It’s been expected that, even as he’d yet to decide between a career in college football or one in major league baseball, Bubba Starling would be practicing with his future Nebraska teammates (?) when the Cornhuskers opened summer camp Saturday.
Apparently, that hasn’t been the case all along. Or, at least, since sometime last month.
On the first day of camp, the touted quarterback recruit was not on the field practicing with the rest of the ‘Huskers. Nor was he listed on the team’s 105-man roster. While that may sound an ear-piercing alarm among fans of the football program, with the thought being Starling might be leaning heavily toward signing a baseball contract with the Kansas City Royals, head coach Bo Pelini says that’s simply not the case and this has been the plan “for a little while now.”
While he remains on campus and attending classes, Starling will not be permitted to practice as he’s not on the roster. Again, that’s all been part of the undisclosed plan all along according to the coach, even as the Omaha World-Herald writes that “Pelini intimated that Starling would practice, even in pads” during the Big Ten media days last week.
“He’s got a lot at risk,” Pelini said in regard to the 2011 recruit participating in practice before deciding which direction his sports future will take. “We communicated with the family and decided this is the best way to go about this. We’re on the same page.”
Starling, the fifth-overall pick of the June MLB draft, will have until midnight Aug. 15 to sign a baseball contract with the Royals.