Nebraska received its eighth commitment of the 2022 recruiting class on Wednesday when Florida defensive lineman Hayden Schwartz committed to the team. Schwartz is the first defensive lineman to join the class.
⚪️🔴Committed!!🔴⚪️#GBR #blackshirts@coach_frost @CoachChinander @CoachTuioti92 @HuskerFBNation @Bolles_Football @DeshawnBrownInc @SWiltfong247 pic.twitter.com/FJWR9ox0gi
— Hayden Schwartz (@hayden_schw47) July 14, 2021
Here are my five thoughts on the commitment.
Florida Still a Focus
The Huskers have recruited Florida hard under coach Scott Frost. Despite not getting any commits from Florida in the 2019 recruiting class the Huskers have had 11 commits from the state since Frost took over the program. Schwartz joins wide receiver Victor Jones Jr. as the two Floridians in this class. The Huskers still have a few Sunshine State players on the board for this cycle too.
More Versatility
One thing that stands out about Schwartz is his versatility. He currently stands at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds. He does a nice job at the high school level of setting the edge on defense. Since he also has a high motor with pass rush skills the question moving forward will be if the Huskers could slim him down and have him be a Garrett Nelson style outside linebacker. The team could keep him in the defensive line room and let him continue adding weight to his frame.
Big Ten Battle
The Huskers’ latest commitment has a quality scholarship offer list. It includes Miami, Stanford, Iowa State, Virginia Tech and others. The Huskers beat out Michigan for the defender who also took an official visit to Ann Arbor the first week of June. Missouri was also in the mix. Schwartz is a good recruiting victory for the Huskers.
Done on Defensive Line?
The biggest storyline of the 2022 recruiting class is how small the class will be. The number of 14-18 recruits continues to be the target for the class. That low number impacts every decision made by the staff on the class. Could Schwartz be the only defensive lineman taken in the class? It’s a possibility. The Huskers will probably swing for the fences with some players like Domonique Orange. If Nebraska starts the season well and can get any big fish on campus they might able to make a move. As of now the Huskers might be done on defensive line.
Good Bloodlines
Schwartz has good football genes. His father Bryan Schwartz was an NFL player. Bryan was picked in the second round of the NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars after starring for Augustana University in South Dakota. Bryan was also on the NFL All-Rookie team. His dad knows the ropes having played football at a high level which helped the family vet the best fit for Hayden during the recruiting process.
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.
