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 questions never stop in the recruiting world. No matter what time of year it is, there is always something to talk about so we have been taking reader and listener suggestions on questions. I then answer the questions in a quick video. This week’s topic comes from all over the place.
What are the Huskers’ top three position priorities after June?
We are done with the wild ride that was June. The Huskers have a total of seven commitments from the 2022 class. Five of those seven commitments were added last month. It’s a perfect time to reset a bit and look at where the Huskers need to focus from here.
Defensive back
The Huskers currently have no defensive back commitments for the 2022 recruiting class. To make things tougher, top prospect James Monds III committed to Big Ten foe Indiana on Sunday. Still, the Huskers hosted several defensive backs during June. Markeith Williams, Avery Powell, Nathan Vail and Jaden Mangham took official visits to Nebraska. None are committed at this point.
I’m not worried about Nebraska filling the position group. Defensive backs coach Travis Fisher’s has a strong history. He consistently finds talent to bring to Lincoln.
Outside Linebacker
Jake Appleget, who committed in June, is slated to play outside linebacker. Yet, the Huskers will still need more players at the position. The team didn’t host another player that projects at outside linebacker during June. Nebraska likely takes one more outside linebacker this cycle. We can expect a heavy push to get players to town at the position during the season.
Offensive Line
Things were busy for offensive line coach Greg Austin in June. He hosted three official visitors during the month. The team also had Virginia lineman Maarten Woudsma make an unofficial visit. Week one visitor Ashton Craig committed to Notre Dame. The Huskers are in position to land either Valen Erickson or Jake Maikkula. It would be great for Nebraska to land at least one of those players before the season. That way the team can lock in on one more top target during the season.
There is one thing that will be a big factor in figuring out how Nebraska will fill these needs. The Huskers are going to need a strong start to the season. We are getting to the point where recruits want to see some results from coach Scott Frost to match the vision he is explaining to them. If the Huskers can get results early, it could provide a huge boost to a small 2022 recruiting class.
Recruit Watch
>> Huskers outside linebacker target Ikenna Ezrogu committed to Iowa State on Monday.
‼️‼️@CycloneFB @CoachNateISU @ISUMattCampbell pic.twitter.com/x06sK5tLKI
— Ikenna Ezeogu (@IkennaEzeogu) July 5, 2021
>> Bellevue West offensive lineman Henry Rickels committed to Air Force over the weekend.
100% Committed ✈️⚡️ pic.twitter.com/z8ORI2IflF
— Henry Rickels (@HenryRickels) July 2, 2021
>> The Huskers made the top seven for defensive end Joshua White.
Final 7 Thankful for all the blessing 🐐❤️ “LongLiveKingston” @ChadSimmons_ @RecruitGeorgia @hcbcg_jadams pic.twitter.com/y433YjOFFE
— Joshua white (@bigJdub19) July 2, 2021
>> Illinois outside linebacker Jared Badie committed to Illinois on Sunday.
It’s just something ‘bout the boys back home… #committed 🧡💙 pic.twitter.com/WVNA2IDwzG
— Jared Badie (@JaredBadie) July 4, 2021
ICYMI
>> Derek Peterson’s most intriguing list has concluded with center Cam Jurgens coming in at the No. 1 spot.
>> As Jacob Padilla writes, Dalano Banton’s departure leaves Fred Hoiberg with a decision to make.
>> How do the Huskers fare in Big Ten offensive position rankings? Derek Peterson took a look.
>> I took a look at where things stand (Premium) with Nebraska’s June official visitors.
