The Huskers hosted their third junior day of this year over the weekend. It was the first one that prospects were able to come in for a practice with the re-tooled coaching staff. Nebraska had players from a dozen states come to town. One of the most intriguing prospects to make it was East St. Louis, Illinois, offensive lineman Paris Patterson.
Patterson (6-6, 345) wanted to make the trip to Nebraska after having good communication with the staff for the last few months. He had some clear priorities for the trip. Seeing the facilities in person and getting a good feel for the school were his objectives. The lineman liked what he found during his trip to Nebraska.
“I just instantly fell in love with it,” Patterson said. “From the coaching staff to the facilities.”
Great time this past weekend at the University of Nebraska. Can’t wait to be back @SeanDillonNU @daboot02 @KyleYoung_NU #GBR #GBR🌽 pic.twitter.com/NjPcVehwJu
— Paris Patterson jr (@p_pattersonjr) March 6, 2022
Patterson got a great vibe from the coaches that he spent time with on Saturday. Wide receivers coach Mickey Joseph, director of player personnel Sean Dillon and offensive line coach Donovan Raiola were all welcoming to him and his family. It stood out to the lineman that they all treated him like family right away.
One of the things that Patterson liked the most about the visit was being able to see the Huskers practice. He was able to get a real look at what to expect if he committed to the Huskers. Seeing a college practice was a good experience.
“It wasn’t really different besides the speed,” Patterson said. “The energy everybody had was just good energy and good vibes. They were being aggressive but keeping each other safe and staying up also. They were just executing plays with minimal mistakes.”
Patterson was able to get time with Raiola throughout the day. He would even pop over during practice to explain the drill the team was doing. That was helpful for Patterson to see how Raiola coaches his players.
“It was really a lot of good knowledge that he was giving me,” Patterson said. “I could really see it being implemented into the game of football.”
Patterson said that he can’t wait to take some of the things he learned on Saturday about offensive line play and use them during his senior season. He’s been working on his flexibility, finishing blocks and being more aggressive. Next up for him are visits to Northern Alabama and Western Michigan.
There are also planned trips to Missouri and Louisville down the road. The lineman is looking forward to helping whichever school he picks return to glory. He wants to have a chance to hit the ground running at his college to earn early playing time. Patterson plans to return to Nebraska for the Red-White Spring Game.
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.
