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.
A lot of work has gone into putting on the 62nd annual Nebraska Shrine Bowl. Safety has been at the forefront of everyone’s mind involved with planning the game. The officials at the Shrine Bowl worked hard to get protocols in place to hold the event during the COVID-19 pandemic. Executive Director Dave MacDonald said they kept in contact with parents and players throughout the process and those they spoke with were are pleased the game is pressing on.
“When we were kind of polling the two groups, we thought it important not just to talk to players because we knew that they would probably say, ‘Yes, we want to play a football game,’” MacDonald told Hail Varsity. “But we also wanted to hear from the parents to see how they looked at it and how they felt. Overwhelmingly, even from the parents that brought their kids out Monday, we got a lot of thank yous for pressing on and not just canceling back in February when a lot of things were getting canceled.”
MacDonald and his team worked collaboratively with all their partners and the medical field to get the approval of the health department and the governor. Now the first organized contact football game in the country will happen in Kearney, Nebraska, this Saturday.
Here’s what you need to know if you want to tune in:
Nebraska Shrine Bowl football TV channel, time, live stream
TV channel: NET
Time: 2 p.m. CT
Date: Saturday, July 11
Live Stream: NET
Location: Ron and Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field, University of Nebraska at Kearney
Weather: Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon. High of 87 degrees. Winds N at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 10%.
Players to watch: The game features five players committed to walk-on at Nebraska.
On the South team: Offensive linemen Keegan Menning and Eli Simonson
On the North team: Offensive lineman Bladen Bayless, tight end Nate Boerkicher and linebacker Braden Klover.
The North team’s head coach is Lincoln High’s Mark Macke. The South’s head coach is Ryan Thompson from Ashland-Greenwood.
Head Coach Mark Macke introduces the Captains for the 2020 @NEShrineBowl #NorthSquad
Congrats @jack_paradis46 @BordovskyKole @JacksonDotzler & @nick4bohn
Great Honor and very well deserved!#NSB62 #MoreThanAGame pic.twitter.com/slkUYCSXmz
— Bryan Soukup (@Coach_Soukup) July 9, 2020
Recruit Watch
>> Tavierre Dunlap, a 4-star running back from Texas, included the Huskers in his top eight on Thursday.
All glory to god🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/MOlP9QhtTZ
— Tavierre Dunlap (@TavierreD) July 9, 2020
> > John Randle Jr., a 2023 athlete from Kansas, put up some eye popping numbers during a combine.
Had some good combine work and clocked in some good times yesterday with @PIAthletes @LJW616
40: 4.38/4.43
Pro Agility: 4.22
Broad Jump: 9’9” pic.twitter.com/fo57HpD0JF— John Randle Jr. (@RandleJ5_) July 9, 2020
ICYMI
>> The Big Ten announced that fall sports would be moving to conference-only play.
>> I dove into the safety and planning needed to put the Shrine Bowl on this weekend.
>> Derek Peterson took a look at upperclassmen with something to prove (Premium) this fall for the Huskers.
>> Tom’s Time remembers when Tommie Frazier took over Faurot Field.
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.
