LINCOLN — A few people in Ohio have something to say in response to all that talk about the lack of an offensive playmaker in Nebraska's recently signed class of football recruits.
In fact, if one word best describes signee Braylon Heard, that's it — playmaker.
“There sure wasn't a bigger playmaker in the state of Ohio,” said P.J. Fecko, Heard's coach at Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown. “There was nobody, week in and week out, who would rise to the occasion and come to play like he did.
“Nobody that I saw, anyway, and we played against a lot of great folks who are going to a lot of great places. At the end of every game, he was the guy everybody was talking about.”
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound running back appears set to add an intriguing element to the NU offense alongside established backs Roy Helu and Rex Burkhead. And in contrast to most of the 18 freshmen in the latest Nebraska class, Heard — perhaps the Huskers' premier prep recruit — may do it right away.
He rates among the top 10 impact freshmen for 2010 by Rivals.com, which places him as the No. 5 running back nationally and the No. 4 prospect in Ohio.
The talent-rich state produced 172 major college recruits this year, according to MaxPreps, trailing Texas, Florida, California and Georgia. The Youngstown area, with one-third the size of Nebraska's population, produced 19 Football Bowl Subdivision signees; there were six in Nebraska this year.
The point? Heard rushed for 1,973 yards against high-caliber competition. He helped lead Mooney, with its seven college-bound seniors, to a 15-0 record and a Division III state championship.
Heard gained 183 yards and scored two touchdowns in Mooney's 35-7 win over Columbus St. Francis De Sales in the title game. In the semifinals against Steubenville, he rushed for 298 on 22 carries, including TD runs of 43, 65 and 94 yards.
“The thing that's understated is that he really has game-time speed that's just electrifying,” Fecko said. “Above and beyond anything that he can run when he's timed, it goes up another notch when he's on the field.”
But for a top-rated back, Heard largely flew under the radar in Nebraska.
Some fans focused on the Huskers' loss of early offensive commits Tyler Gabbert and Curtis Carter. Heard's pre-Christmas switch from West Virginia to NU got lost in the wave of news generated by the Big 12 title game and Ndamukong Suh's trophy haul, not to mention the Huskers' Holiday Bowl preparation.
“He wasn't under the radar at all in Ohio,” said Mark Porter, who operates ScoutingOhio.com. “We knew about him his sophomore year.”
Heard actually played receiver at Mooney as a sophomore.
“He has tremendous hands, and a great feel, too,” Fecko said. “He's somebody who knows instinctively what he wants to do when he gets the ball. His decisions are almost always correct.”
But Mooney, a traditional power with seven state titles since 1973, rarely throws the football. In the semifinal win over Steubenville in which Heard nearly broke 300 yards rushing, the Cardinals did not complete a pass.
So Heard switched to running back in 2008. He gained nearly 1,000 yards as a junior and “exploded” last fall, said Porter.
“He backed up all the talk and showed up big in all the big games,” Porter said. “He could be a top cornerback in college, too. But offensively, he's just so dangerous. When he decides to put his foot in the ground, he's close to full speed and it's already over.
“He's not Reggie Bush, but he's that type of player.”
Heard made the early commitment to West Virginia over Penn State without looking hard at his other options, Fecko said. Ohio State never offered a scholarship, likely because of Heard's academic situation; he must still slightly improve his ACT score to enroll at NU.
He wavered on the Mountaineers in early December. Heard knew of Nebraska because of its connection to his high school. Coach Bo Pelini, defensive coordinator Carl Pelini and running backs coach Tim Beck, all Mooney graduates, recruited receiver Tim Marlowe from the school two years ago.
And it didn't hurt that teammate Mark Pelini — Bo and Carl's nephew — plans to walk on in Lincoln as a defensive lineman.
“There's definitely a level of trust there with Bo as the head coach,” Fecko said. “Being a Mooney guy, kids here automatically feel a little bit more comfort with him.”
Bo Pelini, who rarely offers praise for individual recruits, even let slip a compliment about Heard on signing day this month.
“I think he has a chance to be pretty special,” the third-year head coach said.
A few people in Ohio agree.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1031, mitch.sherman@owh.com
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
RSS Feeds