On Thursday, Nebraska got bigger in the trenches.
Junior college defensive tackle Tony Fair from Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona, became the 12th member of the 2019 recruiting class.
https://twitter.com/TFair__/status/1020007165090598912
The big lineman (6-3, 330) told Hail Varsity in a previous interview that he holds Huskers head coach Scott Frost in high esteem. He spoke very highly of the coach when asked how it felt that Frost had taken a personal interest in his recruitment.
“That was amazing," Fair said in May. "I look at him as a young Nick Saban. He knows how to win. He knows what he’s doing. I have no doubts about that after checking out his career at UCF. He turned that whole program around in two years. I feel like Nebraska can be the next powerhouse once Coach Frost gets settled in there.”
There were a number of schools that came through Pima to see Fair this spring. He held a handful of offers but didn’t want to drag the process out much longer. He announced on May 19 that he would be deciding between his final two of Nebraska and Indiana. Now that he’s made a decision, a weight has been lifted off his shoulders and he can focus on his season with Pima. When Hail Varsity reached out to Fair’s head coach at Pima, Jim Monaco, he had a feeling this is where things were heading.
“First of all, it’s Nebraska," Monaco said. "That’s just an amazing offer to have. Also, with the staff they just hired, they have to be in the top couple in the country. They are going to do amazing things at Nebraska, just like Nebraska is used to. Realistically for Tony, the beautiful thing is he won’t report until December. So, they have a chance to get their first year in, get a great recruiting class plus him and then he has two years. It’s a no brainer to be honest with you.”
At first glance, defensive tackle was not a huge need but further inspection reveals that it was a sneaky need this year. Adding Fair to the mix next year with Damion Daniels bolsters depth at the position as the Huskers will lose Mick Stoltenberg and Peyton Newell to graduation after this season.
Fair will be a January enrollee and have two years of eligibility left to use at Nebraska.
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/1663483/59de00b2ab9d431f74f5160b
For more on Fair's commitment from recruiting analyst Greg Smith, check out his five thoughts on Fair (Premium) and his latest Recruiting Recon (Premium)
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.