The Huskers have had their first decommitment of the 2020 recruiting class. On Wednesday evening 3-star (HV Rating: 88.0) inside linebacker Rodney Groce left the class. He made the announcement on Twitter saying in part, “after talking it over with my family and praying about it, I have decided to decommit from the University of Nebraska.”
This loss stings for multiple reasons. Groce is a good football player. He is having an impressive senior season so far. Currently he has 80 tackles, seven sacks and nine pass break ups for Pleasant Grove High School in Alabama. Groce would have been a nice downhill thumper in the middle of defensive coordinator Erik Chinander’s defense.
Right now, it looks like Groce is strongly linked to Mississippi State. The Bulldogs lost a linebacker commitment of their own recently. That seems to have opened the door for a Groce to join their class. Hail Varsity has learned that Groce was in Starkville this past weekend for an unofficial visit. The Nebraska staff was aware of the visit.
It’s no secret that linebacker is a huge priority for the Huskers this cycle. Losing Groce means Nebraska is down to just one in the class. Outside linebacker Blaise Gunnerson, who just received his All-American Game jersey on Wednesday, is the lone second level prospect in the class.
Still, the Huskers have several targets at linebacker they remain in the mix for. To list a few of the known targets:
- OLB Kaden Johnson
- OLB Jared Ivey
- OLB Brennon Scott
- OLB Regen Terry
- OLB Latarie Kinsler
- ILB Des Tisdol
- ILB Mister Williams
- ILB Choe Bryant-Strother
In the 2019 recruiting cycle, the Huskers brought in a nice group of five scholarship linebackers. That group was headlined by inside linebacker Nick Henrich. Outside linebacker Garrett Nelson has already seen the field this season. The numbers at both inside and outside linebacker are still not where Frost and his staff want them to be.
This next month will be critical for Nebraska to make a move with some of these top targets. The Huskers have a need for at least three more linebackers in the class to go along with Gunnerson.
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.
