Marsh eager to prove himself as a Husker

Bronson Marsh, despite the late addition of a safety and a quarterback to Nebraska's recruiting class, remains hopeful he can work his way out of a grayshirt next fall.

If not, he's still thrilled to be a Husker.

“I feel really good,” Marsh said after signing a letter of intent at Millard South on Wednesday morning. “I'm just glad it's over.”

The 6-foot, 200-pound quarterback led the Patriots to the Class A title last fall. He sat alongside defensive back Joey Felici, recruited as a Nebraska walk-on, in a ceremony at the school.

Around the same time, NU received signatures from quarterback Brion Carnes of Bradenton, Fla., and safety Corey Cooper. Their inclusion figures to heighten the likelihood that Marsh — who hopes to play quarterback but may fit best in the defensive backfield at Nebraska — will delay his full-time enrollment until January 2011.

In Marsh style, though, he wasn't making any concessions. He said he thinks he can fit the NU system as a quarterback.

“I know if I can get the chance,” he said, “I can work into it.”

Still, that appears to be a long shot at this point, based on NU coach Bo Pelini's press conference comments.

“I recruited him to play defensive back,” Pelini told reporters later Wednesday.

But could he get a look at QB?

“Not unless I change his position,” the coach said.

Regardless of where he ends up, Millard South coach Andy Means said Marsh would mesh well at Nebraska.

“He's got the qualities that coach Pelini wants,” said Means, a former Husker defensive back. “He's a great athlete. He can run and throw. By the time he was a senior, there wasn't much a defense could throw at him.”

Barney, Ben and Jake

LINCOLN — At Lincoln Southeast, Jake Cotton officially joined his father and brother as a Husker.

With his dad, Nebraska offensive line coach Barney Cotton, standing behind him, Cotton inked his name on the dotted line, the same way his older brother, Ben, an NU tight end, did two years ago.

“It's an exciting experience,” Jake Cotton said. “It's special in ways, but it's been a process, a special process, leading up to this day.”

He said his hopes growing up were always either to play for Nebraska, where Barney was an offensive lineman, or for his dad wherever he was coaching. It seemed that it couldn't be both when Barney was part of the staff let go by NU in early 2004. But when Barney came back under Pelini just over two years ago, things seemed right again.

“It's funny how it all turned out,” Jake said, “because now I'm going to be playing for my dad at Nebraska.”

The 6-foot-7, 260-pound Cotton will start out on the defensive line for the Huskers. He was an All-Nebraska selection last fall, a testament to his work during the previous year. Cotton packed on more than 50 pounds between his junior and senior seasons.

“I just worked hard,” he said.

Evans dreams of red

WAVERLY, Neb. — A lifetime of dreaming became a reality for Waverly's Tyler Evans, who signed at a ceremony in his school's library.

The senior inked his name with NU, officially becoming a part of something he said he's grown up wishing for.

“I've wanted to be a Husker my whole life,” Evans said. “I mean, it's a lifelong dream growing up so close. I'm going to Nebraska. My whole life, everyone wants to be able to say that. And now I can.”

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Evans will start out as a receiver for NU. He said his offer, which came in August, took a lot less time to accept than he may have led on.

“I told them that I wanted to talk to my parents,” Evans said. “but I knew. And I think they knew, too. I think everyone kind of knew.”

Evans played quarterback in Waverly's wishbone offense for the past two seasons, helping the Vikings to the playoffs in both years.

“I just can't wait to get (to NU) and get to work,” he said.

A slimmer Rodriguez?

AURORA, Neb. — After signing his letter of intent on Wednesday, Andrew Rodriguez will officially play for Nebraska. But as a youngster growing up in New York City, he admits that he wasn't even aware Nebraska was a state.

“This would be the last thing that would be on my mind,” Rodriguez said. “I was just living day by day.”

After helping Aurora High earn back-to-back Class B state titles, Rodriguez can now officially turn his attention to playing offensive line at the Division I level.

“I'm just glad this day has come and I can get everything behind me and get a new start in my career in college,” Rodriguez said. “I've been waiting for this for however long it's been, over a year. I have a long road ahead of me. I want to start with it, and I know if I work hard, it'll pay off.”

Rodriguez said he'd prefer to redshirt next season. He said he's looking forward to starting the Nebraska workout regimen, which he couldn't receive until he officially signed.

“I'm pretty excited to get on that,” said the 6-6, 315-pounder. “I'm trying to maintain my weight, maybe drop a couple pounds. I'm working on a six-pack, so hopefully I can get there.”

— Nick Rubek, Mitch Sherman and Dale Miller

• The World-Herald's Mitch Sherman on the Nebraska 2010 recruiting class:



• Nebraska coach Bo Pelini at the signing day press conference:



• The 2010 Husker recruiting class:

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