One thing that will not change in the 2019 recruiting cycle for Nebraska is the need for cornerbacks. From a pure numbers standpoint, the position was a great concern for Coach Scott Frost when he took over the program.
“There were some glaring needs," he said on signing day. "We needed a young quarterback. Our depth and the numbers at receivers and defensive back were nowhere near the number that we’d like to carry. So, we definitely needed to get some guys in the defensive backfield and out wide on offense. We got the guys we wanted for the most part at those positions and feel great about what we got.”
One 2019 prospect that could certainly fill a void in the secondary is 4-star CB Isaiah Rutherford (Hail Varsity Rating: 91.4) from Jesuit High School in Carmichael, California. The lengthy corner (6-2, 175) had an offer from the previous Nebraska staff but recently was “re-offered” by Frost’s staff. I was able to catch up with him and ask about his relationship with the new coaches at Nebraska.
“I talked to them a couple times at school. We’re slowly building the relationship," Rutherford said. "So far it’s been good. I’ve been talking to the defensive coordinator, Coach [Erik] Chinander."
Rutherford has a lot of schools after him, with double-digit offers to his name. The entire west coast wants to keep him close to home, but he also is racking up SEC offers. I asked him about his interest level in Nebraska and what schools are standing out to him right now.
“Nebraska is probably in my top five. The other schools sticking out to me right now are USC, Oregon, Bama, Notre Dame and maybe some other schools too. I’m still sorting through all the schools.”
Corners that are Rutherford’s size really stand out in a crowd and are coveted coast-to-coast, so it’s not surprise that in addition to his high football IQ, he told me his size is his biggest strength. There is always room to improve, so what does he want to work on heading into his senior season?
“I want to work on getting bigger," he said. "I want to get to 185, 190 going into college. Just little technique stuff that will make me super crisp in what I do.”
As for a decision timeline, Rutherford doesn’t have a set timeline right now. He says whenever he knows which school he wants to go to, he’ll commit. He’s also unsure about using the early signing period to make his decision final, but he does know he wants to take his visits around game days to see the atmosphere at different schools.
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/6895931/59c86d969676b80a20b7d93b
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.
