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, Nebraska assistant coaches were out on the road evaluating players. The staff turned up all over the country as they continue to evaluate the 2020 class but also make inroads with future classes. We know that they visited California, Arizona, Iowa, Connecticut and Florida.
So, what were some of the things that stood out among all the offers? Let’s take a look at a few things that I noticed.
First, Arizona continues to be a focus for the 2020 class and into the future. Nebraska offered 2020 DE/OLB Damian Sellers out of Scottsdale, Arizona. The Huskers also tendered offers to a pair of his 2021 teammates, DE/OLB Quintin Somerville and athlete Denzel Burke. Steven Ortiz, a 2021 defensive back from Goodyear, Arizona, picked up an offer as well. Arizona has been good to the Huskers over the years and Coach Scott Frost’s staff landed a handful of top players from the state in the last cycle.
There is also a strong Husker fan presence in Arizona. Combined with the fact that the state schools and the Pac-12 are down right now, it’s a great time to recruit that state. That’s especially true with the talent there on the upswing.
Another thing that has jumped out to me is that Nebraska wants to keep competing in Iowa. It’s a good strategy and will continue making the series with the Hawkeyes that much more fun. We know that outside linebacker Blaise Gunnerson is one of Nebraska’s top targets this cycle but more offers went out in the state. Jeff Bowie, a 2021 defensive end, picked up an offer from Nebraska. So, did Henry Lutovsky, a 2021 offensive lineman from Mount Pleasant, Iowa, who visited Lincoln for the spring game.
The final thing that stood out is that Nebraska is getting aggressive with defensive line offers. There have been a lot of new reported offers by Nebraska for Tony Tuioti’s group during the first two weeks of the evaluation period. There were a pair of teammates, 2019 defensive tackle Jeffrey M’ba (6-6, 315) and 2020 defensive lineman Lamar Goods (6-4, 290) that jump out among the group.
There will be plenty more to keep an eye on as the staff gets back out on the road this week.
Recruit Watch
>> Sevion Morrison, one of the top running backs in the Midwest for the 2020 class, showed some Nebraska love on social media on Monday.
https://twitter.com/SevyMorrison28/status/1122859043742208000
>> Travis Geiger, a 6-foot-5, 310 pound defensive lineman from Highland Community College, picked up an offer from the Huskers. Keep an eye on the teammate of recent commit Jahkeem Green.
Blessed to announce that I have received my FIRST offer from The University Of Nebraska! #huskynation @JUCOFFrenzy @Adr97D @Coach_MoGray @CoachTuioti92 pic.twitter.com/ZgNeRC8dBc
— Travis Geiger Jr. (@travisgeiger75) April 25, 2019
>> Through 10 regional camps, Nebraska WR commit Zavier Betts continues to hang in the top 10 of testing ratings.
#TheOpening TOP WR Testing
Ratings through 10 Regional camps pic.twitter.com/1e1AKDcuDf— Ronny Torres (@RonnyTorresSS) April 24, 2019
>> Incoming Husker defensive back Noa Pola-Gates helped his relay team make it to state.
Congratulations to these athletes for making it to STATE continued:@NoaPola (4x100m relay)@Jailand_Goudy (Triple Jump)@cooperdarling55 (Shot Put)@Ian_Shewell (Shot Put & Discus)
— WF Track & XC (@BlackHawksTrack) April 29, 2019
>> Andrew Raym, an offensive lineman from Oklahoma, has narrowed his list to five and the Huskers did not make the cut.
TOP 5 TOP 5 ‼️‼️@DemetricDWarren pic.twitter.com/fcptdy3Qd4
— Andrew Raym7️⃣2️⃣ (@andrew_raymBAHS) April 29, 2019
ICYMI
>> We brought back Hail to the Fan to honor Tom Gorman in this issue of Hail Varsity.
>> Kyle Kardell has your three takeaways from Nebraska baseball’s series loss to Illinois.
>> Nebraska basketball is working hard to reset the roster, writes Jacob Padilla.
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.
