Stadium Dr. Rumblings: Nebraska DB Commit Brendan Radley-Hiles Talks About His Commitment & Possible Other Visits

- Bud Elliott of SBNation Recruiting got to hit up the IMG Academy yesterday, taking in their media day. If you think it’s odd that a high school gets a media day, realize that IMG isn’t your normal high school.

Bud got to discuss things with Nebraska verbal Brendan Radley-Hiles, who is about as strong as you can get to Nebraska. Even with those statements, it appears Bookie is planning on taking some visits, according to this piece by Rob Cassidy of Rivals:

Rivals100 defensive back Brendan Radley-Hiles has been committed to Nebraska for three months and is one of the most high profile commits for the Huskers in the 2018 class. But he was one of the aforementioned players to draw the biggest reaction from his IMG teammates when he put on a Florida hat during his headshot session. Radley-Hiles has emerged as one of the most notable names in the class and while he said all the right things about the Huskers and his commitment to the school on Wednesday, his choice to pose with the Gators hat will clearly stir some conversation – and not just among the players at IMG.

Meanwhile, Bookie was asked by Bud himself if there’s a school he’d flip to.

The last time Radley-Hiles was at Nebraska was for Friday Night Lights, in late June. He says he is “100 percent” committed to Nebraska, and is openly recruiting others to the school.

But other schools are still after him.

“Florida came the hardest, Louisville the second, and UCLA the third,” he said.

I asked Radley-Hiles, who had been goofing around and putting on hats like Florida and UCLA earlier during a photo shoot, if there was a school with a legitimate shot to flip him.

“A shot to flip me? I don’t think so,” Radley-Hiles said. “If you really want me to say one, I guess I could say ... nah, there really isn’t one,” he said, not wanting to create fake drama.

What his teammates said: Most did not feel he would flip anywhere, but T.K. Chimedza said Radley-Hiles was a potential flip candidate to Florida or UCLA.

Now, I get what Bookie told Bud and Rob. That being said, you’re going to tell me that a guy that told ERRYONE that he’s been committed to Nebraska since LAST year’s Spring game is thinking about flipping?

I don’t buy it much, and you shouldn’t buy into it either. The only real scenario I see Bookie flipping is if both Mike Riley & Donte’ Williams leaves Lincoln between now and December 20.

- Bud also discussed things with TJ Pledger, the running back who Nebraska covets but still is rock solid to Oklahoma. It does sound like Pledger, even though he’s solid to the Sooners, wants to see more of Lincoln.

“I got a chance to see Friday Night Lights (Camp) and the crowd and everything, so it was a good experience,” Pledger said. He said Nebraska is trying to flip him the hardest, but that he still hears from Georgia and UCLA.

Pledger is heading back to Oklahoma this weekend for a recruit BBQ, and thinks he might completely shut down his recruitment after that.

“I’m 100 percent committed to Oklahoma,” Pledger said. But, he would like to see Nebraska again.

“Depending on how the (Oklahoma) coaching staff feels about it, I might try to get out to Nebraska again one more time.”

Pledger stressed that he has been open with Oklahoma throughout the process, and informed the school to which he is committed about his Nebraska visit before taking it.

I really do still think that Pledger is solid to the Sooners, no matter how much Reggie Davis sends love. However, if Bookie takes Pledger while both take a OV to, say, the Wisconsin game, that may help tilt some things.

- Houston Griffith is a name that keeps popping up. The Huskers will probably get a OV from Griffith and his mom, as his dad will be staying home at the Big Ten Network on weekends. Most folks think that Griffith will be a Florida State Seminole, but there are reasons to hope that the Huskers can pull this one out.

It also sounds like Griffith wants to hit up his Nebraska OV with Bookie as well, only fueling the theory of whatever Bookie hits, that will be the big weekend for Nebraska’s last targets for this class.

- If there is one potential flip for Nebraska in the IMG group, odds say that Brian Hightower would be a candidate. Hightower and Keith Williams have a long standing relationship, even with the WR being committed to Miami. I would expect the Calabasas product to make a visit to Lincoln before the first NSD in December.

- Elijah Blades decided to open up to Greg Biggins of Scout about his “recruiting process” with Nebraska and what else he’ll have going right now. He stated that he had the chance to come to Lincoln in January, but a change was in plan after learning he’d be a partial qualifier this coming season.

"Being a partial qualifier meant I would have started off the fall semester at a JUCO but then could have enrolled at Nebraska in the Spring," Blades said. "I decided I didn't want to do that because I just wasn't feeling Nebraska like that any more, it didn't feel like the place for me.

"That's when I decided to go to Arizona Western. I've been talking to a few coaches and they said I can get out in a year. I get on campus at Arizona Western on the 29th of this month so I need to check with the administration to make sure I can do that."

Now, with the comments of Mike Riley not placing partials into JUCO, that’s kind of interesting no?

I think what happened here is this... Blades wants to see who else would take him after another year of schooling. If you read the above spot, all SEC schools want to talk to him now? That’s odd to me, but is what it is. I still think that Blades is in Arizona for 2 years, but he’s being told one. I dunno about that one, but it’s his gig now, not Nebraska’s.