We hit on the recruiting class numbers for Nebraska in 2022 and more as we set the tone for Monday with the HuskerOnline Weekly Rundown.
Sure bets
You have to feel pretty good about these things right now:
2022 recruiting numbers will be all over the map: We are at the halfway marker for this crazy month of June.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned about Nebraska’s recruiting approach for the Class of 2022, there’s been a strong push to get “priority” targets in the boat, and there’s been a very cautious approach on offering potential new blood.
The consistent message we heard from just about every prospect that’s high on NU’s radar is things are on hold until the Huskers get a better idea of their overall 2022 class size. Translation: They are waiting on their “priority” guys before they make some of these new offers.
Today, it feels like the early Husker class size could be as low as 14-15 until there’s better guidance from the NCAA on what the scholarship numbers will be for the 2022 season. Today, you have to operate like things will be back to 85, which is going to create a big logjam on rosters everywhere. Today, 52 of the 85 players the Huskers have on scholarship are freshmen or redshirt freshmen.
Vince Genatone: He’s a Power Five level athlete. Period. You get the sense the entire Husker staff wants to make an offer to him, but this will ultimately be a Scott Frost decision. Without knowing your final numbers for 2022, there’s some risk of giving up any of your limited spots.
I also don’t think one person around the state is going to question the offer if it happens. Please tell me how many kids out there broad jump 10-7, run 4.5, jump 38.5 inches in the vertical, run 10.87 in the 100 and go 52-3 as a wrestler? Sometimes as a head coach you just have to go with your gut instinct.
Baseball facility upgrades: I heard some chatter this week some officials from Nebraska took a very close look at some of Arkansas’s baseball facilities.
The message relayed to Will Bolt and his guys was “tell us what you like here,” as they are definitely due for some new upgrades. There’s no question baseball is on the fast-track after NU’s finish this season.
Surprises
These were my surprises of the week:
DB Markeith Williams: The Orlando (Fla.) defensive back will visit Miami and Ohio State next.
He left Lincoln with the Huskers very high on his list. I’m not sure anyone saw that coming, especially considering his visit to NU wasn’t known until the middle of last week. Travis Fisher does a great job of flying under the radar with some of his recruiting moves.
2024 QB Dylan Raiola: This past week we met former Nebraska and NFL wide receiver Chris Brooks’ son, Chris Brooks Jr.
This week’s “man we are getting old” Husker legacy that will be on campus is 2024 Husker quarterback target Dylan Raiola, who’s the son of former NU All-American center Dominic Raiola.
The younger Raiola has blown up, getting offers from Georgia and Washington State already. He could end up being one of the top 2024 quarterbacks in the country. Frost and his staff need to make a good impression on Raiola.
Kicker Brendan Franke: Of all the private workouts on Friday, one of the more intriguing ones came from Morningside kicker Brendan Franke.
The Gretna product has a monster leg, and a hat tip should go to former Husker All-American offensive lineman Aaron Graham, who passed his info on to the NU recruiting staff.
I fully expect Franke to get an offer to join the roster as a walk-on and have a shot to win the kickoff specialist job in 2021.
The jury is still out
Questions still surround these things:
A.J. Bianco’s visit: Will the visit happen this week with Honolulu (Hawaii) St. Louis quarterback A.J. Bianco?
A lot depends on what happens with Richard Torres. Another interesting angle is Torres played for the same high school in Hawaii that Dominic Raiola played for.
2022 Running back recruiting: How will Nebraska play their running back recruiting? They have hinted four-star Justin Williams has been their No. 1 guy, but he wants to wait before making a decision to possibly late November.
Nevada standout Ashton Hayes visited campus this week. He was blown away by NU. What if he jumps on the spot? Does that shut things down with Williams? This is a big storyline to watch in the 2022 Husker recruiting class.
The sellout streak: In this past week’s 3-2-1 column, we showed some of the different seat maps in Memorial Stadium.
There are currently several big pockets of seats that need to move between now and Sept. 4. How realistic is it post-COVID-19 to move all these tickets to preserve the sellout streak?
Spot No. 25: Ohio State five-star transfer Tyreke Johnson made his commitment to Nebraska official on Sunday.
This was big because it helps the NU staff move forward now. They felt like Johnson was locked up, but until he went public with it, you just never know.
What’s next? Spot No. 25. What are the priorities for spot No. 25? Your guess is as good as mine. I think the staff is sitting back and just seeing what turns over between now and August.
This has my attention
Moving forward, this has my attention:
QB Richard Torres: The San Antonio quarterback just wrapped up his trip to Kansas State. Now it’s decision time. Torres could make his decision in the next 24 to 48 hours. You have to like the Husker’s chances.
ATH Carson Hegerle: The top 2022 recruit in North Dakota will have his private workout at Nebraska this week. Will he earn a Husker offer or be put in the waiting room and join guys like Genatone?
Friday Night Lights: Friday will be a very busy day. More private workouts, official visitors and another Friday Night Lights camp. It will be a 16-hour type day at the stadium for Frost and his staff.
OL/DL Pipeline Camp: The Adidas Nebraska OL/DL Pipeline camp returns to Memorial Stadium. It’s been one of the better camps under Frost the last couple of years. What young names will emerge? Keep your eyes on 2023 Omaha Creighton Prep offensive lineman Sam Sledge.
Football facility construction: They are moving a lot of dirt around Memorial Stadium. The Ed Weir track has officially been torn up. It will be interesting where things are at in about a month. Above I posted a picture from Sunday afternoon.
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.
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