The December edition of Greg’s Guys is here!
The Huskers are officially in the offseason even if the news hasn’t slowed down one bit. We are getting to crunch time to finish a chunk of the 2022 recruiting class for the team. Coach Scott Frost said during the season that the team would be focusing on more “immediate impact” players from junior college and the transfer portal. We have seen that play out over the first part of the offseason.
It is the first time since I’ve been doing this list that the last list before the early signing period is brand new. There are a lot of new targets coming onto the Huskers board daily as players enter the transfer portal. This has been a recruiting cycle unlike any other.
The Greg’s Guys list is always fluid and that’s what makes it fun.
1) DB Jaeden Gould (Oradell, New Jersey)
Last Rank: Unranked
The Huskers have not had a player for the 2022 recruiting class as highly-rated as Gould on campus this recruiting cycle. The New Jersey defender (6-2, 190) was a member of the USC class since June. He opened his recruitment up after Lincoln Riley was hired by the Trojans. Two days after opening things back up, he was in Lincoln for an official visit. Gould has a connection to the Huskers. Running back Rahmir Johnson went to the same high school. Due to his size and physical style of play, he’d be a candidate to cross train at either cornerback or safety. We’ll see if the Huskers did enough to convince him to sign in the early signing period.
2) Transfer OL Hunter Nourzad (Marietta, Georgia)
Last Rank: Unranked
The Huskers’ offensive line depth needs a serious boost. Nebraska’s line would benefit in a big way from landing an impact transfer to come in and hold down a starting spot. Nourzad (6-4, 298) was a three-year starter at tackle for Cornell. He finished his time in Ithaca with a first-team All-Ivy League selection this fall. A product of The Walker School in Georgia, he has also received other Power Five offers from Purdue, Syracus and Kansas. Nourzad told Hail Varsity that he plans to take his visits in January. That could give whoever the Huskers new offensive line coach is time to build a relationship.
3) RB Emmett Johnson (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Last Rank: Unranked
The speedy running back from Minnesota has burst onto the scene for the Huskers in recent weeks. Johnson (6-0, 180) was in Lincoln for the matchup with Iowa on an unofficial visit. He liked what he saw in Lincoln and made a good impression on the coaching staff. The Huskers followed that up by coming to visit him during the first week of the contact period in December.
“It went great,” Johnson said. “I’m coming on an official visit next weekend. It should be a fun time. I feel like Coach Frost will offer me on the visit once he meets my family. That is what it’s sounding like.”
Johnson had a good visit in his home with Ron Brown and Steve Cooper. He’s making the Huskers a priority in his recruitment because he loved the environment in Lincoln and the offense fits his skillset. The only other official visit that he’s taken was to Central Michigan back in June. Johnson was named Mr. Football in Minnesota after rushing for 2,513 yards and 42 touchdowns.
4) DB Ryan Stapp (College Station, Texas)
Last Rank: Unranked
The Huskers are in search of a veteran addition to the defensive back room. Stapp (5-10, 165), a cornerback for Abilene Christian, could be an interesting addition. The Texas native took an official visit to Nebraska last weekend. Stapp was second-team All-WAC during the 2021 season, posting 44 total tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss. The defender also chipped in one interception during his first full season as a starter. Stapp does have experience returning kicks and had 296 yards his freshman year in 2019. He still has two years of eligibility remaining. He has picked up recent offers from Minnesota, Mississippi State and Washington State.
5) DL Cortez Hogans (Palatine, Illinois)
Last Rank: Unranked
The Huskers recently sent a pair of defensive coaches over to Council Bluffs. They saw the a playoff game between Iowa Western Community College and Snow College. Defensive coordinator Erik Chinander and defensive line coach Tony Tuioti saw a great game, won by IWCC. Hogans, a defensive lineman for Snow College, picked up an offer. The defender (6-4, 270) recently committed to Boise State, but that hasn’t stopped Nebraska and other programs from checking him out. I’m told that Hogans was disruptive during that game and made several plays in the backfield.
The Huskers will host the versatile lineman for an official visit the weekend of Dec. 10. He has the ability to play several positions along the line for the Huskers’ defense.
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.
