2022 HuskerOnline Big Board – Offense (6/8)

Each week HuskerOnline is going to bring you a look on a side of the football with their latest Big Board. This week we bring you the offensive board as the Huskers get ready to start hosting official visitors, summer campers, unofficial visitors and recruits coming in for private, individual workouts.

1. Richard Torres – San Antonio, TX (Official visit to Nebraska – June 4)

2. A.J. Bianco – Honolulu, HI (Official visit to Nebraska – June 18)

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3. Conner Harrell – Alabaster, AL

Dropped off:

MJ Morris – Atlanta, GA (Spring Game visitor)

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QB thoughts – Not too shabby that I mentioned Nicco Marchiol here two weeks ago and he recently decommitted from Florida State. I just felt like that decommitment was coming and although I reached out to him to see if he’s gotten any interest from Nebraska it seems Nebraska is heading in another direction now. The point that I really tried to make two weeks ago was with MJ Morris.

Morris seemed to favor FSU but they had a number of other guys in front of him. Morris has since committed to NC State and the Huskers appear to have their top two quarterbacks sorted out (and despite what people say, claim or dispute this fact – Morris was never the top target of this staff). I give a STRONG edge to Torres here to end the drama and take the spot in the class for the Huskers. He told me after his official visit to Nebraska that he would likely make a decision following his official visit to Kansas State. He also said that Nebraska was clearly his leader and that his mom saw him in Lincoln.

The wildcard remains A.J. Bianco and his June 18 scheduled visit to Lincoln.

1. Justin Williams – Dallas, GA (Official visit to Nebraska – June 4)

Dropped off:

Le’Veon Moss – Baton Rouge, LA

De’Anthony Gatson – Newton, TX

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RB thoughts – You can forget about Gatson and you may as well forget about Moss too. The Huskers are “all-in” on Williams and the only thing not going in their favor right now is that Williams doesn’t plan to make a college decision until a few weeks after his senior season has ended. Let’s say that at the soonest that’s Thanksgiving if Nebraska misses on Williams there may be a real issue to get another running back in the class. But, the portal is always a great equalizer.

I don’t think that we are really valuing it enough when it comes to situations like Nebraska’s running back board for 2022. If the Huskers could make a run at “some guy” to just get a guy wouldn’t there be more value to go to the portal?

Additionally, the offers and more importantly official visits to high school players indicate that Nebraska sees more upside with the high school (or JUCO player) than what they anticipate coming in the portal. That can always change if they wanted to add a second player to the class.

Victor Jones – Orlando, FL (Nebraska commit) (Official visit to Nebraska – September ?)

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1. Landon Samson – Southlake, TX (Spring Game visitor) (Official visit to Nebraska – June 4)

2. Grant Page – Boulder, CO (Spring Game visitor) (Official visit to Nebraska – June 11)

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WR thoughts – I am still asking myself “what does it all mean” when it comes to the departures of Jamie Nance and Dariyon Houston. Nebraska was only going to take one wide receiver. Now, there is one in the class and the Huskers just hosted Samson and have Page this coming weekend.

I think that if Nebraska got their way they would take Samson and just end looking at other wide receivers for now. I know that Samson is headed to Ohio State for a visit, but I have a real hard time believing he will pick up an offer. Ohio State has two wide receivers in the 2022 class already, they took three the year before (a five-star and two four-stars) and if that wasn’t enough they took three in 2020 (two five-stars and one four-star).

I have to think that this is to accompany Landon’s friend and possibly just see what else is out there. That could give him reason to pause and reflect. Samson told me that Nebraska is the leader and there are no other plans except for the Ohio State visit. You have to think that things look good here. I am close to adding a date for an official visit for Jones to Nebraska. He is waiting for a game this fall and there is a weekend when he has a bye and Nebraska is at home, but he wasn’t sure what weekend that was on Saturday.

Chase Androff – Lakeville, MN (Nebraska commit) (Official visit to Nebraska – June 4)

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1. Gabe Burkle – Cedar Rapids, IA (Spring Game visitor) (Official visit to Nebraska – June 22)

2. Austin Terry – Tumwater, WA (Spring Game visitor) (Official visit to Nebraska – June 18)

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3. Quinton Conley – Kansas City, MO (Spring Game visitor)

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TE thoughts – Coming in just in time to be part of this edition of “Big Board” was the commitment from Chase Androff. Androff did a great job fooling me based on his comments on Sunday. There were three or four other recruits that I would have said committed from the weekend before choosing Androff.

I would presume that Nebraska is done at the position and will cancel the pending official visits with Burkle and Terry. I am going to leave up the others at the position until we have it confirmed that Nebraska is full at the position. Conley will come completely off next week as communication with Nebraska has been limited with him, and I am close to putting in a Futurecast for him to Kentucky.

Offensive Guard or Offensive Guard/Offensive Tackle (1-2)

1A. (OG/OT) Valen Erickson – Chicago, IL (Spring Game visitor) (Official visit to Nebraska – June 4)

1B. (OG/OT) Ashton Craig – Lawrenceburg, IN (Official visit to Nebraska – June 4)

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3. (OG) D.J. Moore – Fort Wayne, IN

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Offensive Tackle (1-2)

1. (OT) Lucas Heyer – Maplewood, MN (Spring Game visitor)

2. (OT) Jake Maikkula – Highlands Ranch, CO (Spring Game visitor)

3. (OT) Braden Miller – Centennial, CO

4. (OT) John Pastore – Erie, CO (Individual Workout – June 4)

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OL thoughts – There are some interesting things happening here but it hasn’t led to a lot of movement (yet). I have split out the positions. Both Erickson and Craig were told by Nebraska that they saw each of them starting out at guard and then potentially moving out to tackle.

We now have an OG/OT position and both of them are at the top of that list. Moore is still on that board because he’s talked about taking a visit to Nebraska. After that, I am keeping separate the true OTs (or at least the guys that I haven’t heard Nebraska tell them that they are OG/OT and that Rivals has listed as OT (and they make sense to keep at OT).

Heyer is still my No. 1 guy on the overall offensive board, period. If Nebraska could get him along with Erickson and Craig I think that everyone should feel good about that.

What’s interesting is the next three OTs are all from Colorado with the most recent OL offer being to Pastore who shined at individual workouts last Friday. What puzzles me though is if Nebraska felt good on any of the tackles listed above why is there a new offer to Pastore?

Keep an eye on Kale Krogh. Coach Frost told Krogh that he thought he was an offer guy but he left Lincoln without an offer. Krogh picked up an offer from Iowa following the Nebraska camp. Not a good look for Nebraska, but the Huskers have a big-time connection with Henry Lutovsky on the team and Krogh’s ties to him. There are still plenty of guys at both spots that could get an offer or could fit. Ashton Beers could be an OT, Henry Rickels could be more of a true guard/center, and I still like Spruceton Buddenhagen. Buddenhagen has been on campus before a couple of times.

I have added the breaks in the position boards to indicate a perceived priority change from the player above the line to the player below the line.

While there has been just one commitment this past weekend for Nebraska, it’s clear that the Husker staff did a great job getting a lot of kids leaving Lincoln high on the Huskers.

I would put Nebraska as the leaders for Torres, Williams, Samson, Erickson and Craig.

All of those recruits more or less said after Sunday the Huskers were their current leader. Things that I am watching: what happens with Williams between now and when he wants to commit (late November/after the season)?

While things have gotten clearer on the offensive line it’s still not crystal. Watch Erickson taking an official visit to Tennessee later this month.

I don’t have a strong feeling about the OT board at all. I think what really stood out to me about this last week was how hard some of these kids were hit by the dead period and not allowing colleges to get out to see them in person. There were essentially three offers this weekend that I felt were strong examples of that.

We will be pulling together an early look Big Board featuring the top names HOL feels like Husker fans need to know going into the 2023 AND 2024 classes soon.