There was a lot of excitement on Wednesday for the early signing period to begin and it certainly was a good day for Nebraska. By 9:30 a.m. CT, the Huskers had received letters of intent from 20 of their 22 verbal commitments. Offensive lineman Desmond Bland was not expected to sign and we are still waiting on word if running back Dedrick Mills will be able to sign before the early signing period closes.
The Huskers did great work with the signing day announcements, going three for four. They landed defensive ends Ty Robinson and Brant Banks, as well as offensive tackle Jimmy Fritzsche. The Huskers only missed out on outsider linebacker Lloyd Summerall (who selected Florida instead). There is still work to be done for this class and information to be shared.
Lets get to the Recon.
Class Breakdown
Husker Commits
Matthew Anderson, offensive lineman, Leesville, Lousiana
Brant Banks, defensive end, Houston, Texas
Bryce Benhart, offensive lineman, Lakeville, Minnesota
Desmond Bland, offensive lineman, Yuma, Arizona
Darien Chase, wide receiver, Vancouver, Washington
Myles Farmer, defensive back, Atlanta, Georgia
Jimmy Fritzsche, offensive tackle, Greenville, South Carolina
Jackson Hannah, linebacker, Nashville, Tennesee
Nick Henrich, linebacker, Omaha, Nebraska
Chris Hickman, tight end, Omaha, Nebraska
Rahmir Johnson, running back, Oradell, New Jersey
Michael Lynn, offensive lineman, Greenwood Village, Colorado
Luke McCaffrey, quarterback, Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Dedrick Mills, running back, Garden City, Kansas
Jamie Nance, wide receiver, Blanchard, Oklahoma
Garrett Nelson, defensive end, Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Mosai Newsom, defensive end, Waverly, Iowa
Quinton Newsome, defensive back, Suwanee, Georgia
Ethan Piper, defensive tackle, Norfolk, Nebraska
Ty Robinson, defentive tackle, Gilbert, Arizona
Wandale Robinson, athlete, Frankfort, Kentucky
Garrett Snodgrass, athlete, York, Nebraska
Ronald Thompkins, running back, Loganville, Georgia
Javin Wright, defensive back, Chandler, Arizona
2019 Needs
| QB | 0 | DL | 0 |
| RB | 0 | MLB | 0 |
| WR | 1 | OLB | 1 |
| TE | 0 | DB | 2 |
| OL | 1 | K/P | 0 |
Additional Recon
>> One of the bigger storylines from Wednesday was just how drama-free it was. When people say that, it’s mostly in reference to 90 percent of the verbal commitments sending in their paperwork before 10 a.m. CT. The staff was also worry-free because by around that time they also had Banks’ and Robinson’s letter of intents. None of the announcements came as a surprise to the staff so they knew coming in that it would be a good day. That’s a departure from year’s past on signing day.
>> It’s not a secret that pass rush is one of the key ingredients missing from a good recruiting class that isn’t finished yet. More names will surface soon, but I can say that the staff is working very hard to secure more pass rush in the class. We know that linebacker Brandon Mack will be a target. He just left the Pitt class. Another name to keep in mind is junior college DE/OLB Soni Fonua. The Mesa Community College defender has high interest in Nebraska and the team should get a January visit.
>> Sticking with the defensive theme, 2019 linebacker Eugene Asante picked up an offer from the Huskers yesterday. The younger brother of Larry Asante is seeing his stock rise and will certainly be a player to watch in the run to February. The Huskers are very likely to get an official visit from the defender who picked up offers from Miami and UCLA recently. It’s not a slam dunk that he ends up at Nebraska but it certainly doesn’t hurt to have his brother in his ear about the Huskers.
>> One of the bigger mysteries coming out of the early signing period is whether or not 4-star defensive back Noa Pola-Gates signed a letter of intent and is keeping it quiet. Honestly, there have been signs both ways on this one. It would not surprise me if he was already signed to play for Nebraska but I don’t know either way at this point. If he has not signed, expect him to hear from Javin Wright and Robinson quite a bit about why he should be joining them in Lincoln.
>> We have not fully turned our attention to the 2020 recruiting class just yet. However, one player that will have the spotlight shift on him immediately is 2020 Omaha Burke wide receiver Xavier Watts. If you have followed along with my analysis for a while, you know that I think he’s the best receiver in Nebraska. Now that his teammates Chris Hickman and Nick Henrich are on their way to Lincoln next month, people want to know if Watts could be next. There is no indication that Watts is looking to decide soon but those questions will get louder. This picture was taken at the signing ceremony for Henrich and Hickman on Thursday.
A future Husker? 🤔 #GBR pic.twitter.com/ptjO8dg055
— Hail Varsity (@HailVarsity) December 20, 2018
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.
