It’s been a busy time for Nebraska recruiting, especially as things have picked up on the trail. There has been a lot of buzz following the Big Red BBQ and second Friday Night Lights camp, along with the seven official visits that Nebraska hosted. The Huskers have picked up two commits from that weekend with cornerback Tamon Lynum and offensive lineman Alex Conn joining the fold.
There is still plenty to discuss so lets get to the Recon.
Class Breakdown
Husker Commits
Zavier Betts, wide receiver, Omaha, Nebraska
Alex Conn, offensive lineman, Derby, Kansas
Turner Corcoran, offensive lineman, Lawrence, Kansas
Tamon Lynum, cornerback, Orlando, Florida
Logan Smothers, quarterback, Athens, Alabama
2020 Needs
| QB | 0 | DL | 3 |
| RB | 1 | MLB | 2 |
| WR | 2 | OLB | 2 |
| TE | 0 | DB | 2 |
| OL | 2 | K/P | 0 |
The Recon:
>> This last weekend, Nebraska saw two of its main targets go on official visits to other schools that happen to be the main competition for those players. Omaha Burke’s Xavier Watts took his official visit to Notre Dame and Blaise Gunnerson took his official visit to Iowa State. It’s not a secret by that strong consideration was given by Watts to committing to the Irish in South Bend. I do not know the exact reason he chose to hold off but any delays or return trips to Lincoln after the dead period help the Huskers. In the meantime, everyone will be on pins and needles to see if he makes an announcement soon.
As for Gunnerson, he is in decision mode which could mean an announcement at any time. His family has strong ties to Iowa State, which is always a concern but his family has also really clicked with Nebraska and the Huskers’ staff. I still like Nebraska to win a very tight battle with the Cyclones, which would be a big win over Matt Campbell’s program.
>> I’ve talked on various radio shows and podcasts about the overall excitement level of prospects coming out of the Big Red BBQ and second Friday Night Lights weekend. It was definitely different than most weekends and one of the players that was the most excited was linebacker Malik Reed. I put in a prediction on Sunday night that Reed would be ‘N’ after learning that he was a silent commit and intended to announce publicly after talking with his father when he got home. That talk with his father (and other family members) flipped things back to Wisconsin, mainly centered around how many linebackers Wisconsin had developed. Recruiting can be wild and unpredictable and this is just the latest example.
>> Recent official visitor Josh Moten will be making his announcement on where he is going to play his college football on July 2. The former Penn State commit is between Nebraska and Texas A&M. As he told Hail Varsity after his visit, he is looking for a relationship with the head coach. That’s good news for Nebraska since he thinks the world of Scott Frost. In addition to that, he reached back out and told me he’s looking for a place that can give him a great education, a place he can be comfortable at and call home and a place that fits his game. I do think Nebraska has a good shot to come away with Moten’s commitment.
>> Kansas offensive lineman Alex Conn committed to Nebraska last week, giving the Huskers a pair of good offensive linemen in the class. The big reason that Conn told me he ultimately chose Nebraska was a gut feeling that he had about Nebraska being the place for him. He has high upside and I’ll be curious how his career plays out.
>> Since there haven’t been many updates on the Jahkeem Green situation, I think some have taken that as a bad sign. That’s not necessarily the case. I was able to talk to Judd Remmers, Green’s junior college coach at Highland Community College, who believes things are still looking good for Huskers. The Texas Tech visit didn’t necessarily blow Green away with warmer weather being about the only thing in favor over Nebraska. Green did take a trip to Florida International but came away thinking that program was “too small” for him. Houston is still in the mix here but right now I’d count on the Huskers hanging on to Green and him being in Lincoln later this summer.
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.
