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.
Throughout the season (and dating back to the summer), I fielded a lot of questions about Nebraska’s recruiting class being behind. There was a question about it that didn’t make it into our weekly mailbag because I wanted to answer it here. The perception in the preseason was Nebraska’s recruiting lagged behind its Big Ten counterparts.
That part is still true in most cases. There are 10 teams in the conference who have more total commits than the Huskers do to this point. Yet, that does not tell the whole story. It actually doesn’t mean much to compare how many total commitments Nebraska has compared to other schools. There are plenty of factors that go into how big or small a class ends up being.
The benchmark to keep in mind is where Nebraska was at this point last year. That will let us know how much more work is needed to finish off the 2020 recruiting class. Let’s take at how the Huskers are doing in that regard.
Comparing where class was last year versus this year at this time:
- 2019 cycle: 15/27 prospects of landed were committed
- 2020 cycle: 14 prospects are committed
At this point, Nebraska is mostly caught up on the pace they were on last season. The Huskers went on a nice run in the 2019 cycle leading up to and during the early signing period. In that time, nine more prospects committed. That included two of the big pieces of the class: Wan’Dale Robinson and Bryce Benhart. A similar run is needed but keep in mind that Nebraska will not be taking 27 total commitments this cycle.
The team is in a position to make a similar run for the 2020 class but need to make it happen. Some Nebraska’s top targets have expressed interest in committing before December. Top linebacker targets Kaden Johnson, Caleb McCullough and Choe Bryant-Strother could be looking at decisions over the next month. Linebacker recruiting will go a long way to determining how people feel about this class.
There are three home games left to get prospects to Lincoln for the stretch run to the December signing period. The Huskers are caught up to their own pace from last year. Now closing time is approaching.
Recruit Watch
>> Omaha Westside athlete Grant Tagge joined Nebraska’s walk-on class on Wednesday. Tagge is a great addition to the walk-on class.
Homegrown 🌽☠️ #AllN pic.twitter.com/IFAN1RNzbN
— Grant Tagge (@GTagge27) October 16, 2019
>> Utah 2021 athlete Raider Damuni received an offer from the Huskers on Wednesday. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound prospect has seen his stock take off recently.
AGTG! I am so BLESSED & honored to have received my second BIG 10 offer from The University of Nebraska ! #GBR pic.twitter.com/AdV8eM5XGH
— Raider Damuni 🇫🇯 (@raiderdamuni) October 16, 2019
>> Gavin Sawchuk, a 2022 running back from Valor Christian in Colorado, released his midseason Hudl highlights.
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/4277399/5da4ab8c8cd40b0d282e1f53
ICYMI
>> The latest issue of Hail Varsity magazine is hitting newsstands and the cover story by Derek Peterson highlights defensive tackle Darrion Daniels.
>> The Hail Varsity staff is back to take your questions in the mailbag including about a showdown between a gorilla and a bear.
>> Today’s midterm report card is taking a look a Nebraska’s disjointed offense. (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.
