Unlike December, January and February, the cold months when the Husker coaching staff was getting acclimated to their new home in Lincoln while at the same time trying to fill the 2023 class like madmen and forge relationships for the 2024 class and beyond, it’s much warmer in Nebraska right now.
The summer heat suits Garret McGuire better. It reminds him of home.
The native of Texas and son of Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire, who visited Memorial Stadium recently, enjoyed his month of May. He used it to head back to his home state and visit with the high school coaches he looks up to so much at the programs of Lake Travis, DeSoto and Vandegrift among others.
McGuire enjoyed June even more with all the camps — a couple were in Texas, and that’s where 2024 commit Braylen Prude was discovered — which meant more opportunities to coach and evaluate prospects and maybe find a future Husker or two. McGuire used a June camp in Lincoln to find the 6-foot-5 Quinn Clark, a legacy from Montana.
But camp season is over. The focus for the staff now shifts to fall camp, which begins July 31.
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Like Rhule has seemed to do with the entire program, McGuire wants to create a sense of family and brotherhood in his own room. It’s something the offensive linemen in Donovan Raiola’s room talk about often. That very feeling was a big part of why Raiola was able to snag former Utah transfer Tyler Knaak from the portal.
Because of that, McGuire has implemented a creed his receivers will go by: PTF, or protect the family.
“They are fun and they’ve matched my energy, which is pretty crazy to say,” the fast-paced McGuire said of his receivers in a recent interview with Huskers Radio Network. “We’ve got some dudes with just a natural toughness and edge to them.”
The following is a rundown of what McGuire said about the key faces in his room:
>> Marcus Washington is the leading returning receiver from last year. The 6-2, 190-pound former Texas transfer didn’t get the targets in last year’s offense like current Tampa Bay Buccaneer Trey Palmer did. But Washington still showed flashes of possessing WR1 stuff while catching 34 passes for 471 yards and one touchdown, which came in the season finale at Iowa.
When talking about someone needing to emerge in a wide-open room without a known go-to guy yet, Washington, who McGuire said knows and will play all three receiver positions, is a strong candidate.
“He’s tough, he’s going to block in the run game, he’s going to be explosive in the pass game, he’s long, he can catch the ball in front of his eyes,” McGuire said. “He kind of leads that room a little bit when it comes to toughness. He’s very accepting of coaching — he’s locked on to me and kind of hangs on to every word I say, which is really awesome to see an older guy do that.”
>> Zavier Betts and Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda are two wideouts who have somewhat similar stories. Both were once members of the team last year, but left the program at different points before returning again in January.
Betts, an Omaha native and Bellevue West product, left in the middle of spring ball in 2022 while Garcia-Castaneda, a former New Mexico State transfer who caught the season’s first touchdown pass on a double-move go route against Northwestern in Ireland, entered the transfer portal following the Oklahoma loss during the season.
McGuire said both Betts and Garcia-Castaneda are hungry to get back to the game after being away from it. Garcia-Castaneda, who finished his 2022 season with five catches for 120 yards and one score before entering the portal, will graduate in August and then work toward getting a Master’s.
“It’s not that they’re grateful, but they are. They’re excited to be Huskers again," McGuire said. "They’re very excited to be coached by coach (Matt) Rhule, coach Satt (Marcus Satterfield), myself. You talk about a guy (Betts) who got 21 hours this spring just to be eligible for us. And IGC (Garcia-Castaneda), IGC put on seven pounds of muscle in the spring. He’s another guy who knows all three spots and he’s very dependable, a great route-runner, great hands. He’s matched my enthusiasm in the run game about how we want to play.”
Betts in particular will have the full attention of Husker fans. Not just because he quit and came back, but because of what he has the potential to become if all goes right on and off the field. His ceiling is next-level high.
“He looks different than all those other dudes,” McGuire said of Betts. “You see him burst off the football, you see some of the catches he makes and just how long he is. He’s another guy who’s from Omaha, and that means something to us. You talk about coach Rhule, we want to play with kids who grew up watching Husker football.”
>> There might not be more of a sure thing in the receiver room than Billy Kemp IV. The sixth-year player and transfer from Virginia has all the experience you want after playing five seasons and in 50 games with the Cavaliers while racking up a combined 192 catches for 1,774 yards. He’s fourth on Virginia’s career receptions list and 10th in career receiving yards.
At 5-8 and 180 pounds, Kemp’s size won’t impress anyone. But his short-area quickness, burst, elusiveness and toughness will. He doesn't go down easy.
“What he’s brought to this room is an edge. He plays with a natural edge,” McGuire said. “You talk about a guy, he’s probably 5-8 on a good day, he’s just got a chip on his shoulder. Him and I, we can really play off each other because, if I chew his tail, and Jaidyn Doss sees me chew his tail, ‘Oh, that’s a senior listening to coach,’ that’s a big deal.”
McGuire said Satterfield’s offense fits a veteran, smart receiver like Kemp well. Expect Kemp to be used in motions and quick-pass plays to take advantage of his elusiveness and burst.
>> Another transfer who will be looking for a role is Joshua Fleeks, who spent five seasons at Baylor and was recruited to the Bears when Rhule was the head coach in Waco. He’s also a good friend of McGuire’s because the two played together at Cedar Hill High School when McGuire’s dad, Joey, was the head coach. McGuire joked that it’s always fun when he’s showing his current receivers film of Baylor practices, and Fleeks is on the screen.
Fleeks is in the same mold as Kemp, except Fleeks is bigger and more powerful. Fleeks is currently listed on the roster at 5-10 and 190 pounds, but the roster isn’t yet updated with accurate heights and weights for the players. McGuire said Fleeks is up to 204 pounds now.
“You look at his tape, and he’s an explosive football player. He’s dynamic when he gets the ball in his hands,” McGuire said of Fleeks. “Almost has a running back style when he gets the ball in his hands. …He’s a big receiver who I think we’ll be able to use in a lot of ways, possibly in the return game. Just move him around a little bit to find ways to get him the ball.”
>> Malachi Coleman is a name every Husker fan who pays attention will know. The 6-4, 185-pound four-star signee in the 2023 class wasn’t an early enrollee, so he didn’t compete in spring ball. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t around. Coleman attended several spring practices — always near McGuire, listening and learning — and made it a point to be around the program when he could.
Expectations are obviously sky-high for Coleman, the Lincoln (Neb.) East standout. With the receiver room being as wide open as it is right now, Coleman will have opportunities for playing time as he grows and continues to develop.
“Malachi can be as good as he wants to be,” McGuire said. “He’s a good football player and has a natural motivation, he’s very self-motivated. He comes from a great mom and dad — they’re awesome and have always been there for me and there for this team. He’s kind of the leader of that freshman crew right now from what I’m seeing and hearing. He’s got a voice in the room. It’s pretty cool to hear him answer questions because it puts pressure on some of those other freshmen because he’s answering questions on a really high level."
Coleman showed what he can do against other top recruits last January in the Polynesian Bowl in Honolulu by catching two touchdown passes. An athlete with his rare combination of size and speed — at 6-4, Coleman has been clocked in the 100-meter dash at a blazing 10.46 seconds — McGuire was impressed when he finally got to see Coleman compete in a football setting in person.
“He had obviously been around me and been to some meetings, but I had never got to watch him live,” McGuire said. “Watching him live, I’m really excited. He’s a good football player.”
>> Demitrius Bell is another four-star receiver in the 2023 class McGuire and the rest of the offensive coaches are excited about.
“He plays fast, that’s what I really like about him. We’re running some routes on air, and there’s some stuff in our offense that asks you to be decisive, and he plays fast,” McGuire said. “He’s a very confident football player. You can kind of see that — you can kind of see that, he’ll jump up to the front of the line even though he’s just a freshman and doesn’t know any better. But he’s decisive and he knows he’s a good player.”
>> One of the 2023 class recruits who can be viewed as a project for the future is Jeremiah Charles, who was coached by current Husker tight ends coach Bob Wager at Martin High School in Arlington, Texas, last year.
The 6-2, 160-pound Charles is raw — he only played one season of high school football like fellow Martin product Ismael Smith Flores. But he’s athletic, a long strider and has real potential as a receiver. He’s a ball of clay McGuire is hoping to mold.
“You just see the athlete he is. He went to state in the triple jump, probably should have went to state in basketball. He’s a very good athlete and comes from coach Wager’s program,” McGuire said. “You know what you’re getting when you get a Martin kid — just a tough, gritty player who’s put the work in. He won’t shy away from working, that’s what I like about JJ.”
>> Doss is another true freshman who has a real chance to see playing time in his first season in Lincoln. At Raymore-Peculiar High School in the Kansas City area, Doss did a little bit of everything for his team. He lined up out wide, in the slot and even in the backfield to take handoffs. It’s that kind of versatility that makes McGuire excited about the 6-foot, 195-pounder.
“You turn on his tape and you just see this competitive football player,” McGuire said of Doss. “He strains to get extra yards, is very dynamic with the ball in his hands obviously. He reminds me of a few players I coached in the past. He’s another guy who, you see Malachi Coleman, you see Jaidyn Doss, they’re on the JUGS (machine), they’re in the playbook. They’re working their tail off right now because they expect a lot from each other and they know this 2023 class can be a really big part of Husker football.”
>> Jalen Lloyd is a track star who wants to show everyone he can play some football, too. The 5-11, 160-pounder will start his career in McGuire’s receivers room, but has potential down the road to be a defensive back, too. He’ll also be on the track team at Nebraska.
“He’s so springy and explosive. He puts his foot in the ground and he gets faster. He can accelerate,” McGuire said. “He has really good ball skills, too. Just from the little I’ve gotten to watch him over these past couple weeks, he’s got good ball skills. He’s another guy who, and I can’t say this enough — he’s from Omaha. His mom went here and was a track athlete. It means something for him to wear the scarlet.”
>> When talking about track stars who the staff is hoping to develop into productive football players, Brice Turner absolutely needs a mention.
The 6-1, 175-pound Turner hails from Bay City, Texas, which is about two hours south of Houston. Turner, who will run track at Nebraska as well, runs a 10.25-second 100 and a 21.04 200.
That's fast.
“It’s a testament to who we are staff-wise. That’s a pretty far way to go to get a kid,” McGuire said. “...That’s a testament to coach Rhule and coach Knighton. They went and got that kid, and he’s awesome.”
Bay City also happens to be the home of 2024 commit Carlon Jones, an intriguing defensive line talent with strong junior-year film.
What about Turner has caught the attention of McGuire? How prepared the freshman is.
“He’s gonna be about 45 minutes early for every lift so he can get his body right and nutrition,” McGuire said. “To start that at a young age, that’s a big deal.”
>> Remember D’Andre Barnes?
Barnes was a February addition the 2023 class out of Aurora (Colo.) Regis Jesuit. Many thought Barnes would begin his career as a defensive back, but that’s not the case. The 6-foot, 175-pounder who caught a combined 74 passes for 1,430 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior and senior in high school will start as a receiver.
Get used to young, unestablished players changing positions during their careers at Nebraska under Rhule.
“We’re probably going to do that with a few kids over the next few years, just the way we recruit,” McGuire said with a laugh.
McGuire said Barnes fits the mold of how the staff recruits — “he’s really fast and he’s really big.” Barnes won the 2021 Colorado Class 5A 200-meter dash with a time of 21.69 seconds and placed third in the 100 that season with a 10.91. He's recorded a personal-best 100 time of 10.69 and 21.49 in the 200.
Because of the Colorado high school schedule, Barnes arrived in Lincoln only about two weeks ago, so he’s very fresh and just getting introduced to everyone and everything with the Huskers.
“You plug him in and he started going,” McGuire said. “It’s just really impressive, a guy who can just plug-and-play. You want that kid on your roster.”
>> McGuire gave a shout-out to walk-on receivers Ty Hahn (former eight-man star from Johnson-Brock), Alex Bullock (Creighton Prep product and brother of walk-on-turned scholarship linebacker John Bullock), Cooper Hausmann (Norris product), Roman Mangini (Mesa, Arizona), Taveon Thompson (Lincoln Southeast) and legacy Barron Miles Jr. (Chandler, Arizona, by way of Montreal, Quebec, Canada).
“You better strap up when you play those two,” McGuire said of Hahn and Bullock. “Cooper Hausmann, you better strap up and you better play through the whistle because they will find a way to punk you on tape. They just have that edge that most walk-ons have — you’ve kind of been doubted your whole life. So every time they have a chance to put something on tape, they are.
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