Of all the people Tanner Lee talked with over the last few weeks about his NFL decision process, believe it or not new Nebraska head coach Scott Frost played as big of a role as anyone.
Frost was announced as NU’s head coach 8 days after Lee played his final game as a Husker. Even though Frost and Lee barely know one another, Lee said on Thursday he was very supportive throughout the process. In fact, Frost encouraged Lee to return to NU for 2018 if he wanted to. In the end, Lee weighed out the positives and negatives and officially declared on Thursday.
“Coach Frost is an unbelievable man,” Lee told HuskerOnline minutes after he made his decision public. “He mentored me through this process believe it or not. I think he is exactly what you want your coach to be like, as far as being a players coach, because he gets it. He’s been there, done that and it was great for me to talk to another Husker quarterback. A guy that just understands with what comes with the position.
“I was able to talk to him a lot about that. He laid out what he thought was best for him and best for Nebraska. He told me if I wanted to stay, I am more than welcome to stay, and he’d love to have me. He said I’d be his guy and we would roll from there, and I believed him.
“After that he told me to also do what’s best for me. He can’t tell me what to do what’s best for me, because we didn’t know each other that well. He definitely laid it out for me that he can’t tell me what to do, because it’s up to me, and that he’ll support me either way. He’s got my back, and things like that. Anything I needed to talk to him about, he was comfortable with me calling. He was there for it all, so I really appreciated him for that.”
After NU’s final regular season game against Iowa, Lee submitted his name for a grade from the NFL Draft Advisory Board.
The way the grading process works now is you receive either a first or second round grade, or nothing at all. Lee did not receive a first or second round grade from the advisory board, but he heard enough feedback from others that led him to believe declaring for the 2018 draft was the right move.
Lee is the first quarterback in Nebraska history to declare early for the NFL Draft. He's the first offensive skill player to declare since running backs Brandon Jackson (2007) and Ahman Green (1998). Linemen Dominic Raiola (2001) and Toniu Fonoti (2002) also declared early for the draft as offensive players.
“I think after the season I had to take some time to kind of hit the reset button and start thinking about what’s best for me and what’s best for my family and their situation, with all things considered,” Lee said. “I just started to gather information. I waited to talk to Coach Frost, I waited to talk to my family and agents and things like that, and waited to get my grade back from the NFL.
“I just slowly started gathering information. After putting together, a pros and cons list, I think the best thing for me right now is to go and go after a new challenge. I got so much out of playing for Nebraska. I think I’m in the situation I’m in right now because of Nebraska – there’s no doubt about it. I just had a unique opportunity in front of me that is time to take advantage of.”
Lee enters a quarterback draft class that many are calling the deepest in the last several years. Names like UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield and Wyoming Josh Allen headline the class, and USC’s Sam Darnold has yet to declare, but many consider him a first-round pick as well.
Lee knows what he’s walking into, and he’s ready to take on the challenge of being one of the underdog quarterback names in this year’s draft class.
“It’s an impressive class, and I think I’m right there with any guy in the class,” Lee said. “It’s going to be up to me to prove that, and starting now continue to get better and work hard and be able to show I belong in every way that I can. That will start now, and it’s going to be a fun ride.”
Lee also said his experience at Nebraska has prepared him for this process. Just getting the chance to play on such a big stage this season, along with the offense he was in under Mike Riley were both very beneficial.
“It was the best experience that I could’ve asked for,” Lee said. “Just playing at Nebraska and playing in front of that many fans in the best college football environment that you can create was a dream come true. It taught me so much, and it built me up to a better man all around. It taught me how to handle adversity more than I had to, and as far as football goes, playing for Coach (Mike) Riley I learned a ton of offense.
“I learned a ton of things about myself and how to be a better quarterback. I got to play in big stadiums in front of big crowds on cold nights – all the things that prepare you for the next level. I think I wouldn’t be in this situation without Nebraska, there’s no doubt about it.”
