Another month has come and gone, which means it’s time for the June edition of Greg’s Guys.
There are four players making their debuts on the list this month. Nebraska’s board is becoming clearer with official visits off and running. The Huskers are looking to have a big June on the recruiting trail so expect an even bigger shakeup on the July list. Before we get to that, we have a lot of updates to go through with the last batch of the top players on the board for Nebraska.
Greg’s Guys list is always fluid and that’s what makes it fun.
1) WR Malachi Coleman (Lincoln, Nebraska)
Last Rank: 1
Coleman (6-5, 190) was back at Nebraska over the June 3 weekend for his official visit. He’s been to campus several times but thought that this trip was the best trip he’s ever taken. Nebraska “knocked it out of the park” during the visit and one of the things that stood out was his time with wide receivers coach Mickey Joseph.
“He has made us feel all welcome, all of us a priority, not just focusing on football,” Coleman said. “He wants to take care of me as a human being. He’s going to be basically stepping in as my father figure for the next four years and he made me feel like a priority and I love that. He’s very personable and we all know that he’s a great person so I love that.”
The Lincoln East star only has an official visit to Michigan set after his Nebraska visit. Expect that to change as he’s working to set up others. He also wants to save an official or two for in-season.
2) DE Maverick Noonan (Omaha, Nebraska)
Last Rank: 2
The Huskers had Noonan (6-4, 225) on campus this week for his official visit. It’s a big month for Noonan since he intends to decide once his official visits are complete. He enjoyed spending time with the players and coaches in Lincoln to get a good feel for what it’d be like if he went to Nebraska. The ability to go in-depth with everything during the visit was beneficial for the Elkhorn South star. Up next he will visit Stanford and Iowa before picking a school.
Great OV ☠️☠️ #GBR pic.twitter.com/49NmTffiqr
— Maverick Noonan (@MaverickNoonan) June 6, 2022
3) WR Omarion Miller (Vivian, Louisiana)
Last Rank: Unranked
The former LSU commit (6-2, 190) has a very strong relationship with Joseph, dating back his recruitment to LSU. That relationship helped Nebraska get Miller on campus the first weekend of June. The Huskers did a great job of showing him what Nebraska was all about.
“Oh, it was really good,” Miller said. “It was way different than I thought it was. I thought it was gonna be some cornfields and a little stadium but it was way better than I thought it would be.”
Miller racked up 76 catches for 1,502 and 20 touchdowns during his junior season. The Huskers have the attention of the 4-star wideout and the program hopes to land a commitment from him before he can take any other visits. The relationship with Joseph might help them accomplish that goal.
4) OL Cayden Green (Lee’s Summit, Missouri)
Last Rank: 3
The Huskers received an official visit on May 20 from the Kansas City lineman. Green (6-5, 310) came away impressed with the Huskers but Nebraska won’t be the only visit he takes. He was at Oklahoma this weekend and the Sooners are considered the favorite in his recruitment. Offensive line coach Donovan Raiola and area recruiter Bill Busch have their work cut out for them but Green is worth pursuing hard as one of the best linemen in the region.
5) DB Kayin Lee (Ellenwood,Georgia)
Last Rank: Unranked
Lee (5-11, 185) is one of the more heavily recruited defensive backs down south for the 2023 recruiting cycle. The defender has over 30 scholarship offers to his name and was once a Georgia commit. The Huskers are battling Ohio State and Oregon for his commitment but did host him on the June 3 weekend for an official visit. That trip exceeded all expectations for Lee.
“I loved everything about it,” Lee said. “It was a good experience.”
Lee has built a close relationship with defensive backs coach Travis Fisher. The pair have bonded over more than just football. Lee views Fisher as someone he can learn from and become a better person. The Huskers are in the race for Lee but it remains to be seen if they did enough to hold off the Buckeyes who were surging with him before the visit.
6) EDGE Adonijah Green (Ellenwood, Georgia)
Last Rank: Unranked
The Huskers hosted a trio of Cedar Grove High School prospects this weekend with Green being the only one committed elsewhere. He’s currently a Louisville commit but is intent on exploring his options. Green (6-5, 205) has the look of a talented EDGE rusher that the Huskers have been searching for. His coach John Adams told Hail Varsity that he’s not just a pass rush specialist.
“Adonijah is one of those twitchy edge guys,” Adams said. “He’s long but a lot of people don’t understand how well he plays the run. His best attribute probably is his pass rush. He definitely can change the game and he does real good out on the edge for us too. But just a freak of nature when you talk about athletically and just a really instinctive player too.”
Green has visits set to Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Louisville this month.
7) WR Joshua Manning (Lee’s Summit, Missouri)
Last Rank: 4
Manning (6-3, 190) has long been one of the Huskers’ top targets at wide receiver. He’s been visiting Nebraska for two years now and was on campus most recently for an official visit. Going into the visit his main goal was to see how the Huskers would use him in the offense.
He did a video interview with Hail Varsity detailing his visit.
The Huskers are in a good spot with Manning but will have to survive the slew of visits he plans to take the rest of the month.
8) DL Riley Van Poppel (Argyle, Texas)
Last Rank: 5
Van Poppel (6-4, 270) racked up 14 tackles for loss and seven sacks as a junior. He’s built a very strong relationship with Bryan Applewhite, Erik Chinander and Mike Dawson at Nebraska. That trio has him very interested in Nebraska as he heads into his June 10 official visit.
Nebraska has felt like home to the defender since March and the program could be poised to add the Texan to the 2023 recruiting class with a good visit. He did take an official visit to Tennessee June 3 and has a visit to Michigan on the books.
Had a great time at Rocky Top!#GBO🍊 Big thanks to @Vol_Football @LevornH @coachg76 @CoachTimBanks pic.twitter.com/yU8W0unx3z
— Riley Van Poppel (@Riley_VanPoppel) June 4, 2022
9) LB Phil Picciotti (Perkasie, Pennsylvania)
Last Rank: 9
Picciotti (6-3, 225) visited the Huskers for the spring game and came away impressed. The Huskers did well enough with that visit to lock in an official visit for the defender. He will be in Lincoln June 10 after taking an official visit to Oklahoma the first weekend in June. He’s also got trips set to Auburn and Michigan. The defender had 144 total tackles with 19 for loss during his junior season. He’ll be one of the most intriguing visitors on campus in June for Nebraska.
10) EDGE Ashley Williams (Zachary, Louisiana)
Last Rank: Unranked
Standing at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Williams has burst on the scene as a recruit. He’s been on the rise over the last handful of months racking up offers but the Huskers were among his early offers. That helped Williams choose the Huskers to get his first official visit. He had 89 tackles, including 22 for loss with 14 sacks last season and helped his team win the Louisiana Class 5A state championship. The Louisiana native has the Huskers at the top of his list after his Nebraska official visit. Next up is a trip up north to check out Minnesota.
Such a beautiful experience and pleasure to connect with the staff at Nebraska. Everything went well and I’m so impressed with the staff from the recruiters to the car service. Exceptional time!! GEAUX BIG RED @AshleyLWilliam4 #gobigred pic.twitter.com/6I4OpNAbpN
— Rhonda (@Rhonda86312151) June 5, 2022
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.
