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 new college football season is around the corner. We are about a month away from the Huskers kicking off their season against Illinois on Aug. 28. There were common hot topics as media days were happening around the country. One was name, image and likeness. The rules going into place allowing student-athletes to profit from their likeness is a game-changer in college athletics.
Nebraska was an early adopter to the changes. Coach Scott Frost was asked about NIL during the podium portion of his time at Big Ten Media Days last week.
“I’m excited for NIL,” Frost said. “It’s going to change the landscape of college football, probably college athletics in general, but anything that benefits our student athletes I’m really excited about. I think Nebraska is uniquely positioned to take advantage of it just because of the passion surrounding Nebraska football.
“We’re the only show in town. We have fans all over the country. All eyes are on us in the state of Nebraska and I think there are going to be a lot of people that will want to partner with our players and help give them some advantages.”
The Huskers cannot help put together deals for potential Huskers during the recruiting process. Nebraska can’t promise specific deals to recruits for signing with the team. The program is allowed to show how NIL has benefitted current student-athletes.
Word travels fast. Recruits and their families will know if schools have a lot of opportunities for players. Frost explained more during his breakout session how he sees NIL impacting recruiting.
“NIL is definitely going to affect recruiting,” Frost said. “A lot of these young men that we’re coaching could really use the help. They come from situations where they don’t have as much as some other people. You know, if there’s two schools that are approximately the same with any recruit and one school is able to provide more for them than another school that’s an advantage.
“That’s why I feel great about our position with NIL because of the fan interest. They are really passionate for Nebraska football. I think we’re kind of uniquely positioned to try to take advantage of it. We’ll do our best to do that.”
Watching how NIL plays out on the recruiting trail will be interesting over the next cycle or two. Schools that are able to show how their student-athletes have found success in this new era will reap the rewards. This is an entirely new piece of the recruiting equation. Nebraska is well-positioned to do well in this area. Any advantage is welcome in recruiting. Differences between schools can be razor thin.
Recruit Watch
>> Damari Alston, a 4-star running back from Georgia, committed to Auburn on Sunday.
Happy Birthday Pops. Love You. COMMITTED. 🤞🏾 @DirectedByDale pic.twitter.com/zr3hyZ8FoI
— DA ♛ (@DamariAlston) July 25, 2021
>> Bellevue West quarterback Daniel Kaelin was offered by Kansas on Sunday.
After an amazing visit, I am excited to have received an offer to the University of Kansas! #rockchalk pic.twitter.com/3pkt9jrLyT
— Daniel Kaelin (@DanielKaelin5) July 25, 2021
ICYMI
>> There are no regrets for Noah Vedral who is looking forward to helping Rutgers take the next step.
>> Let’s take a deeper dive on key comments (Premium) from Nebraska at Big Ten Media Days.
>> Matt Masker is bringing the Central Nebraska Development Football Camp to Kearney.
>> As Brandon Vogel explains the Huskers need to take a leap on offense (Premium) like 2019 Minnesota made.
>> Freshman forward Wilhelm Breidenbach is fitting right in a Nebraska so far.
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.
