Hidden gems are hard to come by in recruiting today. The phrase "if they can play, they will find you" isn’t lip service.
There was an interesting thing to come out of the pandemic in college football — the ability for college coaches to watch tape of players around the country. It’s so easy for college coaches to watch film of any player now. Players just don’t stay hidden very much anymore.
That’s what makes the case of Nebraska linebacker signee Eric Fields so interesting.
"We have a great amount of kids that have talent in that area. But nobody really stops in our town,” Ardmore High School assistant coach CJ Kennedy said. “We're one of those what you call drive-through towns. We're off Highway 35 that connects Texas and Oklahoma. People don't really stop in Ardmore. So, they never really know anything.”
A pair of Big Ten schools did stop in Ardmore this recruiting cycle. Illinois signed quarterback Cal Swanson from the school. Nebraska also found its way to Ardmore after coach Matt Rhule and his staff took over the program. Everyone thought Fields was heading to Arkansas State until Nebraska entered the picture. Kennedy was nervous about Nebraska as first. A family connection to Rhule helped ease those concerns.
"I think Nebraska played it smart bringing him in at the last weekend. We've all known that Eric is a D1-caliber kid,” Kennedy said. “At the same time, we were all a little nervous about it. Because they're still putting together their coaching staff and everything like that. But Matt Rhule is one of the best coaches to me that is doing it.
“I had a little cousin that played for him at Baylor. So, I know what he's all about. If Eric went to any other school in Texas or in the Tulsa area, he'd have been top of the radar on everybody's board."
Chicago Bears running back and former Baylor Bear Trestan Ebner is Kennedy’s cousin that played for Rhule. Kennedy truly believes that if Fields went to a high school in Tulsa or in Texas he would have been a five-star prospect. Fields racked up 180 total tackles during his senior season of high school. Fields also had 88 tackles in six games during his junior season.
The linebacker broke his shin making a tackle on 3rd-and-1 where he injured the opponent too. Fields also made the stop on 4th-and-1 because he didn’t know his shin was broken and played through it for a play.
It’s not just the gaudy stats that make the defender a special player according to Kennedy. His blend of speed, aggressiveness and ball skills make him a versatile player.
Fields will strike you like Ray Lewis. But his closing speed reminds Kennedy of players like Brian Dawkins. Fields ran a 7.07-second 60-meter dash last winter. That closing speed can be seen on Fields’ Hudl tape. In the second play he attacks the opposing quarterback and his body goes flying through the air.
Fields has the intangibles that coaches look for, too. Every game he leaves it all on the field.
"He's honestly just a mentally tough kid. I think that's what a lot of kids stray away from these days,” Kennedy said. “Eric has that old-school grit like his dad. His dad was a boxer, so he was around that. His uncle, Carl, was the one who trained him. The kid has been mentally tough for a while. He's the nicest kid you'll ever meet. So, it throws you off if you've met him outside the field. Then when he gets on the field, it's two different people."
Fields isn’t a big celebrator after plays. He is reluctant to step into the spotlight and is a humble kid. As Rhule said during his signing day press conference, Fields' name is one you will know very soon.
According to Kennedy, Fields has an internal motivation where he doesn’t want to let himself down. If the linebacker reaches the heights that his coaches think he can, then he won’t have to worry about disappointing anyone.
