Cornerback Elijah Blades, a 4-star signee in the 2017 recruiting class, won’t be enrolling at Nebraska multiple sources have confirmed to Hail Varsity.
A source close to the situation said Blades did not qualify at Nebraska and will be attending Arizona Western Community College in Yuma, Arizona. It’s a school that’s not completely unfamiliar to Nebraska as it’s the junior college defensive end Randy Gregory attended before joining the Huskers.
The news of the highest-rated defensive player from the 2017 recruiting class not qualifying is tough for Husker fans, but when combined with the news of star cornerback Chris Jones being out with injury, it raises real concerns about the secondary this year. These developments leave the Huskers with just five scholarship cornerbacks on the roster.
Blades (6-3, 170) was the lone defensive back commit in the 2017 class. Nebraska does currently have three defensive back commits for the 2018 class and now all eyes will be on cornerbacks coach Donte Williams to finish out the class with a strong showing.
Greg is the Recruiting Analyst for Hail Varsity and has covered Husker athletics since 2013. He has always had a passion for sports while growing up in the Chicago area. As he got older and had to hang up his cleats and sneakers, he realized his passion for sports went beyond just watching and attending games. He has covered many events from the Rose Bowl to championship boxing matches. If he’s not talking sports, he’s hovering over his grill. He is married to an amazing woman, Kim, and they have a dog that barks when Greg yells at the TV during games.
