Nebraska coaches are out on the road making scholarship offers to players in Texas, Louisiana and other places. The Huskers are preparing to hold junior day events each of the next two Fridays and they also continue working on their 2022 class.Â
On the 2022 class front, three-star running back Ajay Allen (Monroe, Louisiana) confirmed to the Journal Star on Wednesday afternoon that he is taking an official visit to Lincoln this weekend.Â
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound back said he is traveling to NU's campus on Thursday.Â
Allen is an interesting prospect not only because of his high school production but also because he was verbally committed to play for new Husker running backs coach Bryan Applewhite at TCU before head coach Gary Patterson was fired there in the midst of the fall.Â
Allen didn't sign in the December signing period and now is set to visit Applewhite's new school.Â
Allen put up huge numbers at Neville High as a senior, rushing for more than 2,000 yards and 34 touchdowns.Â
Nebraska first offered Allen a scholarship on Jan. 5, a little more than a week before coach Scott Frost finalized Applewhite's hire. Since deciding not to sign an national letter of intent in December, Allen has also picked up a scholarship offer from Washington. He took an official visit to Mississippi State shortly before the early signing period opened.Â
Allen is considered a four-star prospect by 247Sports and a three-star player by Rivals.Â
DT Silvera picks Arizona State: Nebraska had been working hard in recruiting Miami defensive tackle transfer Nesta Jade Silvera, but he committed to Arizona State on Wednesday.Â
Silvera (6-2 and 305) was a two-year starter for the Hurricanes and was thought to be considering the Huskers before deciding on the Sun Devils. NU was hoping to get him enrolled midyear so he could take part in spring ball and help make up for the losses of Damion Daniels, Deontre Thomas and Ben Stille.Â
Instead, the search for defensive line help will continue for the Huskers.Â
Offers going out: Nebraska coaches can be out on the road visiting schools this week, and scholarship offers for the 2023 and 2024 classes are steadily going out.Â
Applewhite spent Tuesday and Wednesday offering players in Texas. Wide receivers coach Mickey Joseph extended offers in Louisiana, special teams coordinator Bill Busch in Kansas City, Sean Beckton in Georgia and Barrett Ruud in Colorado.Â
One more portal defender to watch (for now): Remember, spring will bring about a whole new round of transfer portal activity, both incoming and outgoing for Nebraska and schools around the country. But perhaps the Huskers are not quite done trying to add for the current semester even as classes get going this week.Â
Northern Iowa defensive back Omar Brown, a former Minneapolis North graduate, entered the portal on Tuesday. The timing is interesting because schools around the country, at least those on semester systems, are beginning classes and the window is closing for quick decisions. Brown could have entered now to get a feel for what the market looks like over the next several weeks. He could have done it simply because UNI defensive coordinator Jeremiah Johnson left recently for a job at Kent State. Or, he could have done it with the idea that he's going to try to make a quick move to a bigger school.Â
NU knows UNI well, of course, because of the connections between the coaching staffs, and the Huskers took transfer linebacker Chris Kolarevic from there a year ago. This one might be worth at least keeping an eye on over the next few days to see how it develops.Â
Brown (6-1, 200) was named the FCS freshman of the year and a first-team All-American by Phil Steele and Hero Sports after logging 77 tackles and six interceptions in 2019. He played in seven games during the abbreviated spring season and seven more this fall before an injury cut his season short.Â
Keeping up with the transfer portal. Here's who the Huskers have coming to Lincoln