Nebraska to host Texas linebacker; junior day visitors commit to Big Ten rivals

The Red-White Spring Game always marks a major recruiting weekend for Nebraska.

This year is no exception — an impressive crop of 2024 prospects is expected to be in Lincoln next weekend. But before then, the Huskers are still finding time to fit in other recruiting targets.

Jasper (Texas) linebacker Tyanthony Smith will take an unofficial visit to Nebraska this week, continuing a busy spring for a player whose recruiting stock continues to rise.

Listed as a three-star recruit and the nation’s No. 27 linebacker prospect by 247Sports, Smith’s potential is far greater than that. Programs like LSU, Texas and TCU were among the first Power Five programs to extend scholarship offers last summer, while Nebraska’s new coaching staff quickly offered Smith in December.

Since then, even Alabama extended an offer to Smith after a coach observed a workout. Texas A&M and Texas have been the two most recent unofficial visits Smith has taken — and now the talented linebacker will check out Nebraska.

Smith, known as “Big Ty” by the coaching staff at Jasper High School, is a player whose athleticism immediately stands out on tape.

“What I love best about him is that he’s a leader, great communicator and he gets people lined up,” Jasper head coach Kendrick Crumedy said. “His closing speed is probably the most impressive thing, though — he gets to the football so fast. Sometimes it looks like people have an angle on him, but he just eats up space.”

Crumedy said he believes Smith could play both inside and outside linebacker or perhaps even nickel thanks to his athletic ability. Smith has also been dedicated to getting better, also, having added 20 pounds since his junior season in the fall.

Crumedy also said the 6-foot-1, 205-pound linebacker has increased his bench press by 50 pounds this offseason and is now squatting over 400 pounds. There will be many schools hoping to land Smith’s signature — but his mixture of talent and character is a combination that shows why he’s become a major priority for Nebraska.

“He’s just the most unselfish kid, and everything we’ve tried to get him to do, he’s bought into it,” Crumedy said. “He just wants to be a really, really good football player and change his family’s life through the sport of football.”

Cheshire (Connecticut) Academy edge rusher Jacob Smith, a four-star prospect who took part in Nebraska’s March junior day, is expected back on campus for a return visit. Lane Whitworth, a 2025 safety prospect from Deer Creek, Oklahoma, will also be taking an unofficial visit to Nebraska over the weekend.

* Several participants from the large junior day recruiting weekend that Nebraska hosted in late March have recently announced commitments — just not to Nebraska. Offensive linemen Andrew Sprague (Michigan) and Gage Ginther (Tennessee) are now off the board, in addition to defensive lineman Riley Sunram (Minnesota) and linebacker Thomas Heiberger (Wisconsin).

* A pair of 2024 prospects, Charlotte (North Carolina) West safety Jaden Smith and Bay City (Texas) defensive lineman Carlon Jones, received scholarship offers from Nebraska this week. Smith did not have a single Power Five offer until the spring when the likes of Virginia Tech, USC and Kentucky all extended offers before Nebraska. Meanwhile, Jones hails from the same school as 2023 wide receiver commit Brice Turner. Defensive line coach Terrance Knighton extended the offer to Jones on Tuesday.

* Nebraska also recently extended a pair of offers for the future to 2026 prospect Jesse Ford and 2027 recruit Cadarius McMiller. Ford attends Arlington (Texas) Martin, the program that tight ends coach Bob Wager came to Nebraska from. Meanwhile, McMiller is a track star from Tyler, Texas who is still finishing up eighth grade. Nebraska has now offered four 2027 recruits in recent months.

* Omaha Westside athlete Teddy Rezac earned his first Power Five offer from Boston College on Tuesday. Rezac, who also plays wide receiver for the Warriors, is viewed as a linebacker by the Boston College coaching staff. He holds five other FBS offers.

* Omaha North quarterback Sebastian Circo, a 2025 prospect who has gained national attention, took an unofficial visit to Nebraska on Monday. Nebraska is yet to offer the quarterback prospect despite Miami, Mississippi, Penn State and Syracuse all extending offers to Circo within the last year.