Nebraska’s second Friday Night Lights camp in as many weeks will undoubtedly draw a good number of fans because, hey, it’s Husker football and what better way to spend a June evening than in the Memorial Stadium bleachers?
And though NU's coaching staff will train its collective attention on the roughly 250 campers slated to take part in the camp, a big part of the weekend’s potential fanfare is tied to two players who won’t actually be running around on the Tom Osborne Field turf.
Those would be Matthew Anderson, a Class of 2019 tackle, and Jonathan Alexander, a junior-college safety.
Anderson, a 6-foot-7, 250-pounder from Leesville, Louisiana, won't be on campus, but is slated to make his college decision Friday. He has several offers, but he also said a couple of weeks ago when he visited Lincoln unofficially that he nearly left campus as a commit.
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"I loved every part of it," he told the Journal Star then. "Probably the one thing that stands out about Nebraska for an offensive lineman is, when you think of Nebraska back in the day and even now, you think of the hard hitting and just the power.â€
Alexander, meanwhile, could theoretically leave Kilgore (Texas) Junior College and play for a new school right away in 2018. The 6-3, 205-pounder could also play this fall at Kilgore and be a January enrollee. Alexander told the Journal Star this week that he doesn’t have a definite timeline for making his decision, but he’s intrigued by the Husker coaching staff.
“They basically had the chance to leave (UCF before the Peach Bowl), they didn’t have to coach the bowl game, but they stayed back and coached it,†Alexander said. “After that, I really wanted to play for those coaches.â€
Alexander, whom NU likes as a versatile outside linebacker a la Breon Dixon, was set to arrive on campus Thursday night, so he will be at Memorial Stadium but not taking part in the camp itself. He has interest from LSU and TCU, but scholarship offers only from smaller schools.Â
Here are some other Friday Night Lights storylines to keep an eye on.
Peer recruiting in full swing:Â At least two-thirds of NU's 2019 verbal commitments are expected to be on hand, including Garrett Nelson (Scottsbluff), defensive lineman Ethan Piper (Norfolk Catholic), athlete Garrett Snodgrass (York), quarterback Luke McCaffrey (Littleton, Colorado), offensive lineman Desmond Bland (Arizona Western) and linebacker Jackson Hannah (Memphis).
A big part of their collective role for the weekend is to get to know the other campers, build relationships and help recruit.Â
A fast guy from Oklahoma:Â NU will reportedly also host speedy three-star receiver Jamie Nance (Blanchard).
As a junior, Nance hauled in 35 catches for 673 yards (19.2 per) and six touchdowns, nearly identical numbers to his sophomore year (36-688-6).
Nance, 6-0 and 160 pounds, has the kind of documented track speed the Husker staff covets, turning in 100-meter times in the 10.5-second range this spring in track.
In-state flavor: The first event included prospects spanning the high school ranks — 2019 players such as linemen Cole Aniello (Millard West) and Noah Stafursky (York), 2020s such as Miko Maessner (Kearney) and Isaac Gifford (Lincoln Southeast) and 2021s like Avante Dickerson (Omaha Westside).
A couple of many expected Friday: Scottsbluff running back Chris Busby and York athlete Brady Danielson.
The home stretch: Friday night marks the end of the camp season for Nebraska coaches. A dead period kicks in Monday and extends through July 24, meaning we’ve reached the period on the calendar when college football coaches around the country disappear for a couple of weeks.
Including Friday, NU will have had about 1,000 campers in Lincoln in an eight-day span, as more than 300 attended FNL No. 1, the Huskers hosted about 170 for an offensive line/defensive line camp and about 350 for a 7-on-7 tournament Saturday.
A Friday update with three more visitors that will be in town: Three-star 2019 wide receiver Rashee Rice (North Richland Hills, Texas) and four-star 2020 tackle Turner Corcoran (Lawrence, Kan.) already hold Husker offers and will both be at Memorial Stadium on Friday.
See you tomorrow!!! â•ï¸ðŸŒ½
— ®ï¸asher®ï¸ice🌓 (@RiceRashee)
Rice (6-2 and 180) received an offer from NU two weeks ago. As a junior at Richland High in the Fort Worth area, Rice had 39 catches for 768 yards and nine touchdowns.
Corcoran was on campus on an unofficial visit earlier in the spring and at this stage is one of the most sought-after linemen in the Midwest for 2020. At 6-6 and 280, Corcoran is a consensus four-star prospect and ranked in the top 100 recruits nationally for his class by Rivals and 247Sports. He'll be one of the highest-profile recruits at FNL No. 2.
Also, defensive end Aidan Cullen (Monument, Colo.) is making the trip. Cullen, listed at 6-5 and 245, has some Mountain West offers including Colorado State, Air Force and New Mexico.
Nebraska Friday Night Lights tonight!! Excited!!!
— Aidan Cullen (@AidanCullen78)