It’s time for the March edition of Greg’s Guys. As spring football gets underway for Nebraska, it’s imperative that the Huskers continue building on the strong relationships they have created on the recruiting trail. Many top targets have expressed a desire to pick a college before their senior seasons, which only adds more importance to the pending spring visits.
There has been some shake up on the list since February’s edition to reflect some changing needs for the Huskers over the last month. We also have our first running back on the list for the 2021 group and he’s a big-time national recruit.
If you aren’t familiar with the Greg’s Guys list, it’s my top 10 players in the class based on Nebraska’s needs, how a player fits in the scheme and talent. The list is always fluid and that’s what makes it fun.
1) TE Thomas Fidone (Council Bluffs, Iowa)
Last Rank: 1
Spoiler alert: Fidone is going to hang on to the No. 1 spot on this list until he commits to a school. Fidone’s recruitment went to an entirely new level over the winter. He’s a borderline 5-star now which is rare for a tight end. He’s racked up offers from around the country. At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, he has a unique blend of size, speed and skills.
@ThomasFidone makes it look so easy! @ColePayton9 dropping the dime… #WA7v7 pic.twitter.com/mwEiqdrpJr
— Warren Academy (@Warren_Academy) March 8, 2020
The big question surrounding Fidone as spring practices start for Nebraska: when will he be back in Lincoln? He’s visited several times so he has a good idea of what the Huskers have to offer. The immediate plan for him seems to be to check out some schools he hasn’t made it to yet. Fidone has planned trips to Michigan and Notre Dame in March.
Can Nebraska survive the new attention and continue showing the Council Bluffs native they are willing to build the offense around him?
2) OLB TJ Bollers (Tiffin, Iowa)
Last Rank: 2
As soon as the dead period ended, Bollers was back in Madison for another visit to Wisconsin. The Badgers are a serious threat to the Huskers and every other school in the hunt for Bollers right now. Defensive coordinator Erik Chinander has led this recruitment the whole way but he and new (but also returning) outside linebackers coach Mike Dawson need to ensure Nebraska still gets one of the Iowa native’s five official visits. He has dates locked in for official visits to Cal and Iowa State. Wisconsin will certainly get a visit from him. It would be great for Nebraska to get him back for another unofficial visit prior to his officials starting.
3) CB Avante Dickerson (Omaha, Nebraska)
Last Rank: 3
Of Nebraska’s “big three” targets of Fidone, Bollers and Dickerson, the Omaha Westside star is the toughest to get a handle on. He plays things close to the vest but it’s clear he has a strong relationship with Huskers defensive backs coach Travis Fisher. Dickerson has also continued to pile up offers recently with USC, Texas A&M and Penn State being some of his latest. The 6-1, 170-pound cornerback with track speed doesn’t have any known visits for the spring yet.
4) ILB Terrence Lewis (Hollywood, Florida)
Last Rank: 4
Lewis is as impressive a linebacker recruit and the Nebraska staff has been in the mix for him since coming to Lincoln. His athleticism and instincts jump off the screen while watching his film.Lewis could play inside or outside linebacker in college. He dominates 7-on-7 down in Florida and it translates to the football field. As a junior he racked up 105 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, nine sacks and three interceptions. He recently committed to play in the Under Armour All-America game.
UA ALL-AMERICAN💪🏾🎯 pic.twitter.com/drD7yiHanr
— Terrence Not Terrance🦦 (@Terrence21Lewis) March 9, 2020
The Chaminade-Madonna Prep star has enormous potential at the college level. The dates are still being worked out but he hopes to make it to Lincoln this spring.
5) RB Amari Daniels (Miami, Florida)
Last Rank: Not Ranked
The Miami Central star is a newcomer to the Greg’s Guys list. Daniels is a very popular recruit for the 2021 cycle. The 5-foot-8, 194-pound 4-star junior holds offers from some of the top schools in the country. He recently named a top four of Nebraska, Georgia, Penn State and Texas A&M. He is former teammates with Husker early enrollee Henry Gray so we know Gray is doing his part to peer recruit. He is a burner who posted a personal record 10.7 100m dash last year.
6) DE Ru'Quan Buckley (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Last Rank: 5
Adding a couple of quality high school defensive ends will be key this recruiting cycle. The Michigan native (6-6, 260) currently sits high on Nebraska’s board. He’s got the size and length that the Huskers are looking for in defensive line coach Tony Tuioti’s room. Buckley visited Nebraska for Junior Day in January and came away impressed. Now he has an official visit set for this summer to return to Lincoln.
New Michigan State coach Mel Tucker recently offered him which is something to watch. The Huskers hope to earn his pledge before the season.
7) WR Keagan Johnson (Omaha, Nebraska)
Last Rank: 10
The Bellevue West standout was an important target heading into the spring. However, that kicks up a couple of notches with the uncertainty at wide receiver for Nebraska. Johnson set a top three of Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas State.
TOP ³ …
( 📸 @ColeMiddendorf ) pic.twitter.com/Ml626RBPta
— keagan johnson (@_keaganj) February 21, 2020
He’s started setting his official visit dates and will take one to Nebraska on June 12. He will also return to Lincoln for Junior Day on March 14. Johnson (6-1, 180) will take visits to his other top choices as well. The plan is to commit before his senior season.
8) QB Peter Costelli (Mission Viejo, California)
Last Rank: 6
The quarterback is reaching an important time in his recruitment. He has scheduled visits to Nebraska, Michigan State, and Utah in March. He also plans to visit Oregon in April. He may check out Arkansas and Northwestern as well. Costelli continues to show that he’s a good athlete. That trip will be his third to Nebraska. He just ran a 10.9 second 100m and also anchored the 4X100m relay with a 42.29.
The boys 4 x 100 team posted the fastest time in the state. All @missionfootball players. @CostelliPeter ran his first 100m of the year and was pleased with the time. pic.twitter.com/FCdfd8MEyf
— Peter Costelli (@pcnomad1) March 7, 2020
His spring visits will go a long way to determining his school since he says no one has separated itself from the pack yet. Like most quarterbacks Costelli wants to make an early decision.
“I feel like I just want to make a decision so I can focus on my senior year,” he said. “Then I won’t have to worry about the decision of where to go.”
9) ILB Seth Malcom (Tabor, Iowa)
Last Rank: 9
The Huskers showed a lot of early interest to the eight-man star over in Iowa. He has been impressive on the football field but has a high ceiling due to his frame. He also plays multiple sports in high school so his game could take off when focusing solely on football. We could be looking at a Nebraska and Iowa State battle here with Kansas State and Minnesota lurking.
10) ILB Christopher Paul Jr. (Cordele, Georgia)
Last Rank: 7
Nebraska and Paul have been locked in on each other for quite a while. At 6-foot-1 and 217 pounds, he projects to be a classic Big Ten thumper in the middle of a defense. The Georgia native has taken a couple visits to Lincoln including a game day last season. Paul has an official visit locked in with Nebraska for June 12-14. He did take an unofficial visit to Florida State recently to check out the new staff in Tallahassee. Paul has also been linked to Michigan State and Cincinnati.
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.
