Nebraska hosted several 2019 and 2020 targets over the weekend that have yet to receive an offer from the Huskers. One player that falls into that category is a very intriguing defensive back out of Kansas. Three-star defensive back (HV Rating: 81.5) Jayden Russell, a 2019 prospect, was in Lincoln for the spring game. When I caught up with him he was finishing up some 7-on-7 play. What was the overall feeling from Russell on the spring game?
“Just great energy from everyone," he said. "From the players to the coaching staff and of course the fans. That [attendance] was nothing to be surprised by. That’s Nebraska fans, so I kind of expected it to be kind of crazy like that with a lot of fans. Coach Frost is back and it’s a great atmosphere with the new coaching staff. It’s good to see Nebraska having something to hope for and to see what comes next.”
Great time in Lincoln and meeting @kurt13warner today #GBR 🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/byuqS18Eua
— Jayden Russell 🏳 (@jayzaykc) April 21, 2018
Russell has been to campus before but this was his first time getting to be in Lincoln with the new coaching staff. He didn’t get a chance to speak with a lot of the staff, but did spend time with running back coach Ryan Held, who recruits Kansas.
“I know he’s a Kansas guy, he went to Blue Valley North which is one of the schools we play on the regular," Russell said. "It was good to connect with him with that. We had a good conversation about the recruiting process with the new coaching staff.”
As mentioned above, Russell doesn’t currently hold a Nebraska offer. However, there is interest on both sides. So, what is he hearing from the coaching staff right now about his recruitment?
“They are still evaluating things," Russell said. "The biggest thing they said with me right now is that they don’t know if I’m a safety or a corner. Sophomore year, I played all safety, both strong and free. Junior year I went to corner, and my senior year I am going to switch back to safety. They don’t know what I’m going to project to and what my body will grow into so that’s the main thing right now but they are very interested in me.”
The Kansas native tells me that he doesn’t care where he plays on the football field. He thinks that he just keeps getting bigger and could even play outside linebacker if he keeps growing. He’s obviously fast enough to player corner but wherever on the defense a team needs him, he’s willing to play. Right now, he plans to go to Toledo sometime in May before taking it easy on visits.
He plans to pick the visits back up this summer after schools like Louisville and Nebraska come see him at his school. Once he sees where things stand with those schools, he will have a better understanding of his plan of action on visits.
http://www.hudl.com/video/3/6193554/59debd8f02b169264cf189b6