It would take a die-hard Husker expert to remember the names of Robert Alven, Jimmy Austin, or Jim Corbeil. How about Doug Dhein, Craig Holman, Jim Jeffries, or Randee Johnson?

Still not ringing a bell? Then try Keith Owen, Dennis Rogan, Dan Schmuecker, or Mark Tuck.

Don't be too concerned if you haven't heard of these guys. None of them produced much to speak of on Husker game days for one reason or another. The odd thing is that if they had come along 20 years later they would find almost every Husker fan not only knowing about them, but scrutinizing every step, test score and family history.

The above mentioned players were all members of the 1979 Husker recruiting class. The same class that produced Pro Football star Roger Craig, Lombardi Award winner Dean Steinkuhler and kicking leader Kevin Seibel. Twenty-three players were signed in 1979 to Husker scholarships, yet 11 of them failed to even earn a single letter for playing football at Nebraska. Was the class a recruiting failure?

Some could say yes. Although during the four year period that followed Nebraska won 43 games lost seven and almost won a National Championship in 1983. Hardly a dismal result on the field.

Granted there are many factors that go into winning or losing games and the recruited talent that came after this group may have picked up the slack. But had this group been under the microscopes that exist today there, no doubt, would be plenty of eyebrows raised.

Recruiting is not an exact science. One bad year of talent scouting could end a program or provide little more than a pebble in the road. But every year new "experts" pop on to the screen evaluating every bit of high school talent available and passing judgment on the results long before the games begin.

Even looking back on a recruiting class can prove to be misleading, as evidenced by the above example. The Husker Press Box has assembled a brief recruiting time capsule of the Huskers. No evaluations or assessments made other than to list the recruiting classes from 1974 through 1984. Each player is listed along with the number of letters he may have won during his career as a Husker, if any. The idea is to present a look at just how many players from any given recruiting class are able to translate their talents onto the playing field. (*=letter earned)