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 week, a collection of Husker coaches made their way across the state as part of the Big Red Blitz tour. There were a lot of intriguing things said by multiple coaches but a brief topic from Coach Scott Frost made me think. When asked about special teams, Frost offered this:
"The more athletic we get on the team, the more guys that we have that are going to be on cover teams and block for us,” he said. “So, that's going to be able to continue to improve as well."
Will special teams be better because overall talent is improving? Sure. There has been a massive influx of new talent into the program in the time that Frost and his staff have been in Lincoln. The last recruiting class saw a good amount of wide receivers, running backs, linebackers and defensive backs enter the program who can all contribute to special teams early if they want to see the field quickly.
However, it’s not just the 2019 class that can help out on improving the Huskers’ special teams units. There are some good candidates from the 2019 class that redshirted last season who also could make an impact. Braxton Clark, Miles Jones, Andre Hunt and CJ Smith are just a handful of exciting players that come to mind immediately.
So, it’s not just up to the newest players arriving this summer to help pick up the slack but this is another case where development within the program has to shine.
When going through the roster last Thursday, Frost spoke highly of the quarterbacks, running backs, tight ends, offensive tackles, defensive line and the secondary, which he called vastly improved. Outside of the “cubes,” it will take a group effort to improve a part of the game that has eluded the Huskers in recent years.
Recruit Watch
>> Papillion South tight end Will Swanson (6-5, 230) is becoming a name to watch in-state. He’s having a good camp season and picked up an offer from Kansas State over the weekend.
https://twitter.com/WillSwanson11/status/1135341450659545088
>> Jeff Roberson, a 2020 linebacker from Oklahoma, took an unofficial visit to Nebraska on Monday.
https://twitter.com/j_roberson22/status/1135668337109872640
>> The Huskers offered AJ Biaco, a 2022 quarterback from Hawaii, on Monday.
Truly blessed to have received an offer from the University of Nebraska!! 🔴⚪️🌽 #GBR @Coach_Verdu @CoachTuioti92 pic.twitter.com/xIzwvTD9HX
— Aj Bianco (@aj_bianco) June 3, 2019
>> Tommy Christakos, one of Nebraska’s top tight end targets, committed to Cal over the weekend.
https://twitter.com/tommychristakos/status/1135284607882973184
>> Ethan Downs, a top 2021 target for the Huskers and recent visitor, picked up an offer from the home state Sooners on Monday.
Amazed and stoked to have received an offer to play for the University of Oklahoma! @CoachBOdom @CoachGrinch @CoachThibbs @LincolnRiley @Annie_OUFB @OU_CoachHill @BPrzybylo @JLMcCuistion @weatherfordfb @BrandonDrumm247 pic.twitter.com/C6kymNUmp4
— Ethan Downs (@ethandowns40) June 3, 2019
ICYMI
>> Nebraska baseball’s season ended with a disappointment on Sunday.
>> On Monday, Nebraska baseball coach Darin Erstad announced he has stepped down from his role.
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.
