2022 HuskerOnline Big Board – Defense (6/29)

Each week HuskerOnline is going to bring you a look at a side of the football with our latest Big Board.

This week’s updated view breaks down everything we’ve learned over the month of June as we look at Nebraska’s defensive board.

1. Domonique Orange – Kansas City, MO

2. Kenneth Grant – Merrillville, IN

Thoughts on the DT board: No updates here. I would be interested to see if Orange takes a visit. I am bumping this down to 0-1 from 1. I don’t know if Nebraska is going to have a realistic shot at either on the board currently. We may be talking about a transfer or JUCO player later on down the road. A lot depends on if Damion Daniels returns for a sixth year in 2022.

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Early Look DT Big Board:

2023 Recruit: Francis Mauigoa – Bradenton, FL and David Borchers – Eldridge, IA (Spring Game visitor)

2024 Recruit: Omar White – Leesburg, GA

Thoughts – The Huskers are one of 19 offers that Mauigoa is holding right now. At the end of the rainbow, he should be a five-star defensive tackle. Borchers picked up an offer from Nebraska early this year and made his way over to Lincoln for the spring game. Nebraska is in a good position for him. Omar White is another big-time prospect. Go check out his film.

1. Jalen Marshall – Overland Park, KS (Spring Game visitor) (Official visit to Nebraska – June 4)

2. Hayden Schwartz – Jacksonville, FL (Official visit to Nebraska – June 11)

3. Chase Carter – Minneapolis, MN (Official visit to Nebraska – September 3)

Dropped off:

Nick Campbell – Minneola, FL

Chris McClellan – Owasso, OK (Spring Game visitor)

Nico Davillier – Maumelle, AR (Official visit to Nebraska – June 4)

Thoughts on the DE board: A few things happening here. Davillier commits to Arkansas which thins the board some. I would say that the Huskers are still looking good with Marshall. He told me that since the official visit to Nebraska that the Husker staff has been communicating with him even more than they were before he visited. I feel pretty good saying he’s the top guy on their board. Does he feel the same way? He has really liked some of his recent trips.

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Early Look DE Big Board:

2023 Recruit: Andrew DePaepae – Pleasant Valley, IA

2024 Recruit: No known offers

Thoughts – Nebraska has offered a number of defensive ends in the 2023 class but you are going to hear about DePaepae a lot over the next two years. The state of Iowa is loaded again in 2023.

**NEBRASKA COMMIT** Ernest Hausmann – Columbus, NE (Official visit to Nebraska – June 21)

Dropped off:

Devin Smith – Jacksonville, FL

Gavin Meyers – Hays, KS (Spring Game visitor)

Thoughts on the ILB board: I am calling ILB/MIKE done with a caveat. That caveat being that if Tyler Martin commits to Nebraska that he will play both ILB and OLB but is more of an OLB recruit right now from the beginning. I have a feeling that Nebraska is working the numbers to take Martin. I think that there has to be some reservation about taking three LBs right now with so many needs still in the class like no commits on the offensive line, defensive line and secondary. I think that they really want Martin in this class.

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Early Look ILB Big Board:

2023 Recruit: Semaj Bridgeman – Warminster, PA and Liona Lefau – Kahuku, HI

2024 Recruit: No known offers

Thoughts – Bridgeman and Lefau are both nearing 20 total offers. Bridgeman has made a number of visits already to schools in the area and appears to be someone that is more interested in staying closer to home to go to school. Keep an eye on Lefau though based on Nebraska continuing to have a presence in Hawaii and grabbing Wynden Ho’ohuli a year ago.

**NEBRASKA COMMIT** Jake Appleget – Lincoln, NE (Spring Game visitor) (Individual workout – June 1) (Official visit to Nebraska – June

1. Tyler Martin – Cambridge, MA (Unofficial visit in April) (Official visit to Nebraska – June 11)

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2. Ikenna Ezeogu – Blue Springs, MO

3. Chase Kennedy – Dallas, TX

Dropped off:

Robby Snelling – Reno, NV

Demetrious Allen – Leo, IN

Edwin Tara-Kolenge – Clearwater, FL

Thoughts on the OLB board: Appleget is in. Martin should have a spot. If the Huskers end up with Appleget and Martin here then Nebraska is done at linebacker. If Martin decides to go elsewhere I could see Nebraska thinking about Carter here at OLB (listed as a DE now) or a guy like Kennedy could get a chance at a late spot in the class if Nebraska is just looking for best available.

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Early Look OLB Big Board:

2023 Recruit: Maverick Noonan – Elkhorn, NE (Spring Game visitor), Teitum Tuioti – Lincoln, NE (Spring Game vistor) and Asa Newsom – Waverly, IA (Friday Night Lights)

2024 Recruit: No known offers

Thoughts – It’s very possible that all three of the 2023 OLBs list don’t end up playing OLB if they came to Nebraska. I could see a couple of them possibly spending some time playing defensive end and it’s possible that Newsom could play middle linebacker. There isn’t a definitive way to know right now but we will know a little more over the next year to see how they develop. It’s definitely nice to have this much talent in the state and in the radius for a change. Noonan and Newsom are legacy recruits and Tuioti’s father obviously coaches at NU. They are in a great position here for 2023.

1. James Monds III – Fort Pierce, FL (Official visit to Nebraska – June 18)

2. Avery Powell – Jersey City, NJ (Official visit to Nebraska – June 11)

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3. Ryland Gandy – Buford, GA

4. Amari Jackson – McDonough, GA

Dropped off:

Mumu Bin-Wahad – Loganville, GA

Thoughts on the CB board: I am almost feeling like both linebacker spots and the two secondary positions can be combined. Nebraska has told Martin they like him inside and outside and I think that Hausmann could play both too. All of the secondary guys that I have recently interviewed are saying Nebraska wants all of their DBs to be able to play all of the spots. For now, we will leave this broken out but I am thinking this looks more like a total of two across all of the guys listed at both spots on this list. I have Futurecasted Monds to Nebraska. I don’t know what has held up Powell from trying to commit because it sounded like he could at any point.

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Early Look CB Big Board:

2023 Recruit: Cole Martin – Chandler, AZ

2024 Recruit: Mario Buford – DeSoto, TX

Thoughts – Martin is a highly sought-after 2023 cornerback. None of the 2023 CBs that I researched have really shown any interest in Nebraska so far. However, Nebraska has played host to Buford whose big brother is currently on the team. DeSoto is one of the top high school football programs in the Dallas area and the state and it seemed clear when I spoke with Mario earlier this spring that he and his brother were close and the Huskers were toward the top of his list at the moment.

1. Markeith Williams – Orlando, FL (Official visit to Nebraska – June 11)

2. Nathan Vail – Kennesaw, GA (Official visit to Nebraska – June 18)

Dropped off:

Ja’Corey Thomas – Orlando, FL (Official visit to Nebraska – June 18)

Thoughts on the S board: One of the top remaining prospects for myself is Williams. He has so much versatility and athleticism that he can bring to the table. I like Vail but he’s a little too specialized. If Williams and a guy like Jaden Mangham are being told they could do any position in the secondary I really think that Vail is more limited to safety only and really being more of a Deontai Williams type of roll down to the box safety.

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Early Look S Big Board:

2023 Recruit: Watts McBride – Cedar Rapids, IA (Friday Night Lights)

2024 Recruit: No known offers

Thoughts – The Huskers were the first to offer McBride after his performance at FNL. Yet another 2023 offer out to a recruit from the state of Iowa. It’s going to be a battleground state for Nebraska this year without a doubt. You have to appreciate McBride who was the Iowa high school rugby player of the year.

1. Jaden Mangham – Birmingham, MI (Official visit to Nebraska – June 25)

2. Jahsiah Galvan – West Liberty, IA (Individual workout – June 18)

Dropped off:

Jaren Kanak – Hays, KS

Thoughts on the ATH board: Mangham is No. 1 here with a bullet. It seemed to me talking to Mangham that up to about a week or so ago he was really more of a WR recruit. However, Lubick and Fisher must have spoken about the DB board and what Mangham could do there too. Both are still recruiting him for Nebraska. I like Galvan here but I don’t think that there is going to be enough room for him in the 2022 class based on where things stand today.

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Early Look DT Big Board:

2023 Recruit: Cedric Baxter – Orlando, FL

2024 Recruit: Ryan Pellum – Long Beach, CA

Thoughts – I have spoken with Baxter and he definitely liked Nebraska. This was before he committed to Florida State however but he never seemed solid. He was always interested in getting every offer on his profile which seemed to indicate he was always a little more wrapped up in the process than going through it. He’s talented though. Pellum is likely a WR but he’s listed as an athlete and is class of 2024.

Some good updates and so far the board has appeared to be pretty accurate both offensively and defensively.

That being said we still encounter the same topics every day, every week of class size and Covid. As HuskerOnline’s Sean Callahan said last week we heard the lowest number yet for the class at 12. I think that it’s still reasonable to think that the class should get between 12 to 17, but we’ll have to keep an eye on things as the summer moves along.

I would have to think that some of the redshirt sophomores that aren’t in the two-deep may have some conversations in their future if Nebraska feels like they have already recruited over those guys.

It’s these class size limits that will keep Nebraska from offering Carson Hegerle and Vince Genatone. There may not have been two more athletic performances throughout all of the individual workouts but there is just not a lot of room in the class this year. I really think that Nebraska would like to be at no more than 10 commits going into August and then pump the brakes.

Ideally, that would include at least one offensive lineman, defensive lineman and one in the secondary. You could see Nebraska run it over that if they feel like they have some clarity on some guys leaving before fall or get some clarity on some guys that won’t be back after this fall.

I think that Nebraska wants to hold two spots in the class no matter what just in case things play out differently and some bigger names become available.