Huskers off to Fast Start with 2018 Class

Cornerbacks coach Donte Williams and wide receivers coach Keith Williams reeled in their first 2018 prospect Wednesday, as Los Angeles, California, ATH Eric Fuller verbally committed to Nebraska. Fuller is coming off of a junior season in which he averaged 24.3 yards per catch while helping lead Augustus Hawkins to a 13-1 record and a runner-up finish in their division. Fuller chose the Huskers over 10 other FBS offers, including tenders from Michigan, Oklahoma, UCLA and USC.

There are several reasons to be excited about this. First, Fuller is an exciting talent that will immediately improve Nebraska’s team speed once he arrives on campus. Second, Fuller is a versatile athlete that is capable of lining up at wide receiver and cornerback. Third, Fuller’s commitment to Nebraska is yet another sign that Coach Mike Riley and his staff’s strategy to recruit the west coast is paying off. Perhaps the most important reason to be excited though is that he continues Nebraska’s fast start to the 2018 recruiting class.

The Huskers will not have a big 2018 class, as they currently have thirteen scholarship seniors entering next fall. Even with attrition and continued roster shuffling, the highest number of open spots that Husker fans can expect is in the 17-19 range. This means that Nebraska has little room for error in Riley’s fourth recruiting class.

One way to set a class up for success is to land significant prospects early in the cycle, allowing coaches to be more selective and thorough in scouting remaining prospects. Nebraska has already gotten off to the fast start that’s needed, landing Fuller along with in-state standouts Cameron Jurgens and Masry Mapieu.

Jurgens has been the longest tenured commit, as the Beatrice native verbally committed to Nebraska prior to his sophomore season. Mapieu earned his offer from Nebraska after an impressive showing at summer camps this past year, receiving and accepting his scholarship offer from Nebraska on June 16. Their commitments locked up two of the top three prospects in Nebraska, as Elkhorn South’s Moses Bryant has yet to receive an offer.

All three current Husker commits not only bring talent but also valuable versatility to Nebraska’s class. Additionally, all three prospects can project to multiple positions in college. The 6-4, 245 pound Jurgens is currently being recruited to play tight end, but he could easily make the switch to defensive end or even strongside linebacker in defensive coordinator Bob Diaco’s new 3-4 scheme. The 6-5, 280 pound Mapieu is currently being recruited as a nose guard, but he could switch to guard or right tackle if needed. As stated earlier, Fuller can play either wide receiver or cornerback, while making an impact on special teams regardless of what position he plays.

This versatility allows Nebraska to continue searching for the best player available in the 2018 class and not worry as much about positional fit. That means the Huskers can truly swing for the fences in the 2018 class. This class may be small but if the Huskers continue the current momentum, it will be mighty.