The 2023 recruiting class is shaping up to be a pivotal one for coach Scott Frost at Nebraska. It’s another year where the talent in Nebraska and the surrounding region is on the rise. That makes it more important for Nebraska to win its share of battles for those players. Not only are they talented but players that go to schools close to home are more likely to stay at their schools. That’s an important factor during the transfer portal era.
Now we are close to the Huskers hosting a summer full of official visits. Why not take a look at the program’s remaining needs for the current cycle? We’ll start with the offensive side of the ball.
Quarterback
Commits: Pop Watson (Springfield, Massachusetts)
Projected Remaining Need: Zero. The Huskers only offered seven quarterbacks for the 2023 recruiting class. Several of those offers happened before offensive coordinator Mark Whipple came to town. Watson was his hand-picked quarterback for this cycle. The pair have a great relationship dating back to when Watson was in the 8th grade.
Offensive Line
Commits: Gunnar Gottula (Lincoln, Nebraska) and Sam Sledge (Omaha, Nebraska)
Projected Remaining Need: Two. This is a great year for in-state offensive line recruiting. The Huskers have a pair of commits from the state in Gottula and Sledge. Another top target at the position is Scottsbluff standout Brock Knutson. Another big-time target in the class is Kansas City’s Cayden Green. The 4-star lineman has an official visit set to Nebraska for the weekend of May 20. If the Huskers have their way they won’t have to look far from campus to build the offensive line group for this class.
Running Back
Commits: None
Projected Remaining Need: One. Running back has been one of the bigger mysteries of the 2023 recruiting class for the Huskers. It makes sense when you think about it. The team has a new position coach after Bryan Applewhite took over for Ryan Held. Applewhite spent the spring focused on getting to know the players he has on campus at the position. The team brought in three running backs in the 2022 recruiting class. Two high schoolers are joining the team this summer. Anthony Grant arrived in January via JUCO. The room is still young but I’d expect the team to pursue one back in this cycle. Keep an eye on Georgia 4-star Dontavius Braswell. The standout back is working to set up an official visit to Nebraska this summer.
Wide Receiver
Commits: None
Projected Remaining Need: Three. Wide receiver is another position where the regional talent shines in the 2023 class. There is hope for Nebraska that it won’t have to go farther than a few hours away from campus to secure a wideout haul. Malachi Coleman (Lincoln, Nebraska), Joshua Manning (Kansas City, Missouri) and Jaidyn Doss (Kansas City, Missuori) are all top targets for the program. Each has been to campus before. The Huskers have summer official visits locked in with Manning and Doss. Coleman will visit June 3.
👀 @HuskerFBNation pic.twitter.com/5ciXSTdoCH
— Malachi Coleman (@ChiColeman23) May 14, 2022
The Huskers may not land these three. Confidence is high that wide receivers coach Mickey Joseph will keep the room filled with talent. He’s got a lot of quality wideouts interested in the program.
Tight End
Commits: Benjamin Brahmer (Pierce, Nebraska)
Projected Remaining Need: None. The Huskers have young tight end talent in the program for Sean Beckton to work with. This actually might be a spot where the team looks to add a veteran transfer after the season. A lot will depends on the health of the room moving forward and how players progress this season.
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.
