The in-home visits are completed for Nebraska and official visits are done as well. Now it’s time to make some predictions.
So, let's take a look at Nebraska’s remaining targets for the early signing period. What do I think will happen? It could be a big run between now and Wednesday for the Huskers.
3-star WR Alante Brown
Brown recently took a midweek official visit to Lincoln. The shifty wide receiver (6-0, 190) is the number one prep player in the country. Originally from Chicago, he completed a season at St. Thomas More Prep in Conneticut. He also took official visits recently to Maryland and Ole Miss. I think Brown ends up elsewhere because the Huskers land a different receiver. My pick here is Ole Miss.
UPDATE: Brown signed with the Huskers on Wednesday.
3-star OLB Jimari Butler
The Mobile, Alabama, native visited Nebraska during the first weekend of the offseason. He entered that weekend committed to Tennessee and left an uncommitted prospect. His visit went well and Coach Scott Frost went to see him right away after the visit for an in-home. The rangy (6-5, 217) linebacker would make for a great pass rushing option to develop since he hasn’t been playing football that long exclusively. The commitment of Niko Cooper on Sunday night could have made things interesting. He did visit TCU during the final weekend before signing day. I still predict that Butler will be a Husker.
UPDATE: Butler committed to Nebraska on Monday.
3-star JUCO DE Julius Coates
Junior College defensive line recruiting has been tricky down the stretch for Nebraska. There is significant interest but I have a nagging feeling that all the players don’t have a spot. I don’t believe that’s the case with Coates. He visited Oregon and Nebraska despite being committed to Colorado at the time. He’s since left Colorado’s class. He did not visit anywhere the final visit weekend. I am surprised this hasn’t happened sooner but I am still predicting Coates to be in Nebraska’s class.
4-star WR Marcus Fleming
When Fleming visited Nebraska for the Wisconsin game he wasn’t well-known yet by Husker fans. The speedster from Florida is a player that Nebraska covets. He ran a verified 4.47 40-yard dash at Nike’s The Opening in February. He has a reported 10.62 100m dash on his resume too. I like the former Miami commit to be ‘N’ despite a late charge from Maryland.
UPDATE: Fleming signed with the Huskers on Wednesday.
4-star DB Jaiden Francois
The South Dade High School star also visited Nebraska for the game against Wisconsin. Defensive backs coach Travis Fisher has built a very good relationship with him. Francois projects more as a safety at the college level. He was once a Miami commit. He did take an official visit there this past weekend which will make people sweat some. Still, Francois will be ‘N’ on signing day.
UPDATE: Francois signed with the Huskers on Wednesday.
4-star OLB Kaden Johnson
The Minnesota 4-star outside linebacker is the biggest fish left on the board. It’s easy to see why. His size and athleticism make him the prototype for a hybrid outside linebacker in Erik Chinander’s defense. Both Frost and Chinander went to see him on Saturday night in-home to be his last visit before the dead period. Wisconsin is the main competition here though Minnesota is lurking too. In the end, the Huskers will win another battle for a top target. Nebraska is my pick for Johnson.
UPDATE: Johnson signed with Wisconsin on Wednesday.
4-star WR Justin Robinson
The battle for the 6-foot-4, 200-pound wide receiver is much closer than people realized. He is committed to Georgia and was in their class when he visited Lincoln for the game against Northwestern. But the Huskers made a serious impression on Robinson and his family. There is a chance that his parents want him to get away and experience something different. The Huskers can also offer a path to playing time. Georgia’s wideout group is a bit wide open too though. The comforts of home win out here and Robinson sticks with his Georgia pledge.
UPDATE: Robinson stuck with Georgia and signed on Wednesday.
4-star DB Myles Slusher
The recruitment of Myles Slusher has been strange. While committed to Oregon, he visited Nebraska twice and one was an official visit for the Northern Illinois game. He then came back for the next home game against Ohio State. Nebraska entered that weekend with confidence for a flip. Then he tweeted about Oregon during the game. Everyone thought things were done with Slusher but then Frost made an in-home visit during the contact period catching most off-guard. Down the stretch it seems like an Arkansas versus Nebraska battle. Both choices make sense for him. I think Slusher is a Husker. He enrolls in January.
There are a couple other storylines to track. Will everyone already committed besides Zavier Betts sign on Wednesday? Do any new offers to the commits in the South from Ole Miss make a difference? Does Miami try to continue working on new commit Keyshawn Greene until the Letter of Intent is faxed to Nebraska? I’m not saying anything for sure is happening but things get weird during this time of year.
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.
