We are in uncharted territory in the world of college football right now. The response to COVID-19’s spread has caused a shutdown many parts of life. College football is no exception as we are now in a NCAA-mandated ‘dead period.’ With no in-person recruiting allowed, the Huskers have been working the phones hard. The team has also continued watching film on recruits and of the current team as they try to get better.
It’s a strange time right now but there are still things happening behind the scenes.
Let’s get to the Recon.
Husker Commits
Randolph Kpai, Inside Linebacker, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Henry Lutovsky, Offensive Lineman, Mount Pleasant, Iowa
Teddy Prochazka, Offensive Lineman, Elkhorn, Nebraska
2021 Needs
| QB | 1 | DL | 4 |
| RB | 2 | MLB | 2 |
| WR | 2 | OLB | 2 |
| TE | 1 | DB | 2 |
| OL | 1 | K/P | 0 |
The Recon:
>> When I spoke to junior college cornerback De’Jahn Warren for Thursday night’s notebook, he told me that he did not want to name who his final three official visits were going to. He already has visits set to Penn State and Oklahoma. I would be surprised at this point if Nebraska doesn’t get a visit. Timing will be an issue because you want to get JUCO visits in during the summer if possible. That is definitely something to keep an eye on.
>> One of the things that Nebraska lost when Junior Day had to be canceled was a big opportunity for the three 2021 commits to peer recruit. Henry Lutovsky, Teddy Prochazka and Randolph Kpai were all looking forward to helping jump start the class. Lutovsky says that he has been in constant contact with Avante Dickerson, Ru’Quan Buckley, Thomas Fidone, TJ Bollers, Marcus Mbow, Keagan Johnson and others. One in-person recruiting picks back up it will be interesting to see which of those players that the commits get to be on campus with again.
>> Bellevue West wide receiver Keagan Johnson fully intended to make his college choice early in the summer or right after his school year ended. After speaking with him this week, I got the sense that his practice visits this month were going to weigh heavily in his ultimate choice. Now that those visits are off the table will he have to adjust his timeline? That will be a big question moving forward with a number of Nebraska targets. Having already hosted many of these prospects could pay off for Nebraska or there could be a big number of delayed announcements. We have to see how it all plays out.
>> There have been quite a few commitments this week around the country. Part of that is schools telling players that with so much uncertainty it is unclear what recruiting boards will look like when this is over. Spots at your top choice school could be hard to come by. We could end up seeing a push for commits at many schools around the country because guys just want their spot locked in at a school they liked all along. Prospects may be less willing to “play the recruiting game” under these circumstances.
>> One of the schools that has been on a run lately is Ohio State. It’s not a surprise considering that I’ve stated before they are cruising to the No. 1 overall recruiting class for 2021. That by itself isn’t that noteworthy for Husker fans. What is noteworthy though is that three of their commitments last week were from defensive backs. They currently have four defensive backs in their 2021 recruiting class. So where would Omaha Westside cornerback Avante Dickerson fit in? Ohio State generally doesn’t like to wait on prospects so it could be a deal where they told the defensive backs they liked that spots were first come first serve. That’s something to watch as the Buckeyes who were in Dickerson’s top three may not have a spot for him.
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.
