Elijah Blades commit: What does it mean for Nebraska?

Nebraska picked up commit No. 20 on National Signing Day from Pasadena (Calif.) Muir cornerback Elijah Blades. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Blades becomes the first defensive back commit in the class of 2017 recruiting class.

What does Blades' commitment mean to the Huskers going forward? Here are a few early takes on the Blades commitment.

1. Nebraska had limited space in it's 2017 defensive backs class so they had to aim high. It paid off as they ended up getting one of the top corners in the West and one of the top overall players in the country in Rivals100 cornerback Elijah Blades.

2. Blades is a rare cornerback prospect when you look at his combination of height, length and overall athleticism. Skilled corners that are nearly 6-foot-3 don't grow on trees and that's part of what makes him such an elite prospect.

3. The California native is more than just a tall corner. He has the ability to turn and run with speedy wide receivers. He's comfortable on an island in man coverage and has very good closing quickness when playing off or in a zone.

4. Blades has great ball skills. He played on both sides of the ball at Muir High School as well as special teams. He finds and tracks the ball well in the air and does a good job of high-pointing it over his opponents. The bottom line is that he's a play maker wherever he is at on the field and a fierce competitor.

5. The Huskers have now landed several players not only from California, but from Blades' 7-on-7 team, The Proway. He's already very familiar with former Proway teammates and NU signees Keyshawn Johnson Jr., Tristan Gebbia and Tyjon Lindsey. He's also good friends with former Proway teammate and Huskers 2018 Rivals100 cornerback target Brendan Radley-Hiles.

6. You have to give a lot of credit to Huskers cornerbacks coach Donte Williams and the job he did with recruiting Blades. Williams was one of the first coaches to offer Blades when he was at San Jose State a few years ago and has stayed on the talented corner ever since then and eventually got him to flip to NU from Florida.

7. Blades' commitment only further strengthens Nebraska's "Calibraska" movement out in California. Not only in the 2017 class, but he should be able help with NU's efforts out West in 2018 and beyond.

2/1 - Elijah Blades - CB - 6-3, 180 - Pasadena, CA - 4 Stars

2/1 - Damion Daniels - DT - 6-3, 325 - Dallas, TX - 3 Stars

1/28 - Kurt Rafdal - TE - 6-7, 230 - Carmel, IN - 3 Stars

1/16 - Chris Walker - OL - 6-6, 270 - Lincoln, NE - 2 Stars

1/14 - Tyjon Lindsey- WR - 5-9, 175 - Las Vegas, NV- 4 Stars

1/5 - Jaylin Bradley - RB - 6-0, 185 - Bellevue, NE - 3 Stars

12/25 - Andrew Ward - LB - 6-2, 215 - Muskegon, MI - 3 Stars

9/17 - Dieontae Watts - DT - 6-3, 305 - Plano, TX - 3 Stars

8/8 - Guy Thomas - DE - 6-3, 205 - Miami, FL - 4 Stars

7/31 - Ben Miles - FB - 6-1, 215 - Baton Rouge,LA - 3 Stars

6/17 - Broc Bando - OL - 6-4, 280 - Lincoln, NE - 3 Stars

5/15 - Matt Sichterman - OL - 6-5, 270 - King Mills, OH - 3 Stars

4/30 - Deontre Thomas - DT - 6-2, 260 - Mustang, OK - 3 Stars

4/21 - Avery Roberts - LB - 6-1, 215 - Wilmington, DE - 4 Stars

4/16 - Brenden Jaimes - OL - 6-6, 260 - Austin, TX - 3 Stars

4/15 - Austin Allen - TE - 6-8, 230 - Aurora, NE - 3 Stars

4/5 - Tristan Gebbia - QB - 6-3, 180 - Calabasas, CA - 4 Stars

3/23 - Keyshawn Johnson Jr. - WR - 6-1, 195 - Calabasas, CA - 4 Stars

3/12 - Javeon McQuitty - WR - 6-2, 190 - Columbia, MO - 4 Stars

3/10 - Willie Hampton - LB - 6-2, 220 - Plantation, FL - 3 Stars

1 - Quarterback

2 - Running back/fullback

3 - Wide receiver

2 - Tight end

4 - Offensive linemen

3 - Defensive tackle

1 - Defensive end

3 - Linebacker

0 - Safety

1 - Cornerback

0 - Special teams

4 - Nebraska (OL Broc Bando counts towards Nebraska)

4 - California (WR Tyjon Lindsey counts towards California)

3 - Texas

2 - Florida

1 - Delaware

1 - Indiana

1 - Louisiana

1 - Michigan

1 - Missouri

1 - Ohio

1 - Oklahoma