jeffrey Okudah, as well as 4 star DB Eric Cuffee driving in from Waco to get Jim Harbaugh's eyes on them.
Here is Jim Harbaugh, in Texas, in a cowboy hat: http://t.co/JAABa5ubrj pic.twitter.com/tnZM3TRZ9f
— Maize n Brew (@MaizenBrew) June 10, 2015
Now, granted, it's a volunteer or guest role in the camps, but you can tell that Harbaugh loves this. You can also tell how an entire staff can see kids working. QB/OC Jedd Fisch, as well as RB coach Tyrone Wheatley were paying attention to who was out there and such. Granted, not every kid is going to get a Michigan offer. But they may get a A&M Commerce offer. Or a Central Arkansas offer.
The point is, it's for kids to get that look, those set of eyes that could lead them to the school, conference, or future they are hoping for themselves. It's easier to spend $50 and sweat in the Texas heat for 3 hours than pack the car up, get a hotel and spend a weekend hoping that you get lucky and stand out.
Did Harbaugh stand around? I'll let you watch this and find out.
Harbaugh working. @MaizenBrew @UMGoBlog pic.twitter.com/rJZfH1VlUj
— Brian Towle (@BrianRTowle) June 9, 2015
— Brian Towle (@BrianRTowle) June 9, 2015
So, what does Mike Riley have to do with Jim Harbaugh's camp appearance? A lot actually.
Countdown has begun. Show up Show Out. #PVNation #BigRed pic.twitter.com/BaYOfz35dc
— Coach Jo Nixon (@Team_Nix3K) June 11, 2015
Camp Central -Houston Baptist, Nebraska, Colorado combined camp June 18th, 6 PM Highland Park HS @HBUFootball pic.twitter.com/hxbCH3JeFf
— Heath Hawks Football (@HeathHawksFb) June 1, 2015
This is a perfect time for Nebraska to hit the camp circuit. Yes, the SEC may get mad at this, however, it's not like Nebraska or Northern schools have hit the South looking for kids. Granted, this is a way that not many people have hit on to get the job done, but at the same time, you use what you're allowed to use.
Mike Riley will see kids in Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Miami in a span of five days. It becomes more about not just looking for kids that want to play for Nebraska, but actually getting into communities, High Schools and smaller Colleges, looking for every connection and such that will help both the Huskers and all the other parties somewhere down the line.
Plus, don't think that this whole barnstorming trip will be for naught. The Huskers could get a verbal on Friday as Marquel Dismuke visits the LA camp. He decommitted from Cal on Wednesday, and the Huskers have been keeping the fire warm. Meanwhile, the Dallas camp could have the staff get some good work with Aphonso Thomas, who I covered last week.
Bottom line is that, even for folks that may think this whole Camp thing is a cheatin thing PAWWLLLL, there's no reason the Huskers and Mike Riley's staff can't take advantage of it. One thing that is certain, though, is that the NU support staff is going to be tweeting the ish out of everything.
✈️ to the ATL to #SpreadTheRed & find some #Huskers Love the chance to visit the south home of sweet tea, Waffle House & SPEED #GBR
— Andy Vaughn - Juice (@Andy_Vaughn) June 14, 2015
The @Huskers have landed in ATL! Excited to kick off a great series of camps across the country this week! DM if interested. #GBR ⚪️
— Todd McShane (@TheToddMcShane) June 15, 2015