Nebraska sees JUCO quarterback, in-state prospect drops NU from list

Bryce Conover, who threw for 634 yards and five touchdowns at Dodge City (Kansas) Community College last season, attended NU’s camp, talked to Nebraska general manager Sean Padden and looks forward to hearing more from the program, whether it’s this summer or later in the fall.

Dodge City just hired a new coach, who wants Conover to come back, and NU may not be able to extend either a scholarship or an NIL deal to the 6-foot-2, 203-pound Conover.

“It’d be great to go to the next level now but I wouldn’t be opposed to playing my last season at Dodge and then going somewhere in the spring,” Conover said. “I think it’d be good, to go play spring ball somewhere vs. joining a team right before the season.”

Like many JUCOs, Dodge City tends to use multiple quarterbacks, and Conover, entering his third year of college, split time last season with Murray State transfer Treyvon Jefferson. Before Dodge City, Conover played at Division II power Western Colorado, a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference alongside Chadron State.

“In high school, the coaches were more ‘be an athlete’ instead of cleaning up your mechanics,” said Conover, who prepped at Frederick High School north of Denver. “In college, I’ve tried to perfect my mechanics and clean everything up. I think I’m a good decision-maker. I don’t turn over the ball — that’s what I’ve really tried focusing on.”

Conover was one of several quarterbacks working out at NU’s post-grad camp. Another, Jalyn Gramstad, is an NAIA All-American who worked out Monday for the Huskers.

* Platteview tight end Reiman Zebert is down to two schools — neither are Nebraska. 

Zebert, a 6-foot-6, 205-pound three-star, said Tuesday he’d narrowed his list to Duke and Stanford and no longer planned to visit NU on June 21. 

“Through the matter of a month or two, my relationship has really built with the tight end coaches at Duke and Stanford,” Zebert said. “They’ve been really good.”

Zebert said he didn’t have that same level of “connection” with Nebraska and offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Marcus Satterfield.

“I haven’t been on the phone or texted Satterfield like these other coaches,” Zebert said. “I just didn’t really fell prioritized by them.”

The Huskers have one tight end commit already in American Fork (Utah) Lone Park standout Bear Tenney, and they have appeared to prioritize Millard South’s Chase Loftin. 

* Nebraska made one walk-on offer out of Tuesday’s fullback camp with Coffeyville (Kansas) Community College receiver Hayes Miller. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder had three catches for 30 yards last season according to Coffeyville’s stats. 

* One of Nebraska’s top defensive line targets, Palatine (Illinois) standout Jaylen Williams, committed to Michigan on Monday. The 6-foot-6, 238-pound Williams, a four-star according to On3 and Rivals, visited Ann Arbor June 7-8 and was slated to visit Lincoln on June 21.

* Just five days after he committed to Auburn, Brentwood (Tennessee) Ravenwood cornerback Donovan Starr received a scholarship offer on Tuesday from Nebraska. The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder is a four-star prospect, according to On3 and 247 Sports. The Huskers have one defensive back commit, Millard North’s Caden VerMaas, in the class at this point.

* Several in-state prospects — who double as Husker targets — took their first round of official visits last weekend. Zebert visited Duke, while Omaha Westside linebacker Christian Jones visited Auburn — a late switch from a planned visit to USC. The Tigers already have one current player from Nebraska, Bellevue West graduate Micah Riley-Ducker, on the roster.

Jones told Auburn’s On3 site that he visited the school because of a relationship with Tigers’ defensive coordinator DJ Durkin.

“He’s from Youngstown, Ohio and my head coach is from Youngstown, Ohio,” Jones said. Westside’s coach is Paul Limongi. “So, they have that fire in them and I know what they’re about. His scheme fits my style better I would say.”

Jones is slated to visit Nebraska this weekend and Oklahoma on June 21.

Millard South tight end Chase Loftin visited Florida State, which he told On3 “set the bar” for future visits. The Seminoles are completing a $138 million football building and a $250 million renovation to Doak Campbell Stadium at the same time.

“The new facilities that are being built and the winning tradition of Florida State also really stand out to me,” Loftin told On3.