The offseason is ending soon for the Nebraska football program. The players will report soon for fall camp. That starts on July 30 which is the day after the return of Fan Day at Memorial Stadium. The Huskers are about halfway done with their recruiting class for the 2022 cycle. There is still plenty of work to be done with finishing off the class.
Let’s take a look at some summer objectives the Huskers could tackle between now and the season kicking off. The season gets going on Aug. 28 against Illinois.
Identify Flip Targets
One thing is always constant in recruiting: it’s not over until the prospect signs a letter of intent. Nebraska should definitely continue building relationships with flips targets. It’s a tough part of recruiting but has to be done. The Huskers have done well with this in the past. At least one player in each class has signed with Nebraska who committed to another school during the cycle.
Work on Big Fish
The Huskers don’t have a consensus four-star player on the commitment list currently. That doesn’t mean those guys couldn’t turn out to be great players for Nebraska. Plenty of teams win more than Nebraska with three-star recruits. The teams that win at an elite level recruit higher-rated players. Nebraska has had a tough run this cycle of keeping four-star players interested in the program. Coach Scott Frost and his staff need to stick with it. Perception could change quickly when the season arrives. Nebraska building those relationships could come in handy.
Land an Offensive Lineman
Nebraska has two positions without commitments currently for this cycle. Offensive line and defensive back are without commitments. Offensive line recruiting is in a good place but the Huskers need to close. The trio of John Pastore, Valen Erickson and Jake Maikkula seem to be the focus for the Huskers. Landing one or two from that list would be a win. I wouldn’t panic about anything happening at defensive back until December. Defensive backs coach Travis Fisher has proven to work under the radar well. He does a great job of keeping prospects interested.
Evaluate Current Players
The Huskers got a good long look at a lot of the young players on the team during spring practice. It was a big spring at many position groups. Nebraska is still such a young football team in a lot of ways. Now the coaching staff will be able to see how players respond to the offseason. The summer conditioning program was critical for many players. Who will come in ready to hit the ground running?
Nebraska may adjust priorities on the recruiting trail moving forward if players aren’t prepared. A lot of concerns about the 2022 class can be minimized. That’s if players Nebraska was excited to sign start making more progress behind the scenes.