Nebraska is down a man in the 2018 recruiting class according to a report late last night from a junior-college scouting service.
#Transfer Willie Canty @treycanty74 4merly @HuskerFBNation set to transfer to Garden City JuCo @GCCC_FOOTBALL @CoachJSims pic.twitter.com/yGOO0nfNS8
— JuCo Football Forer (@JuCoFootballACE) July 11, 2018
The news that 3-star offensive lineman Willie Canty won't be enrolling doesn't come as a huge surprise. He was one of three 2018 signees with qualification questions Nebraska had out there alongside running back Maurice Washington and wide receiver Dominick Watt. Still no official word on the two skill-position players.
But the departure of Canty from the class is notable for at least one reason. He was Nebraska's only true offensive tackle and one of two offensive linemen overall in the 2018 signing class. A signing-day addition, Canty was a quiet win for the Huskers on a day that saw high-profile prospects Washington and Caleb Tannor also commit to Nebraska.
In his latest Big Red Recon recruiting analyst Greg Smith listed three as the number of offensive linemen Nebraska still needs to land in the 2019 class. The Huskers already have two linemen committed for 2019 in Matthew Anderson and junior college prospect Desmond Bland.
Does the departure of Canty make that four more for 2019? Maybe, though it's probably not an accident that Canty, a Florida native, will be playing football this season at Garden City Community College in Kansas. Given the proximity to Lincoln and running back coach Ryan Held's connections in the Kansas junior-college ranks this has the look of a classic stash strategy. The Huskers should get a second shot at Canty.
Thinking god for a second chance 🙏🏾💯
— Willie Canty III (@treycanty74) July 11, 2018
I wrote Tuesday's Hot Reads about the Huskers having a "good bad-news season" knowing these three decisions were still out there. It's not like a departure such as Canty's isn't "bad news," but I do sort of put it in a different category as almost no school in the country ends up with 100 percent of its signees from the most recent recruiting class. You have to expect at least a little of those sort of attrition.
By our count, the Huskers now sit at 82 scholarships on the 2018 roster.
The Grab Bag
- Bill Connelly released his Big Ten power rankings and has Nebraska in "Tier 3" alongside Indiana, Maryland, Rutgers and Minnesota.
- Also from SB Nation: If there was an NCAA football video game this year, Nebraska's team rating might've been about a 78.
- Air Force doesn't have a defensive coordinator right now and might not have one for the start of the season.
- ICYMI: Derek Peterson previews Northwestern and Mike Babcock continues his game-by-game look back at the 1983 season.
Today's Song of Today
Brandon is the Managing Editor for Hail Varsity and has covered Nebraska athletics for the magazine and web since 2012, Hail Varsity’s first season on the scene. His sports writing has also been featured by Fox Sports, The Guardian and CBS Sports.
