Nebraska WR Passes on Huskies and More Surprisingly Hometown Huskers
The University of Washington football program failed to use its in-house Midwest charm to land another recruit from that region as Nebraska wide receiver Beni Ngoyi chose Iowa State over the University of Nebraska and the Huskies.
A 6-foot-4, 195-pound prospect with elite speed, Ngoyi visited Seattle in late June, sharing in a recruiting weekend that drew South Dakota quarterback Lincoln Kienholz and Minnesota defensive lineman Elinneus Davis to the Northwest on a summer weekend filled with brilliant sunshine and persuasive sales pitches.
Yet while the others liked what they saw, the Huskies couldn't close the deal with Ngoyi from Lincoln High School. His choice was somewhat surprising since it was felt he might have a tough time saying no to the hometown Cornhuskers.
"That's an offer that everyone expected me to have," Nogoyi said of Nebraska. "My dad is a big Husker fan."
The Huskies' attraction to Ngoyi, who doubles as a track man, was his 4.38-second 40-yard dash on his tall frame.
Speed has been a defining factor for this Husky recruiting class with California wide receiver Keith Reynolds said to be in the 4.3 range and California safety Vincent Holmes advertised as a 4.4 sprinter.
Ngoyi went with a Big 12 school rather than the more wide-open offense that new UW coach Kalen DeBoer has promised for Seattle and will accentuate his skills.
After spending his sophomore year mostly as a defensive back, Ngoyi made everything work for him offensively last fall by catching 25 passes for 467 yards and 6 touchdowns for a 4-5 Links team.
The Huskies already have a former University of Nebraska wide receiver on the roster in Will Nixon, who joins the UW after two seasons in Lincoln and doubles as a running back. Nixon is a Texas native from Waco.
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