The initial excitement with the early signing period has come and gone. The Huskers are on their way to bringing another top-25 class to Lincoln under Coach Scott Frost. The program continues to add intriguing athletes to the roster.
This year is different in a lot of ways. This week though? It’s because Nebraska also has a game. The Huskers are at Rutgers for a bonus Big Ten game. It has been a busy week for Nebraska balancing everything with more to come.
Let’s get to the Recon.
Husker Commits
Koby Bretz, Defensive Back, Omaha, Nebraska
Ru’Quan Buckley, Defensive Lineman, Wyoming, Michigan
Marques Buford, Defensive Back, Cedar Hill, Texas
James Carnie, Tight End, Firth, Nebraska
Gabe Ervin, Running Back, Buford, Georgia
Thomas Fidone, Tight End, Council Bluffs, Iowa
Mikai Gbayor, Linebacker, Irvington, New Jersey
Kamonté Grimes, Wide Receiver, Naples, Florida
Heinrich Haarberg, Quarterback, Kearney, Nebraska
Shawn Hardy, Wide Receiver, Kingsland, Georgia
Randolph Kpai, Inside Linebacker, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Henry Lutovsky, Offensive Lineman, Mount Pleasant, Iowa
Seth Malcom, Inside Linebacker, Tabor, Iowa
Latrell Neville, Wide Receiver, Houston, Texas
Patrick Payton, Outside Linebacker, Miami, Florida
Teddy Prochazka, Offensive Lineman, Elkhorn, Nebraska
AJ Rollins, Tight End, Omaha, Nebraska
Jailen Weaver, defensive lineman, Antioch, California
Lardarius Webb, Defensive Back, Jackson, Mississippi
Malik Williams, Defensive Back, Buford, Georgia
Branson Yager, Offensive Lineman, Grantsville, Utah
2021 Needs
| QB | 0 | DL | 1 |
| RB | 0 | MLB | 0 |
| WR | 0 | OLB | 1 |
| TE | 0 | DB | 1 |
| OL | 0 | K/P | 0 |
The Recon:
>> It’s well-documented now that the start to the early signing period was very low on drama for the Huskers. The biggest mystery out there right now surrounds a player committed to a division rival that Nebraska would love to sign. It’s still unclear if Omaha Westside 4-star defensive back Avante Dickerson will choose to sign with Nebraska this week. He has until midnight Friday to decide. The Huskers are pushing to get it done and he does have a letter of intent from the Huskers in case he wants to sign it. Either way, the Huskers are doing their best to keep the talented player home.
>> The biggest reason why Nebraska had all 19 letters of intent in by 10 a.m. local time is because the guys in the class are very tight. The relationships they’ve built despite having to deal with a pandemic has been pretty impressive. Tight end Thomas Fidone credits the group’s “unofficial” trip to Lincoln that he took with Henry Lutovsky, Heinrich Haarberg, Teddy Prochazka and Seth Malcom for kicking that off. On that trip, that group also became close with Turner Corcoran, Bryce Benhart, Garrett Snodgrass and other players on the team.
The Nebraska and nearby commits met up several times during the cycle. James Carnie and Randolph Kpai were in Lincoln just last weekend together. A group of the commits found their way to the Class A state championship game to watch Elkhorn South and Omaha Westside play. Malcom went to Fidone’s homecoming game. There are so many stories of how this group came together and weathered the storm of a tough season. It’s not surprise that 13 of them will be enrolling early.
>> After we complete the early signing period, one of the dominant storylines for 2021 recruiting will be if Nebraska can close on any of the Hawaii prospects they like. The trio of linebacker Wynden Ho’ohuli, defensive lineman Zhen Sotelo and wide receiver Titus Atimalala-Mokiao are all in play for Nebraska. Defensive line coach Tony Tuioti is the lead recruiter on each. If he can help Nebraska land just one, he will skyrocket up the list of assistant coach MVP for this recruiting cycle. It’s not easy task to land a player from the island to Nebraska especially in 2020 when they couldn’t visit campus.
>> With senior offensive tackle Brenden Jaimes off to prepare for the NFL, true freshman Turner Corcoran will get the start in his place. It’s exciting to see the former top-100 recruit get his first extended action. It’s worth remembering Corcoran and right tackle Bryce Benhart are the highest-rated tackles Nebraska has signed in the internet era. If they pan out, the future is bright along that offensive line.
