Things are still pretty locked down in college athletics with COVID-19 restrictions. That resulted in the NCAA extending their dead period to May 31. Schools can still talk to kids on the phone, through texts or FaceTime, but they just can’t have on-campus visitors and coaches are also not allowed out on the road. Still, there are things happening on the trail for the Huskers.
Let’s get to the Recon.
Husker Commits
Randolph Kpai, Inside Linebacker, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Henry Lutovsky, Offensive Lineman, Mount Pleasant, Iowa
Christopher Paul Jr., Inside linebacker, Cordele, Georgia
Teddy Prochazka, Offensive Lineman, Elkhorn, Nebraska
2021 Needs
| QB | 1 | DL | 4 |
| RB | 2 | MLB | 2 |
| WR | 2 | OLB | 2 |
| TE | 1 | DB | 2 |
| OL | 1 | K/P | 0 |
The Recon:
>> Here is some news to watch. The University of California announced Wednesday that it would greatly ease admission requirements for fall 2020 and 2021 by eliminating SAT scores and letter grades. Required courses could also be altered due to the impact COVID-19 has had on academics. I wonder if the NCAA will have to do something similar to this for student-athletes. All teams end up have some kids that are right on the borderline when it comes to qualifying. For football, the cases of Omar Manning, Zavier Betts, Niko Cooper and Pheldarius Payne could be helped.
>> Michigan picked up a tight end commitment from 4-star Louis Hansen on Thursday. Normally I wouldn’t be telling you about a Wolverine commit but this relates to Nebraska. Council Bluffs 4-star tight end Thomas Fidone has Michigan in his top group, so the Wolverines picking up another tight end could have an impact there. They could be looking to add two guys at the position like Nebraska is but it’s still worth keeping an eye on.
>> Since all the restrictions went in to place during an important time with spring practice, the Huskers have had to find a way of staying connected and to keep meeting. The Big Ten allows every team to have two hours of Zoom meetings each week with their players. Those meetings are mostly with position groups and their coach. For example, the defensive line met Monday for an hour. The Big Ten also allows coaches to meet an unlimited amount with each other.
>> Nebraska has offered five quarterbacks in the last week. Nicco Marchiol (Arizona), Steve Angeli (New Jersey), Alex Orji (Texas), MJ Morris (Georgia) and Ty Simpson (Tennessee) have all seen the Huskers enter the race for their signature. The evaluation process for these quarterbacks has been adjusted since the coaches can’t see them in person. First there is a video evaluation followed by a conversation with the head coach. That’s followed but followed by getting to know the player himself. Nebraska does place a high emphasis on seeing players throw in person so it will be interesting to see how they handle that down the road.
>> On Thursday, my interview with 6-foot-4 defensive back Gabe Nealy went live on the site. After speaking with him, my feeling is that this could be a Nebraska versus Michigan State battle. His eventual visits will be huge. He’s built a nice relationship with both coaching staffs but his connections to Marcus Fleming, Henry Gray and Jaiden Francois could help the Huskers a lot.
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.
