Nebraska has its first commitment for the 2022 recruiting class. That happened on Sunday when Columbus linebacker Ernest Hausmann announced he was joining the class. The defender chose the Huskers over Iowa, Michigan and Northwestern.
My Next Chapter…
🔴⚪️☠️☠️#COMMITTED #GBR @coach_frost @CoachChinander @BarrettRuud @SeanDillonNU @Callaghan_NEB @TMossbrucker pic.twitter.com/jY5FvUpnbM
— Ernest Hausmann (@Ernest_Hausmann) March 7, 2021
Here are my five thoughts on the commitment.
Got On the Board
Nebraska was slightly behind its normal pace for gaining commitments. We are heading into a pivotal year for Scott Frost. There was a growing concern level in the fanbase about the class, so it’s good to get first commitment for the class. Having the one commitment puts Nebraska in line with the other Big Ten West schools. The Huskers have the same number of commits as Wisconsin right now and are just one shy of Iowa.
Staying Athletic in LB Room
For a few months I’ve touted the potential of the Huskers’ newest commit. He’s got the ability to be a true sideline-to-sideline linebacker. Hausmann has a great frame at 6-foot-3, 205-pounds. There is room for him to continue adding good lean mass, but he’s also great athlete. He had 69 tackles for Columbus last season but also hauled in 34 catches for 447 yards. Nebraska wants to continue adding good athletes to the linebacker room and hit the mark.
Early Evaluation and Relationship Win
The Huskers were the first Power 5 offer for Hausmann. The team did well to evaluate him early and come to the table with a scholarship offer. They didn’t just stop with putting the offer out. Nebraska built a great relationship with the defender. That stood out to him when making his decision.
“A very key thing for me was relationships,” Hausmann said. “You might have a surface relationship with coaches at some places. But the relationship I had with Nebraska, it was like a family. I’m calling them and they call me. The coaches did a great job. It was just an awesome feeling joining the family.”
The relationships Hausmann built with many coaches at Nebraska won out for his commitment.
Keep Him Away from B1G Foes
It felt all along like Hausmann would end up in the Big Ten. He had offers on the table from Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan State and Northwestern. Any recruit that commits to your team is important. It’s even more important to land a guy that could play against you. No one in Lincoln wanted to see Hausmann suited up for Northwestern or Iowa. Hausmann having offers from those schools speaks to his character and potential.
Get Borders Closed
The 2022 group in-state is going to be discussed a lot. There are currently five players with Husker offers. The chances were always going to be low that Nebraska went 5-for-5. That is coming to fruition as two of the five have Nebraska eliminated already. That means each in-state player landed by the Huskers is a big deal. Part of how the 2022 class will be judged depends on how well or poorly Nebraska does within the state.