Recruiting notes: Huskers in mix for Georgia DL; Knutson eyeing June visits; coaches set to hit road | Football

Signs of progress made with several recruits — particularly those who were seeing the campus for the first time — are already popping up, including four-star defensive lineman Joshua Horton. 

The Fairburn, Georgia, native was one of a big contingent from the Peach State to make the trip to Lincoln, and he came away impressed enough that he included the Huskers in his top 10. Horton made the announcement on Twitter and said a commitment decision would be following “soon.” 

Horton, who plays at Langston Hughes High, is listed at 6-foot-5 and 290 pounds and holds a litany of scholarship offers. His top 10 also includes Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi State, North Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia Tech, West Virginia and Michigan State. 

Knutson planning pair June official visits: Scottsbluff offensive lineman Brock Knutson had a big weekend at the spring game himself, landing a coveted scholarship offer from Nebraska. 

Knutson (6-7, 280) at this point, though, expects his recruitment to go a couple more months. He confirmed to the Journal Star on Thursday that he’s taking an official visit to Iowa State in mid-June and also plans an official to NU that month, though he doesn’t have the exact dates set yet. 

The three-star prospect told the Journal Star recently that, “Ever since I was a little kid, Nebraska’s always been my dream school because growing up a Husker fan is really big to me. My dad, he’s always harped it to me. He’s got a Herbie Husker tattoo on his ankle. 

“We’re diehard Husker fans.”

However, Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell and company have been recruiting him hard since first offering him back in November. 

Knutson has a growing list of college options, but his recruitment could come down to an NU vs. ISU battle. 

The Huskers have five players in their 2023 class so far: Fellow in-state offensive linemen Gunnar Gottula (Lincoln Southeast) and Sam Sledge (Creighton Prep); Pierce tight end Ben Brahmer, quarterback William Watson III (Springfield, Massachusetts); and defensive back Dwight Bootle (Miami). 

Evaluation period to begin: Nebraska coaches and staffs from around the country will hit the road Friday for the first spring evaluation period since 2019.

It’s one of the busiest stretches of the calendar for coaches because they can spend most of the next six weeks at schools around the country watching recruits work out and, in some instances, play spring football. 

Both the 2020 and 2021 spring eval periods were canceled due to COVID-19, but this year brings the return of the critical stretch. It’s a time of the year that typically sees new scholarship offers made, recruiting boards adjusted and oftentimes stage-setting for official visits in the summer and fall.