Korver Demma always envisioned himself as a Division I football player. That was the goal so he put in the work in order to achieve it.
He could have made an impact as a sophomore for Gretna but an injury sidelined his season. He returned last year as a hungry junior, ready to make plays. When a senior-heavy team graduated and paved the way for his own curtain call season, he welcomed it.
“I just knew all the seniors from last year were gone and there’s some big shoes to fill,” he said. “Improvements came earlier and I’ve practiced getting better as an athlete.”
The Gretna senior is one of the cornerstones on the Dragon defense. The defensive end has especially come on the the past two games. Last week against Papillion-La Vista South he made eight tackles, including two for loss. Demma also recovered a fumble in the third quarter and picked off a screen pass he returned for a touchdown. The week before, in the hyped game against Bellevue West, he tallied a season-high 10 tackles.
PICK 6 @Korver_Demma @GretnaDragonAD @PrepRedzoneNE pic.twitter.com/BFa6rWgCN2
— Jedidiah R. Hardy (@jedidiahrhardy) October 7, 2022
Demma is unranked, unrated by most recruiting sites. He’s gained no scholarship offers while receiving game day invitations from Nebraska, South Dakota State and South Dakota. He took his official visit to Brookings and SDSU over the weekend. Before that he came to Lincoln to watch the Huskers beat Indiana from the sidelines. But outside those few schools he’s flown under the radar.
“He’s really athletic,” Gretna head coach Michael Kayl said. “He plays off the ball really well, he’ll go sideline to sideline. As a D-lineman he’s really hard to block.”
Kayl also complimented Demma’s motor, saying he’ll physically find a way into a play. Demma solidified his dedication to the game through his sophomore injury and used it to build character.
“He puts a ton of time in and you see him in the weight room, working hand drills,” Kayl said. “There’s a true passion there.”
Demma said he’d love to one day play defense at Nebraska. He’d like to put the college decision behind him so he can focus on what’s left of his senior season. The 7-0 Dragons host Omaha South this week before finishing the regular season against Lincoln East.
Recruit Watch
Mater Dei High School in California is once again the undisputed top-ranked team in the country. Last year’s national champion is now ranked No. 1 by every major publication in America.
The Huskers have extended offers to two Mater Dei junior linemen, Brandon Baker and DeAndre Carter. The pair of 4-star linemen helped Mater Dei run for 176 yards and two touchdowns against the former No. 1 team, St. John Bosco. Baker, the nation’s No. 2 offensive tackle in the 2024 recruiting class, visited Oregon earlier this month and wore USC-branded gloves during last weekend’s game. Nebraska offered both of them in late September.
No. 1️⃣ across every major national rankings publication. 📈
We’re honored to have earned the top ranking in the nation. Our job remains the same—to meet the standard week in & week out, and continue to take it one rep at a time, one practice at a time, one game at a time.
— Mater Dei Football (@MDFootball) October 10, 2022
Nebraska now has even more company in the sweepstakes for Iowa prep standout Grant Brix. Nebraska offered the 3-star lineman in late September. The 6-foot-6 lineman has since received a scholarship offer from Northwestern and took an official visit to Iowa. Brix is a three-sport athlete in the 2024 recruiting class.
Lincoln East standout Malachi Coleman will be honored tomorrow with a virtual jersey for the 2023 All-American Bowl at 7 p.m. on all of the All-American Bowl social media pages. Coleman will play in the annual East vs. West game on January 7, in Texas.
Coleman, heavily recruited by Nebraska, is scheduled to make his college decision in a ceremony at Lincoln East on October 22.
ICYMI
>> Watch video from players and coach Joseph at the podium earlier Tuesday.
>> Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda announced he’s transferring after his hot start to the season cooled off.
>> The Huskers rally their toughness through the start of the Big Ten season in earnest.
