A season of change for Nebraska football is officially here, and any good revamp is going to require a few key agents of change. The Huskers look to have landed some of those in the 2018 recruiting class, which is the focus of the latest issue of Hail Varsity.
Let's start at quarterback where, after a three-year shift towards the pursuit of traditional drop-back passers, Nebraska is back on the hunt for dual-threat signal callers. Four-star quarterback Adrian Martinez, our cover subject for February, is Nebraska's first hand-selected player thought to fit the new mold, but the offseason quarterback battle should be a wide-open race involving scholarship players, walk-ons and new arrivals. Recruiting analyst Greg Smith takes a look at how Nebraska has started on that journey in this month's cover story.
Another change for Nebraska in recruiting is a renewed focus on local talent. Not only did the Huskers take one of the largest walk-on classes in recent years, made up primarily of in-state players, the staff made a point of getting out to local high schools, some of which hadn't been visited in years by anyone in a red polo. Staff writer Jacob Padilla spoke with some of those high school coaches to get a sense for how the perception of Nebraska's place on the local prep scene has changed in just a few months on the job.
Recruiting is all about relationships, and the early returns show that new running backs coach Ryan Held is pretty darn good and forming them. The former Husker walk-on and Kansas City native was one of the stars of the 2018 recruiting cycle. Staff writer Derek Peterson takes a close look at what makes Held stand out on the recruiting trail and how the Husker coaches hope to stand out in ultra-competitive world of wooing high school prospects.
Other highlights from the issue include:
- Editor Mike Babcock catches up with former Nebraska point guard Clifford Scales for our Legends feature and praises the Huskers' renewed focus on walk-ons in his back-page column.
- Founder and CEO Aaron Babcock turned his lens on women's gymnastics to provide a photo essay on the Huskers' dual with Michigan.
- Managing editor Brandon Vogel takes a look at the "wild West" of pre-internet recruiting rankings in his column.
- Smith catches up with Beatrice star and Husker signee Cameron Jurgens for our Q&A.
The latest issue of Hail Varsity hits mailboxes and newsstands this week. Make sure you don't miss an issue by subscribing today.
