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 2021 class is officially winding down. We are inside of a month until the second signing day arrives. Recruiting for the next cycle is always happening. It’s fair to start questioning if the Huskers are behind in 2022 recruiting. The team isn’t on the board yet for the 2022 cycle.
Meanwhile, other schools in the conference are making progress. Ohio State has 10 commits. Penn State has eight while Michigan has five. The Big Ten West has just five overall so far.
So, how do the Huskers bridge the gap? One thing that will be huge for them to make up ground this cycle is regional recruiting. It’s another strong year in the 500-mile radius for prospects. The Huskers have five offers out in Nebraska for the 2022 group already. Missouri prospects hold 12 offers, Oklahoma has nine, Kansas has five and Iowa has four. Continuing to build the base of the class with regional talent could be a necessity this year.
The team generally does start slow with recruiting but there are long-term concerns.
There is a looming question. When will recruits and parents will be able to visit college campuses again? The current dead period goes into April. There is a strong chance that Nebraska will go through spring practice and the spring game without getting 2022 recruits on campus. The Huskers use those spring practices in a big way. It helps sell to recruits on the program. Inside linebackers coach Barrett Ruud explained this last spring.
“For spring practice, the recruits get to see a day in the life,” Ruud said at the time. “That’s one thing we really sell here. One of the best things Nebraska has going is the facilities, the support system both academically and socially. They get to see that when they come for a practice. Sometimes to the lights can blind you a little bit. That’s awesome but really you get to see that seven or eight times a year. This is what we do every day and its good for guys to see that with their own eyes.”
It was one thing to go through the 2021 recruiting class without official visits. Nebraska actually got a good amount of the eventual 2021 class commits on campus prior to the season. But if the team is unable to get 2022 recruits on campus relatively soon? It will be a big struggle to gain traction within the class.
Nebraska’s staff is good at building relationships. That skill will be put to the test in the 2022 recruiting class. The clock is already ticking.
Recruit Watch
>> The Huskers are in the top five for Florida 2022 linebacker Devin Smith.
TOP 5❗️ Still 100% interested in all schools💯@ChadSimmons_ @Rivalsfbcamps @HuskerFBNation @FSU_Recruiting @CanesFootball @GTFootball @GatorsFB @OHSKnightsFB pic.twitter.com/1WwZFEnyBz
— Devin Smith (@DevinSmith_45) December 28, 2020
>> Iowa 2022 defensive back Jahsiah Galvan showed off an edit the Huskers did for him.
#GBR ☠️ pic.twitter.com/WLZege5lpv
— Jahsiah Galvan (@JahsiahGalvan) January 7, 2021
>> Bergen Catholic 2022 cornerback Jaeden Gould has the Huskers in his top 12.
Blessed 🙏🏽 (Recruitment still open) @Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/NzvVAY7g37
— Jaeden Gould (@JaedenGould5) January 7, 2021