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.
There have been lots of ebbs and flows for Nebraska recruiting since December. That month saw the Huskers end the early signing period with a flurry for the early signing period. Nebraska landed 10 scholarship players and a handful of impact preferred walk-ons. The late excitement did produce some nervous moments for Coach Scott Frost and his staff though.
“It was anxious,” Frost said in December. “It just kind of felt this year that a lot of kids we really were invested in and wanted in our program were making late decisions. I heard all the talk early on about how we were behind, and we were behind. We kind of knew that, but we were kind of betting on ourselves in recruiting and had a lot of really good targets out there and luckily we were able to land quite a few of them.”
We are now in the dead period for recruiting. That gives Nebraska's coaches a chance to catch their breath while preparing for spring football which starts on March 9. Things will then ramp back up for the coaching and recruiting staff. The Huskers once again plan to use their spring practices as a recruiting tool for prospects. Several targets have already confirmed that they plan to be in Lincoln for a practice in March.
Besides those practice visits, the team will host another Junior Day on March 14. That will give the staff another chance to bring targets to campus in a group setting to get exposure to campus. That will all lead to the Red-White Spring Game on April 18. Nebraska is expected to host official visitors for the game. Giving recruits a simulation of a game day will be a nice benefit.
All these visits will have an extra emphasis this cycle. The spring practice visits, Junior Day and spring game visits will set the table for spring and summer official visits. Nebraska will have enough visits to use this cycle which couldn’t come at a better time. Several Husker targets intend to make college decisions this spring or summer.
Here are some of the top targets who have confirmed they want to make early decisions:
- QB Peter Costelli
- WR Keagan Johnson
- OL Marcus Mbow
- TE Thomas Fidone
- OLB TJ Bollers
- ILB Seth Malcom
- CB Avante Dickerson
Any time the Huskers get one of those targets on campus between now and the summer will be huge. The way things are shaping up, the spring will have a big say in how the class winds up for Nebraska. Enjoy the down time now because a huge spring is ahead.
Recruit Watch
>> TJ Dudley, a 2022 defensive back from Alabama, picked up an offer from the Huskers. Dudley is from the same area as current Husker defensive back Cam Taylor-Britt.
#AG2G Beyond blessed to receive an offer from The University of Nebraska 🔴⚪️#GBR #TheGoodLife @247Sports @ChadSimmons_ @Rivalsfbcamps @kirkjuice32 @YellowhammerFB @MCPKnightsFB @Keith247Sports @GetLiveeeee5 @Callaghan_NEB @HuskerFBNation pic.twitter.com/1wkdO9nDWW
— Tj “Bull” Dudley (@HollywoodHtu) February 14, 2020
>> Big time athlete Jermaine Terry out of Nevada released a top group over the weekend and did not include the Huskers.
Beyond Blessed Top 14..🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/ByQ3ifoYAK
— Jermaine Terry II † (@AllDayMaine) February 14, 2020
>> Oklahoma linebacker Collin Oliver showed off a cool new edit from the Huskers.
https://twitter.com/cloliver25/status/1228357064549969920
ICYMI
>> I caught up with quarterback Peter Costelli (Premium) to find out about his visit plans, decision timeline and more.
>> Nebraska wideout Darien Chase put his name into the NCAA transfer portal on Friday evening.
>> The latest Husker Attic is here to inform you about a 1992 Coca-Cola Bowl program from Japan.
>> Jacob Padilla has a roundup of the 2020 Heartland Hoops Classic.
>> Another second-half run doomed the Nebraska basketball team in a loss to Wisconsin on Saturday.
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.
