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.
Needs for a recruiting class shift from cycle to cycle. That's expected because a college football team’s talent ebbs and flows. As players graduate, leave for the NFL or transfer out of your program it changes your needs. The only real constant is that as a program you will always need to get more talent.
Nebraska’s needs for 2021 make for an interesting discussion. This cycle is important because it’s about finishing off the overhaul of the roster. After this recruiting class. Coach Scott Frost and his staff should feel good about where they are with numbers across the board.
We received a good question as a submission for the mailbag this week but since I’ve been asked this a few times, I thought we should bring it here.
Hope I'm not late, just thought of this question for Greg. What is the most important position to recruit for this class and why?
— Nathan Steinmeyer (@InDaWilderness) May 20, 2020
Right now, there are a few positions that are in the running for the biggest need for the 2021 recruiting class. Wide receiver, tight end, defensive line and linebacker all have strong claims to get the nod. Wide receiver probably can’t be the pick considering the team signed five wideouts in the 2020 cycle. The Huskers still might take three in this cycle but it is just not the glaring need that it was a season ago.
Tight end makes for an interesting pick. Nebraska will lose Jack Stoll after this season. Austin Allen, Travis Vokolek and Kurt Rafdal will leave after the 2021 season. That means this is the time to strike and add two tight ends. That way Nebraska should not experience as much drop off when transitioning past the upperclassmen on the roster. Sean Beckton’s position group gets extra points because of who the Huskers’ No. 1 target is for this cycle. It’s impossible to think about tight end for Nebraska in this cycle without mentioning Council Bluffs 4-star Thomas Fidone. It’s the perfect time for Nebraska to pursue him and early playing time can be part of the pitch.
Linebacker is clearly a focus for Nebraska this cycle. There are three already in the 2021 recruiting class and the Huskers are likely looking to add two more. The team has made steady progress on overhauling the position. It's critical to success running the 3-4 defense. Steady linebacker play is also a staple of this conference. It is tough to win consistently without good play from the position. Outside linebacker is always a focus as the Huskers look to fix their pass rush woes. There are several young linebackers in the program with potential who will be battling for playing time in the years to come.
Defensive line is a complete wildcard for this cycle. I think the Huskers need to sign at least two defensive ends this class and another nose tackle. Yet, since there are so many questions marks on who will step up at in that unit this season, it can impact how much of a need it is. If the young linemen who seem poised to take the next step do so, the team only needs two linemen this cycle. If there is unexpected attrition and the group struggles, the number could bump up.
In the end, my answer for the biggest need in the 2021 recruiting cycle is tight end. Of the positions listed tight end has the least number of young players that you could see becoming stars in Lincoln. That's especially true if Chris Hickman stays at wide receiver. That all changes if the Huskers land Fidone and one more high-upside prospect. It is rare that we talk about tight ends like we do outside linebackers and quarterbacks. Yet for 2021 tight end the biggest need.
Recruit Watch
>> Defensive line target Mandela Tobin posted a cool edit that the Huskers did for him.
Nebraska with the clean edit!#GBR pic.twitter.com/DPKBwGVaWN
— Mandela Tobin🇳🇬 (@MandelaTobin) May 20, 2020
>> Running back target from Alabama Deshun Murrell picked up an offer from UCLA on Tuesday evening.
Truly BLESSED and excited to receive my first PAC-12 offer from the #1 Public University in America… UCLA( University of California, Los Angeles)🐻‼️🙌🏾 @coachgeohagan @GrindLab @DexPreps #UCLA #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/HAg7Pu9Qtx
— Deshun Murrell (@deshun_03) May 19, 2020
>> Nebraska became one of the early offers for 2023 running back Sergio Snider on Wednesday.
Blessed to receive a offer from University of Nebraska! @HuskerFBNation @CoachBeaudin @CoachRHeld pic.twitter.com/xdSAWJZ7kK
— 𝓢𝓮𝓻𝓰𝓲𝓸 𝓢𝓷𝓲𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓳𝓻 ²³ (@_Ser1gio) May 20, 2020
>> Huskers offensive line commit Henry Lutovsky is getting back in the swing of things on the squat rack.
Getting back into squatting after quarantine. A little high but 635×2 felt good! pic.twitter.com/sItvL6oO9T
— Henry Lutovsky 🦏 (@Luto_72) May 19, 2020
ICYMI
>> The Huskers released a hype video that will surely have you missing football.
Not Done Yet pic.twitter.com/5yD8uzTr02
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFBNation) May 20, 2020
>> It’s time for No. 4 on Derek Peterson’s Most Intriguing Huskers list. The spot belongs (Premium) to linebacker Collin Miller.
>> In this week’s Padding The Stats Jacob Padilla gives his last word on ‘The Last Dance.’
>> The Hail Varsity staff is back to answer your questions in the mailbag including the impact the return or permanent departure of JD Spielman will have.
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.