Friday night lights are back once again.
The recruiting class of 2019 is a special group in Nebraska as many of the top in-state players will go on to play college football at the Division I level. Nebraska currently has verbal commitments from four of the states’ top five players.
Throughout the fall, we'll chronicle what you need to know about each player and their season so far.
Linebacker Nick Henrich
Omaha Burke Schedule
| DATE | OPPONENT |
| Aug. 24 | Lincoln Southeast (H) – 49-28 W |
| Aug. 31 | Millard West (H) – 31-14 W |
| Sept. 7 | Omaha Central (A) |
| Sept. 14 | Omaha North (A) |
| Sept. 21 | Elkhorn (H) |
| Sept. 28 | Gretna (A) |
| Oct. 4 | Fremont (H) |
| Oct. 12 | Millard North (A) |
| Oct. 19 | Papillion LaVista (H) |
What you need to know about Henrich
Nick Henrich represented a huge recruiting win for Nebraska when he announced that he was joining the 2019 class in July. Not only is he the best player in the state of Nebraska, but he is one of the best inside linebacker prospects in the country. It was especially important for the new staff to land him to show they meant business about keeping the best talent home. Henrich is an excellent prospect with good leadership qualities.
Game to watch
On Sept. 14, Burke takes on Omaha North in one of the best rivalry games in the state. The games between these two schools are always highly competitive and there will be lots of future college talent on display. Burke will be looking for revenge as North won 29-28 last season in the playoffs, going on to win the Class A state title.
What to know this week
The Bulldogs went to 2-0 on the season after taking down Millard West 31-14 last week. Burke takes on Omaha Central in Week 3 ahead of the showdown with Omaha North. Henrich had another stellar game against Burke that included this blocked field goal return that he almost took to the house.
FIELD GOAL. BLOCKED. NICK HENRICH. 53-YARD RETURN. 5:16 remaining in Q3; Burke leads 21-7. #nebpreps @OPS_Burke @BurkeFootball @burke_athletics pic.twitter.com/p2N77MecvF
— Omaha High School Football (@OmahaHSFootball) September 1, 2018
Athlete Garrett Snodgrass
York Schedule
| DATE | OPPONENT |
| Aug. 24 | Alliance (A) – 55-14 W |
| Aug. 31 | Blair (H) – 50-28 W |
| Sept. 7 | McCook (H) |
| Sept. 14 | Skutt Catholic (A) |
| Sept. 21 | Beatrice (A) |
| Sept. 28 | Hastings (H) |
| Oct. 4 | Northwest (A) |
| Oct. 12 | Seward (A) |
| Oct. 19 | Crete (H) |
What you need to know about Snodgrass
Snodgrass is a do-everything player for his York team. He has potential at multiple positions but his ultimate college spot is unclear. Last season on defense he recorded 90 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, three pass breakups, one interception and blocked three field goal attempts.
Game to watch
Sept. 14 is a busy day for rematch games around the state. That day features Omaha North-Omaha Burke but York also takes on Skutt Catholic that night. Last season, York beat Skutt 31-0 to win the Class B state title. This year, the Dukes have to travel to Omaha to take on Skyhawks.
What to know this week
Snodgrass led the team with 113 rushing yards on nine carries and had 126 passing yards with two passing touchdowns last Friday night. York had an impressive 50-28 win. I was at the game and shared my thoughts following, including which player on the team is vastly underrated. York has a tough game this week against McCook.
Defensive Lineman Ethan Piper
Norfolk Catholic Schedule
| DATE | OPPONENT |
| Aug. 24 | Pierce (A) – 48-29 L |
| Aug. 31 | David City Aquinas (H) – 31-7 W |
| Sept. 7 | St. Paul (H) |
| Sept. 14 | BDS (A) |
| Sept. 21 | Crofton (H) |
| Sept. 28 | Hartington Cedar Catholic (A) |
| Oct. 5 | Battle Creek (H) |
| Oct. 12 | Stanton (A) |
| Oct. 19 | Ponca (A) |
What you need to know about Piper
Piper is a good prospect who stars on both the offensive and defensive line for Norfolk Catholic. He projects as a defensive lineman right now for Nebraska. His quotes to me after he committed to Nebraska will make him an instant fan favorite.
"It sounds cliché to say that it is every Nebraska kids' dream to wear the [scarlet] and white, but it is," Piper said in March. "I grew up idolizing [Ndamukong] Suh and had Blackshirt posters all over my room. In fact, to be honest, I still have one up. Our family never had season tickets but would scratch up enough money to go to at least one game every year. I'd sit next to old ladies who I [had] never met who would give me their leftover popcorn and we'd leave as friends. It's not just a game or a sport here in Nebraska but the lifeblood of so many.”
Game to watch
The Knights will face five playoff teams from last season. Their toughest game is against Ponca, which finished 2017 at 10-1. That game will be a tough road test late in the season before the state playoffs begin.
What to know this week
Norfolk Catholic bounced back with a victory in Week 2, defeating David City Aquinas 31-7. Piper helped power his team to almost 400 yards rushing on the day. This week the Knights host St. Paul.
Outside Linebacker Garrett Nelson
Scottsbluff Schedule
| DATE | OPPONENT |
| Aug. 24 | North Platte (A) – 41-20 W |
| Aug. 31 | Hastings (H) – 48-14 W |
| Sept. 7 | Northwest (H) |
| Sept. 14 | Sterling (A) |
| Sept. 21 | Gering (H) |
| Sept. 28 | Sidney (H) |
| Oct. 5 | Lexington (A) |
| Oct. 12 | Alliance (A) |
| Oct. 19 | McCook (H) |
What you need to know about Nelson
Nelson was the first player to commit to the class of 2019 for Nebraska. He did so back on June 24, 2017. Nelson is a Husker legacy as both of his parents are Nebraska alumni. His father, Chris Nelson, was an All-American wrestler for the Huskers in the early 1990s. His grandfather, Ken Parish, was the head football coach at Cozad during the 1960s and 1970s and has been a big part of Nelson’s life on and off the field.
Game to watch
Last season, the Bearcats’ only regular season loss was to McCook in a nail-biter, 17-14 at home. This year Scottsbluff will look to avenge that loss when they face off against McCook on Oct. 19.
What to know this week
The Bearcats won their second game of the season 48-14 over Hastings last Friday. Nelson had an early sack in the game that set the tone for Scottsbluff. So far this season, the starting Scottsbluff defense has only allowed one touchdown. This week they take on Northwest.
Tight End Chris Hickman
What you need to know about Hickman
Hickman is the only prospect of the top five in the state who has not already verbally committed to Nebraska. The Huskers are recruiting him hard and he has made multiple trips to Lincoln. Hickman is a versatile player who could play either tight end or defensive end in college.
What to know this week
The Bulldogs went to 2-0 on the season after taking down Millard West 31-14. This week Burke takes on Omaha Central ahead of their showdown with Omaha North. The big news with Hickman this week is that he will be taking an official visit to Nebraska for the Colorado game.
Game I’ll be attending this week:
This week, I’ll be taking in Norfolk Catholic's matchup with St. Paul. The defending state Class C-1 champions are the home of Huskers commit Ethan Piper. It will be the first time I've seen Piper play so I'm looking forward to seeing how he looks on both the defensive and offensive line for the Knights.
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.
