Since the beginning of July, Nebraska has added wide receiver Latrell Neville (Missouri City, Texas) and a trio of defensive backs to its 2021 recruiting class.
Those four additions probably don’t close the door on further action at either position, but it does bring the Huskers’ 14-man class into a little bit better focus. What better time than the present, then, to look at how the numbers break down, how much space might be left in the class and what work remains?
Currently, here’s how the 2021 class breaks down by position: one quarterback, one running back, two wide receivers, three offensive linemen, two inside linebackers, two outside linebackers and three defensive backs.
As far as the space remaining in the class, there are still some moving pieces, but the numbers suggest Nebraska’s smaller 2021 class might not end up that small. The best guess here presently is that NU will end up with space for somewhere upward of 20 but to nearly a full 25-man class.Â
People are also reading…
That number may be in flux for a while still, depending on if the Huskers add a transfer still this offseason, put any walk-ons on a multi-year scholarship or suffer greater-than-expected attrition in the coming months.
This is just a general look anyway, but that’s the parameters we’ll use.
First things first, Nebraska has two positions it has not yet landed a verbal pledge for in 2021: tight end and defensive line.
At tight end, the conversation begins with coveted four-star prospect Thomas Fidone (Council Bluffs, Iowa).Â
Fidone, listed at 6-foot-5 and 235-pounds, has offers from some of college football’s biggest names and has been a top target of the Huskers for several months. He has said he’d like to get at least some visits in if possible before he makes a decision, but it’s unclear when or if those will be allowed by the NCAA.
The Huskers are likely to take two tight ends in the class and are squarely in the mix for three-star in-state prospect A.J. Rollins (Creighton Prep), three-star Gunnar Helm (Englewood, Colorado) and recently cracked the top five for four-star Dametrious Crownover (Grandview, Texas).
The need is clear, considering Jack Stoll is a senior and Travis Vokolek, Austin Allen and Kurt Rafdal are all juniors. Those are the only scholarship tight ends on NU’s roster as long as Chris Hickman is playing primarily wide receiver.
On the defensive line, the Huskers are in on a lot of uncommitted players from around the country including the likes of Ru’Quan Buckley (Grand Rapids, Michigan), Tobechi Okoli (Kansas City) and Derek Wilkins and Mandela Tobin from Southern California, among others.
Ben Stille is NU’s lone senior up front and the Huskers have 12 underclassman scholarship defensive linemen, but half are juniors in 2020. Let’s say Nebraska shoots for two in this class with some wiggle room.
That’s four spots off the bat and, with the way the Huskers have continued recruiting linebackers, it appears they’d like to take perhaps one more at inside and outside each. One of the key targets there, Spanish Fork, Alabama, native Christian Burkhalter, has picked up a slew of 247Sports Crystal Ball projections to Oregon recently after Nebraska had been previously perceived as the favorite. He is set to announce his commitment decision Thursday.Â
In this working hypothetical, two linebackers, two defensive linemen and two tight ends puts the Huskers at 20 with a couple of spots remaining. Given the attrition at defensive back from the 2020 class, another secondary player from either high school or a junior college wouldn't be out of the question. Perhaps, too, one (or maybe two) more offensive skill position players.
The Huskers recently made the top five for Florida wide receiver Kamonte Grimes (Naples, Florida) and are in the top groups for running backs Cam’Ron Valdez (Rockdale, Texas) and Jaylin White (Dothan, Alabama), among others.
Of course, there are still many uncertainties. It’s never a guarantee the current class will go several months without defection. It’s not clear whether Nebraska will take any more offensive linemen — remember, NU has added walk-on transfers Nouredin Nouili and Ezra Miller, scholarship players at Colorado State and Iowa, respectively, this offseason, too — or exactly what the total amount of space in the class will end up being.
Put all of that against the backdrop of an uncertain fall both at the college and the high school level and suffice it to say that there will likely be many twists and turns remaining for most college programs and many recruits between now and the end of the cycle.
Contact the writer at pgabriel@journalstar.com or 402-473-7439. On Twitter @HuskerExtraPG.
2021 Husker football recruits
Name | Position | Hometown (School) | Stars |
---|---|---|---|
Marques Buford | DB | Oakdale, Conn. (St. Thomas More) | *** |
Koby Bretz | DB | Omaha (Westside) | *** |
James Carnie | TE | Norris | *** |
Gabe Ervin | RB | Buford, Ga. | *** |
Thomas Fidone | TE | Council Bluffs, Iowa (Lewis Central) | **** |
Mikai Gbayor | LB | Irvington, New Jersey | *** |
Kamonte Grimes | WR | Naples, Fa. (Palmetto Ridge) | *** |
Heinrich Haarberg | QB | Kearney (Catholic) | *** |
Shawn Hardy II | WR | Kingsland, Ga. (Camden County) | *** |
Wynden Ho'ohuli | OLB | Mililani, Hawaii. | **** |
Randolph Kpai | ILB | Sioux Falls, S.D. (Washington) | **** |
Chris Kolarevic | LB | Traverse City, Mich. (Northern Iowa) | |
Henry Lutovsky | OL | Mt. Pleasant, Iowa | *** |
Seth Malcom | ILB | Tabor, Iowa (Fremont-Mills) | *** |
Latrell Neville | WR | Missouri City, Texas (Hightower) | **** |
Teddy Prochazka | OT | Elkhorn (South) | **** |
A.J. Rollins | TE | Creighton Prep | *** |
Markese Stepp | RB | Indianapolis (Cathedral) | |
Samori Toure | WR | Portland (Oregon Westview) | ** |
Jailen Weaver | DE | Antioch, Calif. | *** |
Malik Williams | DB | Buford, Ga. | *** |
Branson Yager | OT | Grantsville, Utah | *** |