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.
One of the biggest questions of the offseason for Nebraska is about the running back position. You may have counted running back as a concern heading into spring football, but not something that could potentially derail the 2019 season.
Maurice Washington was a limited participant in spring ball due to legal troubles in California. Junior college signee Dedrick Mills wasn’t in Lincoln for spring ball and there are still valid questions around whether or not he will make it to Nebraska this summer. Rahmir Johnson and Ronald Thompkins are set to arrive soon but there are question marks there too. Johnson and Thompkins could have bright futures in Lincoln, but we don’t know if Thompkins will be ready after his injuries and they are both freshmen so it’s hard to place expectations just yet.
Then there are the guys that were in Lincoln for spring practice. It was a prime opportunity for Jaylin Bradley, Wyatt Mazour and Brody Belt to seize the moment, making the most of their additional reps. Toward the end of spring practice, running backs coach Ryan Held spoke about how those guys were responding to the challenge.
“The thing about it is, there aren’t equal reps,” Held said. “When you get your opportunity you better make the most of it. What I’m looking for is that you might not get as many reps as the next guy but are you executing. Are you paying attention and getting mental reps? You might not be in the game but you better be paying attention, not screwing around talking about what you are going to do tonight. I’ve been encouraged by that. Guys are paying attention and engaged in practice.”
It's helpful that guys are engaged because that does promote a better overall team. Still, those reps that Held mentioned are only going to get cut more when whatever combination of newcomers arrive this summer and we find out the ultimate fate of Washington. It took a unique set of circumstances for Nebraska to find itself on shaky ground at running back for this upcoming season. Things could still break the Huskers’ way over the next couple of weeks though.
However, you wouldn’t blame the Huskers staff for taking a look at more options for immediate help in the backfield.
Recruit Watch
>> It looks like defensive coordinator Erik Chinander is down in Port St. Lucie, Florida, checking out prospects.
Thank you to @CoachChinander of @HuskerFBNation for stopping by the school this morning to talk about our student athletes‼️#GBR 🔴🌽#HailCentennial 🦅 pic.twitter.com/MONeIQfxwM
— Centennial Football (@Cen10_Football) May 9, 2019
>> Huskers 2021 quarterback prospect Dematrius Davis picked up an offer from Ole Miss on Thursday.
https://twitter.com/Dematrius09/status/1126553345672478721
>> In his first year competing in the event, incoming Husker Garrett Snodgrass qualified for state in discus.
Another York Duke qualified for state — Husker football recruit Garrett Snodgrass in the discus with a runner-up finish (144 feet, 8 inches). #nebpreps pic.twitter.com/eSDkfFadog
— Steve Marik (@YNTMarik) May 9, 2019
>> Huskers offensive coordinator Troy Walters swung through Burke High School on Thursday where he surely checked in on wide receiver Xavier Watts.
Thanks to @CoachWalters1 for stopping by today. #GBR pic.twitter.com/lS0ZJgXL7p
— OmahaBurkeFootball (@BurkeFootball) May 9, 2019
ICYMI
>> I took a closer look at 2021 QB prospect Jalen Milroe, including his thoughts on Mario Verduzco coming to his school this week. (Premium)
>> Jacob Padilla took stock of Nebraska’s special teams heading into summer.
>> Nebraska baseball is returning home to square off against Arizona State.
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.
