Nebraska High School Players - Class of 2020

OWH

Also would be an early enrollee - which I suppose would be good football-wise but would maybe mean him paying his own way an extra semester.


What is he missing not to get a scholarship now, or is it a case he is a Nebraska kid and we can find another creative way to get him on the team?  

 
What is he missing not to get a scholarship now, or is it a case he is a Nebraska kid and we can find another creative way to get him on the team?  


This is my guess.  He's a guy we'd like to have but he's not quite at the top of our board.  If we miss out somewhere else, we'll get him a scholarship late in this cycle.  And throwing him a bone with the promise of a scholarship if he'll walk on for a year.

 
This is my guess.  He's a guy we'd like to have but he's not quite at the top of our board.  If we miss out somewhere else, we'll get him a scholarship late in this cycle.  And throwing him a bone with the promise of a scholarship if he'll walk on for a year.


Looks a lot like his brother and maybe even a little more polished coming out of high school.  Loved me some Luke, to bad he had to fight injuries at Nebraska, but his future sure looks bright now.

 
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Looks a lot like his brother and maybe even a little more polished coming out of high school.  Loved me some Luke, to bad he had to fight injuries at Nebraska, but his future sure looks bright now.
Luke was a lot more stretched out/long. If Issac was 6'3 instead of 6'0 he'd have an offer. 

 
Word is Gifford in not inclined to take a walk-on offer at this point.  Would like to get a scholarship or look to go elsewhere.

 
Word is Gifford in not inclined to take a walk-on offer at this point.  Would like to get a scholarship or look to go elsewhere.
I mean that makes sense. He's got some options willing to pay his way. He seems like he's a bit more coveted than some of the walk ons we usually get for other schools.

 
That's surprising to me unless he just likes his shot at playing time elsewhere or he just feels slighted that they are slow playing him in regards to a scholarship. I don't want to say the scholarship is meaningless but his family has the means to pay his way if he wants to be a Husker.  I'd be pretty surprised to see him play elsewhere but who knows maybe something changed.

 
Another thing, I find it strange that we have ONE commit from Neb. We used to have a lot of kid's on the roster from our state. Surly there are more than one of them in state, that can play for DONU. Are they just asking them to walk on, or has the talent level dropped that much in state?
Other than Watts, who else should’ve we recruited?  We have 4 other commits from surrounding states. 
 

And, last year was a pretty big pull from Nebraska. 

 
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Another thing, I find it strange that we have ONE commit from Neb. We used to have a lot of kid's on the roster from our state. Surly there are more than one of them in state, that can play for DONU. Are they just asking them to walk on, or has the talent level dropped that much in state?

GBR!!!


Other than Watts, who else should’ve we recruited?  We have 4 other commits from surrounding states. 
 

And, last year was a pretty big pull from Nebraska. 


This, plus look at next year. Prochaska, Dickerson, and Keagan Johnson all have offers, and there are a handful of other guys who could maybe get one. P5 offers coming in for 2022 guys too, Deshawn Woods and Devon Jackson will probably get offers. This is just a down year and bad luck with Watts loving Notre Dame. Gifford might still get a late offer too.

 
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@BigRedBuster @huskered17 I moved the above two posts out of the Eteva thread because I thought it might generate some discussion and I didn't want it clogging that thread.

I've been tracking in-state prospects for several years.  I was mainly looking at it from the perspective of how bad Class A has been at generating Power 5 talent for quite awhile now.  But it also shows how the entire state has been doing.

Generally 2-3 guys per year is about all that go Power 5.  Last year was a bit heavy.  I would say that two is probably the number this year even though there are technically three.  They tried to get Watts but he wanted Notre Dame.  Maybe we snag Gifford late but other than that I don't think anyone else was really deserving.

Here's what I researched a year or so ago, updated for the current class:

Crazy how down Class A in Nebraska has been for several years now when it comes to producing legit Power 5 prospects.

Here are the top five prospects from the state according to the 247 Composite and which class they played in high school.  Players the Husker got are highlighted red.  Players are crossed out if they didn't go to a Power 5 school (Marsh originally walked-on at NU then transferred).

2020 - Betts (A), Watts (A), Swanson (A), Ducker (A), Gifford (A)

2019 Henrich (A), Hickman (A), Nelson (B), Snodgrass (B), Piper (C)

2018 - Jurgens (B), Mapieu (B), Williams (A), Schlager (B), Stai (B)

2017 - Allen (B), Walker (A), Bradley (A), Strom (A), Kitrell (B)

2016 - Fant (A), Bubak (C), Stille (C), Manchigiah (A), Cromer (B)

2015 - Neal (A), Decker (A), Holtorf (B), Johnson (A), Strong (A)

2014 - Foster (A), Phillips (A), Stoltenberg (B), Gifford (A), Rose (A)

2013 - Banderas (A), LaCouture (A), Minter (A), Bazata (D), Sayles (A)

2012 - Bender (A), Ott (D), Cotton (A), Rahmings (C), Grigsby (A)

2011 - Reeves (B), Sterup (C), Davie (B), Fisher (A), Lampkin (A)

2010 - Rodriguez (B), Evans (B), Dietz (A), Cotton (A), Marsh (A)

2009 Lechner (A), Sellers (B), Zimmerer (B), Pensick (A), Davis (A)

So in the last 12 classes, only 14 class A players have signed with the Huskers and two of them (I believe) were walk-ons.  Six from Class A went to other Power 5 schools though LaCouture shouldn't really count.  Gifford is pending.

Over that same time frame, Class B has produced 11 Huskers (two walk-ons).  So Class A has only produced three more scholarship Huskers over the last 12 years than Class B has.

For perspective, using current enrollment numbers but adjusting for how many schools have been in Classes A and B during the time frame above (it was changed last year), Class A has approximately 238% of the number of boys enrolled in school as Class B has.
 
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For perspective, using current enrollment numbers but adjusting for how many schools have been in Classes A and B during the time frame above (it was changed last year), Class A has approximately 238% of the number of boys enrolled in school as Class B has.


I remember you going through this a few years ago.  What's also interesting is that if you look at 2019 (I know it changes slightly per year), there were 32 Class A schools and 23 Class B.  So, you would think there are even more kids playing Class A than B.

I personally don't consider a kid from Class A playing WAY better competition than Class B in Nebraska.  

 
I remember you going through this a few years ago.  What's also interesting is that if you look at 2019 (I know it changes slightly per year), there were 32 Class A schools and 23 Class B.  So, you would think there are even more kids playing Class A than B.

I personally don't consider a kid from Class A playing WAY better competition than Class B in Nebraska.  


Yes, the top levels of competition are fairly close in Class B vs. Class A, and there are exceptions with some schools, but generally due to the number of available kids in a school, the overall talent and depth is going to be better in the Class A schools, compared to the Class B schools.  The 5th to 15th best teams in Class A are going to have generally better talent and roster depth, compared to the 5th to 15th best teams in Class B.

 
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