If you dropped in from the outside looking in and didn’t know Nebraska record or the extreme amount of drama around Husker football, you would assume they were having a solid season with a stable future. Why is that? Well, the staff has lined up an incredible visitor weekend. I have been able to confirm seven official visitors for this week’s game. Five-star WR Jalen Hall, 4-star DB Kalon Gervin, 4-star DE/OLB Elijah Wade, 3-star RB Jeremy Banks, 3-star OT Chris Bleich and unrated-but-fast-rising DB Andre Cisco are all coming to Lincoln this weekend. There are a couple more potential visitors that I am currently working to confirm as well.
Also, 4-star defensive back and Huskers commit Mario Goodrich is taking his official this weekend which will be his first trip back to Memorial Stadium for a game this season. In addition to that, 4-star wide receiver commit Joshua Moore wrote in his diary this week that he will be returning for an unofficial visit. In addition, 2019 3-star DB Jayden Russell from Kansas will be in Lincoln on an unofficial visit.
I have to give credit to Mike Riley and the staff for tuning out the noise and being the models of professionalism throughout this process as it has turned ugly. It’s not possible he hasn’t heard the clamoring to not only replace him, but a lot of people have made up their minds on exactly who needs to replace him. There really isn’t a better temperament than Riley’s to handle this and not burn everything down in anger.
Class Breakdown
Husker Commits
Cameron Brown, 4-star wide receiver, St. Louis, Missouri
Will Farniok, 3-star offensive lineman, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Mario Goodrich, 4-star cornerback, Lee’s Summit, Missouri
Cameron Jurgens, 4-star tight end, Beatrice, Nebraska
Masry Mapieu, 3-star defensive tackle, York, Nebraska
Joshua Moore, 4-star wide receiver, Yoakum, Texas
Barret Pickering, 2-star kicker, Birmingham, Alabama
Tate Wildeman, 3-star defensive lineman, Parker, Colorado
Chase Williams, 4-star athlete, Corona, California
David Alston, 3-star linebacker, St. Paul, Minnesota
2018 Needs
| QB | 0 | DL | 1 |
| RB | 1 | MLB | 0 |
| WR | 1-2 | OLB | 1 |
| TE | 0 | DB | 3 |
| OL | 1 | K/P | 0 |
News from the week
>>Mike Riley talked at length about his feelings around Nebraska’s JUCO recruiting.
>>In Joshua Moore’s latest diary, he broke the news of a return visit to Lincoln.
>>I offered 5 takeaways on the big news of the week, Brendan Radley-Hiles leaving the Nebraska class.
>>The No. 1 linebacker in the 2019 class, Owen Pappoe has Nebraska in his top three. The news happened to drop about the same time as the Radley-Hiles news came out so it got overlooked. This is a very big deal. I spoke with him to find out his timeline and what he likes about the Huskers.
Additional Recon
>>I mentioned above that I commend the staff for working so hard on the recruiting trail and being able to get high-profile visitors in Lincoln for visits despite the rumors surrounding their jobs. I also believe something else to be at work here that is human nature. There have to be coaches on this staff that view this perilous time as a way to audition and show their worth. Particularly, if they don’t have long-standing ties to Riley. If a change is made, what better what to show what you can bring to the table than to say who you brought in during a rocky time and maybe even got to commit during all of this? Don’t underestimate that factor, and I don’t blame anyone on staff thinking that way.
>>There is an interesting wrinkle in the Moore situation. He reported himself on this site that he will be in town for an unofficial this weekend. This was originally the weekend he was supposed to take an official visit to Florida State. However, with their season taking a nosedive, they have started pushing back official visits as changes are expected to their coaching staff. That’s a potentially big deal because Moore’s lead recruiter there could no longer be there after this season. On the Alabama front, I’m told Moore does not currently have a “committable offer” right now. All of the uncertainty around the other schools he is considering bodes well for Nebraska to have a better shot to hang on to him.
>>Speaking of receivers, 4-star wide receiver target Tommy Bush, who visited for the Wisconsin game with his family has a new suitor. USC has now entered the picture for Bush. USC is a school always lurking with prospects Nebraska is on mostly because they recruit so much in California but the Trojans reaching down to Texas is unusual. However, Bush is a national recruit and there is interest from him in taking a trip to Los Angeles.
>>While Nebraska has an impressive visitor list this weekend, it’s near impossible to handicap the Huskers chances with visitors. Not only is the staff on shaky ground, it’s hard to know the pitch to prospects right now. It’s very important to have Goodrich on campus to remind him and his family why they love Nebraska. The same goes for Moore. I’ve gotten the impression from speaking with some of the visitors that they are seriously considering Nebraska at this time and many of them (Hall, Gervin, Wade, Bleich) have all been trying to set up visits for quite some time. The best thing Nebraska can do for itself is just win.
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.
