Putting a wrap on a big weekend for Nebraska

We put a wrap on what was a very big weekend for Nebraska as we start your Monday off with the Weekly Rundown column.

You have to feel pretty good about these things right now:

Ochaun Mathis: Nebraska got their man. TCU’s Ochaun Mathis has been the Huskers’ No. 1 transfer portal target for months.

Some national pundits thought it was a pipe dream for the Huskers to think they even had a chance at Mathis.

Landing Mathis on Saturday was arguably one of the most significant recruiting victories NU has had in years. Mathis is a sure-fire, 6-foot-5, 260-pound edge rusher that can get to the quarterback. This was the biggest area of need on the roster, and Nebraska was able to pull this off.

Cameron Jurgens: I really think when it’s all said and done that Cameron Jurgens has the potential to be the best former Husker offensive linemen in the NFL since Dominic Raiola and Carl Nicks.

Jurgens is set up to have a very long career if he can stay healthy. It was also cool to see his former position coach, Greg Austin, at his house for their draft party.

Transfer portal recruiting: When you take a few steps back to look at things, Nebraska has added quarterbacks Chubba Purdy and Casey Thompson; running back Anthony Grant (JUCO); wide receivers Trey Palmer and Isaiah Garcia-Casenda; Mathis, and cornerback Tommi Hill.

When I look at this group, there are potentially at least six starters right now. Frost and his staff had a gun to their head this off-season after a lackluster 2022 recruiting class, and they were able to add several key pieces. They aren’t done yet, either.

RB coach Bryan Applewhite: Let’s give credit where credit is due. Running backs coach Bryan Applewhite has been an outstanding addition to this coaching staff.

He pushed to add Grant and signed Ajay Allen at running back. Then he was the point man in landing Mathis with his previous relationship from TCU. Mathis told me Sunday night that Applewhite was the first person he called to tell him he was committing to the Huskers two hours before his live announcement.

NIL at Nebraska: There were some skeptics in December and January about Nebraska’s NIL efforts, basing it only on the high school recruiting results at that time.

I think it’s safe to say today Nebraska has a very competitive NIL operation. Is it the best in the country? No, but within the Big Ten it has to be right towards the top, maybe only behind Ohio State.

These were my surprises of the week:

Nebraska beating Texas in a portal arms race: Texas and Nebraska are obviously not the programs they were in terms of winning the last few years, but they still both have very proud fan bases and support.

There was a time it would have been unthinkable for the Huskers to beat the Longhorns head-to-head for a player like Mathis, who grew up outside of Austin.

This is a different era, and the key supporters around Nebraska are all rowing in the same direction. Can Texas say that? NU landing Mathis will be one of the bigger eyebrow-raising portal additions in the country.

Damian Jackson in the portal: Former Navy SEAL Damian Jackson made the Nebraska football team through an open tryout in 2017. Before that, he never even played high school football. In 2020, he was placed on scholarship at NU.

His story is simply remarkable. It was a tough blow to see Jackson enter the transfer portal on Friday, and I’m told it was very emotional when he told his teammates he was moving on for his sixth season of college football. For the last five years, Jackson has been a fixture in the Nebraska weight room, along with his wingman, Chris Walker, who also entered the portal on Friday.

Hopefully, Jackson can land somewhere that will allow him to be in a starting role for his final season of college football.

Nebraska’s HS wide receiver recruiting: Let’s call it what it is: Nebraska’s high school wide receiver recruiting from 2018 to 2021 has been an issue.

NU has signed 14 different high school wide receivers over that period, and none have lasted in the program for more than two seasons. That is remarkable. Latrell Neville was the latest causality after just one season in Lincoln.

When you talk about issues with the Husker offense the last four seasons, the lack of consistency with high school wide receivers is a good place to start. Other than Wan’Dale Robinson and a few flashes from Zavier Betts, there has not been much to hang their hat on the last four years.

Luckily, the transfer and JUCO market has been good to the Huskers, as they appear to have one of their deeper groups of receivers under Frost heading into the 2022 season.

JoJo Domann: I am shocked former Husker linebacker JoJo Domann was not drafted. I just did not see this one coming.

I think the biggest question remains how Domann would be used, as he’s not an in-the-box linebacker. Hopefully, he will get a good look in Indianapolis.

Questions still surround these things:

Will there be any more roster shake-up today?: Prospects can technically still put their name in the portal today, since May 1 fell on a Sunday. Will we see any more Husker players enter?

Today, I’m not expecting any. I think the more likely thing you could see over the coming weeks/months is guys being placed on medical scholarship for different injury reasons.

How many spots are left?: What is the total number of transfer additions Nebraska will still add?

I still think you could see two more defensive linemen-type bodies. Overall, I think you could see up to four more players added to the roster.

Moving forward, this has my attention:

Alabama DL Stephon Wynn: This is a new transfer portal target I’m watching very closely. Alabama’s Stephon Wynn has played 163 total snaps the last four seasons, including 68 last season.

I know there has been contact made by NU and I would not be surprised if a visit happened later this month.

Texas Tech DL Devin Drew: When will Texas Tech defensive lineman Devin Drew make his announcement? I’m told it could be any day. I still like the Huskers in this one.

Florida DL Lamar Goods: Earlier this week I reported Florida defensive lineman prospect Lamar Goods was planning to visit Nebraska on May 12. Where does he stack up now vs. Wynn? My read today is the Huskers for sure would take Drew, and Wynn has the edge over Goods.

The NCAA’s future: NCAA President Mark Emmert stepped down this past week. We have legitimate agents now involved in college football and basketball recruiting. Welcome to the wild, wild west. With no leadership right now at the NCAA, it’s hard saying what happens next.

Things did not have to get this way, but Emmert’s stubborn leadership approach allowed a lot of this to happen. It’s remarkable to think his contract was extended last April for five years and how much has happened after that under his watch.

Sean Callahan can be reached at sean@huskeronline.com and he can be heard each day at 6:45 am and 5:05 pm on Big Red Radio 1110 KFAB in Omaha during the football season. He can also be seen on KETV Channel 7 in Omaha during the fall and each week he appears on NET’s Big Red Wrap-Tuesday’s at 7 pm.