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.
When the Huskers gained the commitment of defensive back Lardarius Webb on Tuesday evening, the announcement surprised many. Even though we have come to expect the unexpected with commitments from this staff, it was not on many people’s radar that Webb would be in the class so soon.
Still, the defender is a quick athlete with a high football IQ. He hasn’t picked up many offers yet but the staff clearly saw something in him to bring him onboard. Trusting evaluations is keym as running backs coach Ryan Held has previously explained.
“It’s a balance,” Held said. “Sometimes you see a kid and think there is no doubt, we need to offer. I’ll say this, there are guys getting all these offers and we need to trust our eyes in evaluation. Just because 30 other schools say yes, he’s an offer, doesn’t mean he fits us. Being national here, we do have to expand out net a little more but that doesn’t mean we will offer every single person out there because other schools are. They might not fit us.”
This staff has spoken a lot about finding the right fit. Finding “their type” of players. It goes beyond how many stars or offers a prospect has. We know that when Travis Fisher is on the recruiting trail, for example, that he is looking for guys with that “dog mentality.”
“With the resources we have, the training table, we can put 20 pounds on a kid in a month,” Fisher said. “Then, you don’t have to teach the heart, he’s already got it. That’s one of the problems. You can teach the technique, but you can’t teach the heart. The guys I’ve brought in have the heart. They definitely have that.”
The Huskers’ latest commit certainly has the type of heart and work ethic that Fisher likes. After speaking with Webb on Tuesday night, he reminded me so much of previous defensive backs that Fisher has signed. The first player that came to mind was 2020 signee Tamon Lynum who explained where his mentality on the football field came from.
“It really comes from just myself, my personality,” Lynum said. “You can’t play football without that swag. You can’t play football scared. You have to have that, especially at corner. That’s mandatory for a corner to have. If you don’t have that, you ain’t no dog.”
As we enter Year 3 of the Scott Frost Era at Nebraska, the foundation of the culture he wants is still being poured. We have yet to see it fully take form on the field for Nebraska but Fisher is building his room the right way. He’s confident in his eye for talent and coaching ability. The bet is that if he fills his room with hard-working and coachable players with talent that his unit will take off. I’m not willing to bet against him yet.
Recruit Watch
>> Millard South quarterback TJ Urban committed to Air Force on Wedneday.
Committed! @CoachAlexMeans @Coach_Thiessen @CoachTCalhoun pic.twitter.com/3Lkw31L4KL
— TJ Urban (@TJ_5Urban) July 8, 2020
>> Quinton Conley, a 2022 wide receiver/tight end target is back on the basketball court throwing down dunks.
Good to be back on the court. My boy London threw me a dime on this oop…@TeamKCBball pic.twitter.com/j4GsyrUmqN
— Quinton Conley (@quinton_conley) July 8, 2020
>> The Huskers offered 2022 Michigan lineman Kamarii Landers on Wednesday.
#AGTG Bleesed To Receive An Offer From The University Of Nebraska ❤️🤍 #GBR @coachdawsgbr @HuskerFBNation pic.twitter.com/XnJYvL8QJS
— Ka’Marii Landers (@D1_Marii) July 8, 2020
ICYMI
>> Huskers defensive back commit Lardarius Webb is ready to learn (Premium) under Travis Fisher.
>> In the latest Padding the Stats, Jacob Padilla makes the case against a spring football season.
>> The Hail Varsity staff is back to answer your questions in the mailbag including Husker video game challenges, end of year starters and more.
>> After an injury filled 2019 season it’s Buy or Sell time for the Purdue Boilermakers football team.
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.
