• Bronson Marsh signs his letter of intent to play at Nebraska:
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Events at four Nebraska high schools this morning went the way coaches usually like it: No drama.
All four Husker instate commitments made it official by signing letters of intent at ceremonies at their high schools.
Bronson Marsh, despite the addition of a safety and a quarterback today 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. “I'm just glad it's over.”
The 6-foot, 205-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.”
Millard South coach Andy Means said Marsh would mesh well at Nebraska, on offense or defense.
“He's got the qualities that coach (Bo) 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.”
The recruiting process was strenuous for Marsh, who received little interest until January. He committed briefly to a scholarship at Division II University of Nebraska at Omaha before the Huskers presented the grayshirt option, which would award a full scholarship for 2011 and beyond. Means received indications that Northern Illinois and Ohio were also set to make offers.
“It's all moot,” Means said. “He's just got to go down there and show them.”
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 it couldn't be both when Barney was part of the staff let go by NU in 2003. But when Barney came back under Pelini just over two years ago, things seemed right again.
“It's funny how it all turned out because now I'm going to be playing for my dad at Nebraska,” Jake said.
The 6-foot-7, 260-pound Cotton will start out on the defensive line at Nebraska. He was an All-Nebraska selection last fall, a testament to his work over the previous year. Cotton packed on over 50 pounds between his junior and senior seasons.
“I just worked my butt off,” he said.
A lifetime of dreaming also 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-2, 185-pound Evans will start out as a receiver for NU. He said his offer, which came in August, took a lot less time than he may have led on to decide 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.
As expected, Aurora offensive lineman Andrew Rodriguez also made official his intention to attend Nebraska at a morning ceremony at his high school.
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• Tyler Evans signs his letter of intent to play at Nebraska:
• Jake Cotton signs his letter of intent to play at Nebraska:
• Andrew Rodriguez signs his letter of intent to play at Nebraska:
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