Recruiting season is back in full swing now.
Official visits are back this weekend through National Signing Day and coaches are now allowed back out on the road to visit prospects and their families. Nebraska sits in a good position with the class with those that have signed already and the targets remaining. The Huskers’ needs are clear and now it’s a matter of executing the strategy in place to finish strong.
Let’s get to the Recon.
Class Breakdown
Husker Commits
Matthew Anderson, offensive lineman, Leesville, Lousiana
Brant Banks, defensive end, Houston, Texas
Bryce Benhart, offensive lineman, Lakeville, Minnesota
Desmond Bland, offensive lineman, Yuma, Arizona
Darien Chase, wide receiver, Vancouver, Washington
Myles Farmer, defensive back, Atlanta, Georgia
Jimmy Fritzsche, offensive tackle, Greenville, South Carolina
Jackson Hannah, linebacker, Nashville, Tennesee
Nick Henrich, linebacker, Omaha, Nebraska
Chris Hickman, tight end, Omaha, Nebraska
Rahmir Johnson, running back, Oradell, New Jersey
Michael Lynn, offensive lineman, Greenwood Village, Colorado
Luke McCaffrey, quarterback, Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Dedrick Mills, running back, Garden City, Kansas
Jamie Nance, wide receiver, Blanchard, Oklahoma
Garrett Nelson, defensive end, Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Mosai Newsom, defensive end, Waverly, Iowa
Quinton Newsome, defensive back, Suwanee, Georgia
Ethan Piper, defensive tackle, Norfolk, Nebraska
Ty Robinson, defentive tackle, Gilbert, Arizona
Wandale Robinson, athlete, Frankfort, Kentucky
Garrett Snodgrass, athlete, York, Nebraska
Ronald Thompkins, running back, Loganville, Georgia
Javin Wright, defensive back, Chandler, Arizona
2019 Needs
| QB | 0 | DL | 1 |
| RB | 0 | MLB | 0 |
| WR | 1 | OLB | 1 |
| TE | 0 | DB | 2 |
| OL | 0 | K/P | 0 |
Additional Recon
>> We know that during the early signing period only offensive lineman Desmond Bland and running back Dedrick Mills didn’t sign their letters of intent with Nebraska. I still hear that Mills on is track to sign with Nebraska and could even do so by Jan. 15. However, I’m not hearing the same good vibes about Bland at this point. In fact, I would be surprised if he ended up in the class. There’s been mutual interest between him and Florida State, but a new team has entered the mix: Texas.
I’m hearing that Bland does have interest in visiting Texas even though they haven’t offered him just yet.
>> Right now, people know about big- bodied wide receiver target Charles Njoku. There is another name to keep in the back of your mind just in case: Marlyn Johnson. Johnson is a 3-star wide receiver that stands at 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds and is from Ambler, Pennsylvania. He told me that the Huskers are in contact with him and they are talking about setting up an official visit. It’s possible Johnson could be added to the last visit weekend if things don’t work out with Njoku or Demariyon Houston.
Speaking of those two wideouts, there is likely only one spot left for wide receiver right now. Njoku looks to be the top target and is visiting this weekend with a Houston scheduled to visit next weekend. If Njoku were to pull the trigger and commit this weekend, I believe the visit with Houston would be cancelled.
>> Here is what we are looking at for the official visit schedule for Nebraska leading up to Feb 6 as confirmed by Hail Varsity:
Jan 11
- DB DJ James
- DE/OLB Soni Fonua
- OLB Steven Parker
- WR Charles Njoku
Jan 18
- RB John Bivens
- OLB Mike Lockhart
- WR Demariyon Houston
Jan 25
- OLB Dylan Jordan
- DT Matthew Pola-Moa
The way the visits are lined up give you a glimpse into the priorities for the staff to finish out the class. As we’ve talked about since December, adding more pass rush is a big deal. Also, the Week 1 visitors are the top priorities at their positions. The only tricky part about all of this is that Jordan and Pola-Moa are definitely players the staff would love to take in this cycle. As of right now, I’d put the number of available spots at five.
>> I also get the sense that the staff would love to have a couple of commits this weekend to start to lock down positions. That way they aren’t scrambling for 2019 in the final visit weekend because they are also hosting a Junior Day that weekend for 2020 prospects.
There will be many more confirmations to come on who is attending that day, but right now I can say that 4-star offensive tackle prospect Turner Corcoran is coming to the event.
>> One player who won’t be able to make it to the Junior Day in February is 3-star Colorado offensive lineman Carson Lee. He told me that he won’t be able to come (”Unfortunately,” he said) but he will for sure be at the Spring Game in April. There will be a big-time battle for the lineman who was also teammates with Nebraska signee Michael Lynn.
>> This morning, outside linebacker target Dylan Jordan received a visit from area recruiter Ryan Held that he posted about on social media.
https://twitter.com/thedylanjordan_/status/1083742894995972096
I exchanged messages with Jordan after the visit. When I asked how it went, he replied that it was great and that he’s “extremely excited about the Blackshirts.”
Jordan is a rare deep sleeper that came on the radar after his senior season. He’s a great athlete with track speed at the linebacker position. He’s headed to Utah for an official visit this weekend.
>>Hail Varsity has confirmed the first 2020 official visitor for the Spring Game. Joshua Downs, a 3-star (HV Rating: 87.5) wide receiver has confirmed that he will be taking an official visit to the Spring Game. Downs was teammates with current Husker signee Quinton Newsome.
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.
