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.
Nebraska’s walk-on program got some extra juice when Coach Scott Frost took over. Each of Frost’s group of preferred walk-ons has had over 20 players and we can expect to hear from a few of them in the future. There is also a renewed energy around walking on at Nebraska fueled by the excitement surrounding the second-year coach.
Take former Lincoln North Star standout Luke Reimer, for example. Over the last five years, it feels like he would have gone to South Dakota State and been a star. Husker fans would have grumbled on social media wondering how the staff could have let him get away. Instead, with Frost running the show, Reimer backed off his pledge to SDSU to walk-on at Nebraska.
After watching the Shrine Bowl back in June, I wrote that Reimer was a walk-on to watch for the Huskers. His athleticism and instincts stood out to me during that game. Inside linebackers coach Barrett Ruud has counted Reimer as one of the surprises of fall camp.
“No. 1, I knew he was fast but he plays really fast,” Ruud said following Tuesday’s practice. “He’s got great football movement. He’s got a real understanding of a nose for the ball. He has a feel for being at the right place at the right time. Sometimes he’s not doing the right job when he’s doing that but usually he’s making mistake and the tackle in the same play. We can work with that. I’ve been real happy with that.”
Reimer earned Super-State honors for his work at linebacker during his senior season, posting 74 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and a sack. For good measure, he also added 500 all-purpose yards. He ran a verified 10.92 100m dash as a junior in high school.
It is hard for a walk-on to crack the 110-man fall camp roster though a handful did this year, including Reimer. It’s rare to have a freshman walk-on be in the mix for playing time but Reimer is right there. Ruud is searching for a fourth and fifth inside linebacker to play behind the top group of Mohamed Barry, Collin Miller and Will Honas.
“It’s still an ongoing battle,” Ruud said. “Luke Reimer’s been as big a surprise as anyone in the camp in terms of what he can do and his abilities. He’s got a little ding right now, he didn’t practice today but he’ll be fine. We have to just keep getting reps. The young guys need reps. Whoever the fourth guy may be, they need to keep continuing to progress.”
The next steps for Reimer are to continue asking good questions and increasing his understanding of the defense. As long as his health holds up the former North Star standout should figure into at least the special teams mix this season.
I would count that as a very nice start to his Husker career as he looks to be the next walk-on success story.
Recruit Watch
>> Teddy Prochazka, a priority 2021 offensive tackle recruit from Elkhorn South, is ready for his season to get started.
Ohhhhh baby it’s about time!!! And we’re ready ⛈⛈ pic.twitter.com/U8aGPlPMyR
— Teddy Prochazka I ⁶⁴ (@TeddyProchazka) August 15, 2019
ICYMI
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>> Arizona freshman Ty Robinson is having his progress aided by the new Blackshirt mentality.
>> Check out the sights and sounds from Week 2 of Huskers fall camp.
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.
