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Looking at the Husker early enrollees and their opportunities to impact
ByBRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON Jan 25, 9:06 PM
While the transfer portal has become a popular watch item of the offseason for college football fans, and Nebraska has made significant use of it, you're still at sea without a raft without a strong signing day foundation to build upon.
Nebraska hopes it has that in its 2022 class that joined the roster in the more, shall we say, traditional way? Six of those prospects are enrolled early, joining a large crew of transfers who have been added to the mix since and are already on campus as winter conditioning takes off.
We touched on the transfers already here several days ago. Let's review the early enrollees from those that signed on Dec. 15, and also who will still be coming from that group in May.
RICHARD TORRES, QUARTERBACK
Sure, Torres probably has the longest shot of the scholarship QBs right now for 2022, especially after the additions of transfers Casey Thompson and Chubba Purdy stacked the room.
But the 6-5, 210-pound Torres also has to like that he's not playing catch-up with the other guys in getting to know the new man leading his position, Mark Whipple. By enrolling early, he'll be there from the start with a chance to be a sponge and position himself for the next quarterback battle if the job's not in reach immediately, which it probably isn't.
First things first is making sure he's healthy after a knee injury suffered last fall that cut his season short after four games. He threw for 912 yards and 12 touchdowns in just four games this year before the injury.We'll see if that cuts into his time on the field this spring. Even if it does, the time in Whipple's classroom should prove valuable.
Quotable: “I am really selective with quarterbacks. We were looking at a lot of guys and recruiting a lot of guys. We had some guys and names on our board. Richie goes to a school where I do not think recruiters go through as much as some other places and in my opinion was a little bit under the radar," Scott Frost said. "I think he has got elite arm talent. He got hurt this year but he will be back as an early enrollee and ready for spring. Especially with Whip coming in and some of the things that we are thinking about doing, I think he is going to fit in really well and I cannot wait to work with him.”
ERNEST HAUSMANN, INSIDE LINEBACKER
A long-time commit to the program, Hausmann was a do-everything player at Columbus High school, piling up 77 tackles with eight tackles for loss, two sacks, two fumble recoveries and four pass breakups as a senior. He also had 600 yards receiving, 108 yards rushing, nine touchdowns total.
There's a lot of competition stacked up at his position with Luke Reimer and Nick Henrich leading the way, but there should be good competition for the 2021 recruits and a rookie like Hausmann to position themselves in the line and stack that depth. Earning some stripes on special teams could be a possibility as well. Hausmann spent last year working at inside backer, after previously playing outside, which can't hurt his transition into his time in Lincoln.
Quotable: “It’s about getting better every time I step onto the field I try to take it one day at a time realizing it won’t happen in a day’s worth,” Hausman said prior to his senior year. "The biggest adjustment — where to focus your eyes and the change in pre-snap reads. Playing inside linebacker your keys are different than they were at outside linebacker. I take it day-by-day to learn and understand what certain movements are at the line of scrimmage.”
DESHON SINGLETON, SAFETY
Singleton is the lone JUCO recruit to sign with the Huskers in the early signing period. Originally out of Louisiana, he comes up from Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College with three seasons still to play.
Travis Fisher drove down to watch Singleton play the week before he came up for a visit late in the recruiting cycle. He was a QB and safety as a high school standout, and the 6-3, 205-pounder should see the door wide open for possible playing time upon arrival. Myles Farmer has some starting experience, but nobody has any job in a vault after the departures of seniors Deontai Williams and Marquel Dismuke.
Quotable: "We are really excited about him," Frost said. "Safety is one spot on our roster where we are a little short on numbers, and I think he is going to be a really good addition that will hopefully come in and compete right away."
VICTOR JONES JR., WIDE RECEIVER
Connected to Scott Frost's staff since he was a middle-schooler, the 6-2, 190-pound Jones stayed loyal to the Huskers to signing day even as some programs came pursuing late.
He was pretty electric his last two years of high school down in Orlando, with 847 yards on 53 catches this last fall after posting 718 yards as a junior. He was also dangerous as a kick returner when given the chance, averaging more than 30 yards per return. He took two to the house as a junior. Jones was known for his speed in a state known for speed, and Mickey Joseph's addition to the coaching staff just before he signed seemed to further enthuse him.
Wide receiver is a position where a newbie, especially one who gets a full spring, could pop their head above the sand. It seems like at least a couple of those guys who are either 2021 or 2022 recruits could find the rotation, with ideally NU getting to the point it has eight or so guys it feels it can roll out there.
Quotable: "When it comes to my recruiting, when it slowed down I just sat back and considered what needs to be considered, prayed about it and made the best decision possible," Jones said. "And Frost really believes in me, so I’m trusting him and I’m sticking it out. I believe in the program he’s built and I want to help the program make the next step."
JUSTIN EVANS-JENKINS, OFFENSIVE LINE
Pretty good piece of clay to work with for Donovan Raiola, and Evans-Jenkins is maybe even a future center candidate, which always gets people jumping a bit. Those guys aren't always easy to find – the really good ones, that is.
Viewed by some in the recruiting process as a defensive lineman, Husker coaches loved his aggression on film and his wrestling background. The 6-2, 270-pound Evans-Jenkins will need to continue to bulk up, but Raiola loved his mentality when he had him in for a visit just before signing day. It'll be interesting to see how Raiola lines up the guys in the spring to have a better idea of where Evans-Jenkins fits right now and who is for sure competing at his position.
Quotable: "We kind of were selective with our spots and being really careful with our spots and did not want to give them away to anybody that we didn’t think was somebody we felt really good about being able to come in and make a difference for us," Frost said. "We brought Justin in on the last visit possible and after he was here, everybody liked him even more. We really wanted him to get around our new offensive line coach Coach (Donovan) Raiola and they hit it off and Donovan really believes in him."
JAEDEN GOULD, CORNERBACK
A four-star prospect out of New Jersey, Gould might be considered the headliner of the class by some (not counting the transfers). He was once committed to USC, which was in the midst of staff change when the defensive back changed course and signed with a Husker program he had become well familiar with during the recruiting process.
There's opportunity at his spot for even a first-year freshman to aim for a top chair. While Nebraska has tried to stock up the competition in the room, including transfer Tommi Hill from Arizona State, and a veteran like Braxton Clark could be a potential pairing with Quinton Newsome, it's a good situation for anyone who wants a fair chance to walk into. At least a couple of new guys are probably going to end up on this two-deep – at least.
Quotable: "I visited there once in my sophomore year there as well, so I always had a relationship with their staff," Gould said. "The day after I decommitted, they were at my school talking to me. I thought that was an important thing in my process. Also, it's just the opportunities that are there. I feel they are on the brink of turning that program around. They played some really tough games with some really good teams this year. I feel like they are just missing a couple of pieces and I feel like I could come in and contribute to that success."
MAY ARRIVALS – DEFENSE
Jalil Martin, defensive back – A pretty fun prospect here. The 6-3, 190-pound Martin is one of those athletes you could move around the back two levels, and see where he best fits and can help. If you ever think those summer camps in June are a lot of fluff – which they aren't – read the quote at the bottom of how a recruiting story like Martin makes all the evaluating worth it.
Jake Appleget, outside linebacker– Even if it takes a year or two building up behind some veterans, Appleget is a good bet to succeed from anyone who saw him one-handing catches as a receiver while also totaling more than 70 tackles on defense at Southeast High School. A very good Lincoln athlete who probably flew under the recruiting radar some just because Nebraska got its grips on him early enough and others accepted it.
Malcolm Hartzog, defensive back – People in Mississippi kept saying he was maybe the best player in the state. Erik Chinander heard the whispers and found this corner/returnman before the noise got too loud. Hartzog would later become the MVP of the Mississippi/Alabama All-Star game, which is an event loaded with talent. He's smaller in stature, but big in playmaking. Pretty great recruiting story attached with him.
Quotable: "I think we all fell in love with him in camp," Chinander said Jalil Martin, who jumped on NU's radar big-time at a summer camp in Lincoln. "That's why it's so important, even if you bring 1,000 guys into camp and you get one or two out of the deal, it's a really important thing. But we got a chance to evaluate him up close in person for three hours ... whatever it was. Get real measurements on him. Get to see what he's liked being coached by us. Get to see what he's like in competition phases (like) one-on-ones."
MAY ARRIVALS – FLEX GUYS
Gage Stenger, safety/nickel/linebacker/QB – He could be any of the positions listed, though the best guess is he'll be on defense. Chinander said he doesn't care where the Millard South grad ends up just as long as it meant him playing for Nebraska. At 6-2, 200 pounds, he's still growing. Some JoJo vibes for the high hopers.
Brodie Tagaloa, defensive line/tight end – The recruit out of Cali is still raw, and was as much a standout tight end as D-lineman for powerhouse De La Salle High School. 247Sports guys out west were very high on him as a tight end, in fact, and that isn't completely out the window here. The Tony Tuioti connection was big in recruiting him here, but he's definitely a high-end potential prospect that will seemingly start under the direction of Mike Dawson on defense.
Quotable: "He's got big, strong legs. But upper body-wise he could you could put 15 pounds on him and he could get even faster, which Coach (Zach) Duval will do in a heartbeat, so that won't be a problem," said local speed and strength coach Christopher Slatt, who works with Stenger. "But he's hard working. He loves sports. He loves football and he always talked about Nebraska. He wanted to be a Cornhusker. That was his dream school, and that was one of the coolest calls I got when he said, 'Hey, keep this on the DL, but Scott called.' That was cool to see a kid here in Nebraska who really wants to be here."
MAY ARRIVALS – OFFENSE
Chase Androff, tight end – It might take a year or so to break in, especially with Travis Vokoek back and Thomas Fidone hoping to jump deep into the mix. There are a bunch of others who could pop in too. But Androff isn't too far behind in game experience from most of the group. And Sean Beckton believes he's a must better pass catcher than his high school offense showed. The Husker staff trusted their evaluation on this one from the jump and haven't doubted they got a good one.
Decoldest Crawford, wide receiver –He's long been attached to Mickey Joseph and knew he was following the coach to wherever he went. It says something about his belief in Joseph, but also Joseph's thoughts on what Crawford can be that they never broke stride in that recruiting connection.
Emmett Johnson, running back – Absolutely tore it up in Minneapolis this past fall. While the home-state Gophers didn't offer, Johnson isn't deterred and said it only puts more of a chip on his shoulder as he arrives to Nebraska. He's been doubted before. The more than 2,500 rushing yards and 42 touchdowns his senior year is a loud statement. The room has kept getting larger since he signed, with transfer Anthony Grant already on campus. It'll be interesting if it looks the same in May as it does now.
Quotable: "The goal is to just not play at that level, but be great at that level ... and be the best," Johnson said. "Not just be another player in college football."
