Back in 2002 when former four-star quarterback recruit Curt Dukes enrolled early to Nebraska, it was something never seen before at NU.
Back then Dukes and guys like former Florida quarterback Chris Leak started a trend of missing their second semester of high school to get a jump start on their collegiate career.
What we saw in the early 2000’s has now become more the norm across college football, as this spring Nebraska has seven early enrollee high school recruits going through spring practice – quarterback Luke McCaffery, tight end Chris Hickman, wide receivers Wandale Robinson and Jamie Nance, defensive lineman Brant Banks and linebackers Nick Henrich and Garrett Nelson.
Henrich, Hickman and Nelson are the first in-state scholarship recruits to early enroll at NU, while Lincoln Southeast’s Bryson Williams did it at Wisconsin this past season.
As the recruiting process continues to speed up with the early December signing day, the number of early enrollees is only going to increase.
“It’s becoming more of a thing,” head coach Scott Frost said. “If kids are like me, about spring semester of my senior year I had senioritis, ready to be done anyway. Maybe that’s because I lived in a town with 1,300 people. I don’t know, but if kids want to play early in college, I think it gives them an advantage if they get accustomed to college, if they get on campus and they get the 15 practices of spring.
“Then you’re not starting from square one come fall. You have some experience under your belt, and I think it gives you a better opportunity to compete for playing time early. There was more this year that I expected to keep going, but kids kind of have to have a plan for that by their junior year at least, of high school, so they can begin to take classes that are appropriate so they can graduate at semester.”
The one that is expected to arguably gain the most by enrolling early is Robinson, but Henrich also walks into a great situation at inside linebacker.
NU currently only has three scholarship inside linebackers going through spring practice besides Henrich and, one of those three, Will Honas, is limited from full contact.
“He's going to get as many reps as anybody, especially with the numbers being a little down on the inside linebacker room,” Chinander said of Henrich. “That opportunity is big. Right now, I like that he's running around and playing fast. He's making a lot of mistakes, but that's great. I want him to keep making mistakes; we talked about it. I just said, ‘Just make some new ones tomorrow. Let's fix the ones you made today and let's make some new ones tomorrow.’ I love the way he's playing, I love his intensity. He loves football; he's a smart football player.
“He can make the calls, and it's not over his head; he's not swimming in the deep water yet. He just looks like he's another guy. I think he's going to continue to progress.”
However, for guys like Banks who are expected to more than likely redshirt in 2019, just getting the chance to get early reps will go a long way.
“His upside is tremendous,” Chinander said of Banks. “He's got a ways to go. Usually, those real big d-linemen, it takes them a little bit of time to get used to -- because big o-linemen and big d-linemen, I think that's the hardest spot to play when you early enroll. Corners, receivers, you can jump out there, you take the top off. You go cover somebody man; everybody, ‘He looks really great.’ When you're been bigger and stronger than everybody else your whole life, and then you line up against (Matt) Farniok, or (BrendeN) Jaimes, or -- You’re Will Farniok last year, and you've got Carlos Davis on your head for the first time. That's a tough rodeo to compete in.
“I think that's the hardest thing to do is enroll early and be an offensive and defensive lineman. He's got a lot of growing to do, but I love the kid. I love his ability; I think his upside is tremendous.”
When offensive coordinator Troy Walters talks about the Huskers crop of early enrollees, he’s already seen it benefit a guy like Nance.
“I think it is, when guys have an opportunity to enroll early and go through a spring, and go through strength and conditioning, it definitely is a bonus for them, and it's good for us to see them,” Walters said. “Jamie Nance, for instance, he came in 155, 160-pounds and he's already put on 8 to 10 pounds, and so that just helps his growth.
“I think it's going to be a trend that guys-- and it depends on the school. I think Nebraska is a place where guys want to come and they want to get involved and want to get around the coaches and the players. They have such a great time on their visits that they want to be a part of it and the sooner the better.”
The Huskers will take the field on Monday for their fourth practice of the spring, and we’ll get our first look at the team in an open portion to the media.
