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 is something that started being talked about on Saturday after Nebraska’s near-win in Columbus against Ohio State that has stuck with me.
Oftentimes when a season has not gone the way a team had hoped, they need to find things to play for and be motivated by. Since Saturday, it’s seemed pretty clear to me what that thing is that Nebraska will be playing for in the final three games. It’s simply the notion that the seniors on this team need to be sent out properly because they are laying the foundation for things getting fun in Lincoln again.
“The one thing I feel bad about it is this thing keeps getting better," Scott Frost said Saturday. “It’s going to be really good and really fun. Some of the guy that are helping us build it..the [Luke] Giffords, [Mick] Stoltenberg, Stanley [Morgan Jr.], Tanner [Farmer], Jerald [Foster] and a bunch of these guys that are helping us get things right aren’t going to get to see where it goes because it’s their last year. I told the guys we have to send them out the right way. The guys have the right mindset to get back to work and try to win the next game and the next game and the next game. It’s building and I would love to see those guys have some success on the way out.”
On Monday, that sentiment was echoed by sophomore defensive weapon JoJo Domann
“Honestly we are playing for Big Mick and the boys is how Frost referred to it. These captains are huge in the culture change and having this program turn around. They are the pillars to the turnaround. We are playing these last three games to send them off on a good note.”
When fans generally think of the foundation of a turnaround for a new coaching staff, they typically point to the coaches’ first full recruiting class. In this case that would be players like Nick Henrich, Bryce Benhart, Garrett Nelson and Javin Wright. Sometimes if there are special circumstances, players in the “transition class” are looked at as the players that laid the foundation. While Adrian Martinez, Maurice Washington and Cam Taylor will have a big say in how things go in Lincoln over the next couple of seasons they may not be the first group we are talking about in a few years when looking back on this rebuild.
Perhaps players like Freedom Akinmoladun, Jerald Foster, Luke Gifford, Stanley Morgan, Mick Stoltenberg, Tanner Farmer and Devine Ozigbo will one day be shown a lot of appreciation for what they helped to get rolling in Lincoln despite the win-loss record in their final two seasons.
Recruit Watch
>>A player that I mentioned in my flip watch article on Wednesday, linebacker Brandon Mack, has put out his highlight tape.
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/7501132/5bdfb573b023840ed84c1331
>>Another prospect in my flip watch article released his highlights. Jeremy James can be seen in the video below piling up pancakes.
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/7448735/5b6f3ab1b023b008b8c87905
ICYMI
>>Nebraska hoops destroyed Mississippi Valley State Tuesday night, to start their season with a bang.
>>No Huddle is back to talk about the plans Frost has for Husker football.
>>In a premium post, I looked at potential flip targets for the 2019 class.
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.
