In-State Tour: Bellevue West

2022 is the 19th year of the HuskerOnline In-State Tour. Every February since 2004, HuskerOnline profiles the top up-and-coming prospects in the state of Nebraska.

This year our In-State Tour was broken up into two events in Omaha and Lincoln as we profiled all the top prospects in the state.

Our next stop of the 2022 In-State Tour takes us to Bellevue West, where the Thunderbirds have two high-level Power Five prospects in their class of 2024.

2022 In-State Tour: Gretna | Elkhorn South | Omaha North | Elkhorn | Omaha Burke | Scottsbluff | Omaha Westside

Head coach: Mike Huffman

2021 record: 10-2 (Class A semifinals)

Season rewind: "We were excited about our year. I know a lot of people, when you don't win a state title, including myself, you're like, 'Oh, man, this year was shot.' It took my third-grade son to say, 'Dad, you won 10 games. There are a lot of teams that would love to win 10 games. You got to step back and look at it like that.' We played in a lot of big game over the last nine years. In those games, it comes down to like five or six, seven snaps. Then you have to figure out how to win those downs.

"Westside won more of those downs in that semifinal game, and the rest of the game really was a push. They had some really big plays by some of their better players. Some guys stepped up that night that we hadn't seen before. Then earlier in the year, we lost to Millard South. Gage Stenger was the best player on the field, and after the game I called Barrett Ruud, and I called Erik Chinander, and said, 'You guys got to find a spot for this kid because I know he wants to, he doesn't care if he plays offense or defense.' They started looking at more films, and more film, the next thing we know they gave him an offer because that's important to me. I want kids from this area to have more choices."

Huffman's take on WR Dae'Vonn Hall: "I will tell you as a 10th grader, finishing up his 10th-grade year, he is the most gifted (skill player we had) in that aspect if you look at him physically. The other kids, I still giggle, I'll see a film of Zavier Betts when he was in 10th grade and he is like 160 pounds soaking wet. I'm like, 'How did you make it through this?” He was so fast. Dae'Vonn’s just as fast. He needs to play that fast. Keagan (Johnson) was the most physical. Dae'Vonn can do that as well. I am toying with the idea and I have not done this since 2014, with CJ Johnson. I'm toying with making him solely the backside receiver. The defenses have to bring their backside safety over there. If they don't, then you're one on one.

"There are very few teams that have corners that I feel can, especially with the different route concepts that we run, that will be able to shut him down. When you make a mistake back there, that's a touchdown."

Hall's take:

Recruiting: Regarded as the top 2024 prospect arguably in Nebraska right now, Hall has offers from Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota and Kansas State.

By the numbers: The 6-foot-2, 185 pound Hall runs 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash and jumps a 35-inch vertical.

Huffman's take on QB Daniel Kaelin: "He's been nothing but impressive since the first day we saw him. He is such a student of the game. The decision-making was very difficult. We started off, we were giving Luke Johannsen three series, Danny, one, but Danny was playing so well. It went to two and two, and it’s continued that way. What ultimately was my final decision where I decided to go with Luke full-time was that the team needed someone that in the crunch time they looked to as a leader, and Luke had a little bit better pocket mobility.

"(Kaelin) is going to be special. He is very, very cerebral. We're adding some things to our package with RPO. We've always had some elements of RPOs and gift routes, but it's going to be a lot higher because I trust Dan."

Kaelin's take: "It means a lot for sure (to get my opportunity, just because obviously, I haven't been on the field as much as I wanted to. I got to see the field a little bit, rotated with Luke last year, but this year's obviously going to be huge for me. Just be able to prove myself. Yes, it's going to be big for me. It's exciting. I'm going to be on the field playing every down, being that guy that my team has to rely on every single play, every single game, so it's going to be really fun. I'm really excited.

Recruiting: Kaelin has offers from Arizona State, Florida State, Minnesota, Kansas and Nebraska. He plans to visit Minnesota on Apr. 2 and he's already taken trips to Notre Dame, North Carolina and NU. It's unknown at this point if his Husker offer remains active, as it was given to him by former quarterbacks coach Mario Verduzco. The new Nebraska offensive staff has not talked to Kaelin yet.

"The biggest thing for me is trying to get the places that are showing me the most interest," Kaelin said. "I know like April, I'll be going up to Minnesota, but as far as now, I don't have anything set in stone. I'm sure I'll make it to some junior days or a couple of spring practices."

By the numbers: Splitting the starting job, Kaelin threw for 750 yards and zero interceptions as a sophomore. He carries a 4.1 GPA in the classroom. Most of his recruiting offers came from what he's shown on the QB Collective camp scene.

"I feel like that camp is when some of those coaches contacted schools and gained interest and that's when a few weeks after that camp got my first offer," Kaelin said. "That helped give me some buzz because, at that camp, a lot of the top quarterbacks in my class were there throwing side by side and letting people see me, so that was big for me."

Huffman's take on WR TK Barnett: "TK is very similar to Kyrell Jordan. He's not as fast. He's a little bit undersized, but he's a kid that you throw out a one-on-one screen to, and that corner's not tackling him. He has this elusiveness from all of his basketball background. He's another kid that plays two ways for us. He plays wide receiver and he also plays corner for us."

Recruiting: Barnett is being recruited by Kansas, South Dakota State, North Dakota State and Wyoming.

By the numbers: Barnett had 40 catches for 496 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2021. He runs 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash and jumps a 34 inch vertical.

Huffman's take on WR Kyrell Jordan: "Kyrell Jordan is absolutely electric. If it wasn't for his size, I think there would be people all over him. Missouri made the comment not about Kyrell, but you can have some exceptions in your room. You just can't have a room full of exceptions. I'm hoping with a great year like he had last year, he can maybe sneak up into the Missouri Valley to South Dakota or South Dakota State, because he can score every time he touches the ball, and then he is also tough enough. He's a very good corner for us as well. He plays both ways for us."

Recruiting: Jordan is being recruited by Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota and South Dakota State.

By the numbers: As a junior, Jordan had 27 catches for 476 yards, including 766 all-purpose yards. He runs 4.5 in the 40-yard dash and jumps a 34-inch vertical.

Huffman's take on WR Gio Contreras: "Gio's good. Geo's a football player. Everybody forgets that he actually started when he was in 10th grade, over L.J. Richardson, and unfortunately had a season-ending injury and then LJ Richardson took off going to Wyoming. It's not somebody, some slouch that was playing in front of him. Gio, he’s a good back. He reminds me a lot of Jevyon Ducker with his vision and movement. He reads those holes well."

By the numbers: In 2021, Contreras had six touchdowns on offense, two interceptions and one fumble recovery. He carries a 3.0 GPA in the classroom and scored a 26 on his pre-ACT.

Huffman's take on DB Asher Jenkins: "Asher Jenkins is the guy that I've shown every Power Five guy that comes through. He is the younger brother of our defensive end, Arden Jenkins. He has all the same hip-hop strength. He ran 50 seconds in the 400 as a freshman in the State Track Meet last year, his flying 10 times are similar to L.J. Richardson’s at this time last year and L.J. ended up running a 10.84 at the State Track Meet. I think Asher's going to be a 10.9 guy. We just can't figure out if he's a safety or if he's an outside linebacker. Right now, we'll plant him at safety. I told him, 'This is a hundred percent truth, man. If you hit people this year, you're going to go to college for free. That's all there is to it.'"

By the numbers: Jenkins had 25 tackles over nine games last year. He was named West's special teams player of the year. He ran a time of 50.57 seconds in the 400-meters at the state track meet. He runs 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash and jumps a 33-inch vertical. He carries a 4.075 GPA in the classroom.

Huffman's take on TE Aden Morris: "Aidan Morris is a transfer from Fort Calhoun. He came, but he came last year after the deadline. He had to play JV ball. He's got unbelievable length and he's tough. He's going to be playing tight end for us. Maybe some defensive end. You know what? Some kids, I am a big proponent of them playing one way, because I think they can give us everything they need and then become masters of that position. I'm not sure if he's going to be tight end or if he's going to be a d-end, but he's going to be out there raising some cane."

By the numbers: The Fort Calhoun transfer was not able to play varsity last year since he transferred after the deadline. He will be an impact guy for Huffman the next two seasons.