The final results are in and Nebraska’s 2020 recruiting class is officially done. While it was expected that the Huskers wouldn’t have any activity on Wednesday for the late signing day, it was still a little jarring to experience.
The Huskers still came away with a great haul, especially if you grade on a curve given the on-field results. There has been a lot of focus on the 2021 cycle already through the month of January, which will prove beneficial down the road.
Let’s get to the Recon.
Husker Commits
Zavier Betts, wide receiver, Omaha, Nebraska
Marquis Black, defensive lineman, McDonough, Georgia
Alante Brown, wide receiver, Chicago, Illinois
Jimari Butler, outside linebacker, Mobile, Alabama
Alex Conn, offensive lineman, Derby, Kansas
Niko Cooper, outside linebacker, Memphis, Tennessee
Turner Corcoran, offensive lineman, Lawrence, Kansas
Ronald Delancy III, defensive back, Miami, Florida
Henry Gray, defensive back, Hollywood, Florida
Keyshawn Greene, linebacker, Crawfordville, Florida
Blaise Gunnerson, outside linebacker, Carroll, Iowa
Nash Hutmacher, defensive tackle, Chamberlain, South Dakota
Marcus Fleming, wide receiver, Miami, Florida
Jaiden Francois, defensive back, Homestead, Florida
Tamon Lynum, cornerback, Orlando, Florida
Omar Manning, wide receiver, Lancaster, Texas
Eteva Mauga-Clements, inside linebacker, Pleasant Hill, California
Sevion Morrison, running back, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Will Nixon, wide receiver, Waco, Texas
Pheldarius Payne, defensive end, Suffolk, Virginia
Jordon Riley, defensive lineman, Durham, North Carolina
Marvin Scott III, running back, Port Orange, Florida
Logan Smothers, quarterback, Athens, Alabama
2020 Needs
| QB | 0 | DL | 0 |
| RB | 0 | ILB | 0 |
| WR | 0 | OLB | 0 |
| TE | 0 | DB | 0 |
| OL | 0 | K/P | 0 |
The Recon:
>> A report came out on Thursday evening that longtime Kansas State assistant and special teams coordinator Sean Snyder would be taking a job at USC. If those reports prove to be correct, it’s hard to blame Snyder. It sounds like he was offered one of the full-time assistant positions at USC. He could not have had that opportunity at Nebraska. It stinks for Nebraska since everything I’ve heard is that it was expected he’d be running special teams next year. Things change fast though, especially when the coaching carousel is still spinning.
>> So far the only official visit the Huskers have locked in for this spring/summer is Georgia linebacker Chris Paul Jr. The defender took an unofficial visit for a game last season and loved it. He has a great relationship with the staff and would fit well with what the team is building. I’ve been leaning this way but I’m going to log an early prediction for him to be ‘N.’ The changes at Michigan State will set the Spartans back in this recruitment which could clear the way for the Huskers. The thing to watch here is if Luke Fickell takes the job in East Lansing. Paul is considering Cincinnati so if the coach there goes to a different school he was already considering that could be a factor.
>> The Huskers released new contract information for assistant coaches on Thursday. It was mostly standard with assistants getting a year tacked on to their contracts. We already knew about the changes for Ryan Held, Greg Austin and Travis Fisher. The mild surprise out of everything was offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Matt Lubick’s salary at $500,000 annually. Previous offensive coordinator Troy Walters came in at $700,000 per season. I didn’t expect there to be that type of gap. Contracts can be changed and raises can be earned but I just find that a bit curious.
>> No new offers in January for 2020. What does that mean? I think the staff learned a valuable lesson from the 2018 recruiting class to not reach for players late in the process. There wasn’t nearly as much talent available in the late signing period so it would have been a roll of the dice on finding new prospects.
Nebraska could elect to use the two remaining spots for the transfer portal but Coach Scott Frost seemed to pour a little cold water on the notion of the portal being a cure-all for the team. He said that the portal hasn’t been a “gold mine” some might think during an appearance on Sports Nightly and that there are good players out there but “not as many as people think.”
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.
