Premium ContentMouse over Home then click on Premium Content for information.LINCOLN — For the third straight day, Nebraska assistant John Papuchis discussed the 2012 recruiting class in front of Husker fans and boosters, delivering an enthusiastic message that contained one important footnote.
He and the coaches are thrilled about their newest additions — 17 scholarship athletes signed letters of intent with Nebraska Wednesday.
He said getting the prospects to Lincoln is only the first step, though. Their arrival triggers an unpredictable development project that can't be evaluated in the near future. This is what Papuchis has reiterated since signing day.
Papuchis, speaking at a Nebraska athletic fund luncheon Friday, took time to talk about each recruit, peppering his assessments with words like "upside," "future," "potentially" and "eventually."
Does the 2012 class have skill and ability? Certainly does, Papuchis told more than 200 people inside the Embassy Suites in downtown Lincoln. But the work has just begun.
"The level of talent and athleticism in this class that we brought in, it's a class that we should be excited about," said Papuchis, the Huskers' recruiting coordinator in 2011. "The tale will be told in a couple years."
The NU coaches found a physical running back in Imani Cross, who can carry the ball downhill against the big-bodied defensive lines of the Big Ten. The Huskers were missing a guy like that in 2011, Papuchis said.
They added offensive and defensive linemen. And that's important, Papuchis said, because the Big Ten is "a physical, tough league, and it all starts up front."
They lured a quarterback, Tommy Armstrong, who'll add depth behind starter Taylor Martinez. Papuchis said they located a "mature" cornerback, Mo Seisay, and found a couple other young DBs with just as much potential.
They also added linebacker talent — something coach Bo Pelini tabbed as a priority midway through the 2011 season when Nebraska started ditching its nickel and dime formations for a 4-3 look to match personnel with the traditional sets common in conference play.
Papuchis, the new defensive coordinator, said junior college transfer Zaire Anderson as well as freshmen Michael Rose, Jared Afalava and Thomas Brown have the credentials to make NU better.
"That's the common denominator that you see from all these 'backers is that they're tough, physical guys who have length and athleticism," Papuchis said. "I think we did a great job of upgrading just our overall play at the linebacker spot."
But again, Papuchis said, don't be surprised if guys take some time to emerge.
"If we're able to develop these guys and they end up being who we think they can be, we're going to be very excited about this class," he said.
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