There are drama-filled, edge-of-your-seat National Signing Days, and then there is what Wednesday will likely look like for Nebraska.
Most of the action these days comes in December on the early signing date, and this year is no different.
There are a couple of high school players making decisions this week that NU will be interested in, but at this point neither looks likely to sign with Nebraska.
The Huskers will formally acknowledge the addition of four-star linebacker Wynden Ho’ohuli (Mililani, Hawaii) for the first time since he announced his commitment a month ago. NU also has added a pair of transfers in the past few weeks in wide receiver Samori Toure and running back Markese Stepp, but they’re already enrolled and have been acknowledged by the staff publicly.
Nebraska has used 23 scholarships for its 2021 class and has two more it can use. First, a quick look at why it appears likely NU will still have two remaining after Wednesday, then some insight as to how the Huskers may use those final spots in the coming months.
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One addition: Ho’ohuli, remember, verbally pledged during NBC’s All-American Bowl coverage even though the game itself was canceled. He committed from a beach in Hawaii with his family flanking him and explained his reasoning for picking the Huskers.
"Just believing what they say and believing everything they tell me (about what I can do) as a player and as a student over there in Lincoln," he said. "Just catching a feel, talking to them every day, building a good relationship with all the coaches. The whole coaching staff is really good. That really helped me and my family and made it an easier decision for us during this time.
"I'm proud to be a Cornhusker."
Mililani head coach Rod York said of his multi-year standout, who could play either outside or inside linebacker for NU: "Wynden is a beast. He's a player. A lot has to do with his instincts. A lot has to do with his ability to move. A lot has to do with his intelligence and football IQ."
Ho’ohuli is a consensus four-star prospect and is the No. 150 overall player (No. 10 outside linebacker) nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite.
Two announcements: The two high school players NU has been most often connected to over the past several weeks are Omaha Westside four-star defensive back Avante Dickerson and three-star Minneapolis outside linebacker Davon Townley.
Dickerson is announcing his commitment at 8 a.m. at Westside. He has played his cards very close to the vest, though the recruiting services peg Oregon as a strong favorite over the Cornhuskers.
Townley, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound pass-rusher from Minneapolis North, has several schools in the picture including Penn State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Washington and others. NU is considered a long shot.
If the Huskers come up empty, is that bad?
Nebraska certainly would like to land Dickerson, regarded by many as the top high school player in Nebraska this year.
On the other hand, flexibility going forward is good, too.
Nebraska’s already found two offensive skill position players in the portal in Toure and Stepp (along with graduate transfer inside linebacker Chris Kolarevic). Having two more spots to use, though, could end up being important.
Frost said recently that he wants to see how spring ball plays out before deciding whether the Huskers need to pursue a transfer quarterback. If they did, it wouldn’t necessarily be an attempt to unseat Adrian Martinez on the top line, but more because they are down to three scholarship players on the roster and only Martinez has played in a college game.
If NU comes up empty on Wednesday, there are two natural ways for those two spots to be allocated:
1. Two best players available.
2. Quarterback plus best player available.
There are several positions where NU could theoretically use more depth. Nobody says no to a potential difference-maker in the front seven. The Huskers could be intrigued by a high-level veteran on the offensive line. Another receiver wouldn’t be out of the question. But the Huskers, thanks largely to the five seniors coming back on defense, don’t have a position that absolutely has to be addressed. In fact, in terms of scholarship numbers compared to a normal roster, quarterback is probably the thinnest. Quarterbacks coach Mario Verduzco calls five the ideal number. NU has three, two of whom are freshmen. Walk-on Matt Masker is entering his fourth year in the program, which helps some, but it’s still a very green group behind Martinez.
The bottom line is that the Huskers could go a lot of different directions with their final two spots. They could find a graduate transfer that they think can help the team win in 2021. They might be able to add more young talent via the portal. They might find a player they really like this spring from the junior college ranks, where nobody played football in the fall but will be in action to some degree in the coming months. It could happen fast, or Nebraska might wait until after spring ball and into the summer.