LINCOLN — A pair of Chicagoland prospects and two others tied indirectly to Nebraska legends appear atop the Huskers’ remaining targets for the 2010 recruiting class.

NU has collected commitments from 18 football players, including three who enrolled last week — offensive tackle Jermarcus Hardrick and defensive linemen Jay Guy and Chase Rome.

The others are set to sign on Feb. 3. Until then, Nebraska coaches will tend to their pledges and seek to add a few more.

High among their priorities: Star defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa and a quarterback. All-Nebraska QB Bronson Marsh of Millard South is visiting Lincoln this weekend, though he’s without a scholarship offer and might play defense in college.

Among other quarterbacks, Brion Carnes of Bradenton (Fla.) Manatee has emerged. Carnes, 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, is the cousin of ex-Nebraska All-America QB Tommie Frazier, Manatee High School class of 1992.

Carnes, a four-star prospect by rivals.com rated as the nation’s No. 7 dual-threat quarterback, committed to South Florida last summer. But the recent firing of Jim Leavitt left Carnes open to look elsewhere.

He’s visiting USF this weekend to meet new coach Skip Holtz and plans a trip next weekend to Nebraska.

Unlike the specialty of his famous cousin, Carnes operates a spread offense at Manatee. He’s run a 4.57-second 40-yard dash, timed electronically, and possesses a strong arm, according to Manatee quarterbacks coach Chris Conboy.

“I think it’s the strongest arm I’ve seen in all the camps and combines I’ve taken him to in two years,” Conboy said. “He needs to work on his touch and his reads, but the athleticism is there, and he knows Nebraska is a quality program back on the upswing.”

Conboy formerly coached NU quarterback Latravis Washington at Bradenton’s Bayshore High, another connection to Lincoln for Carnes, who won 39 games as a four-year starter at Manatee.

While Carnes would draw comparisons to Frazier at NU, Odighizuwa would, no doubt, face pressure to produce like Ndamukong Suh.

Like the departing Suh, Odighizuwa is from Portland, Ore. Odighizuwa, in fact, is considered a better prospect than was Suh in 2005.

Both played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Odighizuwa teamed last week on the victorious West squad with NU commit Andrew Rodriguez of Aurora, Neb.

“I told him Nebraska’s a great place, and not just for football,” Rodriguez said. “He’s a great kid. He’s fun to be around. Whatever college he does choose, good for him. But he said he’s looking strong at Nebraska.”

Odighizuwa has dropped Southern California from consideration, but NU remains in the thick of it — apparently with Oregon and UCLA.

“They’re in a better shot for Owa than a lot of people would have believed,” said Jeremy Crabtree, recruiting editor for rivals.com. “Coming into it, no one really thought Nebraska would be one of the final two schools.

“I kind of always pegged him to be a Pac-10 guy, and that still could be the case. But the Nebraska coaches have worked harder than anyone in this battle.”

As for the Chicago-area players, Nebraska is climbing uphill to sign safety Corey Cooper or offensive guard Zach Fulton, according to Crabtree.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Cooper, from Maywood, Ill., visited NU in November for the Huskers’ win over Oklahoma. He’s at Florida State this weekend, while Fulton visits Nebraska.

Fulton, 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds out of Homewood, Ill., backed away from his commitment to Tennessee last week after the resignation of coach Lane Kiffin. The Huskers’ quickly jumped in to get an official visit this weekend.

“It’s not going to be an easy thing,” Crabtree said. “But we’ve seen what this staff can do from a recruiting standpoint.”

Contact the writer:

402-444-1031, mitch.sherman@owh.com

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