Tiger Notebook

By Mike Bushnell

Published Jan. 25, 2008

Compton says no to MU ...

Middle linebacker prospect Will Compton ended his lengthy flirtation with MU and Illinois on Wednesday, announcing that he will stick with his earlier commitment to Nebraska.

"This is just the one I feel comfortable with," Compton told Huskers Illustrated, a Rivals.com affiliate, referring to Nebraska. "I cannot pass up a chance to play under Bo Pelini."

Pelini took the Cornhuskers coaching job after three years as the defensive coordinator at Louisiana State. Compton began to look at Missouri after other Nebraska recruits, including Parkway West High School quarterback Blaine Gabbert, reneged on their commitments to former coach Bill Callahan. Gabbert, a Ballwin native, signed with MU in the fall.

Compton visited Columbia at least twice last fall, and was on the sidelines during MU's Nov. 10 win over Texas A&M. Recruiting Web site Scout.com ranks him the No. 13 linebacker nationally in the class of 2008 and the No. 2 player in the state, behind Gabbert. He played for North County High School in Bonne Terre.

The Tigers have signed eight of the top 11-rated high school players in Missouri.

... But Smith, Gooden say yes

Although the Tigers didn't land Compton, they did get verbal commitments from two Texans, defensive back Zaviar Gooden of Pflugerville and defensive end Jacquies Smith of Dallas.

Scout.com reported that Smith visited MU last weekend, and told coach Gary Pinkel and PowerMizzou.com, MU's Rivals.com affiliate, of his decision. Scout.com ranks him No. 120 out of all defensive end prospects in 2008.

Gooden told Rivals.com earlier this week that Missouri was the "clear leader" after previous visits to Texas-El Paso and Oklahoma.

Oklahoma State, Purdue and Stanford also attempted to recruit him.

The 6'2", 195-pound safety can bench 305 pounds and squat 455, and recorded a 4.4 second 40-meter dash.

Tigers don't lose tight ends coach Bruce Walker

What might be a loss for tight ends coach Bruce Walker will likely ensure that the Tigers continue to have the longest-tenured assistant coaching staff in major college football.

Walker was one of three finalists for the coaching job at Central Washington, a Division II school in his hometown of Ellensburg, Wash. But last week the job went to Blaine Bennett, the coach of Lafayette Jefferson High School in Lafayette, Ind. Washington State quarterbacks coach Timm Rosenbach also was a finalist for the job.

Dave Matter of the Columbia Daily Tribune wrote last week that Walker's wife and daughter have already moved back to Ellensburg, and that Walker said last week before he was rejected that "it's time for me to come home."

Walker also interviewed for the job last year, but lost out to Beau Baldwin, who left for Eastern Washington last month.

Assuming nothing changes, the Tigers will retain the same coaching staff for the eighth straight season and the same staff Pinkel hired when he took the MU job in early 2001.

Rucker to play in Senior Bowl

MU's All-American tight end Martin Rucker will play Saturday in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. The game will air at 3 p.m. on the NFL Network.