Things are heating up for Huskers on the recruiting trail. The team hosted a small but important Junior Day last weekend. The coaching staff was busy out around the country this week meeting prospects and coaches and will host a huge Junior Day this weekend. There is next to no movement with the 2020 class which was expected heading into this month.
Let’s get to the Recon.
Husker Commits
Zavier Betts, wide receiver, Omaha, Nebraska
Marquis Black, defensive lineman, McDonough, Georgia
Alante Brown, wide receiver, Chicago, Illinois
Jimari Butler, outside linebacker, Mobile, Alabama
Alex Conn, offensive lineman, Derby, Kansas
Niko Cooper, outside linebacker, Memphis, Tennessee
Turner Corcoran, offensive lineman, Lawrence, Kansas
Ronald Delancy III, defensive back, Miami, Florida
Henry Gray, defensive back, Hollywood, Florida
Keyshawn Greene, linebacker, Crawfordville, Florida
Blaise Gunnerson, outside linebacker, Carroll, Iowa
Nash Hutmacher, defensive tackle, Chamberlain, South Dakota
Marcus Fleming, wide receiver, Miami, Florida
Jaiden Francois, defensive back, Homestead, Florida
Tamon Lynum, cornerback, Orlando, Florida
Omar Manning, wide receiver, Lancaster, Texas
Eteva Mauga-Clements, inside linebacker, Pleasant Hill, California
Sevion Morrison, running back, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Will Nixon, wide receiver, Waco, Texas
Pheldarius Payne, defensive end, Suffolk, Virginia
Jordon Riley, defensive lineman, Durham, North Carolina
Marvin Scott III, running back, Port Orange, Florida
Logan Smothers, quarterback, Athens, Alabama
2020 Needs
| QB | 0 | DL | 0 |
| RB | 0 | ILB | 0 |
| WR | 0 | OLB | 0 |
| TE | 0 | DB | 0 |
| OL | 0 | K/P | 0 |
The Recon:
>> The Huskers might not be done kicking tires on wide receivers. I exchanged a few messages with Obi Obialo, a transfer from Marshall. The grad transfer told me that he is hearing from Nebraska, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech and others. Obialo said that the Huskers are definitely in the mix with him. In the 2018 season, Obialo was second on Marshall’s team in receptions with 42 catches for 505 yards and four touchdowns. He hasn’t set a visit to Nebraska yet but it’s something to keep an eye on.
>> Hail Varsity reported Thursday that Coach Scott Frost and quarterbacks coach Mario Verduzco would be in Louisiana to see 2022 quarterback Walker Howard. I was able to check in with the big-time signal-caller to see how the visit went.
“Those guys are fantastic and couldn’t of gone better,” Howard said.
He and his father have been to Lincoln for a game already and the plan is for them to come back for one of the summer camps. They aren’t sure if it will be for the quarterbacks camp or a Friday Night Lights. Either way, the Huskers are doing well so far with a player will who be one of the top prospects in 2022.
>> I still like the Huskers chances of adding Kansas State coach Sean Snyder to run special teams. It feels like an open secret at this point. That’s great news for Nebraska who struggled mightily on special teams last season. The son of legendary coach Bill Snyder would bring a proven track record of results to Lincoln.
>> It’s not often that I share news about rule changes but this one is worth it. Effective immediately, the official visit count will reset on April 1 instead of Aug. 1. That should have been a common-sense rule that was put in when the NCAA allowed schools to host juniors for early official visits in the spring/summer. It hurt Nebraska in a big way when Frost and his staff took over in Lincoln. The Huskers were caught up this cycle with 18 official visits left. The key thing to remember here is that on April 1, Nebraska will have 56 visits plus 6 they are allowed to carry over. That could allow for the Spring Game and Friday Night Lights official visit lists to grow.
>> Nebraska had some strong additions to the inside linebacker room with the 2020 recruiting class. JUCO Eteva Mauga-Clements and Keyshawn Greene are both expected to contribute to the team early. That room is very crowded with Will Honas, Collin Miller, Nick Henrich and Luke Reimer all fighting for snaps. Joseph Johnson, Garrett Snodgrass and Zach Schlager are in the equation. Expect to see Jackson Hannah moved to outside linebacker moving forward. Hannah played outside linebacker in high school so the position isn’t totally new. His path to playing time may be quicker at that spot.
>> My predictions reflect this but Nebraska has great 2021 momentum right now. I feel good about the team’s chances with tight end Thomas Fidone, wide receiver Keagan Johnson and cornerback Avante Dickerson. Priority 4-star outside linebacker TJ Bollers is another to keep an eye on but the Huskers are in a battle with Wisconsin. His recruitment won’t end for a while. There are other top targets trending the Huskers’ way for 2021 as well that I’m not quite ready to put predictions in for. Things are going quite well since the team has been able to build longer relationships with this class.
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.
