5/4/2020 football Edit

Former 2019 running back Bivens expected to join NU as walk-on

Former Ohio standout running back John Biven visited Nebraska in both April of 2018 and January of 2019 as a recruit. (Nate Clouse)

Sean Callahan • InsideNebraska

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Sean Callahan has worked with Rivals.com since 2000, and has been the Publisher of HuskerOnline since 2007. He also reports for KETV Channel 7 in Omaha, NET's Big Red Wrap-Up and KFAB Radio in Omaha.

A former Ohio standout running back appears to be joining the Nebraska football team as a walk-on.

Kettering (Ohio) Archbishop Alter standout John Bivens was an unsigned running back prospect in the 2019 recruiting class. He missed his entire senior season of high school in 2018 with an injury, but put up 1,308 yards rushing on 132 carries for 15 total touchdowns as a junior.

Before the injury, Bivens was regarded as one of the top running backs in the state of Ohio. He had Power Five offers from the likes of USC, West Virginia, Louisville, Kentucky, Iowa State, Indiana, Nebraska and Illinois.

He failed to meet all the academic requirements out of high school and did not attend a four-year college this past year.

Bivens has long been rumored as a possible addition to the Husker roster.He confirmed to HuskerOnline's Bryan Munson on Monday he plans to join the Nebraska football team as a walk-on this summer. He's currently listed in the UNL Student Directory as well.

"Yes, that's accurate," Bivens said when asked if he's joining the team this fall. "My knee is good to go now."

As a recruit, Bivens visited Nebraska unofficially for the 2018 spring game. He took an official visit to Lincoln in January of 2019 where it appeared he was going to be a part of the 2019 recruiting class.

"They told me they feel I can do many things besides playing running back," Bivens told HuskerOnline after his January of 2019 official visit. "They said I could play a little wideout or slot [receiver] as well."

Before injuries took away his senior year of high school, Rivals.com Midwest recruiting analyst Josh Helmholdt was very high on Bivens abilities.

"Bivens was a big, powerful back who could pound it between the tackles or hit the edge and go the distance," Helmholdt said on Monday. "He had a sensational junior season that drew tons of college interest, but was not able to approach that level of play again after tearing the MCL and PCL at the end of that season.

"I saw John the summer before his senior season and he was not in football shape at all and nowhere close to being able to play again. We are now more than two years removed from that injury and if Bivens can get back to playing with the speed and agility he showed as a junior, that would be exciting. His was the kind of injury, though, that may never allow him to return to 100 percent."