It’s been a difficult week for many in the country as we have seen a lot of conversation shift away from sports. For a while it seemed like recruiting came to a standstill as players started to report back to campus for voluntary workouts.
𝙁𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥 pic.twitter.com/YzrSvo5HYy
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFBNation) June 4, 2020
Still, there is a lot of work being done by the Huskers as they search for ways to improve the team now and into the future.
Let’s get to the Recon.
Husker Commits
Heinrich Haarberg, Quarterback, Kearney, Nebraska
Shawn Hardy, wide receiver, Kingsland, Georgia
Randolph Kpai, Inside Linebacker, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Henry Lutovsky, Offensive Lineman, Mount Pleasant, Iowa
Christopher Paul Jr., Inside linebacker, Cordele, Georgia
Patrick Payton, Outside Linebacker, Miami, Florida
Teddy Prochazka, Offensive Lineman, Elkhorn, Nebraska
Branson Yager, Offensive Lineman, Grantsville, Utah
2021 Needs
| QB | 0 | DL | 3 |
| RB | 2 | MLB | 1 |
| WR | 1 | OLB | 1 |
| TE | 2 | DB | 2 |
| OL | 1 | K/P | 0 |
The Recon:
>> Through my talks with Michael Rose-Ivey this week about Huskers defensive line target Tobechi Okoli, Rose-Ivey dropped an interesting nugget. He spoke about how he tries to stay neutral in his players’ recruiting process.
“I don't want them to pick a school because somebody else is telling them how great this place is,” Rose-Ivey said. “Go see for yourself. If you feel like that's a place you can see yourself playing in, which Tobe does see himself being in Lincoln, then we can we can talk further.”
The good news for Nebraska is that Okoli has been to Lincoln already. They are making him a priority and their pitch is connecting with him and his family. The new engineering building being built has been a big talking point since Okoli is big on academics.
>> There has been a lot of smoke this week surrounding cornerback Nadab Joseph being a late 2020 addition for Nebraska. The Huskers have one scholarship left to give for a new addition. It was thought that the spot would be for a wide receiver but Joseph is the type of talent you don’t pass on. A former 4-star recruit that committed to Georgia out of high school, Joseph ended up at Independence Community College. The 6-2, 190-pound defender is rated as the top corner in JUCO.
The reason why he was under the radar is that it didn’t look like he’d qualify initially. I touched based with Joseph who said he does have interest in the Huskers. However, several schools are now interested in him. It’s no slam dunk but the Huskers are in a good spot for now.
>> Moving to 2021 cornerbacks, keep an eye on Tennessee prospect John Howse IV. Howse (6-2, 185) has been in frequent contact with Nebraska building a strong relationship with the staff. Frost and defensive backs coach Travis Fisher have made a strong impression on the defender who lives in SEC country. I’ll have more on him in the coming days.
>> One quick note to pass along about the Huskers No. 1 target. LSU is making a push for Thomas Fidone. It’s not time to sound the alarm bells yet but the Tigers are in this. Fidone will take an official visit to Baton Rouge when he’s able to. The tight end also could elect not to take an official to Iowa or Nebraska since he’s since them both and his time is limited. He wants to decide on a school early in the season, possibly in September.
>> Now that Omar Manning and Zavier Betts are qualified, it’s OK to start daydreaming about what the passing attack could look like in 2020. The big question mark will be how quickly the new faces can gel with Adrian Martinez but there is real potential in the unit. Both Manning and Betts should take part in the full summer program in whatever form that takes leading up to the season. Even without JD Spielman, this group with Manning, Wan’Dale Robinson, Alante Brown, Betts and others could be fun.
>> When the quarantine first started there was some concern over how Nebraska was handling virtual recruiting by fans. Slowly we have heard more from recruits and coaches about how they think Nebraska is doing. Lincoln College Prep coach William Lowe loves what he sees from the Huskers.
“Nebraska puts on one of the best virtual zoom recruiting things that I've seen so far,” Lowe said. “I've been fortunate to be able to sit in with our three kids that are being recruited. We have another kid committed to Arkansas and one other to Iowa State. I've been sitting in on those and I've been amazed by what I've seen.”
From the facilities tour, academic support and interaction with coaches, Lowe said what Nebraska is doing is top notch.