Signee Analysis: Running Back Jamarion Parker

New Nebraska offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen is a direct descendent of the Hal Mumme/Mike Leach "Air Raid" system. It has led to consternation from some Husker football fans who worry he'll implement the pass-happy scheme in the offseason. Well, Holgorsen has stated flatly that won't be the case.

There will certainly be more schematic alterations to the offense this offseason as Holgorsen builds a system for the Big Ten, but you're not going to see an offense that reminds you of the Texas Tech teams from the old Big 12 days.

Don't get me wrong, when you have an NFL talent like Dylan Raiola at the helm, you're going to take advantage of that. But you're also going to see plenty of carries from tailbacks. I would suspect an average game will feature 35-40 passes and 25-30 handoffs.

The Huskers lost three of their top four running backs this offseason. Rahmir Johnson exhausted his eligibility, while Dante Dowdell and Gabe Ervin transferred to Kentucky and Kansas State, respectively.

There are a lot of unknowns surrounding the room and the staff may still opt to add a transfer this spring if the right guy becomes available.

Nebraska missed out on a high school tailback in the 2024 class when Kewan Lacy decommitted late in the process and the staff couldn't find a suitable replacement. They went into this recruiting cycle with a concerted effort to add bodies to the room. After grabbing Conor Booth early, they continued to pursue other backs and quickly settled on Jamarion Parker as a top target.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Parker was one of the first players — regardless of class — to receive an offer from Mickey Joseph on April 25, 2022, after he joined then-head coach Scott Frost's staff, making Parker one of the earliest tailback targets of the 2025 class.

When Matt Rhule was hired in November 2022, he and his staff took over the recruitment, reoffering Parker in April 2023 and quickly making him one of their top targets. Nebraska's head coach, along with running backs coach E.J. Barthel, linebackers coach Rob Dvoracek and then-offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield, took an active role in his recruitment.

The St. Louis (Mo.) Cardinal Ritter standout initially committed to Arkansas on Sept. 1, 2023, over a final group that included Tennessee, Oregon, Oklahoma, Michigan State, Purdue and Louisville, largely because of his relationship with then-running backs coach and associate head coach Jimmy Smith.

Parker is big on relationships, and when Smith — who had been recruiting Parker since he was a freshman — left the Razorbacks for TCU after the 2023 season, it opened the door for several programs that had been working hard to flip him. Along with Nebraska, some of the prominent schools that had been pushing Parker to reopen his recruitment were Alabama, USC, South Carolina, Michigan, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Minnesota.

Nebraska running backs coach E.J. Barthel | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

E.J. Barthel had been a consistent presence in Parker's recruitment, and that bond led to a visit for Nebraska's junior day on Jan. 20, 2024, where the entire staff treated him like a top priority. Parker officially decommitted from Arkansas on March 25, two weeks after Smith's departure from Fayetteville, and announced plans to officially visit Nebraska the following day, March 26.

Not surprisingly, TCU attempted to get involved in his recruitment, while Alabama — who got him on campus shortly after his decommitment — and USC also made him a priority.

Nobody recruited Parker harder than Nebraska, however, and the staff was able to get him back on campus for an unofficial visit April 4 to check out a spring practice. Seeing the team practice in person was a game-changer in his recruitment.

He liked seeing how the coaches worked and was able to envision his role in the offense. The staff did a good job of explaining how unique his skillset and style was compared to the other backs in the room and how it differentiated him from them.

After that visit, the Huskers began trending as the favorites to land him. Parker set up an official visit to Lincoln for June 21, and also talked about visiting TCU, Alabama and South Carolina.

Parker committed to Nebraska on June 5 and subsequently canceled plans to visit elsewhere. He's the first Husker signee from the St. Louis area since Tre Bryant signed with Mike Riley in 2016. You have to go back to Keith Williams — who is now Matt Rhule's director of player personnel — and Mike Neill in 2006 before that.

With over 30 offers to his name, Parker is rated a four-star prospect by Rivals and ESPN, and he's ranked as the nation's No. 177 and No. 285 overall player, respectively.

After rushing for 243 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman, Parker put himself on national radars by turning heads at the Underclassman Report Regional in Kansas City in April 2022. He further bolstered his stock when he posted track times of 10.99 (100m) and 22.63 (200m) that spring as well.

He seemed poised for a breakout sophomore campaign, but a family tragedy sidetracked his career that season. Parker did not play during his sophomore year while he mourned the loss of older brother Harvey Holloway, who was shot and killed in February 2022.

Following the loss of one of his role models, Parker transferred schools and took a break from football during his sophomore year to grieve and focus on himself.

He returned to Cardinal Ritter ahead of his junior year and dedicated his play to the memory of his older brother. He also returned to the same ESPN run Underclassman Report Regional in Kansas City in April 2023, and once again was one of the standouts at the event — effectively announcing his return to the national stage.

Parker rushed for 1,644 yards and 22 touchdowns on just 147 carries as a junior, while also catching 16 passes for 267 yards and four scores. He was named first-team all-state for his play that season and led Cardinal Ritter to its second consecutive undefeated Class 5 state championship.

Parker was even better as a senior. He finished the year with 1,730 rushing yards on 168 carries and 24 total touchdowns and was again named first-team all-state.

Parker is a dynamic, explosive home run hitter who can be used in a variety of ways. He's lightning-quick, elusive and hits top gear quickly. He's dangerous in space and is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. He'll need to add another 15 to 20 pounds to his frame in the next year or two in order to hold up as a regular contributor in the ground game.

Even so, Nebraska doesn't have another back like him on the roster, which could lend itself to his seeing the field immediately as a true freshman.

Without putting unrealistic expectations on the kid, there are some similarities to Tavon Austin, who was coached by Dana Holgorsen at West Virginia. Nebraska's offensive coordinator could get creative with Parker and use him in a variety of ways, whether that's out of the backfield or lined up in the slot. Don't be surprised if he finds himself on special teams as a return man, too.

Parker enrolled early and is participating in winter conditioning. He'll try to carve out a niche in the offense this spring with the goal of expanding his role as his body develops.

Signee Analysis: Running Back Jamarion Parker

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