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.
Last year, a new rule went into effect allowing schools to use official visits for seniors-to-be during the spring and summer. The rule still feels pretty fresh because we didn’t get to see Nebraska take advantage of it during Scott Frost’s first full recruiting cycle.
There weren’t enough official visits left to use so we didn’t get to see this staff’s strategy for how to take advantage of the rule.
As 2020 recruiting kicks into gear, Nebraska has 13 official visits leftover by my count. It’s hard to imagine that a few visits won’t be used during the sold-out spring game. So far under this staff, they prefer a balanced approach to visits. We've seen a steady amount of official visits used during the regular season, some used after the season and this spring and summer some will be used.
There are of course advantages for using visits during each of those time periods. Yet, there are two reasons that come to mind on why you’d want to use some visits in the spring. First, it may be easier to work with prospects’ schedules in the spring since their football season isn’t in full swing. That especially applies to prospects from far away who could have trouble with a tight flight schedule. Next, there will be prospects who want to make decisions before their senior seasons. Getting those guys on campus during the spring could be a big boost.
In addition to official visits, we know the staff likes to have prospects visit for spring practices so they can get a good idea of what it would be like for them if they chose the Huskers. In the 2019 class, Chris Hickman, Luke McCaffrey and Mosai Newsom are some of the signees who utilzed that.
It will be another busy spring and summer for Nebraska recruiting. Currently, they are sitting with one commitment for the class of 2020. It will be interesting to see how the staff utilizes all the tools at its disposal.
Recruit Watch
>> Aidan Keanaaina, a 2020 defensive tackle target from Colorado, committed to Notre Dame on Wednesday.
COMMITED 100% TO THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME ➡️ #IRISHBOUNDXX ☘️ #WeAreND 💪🏼🤙🏼 🏈 #GoIrish THANK YOU @CoachBrianKelly @CoachMikeElston @Coach_Lea @ToddLyght @StaceyKeanaaina @MullenMustang @SixZeroAcademy @adamgorney @TomLoy247 @KevinSinclair_ @LemmingReport @NDFootball ☘️ pic.twitter.com/9o0odEGdmF
— AIDAN ROY IKAIKA KEANAAINA (@AidanAkfootball) February 13, 2019
>> Josh Downs, a 2020 wide receiver from Georgia, joined North Carolina’s class on Wednesday. Mack Brown is off to a hot start on the recruiting trail.
Been a long time coming..
This one is for my family..
.. ✍🏾🖤 ¹¹ pic.twitter.com/wNn1VpcLJD
— JD (@JoshDowns_) February 13, 2019
ICYMI
>> The next cover of Hail Varsity magazine features York’s Garrett Snodgrass with a story on his journey to the Huskers through his eyes and his dad’s, who also happens to be his coach.
>> The Shrine Bowl rosters are out and there are a lot of future Huskers playing in the game.
>> The Huskers aim to dig deep to stop their slide tonight against the Gophers.
>> The Hail Varsity staff discussed a range of topics including the impact of losing Mike Dawson in the mailbag this week.
>> Bill Moos provided an update on the Maurice Washington situation.
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.
