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.
We had a mailbag question submitted this week that I’ve received enough to warrant pulling it from there to answer fully here.
Looking like a lot of de-commits have started across college football. Does Greg Smith expect a lot more? Does it affect NU (players leaving the program or getting some of these players)? (@Sal_Vasta3)
Spots are being gobbled up. Playing the waiting game as a recruit right now is rolling the dice. It is perfectly fine for a player to want to wait and check all options. It’s easy to see why you would want to take your visits and check out the campuses in person if you haven’t seen them yet. There is a risk involved with doing that. That is especially true for players that want in Nebraska’s class right now. If the Huskers only take 22 players this cycle then each spot is at a premium. Nebraska has proven to be good at staying in touch with prospects committed elsewhere. That skill could come in handy down the line.
Players are committing to schools before visiting them in person. That is naturally pretty scary for players and their families. A couple weeks ago, 247Sports' Bud Elliott noted that 770 commitments have happened so far for the 2021 recruiting class. To the same point in last year cycle there were 341. The rate we are seeing commitments at will lead to decommits around the country. I don’t even think we’ll see kids leaving classes because of something their current school did. It could be because since that relationship wasn’t as solid. That'd result in opportunity for another school to wedge in and build a solid foundation with a prospect.
Then there is the impact of the actual football season. There will be a team that has been racking up commitments during the pandemic who will have a bad season. Perhaps their coach will get fired too. That’s going to cause turmoil because if kids see a ship is sinking they will jump to find another option, especially if their initial commitment was shaky. On the flip side of that there will be teams that have unexpectedly good seasons. Some of those schools may choose to drop current commits in favor of other players they like. It’s not just the kids that will cause the expected decommitment crush later this cycle.
One real wildcard in all this is: when will prospects get to take these visits? The NCAA announced on Wednesday that the dead period would be extended to July 31.
Division I Council Coordination Committee extends recruiting dead period: https://t.co/kxNibUf3B2 pic.twitter.com/0cRcTbrxQp
— Inside the NCAA (@InsidetheNCAA) May 27, 2020
Will the NCAA allow for recruiting visits throughout August to make up for the lost spring and early summer visit? If the first time prospects are allowed back on college campuses is for games what will the impact be? Then prospects are making decisions in an even shorter amount of visit time.
Recruiting in the 2021 cycle could be a wild ride. It will keep things interesting for me but may drive coaches and fans crazy this fall.
Recruit Watch
>> Alabama 2021 wide receiver Christian Lewis showed a cool edit from the Huskers on Wednesday.
#GBR 🌽 🌾 pic.twitter.com/BT4ZLnFYlF
— Christian Lewis~DEUCE~ 🎭 (@ChrisLew__) May 27, 2020
>> Former Husker offensive line target Jaeden Roberts committed to Auburn. He lived in Kansas City prior to this year before moving to Texas.
100% Committed @Hayesfawcett3. @corylaxen pic.twitter.com/At8Hd8rw1B
— Jaeden (@jaeden_kings) May 27, 2020
>> Electric Texas wide receiver CJ Guidry included the Huskers in his top three that also features to local schools.
IM STILL FLEXIN STILL STEPPIN 💕🤞🏾🦇🦹🏾♀️++ #Top3
Edit:@ogunotres pic.twitter.com/cMI68k4cNT— Cj “Robin Hood”Guidry💕 (@Cj_Guidry) May 27, 2020
ICYMI
>> Outside linebacker JoJo Domann got the logo treatment on Tuesday and received a pretty cool video with it.
I will fear no evil. #GBR pic.twitter.com/Cn9lEkLtSG
— JoJo Domann (@TheDomannator) May 26, 2020
>> Expectations are high for Dicaprio Bootle’s senior season in a story by Erin Sorensen. This story was on the cutting room floor from her main feature on Bootle for Hail Varsity’s Football Yearbook. Don’t miss your copy by subscribing now.
>> Derek Peterson has reached the top three on his most intriguing (Premium) Huskers list and No. 3 is Cam Taylor-Britt.
>> Bill Moos is optimistic that this fall we could have football as we remember it.
>> Jacob Padilla explained how the Huskers are riding the wave in his latest Padding the Stats.
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.
