We made it. The dead period is lifted and the Huskers can start hitting the road again to search for prospects. The team can also host visitors on campus in a quest to complete the 2022 recruiting class. There has been a lot of news around the program this week. It has been quite the offseason in Nebraska football.
Let’s get to the Recon.
2022 Commits
Chase Androff, Tight End, Lakeville, Minnesota
Jake Appleget, Outside Linebacker, Lincoln, Nebraska
Decoldest Crawford, wide receiver, Shreveport, Louisiana
Justin Evans-Jenkins, Offensive Lineman, Irvington, New Jersey
Jaeden Gould, Defensive Back, Oradell, New Jersey
Malcolm Hartzog, Defensive Back, Bassfield, Mississippi
Ernest Hausmann, Outside Linebacker, Columbus, Nebraska
Emmett Johnson, Running Back, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Victor Jones Jr., Wide Receiver, Orlando, Florida
Jalil Martin, Defensive Back, Chicago, Illinois
DeShon Singleton, Defensive Back, Greensburg, Louisiana
Gage Stenger, Athlete, Omaha, Nebraska
Brodie Tagaloa, Defensive End, Concord, California
Richard Torres, Quarterback, San Antonio, Texas
2022 Needs
| QB | 1 | DL | 1 |
| RB | 0 | MLB | 0 |
| WR | 1 | OLB | 1 |
| TE | 0 | DB | 0 |
| OL | 2 | K/P | 0 |
The Recon:
>> The Huskers plan to host a pair of junior days during January. This has become pretty common. So much of the current-class recruiting is being done in December. January is now a great time to get future prospects on campus. A couple of early local names are expected to be back in Lincoln. Defensive end Maverick Noonan and athlete Malachi Coleman are scheduled to visit. It’s very important that Nebraska land those players during the 2023 cycle. Expect a wide range of other prospects to come through Lincoln in the coming weeks.
>> What a whirlwind week it’s been for Florida State quarterback Chubba Purdy. The Huskers got a commitment from transfer quarterback Casey Thompson. Then Purdy received an offer from Oklahoma. That led to him taking a midweek visit to check out the Sooners. Oklahoma had at least one quarterback scheduled to take an official visit besides Purdy. The Huskers will still get a visit from Purdy this weekend in hopes of bringing him into the fold.
No matter what choice Purdy makes he isn’t likely to walk into being a starter in 2022. Each school is hoping to get him in and groom him behind a veteran quarterback. This battle is going to come down to who Purdy thinks has the better plan for him. The relationship with the coaching staff will be key, too.
>> The Huskers have a big official visit week coming up. Now that the dead period is over schools around the country can host visitors again. There are six visitors scheduled to come into town this weekend. There were supposed to be eight players coming to town, but there has been a change of plans with two. East Tennessee State offensive lineman Tre’mond Shorts (6-4, 301) has canceled his official with the Huskers. He’s considering a handful of southern schools. Mississippi State, LSU, UCF and North Carolina are on the list. LSU is thought to be his leader at this point.
Defensive back Javier Morton won’t be in town either. He may not have a committable offer to Nebraska while he tries to clean up some academic concerns.
>> When Nebraska took a new scholarship punter and kicker this offseason you knew there would be attrition at those spots. We have already seen William Przystup enter the portal. Sources indicate that scholarship punter Daniel Cerni has gone on medical hardship. That would mean his scholarship doesn’t count toward the 85-man limit but he’s able to stay in school. Cerni has never quite recovered from a lower body injury that happened during his first scrimmage on campus.
>> One of the most interesting storylines with Nebraska football right now is what’s happening with the running back room. The Huskers have a coach with Bryan Applewhite being announced on Thursday. He inherits a room that is pretty full without a known commodity. The team has also added a pair of running backs to the roster while trying to hire him. It’s not likely that he had any say in bringing in Emmett Johnson or Deondre Jackson. We don’t know if everyone from last year’s group will return. Applewhite will have his hands full coaching up the group. It needs to show big improvement from last year.
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.
