It’s finally back. Well, sort of. Football is back as spring football is underway to give you a nice appetizer before the fall. There are plenty of storylines to be sorted through on the field for Nebraska as Year 2 of the Scott Frost era begins. On the recruiting side of things, there are lot of moving pieces as the board is being settled thanks to the staff spending a lot of time evaluating players in recent weeks.
This spring could go a long way to setting up another big summer on the trail for the Huskers.
Let’s get to the Recon.
Class Breakdown
Husker Commits
Logan Smothers, quarterback, Athens, Alabama
2020 Needs
| QB | 0 | DL | 3 |
| RB | 1 | MLB | 2 |
| WR | 2 | OLB | 2 |
| TE | 1 | DB | 3 |
| OL | 4 | K/P | 0 |
The Recon:
>> Earlier this week, I had an interview with 2021 defensive end target TJ Bollers about his recent trip to Lincoln. The defender is from Iowa Hawkeye country so he will be a tough pull but I’ve learned an interesting nugget that could be key in his recruitment. His dad went to Iowa and played football there but his roommate in Iowa City was defensive coordinator Erik Chinander. That’s something to certainly keep in mind as he goes through the process.
>> Elkhorn South 2021 offensive lineman Teddy Prochazka has been getting some good recognition lately. He was invited to Nike’s The Opening and he picked up an offer from Michigan. When talking to people familiar with his recruitment, he may let the process play out a bit but the term “dream school” has been thrown around a lot regarding Nebraska. I’ve gone ahead and put in an early prediction for him to be in the class of 2021.
>> Sticking with offensive linemen that I have predicted to Nebraska, Turner Corcoran has another visit set up to Lincoln. It sounds like he and a high school coach, Sam Stroh will be in Lincoln for practice on March 15. That would be Corcoran’s seventh visit to Lincoln since Frost took over the program by my count.
He will be at Ohio State’s spring game which is the same day as Nebraska’s and just took an unofficial to Oklahoma. Despite the new energy around both Kansas and Kansas State, this one is a race between the Huskers, Sooners and Buckeyes. I still like my prediction of him being in the 2020 class at some point around the start of the season.
>> One of the biggest news items to come from Tuesday’s press conferences to mark the start of spring football was coach Frost talking about Adrian Martinez’ next steps in his development. I found it striking that he didn’t mention a single on-field trait but went right to leadership. The bottom line is that Martinez is the face of the program and Frost is comfortable putting the type of pressure on him that comes with acknowledging that. Frost wouldn’t put Martinez in that spot if he didn’t think he could handle it so I’d look for the quarterback to be a true sophomore captain this season.
>> Since Nebraska has its 2020 quarterback in Logan Smothers, 2021 QB recruiting will be something to follow this year. Jalen Milroe is a quarterback from Katy, Texas, that recently picked up an offer from the Huskers. He was blown away that Nebraska was his first Power Five offer.
“I was very excited and honored to receive my first Power Five offer and have the potential to play for Coach Frost and Coach [Mario] Verduzco. When I met Coach Verduzco when he visited my school he seemed to know a lot about me and had a lot of great things to say then when I spoke to him again and he offered me. It felt unreal.”
Milroe is very interested in Nebraska and wants to be in Lincoln for a spring practice and/or the spring game. A family atmosphere and a history of developing quarterbacks are two of the most important things to him at this stage in his recruitment.
>> Adam Vandervest, a 2020 lineman from Wisconsin will be making the trip out to Lincoln for the Huskers’ second Junior Day on March 30. The lineman doesn’t have an offer yet but the 6-foot-6, 280-pounder is one to keep an eye on for the future.
Between that Junior Day, spring practices and the spring game, there will be a lot of talent coming through Lincoln soon.
>> If you have been following the offers, a junior college cornerback is a priority for the 2020 class. There are some good ones out there this cycle. Art Green (Hutchinson), Brian George (Highland) and Marco Domio (Blinn) already have offers from Nebraska. Adding someone who can contribute immediately next year after losing Lamar Jackson and Eric Lee from the corner rotation will be important as the young defensive backs on the roster continue to develop.
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.
