We are in the dog days of fall camp. There are just a couple of weeks left until the kickoff to the 2019 season for Nebraska. The Huskers are a confident team heading into the home stretch of camp. This week, the arrival of junior college defensive lineman Jahkeem Green was the big off the field storyline when media got to see the team practice.
There is plenty going on behind the scenes, so let’s get to the Recon.
Class Breakdown
Husker Commits
Zavier Betts, wide receiver, Omaha, Nebraska
Alex Conn, offensive lineman, Derby, Kansas
Turner Corcoran, offensive lineman, Lawrence, Kansas
Blaise Gunnerson, outside linebacker, Carroll, Iowa
Nash Hutmacher, defensive tackle, Chamberlain, South Dakota
Tamon Lynum, cornerback, Orlando, Florida
Will Nixon, wide receiver, Waco, Texas
Logan Smothers, quarterback, Athens, Alabama
2020 Needs
| QB | 0 | DL | 3 |
| RB | 1 | MLB | 2 |
| WR | 2 | OLB | 2 |
| TE | 1 | DB | 2 |
| OL | 2 | K/P | 0 |
The Recon:
>> Every recruiting cycle there are players who commit early to other schools but the Huskers keep purusing them. That is generally a good idea to keep the lines of communication open because you never know what can happen. In addition, there are commitments that take the staff by surprise when they thought the choice would go their way. Two players who Nebraska will still recruit are California defensive tackle Jamar Sekona and Arizona linebacker Malik Reed.
Both commitments, Sekona (USC) and Reed (Wisconsin) were heavily trending Nebraska’s way. Sekona has yet to take his official visit to Lincoln which is great for Nebraska to have in its back pocket. The California defender took an unofficial visit to Lincoln for the spring game. Reed is in a slightly different situation. He took his official visit to Lincoln over the summer but both of his parents were unable to make the trip. The Huskers need to continue having strong communication with both parents to stay in the hunt. Getting the whole family back out for a game in the fall on their own dime will be tough but not impossible.
>> Sevion Morrison, the 3-star running back from Tulsa will be making his college announcement next Wednesday, Aug. 21. Nebraska still has the momentum here and at this point, I’d be surprised if he doesn’t end up in Lincoln. The only thing to watch for long-term is if the Sooners offer Morrison since he grew up a big Oklahoma fan. Either way, Nebraska will look to add at least one more running back in the class with Morrison. The leading candidate to join him would be Marvin Scott III.
>> The chances are very high that former McCook star Zach Schlager will announce a transfer to Nebraska soon. If that happens, he will be someone to be excited about in 2020. He already has Division I experience and a year with Zach Duval will be very beneficial. Team sources indicated to me they believe he could be quite a player down the road. I would bet that he won’t be a walk-on for long. The Huskers have reached the limit of scholarship players they could add this year so getting Schlager to walk on is a huge boon.
>> There is a lot of buzz around the arrival of JUCO defensive tackle Jahkeem Green. I would argue that the amount of excitement around Green and running back Dedrick Mills is exactly what you want when adding a JUCO player. As for Green specifically, I’m told the Nebraska staff is pleased with his willingness to learn and jump right in. Green came to Lincoln in pretty good physical shape but there is still room for improvement in that area. He is quite athletic and does have NFL potential. I still believe he will be in the rotation for the first week of the season.
>> Cam Taylor is playing all over the field for the Huskers this fall. This week, he even mentioned that he is playing the hybrid outside linebacker/safety role that JoJo Domann plays in certain packages. Taylor has become the type of player that the defensive staff just wants to get on the field any way it can.
>> The Huskers haven’t had much luck recruiting St. Louis lately. There is a new target emerging in the area, wide receiver Lawaun Powell. He included Nebraska in his top three recently, a top three that also included Iowa State and Illinois. At some point, the Huskers will have to land a player from the area if they hope to build a pipeline. Powell is high on the Huskers and was in town for a Junior Day in February. An official visit could be in the works this fall.
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.
