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 Class B power Omaha Skutt.
2022 In-State Tour: Gretna | Elkhorn South | Omaha North | Elkhorn | Omaha Burke | Scottsbluff | Omaha Westside | Bellevue West | Omaha Central | Creighton Prep | Pierce | GI Northwest | Lincoln East | Millard South | Lewis Central | Papillion-La Vista
Head coach: Matt Turman
2021 record: 8-4 (Class B semifinals)
Season rewind: "We had a few hiccups in the middle of the season, had some injuries. We've battled a lot of injuries this year and started getting healthier back towards the playoff time and kind of made a nice little run. We didn't have the easiest draw with Norris first round, who had some really good athletes, and then an undefeated Plattsmouth team in the quarters and found a way to win those two games and went out to Aurora and we were literally a couple plays away from getting to another state title game."
TE Pickrell will lead the way for Skutt in 2022
Turman on TE Brandt Pickrell: "Brandt plays both sides of the field also, When we have kids like Wyatt and Kale and Brandt, we don't have the luxury of bringing in another guy that's that size or has the capabilities just to spell them on one side of the ball. He never came off the field last year either, led our team in sacks, on the defensive inside. He has incredible hands, some of the best hands I've had since I've been coaching at Skutt.
"I was talking to one of our coaches probably the best hands we've seen at our school since (former Nebraska WR) Christian Banker, who set the Class B record for most yardage receiving. He has that type of hands."
Pickrell's take: "I like to think I block pretty well, and I like to say I have good hands. I don't really drop a lot of balls, and when I do, it's very rare. I'd say I can catch pretty well, and I run some good routes too."
Recruiting: Pickrell is being recruited by Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota State, St. Thomas, Dartmouth, Penn, Harvard and Columbia.
By the numbers: Pickrell has a bench of 240, squat of 350 and carries a 3.8 GPA in the classroom. He was named all-conference as a junior.
Turman on kicker Noah Boyd: "Noah had a great year for us, he made 12-of-14 field goals and couple 47 yarders and was a nice weapon on the kickoff team too. Has a great leg on him and we're looking for that to be a nice luxury to have as an offensive coach when you know you just have to get down around the 30 and you have a legit shot to come away with points, it's something that a lot of high school coaches including myself haven't had in the past. It'll be a great benefit this coming season."
Boyd's take: "I was just playing soccer my whole life, and when I got to high school, my gym teacher told me to try football. Tried it, it's awesome, so I just kept on playing.
"Going forward, I think I just need to be more explosive in the weight room because sometimes, I didn't have a big enough leg and I just need to improve on that."
Recruiting: Boyd is being recruited by North Dakota and North Dakota State.
By the numbers: Boyd was named first-team all-state in Class B and second-team Super State. He was 12-of-14 on field goals and 26-of-29 on extra points. Kohls Kicking has Boyd rated as the No. 77 kicker in the country. His long field goal in a game is 48 yards and his longest made in practice is 62 yards.
In the classroom, Boyd carries a 3.6 GPA.
Turman on OL Kale Wiepen: "Kale's just a relentless blocker. He's a motor guy on defense, he does a great job getting off blocks and he'll be the key to our offensive line and defensive line on both sides of the ball."
By the numbers: Wiepen has a bench max of 255 and a squat max of 400 pounds. He runs 4.9 seconds in the 40-yard dash. In the classroom, he carries a 3.69 GPA.
Turman on WR Wyatt Archer: "Wyatt is all over the place, he returns punts, kicks, starts at safety, that's probably his most dominant position. On offense we move him around, he plays some wide receiver and I-back. Unfortunately last year, that's one of the injuries I talked about. He got hurt a little bit, missed about six weeks, and got back right before the playoffs. That was one of the things that kind of keyed our post-season run, was just getting him back into the mix."
Recruiting: Archer is being recruited by North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Nebraska and St. Thomas.
By the numbers: Archer ran 11.36 as a sophomore in the 100 and has been clocked at 4.62 in the 40-yard dash. He has a 225-pound bench, 415 squat and a 33 inch vertical.
In the classroom, he carries a 4.2 GPA and has already scored 25 on the ACT. His older brother Jack Archer plays linebacker at Nebraska.