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.
There are players every recruiting cycle that become household names to Nebraska fans. Certain prospects get talked about a lot and it can be for a wide variety of reasons. Tight end Thomas Fidone was that prospect in the most recent recruiting cycle. The combination of him being local in Council Bluffs, his talent and all the schools after him made for a fun recruitment to follow.
In the 2020 cycle, Turner Corcoran, Nash Hutmacher and Omar Manning were discussed a lot. That was a more unique situation. Corcoran and Hutmacher committed in April and June respectively. Each had been recruited for so long by Nebraska that a lot of time was devoted to them. Manning was viewed as exactly what Nebraska needed. That helped boost his value that cycle.
I was asked a great question during my weekly appearance on Hail Varsity Radio on Monday. Who could those players could be for the 2022 cycle? What makes this cycle unique is that the big board for Nebraska could shift in a big way. There are some players that we know will be mainstays this recruiting cycle. They’ve been evaluated early and the Huskers have made great progress in recruiting them.
Then there are players we have no idea about right now. These guys might shoot up the lists after camp season begins in June. Nebraska will get to evaluate players in person again soon. Once the Huskers’ own camps and satellite camps happen, things will change.
There are a few players that I feel comfortable saying we will be talking about for a while.
Quarterback MJ Morris
It’s always a safe bet to pick a quarterback to be a household name in a cycle, right? The talented 4-star dual-threat quarterback from Georgia has potentially emerged as the Huskers’ top target this cycle. He’s certainly the highest-rated quarterback they are in on at the moment. The combination of his position and ranking will have us talking about him quite a bit.
Athlete Jaren Kanak
I labeled Kanak (6-2, 200) as the player that is more important to this current class than his ranking would indicate in May’s edition of Greg’s Guys. There is also a chance his rating will keep going up. He’s completely blown up on the recruiting scene over the last few months. Kanak ran a blazing 10.66 100m dash in March so he’s got great speed and size. There is a looming battle with Clemson for his signature. That will keep interest high in his recruitment.
Defensive Tackle Jalen Marshall
The Huskers want to have more success grabbing recruits in the Kansas City area. Marshall (6-5, 275) gives the Huskers a great opportunity. His school, St. Thomas Aquinas, actually played a high school game in Nebraska this past season against Omaha Westside. Marshall visited Lincoln for the spring game. He has a return trip set for an official visit in June. He plans to make a decision at the start of his senior season which gives time for Husker fans to hear his name a lot.
Recruit Watch
>> Former Husker commit Tony Fair has narrowed down to a top three of Auburn, Purdue and Ole Miss. He will announce his decision shortly.
Haven’t been talking to any coaches the past few days. Wanted to clear my mind so I could make the best decision for me. Follow me on IG📷 @Tfair__ for my decision on where I will finish my senior year Tomorrow. Thank you to all the coaches for the offers. https://t.co/R10EuFEZOi pic.twitter.com/k5hP8Jzvy6
— Tony Lamar Fair (@TFair__) May 11, 2021
>> Wide receiver target Quan Lee has an announcement date in mind.
The decision. @BuchholzFB pic.twitter.com/OPijebyPC7
— Quan Lee™️ (@QuanLee_5) May 11, 2021
>> Former Husker wideout Jamie Nance has his first offer after leaving the Huskers.
I am thankful to receive an offer from Utah State University.🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/nhi0ldIx6k
— Jamie Nance (@_jamienance) May 10, 2021
ICYMI
>> In the latest episode of the Straight Up Breakdown podcast, I am joined by Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff writer Carmen Vitali to discuss a range of topics including the Super Bowl boat parade.
>> Derek Peterson is taking stock of Nebraska’s secondary post-spring (Premium) which could be one of college football’s best.
>> It took “everybody to win” in Nebraska’s 3-1 trip to Piscataway.
