The Huskers have been on a nice roll recently on the recruiting trail. The commitment train has kept rolling with Buford High School star Malik Williams being the latest addition to the 2021 recruiting class. The team has also been hard at work in the weight room and we’ve seen some videos on social media to prove that. Now the team will transition into the start of organized mini-camp on Friday.
Let’s get to the Recon.
Husker Commits
Marques Buford, Defensive Back, Cedar Hill, Texas
Gabe Ervin, Running Back, Buford, Georgia
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
Seth Malcom, Inside Linebacker, Tabor, Iowa
Latrell Neville, Wide Receiver, Houston, Texas
Patrick Payton, Outside Linebacker, Miami, Florida
Teddy Prochazka, Offensive Lineman, Elkhorn, Nebraska
Will Schweitzer, Outside Linebacker, Los Gatos, California
Lardarius Webb, Defensive Back, Jackson, Mississippi
Malik Williams, Defensive Back, Buford, Georgia
Branson Yager, Offensive Lineman, Grantsville, Utah
2021 Needs
| QB | 0 | DL | 3 |
| RB | 1 | MLB | 1 |
| WR | 0 | OLB | 1 |
| TE | 2 | DB | 0 |
| OL | 0 | K/P | 0 |
The Recon:
>> What seems to have happened with Alabama outside linebacker Christian Burkhalter is tough. He committed to Oregon on Thursday evening just two weeks after the Ducks offered him a scholarship. It stings for Nebraska who invested a significant amount of time in recruiting him. Burkhalter was hesitant to commit to Nebraska without visiting but felt comfortable enough to do so with Oregon. The Ducks are also better positioned right now to push for a quick commitment with prospects, and that worked with Burkhalter. I don’t expect Nebraska or several other schools to stop recruiting the Ducks’ latest commit. Especially if visits are allowed this fall.
>> I’ve hinted at this before, but Wisconsin offensive lineman Marcus Mbow choosing Arizona State was not a surprise to the coaching staff. Unfortunately, things just didn’t line up for Mbow and the Huskers. There were multiple occasions before the NCAA-mandated dead period where he was supposed to visit Lincoln which could have completely changed where he ended up. It wasn’t anyone’s fault those visits didn’t work out but in the meantime, Nebraska filled up at offensive line. Mbow is a good prospect and kid who could have a nice career in Tempe.
>> In last week’s Big Red Recon, I teased that we could be hearing more news on JUCO cornerback Nadab Joseph this week. Joseph announced that he will be making his college choice public on Friday at 7 pm. I think the Huskers have done everything they can to put themselves in position to land the top JUCO cornerback in the 2020 recruiting class. He’ll be immediately eligible if he picks the Huskers. I expect him to pick Nebraska giving the team another boost on the defensive side of the football. Joseph was committed to Georgia out of high school and has the physical tools to be a very good player in the Big Ten. The Keem Green situation last season will make people nervous to predict what type of role Joseph can have in Lincoln this fall.
>> One of the new prospects on the latest Greg’s Guys list was California defensive end Mandela Tobin. The Huskers have been recruiting him for a while now but have increased their focus on him recently. I’ll have more from him soon, but the defender really enjoyed his deep virtual visit with Nebraska. Academics, fan support and what Nebraska does with strength and conditioning plus nutrition is really standing out to Tobin and his family.
>> By now you’ve probably seen the videos that head strength and conditioning coach Zach Duval posted of redshirt freshman defensive end Ty Robinson. If you haven’t, let’s fix that.
☠️☠️BlackShirts Monster Monday☠️☠️ Dline doing the Hard work. #nebraskastrong @HuskerFBNation @TyRobinson2124 pic.twitter.com/cWkC4E1q3O
— Zachary Duval (@zduval1) July 20, 2020
Robinson has clearly been taking his nutrition and weight lifting seriously since arriving on campus last summer. As you can imagine the Huskers staff is very high on his potential to be a big-time player for years to come. Thinking back to a conversation I had with Dave Ellis last season, I asked him about Robinson then. Ellis’ eyes lit up and he told me then that Robinson would be a monster. Husker fans may get to see that sooner than later.
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.
