Rex Guthrie via X
2024 Husker Signee Analysis: Defensive Back Rex Guthrie
Nebraska signed a whopping 10 players in this recruiting class who carry the label of defensive back by recruiting services. Oh, and just for good measure, the staff also brought in a guy from the transfer portal too.
In its first two recruiting classes, this staff has made a concerted effort to give the back end of this defense a substantial facelift.
It's not just the secondary. Defenders with these physical and athletic traits are in the sweet spot of what these coaches want at linebacker as well. There will be a few of these guys who move down to the second level to play in defensive coordinator Tony White's 3-3-5 system.
When evaluating Littleton (Colo.) Heritage High School defensive back Rex Guthrie, I see a kid with a very high football IQ who diagnoses plays quickly and arrives at the ballcarrier with bad intensions. In the tape I saw, Heritage played a lot of cover 3 and cover 4, with Guthrie playing every spot in the secondary: in-the-box safety, single-high safety, post safety, field safety and even cornerback.
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Guthrie really seemed to like coming downhill and filling gaps in run support. He took smart angles to the ball and was a very reliable wrap-up tackler who exploded into contact. He has the athleticism and straight-line speed to hold up well in coverage - and did so on tape, but he seemed at his best in the box, playing within 8-12 yards of the line of scrimmage.
He was very active in run support and has a nose for the ball, which was reflected in his junior stats when he led his conference in tackles with 117, including nine tackles for loss. He also had three interceptions and 12 pass breakups up on his way to earning All-Colorado honors.
That was following a sophomore season that saw him earn second-team all-conference after collecting 64 tackles and two interceptions.
Looking at Nebraska's roster, you can draw easy comparisons to someone like Isaac Gifford, but I think a better current comp is John Bullock. I think Guthrie would thrive in that role down the line.
I think he'll be a great fit in this defense. His athletic profile, play style and skill set really seem to be tailor-made for Tony White's system. He's initially being brought in to play safety or rover, but I think he's best suited to play weakside linebacker and will find his way to that position eventually.
Nebraska first made contact with Guthrie in the spring when offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield - who recruits Colorado - passed through the Denver area and stopped by his high school. He told Guthrie the staff liked his junior film and encouraged him to come camp in front of coaches.
Guthrie was in Lincoln June 15-16 to tour the campus and participate in a Friday Night Lights camp. Head coach Matt Rhule actually offered him Thursday night before the camp while he was still taking in the stadium and facilities.
He went out the next day and showed out in front of coaches. The 6-foot, 190-pound Guthrie ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash, 4.14-second pro agility and recorded a 10-foot, 4-inch broad jump. He also excelled in the drills defensive backs coach Evan Cooper put him through.
Wyoming and Pennsylvania, who had coaches at the camp, offered Guthrie after his camp performance too. It's a little surprising Wyoming waited to offer. Guthrie attended one of their camps June 10, prior to coming to Lincoln and ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash in front of their staff.
Nebraska brought Guthrie back for an official visit the following weekend, June 23-25, as they moved to shut his recruitment down. Guthrie was hearing from several Power Five programs, namely Kansas State and Washington State, and the staff wanted to lock him up before he blew up on the camp circuit.
Guthrie clicked with the coaches during his official visit, spending a lot of time around all of the defensive coaches in particular. On the visit, Evan Cooper and defensive coordinator Tony White told him they wanted him to learn all three safety spots so he could be interchangeable with each of them. Guthrie also talked about Rob Dvoracek telling him he hoped to get him in his linebackers room.
He loved the culture around the program and appreciated the staff for being the first to believe in him. Guthrie committed to the coaches on Saturday afternoon during his visit. He went public with his decision the day after returning home on Monday afternoon, June 26.
Guthrie's a great all-around athlete. He plays baseball and also competes in track, where he has PRs of 11.01 (100m) and 22.55 (200m), while also participating in the 4x100 relays. He squats 445 pounds and benches nearly 300 pounds.
His senior year was cut short due to a foot injury he sustained late in the second game of the season. Guthrie was in a pile and had his left leg rolled up on, resulting in a dislocated ankle and a broken bone in his lower leg.
The injury occurred Sept. 1, and the timeframe for his recovery was estimated to be approximately 12 weeks. He graduated early and is currently on campus, although I'm not sure how much he's been able to participate in winter conditioning or what his status for the spring will be. Nebraska’s Athletic Medicine staff will obviously have a say in that. Matt Rhule leans toward being cautious, so he may hold him out until summer camp. But, for all I know, he is already cleared.
Assuming he's full-go this fall, I could see Guthrie pushing for regular special teams duties while he waits his turn for defensive snaps. He returned kicks and was a gunner for Heritage, earning league special teams player of the year honors as a junior. He won't be a return man at Nebraska, but punt and kick coverage seems right up his alley.