Malachi Coleman photo via Twitter
2023 Husker Signee Analysis: Wide Receivers
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Nebraska has been trying to build up its wide receiver room for several years now. When new offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield spoke with reporters in early January, he singled out receiver as a position the staff needed to address. "We've got some receivers, I just think we need to build some depth there and different types of receivers," Satterfield said. "You don't want them all to look the same and be the same."
That's been a priority for the last two head coaches. You can go back to position coaches Keith Williams, Troy Walters, Matt Lubick or Mickey Joseph. The Huskers have struggled to recruit - and retain - the position.
Earlier installments in Jeremy Pernell’s series. |
Matt Rhule's new staff added some pieces to that room through the transfer portal with Billy Kemp IV (Virginia) and Joshua Fleeks (Baylor). They also welcomed back a couple guys who had previously left the program.
Zavier Betts is potentially a huge recoup by this staff. Betts played in 18 games between 2020 and 2021, catching 32 passes for 417 yards and a touchdown. He also had three rushes for 109 yards and another score. Betts left the program last March and was arrested in October for a misdemeanor warrant in Iowa for possession of a controlled substance. Many assumed he'd given up on football until his name showed up in the transfer portal on January 3. Several teams got in contact with Betts and he was in the process of setting up a visit to Pitt.
That's when Rhule received a heads-up from a former assistant coach. Jeff Nixon's son, Will, was part of the same 2020 Husker recruiting class. So when he saw Betts was interested in restarting his career, he knew Rhule would want to know about him.
Rhule initiated contact with Betts and the two had several discussions over the next week and a half. Betts was in attendance for the all-team meeting on January 15, the day before the start of winter conditioning. It's not yet known if there are any academic hurdles for Betts to clear to be eligible in 2023, and it's also unclear if Betts will go back on scholarship or have to rejoin the program as a walk-on, at least initially.
Talent has never been a question with Betts. If he is ready to grow up and take this opportunity seriously, he has the ability to become one of the better receivers in the Big Ten.
On January 16, we also found out that Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda would be returning to the program. Garcia-Castaneda, who was a portal addition from New Mexico State last offseason, had entered the transfer portal back on October 11. After hauling in four receptions (seven targets) for 120 yards and a touchdown in the season opener, he had just three balls thrown his way (1 reception for zero yards) over the next three games. Since he only played in four games, Garcia-Castaneda can use his redshirt and be a fifth-year junior in 2023.
Coaches are counting on Kemp, Fleeks, Betts and IGC to help stabilize the position with returning veterans Marcus Washington and Alante Brown.
Outside of those known commodities, the rest of the room is a mystery. Mickey Joseph loved the potential of redshirt freshman Janiran Bonner. It will be a big spring for him, as well as fellow underclassmen Ty Hahn, Shawn Hardy II and Victor Jones Jr. None of them have shown much during their time on campus and with so many incoming freshmen receivers, it's now or never for those guys. And what about Tommi Hill? He started four of the first five games last year at corner before moving to receiver mid-season. Does he stay at receiver or go back to corner? Travis Fisher thought he had NFL talent as a defender. Where will this staff put him?
With the departure of Mickey Joseph, the Huskers lost commitments from two promising four-stars in Omarion Miller (signed with Colorado) and Barry Jackson (signed with Cincinnati). But the new staff was able to keep two of Joseph's guys in the fold and also added several others in an attempt to overhaul the room.
The top prize at the position - and the entire class for that matter - is Lincoln East star Malachi Coleman, whose recruitment had Husker fans on an emotional rollercoaster for more than a year. Scott Frost originally offered Coleman back on October 1, 2021, and regardless of who had been in charge since, the program made him a priority.
At the time he was offered, Coleman was regarded as a regional recruit. Through February 2022, the only other Power Five offers Coleman had besides Nebraska were from Kansas State, Minnesota, Maryland, Kansas, Vanderbilt and Louisville. That all changed in mid-March, however, when Texas Tech, Iowa, Georgia and Washington joined the competition. Soon, Oregon, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Michigan, Florida State, Penn State, Missouri, USC, Kentucky and Miami had all offered and were making a run at Coleman.
Luckily for Nebraska, Scott Frost made the decision to hire Mickey Joseph last December. Coleman has openly admitted that prior to Joseph joining the staff, the Huskers were on the outside looking in and unlikely to be a player in his recruitment. Joseph first met Coleman on January 14, 2022, and the two hit it off immediately.
Over the next several months, led by Joseph, Nebraska made Coleman the No. 1 overall target on their board and were able to get him on campus several times, including for an official visit June 3-5. During the spring and summer, Coleman also took unofficial visits to Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Georgia, Oregon and Oklahoma.
As summer came to a close, Coleman began narrowing his focus on Nebraska, Georgia, Oklahoma, Michigan and Oregon. In the fall, he made plans to take official visits to Miami and Ole Miss in October, but those were subsequently canceled. The overriding thought was Coleman had already made up his mind where he wanted to play.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Nebraska's long-term coaching situation, Coleman committed to the Huskers over Georgia on October 22. At the time, Coleman was confident Mickey Joseph would either be made permanent head coach, or be part of the next staff in some capacity moving forward.
Coleman reopened his recruitment on December 1, following the arrest of Joseph, which slammed the door shut on any chance of his being retained by Matt Rhule. Coleman reassured Nebraska they were still in consideration moving forward. He said he wanted to keep his options open while waiting to see what the new staff had planned for him. In truth, Coleman planned on flipping to Georgia after decommitting.
Several schools immediately reached out, with Georgia, Michigan, Oklahoma State, Louisville and Syracuse gaining the most initial traction. That changed on December 3, when Deion Sanders was hired at Colorado. Sanders had an existing relationship with Coleman having offered him in June while still at Jackson State. When he got to Boulder, Sanders reoffered and made a hard push.
Matt Rhule wasn't going to be outdone, though. He got to work immediately, making it clear how highly prioritized Coleman was to him and the Huskers. When the contact period opened back up on December 2, Rhule was at Lincoln East visiting Coleman. A few hours later, he was conducting an in-home visit with the entire family. The visit went extremely well and Coleman was back on campus two days later for the in-state recruiting event.
Coleman took his second official visit to Lincoln December 9-11, which the NCAA allows if a school undergoes a coaching change. During that visit weekend, Husker coaches, recruits, parents and several current players were all on-hand in Pinnacle Bank Arena Saturday afternoon to watch the basketball team take on Purdue. Rhule received an incredible reception during a 3-minute speech during halftime. He also made sure to sit with Coleman and his parents during the game.
Coming out of that visit, Coleman had narrowed his choices to Nebraska, Michigan, Georgia and Colorado. He originally planned to visit the Wolverines December 16-18, but switched plans and went to Boulder instead. Deion Sanders made a huge impression and coming out of the visit, some thought Coach Prime had done enough to get Coleman to Colorado.
Instead, Coleman recommitted to Nebraska on National Signing Day, making the announcement via Rivals live stream with national recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove.
Without a doubt, Malachi Coleman is one of the most important in-state recruiting wins in recent program history. He was selected to play in both the All-American Bowl and the Polynesian Bowl, and was singled out for his outstanding play during practices for both all-star games. He's a consensus four-star recruit and is ranked as the No. 60 (Rivals), No. 63 (247Sports), No. 72 (On3) and No. 155 (ESPN) overall player in the country, making him one of the highest-ranked players in the state's history.
Coleman is also a track star, who chose not to enroll early so that he could compete as a senior. Last May, at the Nebraska Class A/Class B state track and field championships, he placed 2nd in the 100 meters (10.58) and the 200 meters (21.34), while placing 3rd in the triple jump with an effort of 45' 3.25". As a junior, he posted personal bests of 10.46 in the 100m and tied the state record in the 200m with a run of 21.31. He also triple jumped 46' 4.5". He's run a laser-timed 4.38 40-yard dash and has a 41.8" vertical. Coleman will be one of several commits in this class who will also participate in track at Nebraska.
Measuring in at 6-foot-3 ¼ and 189-pounds during his check-in at the All-American Bowl, Coleman is the prototypical Matt Rhule recruit. His combination of length, speed and athleticism is truly rare, and he's barely scratched the surface of his potential on the football field.
Coleman is regarded as one of the most intriguing prospects in the entire 2023 class. Various coaches have recruited him to play several different positions. Michigan was interested in him as an EDGE or safety, Georgia was also intrigued by Coleman as an EDGE, but actually narrowed in on cornerback. Iowa wanted him to play tight end.
For me, the choice boils down to receiver or EDGE. Several coaches believe his ceiling is highest on defense, but Mickey Joseph - not surprisingly - was steadfast that Coleman could be a generational talent at receiver.
The sky's the limit for Coleman. He has all of the tangible athletic traits this staff covets and will be developed by a coach known for getting the most out of his players. Being so highly rated, there will be unrealistic expectations from fans for him to be an immediate superstar. Everyone needs to take a step back and remember how raw he is. He'll need time. It may not be in 2023, but Malachi Coleman has the potential to be one of the best receivers to ever come through Lincoln.
Also sticking to his commitment with the new staff was Raymore-Peculiar (Mo.) High School's Jaidyn Doss. The previous staff offered Doss back on March 5, 2021, but didn't gain much traction. That changed after Frost made changes to his staff.
Last February, Frost hired Vince Guinta to run his recruiting operation. Guinta brought a renewed dedication to recruiting the Kansas City and St. Louis areas. Prominent recruiters Bill Busch and Mickey Joseph were dispatched to cover those areas and the pair took over the recruitment of Doss.
It was a busy spring for the 6-foot, 195-pounder, as he took trips to Missouri, Kansas State and Oregon. In April, Doss had a great showing at the Elite Underclassmen Camp in Kansas City. Most observers felt he was one of the two best receivers in attendance and one of the best skill position players overall.
The Husker staff was able to get him on campus March 9, 2022, to watch a spring practice - the first week of the spring live period in which college visits were allowed. That visit help establish Nebraska as a player in his recruitment. They separated themselves from the pack after he returned for an official visit May 20-22. His player host was Alante Brown, and he also spent a lot of time around Marquis Buford and Myles Farmer. The Husker players helped give him an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the program.
By that time, Doss had narrowed his focus to Nebraska, Missouri, Michigan, Oregon, Michigan State and Kansas State. He also had Power Five offers from Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas, Minnesota and TCU.
Doss never took an official visit to any of his other finalists and committed to the Huskers on June 3, becoming the first Kansas City area recruit to do so since Boe Wilson signed with Mike Riley in 2016. He also became the first high school signee from Missouri since Jaevon McQuitty (Columbia) in 2017.
Doss made a return visit to Lincoln on September 2, to watch the season-opener against North Dakota. A few schools tried to circle back on him after Scott Frost was fired less than two weeks later, namely Indiana, but Doss never really wavered.
When Rhule was hired, he made sure Doss knew how important he was. On December 3, special teams coordinator Ed Foley was in Raymore making an in-home visit. The previous staff had planned on giving Doss a shot at returning kicks and Foley assured him the new staff would give him the same opportunity.
Doss used his second official visit to Nebraska during the weekend of December 9. It went extremely well and a few days later, on December 15, Matt Rhule, E.J. Barthel and Marcus Satterfield stopped by his high school for a visit. The following week, Doss signed with the Huskers during the early signing period.
Sometimes in a transition class, the incoming coach will honor the commitments of the previous staff almost out of necessity, because they are on such a time crunch. Much like Malachi Coleman, Jaidyn Doss is someone Matt Rhule would have targeted from the beginning.
Doss competes in track, running times of 11.36 in the 100 meters, 23.73 in the 200 meters, high jumping 5' 3.75", hitting 21' 1.5" in the long jump, and throwing the javelin 103 feet.
He received a lot of Deebo Samuel comparisons from the previous staff because of his ability to be a playmaker on offense as a wide receiver and running back. During his Panther career, Doss caught 121 passes for 2,212 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also had 94 carries for 922 yards and seven touchdowns, including three career 100-yard rushing games. Although he's clearly a receiver, he does closely resemble a tailback once he gets the ball in his hands. He's at his best in space.
Marcus Satterfield likes to move receivers into the backfield, calling his a "position-less offense." Much like the previous staff had planned on doing, you'll see these coaches get the ball in his hands and move him around the field as much as possible. "He can play the inside receiver, motion him around, create matchups on linebackers and safeties. He's a really good route-runner. He's got exceptional hands," Satterfield said of Doss. "He's got the ability to catch the ball in transition with a great smoothness about him and ease. The way that he blocks on the perimeter, again, fits our culture of physical and tough and competitive."
Rated as a high three-star prospect by recruiting services and ranked one of the top 15 players in Missouri by the 247Sports Composite, Doss was a first-team all-state selection as a senior. He also won the Otis Taylor Award, which is given to the best wide receiver in the KC Metro area.
Brice Turner. That's the answer to the future trivia question; Who was the first player to commit to Matt Rhule at Nebraska? The Bay City High School athlete is a top-shelf sprinter recruit and a legit Olympic hopeful.
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Turner won the Texas 4A state titles in the 100 and 200 meters as a junior. He finished second in the 100m (10.51) and third in the 200m (21.68) as a sophomore, and was a member of the 4x100 relay team that finished second at the 2021 AAU National Junior Olympic Games. Turner has personal bests of 10.25 seconds in the 100m, 20.97 in the 200m and 47.78 in the 400m. His 100-meter time would already rank as the fifth-fastest in Nebraska outdoor track and field history. Nebraska's school records are 10.16 (100m) and 20.59 (200m), so Turner will come to Lincoln with those records in his sights.
A huge assist in this recruitment goes to Brenton Emanuel, who coaches the Huskers' sprints, hurdles and relays. Emanuel had been recruiting Turner to join Nebraska's track program since last spring and had conducted an in-home visit with him last July.
Emanuel knew that Turner wanted to play both sports in college, so he approached the previous staff about him. Unfortunately, they didn't pursue it because of the uncertainty moving forward after the coaching change. With Matt Rhule coming aboard and his reputation for having track athletes on his team, Emanuel decided to try again. On December 6, he got in touch with Evan Cooper, who asked for his film. As the story goes, five minutes later he called Emanuel to ask for Turner's contact info because he wanted to offer him.
Cooper first chatted with Robert Jones, who is Turner's football and track coach at Bay City. He wanted to get Jones's opinion of Turner as a person and ask a few football related questions. Among them were his positional flexibility and a raw, honest assessment of his potential on the gridiron. For his part, Jones was forthright, telling Cooper that Turner was raw as a route runner and that he needed to work on his footwork. He also vouched for him and said he loved both sports. Despite having the opportunity to focus solely on track for a number of prominent programs, Turner was always waiting for the right school to offer him a chance as a football player. Nebraska provided that opportunity.
Thirty-minutes after that conversation, Cooper got on the phone with Turner and extended a scholarship offer. Within hours, Turner was calling Cooper back to accept. Nebraska was his only FBS offer for football. He'd received FCS offers from Grambling State, Eastern Washington, Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern.
After committing to the Huskers sight unseen, Brice Turner was finally able to meet Matt Rhule, Evan Cooper and the rest of the staff in-person during his official visit December 16-18. He'll come to Nebraska as an athlete, with the staff giving him an initial look at receiver.
Turner is a homerun threat with the ball in his hands, having been used as a hybrid running back/wide receiver. As a senior, he caught 22 passes for 495 yards and six touchdowns, while also gaining 170 yards on 14 carries with two more scores. He helped Bay City to an 8-4 record and the second round of the 4A playoffs - their best season since 2005.
Turner is a really interesting addition. Obviously, his best football is still ahead of him and this staff has shown that if they are going to take a chance on anything - it's going to be speed. This situation is reminiscent of several recruitments from Rhule's time at Baylor.
Rhule turned around the Bears' program by building the roster with players he'd identified with proverbial traits whose game film might not stand out in the same way as more polished players. As I've mentioned before, this staff emphasizes characteristics like verified athleticism, height, length, two-way or three-phase snaps and multi-sport participation. Turner checks those boxes.
You know who else fits that mold? Omaha Westside's Jaylen Lloyd, who is also the answer to the future trivia question; Who was the first player Matt Rhule offered as coach at Nebraska? That's also an interesting story that Rhule talked about during his signing day press conference while discussing his relationship with Evan Cooper. "Before I took the job, I kept calling him, like, 'Do you think this is the right fit for us?'" Rhule said. "And he was like, 'Coach, take the job, then call Jaylen Lloyd.' He knew this class."
That's exactly what Rhule did, extending an offer to the 5-foot-11, 160-pound Lloyd before he was even introduced as head coach. As it turned out, moving quickly on an offer was crucial. Lloyd had been planning to announce a commitment for track that week. He was expected to commit to Florida, the 2022 NCAA outdoor national champions. The only reason he hadn't was because he had gotten sick and was unable to talk. In fact, when Rhule called to make the offer, it was actually the recruit’s parents who talked with him.
Lloyd had visited Nebraska multiple times during the fall but was not offered under the previous staff. Rhule's offer was a game changer. Lloyd decided to hold off on his commitment and listen to what the new Husker coaches had to say.
The new staff made him feel like a priority. On December 2, Marcus Satterfield and Ed Foley visited him at Westside and Lloyd was in attendance for the December 4 in-state recruiting event. On Friday, December 9, he was in Lincoln again for the start of his official visit. Lloyd spent a lot of time around Satterfield and Evan Cooper. He was hosted by Myles Farmer, who helped show him around.
During his visit, coaches laid out their plan for helping Lloyd balance track and football. Rhule's reputation for developing exceptional track athletes into standout football players is something that appealed to him. Lloyd has his eyes on the 2024 Olympic Trials for the long jump and has already talked with coaches about adjusting his schedule as a freshman to allow him the best chance to prepare.
Jaylen's mother is Dahlia (Ingram) Lloyd, so it's no secret where he got his athleticism. Ingram is a former nine-time Husker track All-American and one of the most accomplished female athletes in Husker history. She won seven Big 12 titles over three seasons as a jumper. The apple didn't fall far from the tree.
Lloyd was the fastest prepster in Nebraska last year, winning the 100m (10.54), long jump (23' 5.5") and triple jump (50' 3.5") at the Nebraska Class A/Class B state track and field championships in May. That performance garnered him the Gatorade Nebraska Boys Track and Field Player of the Year award.
He has personal bests of 10.43 seconds in the 100m and 21.32 in the 200m. But it's his jumping potential that's given him Olympic aspirations. Last summer, he placed first in the long jump at both the National Junior Olympic Championships and the Nike Outdoor Nationals. He also finished second in the triple jump at the Nike Outdoor Nationals. His current personal bests for those events are 25' 5.5" (long jump) and 50' 6" (triple jump). He was the only high school jumper in the country to eclipse 25 feet in the long jump and 50 feet in the triple jump last year.
Lloyd decided to commit during his official visit, but wanted to wait to announce it publicly on December 17. Leading into his announcement, he released a final five consisting of Nebraska and Texas Tech, who were dual-sport offers, as well as track offers from Florida, Georgia and Illinois. He chose Nebraska in front of roughly 100 family members, friends and supporters in the Fred Arkoosh Jr. Gym at the North Boys & Girls Club of Omaha.
Among the attendees were former Husker national champion Abdul Muhammad, who is the sports and fitness director at that particular Boys & Girls Club. Muhammad has become one of the most respected mentors of youngsters in the Omaha area. Also there was former Husker and Green Bay Packer Steve Warren, who has built his 'Warren Academy' into one of the most prominent football academy's in the region. Former Heisman Trophy winner and Omaha native Johnny “The Jet” Rodgers was also there.
Lloyd has the kind of speed and explosiveness that any coach covets, and he fits neatly the profile preferred by this staff. He could play on either side of the ball in Lincoln, but is getting his first look as a receiver, where the staff wants to take advantage of his speed with the ball in his hands. A move to cornerback isn't out of the question, though.
As a junior at Omaha Central, Lloyd was named an all-metro selection after catching 20 passes for 420 yards. After transferring to Omaha Westside for his senior year, he helped the Warriors to a 12-1 record and the Class A state title. He caught 44 passes for 784 yards and five touchdowns, on his way to being named Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska first team and Lincoln Journal Star Super-State first team.
You might see a theme among the receivers taken by Rhule this cycle. Underdeveloped kids that are exceptional athletes with tremendous upside. New tight ends coach Bob Wager came to Lincoln with a couple of his Arlington Martin players in mind.
On January 17, six days after Nebraska announced his hiring, Wager was back at his old stomping grounds with Matt Rhule and Evan Cooper. The trio had stopped by Arlington Martin to continue their recruitment of tight end Ismael Smith Flores. The Husker coaches were there to watch him play basketball. Turns out, another of Wager's former players is also a member of the basketball team.
Wager had already put Jeremiah Charles on Rhule and Cooper's radar. They knew the 6-foot-2, 160-pound Charles was a standout basketball player with a 40+ inch vertical. They knew about his impressive track background and that he boasts a 6-foot high jump, 20' 11.75" long jump and 47' 3.75" triple jump. He also ran the 200m (25.08), 400m (55.19) and was part of the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams.
Twenty-two points, four dunks and several blocked shots later, Rhule had seen enough. He and Cooper had been multitasking; watching his film and watching him dominate on the hardwood. After the game, the Husker coaches brought Charles to the office of Arlington Martin’s basketball coach. There, with his mother and twin brother Josiah by his side, Rhule extended an offer. Jeremiah hugged his brother and cried.
Wager helped talk Charles into playing football for his senior season. Charles had played a little as a freshman with his brother Josiah, a defensive back who signed with New Mexico State in December. But he had concentrated on basketball and track for the next few seasons until deciding to take Wager up on his offer just before the start of spring ball.
Charles made an immediate impact. He vaulted up the depth chart and earned a starting spot during summer practices. All while still participating in the AAU hoops circuit. Charles ended up catching 23 passes for 452 yards and five touchdowns this season, while also being used as a weapon in the run game. His play on the field earned him an offer from North Texas. He was preparing to sign with the Mean Green in February before the Huskers came through with their offer.
Charles played a basketball game for Arlington Martin on Friday night, January 20, then was on a plane early the next morning with his mother and brother heading to Nebraska for an official visit. He got to Lincoln around noon and was welcomed by his host, Barron Miles Jr., who showed him around campus.
Charles was blown away by everything Nebraska had to offer. He committed during his visit and signed with the Huskers on February 1. He has already spoken to Matt Rhule about walking on to the track team for the triple jump as well.
Nebraska made it a priority to bring competition to the receiver room. Even after adding four guys during the early signing period in December, there was a concerted effort to bring in more. That meant prioritizing McGavock (Ten.) High School athlete Demitrius Bell, who the new staff had offered on December 9.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Bell saw his stock take off last spring after an impressive showing at the Rivals Camp Series stop in Philadelphia. He took visits to LSU, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Louisville, and Michigan State in March and April, then returned to East Lansing for an official visit the weekend of June 3. He pledged to the Spartans less than a week later and was committed to Mel Tucker for over two months. But as Bell continued to receive prominent offers from programs like Alabama, he decided to decommit on August 23.
Former interim coach Mickey Joseph began recruiting Bell for the Huskers not long after. In fact, Bell was planning to take an official visit to Lincoln for Nebraska's game against Indiana, but he suffered an injury and couldn’t make the trip. Meanwhile, Bell continued to get new offers with Georgia, Florida State and Virginia Tech joining the list within weeks of moving off of Michigan State.
Bell took unofficial visits to Alabama in late-July, Georgia in early September, and Michigan in late-October. He also took an official visit to Kentucky in October to watch the Wildcats take on South Carolina. Coming out of his visit to Lexington, Bell listed his top four schools as Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Ole Miss.
When Matt Rhule took over in late-November, he quickly identified Bell as a top receiver target moving forward. Bell ultimately chose not to sign early, making him one of the nation's top unsigned receivers heading into the February 1 Signing Day.
Several schools ramped up their efforts in an attempt to get Bell. New Purdue coach Ryan Walters offered in January and made a hard push. Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee also remained involved. It was the relationship he'd started building with Rhule and his staff that began resonating the most as his recruitment came to a close.
On January 16, Matt Rhule, Evan Cooper and Marcus Satterfield had an in-home visit with Bell. Demitrius and his family bonded with the trio of Husker coaches and an official visit was set up for the upcoming January 20 weekend. While on the visit, Bell had the chance to spend time with Husker defensive back signee Syncere Safeeullah and Georgia O-line transfer Jacob Hood. Safeeullah was on campus already after signing in December, while Hood was also on an official visit. The trio are from the same area in Tennessee and are close friends.
Bell loved his time in Lincoln. He'd planned on waiting to announce his commitment and sign on February 2, but changed his mind soon after the visit. On January 24, he publicly pledged to Nebraska and signed the following week. Bell had acquired over 30 offers with LSU, Michigan, Mississippi State, Penn State, Pitt, South Carolina and West Virginia being some of the prominent offers not already mentioned.
Bell did it all for McGavock as a senior. He was used as a receiver and running back on offense, while doubling as a free safety on defense. In fact, a few schools were intrigued by his potential as a defensive back. Bell caught 59 passes for 702 yards and eight touchdowns while rushing for 274 yards and two more scores. He also showed off his arm talent, going 5-for-8 passing for 169 yards and two touchdowns.
Ranked as a four-star prospect by Rivals and On3, Bell should be a nice Z or slot receiver in Satterfield's offense.
Tomorrow, I'll take a look at the tight end room.
Related: HuskerMax 2023 recruiting central
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