Nash Hutmacher commit: What does it mean for Nebraska?

Nebraska landed an extremely important commitment from Nash Hutmacher on Saturday.

The 6-foot-5, 305-pound defensive lineman out of Chamberlain, S.D. announced his commitment to the Huskers via Twitter. He picked NU over other finalists Wisconsin and Oregon. Hutmacher becomes the sixth known verbal commit in Nebraska's 2020 recruiting class.

Here are some quick takes on what the commitment of Hutmacher means for the Huskers.

1. This was truly a team effort by Nebraska in recruiting Nash Hutmacher. Virtually every single coach on NU's staff played some role in recruiting him especially running backs coach Ryan Held, defensive coordinator Erik Chinander, defensive line coach Tony Tuioti, former defensive line coach Mike Dawson and of course head coach Scott Frost. Once again, the Huskers were the first Power 5 school to offer Hutmacher and recruited him as hard or harder than any other school out there.

2. The commitment of Hutmacher now gives the Huskers four pledges in its 2020 class that fall inside the 500-mile radius for Nebraska which is a huge deal. The talented athlete was right towards the top of NU's overall board and someone they had invested a ton of time and effort into recruiting. The Nebraska staff made their way up to Chamberlain, S.D. to stop by Hutmacher's school pretty much every chance they could over the last two recruiting cycles just as they did for fellow 2020 commits Turner Corcoran, Logan Smothers and others. Nebraska has had a lot of success recruiting the state of South Dakota in the past which is just part of the reason why he was considered a "must get" type of prospect for the Huskers.

3. Hutmacher gives the Huskers its first commit along the defensive line which is arguably the biggest need in the class along with inside linebacker. NU graduates five scholarship defensive linemen after next season including three nose tackles in Darrion Daniels, Carlos Davis and Vaha Vainuku.

4. Not only is Hutmacher a tremendous football prospect, but he's just an elite all around athlete. This past winter he became the first South Dakota heavyweight wrestler to win three consecutive state championships. He's also a standout shot put and discus thrower for his high school team. His athletic accomplishments led to him being names the South Dakota Wrestler of the Year as well as the Male Athlete of the Year this past spring. Additionally, Hutmacher is recognized as the top overall high school heavyweight wrestler in the country regardless of age.

5. Hutmacher has great size and is unbelievably strong, especially for his age, there's a reason why his nickname is "The Polar Bear." Those are two of the biggest traits the Huskers seek out at the nose tackle position. He's physically mature enough to be able to come in and play very early on for Nebraska which is pretty rare at his position. Perhaps the most impressive thing is that he's so much more than a big, strong kid. He's explosive off the line, runs very well and can get up up to bat passes down at the line of scrimmage.

6. Hutmacher plays with a high motor and is a disruptive force in the middle of the defensive line. He's the type of player that will command more than one blocker at the next level. I also think he brings enough athleticism to the table to where the Huskers could move him around a bit on the defensive front depending on the situation.

7. There's a lot to like about Hutmacher beyond his athleticism, too. He has all of the intangible qualities you could ever want to bring into your program. His work ethic on and off of the field, especially in the weight room, are second to none. He's also a tough and fierce competitor. His makeup reminds me of 2019 signee Garrett Nelson's who was also a standout wrestler in high school.

1. 7/26/2018 - Logan Smothers - QB - 6-foot-1, 180 - Athens, Ala. - 4 Stars

2. 4/3/2019 - Zavier Betts - WR - 6-foot-3, 190 - Bellevue, Neb. - 4 Stars

3. 4/13/2019 - Turner Corcoran - OT - 6-foot-6, 270 - Lawrence, Kan. - 4 Stars

4. 6/23/2019 - Tamon Lynum - CB - 6-foot-2, 177 - Orlando, Fla. - NR

5. 6/24/2019 - Alex Conn - OL - 6-foot-6, 275 - Derby, Kan. - 3 Stars

6. 6/29/2019 - Nash Hutmacher - DL - 6-foot-5, 305 - Chamberlain, S.D. - 3 Stars

1 - Quarterback

0 - Running back

1 - Wide receiver

0 - Tight end

2 - Offensive linemen

1 - Defensive tackle

0 - Defensive end

0 - Outside linebacker

0 - Inside linebacker

0 - Safety

1 - Cornerback

0 - Athlete

0 - Special teams

Kansas - 2

Alabama - 1

Florida - 1

Nebraska - 1

South Dakota - 1