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 first day of the early signing period wasn’t done before I got my first question about what’s next for Nebraska recruiting.
The Huskers signed 23 players on Wednesday. They hit on four of their top overall targets in the 2019 cycle after signing defensive end Ty Robinson, athlete Wandale Robinson, offensive tackle Bryce Benhart and linebacker Nick Henrich. The early signing period was certainly a success for the Huskers but there is always more work to be done. Where exactly does the work need to happen?
“We’re going to let the dust settle see how many spots we still have,” Frost said at his signing day press conference. “It’s going to be a best available player that we can get to Lincoln. For the most part, I still think there’s some things we’d like to add. I still think we need to improve our depth at outside linebacker and pass rusher so we will keep our eye out for that. If there’s another receiver that we can add, I think our depth there is not really where we want it to be through this first year. I still think we could use a young corner to try to get in here and develop to see if they can help us.
“So, those are kind of [the] areas that we’re looking so it doesn’t really matter skill player on offense, D-line, if we find a kind of player that can help us win games in the Big Ten, we’re going to take them.”
One of the big benefits of Nebraska having most of the work done with the 2019 class is that the staff can really focus in on key targets at outside linebacker, wide receiver and cornerback. In addition, having that extra time will allow Nebraska to search for some “best available” types that could end up paying dividends down the road.
We have already seen a few new names pop up since the early signing period but once we are through the new year, I’d expect even more new targets to surface for Nebraska as the staff assesses who is still left on the board.
Recruit Watch
>> Longtime Nebraska defensive back target Jamel Starks out of Georgia still hasn’t signed with a school. Recently he put out his senior highlights and you can see why the do-it-all athlete is still on the Huskers’ radar.
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/6148803/5b9d6f282347900a58c0574f
>> Coveted 2019 linebacker prospect Brandon Mack picked up a honor. He was named first-team All-State in Alabama.
1st Team All-State🙌🏾 pic.twitter.com/nZvUsMLhPz
— MACKAVELI🥀 (@_Mack7) December 23, 2018
>> Congratulations to Huskers offensive lineman signee Matthew Anderson for being named first-team All-CENLA for the second year in a row.
Extremely blessed and happy to have earned 1st Team All-Cenla for the 2nd year in a row #AllForMom https://t.co/q5K5lOtv1g pic.twitter.com/H6Y8ddpVdD
— Matthew Anderson #72 (@mateoanderson37) December 23, 2018
>> Keep an eye on Alabama prep cornerback DJ James. He recently picked up an offer from the Huskers and there is a strong chance he will be a January visitor. He is currently a Mississippi State commit.
Blessed to receive an offer from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln! #GBR 🌽 pic.twitter.com/HEpDRPA9cJ
— DJ James (@Djames12x) December 22, 2018
ICYMI
>> I wrote about some additional questions facing the Huskers as we turn our attention toward the second signing date. (Premium)
>> Erin Sorensen wrote about how Frost found “their kind of kid” in the 2019 class.
>> Winning is a habit and the incoming players sure did a lot of it, writes Derek Peterson.
>> Here are three takeaways from Nebraska’s win over Cal State Fullerton in hoops.
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.
