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.
We made it, Husker fans. The non-contact period is finally ending. In the coming days the Nebraska coaching staff will be back out on the road seeing prospects in schools and doing in-home visits.
A key departure from the last two recruiting cycles is that we won’t hear much about the current cycle with new news. There will end up being a few official visitors that pop up for 2020 but 2021 will be the focus for January. As we’ve been tracking all month, Nebraska will have two big Junior Days this month to get key 2021 targets on campus. The Jan. 25 date will have more overall names but the Jan. 18 will feature some major targets. We will have a full breakdown of this weekend’s event on the site on Friday.
When the coaches do get out on the road, expect to see them touching base with a lot of 2021 and beyond targets. It’s an especially strong year within the 500-mile radius. Nebraska has several targets in Iowa for the upcoming cycle so I’m sure Coach Scott Frost and defensive coordinator Erik Chinander will make the rounds in the state.
With Mike Dawson back coaching the outside linebackers and Tony Tuioti in his old job coaching the defensive line, it will be interesting to see how they mesh together. On the recruiting trail, it will be worth tracking if the player type that Dawson is after is the exact same as it was with Jovan Dewitt. On the field, the 3-4 defense needs the ends and outside linebackers playing on a string together and communicating well.
“In the 3-4 system, they have to play together,” Tuioti said last spring. “When we are in a 3-4 system, our outside linebackers have the ability to rush and get into coverage. When we get into our four-down defense, those guys are now the defensive ends so they are tied into the defensive front. There has to be a chemistry that’s build there for us to be successful. There is a big emphasis in those guys having a great chemistry up front because you have to know how to work off each other.”
Now that the on-field assistants seem to have been settled, the fun begins again. Nebraska is off to a very good start with the class of 2021. The search for the rest of the prospects to join them essentially begins in full this weekend.
Recruit Watch
>> Kearney Catholic 2021 quarterback Heinrich Haarberg received his first Division I offer on Thursday when the University of Massachusetts offered him.
Excited to have received an offer from the University of Massachusetts! pic.twitter.com/uVXY3BKAMX
— Heinrich Haarberg (@HKHaarberg10) January 16, 2020
>> Huskers wide receiver signee Zavier Betts helped USA to a 67-0 win over Panama in the International Bowl on Wednesday.
USA won 67 to 0 against Panama. pic.twitter.com/IrSTNPFZGg
— Tania Betts (@tazzturtle) January 15, 2020
>> Peter Costelli, one of Nebraska’s top targets at quarterback for 2021, was offered by Arkansas on Thursday.
Excited and honored to announce that I have received an offer from the University of Arkansas! Thank you @kendalbriles and @CoachCala!#WPS 🐗 pic.twitter.com/OeCWSJPkSQ
— Peter Costelli (@CostelliPeter) January 16, 2020
ICYMI
>> Tom’s Time is back to remember when the Huskers got rolling with Joseph running the show.
>> Our early enrollee previews (Premium) continued by looking at inside linebacker Eteva Mauga-Clements.
>> Jacob Padilla’s roster reset rolls on (Premium) to look into the pass-catchers.
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.
