SIGNED WR Keelan Smith

[Decked]

Officially N 

[Mavric]

 

[Mavric]

Sounds like he is coming in as a Wide Receiver recruit.  But, depending on how much he grows, he could end up being a TE/H-Back.  

 

And there's still speculation that he could play defense.

[84HuskerLaw]

If he has half the FB skills of his daddy, he’s a super player.  Can probably play many spots on either side of the ball.  Be a ‘jack’ of all trades.  We could really use a clone of Neal!   

[RedDenver]

2 minutes ago, 84HuskerLaw said:

If he has half the FB skills of his daddy, he’s a super player.  Can probably play many spots on either side of the ball.  Be a ‘jack’ of all trades.  We could really use a clone of Neal!   

Who is his dad?

[skers83]

2 minutes ago, RedDenver said:

Who is his dad?

Neil Smith

[84HuskerLaw]

Neil - one DONUs best ever! 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Hopefully he turns into a good player.

 

But Nebraskas talent acquisition for this class is nowhere close to where it needs to be. 

[Wistrom Disciple]

18 minutes ago, Dr. Strangelove said:

Hopefully he turns into a good player.

 

But Nebraskas talent acquisition for this class is nowhere close to where it needs to be. 

Still early and they're chasing quite a few highly regarded players. Just hoping they can land a few, much better odds than when we had Riley & Co. chasing unrealistic options. 

 

Keelan looks like a great addition with versatility... I like the upside

[Husker in WI]

20 minutes ago, Dr. Strangelove said:

Hopefully he turns into a good player.

 

But Nebraskas talent acquisition for this class is nowhere close to where it needs to be. 

 

Agreed. Some big fish still out there - Frazier and Baker seem genuinely interested, Mario Buford is highly rated and his brother is here, we seem to be trending the right way for Carter Nelson - but we need to actually land some. I don't actually expect to get Frazier or Baker but they would drastically change the talent level and we've got better chances there than  with Raiola and Nwaneri at this point.

[Dr. Strangelove]

5 hours ago, Wistrom Disciple said:

Still early and they're chasing quite a few highly regarded players. Just hoping they can land a few, much better odds than when we had Riley & Co. chasing unrealistic options. 

 

Keelan looks like a great addition with versatility... I like the upside

This is pretty much what is said every year about every mid 3* recruit.

 

I genuinely hope that this kid is a good player, but Nebraska needs to finish their class with 40% (or higher) blue chip recruits. Those are 4* and 5* players. They need to finish with 8-10 of those players every year. This is just to have a roster that is still vastly inferior to the top of the conference, but it should give Nebraska a punchers chance.

 

With six total commits and one 4* player, Nebraska is behind pace. 

 

5 hours ago, Husker in WI said:

 

Agreed. Some big fish still out there - Frazier and Baker seem genuinely interested, Mario Buford is highly rated and his brother is here, we seem to be trending the right way for Carter Nelson - but we need to actually land some. I don't actually expect to get Frazier or Baker but they would drastically change the talent level and we've got better chances there than  with Raiola and Nwaneri at this point.

I agree with you there. Rhule and Co are getting to the point where they need to land the two California players, land at least two of the highest rated in state recruits, and find two or three more 4* players elsewhere. They absolutely have the ability to do it, but hopefully they do it soon. 

[Husker816]

Hopefully Rhule continues to develop guys like he did at Temple & Baylor because this class so far has been underwhelming and that Spring Game looked alot like the last 6 years. This board is about to find out Nebraska is a very hard place to win at.

[Wistrom Disciple]

13 hours ago, Dr. Strangelove said:

This is pretty much what is said every year about every mid 3* recruit.

 

I genuinely hope that this kid is a good player, but Nebraska needs to finish their class with 40% (or higher) blue chip recruits. Those are 4* and 5* players. They need to finish with 8-10 of those players every year. This is just to have a roster that is still vastly inferior to the top of the conference, but it should give Nebraska a punchers chance.

 

With six total commits and one 4* player, Nebraska is behind pace. 

 

I agree with you there. Rhule and Co are getting to the point where they need to land the two California players, land at least two of the highest rated in state recruits, and find two or three more 4* players elsewhere. They absolutely have the ability to do it, but hopefully they do it soon. 

While I understand your focus on the recruiting prowess of Ohio State & Michigan, at this point we need to focus on finding the players that will make us a winning program again. We can't worry about winning the conference if we can't even win our division. We've been excellent recruiters on paper for too long, at this point we have to trust that the coaches know what they are looking for in a player and can develop them. 

 

Keelan's ability to fit multiple positions is a great snag as the coaches mold the program. A lot of upside with him right now, I like the possibilities. 

[The_Fan_Man]

Smith’s junior film is really, really good. I think that he’s a lot more athletic than a bunch of guys ranked above him. He’s a devastating blocker where a lot of guys get a plus for just being willing, great hands, tough after the catch, and uses speed and agility while running solid routes to get open rather than just speed. Neil Smith was a stud athlete in HS that filled out his frame so much during his college and NFL career.

 

It’s easy to imagine him similar to Quincy Enunwa at WR or Jonnu Smith at TE. Of course, plenty of guys lose a lot of flexibility as the put on weight and strength.

[Dr. Strangelove]

4 hours ago, Wistrom Disciple said:

While I understand your focus on the recruiting prowess of Ohio State & Michigan, at this point we need to focus on finding the players that will make us a winning program again. We can't worry about winning the conference if we can't even win our division. We've been excellent recruiters on paper for too long, at this point we have to trust that the coaches know what they are looking for in a player and can develop them. 

 

Keelan's ability to fit multiple positions is a great snag as the coaches mold the program. A lot of upside with him right now, I like the possibilities. 

Nebraska has not recruited well, in my opinion, over the last several years. People focus too much on the final class ranking number - finishing with the #24 class for example - without realizing that's not much different than the class that finishes at #45 or #50. The difference is class size and one or two 4* players.

 

Nebraska is going to have to both develop players like Rhule has done AND acquire high end talent. Nebraska isn't just competing with Ohio State and Michigan, but with the elimination of divisions they have to contend with the recruiting prowess of USC and Penn State as well.