Altair (Texas) Rice Consolidated athlete Roger Gradney, one of the fastest candidates in the state of Texas, has announced his commitment to Nebraska.
Gradney received the offer Sunday afternoon and made the quick decision to put his recruitment on hold based on the early discussions he had with the secondary coach Evan Cooper and director of player personnel Omar Hales.
“I’m committing to Nebraska because I love the energy the coaches give,” Gradney said. “I love how they want to build a relationship with the players. They want you for your personality and they want to get to know you. They want to develop you and improve your skills to be successful.”
Even though Hales and Cooper settled it, Gradney had already shown great consideration for the Huskers when making the offer himself.
“I was happy about the offer,” he said. “Here’s Big Ten. When I got that, I knew what to think.”
Gradney will be visiting Lincoln for the first time next month after Death Time begins, as he looks forward to familiarizing himself with his future home.
“I’ll take one next month,” he said. “I can’t wait to see the facilities, the dressing rooms, the look of the field and all sorts of other things.”
With Gradney’s promise, the Huskers secure a multipurpose speedster who was a three-phase player for his high school team. His personal bests are 10.88 in the 100m and 22.41 in the 200m. This offseason, however, Gradney will undergo rehab from an injury he sustained last season before going full steam ahead into his senior football season.
“I had hip surgery,” he said. “I had been playing with a torn labrum for three years. I found out during the season so I only played five games. It taught me that anything can happen and you have to appreciate the moment. I’m doing rehab and I’m planning when I’m coming back at my hardest. I won’t be hurt, so I’ll be faster, I’ve gotten stronger.
While his engagement was suspended Sunday, some of the programs at Houston, Duke, Vanderbilt and Utah State have been in touch.
“A lot of coaches ask me what I want to play,” he said. “They see me as a utility player, but most coaches see me on special teams and then on defense as a safety or cornerback.”
At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Gradney is the No. 34 athlete in the country and the No. 70 recruit out of the state of Texas.