Nebraska 2021 Recruiting Class Review: 10/15/2020

I spent my off time this week taking a hard look at the recruits of this class. I’ve compiled our current commits below and done my own evaluation and what I see in each recruit- the good and the bad. I’ve made determinations on how I think they should be rated and compare that to their 247 rating.

I’m a complete amateur at evaluating recruits and have no experience other than watching film and seeing what the experts take into account and how they rate players. This was an exercise for me and I gave a brief bio about each player. The heights and weights are taken from 247 and from what I’ve seen on film as some of the weights were not up to date. I followed 247’s [rating explanations](https://247sports.com/Article/247Sports-Rating-Explanation-81574/) as a guide.

**Koby Bretz – Omaha, NE**

*6’2” – 185lbs*

*Distance to Lincoln:* 50.74 Miles

*Profile:* 88 [247](https://247sports.com/player/koby-bretz-46100232/) – 5.6 [Rivals]( https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/koby-bretz-259697) – [Hudl](https://www.hudl.com/profile/9661297/Koby-Bretz)

*Current Position:* S/WR

*Recruitment Position:* S/Field OLB

Koby Bretz plays for Omaha Westside in Omaha, Nebraska. Last year Westside played Bellevue West for the state title but came up short. This year, they and Bellevue West are again the favorites to play in the state championship. The currently are undefeated sitting at 7-0.

Bretz is a tall, powerful, athletic Safety that shows great speed and angle recognition when coming downhill. While not the strongest looking player, he brings a level of physicality to Westside’s defensive backfield, capable of forcing fumbles on devastating hits. He has highlights of him coming between gaps and through blocks to make tackles. His playmaking highlights at safety much of the time is in run support, but in the games I’ve seen of him this year he has been able to recognize pass plays and make some high caliber PBU’s. At wide receiver he has shown that he can go up and make plays on balls while showing above average straight-line speed (this also shows up in his pursuit as a DB).

Bretz has all the tools to be a great player- of this class, he has one of the highest ceilings. He is someone that will need a year to learn hone his skills as a DB, get stronger and learn the playbook.
His frame looks like it can hold another 20-30lbs comfortably- however he will need to work hard to develop himself. I think he starts out as a Safety before moving down to the field OLB. I think he can be a force at this position- he is a gifted tackler. Additionally, if the staff felt like they needed him at ILB, I feel as though he could play this position as well.

Bretz is rated an 88 by 247. I think his rating is appropriate. Depending on how he has looked this year, I could see him rise. Unfortunately, he has not posted any of his gameplay from this year on hudl.

**Marques Buford – Oakdale, CT (Cedar Hill, TX)**

*6’0” – 195lbs*

*Distance to Lincoln:* 1274.04 Miles

*Profile:* 87 [247]( https://247sports.com/player/marques-buford-46038117/) – 5.5 [Rivals](https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/marques-buford-267898) – [Hudl](https://www.hudl.com/profile/7650821/Marques-Buford-Jr)

*Current Position:* ATH – DB/WR

*Recruitment Position:* DB

Marques Buford plays for St. Thomas More Preparatory School in Oakdale, CT. Buford is a two-time state champion with his high school team at Trinity Christian School in Cedar Hill, TX.

Buford is an excellent all-around athlete playing at Defensive Back. He was a top camp performer multiple times in high school. He is agile, he is fast, he has great hands and a solid frame. He can lockdown receivers in man coverage and go up for balls just as well. He has solid play recognition ability and tackling ability. With a year at Prep School, he will be in a similar position to Alante Brown this year and have the opportunity and come in and help the DB room immediately.

When viewing his film, Buford does not have any immediately recognizable deficiencies. He will need to continue working hard and improve his body and skills as a DB.

Buford is rated an 87 by 247. I think Buford is underrated here and should be a borderline 4* at an 89 or 90. He is the best prep school player in the country.

**James Carnie – Firth, NE**

*6’5” – 223lbs*

*Distance to Lincoln:* 19.8 Miles

*Profile:* 86 [247](https://247sports.com/player/james-carnie-46098319/) – 5.6 [Rivals](https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/james-carnie-259802) – [Hudl](https://www.hudl.com/profile/8185226/James-Carnie)

*Current Position:* TE/OLB

*Recruitment Position:* TE

James Carnie plays for Norris High School in Firth, Nebraska. His team finished 7-4 last year and currently sits at 6-1 this year.

Carnie is an athletic Tight End/Outside Linebacker standing a 6’5” 223lbs. During the summer Carnie caught eyes with his 32.5” vertical and 4.6- 40 yard dash time at the Warren Academy Showcase. He is regarded by some as the best tight end in the state of Nebraska. This season he has shown that his athleticism in camps shows up on the field. He is a physical blocker and pass rusher, capable of pancaking DBs/LBs and coming off blocks to chase down QBs/RBs. Carnie has been able to show his speed and explosiveness on the field as a tight end, getting free from DBs and winning footraces to the end zone. He has shown ability to go up for 50/50 balls and yank them out of the air. His hands have improved greatly from last season and over the course of this season.

He is a physical player that will need to improve his body position going into contact. Carnie can run through people with poor tackling now, but if he lowers his shoulder, he should be able to blow through better tacklers. He has shown that he can drag tacklers and spin out of waist tackles.

Carnie will need to improve his route running ability, while decent now, he needs better breakouts and crisper routes. He also needs to improve his general elusiveness and on-the-field speed slightly, it appears that not all the speed he gained during the offseason has translated.

When he gets to Nebraska, he must maintain the same mentality he had over the summer and this season, working hard, and proving he can be a great player. He will need to continue to gain lean muscle and explosiveness to be a physical blocker and pass catcher/route runner.

Carnie is rated an 86 by 247. I believe this is the correct range for him to be in, however, I could see him improve to an 88 with his performance over the season and into the playoffs.

**Gabe Ervin – Buford, GA**

*6’0” – 200lbs*

*Distance to Lincoln:* 834.65 Miles

*Profile:* 84 [247](https://247sports.com/player/gabe-ervin-46084365/) – 5.7 [Rivals](https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/gabe-ervin-251575) – [Hudl](https://www.hudl.com/profile/10948241/Gabe-Ervin)

*Current Position:* RB

*Recruitment Position:* RB

Gabe Ervin plays for Buford High School in Buford Georgia. Buford High School won the 5A state title last year in a come back victory and moved to the 6A division currently sitting at 3-1 this season. While the school is not filled with P5 athletes, the school executes its offense and defense at a high level to control and win games.

Playing at the Running Back position, Ervin is one of the most intriguing prospects of Nebraska’s class. He appears and is capable of being a 3-down back that runs downhill, makes quick cuts and breaks tackles. However, Gabe Ervin’s athleticism is more than being a downhill bruiser and he has shown he can be shifty in the backfield and bounce the football outside the tackles this season. Ervin is capable of getting down the field in a hurry and if a seam opens up in the middle of the field he will hit that seam and take it to the house- he is capable of accelerating and hitting his stride as soon as he reaches the second level.

Ervin’s vision and ability to read defenses is at a high level coming out of high school and I think this is attributed to the system he plays in and the coaching he has received. In game film I have seen him make reads on linebackers and use footwork while he is in the backfield to get LB’s to bite on the wrong gaps- in a particular play that he did this he turned what would have been a 7 or 8 yard gain to a 40 yard gain.

Ervin’s shiftiness is not given enough credit, he has been able to put DB’s and LB’s on skates with his footwork. He has shown that he can put defensive players at bad angles to make tackles and then break them- shedding them off his hips or with a stout stiff arm. His balance is very impressive and has shown great resilience on going down on ankle tackles. Last year Ervin averaged ~6.7 ypc. He seeks to improve his YPC and has done a good job, rushing for 178 yards on 10 carries in his most recent game.

Ervin is rated an 84 by 247. I believe Ervin deserves at least a 4-point bump. Ervin’s running style is akin to what Devine Ozigbo’s looked like his senior season. Strong downfield runner with unexpected elusiveness, but Ervin’s ability to bounce the ball outside the OT’s this season has been his biggest improvement and it has surprised a lot of people- me included. According to “Tracking Football” Ervin scores a 4.6 out of 5.0 on their athleticism scale when looking at his height, weight, and track times. This is considered “exceptional”. If I were to describe Ervin’s running ability and approach to the game in one word it would, “professional”.

**Thomas Fidone – Council Bluffs, IA – US Army All American**

*6’5” – 225lbs*

*Distance to Lincoln:* 54.1 Miles

*Profile:* 95 [247](https://247sports.com/player/thomas-fidone-46086515/) – 6.0 [Rivals](https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/thomas-fidone-256400) – [Hudl](https://www.hudl.com/profile/11234829/Thomas-Fidone-II)

*Current Position:* TE

*Recruitment Position:* TE

Thomas Fidone plays for Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He is an Army All American Tight End.
Thomas Fidone is the best Tight End in the nation of the 2021 class. He is the best route running and pass catching tight ends I’ve ever seen at the High School level. If you were to look at all the recruits this cycle and ask for the best route runners and pass catchers (RB’s, WR’s, and TE’s included) Fidone would still be at the top of the list. His breakouts are exceptional, his footwork is exceptional, his hands are exceptional. He stands at 6’5 225 and runs a 4.63 – 40-yard dash with a 37” vertical, all of which shows up on the field, winning in foot races to the endzone and showing elusiveness and acceleration.

He is a physical player and wins jump balls and sells his body out to make great catches. He drags defenders and puts them in the dirt with stiff arms. He is a capable and physical blocker. He is an extremely hard worker that wants to be the best.

Fidone is rated a 95 by 247. He has had a fantastic season so far. He has a shot at becoming a 5* player by 247, but I believe much of that decision will come down to how he plays at the All-American Bowl.

**Mikai Gbayor – Irvington, NJ**

*6’2 – 220lbs*

*Distance to Lincoln:* 1172.70 Miles

*Profile:* 87 [247](https://247sports.com/Player/Mikai-Gbayor-46082821/) – 5.6 [Rivals](https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/mikai-gbayor-233976) – [Hudl](https://www.hudl.com/profile/11078891/Mikai-Gbayor)

*Current Position:* ILB

*Recruitment Position:* ILB

Mikai Gbayor plays for Irvington High School in Irvington, New Jersey. His school lost in the semi-final for the state championship. His team is off to a 2-0 start this season.

Gbayor plays Inside Linebacker and is a physical presence in the center of the field. He has solid play recognition, appears to be a sure tackler and often is a decleator. He has multiple highlights of him destroying RB’s and QB’s. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a ton of hudl film for me to look through. He is best as a run stopper and is fast enough to hit gaps he needs to. He has a long frame and appears to be able to put on a good bit more weight and muscle. His lateral movement needs to improve as does his pass coverage and acceleration. However, I do think he has the athleticism to pull this off- he will need to dedicate himself to the S&C program and to improving technique.

Gbayor is rated an 87 by 247, I think this is a fair assessment. I do think his skill is in the 85-87 range. If he can show this season that he has improved his acceleration, ability to get off blocks and pursue sideline to sideline he will be a force to be reckoned with.

**Kamonte Grimes – Naples, FL – US Army All American**

*6’2” – 205lbs*

*Distance to Lincoln:* 1324.77 Miles

*Profile:* 88 [247](https://247sports.com/Player/Kamonte-Grimes-46052329/) – 5.5 [Rivals](https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/kamonte-grimes-211349) – [Hudl](https://www.hudl.com/profile/7997006/Kamonte-Grimes)

*Current Position:* WR/DB

*Recruitment Position:* WR

Kamonte Grimes plays for Palmetto Ridge High School in Naples, Florida. His team went 4-6 overall in 2019, but are off to a 3-0 start this season. He is an Army All American.

Grimes is both a Wide Receiver and Defensive Back at his high school but was recruited as a WR by the Huskers. He spent the offseason becoming a better athlete and really worked on his body. Over the summer he accepted an invitation to play in the Army All American Bowl. Grimes is another unique prospect. The way that he runs makes him look slower and less elusive than he is, but he can create separation and outrun pursuing players. He glides and is a smooth route runner. He can go up for balls and break tackles made with poor angles. He’s a willing blocker. I think the biggest parts of his game he needs to improve upon is his explosiveness and route running.

Grimes is rated an 88 by 247, I find this to be a fair rating. I found the invite to the Army All-American Bowl particularly interesting as I don’t see him as an elite receiver. I think his performance at the AA Bowl will tell us a lot about how good he is.

**Heinrich Haarberg – Kearney, NE**

*6’5” – 185lbs*

*Distance to Lincoln:* 119.43 Miles

*Profile:* 88 [247](https://247sports.com/player/heinrich-haarberg-46098254/) – 5.6 [Rivals](https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/heinrich-haarberg-240148) – [Hudl](https://www.hudl.com/profile/9248746/Heinrich-Haarberg)

*Current Position:* QB

*Recruitment Position:* QB

Heinrich Haarberg plays for Kearney Catholic in Kearney, Nebraska. His team finished 7-3 last year and currently sits at 5-1 this season.

Haarberg is a tall athletic and raw Quarterback. He has a lot of untapped talent and if he can hone his skills, he can be dangerous. Haarberg makes throwing 50-yard bombs and 20-yard lasers look easy. He’s adept at using his body and hips to generate power on his throws and can make strong throws while on the run and across his body. Haarberg is a boon in the QB run game, an area his team has relied on a lot this season. He can run through tackles and likes to play physically- he lowers his shoulder into contact. If Haarberg gets into the open field he can win footraces, having run a sub 11.0 100m.

Haarberg will need to spend time with Verduzco to improve as a QB, but understands he needs work. I’m not super familiar with looking at and evaluating QB’s, but I can tell he has poor footwork when he drops back in the pocket. If Haarberg spends a lot of time in S&C, he can become a force in the QB run game that no player wants to tackle. I can see him getting up to 235lbs and still retain his speed.

Haarberg is rated an 88 by 247. I think this is an appropriate rating. He has a very high upside and athletic ability, he just needs to develop and harness it.

**Shawn Hardy – Kingsland, GA**

*6’3” – 190lbs*

*Distance to Lincoln:* 1086.47 Miles

*Profile:* 85 [247](https://247sports.com/player/shawn-hardy-46083954/) – 5.6 [Rivals](https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/shawn-hardy-ii-216703) – [Hudl](https://www.hudl.com/profile/9720276/Shawn-Hardy)

*Current Position: WR*

*Recruitment Position: WR*

Shawn Hardy plays for Camden County High School in Kingsland, Georgia. His team finished 8-3 last year and sits at 4-2 this year.

Hardy is a taller receiver that excels in his ball tracking ability and ability to go up and win 50/50 balls. He has solid speed to take the tops off defenses on go routes with his long stride. He plays a physical game when jumping up for balls and routinely rips the ball from defenders’ hands. He has surprising elusiveness for his size, and it has really come out this season with being able to accelerate around blocks and make strong cuts.
While his route running is solid, there is always room to improve. His top end speed, elusiveness and acceleration only need a slight improvement to take him from a good receiver to an elite receiver. He has already improved his acceleration markedly.

Hardy is rated an 85 by 247. I think Hardy is underrated and would consider him our best receiver of the class when looking at this film. He plays against a high level of competition in Georgia 7A football- he finished with the 2nd most receiving yards in his conference and is on pace to surpass his previous years number. I would give Hardy a 2-point bump to an 87, maybe a 3 point bump to an 88.

**Randolph Kpai – Sioux Falls, SD**

*6’3” – 185lbs*

*Distance to Lincoln: 189.39 Miles*

*Profile:* 90 [247](https://247sports.com/player/randolph-kpai-46081425/) – 5.7 [Rivals](https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/randolph-kpai-237838) – [Hudl](https://www.hudl.com/profile/9258738/Randolph-Kpai)

*Current Position:* LB

*Recruitment Position:* ILB

Randolph Kpai plays for Washington High School in Sioux Falls, SD. Last year his team finished 4-7 and is currently 3-4 on the season.

Kpai is one of the most athletic Linebackers in this class and it is apparent on his film. Kpai can accelerate to gaps and lay the wood on whatever offensive player is unlucky enough to get hit by him. He doesn’t have any official testing numbers but just watching his film you can see his ability- he moves at a different speed than everyone else on the field. Kpai could be either a Field OLB or WILL ILB and be effective in either position. He is fast coming off the edge and closing in on ball carriers to make tackles. He strikes blocks hard and can chase RB’s and WR’s laterally. He’s everything you want athletically at LB.

Kpai remains slight at 6’3, but he should be able to add a lot of good weight to his frame and become a dangerous player. He will need time to learn assignments and continue getting experience at one of the toughest positions to learn in football to become a great ILB.

This season Kpai leads his team in Solo (25) and Assisted (35) tackles. He is second on the team in TFL’s with 6.0. He sits at 1.5 sacks this season. Kpai has forced a total of 7 turnovers (4 INT, 3 Fumbles) in the 7 games he has played and has recovered 1 fumble. He has a total of 60 yards after interceptions. He already has two touchdowns scored on turnovers. He has performed very well throughout this season.

Kpai is rated a 90 by 247. I think this is an… adequate rating. Kpai could manage to see a slight bump. A total of 7 forced turnovers and 2 defensive touchdowns to his name, as a linebacker, is nothing short of impressive. I could see Kpai deserving up to a 2-point bump. I think he is one of most overlooked guys of the class by fans.

**Henry Lutovsky – Mount Pleasant, IA**

*6’6 – 330lbs*

*Distance to Lincoln:* 269.38 Miles

*Profile:* 87 [247](https://www.hudl.com/profile/9258738/Randolph-Kpai) – 5.7 [Rivals](https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/henry-lutovsky-242588) – [Hudl](https://www.hudl.com/profile/9798335/Henry-Lutovsky)

*Current Position:* OL

*Recruitment Position:* OL

Henry Lutovsky plays for Mount Pleasant High School in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Last season his team finished 6-3. They currently sit a 3-3 on the season.

Henry Lutovsky plays on the Offensive Line and has seen himself move around from OG to OT- usually to match up against a defensive line’s best player. In his first game he played against TJ Bollers, a 4* DE committed to Wisconsin. He started slow and had a tendency to over pursue at OT, but as the game went on he got more comfortable and prevented Bollers from making an impact on the game- him finishing with only 3.0 tackles for the night and no TFLs/Sacks (albeit the Panthers schemed away from Bollers).

Lutovsky is strongest at the offensive guard position and maintains good hip position and feet movement while driving through blocks and maintaining pass protection. At this level, his strength is overwhelming and rarely sees himself challenged- regularly pancaking his competition. He stands at 6’6, 330lbs and carries his weight extremely well. There are videos of him moving and jumping that are impressive to see at his size. Lutovsky will continue to need to develop and hone his game, but at his size and with his ability he would easily be a starting OG at the G5 level as a true freshman.

Lutovsky is rated an 87 by 247. I find his rating quite low for his ability. I think the biggest thing holding Lutovsky back from seeing a ratings bump is a lack of activity in camps and not seeing better competition. I really would have liked to see him get an invite to the All-American Bowl and see how he stacks up against elite competition. It’s hard to justify more than a 2 or 3-point bump for Lutovsky because he simply has not played against good enough competition, but I think he deserves to be in the low 4* range at a 89-91. I think I’m able to justify that rise alone in his performance against Bollers, at a position that he normally doesn’t play.

Lutovsky is one of my favorite recruits of this class, he has been a peer recruiter for this cycle and carries one of the most impressive OL frames this cycle. I think Lutovsky will be an elite offensive lineman for this team and an eventual NFL draft pick.

**Seth Malcom – Tabor, IA**

*6’3” – 195lbs*

*Distance to Lincoln:* 54.51 Miles

*Profile:* 83 [247](https://247sports.com/player/seth-malcom-46081703/) – 5.6 [Rivals](https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/seth-malcom-235602) – [Hudl](https://www.hudl.com/profile/9778727/Seth-Malcom)

*Current Position:* LB/RB

*Recruitment Position:* LB

Seth Malcom plays 8-man football for Freemont-Mills High School in Tabor, Iowa. Last year his team finished 8-2. His team currently sits a 2-1 for the season.

Seth plays both Linebacker and Runningback in 8-man football making him particularly difficult to evaluate. The game between 11-man football and 8-man changes quite a bit, but I can comment on what I’ve seen from him on his junior film in terms of athletic ability.

His best feature is how hard he plays and how tough he is. He plays with a chip on his shoulder like he’s got something to prove. He’s a patient linebacker that will wait for a play to develop before filling his gap- this can be a bit of a double edged sword- but may be a result of 8 man football since the game has a lot more space and one missed tackle can be a touchdown. He’s pretty nimble on his feet and you can see that in his RB highlights.

He needs to improve his lateral speed, general explosiveness, and striking/coming off blocks. He will need to dedicate himself as a student of the game and work closely with Barret Ruud and Luke Reimer (a former 8-man playing in Kansas) to learn 11-man football. He’ll need to spend equal time in the weight room, developing his body. If the staff can develop Malcom into a starter at Nebraska, it will be a major accomplishment.

Malcom is rated an 83 by 247. It is difficult to just a higher rating for Malcom and I found it strange that the staff took his commitment. Malcom has a lot to prove and the odds stacked against him.

**Latrelle Neville – Missouri City, TX**

*6’3” – 195lbs*

*Distance to Lincoln:* 775.97 Miles

*Profile:* 85 [247](https://247sports.com/player/latrell-neville-46054704/) – 5.8 [Rivals](https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/latrell-neville-224440) – [Hudl](https://www.hudl.com/profile/10961009/Latrell-Neville)

*Current Position:* WR

*Recruitment Position:* WR

Latrelle Neville plays for Hightower High School in Missouri City, Texas. Last year his team finished 6-5 and they currently sit at 0-1 this season.

Latrelle is a large Wide Receiver that can operate as a punishing blocker and tremendous leaper. Latrelle can go up for balls and snatch them out of the air. He received high flying evaluations his sophomore year of High School, before dropping off to his current rating.

Neville is difficult to evaluate because the QB play at his High School has been atrocious. His QB barely threw a .500 completion rate and threw half as many picks as TDs. Many times, his QB had to settle for shovel passes. It’s been difficult to evaluate Latrelle for me because there simply isn’t much of him. Between his Sophomore and Junior year there was a drop off in his play due to the QB situation and due to the weight he gained. He played heavier his junior season than he is now in his senior season. In the short film that I’ve seen of his senior season he is faster and more agile than he was last year, his routes look crisper, but it is really hard to say.

Neville is rated an 85 by 247. I think this is an appropriate rating. I don’t think we will know what Neville can do until he gets here or manages to put up more film- but with his QB returning from last year, I don’t think we’ll get to see much.

**Patrick Payton – Miami, FL**

*6’5” – 205lbs*

*Distance to Lincoln:* 1405.29 Miles

*Profile:* 89 [247](https://247sports.com/player/patrick-payton-46084313/) – 5.7 [Rivals](https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/patrick-payton-250998) – [Hudl](https://www.hudl.com/profile/11424271/Patrick-Payton/videos)

*Current Position:* OLB

*Recruitment Position:* OLB

Patrick Payton plays for Miami Northwestern High School in Miami, Florida. His team has yet to play this season. Last season he played for Miami High School and finished 8-4.

Payton is a lengthy, lean, athletic Outside Linebacker that uses his speed and agility to come off the edge, rush the passer and get into the backfield. Payton understands his reach and can make arm tackles and trip up ball carriers when pursuing at disadvantageous angles. He’s skilled at using his hips and hands to get around blocks. He’s shifty and slippery enough to get linemen to pursue blocks on him and slip around them. He had a productive season last year, accruing 17.5 sacks.

Payton is rated an 89 by 247. I think this is an appropriate rating. His biggest detractor is simply his weight and strength. At 205lbs, he isn’t big enough to compete at the P5 level. If he can gain the weight and strength, he instantly becomes a lot more dangerous.

**Teddy Prochazka – Omaha, NE**

*6’8” – 300lbs*

*Distance to Lincoln:* 50.74 Miles

*Profile:* 88 [247](https://247sports.com/player/teddy-prochazka-46059340/) – 5.9 [Rivals](https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/teddy-prochazka-232378) – [Hudl](https://www.hudl.com/profile/9545200/Teddy-Prochazka)

*Current Position:* OT

*Recruitment Position:* OT

Teddy Prochazka plays for Elkhorn South High School in Omaha, Nebraska. His team sits a 6-1 this season after finishing 7-4 last season.

Prochazka plays Offensive Tackle. He carries a hulking frame while maintaining a high level of athleticism and mobility. He suffers from the same problem that plagues Lutovsky in that the competition level he is up against is just not good enough to test his skills. I find that Prochazka’s form is not as polished as other offensive tackles, getting out of position and standing upright at times- technique is something that he will need to attack when arriving on campus.

Prochazka is rated an 88 by 247. I think his athleticism and size could justify him seeing a slight bump a point or two- but his technique really holds him back. The coaching he’ll receive from Austin should help him make that leap to the next level.

**AJ Rollins – Omaha, NE**

*6’6” – 220lbs*

*Distance to Lincoln:* 50.74 Miles

*Profile:* 86 [247](https://247sports.com/player/aj-rollins-46085334/) – 5.6 [Rivals](https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/a-j-rollins-239246) – [Hudl](https://www.hudl.com/profile/9773027/AJ-Rollins)

*Current Position:* TE/DE

*Recruitment Position:* TE

AJ Rollins plays for Creighton Preparatory School in Omaha, Nebraska. Last year his team finished 6-4, this year his team currently sits a 6-2.

Rollins carries a sizeable frame with the ability to put on ~25-35 more pounds on comfortably. From his film it appears that he’s quick out of his 3-point stance and that is where he is able to create the most separation and get open. It doesn’t appear that he has top end speed or agility- an area he will have to work on to compete with the other tight ends joining him in this class. When the ball is thrown his way he’s able to jump and extend upwards, high pointing his catches. His physicality as a blocker is a strength and he can stand up against edge rushers and engage LBs downfield.

His breaks on his route running are decent and he’s able to create separation, but like Carnie, needs to improve his route running.

Rollins is rated an 86 by 247. I think this rating is appropriate. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen a lot out of him this season and I don’t think it’s possible he rises. His QB’s play has been poor and has had trouble getting him the ball. It’ll need to be a year where Rollins focuses on his blocking and making the most out of the catches he gets.

**Lardarius Webb Jr. – Jackson, MS**

*5’10” – 170lbs*

*Distance to Lincoln:* 690 Miles

*Profile:* 84 [247](https://247sports.com/player/lardarius-webb-jr-46102712/) – 5.5 [Rivals](https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/lardarius-webb-jr-269277) – [Hudl](https://www.hudl.com/profile/12952270/Lardarius-Webb-Jr)

*Current Position:* CB

*Recruitment Position:* DB

Lardarius Webb Jr. plays for the Jackson Academy in Jackson, Mississippi. He is the son of former Baltimore Raven Lardarius Webb. His team sits 5-3 this season. Last season his team finished 7-5.

Webb is a tough prospect for me to judge adequately, I feel that DB film is tough to evaluate well. From what I’ve seen Webb is a tad undersized and will need play a role similar to what Dicaprio Bootle does where he accelerates and sticks to receivers, getting his hands in where balls are thrown. Webb has a decent number of TFL’s (4) as a CB for the season and seems to be capable of reading when screens are coming and breaking to the receiver. He plays hard and throws as big of hits as he can, but he will need to put work in the S&C room to get where he needs to be- he also needs to improve his tackling form and wrap up appropriately. From his training film, what I find most impressive about him is his hips. Webb has very fluid hips and can whip them around to follow receivers’ changes of direction- however, he will need to increase his speed and acceleration breaking to the ball once his hips are aligned.

Webb is rated an 84 by 247. I think this rating is appropriate and I’m a little surprised it’s not lower. There isn’t much film on him and I wish that DB’s put more film of them covering receivers rather than them going for the big hit or big play, because there isn’t much to learn from those.

**Malik Williams – Buford, GA**

*6’0” – 187lbs*

*Distance to Lincoln:* 834.65 Miles

*Profile:* 81 [247](https://247sports.com/player/malik-williams-46080425/) – 5.6 [Rivals](https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/malik-williams-222487) – [Hudl](https://www.hudl.com/profile/10326534/Malik-Williams)

*Current Position:* DB

*Recruitment Position:* DB

Malik Williams plays for Buford High School in Buford, Georgia. Buford High School won the 5A state title last year in a comeback victory and moved to the 6A division currently sitting at 3-1 this season. While the school is not filled with P5 athletes, the school executes its offense and defense at a high level to control and win games.

Williams is a rangy, strong corner that jams receivers at the line of scrimmage. He is solid at accelerating and breaking to receivers with the ball, but alike Webb, doesn’t have a lot of film of him operating in coverage. From what I’ve seen he seems to play off receivers slightly too much and allows them just enough room to be hit with a pass. I’m unsure if that is a factor of him not being able to keep up with receivers and being beaten on go routes or if it’s him not understanding how far off the receiver he needs to play. For a CB, however, he is strong and long enough to come off blocks and make tackles- this is an area I think he is particularly strong in. I think he will be capable of playing safety or cornerback at Nebraska.

Williams is rated an 81 by 247. I think this rating seems a tad low, however, alike Webb there isn’t much to justify him seeing a rise. I do think Williams is a better DB than Webb though. If Williams puts up film of him in coverage locking down receivers, making tackles, breaking up passes and making interceptions, I expect to see him rating rise (you can say this with just about any DB- but if your coverage is so good QB’s won’t throw the ball to your area, you need to show that). He plays for a great team in one of the larger classes in Georgia. You don’t start on a championship team in Georgia without being a good player.

**Branson Yager – Grantsville, UT**

*6’7” – 332lbs*

*Distance to Lincoln:* 824.28 Miles

*Profile:* 83 [247](https://247sports.com/player/branson-yager-46099433/) – 5.7 [Rivals](https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/branson-yager-263053) – [Hudl](https://www.hudl.com/profile/9444759/Branson-Yager)

*Current Position:* OT

*Recruitment Position:* OT

Branson Yager plays for Grantsville High School in Grantsville, Utah. His team currently sits at 5-5. Last season his team finished 10-3.

Yager plays offensive tackle; he can be punishing with his blocks and pancake guys that line up across from him. He was matched up against an All-American Defensive end last year and played okay. His frame, although massive, needs work. He will need to spend a lot of time in the S&C program, breaking himself down and building himself back up – he needs to improve his agility, speed off the line and flexibility. He has trouble at times getting across laterally to make blocks on rushing defenders. He has the poor tendency to lurch forward while trying to make blocks, causing him to miss them at times.

Yager is rated an 83 by 247. I think this an accurate rating. I think Yager could see a 2-point bump if his overall athleticism has improved, but looking at his senior film, he looks about the same as he did last year with slight improvements in blocking form. If Yager arrives on campus, drops weight to 300 and rebuilds himself from there, I think we could be looking at an interesting prospect at offensive tackle. Yager understand he needs time to develop, however, he needs to hit the ground running.

**In Review**

Nebraska’s 2021 recruiting class is not as star studded as our previous classes, but it contains a lot of athletes that have low floors but high ceilings. It is a much more local class than previous classes with 9 recruits coming from the 500-mile radius and an average distance to Lincoln of 583.2447 miles. I think this can be attributed to both COVID and the talent that seems to be on the rise in Nebraska.

I would describe this class as developmental. If the coaching staff can develop these players, it will be a very solid class. There are still some additions that the staff needs to make at DL to make this a complete class.

**Notes/Fun Facts**

Our highest rated recruit of this class is Thomas Fidone, rated as the #1 Tight End in the country at a 95. Our lowest rated is Cornerback, Malik Williams at an 81. I would consider the most underrated recruit of this class to be Gabe Ervin, rated an 84 or Henry Lutovsky, rated at an 87.

The farthest from Lincoln is Patrick Payton at 1405.29 miles, while the closest recruit is James Carnie at 19.8 miles.

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