The scene is just nearing its one-year anniversary but feels like it might as well have been a decade ago.
On Sept. 28, 2019, Nebraska had just announced a brand new football training facility, had ESPN’s "College GameDay" broadcast on campus, and, as you probably remember, lost in blowout fashion to the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes.
Down on the field before the game, though, the wheels of the program’s future were in motion. Towering over a large group of recruiting visitors, Elkhorn South 2021 tackle Teddy Prochazka wore a big smile as he spotted in-state recruiting coordinator and inside linebackers coach Barrett Ruud jog over to congratulate him.
Prochazka verbally committed to the Huskers right there on the field before the game. Somewhere around the same time, Nebraska personnel extended a scholarship offer to a regionally recognized but hardly heralded tight end from Iowa named Thomas Fidone.
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Eleven months later, they are the two highest-rated members of Nebraska’s 2021 recruiting class.
Prochazka has been on board the whole time; Fidone, now the top-ranked tight end in the nation according to 247Sports and a consensus four-star prospect, finally pulled the trigger on Wednesday night. That seems like it might just be a plan that worked, right?
Sure, except for the 11 months since then have looked nothing like what anybody really could have imagined. The Huskers stumbled in Big Ten play and finished Scott Frost’s second season 5-7. Then, just as spring ball got going and hope sprang again in Lincoln, the proceedings were halted by growing concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.
One postponed junior day in March turned into a six-month, NCAA-imposed recruiting dead period that is guaranteed to run through at least September and might just rule out official and unofficial visits through the end of the year.
Even back in September, it was clear the Huskers would have a chance to do some damage in the 2021 class regionally. After NU certainly has lost out on some players it really wanted from nearby — prospects like Bellevue West receiver Keagan Johnson (Iowa), Tiffin, Iowa outside linebacker T.J. Bollers (Wisconsin) and Omaha Westside defensive back Avante Dickerson (Minnesota), to name a few — the Huskers have done just that.
Out of 17 players currently in the class, four are from Nebraska, three are from Iowa and linebacker Randolph Kpai is just across the state line in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. That’s nearly half the class located within a four hour drive of Lincoln.
“I think it kind of draws eyes from opposing teams, like particularly Iowa,†Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, offensive lineman and Husker commit Henry Lutovsky told the Journal Star minutes after Fidone committed. “We’ve got three guys from here going over there. Football games are won on and off the field, and I think recruiting guys from their state is a big win. I think a lot of guys we’re bringing in from the Midwest can match their toughness. That’s what this coaching staff is looking for. Already being used to the climate is huge.
“I think mostly, though, other schools that we’ll be competing against see Nebraska coming up. They start to see us coming up by winning these big recruiting battles. For example, Iowa and Michigan now might not look at Nebraska the same way they did an hour ago.â€
That feeling is highlighted by a nice run of recent success, too. The Huskers have added Fidone, Creighton Prep tight end A.J. Rollins and Omaha Westside defensive back Koby Bretz all in the past week.
“That’s cool because there will be a lot of kids from this area playing against other kids from other states,†Rollins said. “We can show that we have talent here and that we can compete at the next level.â€
To be sure, Nebraska’s class has plenty of national flavor. The Huskers have three verbal commits from Georgia, two from Florida, two from Texas and one each from Utah and Mississippi. NU’s three wide receiver pledges — Shawn Hardy III, Latrell Neville and Kamonte Grimes — are from the talent-rich states of Georgia, Texas and Florida, respectively.
NU’s efforts the rest of the way could be relatively far-flung, too. Most of its defensive line prospects — the only position for which the Huskers do not yet have a 2021 recruit — are out West or in the southeast United States. According to recruiting service reports, linebacker Mikai Gbayor (Irvington, New Jersey) and defensive back John Howse IV (Brentwood, Tennessee) each planned to visit Lincoln on their own dime to get a feel for town and campus as they move toward making their own decisions.Â
Bonding can also happen from across the country, even if visits are on hold indefinitely and the lack of gamedays in Lincoln this fall prevents the regular reunion-type atmosphere that is often created as a class comes together.
“There are guys from everywhere,†NU quarterback commit and Kearney Catholic senior Heinrich Haarberg said. “Like Latrell, he’s become a big part of the class. I play Xbox with Latrell a lot and I talk to Latrell a lot.
“So that kind of bond is pretty cool.â€
After Fidone committed Wednesday night, Neville tweeted, “This class is talented, but nothing can beat all the great personalities these guys have, happy to be apart (sic) of something special!â€
Right now, the class is on a local run. Rollins, the latest addition, said he watched Bretz and Fidone jump on board and was moved to follow suit. Fidone said he’s already had regional players reach out to him to learn a little bit more about Nebraska.
“It’s kind of a testament to just Iowa, or the Midwest,†Fidone said Friday night. “We’re hardworking, meat-and-corn-eating kids. We get our hands dirty. We’re not in California or Florida where they all kind of play games. You get in trouble if your knee pads are too high here. Just things like that.
“We don’t mind getting dirty and we’re not afraid to go hard.â€