On Wednesday, 3-star (HV Rating: 88.3) outside linebacker Blaise Gunnerson signed his letter of intent to become a Husker. He is my No. 4 Early Signing Day Greg’s Guy.
OLB : Blaise Gunnerson
[ @b_gunnerson ]#GBRXX ☠️ #TheGoodLife pic.twitter.com/xRnlsMXbrs
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFBNation) December 18, 2019
Gunnerson is a player that the Huskers identified early in the process as something the staff wanted in the fold badly. The Iowa native (6-5, 250) has a great combination of size and athleticism that defensive coordinator Erik Chinander has to be excited to work with. There was some debate when Gunnerson first joined the class over if he should be slated to play defensive end or outside linebacker among the fanbase.
The staff always had him pegged for outside linebacker. After seeing him work out at Friday Night Lights camp and play in person, he projects well to outside linebacker. Gunnerson is quite athletic for his size. He also uses his hands well and gets good bend in pass rush situations. After seeing him play in person in Iowa for his season opener, I came away impressed.
Gunnerson is undervalued in my opinion on the different recruiting services. The primary reason for where his rating currently stands is that he was injured during his junior season but he is healthy now. He got the opportunity to fully show what he can do during his senior season. His play earned him an invitation to the All-American Bowl in San Antonio. He won’t play in that game due to an injury to his hip that is almost healed.
The Iowa native got a bump on my list when he informed Hail Varsity that he would be enrolling early at Nebraska next month. That will allow him to finish rehab strong and get a jump start on strength and conditioning with the team. Gunnerson is another prospect that fits the mold of the type of player the Nebraska staff is trying to bring in for the new culture in Lincoln. He is talented, works hard and is pretty low-maintenance.
He also happens to have a pretty cool name for an edge rusher too.
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/7898215/5d8274ea6e8c5a0d940108c8
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.
