LINCOLN — Harrison Beck finally found his home.

After one season and an unceremonious exit from the Nebraska program, after three hardly memorable years at North Carolina State, Beck landed solidly on his feet.

The strong-armed quarterback dropped down to NCAA Division II, rediscovered his confidence and salvaged what was left of his college football career at North Alabama.

“We wouldn’t have been here without him,’’ coach Terry Bowden said after the Lions finished an 11-win season with a loss in the Division II quarterfinals.

Beck threw for 3,823 yards and 31 touchdowns as a senior, completing 58 percent of his passes. In his only season at North Alabama, he managed to make the list of finalists for the Harlon Hill Trophy, the Division II Heisman.

The native of Clearwater, Fla., was a “four-star” prospect in 2005, one of the anchors of Nebraska’s star-crossed recruiting class. After playing in just two games and completing 1 of 10 passes as a true freshman, Beck left as preseason camp was starting in 2006.

Here’s a look at what some one-time Huskers did this season in different surroundings. Not all were members of the 2005 recruiting class.

• Beck: Replacing a three-time All-American at North Alabama, Beck threw at least three touchdowns in six straight games. Two of his biggest games came against Arkansas Tech — 431 yards and five touchdowns in a regular-season game, and 341 yards and three scores in a second-round playoff game.

• Leon Wright-Jackson: Also a member of the 2005 Nebraska class, Wright-Jackson completed three seasons at Hawaii. As a senior he ran for 554 yards and seven touchdowns, and also caught 17 passes. He was WAC offensive player of the week after carrying 15 times for 167 yards and three scores in a November game against Utah State. It was the most rushing yards by a Hawaii back in 16 seasons.

• Kevin Dixon: The defensive tackle will conclude his Troy University career in the GMAC Bowl on Jan. 6. After being dismissed from the NU team before the 2008 season, Dixon redshirted with the Trojans before logging 47 tackles, four sacks and 20 quarterback hurries in 2009.

• Patrick Witt: The quarterback left before spring practice and landed at Yale, where he finished his sophomore season with 1,449 passing yards. Witt had more interceptions (11) than touchdowns (eight) in eight games, completed 57.3 percent of his passes and split time with Brook Hart.

• Quentin Castille: After running for 467 yards and 4.4 per carry as a sophomore at Nebraska in 2008, Castille managed just 349 and 3.3 in his junior season at Northwestern State — going over 50 yards just once. Castille transferred to the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) school after being dismissed from the NU squad just before the season.

• Jordan Congdon: The former Husker kicker made 11 of 14 field goals and all 38 of his extra-point kicks as a senior to lead Southern California in scoring with 71 points. Congdon signed with NU in 2005 and departed after the 2006 season, then redshirted one year at USC and didn’t see action in another.

• Mason Wald: The defensive back played on Husker special teams as a true freshman in 2008 before transferring to Samford University. With the FCS-level Bulldogs, Wald played in 11 games and made five total tackles.

• Joseph Townsend: A 2007 signee who never played at NU, the junior defensive tackle had four tackles in five games for Louisville.

Contact the writer:

444-1042, rich.kaipust@owh.com

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