Recruiting never stops and it's easy to miss the top stories day-to-day. Recruiting analyst Greg Smith recaps all things Nebraska recruiting news, analysis and more so you never miss a thing.
When the Husker football staff made the jump to the Big Ten from the AAC, Coach Scott Frost now famously said that he hoped the conference would have to adjust to his offense. The jury is still out on if that will happen but the signs (and quarterback Adrian Martinez) are there to suggest it will happen at some point.
There still had to have been adjustments made by the staff as they got used to what they were seeing on a weekly basis in this conference. On Monday, I asked tight ends coach Sean Beckton what—if anything—surprised him about the Big Ten. One of the things he mentioned was the overall size of the conference.
So, has the recruiting profile of the type of tight ends Beckton is looking for changed in the year that he has been in the Big Ten?
“Yeah I think so,” Beckton said. “I know Coach Frost said that we need bigger guys in the Big Ten but for me actually going through it for a season and seeing how big Ohio State was and how big Wisconsin was and Iowa too. Even Minnesota had some guys that were big up front. Northwestern did too. Michigan and Michigan State, all of those guys were huge up front.
“For me being a coach coming out of the South, I know SEC football is on the same level but to me Big Ten as far as size, they are bigger here than in the SEC as far as guys up front.”
Taking a look at the eleven scholarship offers for the class of 2020, I would say that Beckton had made an adjustment. Here is the full list so far.
- 4-star Darnell Washington (6-7, 255)
- 4-star Michael Mayer (6-5, 215)
- 4-star Kevin Bauman (6-5, 225)
- 4-star DJ Rogers (6-4, 230)
- 3-star Elijah Yelverton (6-5, 225)
- 3-star Seth Figgins (6-7, 235)
- 3-star Brandon Frazer (6-5, 237)
- 3-star Jack Yary (6-6, 250)
- 3-star Jonathan Odom (6-6, 230)
- 3-star Donavon Johnson (6-5, 200)
- Unranked Kole Taylor (6-6, 225)
This season Nebraska is hoping that its group of tight ends is more productive on the field in the second year of the offensive system. Moving forward, we may continue to see Nebraska bringing in bigger tight ends as the staff adjusts to their surroundings.
Recruit Watch
>> Tate Rutledge, a 4-star offensive lineman target from Georgia, has been invited to the All-American Game in San Antonio.
A childhood dream come true! Thankful to be invited to the All-American Bowl! pic.twitter.com/KSzMApflRi
— Tate Ratledge (@tateratledge22) March 26, 2019
>> Dontae Manning, a cornerback prospect from Missouri that Nebraska really likes, is taking a trip to Oklahoma this weekend.
Oklahoma this weekend! #sooners⭕️
— 𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙶 ⁸ (@dontaemanning_8) March 26, 2019
ICYMI
>> Tim Miles was let go as Nebraska’s coach on Tuesday after seven seasons.
>> See how Husker players reacted to the firing of Miles.
>> In a surprise move, Nebraska President Hank Bounds announced he is stepping down from his role.
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.
