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 arrival of Georgia running back Ronald Thompkins means that everyone who signed with Nebraska in February is officially in Lincoln. Now that everyone—minus later-addition defensive lineman Jahkeem Green—is here for summer conditioning, which incoming position group is the most intriguing?
There are strong arguments to be made all around. Unfortunately for Chris Hickman, his tight end group can’t be the winner here because it was just him in the class. Although there is plenty of intrigue around what tight ends coach Sean Beckton and head strength and conditioning coach Zach Duval can do with the former Omaha Burke standout.
The offensive line, defensive line and linebacker groups can all also be argued for. There are multiple potential All-Big Ten caliber players among those position groups, which is a great thing for Nebraska who sorely needed to bolster the roster in the trenches. It wouldn’t surprise you a bit if Bryce Benhart, Ty Robinson, Nick Henrich and Jackson Hannah all ended up as all-conference players at some point during their time at Nebraska.
However, this discussion comes down to a debate between the defensive backs that Travis Fisher reeled in and the running backs that Ryan Held got to campus.
I believe this offseason most people have been quite excited for the defensive backs group to arrive in Lincoln and for good reason. Noa Pola-Gates, Quinton Newsome, Javin Wright and Myles Farmer are all good prospects. It would be safe to assume that two of them (at least) wlll burn their redshirts during the 2019 season. There is added intrigue to this group because given the size of Wright and Farmer they could even grow out of being safeties.
The group that I would consider the most intriguing would be the running backs that have come to campus. It’s no secret that Nebraska was patiently waiting for this group to arrive through spring ball and we didn’t get a full taste of what the offense could be in the spring game without them.
Rahmir Johnson, Dedrick Mills and Ronald Thompkins all have big potential even if there is some risk involved. Johnson seems like the safest bet of the group to be at least a solid contributor right away. After that, can Mills replicate or exceed the production he had at Georgia Tech? Will Thompkins regain the form that had Coach Scott Frost believing that if healthy he would have been hard to hold on to?
If those questions get answered positively, this running back group will be contributing significantly to the team as soon as this season. That’s why I’d count them as the most intriguing position group that joined the team this summer.
Recruit Watch
>> Jesse Smith, a junior college linebacker who participated in the second Friday Night Lights event, enjoyed his time in Lincoln.
https://twitter.com/Yrn_Jesse20/status/1144341308112162816
>> Nusi Malani, an athlete from Serra High School in California, was feeling the love from the Huskers.
https://twitter.com/JuiceNus/status/1144336722135670784
ICYMI
>> The Huskers have updated the set up for people wanting Scott Frost’s autograph at Fan Day.
>> We have reached No. 7 on Derek Peterson’s list of most intriguing Huskers and it’s JoJo Domann.
>> Nebraska basketball has an itinerary for the upcoming trip to Italy.
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.
