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.
There was one question that came up quite a few times in Wednesday’s set of mailbag questions that I decided to pull it for the recruiting notebook. I’ll use this version from @Sal_Vasta3:
“Do you think a few of our current 2020 recruits will move up in star rankings? I feel like Gunnerson and Hutmacher are more 4-stars, and Betts’ impressive numbers recently could push for 5-stars. Not that stars matter… but outside perspective they kinda do.”
I’d never say that stars and recruiting rankings don’t matter. I believe they matter in the grand scheme of things, especially when you look at the recruiting rankings in relation to the teams that have been playing in the College Football Playoff recently. However, landing a bunch of highly-rated players on paper so you can have bragging rights or win a “PR” battle isn’t worth much either. Just ask Texas A&M or Tennessee.
The other truth is that it is also easier for Southern schools (and USC) to land 5-star and high 4-star talent because of location. In general, even if USC or Florida is down, the two programs are going to recruit fairly well because guys like staying close to home. I’ve said this a lot since Coach Scott Frost and his staff took over but the focus needs to shift away from how many stars a player has to if he is actually a fit for the system and whether or not Nebraska develop him.
Beyond that, especially early on in the Frost Era, fit is very important. Frost is still pouring the concrete of what he wants the culture to eventually be in Lincoln. So there isn’t as much room right now to waver away from giving fit strong consideration.
Now to answer the question directly, I think most of Nebraska’s current commits will see bumps to their ratings. We’ve seen that already in the short time this staff has been here with both committed players and prospects the staff evaluates and offers early. If Corcoran and Betts get bumps, they will be in 5-star territory based on how highly they are ranked now.
In the end, my belief is that Nebraska will be set up for long-term success on the field by focusing on cleaning up in the 500-mile radius, continuing to recruit good quarterbacks and figuring out which high-profile prospects fit the Huskers’ profile. That seems much more sustainable then putting your eggs in the basket of chasing 5-stars when they don’t live near your campus.
It’s a process. I think patience and trust in the Huskers’ staff ability to evaluate and develop will go a long way as they try to restore the program.
Recruit Watch
>> There is a 2021 quarterback off the board. Eli Stowers joined the Texas A&M class on Tuesday.
After a lot of prayer…
COMMITTED!!#teamjesus#gigem👍🏽 pic.twitter.com/L4LN3zFdsa
— Eli Stowers (@eli_stowers3) July 3, 2019
>> Huskers commit Zavier Betts is performing well at The Opening, including this nice catch.
https://twitter.com/overtime/status/1146217724194017280
However, Betts did suffer an injury at the event and provided an update.
As some of you know I got hurt today in the 7on7 championship game and for the time being we think it’s a sprained ankle but this time it was different because it pop and I felt and heard in so I’m getting ready to head to the hospital pic.twitter.com/pAqePcQpMQ
— zavier betts ₁₅ (@zavierbetts1) July 3, 2019
ICYMI
>> Nebraska volleyball returned home from their 17-day tour and Jacob Padilla has insight.
>> Now that Nebraska has Nash Hutmacher on board, I took a look at some additional potential (Premium) defensive line targets.
>> The Hail Varsity staff is back to answer a wide range of questions in the mailbag this week.
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.
