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.
The Huskers hosted their second Junior Day on Saturday. It was a huge gathering of prospects and their families, with well over 50 prospects scheduled to attend. The staff has spent months developing relationships with the prospects that attended but it’s always good to get them on campus and face-to-face with the coaches.
There were a handful of prospects that entered the day already holding Husker offers. That included:
- JUCO Cornerback Brian George (Highland, Kansas)
- JUCO Defensive tackle Jahkeem Green (Highland, Kansas)
- 4-star outside linebacker Quandarrius Robinson (Birmingham, Alabama)
- 3-star defensive end Johnny Wilson (Kansas City, Missouri)
- 3-star linebacker Mister Williams (Westlake Village, California)
- Center Paula Vaipulu (Channelview, Texas)
- 2021 Cornerback Jakailin Johnson (St Louis, Missouri)
- 2021 Offensive tackle Teddy Prochazka (Elkhorn, Nebraska)
- 2021 Offensive tackle Riley Mahlman (Lakeville, Minnesota)
The junior college tandem of Brian George and Jahkeem Green are key targets for the 2020 class. George is a long (6-2, 190) cornerback that would fit nicely into the defense. Green is an athletic defensive lineman that could wreak some havoc up front. Every recruiting cycle we talk about the need for pass rushing outside linebackers. Quandarrius Robinson fits that description well. Getting him on campus for an unofficial visit was huge for Nebraska’s chances of pulling him from the South.
Kansas City native Johnny Wilson recently picked up his offer from Nebraska. Missouri is always a key state, so getting the 500-mile radius target on campus was good news. California native Mister Williams may win the award for longest distance traveled to get to Junior Day. He has an impressive offer list that includes LSU and UCLA and Nebraska. I’m very intrigued by center prospect Paula Vaipulu. He is still under the radar for now but has seen his stock rise recently.
The class of 2021 was represented with offered prospects too. Cornerback Jakailin Johnson is a very talented player from St. Louis who will likely end up being a national recruit. Elkhorn South offensive tackle Teddy Prochazka has become a mainstay at Husker events which is great news. He will be a must-get player for his class. Riley Mahlman hails from the same town as recent signee Bryce Benhart. It was actually the second trip to Lincoln for the lineman who already holds offers from Iowa, Wisconsin and Northwestern.
A couple of new 2021 offers also went out on Saturday to players that attended the event. Connor Colby, a 6-foot-5 and 275 pound offensive lineman from Iowa, got an offer. So did Randolph Kpai, a linebacker from Washington High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
I often mention that these events and the camps that Nebraska participates in are good for prospects who are off the radar. That was the case for Gunnar Kilen, a 2020 offensive tackle prospect from Wisconsin, who stands at 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds.
“My parents and I had a great time yesterday at Nebraska,” Kilen said. “The coaching staff was very personable and the football facilities must be among the best in the nation.”
Kilen would be happy to come back to Lincoln. He shared that Coach Scott Frost and offensive line coach Greg Austin said to expect a visit at his high school during the spring evaluation period. The senior-to-be currently holds 15 offers from the FBS/FCS levels. He said that he’s looking for a school that has a winning culture and a great coaching staff and is interested in majoring in construction management or business.
Recruit Watch
>> Cody Simon, a 4-star linebacker from New Jersey, reminded everyone just how sough-after he is with this simple tweet.
Truly blessed to have been able to visit these schools this offseason. The process continues… pic.twitter.com/dsLIDiZhJs
— Cody Simon (@Cody_Simon30) March 31, 2019
>> Priority defensive line target Nash Hutmacher dominated the competition this weekend to capture the gold at the 2019 USAW Folkstyle National’s. Hutmacher will take his official visit to Nebraska the weekend of April 6.
@Nashnation72 is your 2019 USAW Folkstyle National Champion with a pin (2:29) over HWT Tyler Delooff in the finals! Congratulations Big Nash! #Polarbear pic.twitter.com/hLRz3inKAD
— Joe Hutmacher (@joe_hutmacher) March 30, 2019
>> Jackson, Mississippi, native Montra Edwards shared some of the graphics he got from the Huskers over the weekend.
https://twitter.com/MontraEdwards5/status/1112051734963195905
>> Speaking of new graphics, check out this one that went to Texas tight end Donavon Johnson.
https://twitter.com/DonavonJ11/status/1111733283933642752
ICYMI
>> Fun times have arrived in Lincoln but the Huskers are serious, writes Brandon Vogel.
>> Derek Peterson dove into Fred Hoiberg by the numbers on Saturday.
>> It’s important to know how Fred Hoiberg approaches recruiting, right? Jacob Padilla is here to let you know.
>> Nebraska’s tight end room is drama-free this spring but they are making strides on the field.
>> Mike Babcock tells the story of Hoiberg and his connection to Nebraska.
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.
