Dozens of the nation’s best football recruits make their way to Lincoln this weekend. As of Thursday afternoon, over 25 are scheduled to visit throughout the weekend. There may be late additions to the visitor list, as is the nature of college football.
But high-profile recruits already arrived by Thursday night. Their packed itinerary includes Nebraska’s fourth spring practice on Saturday morning.
The guest list includes visitors from every position. One of them, 5-star legacy recruit Dylan Raiola, is the only quarterback visiting. Nebraska offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Marcus Satterfield shared the staff’s goal for the recruiting weekend.
“We’re trying to show guys what it’s like to be a Cornhusker,” Satterfield said. “You’re going to come to get coached, you’re going to be respected and you’re going to get coached hard and developed into players if that’s ultimately what you’re destined to do.
“You’re going to be developed into great fathers, great husbands, great doctors, great lawyers if that’s what you’re destined to do. We’re going to do it the right way.”
The weekend starts Friday when the Huskers host 4-star tight end Jaden Reddell from Raymore, Missouri. He’s teammates with Husker 2023 singing Jaidyn Doss, who is also visiting this weekend (he’ll join the Huskers in the summer).
Then comes the big visit day on Saturday. At the top of the list are 5-star recruits Raiola and Lee’s Summit North defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri. Both are top 10 recruits in the country regardless of position. So far, Nebraska has signed just two 5-star recruits in the history of the modern recruiting database.
Several 4-star recruits are set to arrive as well. Receiver Ryan Wingo (St. Louis, Missouri), the nation’s top offensive tackle Brandon Baker (Santa Ana, California), receiver Ryan Pellum (Long Beach, California), receiver Gatlin Bair (Burney, Idaho), running back Nathanial Frazier (Santa Ana, California), tight end Carter Nelson (Ainsworth), offensive lineman Andrew Sprague (Kansas City, Missouri), offensive lineman Grant Brix (Logan, Iowa), edge rusher Jacob Smith (Cheshire, Connecticut), defensive lineman Jerod Smith (Cheshire, Connecticut), running back Peyton Lewis (Salem, Virginia), cornerback Mario Buford (DeSoto, Texas) and receiver Dae’vonn Hall (Bellevue West) are all locked in. The only commit of Nebraska’s 2024 recruiting class so far, 4-star receiver Roger Gradney out of Altair, Texas, also plans to visit this weekend.
Nebraska secured visits this weekend from the following 3-star recruits: athlete Isaiah McMorris (Bellevue West), linebacker Michael Boganowski (Junction City, Kansas), tight end Ian Flynt (Katy, Texas), linebacker Thomas Heiberger (Sioux Falls, South Dakota), linebacker Elijah Newby (Cheshire, Connecticut), offensive lineman Gibson Pyle (Houston, Texas), offensive lineman Gage Ginther (Fort Collins, Colorado), offensive lineman Riley Sunram (Kindred, North Dakota), offensive lineman Semisi Tonga (Salt Lake City, Utah) and safety Caleb Benning (Omaha Westside).
Stick with Hail Varsity for updates throughout the weekend as news develops.
Recruit Watch
Bryant Wesco, consensus high-caliber 4-star receiver from Midlothian, Texas, included Nebraska in his top eight schools. Wesco is one of the top receivers in the 2024 recruiting class after a standout junior season. The Huskers offered him in January, after he made 58 catches for 1,160 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2022.
https://t.co/AxFQsRvrDp Fans go tell me where to go. pic.twitter.com/ruQ3JTvISL
— Bryant Wesco🌟✈️ (@Bryantwesco19) March 22, 2023
Four-star linebacker Willis McGahee IV visited Nebraska’s first spring practice on Monday. It won’t be his last time in Lincoln, he announced in a tweet. The hybrid edge/outside linebacker McGahee confirmed he’ll be at Nebraska’s Spring Game on April 22. Stone Saunders, the 2025 quarterback out of Pennsylvania the staff started recruiting in December, also plans to visit for the Spring Game.
Nebraska hosted Bellevue West recruit Jacob Arop on Thursday. He’s a junior this season and an offensive tackle for the T-Birds.
Nebraska extended a rare offer to a 2027 recruit earlier this week. The Huskers contacted Warren County eighth-grade student Noah Merriweather out of Warrenton, Georgia. He’s a three-sport athlete with his eyes on football after running a 4.41 40 at an All-American Showcase earlier this year. So far on the field he plays running back and defensive back. He was selected for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl travel team back in November.
Fastest 225lb+ Linebacker in the Nation pic.twitter.com/7bBpXiSUUN
— Willis McGahee IV (@McgaheeIv) March 23, 2023
ICYMI
>> Brooke Andrews stepped up for the Huskers and delivered a three-run homer to lift Nebraska over Iowa State in a midweek softball tilt at Bowlin Stadium. Check out Hail Varsity’s softball coverage and photo gallery before the Big Ten opener this weekend.
>> Nebraska goes on the road to play Kansas in the WNIT tournament tonight. Hail Varsity will provide coverage from the game. In the meantime, you can read our preview to prepare yourself.
>> Thursday morning was Nebraska’s first spring practice it opened to media. Check out all of the coverage, including stories, videos and photos right here.
