Mosai Newsom commit: What does it mean for Nebraska?

Nebraska won a key recruiting battle for one of its top overall defensive targets today with the commitment of Mosai Newsom.

The 6-foot-5, 260-pound defensive end out of Waverly (Iowa) Waverly-Shell Rock picked NU over offers from Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, and Northwestern among others. He becomes the 14th known commit for Nebraska's 2019 recruiting class.

Here are some quick takes on what Newsom's commitment means for Nebraska.

1. Beating your competition on the field usually means beating them on the recruiting trail as well and that's exactly what Nebraska did with the addition of defensive end Mosai Newsom. The Huskers beat out Big Ten West foes Iowa, Northwestern and Minnesota, as well as Michigan State in the East Division. Stealing one of the top players in the state of Iowa away from the Hawkeyes is especially rewarding for NU.

2. You've got to tip your hat to Newsom's lead recruiter, Nebraska defensive coordinator Erik Chinander, for the job he did in recruiting the talented defensive end. Prior to Newsom's first visit to Lincoln in mid-March, he appeared to be a fairly decent Iowa lean. From there, Chinander was able to get Newsom back on campus two other times over the next month or so. In total, Newsom visited NU three times in the span of about five weeks during which time the tide turned heavily in Nebraska's favor. None of that would have been possible if Chinander had not developed a solid relationship with the defensive end and his family.

3. Getting one prominent player out of Iowa could possibly lead to getting more in the future. Nebraska has already offered two Iowans from the 2020 class in offensive tackle Tyler Miller and running back Gavin Williams. 2021 defensive linemen T.J. Bollers and Griffin Liddle also have offers from the Huskers. The Hawkeyes have dipped into the state of Nebraska recently and now it appears NU is wanting to return the favor a bit.

4. At 6-foot-5, 260-pounds, Newsom has the exact type of frame that Nebraska is looking for at the defensive end position. He's got an impressive frame and carries his weight extremely well. He looks like he's closer to 240-pounds than 260, but word is he's slightly over the 260 mark right now. He should easily be able to gain more muscle mass without it impacting his speed and explosiveness.

5. Newsom is considered one of the more difficult defensive linemen in the state of Iowa to block. He's a strong kid and is typically able to dominate his opponents, whether it's with brute force or his explosiveness. He's been an extremely productive two-way player for his high school and still possesses a lot of growth potential and upside. He's not just a two-way player on the football field, but he's also a multi-sport standout for his school.

6. Nebraska is getting a versatile football player that has the ability to do a lot of different things in the their 3-4 scheme. He's athletic enough to rush the passer when needed, and big and strong enough to play the run as a 5-technique; and he could even slide down to a 3-technique in certain situations. He plays with active hands and good leverage, and does a good job of using his long arms to bat down passes at the line of scrimmage. Newsom brings a lot to the table as a defensive linemen.

7. In addition to being a terrific athlete with a tremendous amount of ability, Newsom also has certain intangible qualities that you like to see if you're a coach. His a competitive kid that is tough and not afraid to work hard on the field or in the weight room. By all accounts, Newsom is a high character kid and a leader on and off of the field. A bonus is that he's also a very smart kid both on the field and in the classroom.

7/23/2018 - Mosai Newsom - DE - 6-foot-5, 260 - Waverly, IA - 3 Stars

7/21/2018 - Nick Henrich- LB - 6-foot-3, 210 - Omaha, NE - 3 Stars

7/19/2018 - Tony Fair - DT - 6-foot-3, 330 - Tucson, AZ (South Bend, Ind.) - NR

6/29/2018 - Jamie Nance - WR - 6-foot, 160 - Blanchard, OK - 3 Stars

6/22/2018 - Matthew Anderson - OL - 6-foot-7, 250 - Leesville, LA - NR

6/15/2018 - Ronald Thompkins - RB - 6-foot, 195 - Loganville, GA - 3 Stars

6/6/2018 - Jackson Hannah - LB - 6-foot-3, 234 - Nashville, TN - 4 Stars

6/4/2018 - Luke McCaffrey - QB - 6-foot-2, 180 - Highlands Ranch, CO - 3 Stars

6/1/2018 - Desmond Bland - OL - 6-foot-4, 300 - Yuma, AZ (Flossmoor, Ill.) - 4 Stars

5/5/2018 - Rahmir Johnson - RB - 5-foot-10, 170 - Oradell, NJ - 4 Stars

4/9/2018 - Thomas Grayson - RB - 5-foot-11, 190 - Tulsa, OK - 2 Stars

3/5/2018 - Ethan Piper - DE - 6-foot-4, 280 - Norfolk, Neb. - 3 Stars

11/24/2017 - Garrett Snodgrass - ATH - 6-foot-3, 220 - York, Neb. - 3 Stars

6/24/2017 - Garrett Nelson - OLB - 6-foot-3, 236 - Scottsbluff, Neb. - 3 Stars

1 - Quarterback

3 - Running back

1 - Wide receiver

0 - Tight end

2- Offensive linemen

1 - Defensive tackle

2 - Defensive end

1 - Outside linebacker

2 - Inside linebacker

0 - Safety

0 - Cornerback

1 - Athlete

0 - Special teams

4 - Nebraska

2 - Oklahoma

1 - Colorado

1 - Georgia

1 - Iowa

1 - Illinois

1 - Indiana

1 - Louisiana

1 - New Jersey

1 - Tennessee