Members of the Nebraska coaching staff are on the recruiting trail again this week. Coaches are spread among multiple states, building relationships and offering scholarships. Some of those recruits are younger than others—including one worth noting.
Trey Finney, a 2028 defensive back and wide receiver from Houston, Texas, received an offer from the Huskers earlier this week. The 5-foot-8, 150-pounder from Goodson Middle School received his first Power 5 offer before finishing the seventh grade. In his announcement tweet, Finney said his offer followed a conversation with Nebraska secondary coach Evan Cooper. Nebraska has also offered two 2027 recruits—Tory Pittman, who will be a freshman at Omaha Central this fall, and quarterback phenom Trent Seaborn from Alabama.
The vast majority of recent offers are to 2024 and 2025 recruits as the staff looks to assure both classes. Wide receiver coach Garrett McGuire is touring his old stomping grounds in Texas, notably in Franklin. The Franklin Lions went 16-0 last season (in a new, tough district) for consecutive undefeated state championship seasons. Franklin is also not a major metro area and Nebraska hasn’t offered anyone from there yet. It is, however, a 40-minute drive from College Station and about an hour from Waco.
Love getting to hang out with the State Champs! @CoachFannin You know anything about this place? @PhillipsCasey1 pic.twitter.com/6NHgvm79Nk
— Garret McGuire (@GarretMcGuire) May 2, 2023
Tight end coach Bob Wager is also in Texas, back in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Wager stopped by Mesquite High to visit Skeeters’ head coach DeMarcus Harris and his staff. The Skeeters couldn’t build on a seven-win season and dropped to four wins in 2022. Still, Texas high school football circles are excited about 2023, based on the program’s youthful talent that led its recent junior varsity team to a 10-0 season. Among the seemingly countless exceptional football players in the metroplex are a few at various Mesquite, Texas, high schools. Nebraska already offered Mesquite High 2024 receiver Elijah Baesa (3-star, committed to Arizona State) and Horn High 2025 offensive tackle Lamont Rogers (4-star recently offered by Texas A&M and Alabama).
Nebraska offensive line coach Donovan Raiola and offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield spent the first days of this week in greater Phoenix, Arizona. They stopped at Sunnyslope High and Pinnacle High, new home of 5-star quarterback recruit Dylan Raiola. Pinnacle High head coach Dana Zupke and Satterfield know each other well. Pinnacle graduate Spencer Rattler played for Satterfield at South Carolina.
Nebraska running back coach E.J. Barthel clocked miles in California earlier this week, even planting the block ‘N’ logo at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana. Not only is the school a perennial contender, it’s home to 4-star recruits Brandon Baker (offensive tackle), DeAndre Carter (interior offensive line) and Nathanial Frazier (running back). Defensive coordinator Tony White also focused his attention on the west coast earlier this week with communications in greater Los Angeles-area schools.
#GBR #PoundTheRock pic.twitter.com/XabwlKpaTl
— EJ Barthel (@CoachEJbarthel) May 1, 2023
Linebacker coach Rob Dvoracek visited Lyndon, Kansas, home of 3-star offensive tackle Kaedin Massey. The multi-sport athlete recently also received offers from Ole Miss, Missouri, Stanford and Michigan State. Massey visited Nebraska earlier this spring.
Meanwhile, special teams coordinator Ed Foley continues his in-state stop tour. Foley went to Lincoln-area schools earlier this week and went to the tri-cities on Tuesday. The head coach posted a pre-5 a.m. photo of Memorial Stadium, seemingly from the roundabout involving 9th Street and Stadium Drive.
Day By Day Means Day By Day #GBR pic.twitter.com/7HQFe1S3OK
— Matt Rhule (@CoachMattRhule) May 2, 2023
Recruit Watch
Nebraska gained two non-scholarship players for its 2023 class. Omaha Skutt graduate Caden Becker and Eldridge, Iowa native David Borchers announced their intentions to walk on at Nebraska next season. Becker is a former quarterback Wyoming moved to the defensive line in the spring before he entered the portal. Borchers is a high school senior who was committed to Iowa Central but will instead walk on at a Big Ten program (Eldridge is within the Quad Cities region, 60 miles from Iowa City).
Several recruits received offers from Nebraska earlier this week. Spring Dekaney High duo (in greater Houston) Nicholas Townsend (a 2025 tight end/defensive end) and Jamal Frilot (a 2024 offensive athlete who plays quarterback for the Wildcats) both earned offers. The Huskers also offered 2026 defensive back Isaiah Williams from Fort Bend Marshall in Missouri City, Texas. Three-star athlete Oliver Miles from El Campo, Texas, and three-star offensive tackle Ellis Davis from Prosper, Texas, earned scholarship offers.
Nebraska also offered 2025 4-star defensive back Dijon Lee from Mission Viejo, California, and 2026 linebacker Samu Moala from Lawndale, California. Three-star 2024 defensive lineman Keona Wilhite in Tucson, Arizona, also announced an offer from Nebraska earlier this week.
ICYMI
>> The Nebraska men’s basketball team secured a commitment from Iowa transfer Ahron Ulis on Monday. You can revisit the various roster moves within Fred Hoiberg’s squad since last season by checking out Hail Varsity’s tracker.
>> No. 18 Northwestern swept the Nebraska softball team in Evanston last weekend. The Huskers return to Bowlin Stadium to cap their regular season this weekend when Ohio State comes for a three-game series. You can watch the latest episode of Behind The Plate with Maren and Nate on the Hail Varsity YouTube page. Wildcats’ head coach Kate Drohan is the show’s latest guest.
>> Two lopsided wins helped the Nebraska baseball team win a weekend series against Minnesota. You can check out Hail Varsity’s photo gallery from Sunday’s win here. The Huskers host North Dakota State on Wednesday before traveling to top-25 Maryland this weekend.
