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 got some great news earlier this week when junior college running back Dedrick Mills sent in his letter of intent making it official with Nebraska. And now that it’s settled, we can look at what it means. Officially landing Mills is important for a couple of reasons.
First, he is a good player. In January 2016, Mills early enrolled at Georgia Tech. He starred for the Yellow Jackets in Paul Johnson’s attack as a freshman. He was the team’s leading rusher with 771 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 85 yards per game. This season, Mills rushed for 1,358 yards and 19 touchdowns on 5.8 yards per carry for Garden City Community College.
The second reason it was pretty important to get Mills in the fold is that the running back room is not short on talent but lacks a lot of game experience. Mills actually has the most carries (152) in Division I football of anyone on the Huskers’ roster. Who is No. 2? Adrian Martinez with 140 carries. Maurice Washington is third with 77 carries. There will be others who are vying for playing time next season at running back though, including incoming true freshman Rahmir Johnson.
One of the key questions of the spring will be whether or not running backs coach Ryan Held can get consistency out of a young and talented room. In addition, the Huskers may not be done adding to Held’s room as 3-star (HV Rating: 86.5) running back John Bivens is scheduled to take an official visit to Lincoln this weekend.
Recruit Watch
>> Huskers 2019 cornerback target DJ James is all set for his official visit to Oregon this weekend. He hosted defensive coordinator Erik Chinander and defensive backs coach Travis Fisher in-home last night.
Oregon official this weekend❗️🦆💚 #GoDucks
— DJ James (@Djames12x) January 16, 2019
>> Nebraska continued its 2020 offer spree in the South by offering wide receiver Kris Abrams-Draine who is teammates with James. Abrams-Draine is already committed to LSU.
Blessed to say I've received an offer from The University of Nebraska-Lincoln #GBR 🌽 pic.twitter.com/0Y3sZa3a7w
— Kris Abrams-Draine🦍 (@KD1ERA) January 15, 2019
>> Kevon Billingsley, a 2020 defensive lineman from Missouri, put out his junior season highlights and you can see why he’s a highly sought-after prospect.
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/7733737/5b9d13c9a0234b0d603e21b2
ICYMI
>> Since the staff is back on the road in full swing, we are providing updates on their whereabouts throughout the week.
>> Check out our preview of the January issue of Hail Varsity magazine which has a big focus on the 2019 recruiting class.
>> The HV staff tackled a wide range of topics in today’s mailbag including winter condioning nuggets.
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.
