Spring football is here in full force. We’ve had a couple days with players and coaches. The team has a couple practices under its belt. There are plenty of newsy items coming your way from the first week of spring practices for the Huskers. It’s understandable if you missed a few of the news items with recruiting from the week so far.
In-state recruiting for the 2022 recruiting class looks worse each time one of the state’s top prospects puts out a top schools list. Outside linebacker Devon Jackson and Deshawn Woods did not include Nebraska in their top groups this winter. This week Bellevue West tight end Kaden Helms released his top 10 schools. It did not include Nebraska.
Top 10‼️ (Recruitment still open) @th1rt3enedits pic.twitter.com/HPT3gplD9Y
— Kaden Helms (@KadenJHelms) March 29, 2021
That news was not a surprise to coach Scott Frost and the Huskers. Helms had informed them weeks before announcing this list that the team was out of the running. Still it stings to lose a top talent like Helms at an emerging position for the team. The program signed a great tight end class in the 2021 cycle. The name of the game in college football is stacking classes not being one and done.
Let’s stay at the tight end position and at Bellevue West. Helms’ teammate Micah Riley-Ducker has set four of his five allotted official visits. Riley-Ducker plans to visit Tennessee, Iowa, Iowa State and Auburn all in June. He plans to utilize all five visits allowed but the fifth hasn’t been announced yet.
Tennessee official June 21-23 📍🔸 pic.twitter.com/uQBfUSG1IS
— 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐡 𝐑𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲-𝐃𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫 (@micah_r_d) March 30, 2021
The Huskers will likely not get that fifth visit. Things are trending poorly in-state for the Huskers. It looks like the top four players in the state will play college football elsewhere. The Huskers aren’t making the cut to 10 or five for the players, leaving little hope of working back in the mix.
The team did get some good news on the trail this week. Florida defensive back James Monds III has set up an official visit to check out the Huskers in June.
Nebraska Official June 4-6. 🌽 ☠️
— 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬 III ✞ (@MondsJames) March 30, 2021
The Florida native will give Nebraska the first chance to host him once visits open back up. That’s big for Nebraska who has recruited Monds III (5-10, 177) hard to this point. The competition will be tough to get top targets to campus in June. Each announcement of a player deciding to visit Lincoln in June should be welcomed.
We are just halfway through the week and plenty has happened in recruiting for the Huskers. Things will steadily pick up as we get closer and closer to the summer when the dead period is hopefully lifted.
Recruit Watch
>> Kansas native and 2022 Husker target Jaren Kanak continues to pick up offers. His latest comes from Texas Tech.
Blessed to have received an offer from Texas Tech University‼️#GunsUp @CoachPehrson pic.twitter.com/V29nNRsiyk
— ✞ Jaren Kanak ✞ (@KanakJaren) March 30, 2021
>> Priority 2023 offensive line target Kadyn Proctor was offered by Georgia on Tuesday evening.
Another offer in the bag, I’m blessed to receive an offer to The Georgia Bulldogs. 💫🖤 pic.twitter.com/eHjwgHL2Y6
— Kadyn Proctor (KP) (@KadynProctor1) March 31, 2021
>> James Monds III has also set an official visit to check out Indiana.
Indiana Official Visit June 11-13th.🤍❤️ pic.twitter.com/FXGEbzW3JT
— 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬 III ✞ (@MondsJames) March 31, 2021
ICYMI
>> Nebraska is putting less emphasis on tempo and more on finishing in practice as it looks for more explosive plays. (Premium)
>> In the latest episode of the Mind Your Own podcast Erin and Sausha ponder the question of to share or not to share.
>> The Hail Varsity staff is back to answer your questions in the mailbag including if college football will ever have the parity that college basketball enjoys.
>> Nebraska tight end Kurt Rafdal has entered the transfer portal one week into spring practice.
>> Jacob Padilla looks at a Big Ten NCAA Tournament review and 2021-22 outlook in Padding the Stats.