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.
After 4-star offensive tackle Bryce Benhart joined Nebraska's 2019 class, I shared a few thoughts on the commitment (Premium). Now, I’d like to talk about something that has come up quite a bit since he committed. That’s the question about whether or not he could potentially start next season at right tackle.
I personally believe the offensive line is the hardest position for a true freshman to come in and make an immediate impact on in terms of the starting lineup. Combine that with Benhart’s desire to win a state wrestling championship — making him a summer enrollee — it will be very difficult to picture him starting on Aug. 31 when Nebraska takes on South Alabama.
That’s not to say he won’t play a significant amount of snaps next season. I could see him being in a role similar to what Boe Wilson was in to begin this season. That would not necessarily be a bad thing because it would hopefully mean Benhart would not be forced into action next season.
There are a lot of intriguing combinations that could be used with Benhart in the mix next season. Add in junior college transfer Desmond Bland, plus the development of Cam Jurgens, to go along with the other linemen coming into the program and suddenly you’ve built some depth quickly.
One other thing, Benhart’s commitment is huge because it ensures the Huskers won’t have to reach to fill additional spots along the offensive line. Now they can laser in on landing one of their top junior college targets, Myron Cunningham or Keenan Walker. Perhaps Nebraska could also still look to flip Ole Miss commit Jeremy James or continue working on Dohnovan West who could be close to a decision.
Plus, stopping at five offensive linemen in this class would allow the Huskers to take an extra pass rusher or even a receiver if the staff finds an additional player they really like.
Recruit Watch
>> There’s one JUCO pass rusher you can cross off the list. Outside linebacker Kuony Deng from Independence Community College released his top 5 and Nebraska was not included.
Nebraska had Deng on campus over the summer before his recruitment really took off.
Top 5 (Alphabetical order) #LongLiveYB pic.twitter.com/aGcOj0UYSh
— Kuony Deng 🇸🇸 (@Kd_2Three) October 30, 2018
>> Check out some new highlights of priority 2020 defensive tackle prospect Nash Hutmacher out of Chamberlain, South Dakota.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 6’5 305 lbs @Nashnation72 Nash Hutmacher out of Chamberlain South Dakota running down the play from the Nose 💪🚨 pic.twitter.com/iMsUaEmfRL
— slotloser (@freeplayAP) October 28, 2018
>> Offensive lineman Carson Lee from Greenwood Village, Colorado, another priority 2020 recruit, released his junior season highlights. Nebraska would love to bring him into the fold for next year’s class.
https://twitter.com/CarsonLee75/status/1056722222683848704
>> Daniel Heimuli, a 2019 4-star linebacker, has trimmed his list to five and did not include Nebraska.
https://twitter.com/DanielHeimuli/status/1057107278120157186
ICYMI
>> The latest Lo-Down is here to tell you who all those people are on the volleyball bench.
>> Ben Stille is now a Blackshirt, he just wanted to earn it.
>> Dedoch Chan is leaving the Nebraska basketball program.
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.
