Huskers Sign Talented Trio – University of Nebraska

Nebraska Head Coach Brett Balak announced the signing of three talented golfers in his first Husker recruiting class on Saturday, Nov. 13.

Junior college standout Grant Jabenis will join high school stars Davis Johnson and Evan McDermott in bringing talent and potential to the future of the Husker men’s golf program. 

“We are thrilled to have Evan, Grant and Davis join our program,” Balak said. “All three young men are high character, great in the classroom and will be excellent additions to the Lincoln community. They all love golf, are tremendous workers and I truly believe their best golf is ahead of them.”

 

Jabenis, an Omaha Westside graduate, competed for two seasons at Iowa Western Community College, while McDermott is one of the top golfers in the state of Michigan, and Johnson was the Minnesota state runner-up in 2021.

Jabenis helped Iowa Western CC to a third-place finish at the NJCAA District III Championships in April, carding a three-round total of 222 individually. In the fall of 2020, Jabenis captured his first individual collegiate title and led the Reivers to a team championship at the Blue River Classic. During the spring, Jabenis took seventh individually to help the Reivers to a team title at the Eagle Spring Classic In Bartlesville, Okla.

Jabenis is not playing college golf in 2021-22 but is living in Arizona. Because of the disruptions caused by COVID-19 during his junior college career, Jabenis will have three years of collegiate eligibility remaining at Nebraska.

Johnson took second as a senior at the 2021 Minnesota High School Championships, which included a four-under-par 68 in the opening round to help Chaska capture the team title with a nine-stroke victory over Minnetonka. Johnson was also named the 2021 Metro West Conference Player of the Year before helping Chaska to its seventh consecutive state championship.

Johnson, who graduated from Chaska High School in 2021, chose to delay his enrollment after high school and is currently living in Arizona. 

McDermott tied for third at the Michigan High School Division 2 State Championships while helping Spring Lake to a top-10 team finish in 2021. His performance included a second-round 68. He fired the best round of his prep career with a 64 at Terra Verde.

 

In August of 2021, McDermott competed at the Golfweek Junior Tour event at Notre Dame, taking the top spot in a 51-golfer field at the 36-hole tournament. His performance featured six birdies and an eagle. He added a top-10 finish on the Golfweek Junior Tour at Kettering, Ohio in October, carding back-to-back rounds of 73.