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 have a young football team. There are so many underclassmen making contributions on Saturdays for the team. That can be a double-edged sword though. On one hand, you have enough young talent that needs to be on the field. That says something good about the Nebraska staff’s ability to scout and land talent. That’s the positive.
The negative sides to playing so many young players can be plentiful. They are learning on the fly so mistakes are to be expected. They also won’t be as physically developed as some teams they come up against, especially in the Big Ten. Inconsistency can also be an issue. Not just in play on the field but also with motivation.
Now that the Huskers have suffered an unexpectedly tough loss, Coach Scott Frost has to find a way to keep his young team motivated. Especially those freshmen who thought they could come in right away and change the landscape of the program.
“It’s a challenge,” Frost said. “I was the 2nd-ranked quarterback in the country I think coming out of high school and I didn’t play until my fourth year of college. Things worked out great for me. Freshman years are hard because you’re used to being the star of the show in high school and you come and very few freshmen are capable and able to start their freshman year.”
Things have also been so different this year for players in their first year in college. It’s been a difficult time for everyone which is made worse by being away from home for the first time at 18-years old. Frost went on to hit a potential key point that I haven’t seen discussed much.
“This year’s been even tougher with no fans in the stands, they don’t get to see what Memorial Stadium looks like,” Frost said. “We’re going to be done with school and still have a few weeks a season left here, so there there’s been probably even more challenges than before but at the end of the day a lot of kids need to learn to be patient and if they persevere, things are going to work out better for them. Not everything happens easy or right away or when you want it to. It’s kind of like the progress we’re making as a team but hasn’t quite gotten there yet. We try to teach those lessons to those kids every day.”
Someday the young players on this team will look back at this year. It’s filled with unexpected turns but they’ll be able to take lessons from it. It probably doesn’t feel that way now for all them. But as Frost also said, some will learn the lessons and stick it out while others won’t.
Frost is hoping that more of his players push through an unexpected slow start in a rocky year. How bright the future is might depend on it.
Recruit Watch
>> Creighton Prep athlete Alex Bullock committed to walk on to Nebraska for the 2021 class on Monday night.
COMMITTED!❤️🌽 pic.twitter.com/hUL9k7f1mw
— Alex Bullock (@alexbullock_3) November 23, 2020
>> Columbus outside linebacker 2022 Ernest Hausmann picked up an offer from Kansas on Tuesday.
After a great call with @CoachDiribe96 I am extremely thankful and blessed to receive an offer to play at The University of Kansas‼️#RockChalk🔴🔵 pic.twitter.com/P5OD7QFfVm
— Ernest Hausmann (@Ernest_Hausmann) November 24, 2020
>> Iowa 2021 offensive line commit Henry Lutovsky picked up a cool honor when he was named first team all-state.
Mount Pleasant OL and Nebraska commit Henry Lutovsky was named 1st Team All-State in Class 3A this morning by the IPSWA.
He was joined on the 3A list by DB Chase Williamson, who was a 3rd Team All-State choice.
Ballers. #iahsfb
— Nathan Bloechl (@NathanBloechl) November 24, 2020
ICYMI
>> In the latest episode of the Straight Up Breakdown podcast Jay Foreman and I go through how it’s All in the Details for Nebraska.
>> The Huskers are in the mix (Premium) for 2021 defensive end Ru’Quan Buckley out of Michigan.
>> Nebraska basketball is hyped and happy to tip off the season against McNeese State.
>> As Derek Peterson wrote Nebraska coaches shouldered the blame for the Illinois loss on Tuesday.
>> Iowa presents a big challenge for Nebraska and improvement begins on third downs this Friday.
>> As Casey Rogers said the Huskers want that trophy back as the Huskers embrace the importance of the Iowa rivalry.
>> Watch Fred Hoiberg talk about Nebraska’s starting lineup, COVID-19 testing and more.
>> Nebraska coordinators talked third downs, Iowa rivalry and more on Tuesday.