It’s a long drive from Scottsbluff to Lincoln, but that hardly fazes Brock Knutson.
While Knutson was in Lincoln this weekend for the first game of his senior high school football season, he’s looking forward to going on a few more road trips before the season ends.
The Scottsbluff offensive lineman committed to Nebraska in June as one of four offensive linemen in NU’s 2023 recruiting class. Knutson is already close with Lincoln Southeast’s Gunnar Gottula and Creighton Prep’s Sam Sledge, and he’s looking forward to getting to know Riley Van Poppel as well.
Nebraska hosts recruits at every home game, and Knutson already has a few games circled on his calendar. The Oklahoma game, which comes right after a game at York on Friday night is a must, and attending the Illinois game would also make sense after Scottsbluff faces Waverly.
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With a pretty nice tailgating setup waiting for him in Lincoln, Knutson said he’ll be trying to make it to as many games as he possibly can.
“We tailgate every year and we have a Big Red party wagon is what we call it — it’s like a 28-foot gooseneck (trailer) all decked out in Huskers stuff,†Knutson said. “We cook fajitas, ribs, bull fries, fish and all kinds of stuff.â€
Knutson deserves some good food selections on Saturdays after he gobbles up opponents for fun on Fridays. Scottsbluff began its season with a 26-6 win over Lincoln Pius X on Friday, and Knutson showed the skills that earned him a spot at NU all game long.
At 6-foot-7 and 290 pounds, it was hard to miss Knutson wherever he lined up. He spent much of the game at right tackle but slid over to left tackle for a few select packages, and he also rotated in along the defensive line.
Playing both sides of the ball early in the season can be an easy recipe for cramps, but Knutson credited his offseason work for helping him stay on the field.
“I bring two gallons of water to school to have one during the day and one during practice, Knutson said. “Out west we don’t really have the humidity like they do down here in Lincoln. Me and a couple buddies run stairs when we work out every Friday morning so conditioning wasn’t a huge issue for me.â€
In terms of his impact along the offensive line, Knutson looked the part of a future college football standout against Pius X. Knutson was at his best in pass protection, where quick footwork and strong core strength allowed him to keep the pass rush at bay throughout the game. Knutson also performed well with a pair of pancakes in the run game that helped Scottsbluff total 280 rushing yards in the win.
“We had a long bus trip, we left at seven this morning and got here around 4:00,†Knutson said. “Coach was a little worried about the long trip because we have a lot of young guys on our team so we didn’t really know how we were going to perform. We came out here and performed well.â€
So long as Knutson keeps up the same level of play, a Class B state title isn’t out of the question for Scottsbluff.