Friday night lights are back for Week 7.
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 all five 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) – 35-7 W |
| Sept. 14 | Omaha North (A) – 41-24 W |
| Sept. 21 | Elkhorn (H) – 52-7 W |
| Sept. 28 | Gretna (A) – 43-26 W |
| 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 faced Omaha North in one of the best rivalry games in the state. The games between these two schools are always highly competitive. Burke was looking for revenge as North won 29-28 last season in the playoffs, going on to win the Class A state title.
Burke received that revenge, defeating the Vikings 41-24.
What to know this week
The Bulldogs continued to roll last Friday night after taking down Gretna, 43-26. Henrich had 14 tackles in the game. The future Husker will lead his team this week in a home game against Fremont.
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) – 20-13 L |
| Sept. 14 | Skutt Catholic (A) – 42-37 L |
| Sept. 21 | Beatrice (A) – 51-7 W |
| Sept. 28 | Hastings (H) – 42-21 W |
| 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 was a busy day for rematch games around the state. Last season, York beat Skutt Catholic 31-0 to win the Class B state title. This year, the Dukes had to travel to Omaha to take on Skyhawks.
York dropped the matchup with Skutt 42-37.
What to know this week
The Dukes picked up their second win in a row, defeating Hastings 42-21. Snodgrass accounted for five total touchdowns in the game once again, throwing for two and rushing for three. He also chipped in three tackles on defense. This week the Dukes take on Northwest on the road.
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) – 49-20 W |
| Sept. 14 | BDS (A) – 49-14 W |
| Sept. 21 | Crofton (H) – 49-9 W |
| Sept. 28 | Hartington Cedar Catholic (A) – 54-20 W |
| 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 on Oct. 19, 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
It was another big win for Norfolk Catholic and the Knights' season is really on track now. They took down Hartington Cedar Catholic 54-20. This week they take on nearby rival Battle Creek at home.
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) – 25-10 W |
| Sept. 14 | Sterling (A) – 48-18 W |
| Sept. 21 | Gering (H) – 62-6 |
| Sept. 28 | Sidney (H) – 53-3 |
| 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 went to 6-0 last Friday after beating Sidney, 53-3. The defense, led by Nelson, has only allowed 9 points in the last two contests. Nelson had eight solo tackles and two sacks in the win. This week, the team is on the road at Lexington.
Tight End Chris Hickman
What you need to know about Hickman
On September 15th, Hickman became the fifth and final player that Nebraska has offered in-state to verbally committed to Nebraska. The Huskers won a tough recruiting battle for him after quickly building a relationship with the versatile athlete.
What to know this week
The Bulldogs continued to roll last Friday night after taking down Gretna, 43-26. Hickman continued to impress on defense with 3 tackles (0.5 for loss) and one pass breakup. He was also able to shake loose in the passing game with two catches for 112 yards and a touchdown.
Game I’ll be attending this week:
This week, I’ll be taking the show on the road and traveling to Lawrence, Kansas, to check out 4-star 2020 OL Turner Corcoran. He is one of the best 2020 prospects in the entire region and the Huskers have hosted him several times. His team has a home game against Olathe South on Friday night.
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.
