Omaha Burke 4-star 2019 linebacker Nick Henrich (HV Rating: 89.5) is a very popular prospect. He’s become a national recruit with offers from Florida, Iowa, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State, Texas A&M and others. Henrich was an all-state selection as a sophomore and did not disappoint last season as a junior when he posted 120 tackles, 32 tackles for loss and 11 sacks. I was able to catch up with him Friday afternoon to get his thoughts on how his recruitment is shaping up so far.
Since Scott Frost took over at Nebraska, he and inside linebacker coach Barrett Ruud have made Henrich a huge priority. So, how does the linebacker feel about how that relationship is going?
“It’s been really good with them. We’ve talked a lot," he said. "I’ve talked to Coach Ruud and Coach Frost multiple times. It’s really good, they seem like good coaches and guys.”
Henrich does have a busy next couple of weeks after setting his visit schedule to check out the schools that are at the top of his list. On April 2 he will check out Iowa State, Iowa on April 5, Minnesota on April 7, Wisconsin on April 13, Notre Dame on April 14, and Nebraska for a practice on April 17. He gave me a rundown on what sticks out about each school.
“Iowa has always had a great tradition of developing guys," Henrich said. "Iowa State is a real great program that’s on the come up. Minnesota is also really on the come up. Obviously, Nebraska has got the new staff and a lot of exciting things are happening there. Notre Dame has always had an amazing tradition with academics as well as football, so I’m really excited to check them out. Then, Wisconsin has been dominant for a number of years now so I’m excited to check them out, too.”
Those six schools have an interesting mix of new staffs as well as staffs that have been entrenched for years. Henrich says that it doesn’t really matter how long a staff has been there in his mind, that stability is the big thing. One thing I was curious about was if he feels any pressure being the top dog in the state and having so much national attention.
“I’m sure there’s a target on my back but I don’t really focus on that," he said. "You just focus on getting better every day and continuing to work hard so you can keep improving.”
Most schools are looking at him at inside linebacker, a few are saying outside and some are saying he can play either depending on what’s happening when he gets there. Speaking of improving, even one of the top-rated inside linebackers in the country has things he wants to improve heading into his senior season.
“I’m trying to get more athletic overall," Henrich said. "Bigger, stronger, faster. I’m trying to improve my man-to-man coverage as well as my pass rush."
One of the big recruiting questions of the spring is if Henrich will be at Memorial Stadium on April 21 to see the sold-out spring game. He does not have any college visits lined up for that day but his brother goes to Augustana in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and his brother’s spring game may be that weekend and if that’s the case he will go to that but says he’d “love to go” to Nebraska’s spring game if he can. As for a decision timeline, he has a plan in mind.
“It’s probably still summer," Henrich said. "I’ll take these visits and see what happens.”
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/829813/5a1c36d3bd6af20ba4965a75
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.
