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.
Over the first two recruiting cycles with Scott Frost as the coach at Nebraska, over 40 walk-ons have been added to the team. There has always been something special about the walk-on program at Nebraska. It was a staple of Nebraska football during the days of Tom Osborne, even if it was deemphasized or misunderstood by coaches after him.
Frost has referred to growing the roster this way as one of the “secret sauces” around Lincoln during Nebraska’s hayday, and that’s what he wants to restore. The next step is making the walk-on program even more competitive so that kids are hungry for the opportunity. With that comes finding the “right guy.”
“I want good people, and I want athletic potential,” Frost said. “Some of the guys we have are big and have huge frames and are good athletes. Spencer Long is just a great example of what we’re looking for. He’s a guy that was a tight end. I don’t think he ran quite well enough to be an NFL tight end, but he had a huge frame and a really good athlete. A guy in this program got in strength conditioning and ends up being a great player in the NFL. Not every guy has to be an O or D-Lineman, but I certainly think there’s a lot of those running around the Midwest and Nebraska, certainly looking for other positions, too.
“If guys are going to play here, it’s going to get harder and harder to play here and they better have some really good athleticism about them and better have a high upside. If they do, we’ll get them in the weight room, with the right attitude and they’ll hit the field.”
Over the coming years it will be fun to track the recent groups of walk-ons brought into the program. The potential is there for more success stories like Long’s, which would be ideal as the Huskers hope to get back to competing for championships.
Recruit Watch
>> Nebraska running back signee Rahmir Johnson is fast. Here he is setting a county record in the 200-meter dash.
@rahmir_johnson DEMOLISHES the county record with a 21.68 in the 200m! @AdrianTaffe
in second not far behind with a 22.73!#LeadOn#MenAtWork pic.twitter.com/uCAvtienG0— BCHS XC |Track&Field (@bcfinishline) February 14, 2019
>> Keep an eye out this spring for talented group of Houston prospects to visit Lincoln this spring.
Just locked in our visit to #Nebraska 🌽 🔴⚪️ #GBR @CoachAshby2
— Fast Houston , Los Angeles , Austin Tx (@Fast7v7) February 13, 2019
ICYMI
>> The Huskers snapped their losing streak from the stripe, writes Jacob Padilla.
>> Multi-sport athlete Garrett Snodgrass is ready to focus at Nebraska.
>> I broke down a handful of players to watch in-state for the class of 2020. (Premium)
>>Derek Peterson has your three takeaways from Nebraska’s dramatic win over Minnesota.
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.
