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.
On Wednesday, the NCAA made the tough but expected move to extend the recruiting dead period to May 31. The NCAA initially put restrictions on having prospects visit campus and coaches go out on the road through April 15.
Division I, Division II extends their recruiting dead periods: pic.twitter.com/aIC7WUTg3p
— Inside the NCAA (@InsidetheNCAA) April 1, 2020
There are a few immediate things that come to mind that are now affected by the new rule. First, the evaluation period is now lost. It was set to run April 16 through May. That time is used for assistant coaches to get out on the road to talk to prospects and see them in person.
The second is that Nebraska’s camp schedule is beginning to take a hit. The Coaches’ Clinic scheduled for April 3 had already been canceled. But now the team camp scheduled for May 31-June 2 isn’t going to happen. The first Friday Night Lights camp is scheduled for June 5, which is the weekend after the earliest possible day the recruiting restrictions would stop.
Keep in mind that the first Friday Night Lights weekend could have been an official visit weekend. There are no known official visits scheduled for that weekend but it is a safe bet to say there will (or would have) been visits scheduled. June is a huge month for Nebraska recruiting and camps. Any more extensions of the dead period will have a major impact. Nebraska is scheduled to attend major camp events like the Lindenwood Mega Camp in Missouri on June 4 and 5.
June is also loaded with events on Nebraska’s campus.
- Friday Night Lights No. 1: June 5th
- Individual Camp No. 1: June 6th
- QB Camp: June 6th
- Inside Husker Football 202: June 9th
- Individual Camp No. 2: June 10th
- Specialist Camp: June 10th
- Rising 7th & 8th Grade Camp: June 12th
- Husker Football Youth Camps: June 13th
- 7 on 7 Camp: June 14th
- Women’s Clinic: June 16th
- Inside Husker Football 303: June 18th
- Friday Night Lights No. 2: June 19th
- Pipeline Camp: June 20th
- Husker Football Youth Camp 3: June 25th
There is another facet of the extension of this dead period to consider. How will prospects feel the squeeze to commit or will a lot of them decide to wait? My feeling now is that many prospects will consider committing to a school they know they like now. That could be preferred over waiting it out to see what else develops. That could especially be true if the prospect has already visited a few schools that they are considering. No one knows how things will shake out when we eventually come out of all this. So having a guaranteed spot might be appealing.
All types of prospects will be grappling with that decision in the coming weeks. Even highly-rated prospects will have discussions about decision timelines. The father of recent Huskers commit Chris Paul Jr. tweeted a similar sentiment.
The further this gets pushed back, the HARDER RECRUITS BETTER LOVE WHO LOVES THEM‼️#DontGetCaughtEmptyHanded #ControlTheControllables https://t.co/vsx3Qhmheh
— Coach Christopher Paul Sr. (@ChristophetSr) April 1, 2020
We are in a new world for the time being. There are a lot of adjustments and decisions being made on a daily basis.
Recruit Watch
>> Priority tight end Thomas Fidone showed off an edit that the Huskers made for him on Thursday.
GBR☠️? pic.twitter.com/wBsbm24gNd
— Thomas Fidone II ²⁴ (@ThomasFidone) April 2, 2020
>> Oregon athlete Patrick Hisatake picked up an offer from the Huskers on Wednesday. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound defender is viewed as a defensive end by the Huskers.
https://twitter.com/knkzz_/status/1245472199235866625
> > Major Huskers linebacker targer Terrence Lewis will be releasing a top five on Friday.
FINAL 5 THIS SATURDAY 🐺
— Terrence Not Terrance🦦 (@Terrence21Lewis) April 2, 2020
ICYMI
>> Tom’s Time this week is looking into a rout of the Rams that set up an early turning point in 1991.
>> I caught up with Florida defensive back Gabe Nealy after he included Nebraska in his top six. The Huskers are making a strong (Premium) impression on him.
> > Nebraska basketball point guard Cam Mack has decided to keep his name in the transfer portal.
>> It’s time to check in on Nebraska basketball’s junior college commits. (Premium)