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.
Eight days ago there was bit of signing day drama. Defensive back Jaiden Francois was mulling over his decision to attend Nebraska. I’m sure there were a lot of Husker fans thinking “Here we go again.” The feeling that the South Dade star would get cold feet about heading north to Nebraska was real. If he did, it would put a damper on Nebraska’s early signing day buzz. But the Huskers had an ace in the hole: defensive backs coach Travis Fisher.
“I have to tell you, every year there’s a superstar on our staff in recruiting," coach Scott Frost said. "This year, he’s one of the top guys. He has a lot of relationships down in Florida from his time there, both in North Florida where he grew up and down south where he’s recruited for a long time. He knocked it out of the park this year and that’s really valuable for our football team to have a coach that can go out of state like that and bring in the type of talent that he brought in.”
Francois and wide receiver Marcus Fleming are both Florida natives who picked the Huskers on signing day. The pair put two cherries on top of an impressive Florida haul in the 2020 cycle for Nebraska. In total, the Huskers inked seven players from the Sunshine State.
- DB Jaiden Francois
- WR Marcus Fleming
- LB Keyshawn Greene
- DB Ronald Delancy III
- DB Henry Gray
- RB Marvin Scott III
- DB Tamon Lynum
The story of this recruiting cycle can’t be told without noting how well Nebraksa did in Florida. When this staff came to Lincoln it was expected that they would hit the state they just came from hard. It didn’t materialize in the 2019 class with zero players from the state. The bounce back this cycle was huge. It all starts with identifying the right player.
“[I have been] recruiting in Florida for a long time and there are some kids that I don’t think it serves them well to leave the state,” Frost explained. “There are others that probably the best thing in the world for them is to get out of there and go be their own man somewhere else. I think we focused on the right kids. We focused on kids that were anxious to get out and experience something else."
Frost made a key point that should not be overlooked. Focusing on the kids that have a desire to experience something else also allows you to not waste precious time chasing kids who have no intention of ever leaving the state. Since Nebraska has to recruit nationally allocation of resources is critical.
What happens with the seven Florida Huskers coming to Lincoln this class will make a major impact on future Florida recruiting efforts. If they have positive experiences that will only bolster Nebraska’s claim that it is the right place for athletes to develop on and off the field.
I suppose we shouldn’t be too surprised that the Huskers had success in Florida. The “superstar” on this staff this cycle told us it was coming.
Big Couple of Days in Florida Recruiting !!!! 👀 Huskers We Will Get Some of The Best to Lincoln TRUST!!! And I don’t talk much on Twitter.
— Travis Fisher (@CoachTFisher) November 9, 2019
Recruit Watch
>> Huskers 2021 cornerback target Avante Dickerson added an Oregon offer to his growing list.
Blessed to receive an offer from Oregon 🟡 pic.twitter.com/H1L9GfKCvs
— AD #28 (@_dickerson1) December 25, 2019
>> Priority 2021 inside linebacker target Chris Paul Jr. had himself an impressive season down in Georgia.
Junior Year in the 📚.. 157 TT, 4.5 Sacks 1 CF, 2 FR (State Runner-Up) 1st time in School History. #2xDPOY #AllStateLB 🐾 pic.twitter.com/myFu3hicXc
— Christopher “POOH” Paul Jr. (@PoohPaul4) December 26, 2019
>> The Huskers sent out some festive edits for the holiday including to Kansas City 2021 ATH Jaylin Noel.
Merry Christmas🎈‼️ @CoachRHeld @HuskerFBNation pic.twitter.com/0WPniyedeB
— Jaylin Noel (@noel_jaylin) December 25, 2019
ICYMI
>> Tom’s Time is back to look at a record-setting Fiesta Bowl for Nebraska that set the wrong kinds of records.
>> Darrion Daniels owed his brother a season. That came in handy for Nebraska. Let Derek Peterson fill you in on the story of how the Daniels brothers reunited in Lincoln.
> > Husker volleyball season reviews have begun by Jacob Padilla. First up is outside hitters.
> > A trio of Huskers were named to the all-time All-American Team.
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.
