The Nebraska Cornhuskers 2017 class took the L today. There’s no question about that.

The Huskers recruiting cycle isn’t doing terrible, first and foremost remember that. That is something I’ll remind you later in this piece, but for now, it’s not terrible.

Is it great? Well, it’s taken a beating today, so there could be better for sure. What happened? There’s a litany of things, let’s go down the line, shall we?

Jamire Calvin: A lot of folks are gonna mea culpa on this one, me included. There was not a single call for Oregon State til today, and they all came from folks that were at the game. I’m really more concerned that this is the SECOND time Oregon State has come in at the 11th hour and swooped a recruit from Keith Williams this cycle (Isaiah Hodgins says hello).

Why did we all say Calvin was a lock? Think about this... Jamire visited Lincoln 2 times on his own dime, came here on a official visit, and spent his own money going to a satellite camp that Nebraska ran. After all that, he had a change of heart and didn’t come to Lincoln. We all want to know... why?

Something changed with Calvin the last part of this week. What that was, I simply don’t know, but I’m not buying that Calvin mentions that OSU has a history of lot with small WR’s cause... that would be Mike Riley he’s speaking of.

All the Nebraska folks whiffed on this one, no one was pulling your chain. Me, Mike Schaefer, Sam McKewon, Nate Clouse, Sean Callahan... no one. We all were proven wrong.

Foster Sarell: By all accounts, it sounds like Foster had the courtesy to at least let Mike Cavanaugh and the staff know that he was Stanford bound. Yes, Sarell would have started right away, but who’s to say that won’t happen with David Shaw as well? I can stand losing that one, as much as it sucks to say. More so than Jamire, because there are spots available to start immediately at WR. It’s not like Nebraska can sell big time playing time on the OL due to how many kids are going to be filling in, but Foster could have changed that for himself.

Chuck Filiaga: I think Chuck really wanted the experience, and he needed a team to make Michigan work for it. Yes, Nebraska was his last official visit, but who’s to say that Filiaga starts when he arrives? Folks were at least ready for this one.

Darnay Holmes: Good lord, where to unpack from this one? I picked Nebraska the other day because, through all the massive load of words I’d read about the kid (and it was a LOT), I thought that the Huskers were the “safe” choice for him and his family. I think, in this case, one of the parents won this and got Darnay to stay in Lincoln. Nate Clouse called his shot this week, and he’s proven to be as tight with the Calibraska group as anyone out there, so don’t think he was full of shit here.

But, let’s be honest, not many folks knew where he was going before he put that UCLA hat on. The USC video, the Ohio State calls for him to pick.... I don’t think they knew where he was going til before the game. And I think that UCLA is a compromise to someone, but I have no idea who.

SO... WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Great question. It seems murky as all hell, and honestly it is. But, there is a path forward.

First and foremost, remind yourself that as of Monday, Nebraska will have five of their ‘17 cycle on campus, taking classes, and participating in Spring practices, including the Spring Game. Tristan Gebbia, Keyshawn Johnson Jr., Avery Roberts, Jaevon McQuitty and Broc Bando are in Lincoln, getting their student on.

There is a big board too, and here are the names on it, in no specific order or position:

Joseph Lewis
Greg Johnson
Deommodore Lenoir
Gavin Holmes
Kurt Rafdal
Lynn Bowden
Robert Beal
Tyler Shelvin
Bryan Thompson

Now, that’s just a smattering of names you’ll hear about through the next three weeks. There are realistic ones, and unrealistic ones, there are ones that we will fawn over and some we’ll wonder WITAF on.

Nebraska still has at the very least 5-6 spots to fill in this cycle. Some of the people they get are contingency plans, some that were not going to be in the thick of things save for what happened today.

Now, I’m not going to tell you that Nebraska is failing something big time that closes players to Lincoln. I don’t know exactly what they are or aren’t doing to get kids to come, only Mike Riley can answer that question. I do know, however, that just because you’re winning the Big Ten West title when it comes to recruiting isn’t going to make folks happy. I’m not terribly happy with what happened today, and if you are then I have to ask what you’re cheering for anyhow.

BUT, what I do have to say is that the staff is going to be able to get on the road in the final 3 weeks and do whatever they can to finish off this class. That includes a guy that was hyped as a master recruiter, so hopefully there’s a rabbit in the hat.

You take losses in recruiting, because you realize that you’re going to. It’s part of the game, whether you love or loathe the business. You can’t sit there and have a pity party when you’re about ready to finish up shop on the cycle, you get out there and finish it. Sure, Nebraska’s class won’t be a top 15 class in all likelihood, but there’s no reason to not think that the staff can’t bust ass to get it better. How much better, that’ll depend on a lot of other things.

Remember one thing though, about this class, no matter how dark it looks (and it does look dark as hell right now)......