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.
Earlier today, I published my weekly writeup going through the current recruiting cycle of Nebraska’s next opponent. While going through Northwestern’s recruiting, something jumped out to me: Coach Pat Fitzgerald’s crew is unique in that they have only offered 64 scholarships for the class of 2020.
It’s the exact opposite approach that the Huskers have taken under Coach Scott Frost. The Huskers have offered more players in the state of Florida (67) than Northwestern has offered in total. Altogether, Nebraska has 418 scholarship offers out. Northwestern is also unique because of its academic standards (which are very high).
The amount of scholarships that Nebraska has offered is high. That number is among the highest in the country but I think it is for a good reason. There isn’t a regional recruiting base strong enough to sustain the Huskers’ program at a conference championship level. Because of that—and the Huskers’ national brand—the staff has to recruit nationally. When trying to get players from out of region to visit—especially for unofficial visits—an offer is a show of good faith by the school that there is legitimate interest.
So, as we start to hit the stretch run to the December signing period, Nebraska has work to do at its top position of need: linebacker. However, they are not without options. The Huskers have offered scholarships to 53 linebackers for the 2020 class. They’d like to sign a handful during this cycle.
Here’s a list of uncommitted players that the Huskers are still in the mix with:
- Rodney Groce
- Choe Bryant-Strother
- Devyn Curtis
- Caleb McCollough
- Kaden Johnson
- Mister Williams
- Jared Ivey
- Regen Terry
Only Curtis and Williams have not taken official visits to Nebraska already. Besides that group, Jackson Bratton and Malik Reed are a pair of committed players that Nebraska remains in contact with. Both have taken official visits to Lincoln. There are also others who aren’t known at this time. There are surely more targets that are “weak-side defensive ends” in high school. Nebraska sees them as hybrid outside linebackers like Caleb Tannor was coming out of high school.
The Huskers have cast a wide net to build the 2020 recruiting class. There is still a lot of season left but the December signing period will be here before we know it. Locking down some top targets at linebacker is a focus. It will be a big determining factor of how this class is ultimately viewed.
Recruit Watch
>> Recent Nebraska official visitor and Alabama commit Jackson Bratton released his mid-season highlights and it is easy to see why he’s a coveted target.
https://www.hudl.com/v/2C0Qhm
>> Jeffrey Bowie, a 2021 defensive end from Iowa, got some love from the Huskers on Friday.
S/o @HuskerFBNation #GBR pic.twitter.com/1AGPtVYmh4
— Jeffrey Bowie (@jeffreyjbowie) October 3, 2019
>> The Huskers also debuted a new good luck graphic for their targets.
— Desmond Tisdol⭐️ (@Des_Tisdol) October 3, 2019
ICYMI
>> As Derek Peterson writes, Nebraska’s wide receiver problem may be a tight end solution. (Premium)
>> Nebraska volleyball turned up the heat in a sweep over Rutgers.
>> Scott Frost talked Khalil Davis’ suspension, turnovers and more during his Thursday press conference.
>> Tom’s Time takes a look at how good the game of the century part II looked on paper.
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.