On Nebraska visit, Willis McGahee IV impressed by coaches and possible role in Husker defense
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ByBRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON 117 minutes ago
Willis McGahee IV already had some connections to the Nebraska program.
But while actually putting his own eyes on what's happening in Lincoln, taking in Nebraska's opening spring practice Monday, the four-star edge defender from Miami was drawn to a discussion of how he could be used in a
Tony White defense. McGahee was intrigued by a new position Husker coaches were calling the "jack" that they thought he might fit well.
"Like a D-end/linebacker hybrid. I think that would fit me very well and I like it," he told Husker247. "This is my game. Because I like to go back in coverage and blitz on the D-line."
The son of former Miami and NFL standout running back
Willis McGahee – who once got the best of Nebraska in a national championship game two decades ago – the younger McGahee knows what he's looking for as he considers from his many offers.
"A program that's not going to treat me as a second option, that's going to treat me as their guy, that's going to develop me as a player and get me prepared for the next level – stuff like that," he said.
The prospect from Columbus High School in Miami knows some Husker coaches and players already. Like defensive quality control coach Phil Simpson, who is well known from his coaching in the Miami area. The prospect is also connected with defensive backs
Dwight Bootle II and
Corey Collier, who are from there too.
"And I'm getting to know Coach Coop [Evan Cooper], and Coach Rob (Dvoracek) and Coach White and Coach (Terrance) Knighton," McGahee said.
The best thing about those coaches he found in watching Monday's practice is "how they treat players." He was also quite impressed by the new facilities going up.
Adding to that is what players on the Husker team told him about the staff. Basically, his friends expressed that it's not just a show with Rhule's staff.
"They say the same way they act on the visit is the way they act during the season (or workouts). It doesn't change," he said. "They treat you nice."
McGahee had an in-person look Monday at what many across Nebraska would have liked to see – the first practice of the Rhule era. And Husker head coach Matt Rhule has said how much he wants to have his practices open to recruits so they can get a good look at how the Huskers go about things.
"I want people to come watch us practice. I don’t know how you could commit to play for me without watching me at a mat drill or at a practice, because I am who I am," Rhule said recently. "I’m not changing on the field for anybody.
Terrance Knighton isn’t changing for anybody. I want people to see it because some people will love it. Some people will be like, ‘Wow, they’re going to maximize me.’ Some people will want a different vibe. So I want them to see it, know it."
Having gotten a taste of what Nebraska offers, McGahee doesn't know just yet what his future visit schedule looks like as he doesn't want to lose his focus on his track season, which he also competes in.
As a junior on the football field, he had 50 tackles and eight sacks while at Miami Palmetto, which competed in Florida's 4M classification. McGahee is rated No. 96 overall and eighth among edge rushers in the most recent 247Sports rankings for the 2024 class.
And while his dad had great success at Miami, his advice has always been for his son to find what best fits him. Said Willis IV, "He tells me to find that big atmosphere and just go somewhere that's going to like you for you."
Nebraska spring practice visit impressed four-star recruit Willis McGahee IV
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2024 EDGE Willis McGahee IV
Over the weekend, Miami (Fla.) Christopher Columbus linebacker
Willis McGahee IV confirmed that he visited
Nebraska on Monday to see the Huskers’ first spring practice. The four-star recruit felt he was in his normal routine, attending the early morning practice on Monday at Nebraska.
“I was there for practice this morning at 6:00,” McGahee said. “I wake up for practices at 5:15 AM and am on the field at 5:55 in high school already. So I really didn’t mind the practice being early in the morning.”
McGahee noted that the practice was run well for the first practice under head coach Matt Rhule. During practice, McGahee said that he heard one of the coaches welcoming mistakes but said there weren’t any that he saw.
“The practice was almost like a regular practice and the coaches really knew what they were doing. I heard one of the coaches say that he wants mistakes. He invites mistakes. It could be chaos, but that’s what he wants. The practice went well. They really ran a good practice for a first practice.”
When the defense broke out, McGahee focused on how all the coaches worked with the players. He said he saw all the players getting individual instruction from the coaches.
“The coaches were helping every player,” McGahee said. “They didn’t care who you were. They ran things well. I liked the drills that they ran and I definitely wouldn’t mind doing any of them.”
McGahee got a tour following practice and was able to look around. He saw the new facilities and also got to meet all of the defensive staff.
“I got to see their new facilities and it’s going to be really nice. It’s some of the best in the country. We got to walk through the new construction. There were pictures of how things will look on the inside.
“There was a chance for me to talk to coach White, coach Dvoracek, coach Knighton, and even coach Cooper. I met the entire defensive staff.”
The Nebraska staff see McGahee playing in a hybrid spot for their defense. It’s perfect. McGahee just transferred from Palmetto to Christopher Columbus and will be moving from EDGE to linebacker this fall.
“They said that they like me as a Jack linebacker,” McGahee said. “It’s a combination of a defensive end and an outside linebacker. They said that they see me like Hassan Reddick. They see me as a hybrid and I can too. I want to be a hybrid guy.”
“I thought Nebraska was going to be freezing cold. Blowing snow and freezing. I also thought it would just be cornfields. Lincoln is a great city. It was a little cold for me in the morning, but it warmed up.”
The visit got a perfect score from McGahee. Of all the things that McGahee saw, he says the new facilities stand out to him the most.
“It was a “10”!,” McGahee said. “It was nice. The best part about the visit was the new facilities. That was the best part for me.”
McGahee returns to Florida with no other visits planned. He says he will be busy with track in the spring and hasn’t thought about trips this spring or official visits in June, but Nebraska is definitely in an excellent spot to get McGahee to return.
“I don’t know yet about other trips because I have track and I haven’t thought about my official visits yet. I don’t know yet about coming back to Nebraska for an official visit, but I probably would!”.
There are a pair of former high school teammates in Nebraska that McGahee wanted to reconnect with today while in Lincoln. McGahee said that
Dwight Bootle and
Corey Collier were encouraging him to join them.
“Yep, I caught up with both of them today. They both wanted me to commit today, on the spot. What they had to tell me makes me really comfortable with Nebraska and the team.”
