On Friday, Nebraska picked up its 10th commitment of the 2019 recruiting class when offensive lineman Matthew Anderson joined the class. Anderson became the second offensive lineman to pledge verbally to Nebraska in a year when the Huskers will be looking to take multiple linemen. Here are my five thoughts on the commitment.
Athletic Lineman
For a while now, this has been the direction that things are going with offensive tackles. Teams love prospects at that spot that have quick feet because they played other positions but just kept growing. Watching Anderson’s film, he moves very well for his size. That’s a great sign and should only continue to get better based on my next thought.
Great Frame
One of the things you consistently hear from Husker fans is something to the effect of “why doesn’t Nebraska develop lineman like Wisconsin or Iowa?” Well, here is an example of situation those schools find themselves in often. Anderson has a great frame (6-6, 270) that will continue to be developed by Zach Duval and Greg Austin. The Leesville, Louisiana, native should be one of the players that becomes Duval’s best friend over the next couple of years.
Connections Come Through Again
Nebraska is the only Power 5 offer that Anderson holds, but that will likely change during the season. The Huskers identified him early after Ryan Held got a tip from a coach at Northwestern State that Nebraska might want to take a look at the true tackle prospect. This staff has connections all over the country and they are paying dividends early.
Another Prospect from the South
Anderson makes the third commitment in the 2019 class that is from the South joining running back Ronald Thompkins (Georgia) and Jackson Hannah (Tennessee). It’s important to Nebraska’s recruiting strategy to continue to build roots in the South. They’ve made no secret about wanting to recruit the region well and are making every effort to do so.
High Character Kid
One thing that is probably overlooked in the recruiting process by fans is if a prospect has high character off the field. Anderson certainly checks that box. He is an Eagle Scout and talked to me about routinely eating lunch with special needs students at his high school so they don’t feel left out. When you are building a new and improved team culture, he’s the type of kid you look for.
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.
