We made it. The weekend that we have been building up to since the end of the spring game is finally here. This weekend Nebraska will host its second Friday Night Lights camp and its Big Red BBQ. There will be seven official visitors on campus and you can read about them and the other priority targets who will be in Lincoln in our preview.
There is a lot happening as we close in on the dead period so lets get to the Recon.
Class Breakdown
Husker Commits
Zavier Betts, wide receiver, Omaha, Nebraska
Turner Corcoran, offensive lineman, Lawrence, Kansas
Logan Smothers, quarterback, Athens, Alabama
2020 Needs
| QB | 0 | DL | 3 |
| RB | 1 | MLB | 2 |
| WR | 2 | OLB | 2 |
| TE | 0 | DB | 3 |
| OL | 3 | K/P | 0 |
The Recon:
>> As mentioned in Thursday’s notebook, this is not just a big weekend for visitors on campus but also top targets that are taking visits elsewhere. Omaha Burke wide receiver Xavier Watts will be taking his big official visit to Notre Dame. The current feeling is that the Irish lead and are hoping to shut the door on the Huskers and Wolverines. Outside linebacker Blaise Gunnerson is taking his official visit to Iowa State this weekend with the hopes of using the final visit to sway him away from Nebraska. Outside linebacker Kaden Johnson is heading to Wisconsin this weekend and linebacker Cody Simon will be in Columbus visiting Ohio State. Keep a close eye on Watts, Gunnerson and Simon in particular since they’ve all taken multiple visits to Nebraska.
>> Speaking of visits elsewhere, Huskers defensive line commit Jahkeem Green is still taking that visit to Texas Tech. Right now, I’d still put this in the category of something to watch but not full panic mode yet. Green, from South Carolina, has been enamored with playing in the South but could go to Tech and realize that it’s better to be at Nebraska. The Huskers staff still very much wants him in camp as soon as possible.
>> Now that Ronald Thompkins is fully eligible and will be in Lincoln next week, running back additions are done, right? Well, there could be one name to keep an eye on. The chatter around Ohio rusher John Bivens has persisted and the door may not be closed for him to join the team. Prior to his knee injury, the staff really liked his junior film. He did take an official visit so the elusive “blueshirt” would be out of the picture for him. Is it possible that Bivens would walk-on with the possibility of earning a scholarship later? Time will tell.
>> There are a number of intriguing storylines developing for the 2020 recruiting class and one of them is what will happen at wide receiver? This weekend alone, you’ll have junior college wide receivers Dominick Watt (unofficial visit) and Omar Manning (official visit) on campus. In addition, fast-rising wide receiver Ajou Ajou (official visit) will be here and last weekend atts was in Lincoln for an unofficial visit. To clear up the board a bit, it’d be nice to have one of these pass-catchers in the class along with Zavier Betts before the season starts.
>> The 2021 group of prospects on campus this week will be strong. Iowa outside linebacker TJ Bollers and Elkhorn South’s Teddy Prochazka are the headliners but there will be a number of talented players in Lincoln from the class of 2021. There will also be two quarterbacks, Peter Costelli and Santino Marucci, who get to see the program up close and personal. Seth Malcolm from Iowa and Avante Dickerson from Omaha are also guys that could easily turn into priority targets for 2021. There will likely be more than one prospect from next cycle who ends up referencing this event as a turning point in their recruitment.
>> This is a huge weekend for Nebraska recruiting. There is no doubt about that and sometimes you need a boost to get it kicked off. The best chance at a commitment before he leaves campus comes from Kansas offensive lineman Alex Conn. The Huskers have done a great job of recruiting him, he was in Lincoln for the spring game and Turner Corcoran has been in his ear about the Huskers.
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.
