We made it Huskers. The start of fall camp is here.
The offseason flew by with all the recruiting activity during June. Now is the time where the 2021 Husker football team will take shape leading up to the season opener against Illinois. The general feel right now is that a different attitude is in the building but we will see how that presents on the field on game days.
Lets get to the Recon.
2022 Commits
Chase Androff, Tight End, Lakeville, Minnesota
Jake Appleget, Outside Linebacker, Lincoln, Nebraska
Ernest Hausmann, Outside Linebacker, Columbus, Nebraska
Ashton Hayes, Running Back, Reno, Nevada
Victor Jones Jr., Wide Receiver, Orlando, Florida
Grant Page, Wide Receiver, Boulder, Colorado
Hayden Schwartz, Defensive End, Jacksonville, Florida
Richard Torres, Quarterback, San Antonio, Texas
2022 Needs
| QB | 0 | DL | 1 |
| RB | 0 | MLB | 0 |
| WR | 0 | OLB | 1 |
| TE | 0 | DB | 2 |
| OL | 2 | K/P | 0 |
The Recon:
>> There is some buzz around summer freshman arrival Jailen Weaver. If you’ve been reading Hail Varsity that isn’t a huge surprise. Nebraska got a steal in Weaver. Standing at 6-foot-8 and 300-plus pounds, the California native may be a prospect that slipped through the cracks because of how strange 2020 was. Remember this quote from his mentor Shamawn Wright after he committed to Nebraska.
“The player that Jailen is, he’s very athletic,” Wright said. “He’s a three-sport athlete. He runs track and field, he started on varsity basketball as a sophomore center. He also just a football player. He’s very athletic, he’s fast and light on his feet. He’s very long and rangy. I think with the quickness and speed with him being long that’s a big advantage for any defensive lineman. Plus, him knowing how to use his hands as well.”
The Huskers are in position to bring him along slowly because of the depth of the line. Don’t be surprised if you hear more about Weaver turning heads this fall behind the scenes.
>> One of the more intriguing camp battles this fall will be the cornerback position opposite Cam Taylor-Britt. One of the players in the mix is new transfer Tyreke Johnson. Veteran defensive back Marquel Dismuke gave us a preview of what Johnson brings to the table.
It’s going to give everybody some competition and everybody to come in and work even harder,” Dismuke said. “Whenever somebody comes to a group that’s new and then as good as he is, it’s going to give us a lot of competition. It will give us different things he brings to the table. He was at Ohio State so you know he’s seen a lot of different things.”
The Huskers have four intriguing options at that position. Johnson, Quinton Newsome, Braxton Clark and Nadab Joseph are all battling for that starting role. It should be a fun competition that leads to increased depth for Nebraska.
>> Look for the Huskers to have several visitors this weekend. We are in a quiet period so every visit is an unofficial visit. The biggest one for the 2022 class is Chicago offensive lineman Valen Erickson. He made a trip to Nebraska for the spring game, then an official visit and now for a bonus unofficial visit. It wouldn’t be surprising if he ended up in the class soon. (Editor’s note: Erickson committed on Friday.)
>> Maverick Noonan, a 2023 legacy outside linebacker prospect, is also visiting this weekend. The Elkhorn South star will be in town on Friday for the first practice of fall camp. Noonan has a lot of interest from regional schools right now but I like the Huskers’ position. Lincoln Southeast 2023 outside linebacker Teitum Tuioti will be at practice on Saturday. He’ll be joined by Husker commits and current teammates Jake Appleget and Gunnar Gottula. Nebraska 2023 tight end commit Ben Brahmer will also be in town that day.
>> The Huskers did host an unofficial visitor on Thursday. Iowa 2023 defensive back Watts McBride was offered by the team this summer after a good showing at camp. He returned to Lincoln and it was a positive experience.
Great day with @HuskerFBNation! Appreciate the opportunity to learn more about the program and further relationships with the coaches! @coach_frost @CoachChinander @CoachTFisher @SeanDillonNU pic.twitter.com/wtOF9J42ul
— watts mcbride (@wattsmcbride21) July 28, 2021
“While I was there I learned a lot about the academics,” McBride said. “I watched film of players Coach Fisher has coached and learned more about what it’s like to play for him. Overall, I got to spend a lot of time with the coaches and see what it’s like to play at Nebraska.”
McBride enjoyed his time with Fisher saying that it was really fun to be around him. McBride plans to be back in Lincoln for a game this fall. It will probably be a late October game.
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.
