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 are in the middle of breaking down the 2020 recruiting class since it has been almost a week since the first day of the early signing period. That doesn’t mean that we can’t do a little look ahead to the class of 2021. With it being the holiday season what better time than now to pull out the Huskers’ recruiting Christmas wish list for the class of 2021?
There are already plenty of names that are familiar to Husker fans who the team is heavily pursuing for the upcoming class. The Huskers have done a great job of hosting top 2021 targets for visits early and often. Let’s take a look at some players that Nebraska definitely has on its wish list for Santa.
4-star outside linebacker TJ Bollers
Bollers will find himself on a lot of teams’ wish lists. The Iowa native is the prototype for a “weak-side defensive end” in high school that can end up playing stand up outside linebacker in college. The Huskers have hosted him for visits several times. His lead recruiter, defensive coordinator Erik Chinander, was roommates with Bollers’ dad at Iowa. Bollers would be a massive piece of the 2021 class if the Huskers can land him.
4-star cornerback Avante Dickerson
The class of 2021 in Nebraska will be very good. There are already four players in the state with offers for this class. Omaha Westside’s Avante Dickerson is a talented cornerback who is a national recruit. His recently released top three of LSU, Nebraska and Ohio State showcases that. Nebraska’s two advantages here are proximity to home and defensive backs coach Travis Fisher. Coach Scott Frost has been successful keeping local talent home. He and Barrett Ruud will face another test here.
4-star linebacker Terrence Lewis
If the Huskers were to put an entire school on their wish list, Miami Northwestern would be on it. The team nabbed Ronald Delancy III from there in the 2020 class. Each year that team is loaded with Power 5 talent. The class of 2021 will continue that tradition and the best of the bunch might be Lewis. As a junior, he racked up 106 tackles, 11 sacks and a whopping 48 tackles for loss. Nebraska has made serious inroads into Miami and Lewis is certainly on the Huskers’ wish list.
4-star outside linebacker Travion Ford
It honestly feels like Nebraska has been recruiting Ford (6-4, 215) for five years already. The St. Louis hybrid outside linebacker has been on the radar of Husker fans for quite some time. He was offered after the snowy Michigan State game a couple years ago by Nebraska. He has become a major national recruit with offers from Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma and more. The Huskers have built a great relationship with Ford and his family through multiple trips to Lincoln over two years.
4-star tight end Thomas Fidone
Tight end wasn’t a big focus for Nebraska in the class of 2020. There were a few players that the team kicked tires on. The tight ends returning this season made it so that it did not make sense to add a tight end in that class. It’s a different story for 2021 and Fidone is an excellent candidate to be the tight end for that class. He has great size (6-4, 200) and speed to both flex out and block in Frost’s offense. He is from nearby Council Bluffs and would be a great steal out of Iowa. Fidone has already built a friendship with Husker commits Henry Lutovsky and Teddy Prochazka.
There is a pattern here with Nebraska’s wish list and many other top 2021 targets. They have mostly been to campus already. Many of them have been to Lincoln multiple times already. That is something worth tracking as the Huskers prepare to host a big Junior Day in January.
Recruit Watch
>> One 2021 prospect that just missed the cut the on the Christmas list was Jeff Bowie. The defensive lineman from Iowa got a cool edit from the Huskers.
Huskers showin love #GBR pic.twitter.com/v8Or2pFdVZ
— Jeffrey Bowie (@jeffreyjbowie) December 23, 2019
>> I mentioned Terrence Lewis being on the Huskers’ wish list. Watch his newly released junior highlights to see why.
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9916202/5dfb8c073448920cb021a4de
ICYMI
>> Derek Peterson took a look at the Huskers’ wish list for the 2020 season.
>> The Hail Varsity staff took on the difficult task of picking three favorites each from the 2020 recruiting class.
>> The Huskers moved up in the final AVCA Poll and had freshmen earn recognition.
>> Jacob Padilla’s High School Roundup takes a look at Hunter Sallis taking flight.
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.
