Over the weekend, Nebraska hosted some priority 2020 targets along with several official visitors. One of those targets was tight end Jonathan Odom from Jesuit High School in Tampa, Florida. Odom arrived with his family around the end of the first quarter after leaving Tampa at 5:15 a.m. ET.
I caught up with Odom on Monday night to get his thoughts on the visit and see where Nebraska stands in his recruitment.
Here is the full Q&A from our interview.
When you pulled up to the stadium, what were your first impressions?
“What first came into my mind when I came to the stadium was, ‘This is some big college football.’ I saw all the red and I thought it was just stands, so I thought it was pretty empty. As we got closer I realized the red was actually people. Just a sea of people packed in 16-degree weather while it’s snowing.”
What did you think of the atmosphere for the game?
“The game atmosphere was great. Nebraska might have the best fans in the nation, considering how loyal they are. You can barely get people to come to Tampa games or Florida games when its 75 and sunny. People in Nebraska were sitting there in a snow storm. The weather wasn’t really that bad. I kind of liked it. It wasn’t normal for me to be in something like that so I liked the change.”
Were you able to go in the locker room post game?
“Yeah, Sean Dillon texted me to come down behind the second fence on the field with three minutes left in the game. After the game we talked around the field for a little bit. We went to the locker room and I talked to the coaches for a little. I talked to Coach Frost for a minute then they let us get out of there because I had a long night after a playoff game and only had about one hour of sleep.”
What did you get to do on Sunday?
“Everyone else was on their official visits so they let me get in with the people on their official visits. I had a lot of fun. I got to take a photo shoot which was great. I got to put on the gear and I loved that. I talked to all the coaches again, watched film with the tight ends coach [Sean Beckton] and talked to Coach Ruud in his office. I love him, he’s a great guy. He seems like a guy I’d love to work with. I could see myself being with every day. The strength and conditioning coach [Zach Duval] is a guy more worried about everyone as an individual which I really liked. He’s not just pushing everything through the same lift, he’s trying to see what makes you individually the best player you can be. I liked that a lot. They have a whole new science behind what they do. It’s great. They are up and coming as you can see, they beat Michigan State. They will be back to national title running here shortly and hopefully I might be a part of that.”
Have you talked to the staff about coming back for other visits?
“Yeah, I talked to them a little bit about that. They said they want me back as soon as possible for a junior day or official visit. I’m going to take all these other visits but Nebraska is still up there in the running. At this point Nebraska is definitely up there in my top 5.”
What other visits do you have planned?
“So, I got the Michigan offer about a week ago so I’ll probably take that. I got an Iowa offer a couple weeks ago and will probably take that. All of their home games are gone so it’ll be bowl prep or for Michigan playoff prep or go in the spring for a visit. My plan is to do all those unofficial visits, take all five of my official visits and commit some point after I take my officials in the summer at some point. I plan to take all my officials early.”
Great time this weekend in Nebraska–Lincoln ⚪️🔴 #GBR pic.twitter.com/GEVS7Jhx1B
— Jonathan Odom (@Odom_87) November 19, 2018
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.
