The first week of the new year is complete. The 2020 football season is not over yet but teams all around the country are jockeying to improve their teams for the 2021 season. Things have remained relatively quiet with Nebraska but things won’t stay that way forever. Senior decisions, portal additions, recruits and coaching changes still need to be sorted out by coach Scott Frost.
Let’s get to the Recon.
Husker Commits
Koby Bretz, Defensive Back, Omaha, Nebraska
Ru’Quan Buckley, Defensive Lineman, Wyoming, Michigan
Marques Buford, Defensive Back, Cedar Hill, Texas
James Carnie, Tight End, Firth, Nebraska
Gabe Ervin, Running Back, Buford, Georgia
Thomas Fidone, Tight End, Council Bluffs, Iowa
Mikai Gbayor, Linebacker, Irvington, New Jersey
Kamonté Grimes, Wide Receiver, Naples, Florida
Heinrich Haarberg, Quarterback, Kearney, Nebraska
Shawn Hardy, Wide Receiver, Kingsland, Georgia
Wynden Ho’ohuli, Outside Linebacker, Mililani, Hawaii
Randolph Kpai, Inside Linebacker, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Henry Lutovsky, Offensive Lineman, Mount Pleasant, Iowa
Seth Malcom, Inside Linebacker, Tabor, Iowa
Latrell Neville, Wide Receiver, Houston, Texas
Teddy Prochazka, Offensive Lineman, Elkhorn, Nebraska
AJ Rollins, Tight End, Omaha, Nebraska
Jailen Weaver, defensive lineman, Antioch, California
Lardarius Webb, Defensive Back, Jackson, Mississippi
Malik Williams, Defensive Back, Buford, Georgia
Branson Yager, Offensive Lineman, Grantsville, Utah
2021 Needs
| QB | 0 | DL | 1 |
| RB | 0 | MLB | 0 |
| WR | 0 | OLB | 1 |
| TE | 0 | DB | 1 |
| OL | 0 | K/P | 0 |
The Recon:
>> The Huskers saw backup offensive lineman Matthew Anderson enter the transfer portal this week. The South Carolina native was always more of a long-term prospect and its going to be a hard path to playing time in Lincoln. Bryce Benhart and Turner Corcoran are locked in at the tackle spots for the foreseeable future. I don’t believe Anderson will be the only lineman to move on. Nebraska has done well recruiting offensive linemen and some guys are starting to see the writing on the wall.
>> At this point it does feel like all the transfers that Nebraska will have will fit in the mold of Keem Green or Matthew Anderson. Guys who were having a hard time making the move up the depth chart. It’s college football in 2021, so I won’t guarantee there won’t be any surprises, but there could be less attrition than a lot of fans feared.
>> One other thing that fans have wondered about are changes to the coaching staff. If we look at Coach Scott Frost’s history at Nebraska, he hasn’t flat-out fired guys on staff the way almost every other school does. He waits things out while working behind the scenes. There is a growing buzz around a change with the special teams setup. It’s pretty likely that we will see at least one full-time coach change too. There always seems to be a curveball or two in today’s college football.
>> If we are handicapping the position groups most likely to see a player added to Nebraska from the portal I would put running back and wide receiver at the top of the list. Running back becomes the main priority if Dedrick Mills leaves. Right now, it’s more likely that he leaves than comes back. Nebraska has recruited several running backs but all have question marks about being the lead guy in the Big Ten.
Wide receiver continues to be a focus because the position just can’t get settled under Frost. Excluding the 2021 class, Frost has brought in 17 receivers to Nebraska including transfers. Wan’Dale Robinson was the only significant contributor. Kanawai Noa, Levi Falck, Oliver Martin, Zavier Betts and Alante Brown saw time but none gave big production. At least not yet. There is a lot of football left for Betts and Brown in particular. Nebraska has brought transfers in at the position every year Frost has been in Lincoln.
>> Nebraska is still in the mix with Omaha Westside defensive back Avante Dickerson. Things have been quiet lately but that is normal for his recruitment. The Huskers will continue pursuing him up until he sends a letter of intent to a school. There is cautious optimism that he will end up a Husker.