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Click here for complete coverage of 2012 Husker signing day

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LINCOLN — The more Nebraska coach Bo Pelini watched Tommy Armstrong's senior season at Cibolo (Texas) Steele High School, the more he liked the quarterback.

Good thing the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder was already committed to the Huskers for the 2012 recruiting class.

"He's everything we thought we were going to get," Pelini said at Wednesday's signing day press conference.

A potential challenger to junior starter Taylor Martinez and sophomore backup Brion Carnes? Pelini doesn't predict the depth chart.

But the fifth-year coach was effusive in his praise of one of the nation's top dual-threat quarterbacks (No. 15 according to 247Sports), a position of need for NU. The Huskers have two scholarship signal-callers unless redshirt freshman Bronson Marsh works there in spring practice.

And Armstrong, who amassed 5,069 total yards and 72 touchdowns in 2010 and 2011, has a 29-3 record as a starter and a state championship to boot.

"Really talented guy," Pelini said. "Obviously he's physically talented and he can do a lot of different things with the ball. But we grew really excited about the type of leader he is. The type of command he has in the huddle. The type of person we're getting."

Said Armstrong during The World-Herald's signing day chat: "My strengths are making a play when there isn't really one." He'd like the No. 10 jersey, but will take No. 7 if it's available.

While 11 of the Huskers' 17-player class — ranked 29th nationally and third in the Big Ten by 247Sports, a recruiting partner with The World-Herald — will start on the defensive side of ball, Pelini said NU landed six "quality" players on offense.

"We hit the positions we wanted to hit," Pelini said. Two offensive linemen in Paul Thurston and Corey Whitaker. In-state tight end Sam Cotton. Short-yardage running back Imani Cross. Record-breaking wide receiver Jordan Westerkamp. Armstrong.

The one that got away: Offensive tackle Andrus Peat, who picked Stanford over NU in a ESPNU-televised announcement Wednesday. Husker staffers found out when recruiting fans did.

"The only thing up in the air for us was what Peat was going to do," Pelini said. "There was a lot of conversation there. It didn't go our way."

Peat's commitment might have vaulted Nebraska's class into 247's top 20. Although NU's class was on the small side — a small outgoing senior class being the reason — its average overall player rating (87.76) was No. 18 in the country, sandwiched between South Carolina and Tennessee.

The Huskers' four highest-rated recruits — and six of the top eight — are defensive players: Already-enrolled cornerback Mohammed Seisay, defensive end Greg McMullen and linebackers Michael Rose and Jared Afalava.

In all, NU signed four defensive linemen — stocking a cupboard that was already pretty full — four linebackers and three defensive backs, where the Huskers are hunting for a corner opposite junior Andrew Green.

"I feel really good about the guys we brought in defensively," Pelini said.

Linebacker — where Will Compton, Sean Fisher, Micah Kreikemeier and Alonzo Whaley will all be seniors in 2012 — was the biggest defensive need. Afalava, Rose and Thomas Brown are high school signees. Since Pelini said he didn't want four players from the same class, NU targeted junior college prospect Zaire Anderson.

Anderson, a junior, is expected to play immediately while the other three may not have to. Pelini said he likes underclassmen Trevor Roach, David Santos and Max Pirman. But depth in the Big Ten — where offenses often dictate that defenses use more linebackers — is key, Pelini said.

"The linebacker position was one where we needed to get more depth and more numbers," Pelini said. "We feel real good about what we were able to accomplish."

Rose — a 6-foot, 225-pounder from Kansas City (Mo.) Rockhurst High School — was the top linebacker signee with a four-star rank and 95 rating.

"He can play for anybody," Pelini said. "Or we wouldn't have recruited him."

Pelini gave a nod to new defensive line coach Rick Kaczenski for helping finish the class strong at the position. NU got signing day decisions from Vincent Valentine and Aaron Curry, a Kaczenski target when he was at Iowa. Curry selected the Huskers over the Hawkeyes early Wednesday morning.

"Coach Kaz did a great job in recruiting and stepping into it late," Pelini said. "It helped in the Curry situation. He visited with all the D-line."

Alonzo Moore and LeRoy Alexander will start their careers at cornerback, but could be used at safety, too.

Overall, the Huskers landed players from 13 states. The walk-on class is 18 — 17 from in-state — with one more to come, Pelini said. That's likely to be Kansas City-area running back King Frazier.

It could be NU's best walk-on class since Pelini arrived, he said. It's larger than in years past, when Nebraska seemed rooted at 15 walk-ons.

"On the surface — we'll see how it plays out — probably the most talented group we've brought in. A lot of quality football players. Guys who I feel are going to be able to help us down the line."

Like eight other Big Ten programs, Nebraska will offer players multiyear scholarships — a provision NCAA allowed schools to use last fall, but still needs full-membership approval this spring.

But Pelini said any offers would have "language" in them that makes clear the terms under which the scholarship could be revoked. Quitting football, for example. Or not attending class.

NU already informally practices the multiyear principle now, Pelini said.

"We don't let guys go because they weren't what we thought they were (on the field)," he said. "If anybody finds their way out of the program, it's because they weren't doing what they needed to do off the field."

Contact the writer:

402-202-9766, sam.mckewon@owh.com

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