Three & Out: Domann was special, 2023 LB recruits, and QB recruiting

This is HuskerOnline.com's feature in which recruiting analysts Mike Matya and Bryan Munson give their weekly takes on topical issues concerning Nebraska football, baseball and recruiting.

Today in our next installment of "Three and Out" we hit on JoJo Domann was special, 2023 linebacker possibilities, future quarterback recruiting uncertainty

It was poetic. JoJo Domann likely played the best game of his career in his last game and did it, not only injured, by risking significant further injury. He embodies everything that Husker Nation holds dear.

Loyalty. Toughness. Leadership.

After six years and 51 games, Domann finished with 209 career total tackles. It's a mark that will tie him for No. 34 overall in total tackles in Nebraska history with Tyrone Byrd. Domann's career totals will never reflect how great of a linebacker, or better yet, defender Domann was.for Nebraska.

For me, Domann belongs on the list of top defenders to ever play for Nebraska. If Eric Hagg or Dejon Gomes blazed the trail of the hybrid defender, then Domann perfected it.

Domann had this great concoction of skills that made him special. He could pin his ears back and get to the quarterback. He could defend in space against tight ends, wide receivers or running backs.

There was little doub,t even before the Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl invites for Domann, that his future included him playing on Sundays. There is another surgery and more physical therapy that will stand in the way.

It's been that way for a good chunk of his career. Domann endured two knee injuries (in 2017 and 2021). Many would call that being snakebitten. From his podcast he would call it the roll he was meant to play.

Domann was a leader on and off the field for his team. He led by his actions and helped others develop around him. And while some aren't concerned about the defense going into the last two games of the season or into the off-season, the loss of Domann will undoubtedly be felt.

There are categories beyond production that are difficult to measure. Maybe it's more a case of you have them or you don't. When it comes to those intangibles, you can put some big checkmarks in those boxes for Domann. His abilities on the field will get him to the League and those intangibles will keep him in the League.

Best of luck JoJo!

- Bryan Munson

Nebraska's linebackers have been playing well this season under the tutelage of Barrett Ruud and Mike Dawson, and the Huskers have three in-state possible linebacker prospects committed to their Class of 2022 in Ernest Hausmann, Jake Appleget and Gage Stenger.

Which leads us to an early look at the Class of 2023 linebacker board, which has already seen several recruits from that cycle visit Lincoln this year. Most of them also have personal connections to the NU football program.

Noonan's father, Danny, was a Nebraska defensive lineman and first-round NFL Draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys. Tuioti's father, Tony, is the current defensive line coach for the Blackshirts. Both have visited Lincoln multiple times this year, as well as attending Husker home games. The pair are of the highest priority for the NU coaches in the next class.

Akana's sister, Keonilei, is a volleyball player on Nebraska's team. Newsom's brother, Mosai, is a redshirt freshman defensive lineman on the football team. Akana is currently ranked as the No. 57 recruit in the country by Rivals. Both Akana and Newsom have attended Husker home games this season.

These two Georgia linebackers have told us they plan to get to Lincoln as soon as possible.

"Nebraska is definitely a school I’d like to go on a visit to and I’ve heard nothing but good things about it," Hoffler told us this past week. "I hope to see the campus, the day to day environment, and the academics as well as the facilities when I go up there."

In the case of Moore, his Nebraska unofficial visit will be within the next "two or three weeks," and his mother will be coming with him.

"I just felt like i need to do something special for the GBR family," Moore stated in a twitter DM to me. "it's been a good 2 years where the fans love me and coaches love me. Great Academics, Football Team, Outstanding Coaches. Can't go wrong with that."

Moore said that he regularly speaks with several members of the Husker defensive staff, and in particular defensive coordinator Erik Chinander. He also talks to Coach Scott Frost "when I need to."

I have put a Future Cast in for Moore to go to Nebraska, so he bears close watching over these next couple of months. As do all of the above listed Nebraska linebacker recruits.

- Mike Matya

In 2022, the Nebraska staff offered 17 different quarterback recruits before the Huskers landed Richard Torres. The quarterback commitment timelines are unlike any other position. Their timeline typically includes forming a list as a sophomore. Trips in the fall and spring to various schools. Narrowing things down and eventually committing before or during their junior year.

Up to the staff changes a week ago, there have only been three offers made to 2023 quarterbacks. The latest offer came just two weeks ago to JJ Kohl while he was on his unofficial visit to Nebraska during the Purdue game weekend.

That offer to Kohl came just weeks before presumably Nebraska's top quarterback prospect, Reese Mooney, is supposed to make his commitment announcement on November 22nd.

What's interesting is how "zeroed in" it appears the previous offensive staff seemed to be on Mooney. It's apparent from the small number of offers, but confusing at the same time since the last offer to Kohl preceded the staff changes.

It seems logical that Nebraska will be active in the portal looking for a quarterback as part of their 2022 class. It will come down to when the new staff is hired by Scott Frost when it comes to how active the new staff will be with finding "the next guy".

It's hard to imagine that a quarterback can feel good about making a commitment now to Nebraska not knowing who the offensive coordinator will be, what the offense will look like, and if they are a fit for that offense. And if the Huskers did accept a commitment, it would seem dependent on the right hire and if the commitment felt like they were a good fit.

The bigger picture here, though, might be the say that the new staff will want when it comes to the 2023 quarterback. There are not a lot of seeds sown so far, based on just three offers out to 2023 quarterbacks. There are a total of 127 quarterbacks in the 2023 class that already have an offer. Only eight of those 127 quarterbacks have already committed.

At least for now, there seems to be a lot of available talent out there. There will no doubt be a run on quarterback commitments from the 2023 class in the coming months. It's likely that the new offensive staff will have "their guys" already offered at the schools they are currently at.

I will still be interested to see what Mooney does next week, but it will be very interesting moving forward once the new offensive staff is named to see what happens at quarterback in the 2023 class.

- Bryan Munson