Nebraska hosted several top targets this weekend for its Junior Day. It was another good opportunity to give prospects and their families a glimpse into what Scott Frost and his staff are building. One prospect who made his first visit to Lincoln on Saturday was 3-star (HV Rating: 84.3) linebacker Tyler McLaurin.
The Bolingbrook (Illinois) High School standout thought the visit went well. He really liked the facilities and coaching staff. The visit ended up meeting his expectations coming in.
“I kind of foresaw a lot of things that ended up happening,” McLaurin explained. “I expected it to not be real high intensity but real relaxed and welcoming. That’s what the coaching staff created. The environment was really good. Talking to the staff and coaches, they really admire what Coach Frost is doing there. They are really bought into the program.”
The Illinois native made it to Lincoln on Saturday morning. He was able to get the full experience at Nebraska being able to see the facilities, getting an academic presentation. McLaurin spoke with coach Frost, head strength and conditioning coach Zach Duval and defensive coordinator Erik Chinander. He also spent time with inside linebackers coach Barrett Ruud as the Huskers are recruiting him for inside ‘backer.
The strength and conditioning presentation was a big highlight of the weekend.
“I thought it was really interesting,” McLaurin said. “It really shows you the evolution of the game. It really showed what the new standard is for health within college athletics.”
At this point the defender says that Chinander is the coach he is most in contact with at Nebraska. They talk on a weekly basis and have a growing relationship. McLaurin’s mother made the trip with him to Lincoln. The facilities impressed her too, but she also enjoyed how the coaching staff cares for the players. She told her son that she could tell the program was on the way to being successful again.
Up next, McLaurin will go to Madison to visit Wisconsin. He plans to make a few more visits in the spring in search of what he is looking for in a school.
“The thing I’m looking for is a family fit type of environment,” he said. “Once I get to college I won’t have my parents or any of my siblings there. I’ll pretty much be on my own. I’ll have to make friends and do everything by myself. I’m looking for an environment that I can prosper and grow in as a person first.”
McLaurin has a way to go with his recruiting process as he takes more visits. Coming out of the visit there are a couple of things that will stick with McLaurin about the Huskers.
“I thought that the technological standpoint that Coach Duval has and the way that they create habits in their player’s daily life is remarkable,” he said. “I was also overwhelmed with the stadium and it’s wonderful layout.”
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13082960/5dd238fd0c53730d001b4d38
Greg is the Recruiting Analyst for Hail Varsity and has covered Husker athletics since 2013. He has always had a passion for sports while growing up in the Chicago area. As he got older and had to hang up his cleats and sneakers, he realized his passion for sports went beyond just watching and attending games. He has covered many events from the Rose Bowl to championship boxing matches. If he’s not talking sports, he’s hovering over his grill. He is married to an amazing woman, Kim, and they have a dog that barks when Greg yells at the TV during games.
