Nebraska picked up its 11th commitment of the 2018 recruiting class Friday when 3-star outside linebacker David Alston from Woodbury High School in Saint Paul, Minnesota, joined the class.
Committed ✔️ pic.twitter.com/qGlnhsNhC3
— David Alston (@D_Alston5) October 6, 2017
Nebraska beat out Wisconsin and Iowa State among others for the top-ranked player in the state of Minnesota. The Huskers view Alston (6-5, 210) as the perfect fit for an outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense run by Bob Diaco.
Last month, I spoke with his high school coach, Andy Hill, who just raved about Alston’s versatility and athleticism.
“We played him as a strong safety for most of his sophomore year knowing it wasn't his natural position, and knowing that we were going to move him to defensive end as a junior, but to get him the experience of playing in space," Hill said. "His greatest strength is his ability to rush the passer – for being long he is pretty powerful.
"The only hindrance is that as a defensive end teams can choose to double- or triple-team him, which often happens, but opening opportunities for other guys to make plays. Or they run/roll out away from him. He covers ground quickly, so that doesn't always work, but we don't get too many opponents who let their quarterback take a traditional 5-step drop.”
Alston is a great addition to the 2018 class and fills a need at the outside linebacker spot. His commitment is a great way to start off the enormous weekend ahead of Nebraska football.
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.
