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.
Last week, I took a look at the most intriguing position group joining the team this summer. Spoiler alert: I went with the running backs. It’s a deep and talented group that could pay huge dividends for the Huskers as soon as this season.
Looking toward the future with the 2020 class, which position groups would make you feel really good if the Huskers staff hit it out of the park?
I have three position group candidates for us to think about as of today. First is linebacker. Nebraska will lose Mo Barry, Alex Davis and Tyrin Ferguson to graduation after the 2019 season. All three figure to see significant snaps in the coming year and while it will be important to develop the players behind them, it will also be key to land more difference-makers in this class. Cody Simon and Malik Reed are off the board, having committed this week. Blaise Gunnerson and Kaden Johnson remain uncommitted and are two of the top targets for Nebraska.
Wide receiver is always a tricky group to talk about because there is a criticism that Nebraska “only recruits receivers” going back to the Mike Riley days. The interesting thing is that wideout is one of the thinnest positions on the team currently. There are a lot of young players behind JD Spielman who are vying for playing time along with junior college players Mike Williams and Jaron Woodyard. If a handful of those players progress, it could change the need at wide receiver but the Huskers will still need quality bodies moving forward given how many pass-catchers can be on the field at once in this offense. Bellevue West standout Zavier Betts is a great start to the 2020 group but Nebraska is pushing hard for Omaha Burke star Xavier Watts plus JUCO player Omar Manning among others.
Defensive line is another position that the Huskers need to knock out of the park. Most believe it’s the deepest position group on the team this season so the task will be to keep that rolling into the future. In particular, the Huskers will need to nail nose tackle recruiting in 2020. Nebraska is off to a tremendous start with the commitment of Nash Hutmacher on Saturday. If the Huskers can grab Jamar Sekona and a wildcard player or two, it would be a good start in defensive line coach Tony Tuioti’s first cycle at Nebraska.
Recruit Watch
>> Nate Sullivan, an athlete from Bellevue West, committed to South Dakota State over the weekend.
>> Priority 2021 outside linebacker target Travion Ford picked up an offer from Texas.
Blessed 🙏🏾to receive an offer from the University of Texas‼️Thanks💯 @CoachTomHerman @OscarGiles95 #ThisIsTexas #HookEm pic.twitter.com/81aMOWOXsa
— Travion Ford ® (@Tre_Got_Skills) June 28, 2019
>> Illinois running back Quadre Nicholson, released his top 5 and did not include the Huskers.
🚨September 1st… Save The Date🚨 pic.twitter.com/xggVEhUSSs
— Quadre TD Nicholson 2️⃣0️⃣ (@kingdre2001) June 30, 2019
>> Millard West athlete Kaedyn Odermann received an offer from Yale over the weekend.
Thrilled to have received an offer from Yale University! Big thank you to Coach Reno for giving me an opportunity to play football at one of the top schools in the world!! #gobulldogs 🐶 pic.twitter.com/TaRhgoXZTZ
— Kaedyn (@KaedynOdermann) June 29, 2019
ICYMI
>> On Saturday, 4-star defensive tackle Nash Hutmacher committed to Nebraska. Hail Varsity spoke with him right after to get the details of why he made that choice.
>>You don’t want to miss Mike Babcock’s story of one woman’s push to put Roger Craig in the Hall of Fame.
>> Jacob Padilla takes a look at what to expect from Nebraska’s running game this season.
>> This week’s love or hate features useless band-aids, course corrections and more.
>> I took a look at some important recruiting battles to watch between Nebraska and Wisconsin. (Premium)
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.