The season is officially underway for Nebraska. It is not exactly the start that Nebraska or its fans wanted. You get the feeling that if the Huskers could have played a game on Tuesday last week to get the taste of the Illinois loss out of their mouths they would. This week was all about fine-tuning details and not making mental mistakes for a team that needs a big win badly.
This weekend is also the first time since 2019 that the team will host visitors for a game day experience.
Let’s get to the Recon.
2022 Commits
Chase Androff, Tight End, Lakeville, Minnesota
Jake Appleget, Outside Linebacker, Lincoln, Nebraska
Valen Erickson, offensive lineman, Chicago, Illinois
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 a misconception I want to attempt to clear up. People think recruiting is slowing down because of the Illinois loss. That’s not necessarily true. It was always going to be like this. We knew coming into the season that only three or four spots remained in the 2022 class. I reported before the Illinois game that Nebraska was not likely to host many September official visitors.
That doesn’t mean the small class is the only reason. I do think the toll of three losing seasons in a row is hurting coach Scott Frost on the recruiting trail. Moving forward Nebraska piling up losses will impact the season more and more. So the Illinois game didn’t cause this but it’s not going to help moving forward.
>> The lone official visitor for the weekend is wide receiver commit Victor Jones Jr. The pass catcher is making his way from Florida for his first Husker game. The Huskers will need to keep making a good impression because schools are not slowing down trying to recruit him. He had a great summer and start to his season.
Look for a handful of local prospects for 2022 and 2023 to be in attendance for unofficial visits. There will also be an important 2024 visitor on the sidelines. Defensive back Mario Buford is a rising name in the 2024 class. He’s also the younger brother of current Nebraska defensive back Marques Buford.
Nebraska’s local commits, Ernest Hausmann, Jake Appleget, Ben Brahmer and Gunnar Gottula will all be at the game too. Stay tuned to Hail Varsity for a full visit preview later on Friday.
>> The offensive line was an obvious disappointment during the Illinois game. It’s not 100% happening, but keep an eye on Broc Bando starting in place of Ethan Piper. I’m told those two rotated a lot during practice this week.
>> There was a lot of chatter in the fan base this week about who was playing at wide receiver. After last season, when it felt like some of the best athletes were on the bench, people entered the game hoping to see a change. This week fans hoping for a shakeup to the starting lineup will likely be disappointed. Samori Touré, Oliver Martin and Wyatt Liewer are the projected starters again. We’ll see if Omar Manning, Zavier Betts and maybe Alante Brown can have bigger roles this week in the game plan. Playing Fordham will definitely help.
Touré may be new to Nebraska, but he is a veteran player. He had some wise advice for the players hoping to see the field more this weekend.
“I’m just telling them to stay with it. Stay with the program and I think that’s what they’re going to do,” Touré said. “Obviously, everyone wants to be on the field. But I was telling them, ‘Stick with the process, keep going hard in the practice,’ and they’re going to get their time, they’re going to get involved more, for sure.”
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.
