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.
The questions never stop in the recruiting world. No matter what time of year it is, there is always something to talk about so we have been taking reader and viewer suggestions on questions. I then answer the questions in a quick video.
This week’s question has come up a lot since the news of Nebraska’s big reshuffling of the offensive staff dropped. What does Nebraska’s timeline look like for recruiting the 2022 class with the staff changes?
This territory is new for Nebraska after making these moves. It’s the first time in school history that Nebraska has fired assistant coaches in-season. Coach Scott Frost fired 40% of his full-time assistant coaches. The timing of the moves sets the team up better for recruiting a couple weeks from now. Yet, in the meantime it puts the program at a disadvantage.
The reason for the disadvantage right now is because the season is still going on. Frost can’t exactly reach out to and make connections with potential coaches now. That’s important for setting things in place. There are still two games left in the season to get through. The next offensive coordinator won’t leave his position for Nebraska until after the Iowa game. Frost has stated that he would prefer for the offensive coordinator hire to be the first domino to fall.
Nov. 28 is the key date to watch as we talk about the preferred timeline for coaches to be in place. That is the date where in-home visits can begin for college coaches. If you are Frost, it would be very beneficial to at least have the new offensive coordinator in place by then. The degree of difficulty will be raised if there isn’t a new coordinator in place. He will is needed to help sell the vision of the offense in 2022. The early signing period opens just two weeks after in-home visits start.
Nebraska should be a top team in the market for a transfer portal quarterback this offseason. It would help a lot if a new coordinator is in place soon after the season ends. We know the portal will heat up and guys will make decisions about where to play next in a hurry. The same is true about the offensive line. The Huskers need at least two transfer offensive lineman this offseason. Not having an offensive line coach makes it hard to land impact players.
There is another factor here that makes things very interesting. College football is one big network. Whoever the new offensive line coach is at Nebraska for the 2022 season will have connections to players. Those players could transfer to the program. Those could be players from the school he left or players he was working on before leaving his previous job. That will be a wildcard in this whole situation with each new coach at Nebraska.
Let’s say the Huskers don’t have things worked out smoothly with the timing coming together quickly. There is a backup plan. The Huskers will sign a small recruiting class in December. There are going to be spots available for this class after the early signing period. That could make the traditional signing day more important. If a new offensive staff comes in and find some unsigned players to pursue that could shake things up. There might not be many top unsigned players left after December. You can always find some hidden gems late in the process.
It’s going to be a wild ride for Nebraska with the portal, JUCO and traditional recruiting after the season. Frost is laying the groundwork now to hit the ground running with the hopes that it pays off in the long run.
Recruit Watch
>> Iowa 2023 lineman Kevin Quayee is going to be in attendance for the Iowa game.
Thanks for the invite 🔴⚪️🌽#GBR @SeanDillonNU pic.twitter.com/zmmH36A4Rr
— Kevin Quayee (@Kevin_Quay05) November 15, 2021
>> Utah 2023 offensive lineman Spencer Fano was offered a scholarship by the Huskers.
I am incredibly BLESSED to have been offered by the university of Nebraska!! 🔴⚪️ #GoHuskers 🌽🌽🌽@CoachTuioti92 @T_BirdFootball pic.twitter.com/B2vohzS9x5
— Spencer Fano (@FanoSpencer) November 12, 2021
ICYMI
>> Scott Frost declined to provide details on the performance metrics in his contract, Sevion Morrison is no longer with the Huskers and more news came out of Frost’s Monday press conference.
>> A boost from Batenhorst provided a spark off the bench for the Huskers in a 3-1 win in Bloomington.
>> Let Derek Peterson explain why Trev Alberts had a banner week for Nebraska and give other bye week thoughts in his column.
>> As Drake Keeler writes, the Nebraska running back room continues to see constant change.
>> I’ve got your notebook on the impact the departed assistant coaches made (Premium) and more.
>> The Huskers held steady in the AVCA poll and control their own destiny in the Big Ten race.
>> Cold shooting from the outside forced the Nebraska women to adjust in a win over Alabama A&M.
>> The Huskers and Bluejays are set to renew the rivalry in front of fans.
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.
