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.
This week it was reported that Fox plans to make the 11 a.m. time slot it’s marquee spot in 2019. Brandon Vogel did a great job of laying out some of the positives and negatives of this and why Fox could think this is a great move in Hot Reads this morning.
Something that gets lost in the discussion around 11 a.m. games? It’s not sportswriters getting home earlier, fans tailgating preferences or sleepy crowds.
It’s recruiting.
In particular for Nebraska, playing a “big” games at brunchtime instead of primetime is a big deal logistically. It is more difficult to get players to Lincoln from outside of the 500-mile radius to campus for an official visit on a game day if the game kicks at 11 a.m. Remember last year’s Michigan State game? Nebraska had a big visit weekend planned for that day and while all of the main targets made it to campus, it wasn’t ideal that Ty Robinson (Arizona), Lloyd Summerall (Florida) and others had to arrive late because the game ended up being a 11 a.m. kick.
Ideally, Nebraska would love a recruiting process for visits to look like this:
- Prospect visits for spring practice and/or spring game
- Hopefully prospect visits for a Friday Night Lights camp or VIP event
- Prospect takes an official visit to Lincoln on a game day to understand the full weight of playing for Nebraska.
While Nebraska does well with those unofficial visits and they are important, the game day experience is still the jewel of that process. It would actually be better for Nebraska to keep the Big Ten tradition of sticking less desirable games on ESPN2 in the early timeslot. Yes, not all home games that Nebraska plays will be at 11 a.m. However, taking those showcase events like a game against Ohio State this fall and putting it in brunchtime is not a win for Husker recruiting.
Recruit Watch
>> A pair of Nebraska targets picked up offers from Florida State. Running back Marvin Scott III and JUCO defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey are each officially on the Seminoles’ board now.
Blessed to receive an offer from Florida State University 🍢 #AGTG pic.twitter.com/da4CWUplLf
— Perrion Winfrey🦍 (@pdontplay) May 16, 2019
>> Quin Bright, a 2020 WR/RB that would fit perfectly into the Duck-R role, has pushed back his commitment date. It was expected the choice was going to be Texas Tech.
https://twitter.com/QuinBright/status/1129040603537395714
>> Matt Sykes, a 6-foot-4, 210 pound 2020 wide receiver from Hawaii, picked up an offer from the Huskers.
Truly blessed to have received an offer from the University of Nebraska!! 🔴⚪️🌽 #Huskers #GBR pic.twitter.com/NzrBsjzILo
— Matt Sykes (@MattSykes17) May 16, 2019
ICYMI
>> The latest edition of Greg’s Guys is here and the evaluation period has cause some shakeups.
>> Derek Peterson took a look at Nebraska basketball’s roster and noticed some sneaky defensive intrigue.
>> Former Husker Wes Wilkinson is bringing a three-on-three tournament to Omaha.
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.
